About Briar
Briar Jensen is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer. Her blog covers travel tips, reviews, insights and inspiration, travel accessories and gadgets.
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I love a hotel with character and the eclectic @so_auckland has it in spades. Ritzy communal spaces, comfortably elegant suites, a cheeky sense of style thanks to collaboration with @worldbrandinnz and genuinely cheery and engaging staff. A hip luxury Kiwi hotel. My story in the latest issue of @signatureluxurytravel (swipe left). #soauckland #signatureluxurytravel #hotelreview #nzmustdoHow good is this Cape York sunset? Taken from my accommodation at @capeyorklodge in Bamaga, the best quality accommodation option close to The Tip, the northernmost point of mainland Australia. And the great thing is, it is owned and operated by Bamaga Enterprises, which is a social enterprise that supports the community, so you know your dollars are staying within the community. #capeyork #bamaga #sunset_pics #exploretnqPearl farms always seem to be in picturesque locations, and this one is a stunner. Located on tiny Roko Island in the Torres Strait, they will pick you up from Seisia or Pundsand Bay on the tip of Cape York and transfer you to the island (a 20-minute boat ride) for a lesson on pearl production. The business is family owned and son Jason, a pearl technician, demonstrates how the pearls are cultivated, before giving us a sample of pearl meat (seasoned with salt and pepper). They also offer overnight accommodation in a couple of glamping tents, and who wouldn’t want to stay here with this view? Pity I was only on the day tour. @rokoisland @tropicalnorthqueensland #rokoislandpearlfarm #pearlfarm #capeyork #capeyorkpeninsula #islandvibesThere are always extra special moments in travel, and reaching the Tip of Cape York, the northernmost point of the Australian continent today was one of them. Thanks to @capeyorklodge for the tour from #bamaga to the tip, where you have the Arafura Sea on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other and the Torres Strait in front. #thetip #exploretnq #capeyork #capeyorklodge #hostedHow clear is the water at Fruit Bat Falls in Cape York’s Northern Peninsula Area? I could see little black tadpoles nibbling algae from the rocks and tiny fish swimming by. I swam across to the falls for a back pummelling under the falls and climbed to the top for a lie in a rivulet for a fresh water spa. Simply awesome. To get there you can book a tour with @capeyorklodge in Bamaga or hire one of their 4WDs and drive yourself, but I recommend the former, as the sign to the falls is not easy to spot when you are concentrating on driving through corrugations and sand drifts. #capeyorkpeninsula #thisisqueensland #exploretnq #bamagaWhere the reef meets the rainforest is the catch cry of @tropicalnorthqueensland and what a fantastic perspective on the rainforest from @skyrailcairns a 7.5km Cableway in Cairns that travels above the forest, thereby not disturbing it. The shades of green are too many to count, with old and new growth and different textures catching the light in different ways. There are even palms growing out of the treetops, their seeds dropped up there by birds. #cairns #skyrailcairns #rainforest #exploretnq- My Tweets
Category Archives: Sydney
Wonderful Western Sydney
Lately I’ve been touring Western Sydney, gathering stories for articles, and I’ve been blown away by the diversity of experiences and attractions available for every age group and type of visitor, from thrill seekers, to nature lovers and history buffs. … Continue reading
Toe-tapping retro fashion fun in the Blue Mountains
Love retro fashions? Like a bit of toe-tapping on the dance floor? Enjoy lingering with friends over delicious regional food and wine? Then you’ll love the Roaring 20s Festival. Held in Sydney’s Blue Mountains this year’s event takes place on … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Events, Fashion, festivals, Food & Wine, New South Wales, Sydney
Tagged Blue Mountains, Blue Mountains Vintage Cadillacs, Charleston Challenge, Charleston for Charity, Charlotte Smith Collection, Charlotte Smith Fashion Collection, Dress up, fashion, festivals, Food and Wine, Hydro Majestic, Hydro Majestic Long Lunch, Plate Up, retro fashion, roaring 20s, Roaring 20s fashions, Roaring 20s Festival, vintage cadillacs
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Sydney’s QVB turns 120 – share your story to win
Since moving to Sydney 20-odd years ago I’ve come to love the elegant Queen Victoria Building, which occupies and entire city block. But like many of the shoppers and commuters that pass through her colonnaded walkways and underground passageways, I’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Attractions, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel
Tagged Architecture tours, Queen Victoria Building, QVB, QVB History Tour, QVB120, sydney, Sydney architecture, Sydney tours
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Postcard of the week – Glorious gum trees
Sometimes nature blows me away with its beauty. Like this magnificent gum tree, whose subtle colours were given a vibrant makeover by summer rain (actually a summer downpour that turned our walking track in a mini riverbed). Rain gives the … Continue reading
Posted in National Parks, Postcards, Sydney, Travel
Tagged gum trees, Ku-ring-gai Chase NP
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Event: Sydney Tomato Festival Royal Botanic Garden
Love tomatoes? Then mark the Sydney Tomato Festival in your diary for this weekend 20-21st February 2016 – to be held at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. I didn’t realise Sydney had a Tomato Festival, so I’m disappointed to know I’ve … Continue reading
Postcard of the week – Hawkesbury
I was eagerly anticipating the television mini-series of Kate Grenville’s bestselling novel The Secret River, a story of conflict between the First Australians and early European settlers, which recently aired on the ABC, both to see how the story played out … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Hawkesbury, National Parks, Postcards, Sydney, Travel
Tagged Australia, Cowan Water, Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury River, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, sydney
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Free accommodation on Sydney’s Pittwater
Fancy a weekend getaway in the bush free of charge, staying at a historic property overlooking Pittwater’s Morning Bay? Spend your free time watching the local wildlife, hiking through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, kayaking the bays or just relaxing in … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Sydney, Travel, Volunteering
Tagged bush regeneration, Pittwater, voluntourism, YHA
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