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Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump
When I saw bloukrans bridge the following morning, I swallowed hard. It spanned a yawning gorge and seemed much higher that its 216 meters. A jump from that height would be like taking the lift to the 70th floor of a building before taking a swan dive off the windowsill. At the reception, everyone had […]
Convert Word to Clean HTML with DoctoHTML
To understand e-readers, you have to understand that you’re really dealing with a lightweight web browser. Ebooks are in fact a variation of web pages with HTML at their core. That’s really all they are. The cleaner the HTML you put into the ebook, the more predictable it will appear across various e-reader devices. In […]
Hogsback – A Journey to Tolkien’s Middle Earth
I arrived at hilltop village of Hogsback, South Africa to see if the magic that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s books still existed. Taking a map from the hostel I booked into, I set off in search of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Before heading into the woods, I got chatting to Pat, a local resident who ran 4×4 […]
Visit to Cape Point South Africa
Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve Once we parked at Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, we made our way towards the shore. Shortly after, a gang of baboons crossed our path. This was my first encounter with these creatures, although I had already seen signs near the car park warning people not to feed […]
Help Me Choose a South Africa Travel Book Cover
I’ve been working with the very talented Melody Simmons on a cover for my latest travel book about South Africa. She presented me with a number of options and I’ve narrowed it down to these four. The book will be called “Cape Town to Kruger: Backpacker Travels in South Africa and Swaziland” and will describe […]
A Poem for Saint Patricks Day
I’m a huge fan of the late Seamus Heaney, one of Ireland’s greatest poets. His poems about life on the land struck a cord with me, there was so much truth and beauty in them. My favourite would have to be his classic “Digging”. I liked it so much, I included it in my book […]
In Search of JAWS – Shark Cage Diving South Africa
Despite the warm weather at sea that day, I was shaking like a leaf. I had just watched a Great White shark rip a hundred-pound tuna to pieces in seconds. I was now being asked to slide into a metal shark cage that looked as secure as a shopping trolley. I could even see the […]
Charlie Connelly at Lismore Travel Writing Festival
Despite a late night in Foley’s pub, I managed force myself out of bed to attend the Lismore Literary Breakfast. The guest speaker at that year’s festival was travel writer Charlie Connelly. Charlie has a reputation of being an entertaining speaker so I was looking forward to it. I was seated at a table that […]
Simon Winchester Shines at Lismore
I confess, before I arrived at the Blackwater Community Hall to listen to Simon Winchester, I’d never heard of him. Talking to others before taking my seat, I found wasn’t alone in my ignorance. My expectations for the evening were low. However, two magical hours later, I left the hall a fan. Simon looked every […]
Paul Theroux at Lismore Travel Writing Festival
It’s not often we have the chance to meet our heroes but I got a chance to meet one of mine at the Lismore Travel Writing Festival last month. Paul Theroux – arguably the father of modern travel writing – was the keynote speaker at a packed Blackwater Community Hall for the renowned travel writing […]
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