• take the leap travel
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    10 Beautiful Natural Wonders To See In New Zealand Before You Die

    ‘THE POETRY OF EARTH IS NEVER DEAD’ – JOHN KEATS ⇷☓⇸ With so many natural wonders around the world its hard to pin point just one. However if you find yourself landing in New Zealand then there are no limits to the amount of beauty and adventures to be had in this amazing country. Here are my top 10 jaw dropping delights to remind the world how incredible New Zealand really is: 1. Tongariro Alpine Crossing This has to be one of the best day walks in the entire world!  With its brightly-coloured, natural, emerald lakes, vast volcanic landscapes and lava flows, this crossing makes for a magnificent walking adventure.…

  • best places to eat in Auckland, New Zealand
    Food,  Media,  Travel

    The Top 10 Places To Eat In Auckland

    FOR ALL YOU FOODIES OUT THERE ⇷☓⇸ Having lived in Auckland for some time, I have managed to check out a number of different places to eat and these are some of my favourites. Whether you fancy Western, Asian, Fusion,  or other delicious styles of food there is something for everyone here in Auckland: 1. Happy Boy Happy Boy makes everyone happy! Brought to you by the same people behind Kiss Kiss (a delicious Vietnamese restaurant), step inside and you’ll discover the future! Incredibly vibrant with neon colours and Tron style themes, it’s serving up delicous bugers, all served in soft, bao-style buns. The cornflake crusted Karage chicken with nori, pickled…

  • take the leap travel
    Food,  Media,  Photos,  Travel

    7 Places to see in South Island, New Zealand

    EXPLORING THE SOUTH ISLANDS NATURAL BEAUTY ⇷☓⇸ 1. Christchurch Known as “The Garden City,” Christchurch, boasts beautifully-sculpted parks and gardens reminiscent of Victorian England. The city has a lively student population, is multi-cultural, and is a popular backpacker destination. Though severely damaged by a few earthquakes in the last few years, the city is slowly being rebuilt and the city is moving forward. A really cool must see is the container shopping park which is a mix match of shipping containers made into, retail shops, cafes and restaurants which are all brightly coloured. Keep an eye out for the archway (as show above) and have a fun ride on the gondola…

  • Media,  Travel

    Halloween Short Story Special!

    The Basement It was a warm summers evening and I was home alone for the week, as Claire and the girls had gone on holiday while I had to stay and work. It didn’t bother me all that much though as it was great to get rid of the kids and the missus for some peace and quiet which I rarely get these days. To treat myself I bought the latest scary film and decided to wait till 2am and headed to my basement where we had a kind of games room with a flat screen TV, DVD player and a comfy sofa. As you know I have always been…

  • the top 10 tv shows for travel inspiration
    Media,  Travel

    The Top 10 TV Shows For Travel Inspiration

    TRAVEL TV SHOWS FOR THE WANDERLUSTER ⇷☓⇸ Before I took the leap and went travelling, I wanted to quench my thirst for adventure and to add fuel to the fire of my own overwhelming desire to travel, so I searched for the best (and in all honestly any) book that was about travelling and exotic lands. These are my top 10 to kick your wanderlust into high gear and start planning those trips: 1. Lost The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 were 1,000 miles off course when they crashed on a lush, mysterious island. Each person possesses a shocking secret, but they’ve got nothing on the island itself, which harbors…

  • the top 10 books for travel inspiration
    Media,  Tech & Gear,  Travel

    The Top 10 Books For Travel Inspiration

    TRAVEL BOOKS FOR THE WANDERLUSTER ⇷☓⇸ There is nothing better than settling down with a delicious drink of choice, some snacks and an evening full of adventure, suspense, love and travel to help get your motivated to go travelling and see the world. With bounteous amounts of books out there to choose from, it can get a little bit overwhelming when it comes to dedicating your limited time to something you may not enjoy. That is why I have taken my own time to save you the trouble and provide the best books to fuel your wanderlust. Not only can you read these books over and over again but once…

  • take the leap travel
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    Visiting Karekare Falls, New Zealand

    AN IDEAL WAY TO SPEND A DAY OUT OF AUCKLAND ⇷☓⇸ Karekare Falls is located in the western part of Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, near Karekare village – the filming location for ‘The Piano’. With its beautiful scenery and easy access, it is a must see activity for any travel bug.   An easy walking trail leads to the waterfalls lookout. It takes 5 minutes to reach the falls. You will find beautiful cascades at the beginning of the track. The walk is quite easy; unfortunately, it has some stairs at the beginning so not suitable for wheelchairs/strollers. But even if you have one, the view from the start of…

  • the top 10 songs for travel inspiration
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    The Top 10 Songs For Travel Inspiration

    TRAVEL SONGS FOR THE WANDERLUSTER ⇷☓⇸ Before I took the leap and went travelling, I wanted to quench my thirst for adventure and to add fuel to the fire of my own overwhelming desire to travel, so I searched for the best (and in all honestly any) songs that are about travelling and exotic lands. These are my top 10 to kick your wanderlust into high gear and start planning those trips: 1. I Got U – Duke Dumont 2. Wish You Were Here – Incubus 3. Waves – Robin Schulz 4. Geronimo – Sheppard 5. Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chilli Peppers 6. Sunlight Splinters – Etherwood 7. Staring…

  • what to do in Queenstown
    Accommodation,  Food,  Media,  Travel

    What To Do In Queenstown, New Zealand

    HOME OF THE FAMOUS FERGBURGER! ⇷☓⇸ If you are heading to New Zealand, whether it’s for a quick visit, holiday or working visa, be sure to have Queenstown on your ‘Must Do’ list. Not only is it one of the main places for adrenalin junkies in the Southern Hemisphere, but it is also breathtakingly beautiful with its clear blue lake, Lord of the Ring style mountains and wildly striking scenery. There are numerous outdoor activities to keep everyone happy, and what makes it even better is that it is a place you can visit at any time of year, no matter what the weather. These are my TOP 10 things…

  • take the leap travel
    Media,  Tech & Gear,  Travel

    Travel Wallets? Look No Further With Lorton & Horn

    THE ESSENTIAL WALLET FOR ALL YOUR TRAVELLING NEEDS ⇷☓⇸ Whether you’re off on a quick city break to Amsterdam, trekking through the jungles of Laos or going on a beach holiday to Croatia, going on holiday comes with plenty of paperwork. Passports, currency, boarding passes, bank cards, booking confirmations, travel insurance – you need it all, and it all needs a place to go. That is where a travel wallet can come in, to keep everything nice and tidy and Lorton & Horn can provide exactly what you need! Their approach is quite different to any that I have come across online and in store, they pride themselves on quality  and have…