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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Love this sculpture called Waitukei, by Lyonel Grant in the Government Gardens @rotoruanz depicting the melding of Maori and European cultures. The male and female figures took over two years to craft from bronze. @purenewzealand @escapesnaps #rotoruanzMud volcanoes, sulphur pools, boiling water, bubbling mud and spitting lakes @hellsgatenz in @rotoruanz has it all. It’s not surprising it is named #hellsgate and it’s important to stay on the path. However, you can experience the ‘health-giving’ mud and healing waters at their Mud Spa. #rotoruanz #geothermal #astw_inc @escapesnapsWhen you fly to White Island, New Zealand with @volcanicairnz for an extra $100 you can include a stop on Mt Tarawera too. This mountain was split open in the 1886 eruption, leaving gaping wounds in the harsh, dry mountain top. Barren and beautiful, it is pretty windy up there! @rotoruanz #rotoruanz #mttaraweraWhite Island, off shore from New Zealand’s North Island, is an active volcano (apparently there were 183 earthquakes recorded in a 24 hour period last week) that you can visit by air or sea. Today I flew out to #whiteislandnz from #rotoruanz with @volcanicairnz in a helicopter. We landed on the island and spent about an hour wandering around the stark sulphur encrusted landscape and steaming crater lake. What an incredible trip, and remarkable topography. #activevolcano @rotoruanz @purenewzealand @escapesnaps #astw_incZip lining guides have a knack of pushing your boundaries. Here I am before the gorgeous girls at @rotoruacanopytours had me plunging backwards off this platform to zip backwards through the forest! (I look way calmer than I felt.) What I love about this tour is the conservation aspect. Between zipping through the trees they teach you about the forest and the native birds, along with their pest eradication program. An exhilarating and educational few hours. @escapesnaps @rotoruanz @purenewzealandWhat is this? Looks a bit like a flying saucer from a Sci-fi movie. But it is one of many art installations st @treewalknz in #rotoruanz Nightlights light up the redwoods for a magical experience in the forest after dark. If you don’t like heights, it’s a good time to visit, as you can’t see how high the suspended walkways are above the ground! @rotoruanz @escapesnaps #treewalknz- My Tweets
Category Archives: Thailand
Tai Chi with the locals in Bangkok
Apparently, tai chi is all about internal energy flow, but the only energy I’m channelling is nervous energy. How much of a goose (or perhaps that should be crane?) am I making of myself? But I don’t care. I feel … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Bangkok, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Lumpini Park, Sofitel So Bangkok, Tai Chi
8 Comments
Postcard of the week – National Thai Elephant Day
I’m a little late, but March 13 is National Thai Elephant Day, so I thought I’d post this picture I took several years ago at Elephant Nature Park, a rescue and rehabilitation centre in Chang Mai, Thailand. The centre provides a … Continue reading
Posted in Postcards, Thailand, Travel
Tagged elephant conservation, Elephant Nature Park, elephants
3 Comments
Postcard of the Week – Pullman Phuket Arcadia Pool
I’m sweltering in Sydney today. It’s over 40 degrees Celsius outside and my air conditioner is struggling to keep up. While I am lucky enough to have a pool in my backyard, I couldn’t help thinking about the gorgeous main … Continue reading
Posted in Postcards, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Hotel pools, Postcard, Pullman Phuket Arcadia, Resort pools, Swimming pools
1 Comment
Stolen identity? Not this time.
I’m overcome with guilt. How could I have ever thought ill of the three lovely young girls? The problem is, when travelling you can become paranoid about thieves and scams. And so it is at Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market. Billed as … Continue reading
Posted in Bangkok, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Bangkok markets, Chatuchak market, markets, shopping, travel misunderstandings, travel scams
2 Comments
Bangkok back in business
According to this report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, as of the 3rd March the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) has scaled back their protests in Bangkok, dismantling the temporary rally camps at major intersections in the city. This … Continue reading
Posted in Thailand, Travel, Travel News & Events
Tagged Bangkok, land of smiles, travel, unrest
2 Comments
Dreaming of a health resort – or ‘wellness retreat’
In my younger corporate days I used to watch older associates heading off to health farms once or twice a year. Back then I thought ‘what a waste of a good holiday’. I got all the rest and relaxation I … Continue reading
