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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Meet Solomon Wiseman, pioneer, inn keeper and ferry master, after which this tiny town on a bend in the Hawkesbury River is named. He is the inspiration and main character of Kate Grenville’s novel The Secret River. I loved learning more about him and the area in Grenville’s companion book, Searching for the Secret River, which describes her research. And the ferry service he started is still going! #wisemansferry #kategrenville #hawkesburyriver @visitnswWhat’s around the next corner? Kayaking up Webb’s Creek, off the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry I couldn’t help but think of Kate Greenville’s book The Secret River. How remote this must have felt for the early settlers. Thanks to @hawkesburyhouseboats, who also hire kayaks and runabouts, I was able to explore the creek for a couple of hours in the company of ducks and a white-faced heron. So what’s around the corner? More of the same! #hawkesburyriver #ilovesydney #kayaking #astw_incAlways love this view of the Hawkesbury River from Hawkins Lookout before the descent into Wisemans Ferry. Twisting and turning more than 120kms to Broken Bay, the river was known as Deerubbin by the local indigenous people, meaning wide, deep water. So close to Sydney it offers an ideal weekend getaway. #wisemansferry #deerubbinSay hi to Bib and Bub, gumnut babies, found in the garden at Nutcote, the #sydney harbourside home of Australian children’s author and illustrator May Gibbs, which I passed on my recent walk from Taronga to Kirribilli. Now a beautiful museum, the home sheds light on May’s life and work. The home was also used in the film Ladies in Black as Magda’s harbourside house. #nutcote #maygibbs #ilovesydney #astw_incThe views of Sydney Harbour on the Taronga to Kirribilli walk range from vignettes to vast vistas. Such an easy an interesting walk. @sydney #ilovesydney #sydneyharbourFantastic #harbourwalk from Taronga Zoo to Kirribilli along the waterfront. So many beautiful parks, like Anderson Park, with these majestic #palms. #ilovesydney #astw_inc- My Tweets
Category Archives: Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Airpocket for plane seat pocket
Ever left something behind in an airline seat pocket? Thankfully, I’ve only ever forgotten a newly-purchased magazine and a packet of tissues (except when I was travelling as an unaccompanied 8 year-old and left my new long-legged rag doll behind, … Continue reading
Posted in Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged Airpocket, flight accessories, luggage, packing, packing aids, travel accessories
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10 Inexpensive Travel Gifts
Travel accessories make excellent gifts, whether for a work colleague, family member or friend (even yourself!) and sometimes it’s the small, inexpensive items that make a huge difference to life on the road. Here are 10 of my favourites, some … Continue reading
Stay Charged – Powerful portable charger for travelling
I’m terrified my phone will run out of battery power at a crucial moment, like checking onto a flight with an electronic boarding pass, sending an essential email or capturing that all-important photograph. We are so reliant on our mobile … Continue reading
Gift an experience: 10 Sydney experiences to inspire, excite and thrill
Can’t think of a gift for that special someone? Then give them an experience they will remember long after the Christmas tree has dropped its needles. Here are ten Sydney experiences for the grandkids to the grandparents, the adventure-lovers to … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Animals, Australia, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Segway, Sydney, Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged animal parks, family fun, Hawkesbury, jet boating, sailing, Segway, sydney, travel
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Five (more) inexpensive travel gifts
Sometimes it’s the little things that can make our lives easier, especially when on the road travelling, so here are a few more ideas for inexpensive travel items that make great gifts. (You can see my first five ideas here Five … Continue reading
Posted in Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged Phone accessories, travel, Travel gadgets
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Five travel gifts for under A$40
Here are five gifts for the travellers in your life – from the corporate traveller to the happy camper. Or indulge yourself and make your travelling life a little easier! Portable power board (power strip) Laptops, mobile phones, tablets, Kindles … Continue reading
Posted in Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged boating, camping, caravans, travel accessories, Travel gadgets
6 Comments
Aussie tavelling gadgets
I love a travel gadget and I found two great ones at the NSW Caravan, Camping, RV and Holiday Supershow on at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney (on until 28 April). The first one suits all travellers. Called Hipsta, it’s a nifty … Continue reading
