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
Tag Archives: family fun
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
Postcard of the week – Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
With Parks Week starting on Monday 9th March this week’s photo is from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, just 25km from the centre of Sydney. Covering 15,000 hectares the park offers both bush and water-based activities as it surrounds Cowan Water … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, National Parks, Postcards, Travel
Tagged boating, family fun, hiking, kayaking, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, national parks, New South Wales, Refuge Bay
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Connect with nature during Parks Week 9-15 March
The piercing call of whip birds penetrating the bush, the scuttle of an echidna fossicking in the undergrowth, the damp smell of leaf litter and the subtle fragrance of wildflowers. Fossils exposed in the desert, Aboriginal rock art by the sea, crabs scampering among … Continue reading
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi – on now
It’s on again – Sculpture by the Sea Bondi opened Thursday 23 October and runs until Sunday 2 November. I love Sculpture by the Sea – intriguing, whimsical, inspiring and challenging exhibits set against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour, along the Bondi … Continue reading
Posted in Attractions, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel, Travel News & Events
Tagged Bondi, coastal walk, family fun, interactive art, Local events, Sculpture by the sea
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Escape Hunt in Sydney – if you dare
We’re locked in. It’s pitch black. I have no idea how we’ll get out. And I’m scared. Scared I won’t be able to find the clues or solve the riddles that will help us unlock the door, and along the … Continue reading
Posted in Attractions, Australia, Sydney, Travel
Tagged attractions, challenges, escape hunt, family fun, fun, games
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Pelican capers on Kangaroo Island
“I feel like a first-rate idiot with a seagull on my head,” says John Ayliffe as he stands on the waterfront at Kingscote on Kangaroo Island surrounded by a shivering squadron of pelicans. Dressed in khaki waders, industrial rubber gloves, … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Australia, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Travel
Tagged family fun, Kangaroo Island, Kingscote, local characters, Local events, pelican feeding, pelicans, South Australia
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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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