Tag Archives: travel

Travel First Aid Kits

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Briar's Travel Beat

Do you carry a first aid kit when you travel? Regardless of what sort of travel I do, be it relaxing at a resort or taking a guided hike, I always take my own first aid/medication kit with me, adjusting … Continue reading →

WOW List 2020 – Flight Centre’s Top 50 Travel Experiences

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Briar's Travel Beat

People love lists. I certainly do. I’m a serial list-writer, from daily ‘to do’ lists to a travel packing master list years in the making. The travel community loves lists too. Just look at rise of the ‘listicle’ or list … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel, Travel Lists | Tagged Cruise in France, Flight Centre, Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island, northern lights, Switzerland by rail, travel, Travel Lists, WOW 2020, Yukon | Leave a comment

So you want to be a travel writer?

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Briar's Travel Beat

I love serendipity. As I was updating my talk ‘Introduction to Travel Writing’, which I give from time to time at libraries and writers’ groups, a blog post popped up in my emails from my colleague Lindy Alexander, at The … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Tagged freelance travel writing, travel, travel writing | 2 Comments

Postcard of the week – Heart Reef, Whitsundays

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Briar's Travel Beat

It’s been overcast, wet and very grey in Sydney this week. I need some colour to brighten the mood, so have chosen this image of the Great Barrier Reef, taken last year on a scenic flight with GSL Aviation out … Continue reading →

Posted in Attractions, Australia, Postcards, Queensland, Travel | Tagged Great Barrier Reef, Hardy Reef, Heart Reef, Scenic Flight, travel | Leave a comment

Bottoms up to Kakadu Bird Week 14-21 October 2015

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Briar's Travel Beat

A bums-up salute from magpie geese greeted us at Mamukala Wetlands last month as they scrabbled to stretch their necks to the bottom of the billabong in search of juicy bulbs. It was a comic display and one that was … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, bird watching, birds, Kakadu Bird Week, Travel News & Events | Tagged Australia, Kakadu, national parks, Northern Territory, travel | 1 Comment

Shoe shopping in Madrid

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Briar's Travel Beat

The Spanish make some fabulous shoes; quality leather, good craftsmanship and contemporary design. I know because I used to be a footwear buyer. But walking the tourist trails in Madrid, I didn’t come across a single trendy footwear store. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Shopping, Spain, Travel | Tagged footwear, Madrid, shoes, travel | Leave a comment

Teen-friendly family accommodation on the Gold Coast

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Briar's Travel Beat

Finding accommodation that suits a family with teens can often be challenging. You want to give them some freedom and a room of their own, especially if they are older, but you also want to have them close and know … Continue reading →

Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Gold Coast, Queensland, Travel | Tagged accommodation, Australis Sovereign Hotel Surfers Paradise, family accommodation, hotel, resort, Surfers Paradise, teen travel, travel | 2 Comments

Funny dunny signs – quirky Aussie bathroom signs

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Briar's Travel Beat

When travelling it can be the quirky little things that give an insight into the character of a place – like unusual toilet signs. To Loos Le Trek is a case in point, a hint that McCrossin’s Mill Museum in … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Travel | Tagged bathroom signs, Fraser Island, Kingfisher Bay Resort, outback, Quarantine Station, toilet signs, travel | 1 Comment

Bangkok back in business

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Briar's Travel Beat

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

Gift an experience: 10 Sydney experiences to inspire, excite and thrill

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Briar's Travel Beat

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 →