Australia frog-travel tips
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Don’t flush the frog: Our 10 dumbest travel mistakes, so far

We're experienced world travelers but that doesn't mean we don't occasionally make stupid mistakes. From flushing frogs down the toilet to being mistaken for a dominatrix, here are our top ten travel mistakes, so far: Top travel mistakes 1)…
Christmas in New Zealand Kiwi bird Auckland parade
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Christmas in New Zealand and Australia

Christmas in New Zealand and Australia comes in the summertime so it was a bit different for us, northerners raised with visions of a "White Christmas." In Auckland, we stood on the sidewalk waiting for the Santa Parade and took in the…
Ecco mens travel shoes
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Product review: The best men’s travel shoes

The Best Men's Travel Shoes Larissa has written about the best travel shoes for women, but now it's my turn to talk about the best mens travel shoes. I have only two pairs of shoes with me, both by Ecco. I've worn Eccos almost exclusively for…
Man with fish illustration-sydney fish marke
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Getting fresh at the Sydney Fish Market

The other day I read an article that highlighted the 12 worst tourist traps in the world. One of them was a place we were due to visit the following day, the Sydney Fish Market. We thought about not going there but were we really going to let…
Victoria barracks Sydney cannon

Australia, a nation forged by sand

Australia is often thought of as a laid-back nation whose relaxed citizens seem to be on permanent vacation. Perhaps this carefree attitude is due to more than 90% of the population living within the siren call of the beach. While much of their…
kangaroo animal crossing sign
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Lions and tigers and … animal crossing signs around the world

When we were driving all over the world we saw some unusual animal crossing signs that were different from the typical signs for deer we see at home. As we bounced along some pretty rough roads we took these warnings seriously, can you imagine…
how to drive on the left
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7 tips for how to drive on the left side of the road

With a little planning it's easy to drive on the left side of the road. On our around-the-world journey we spent more time driving on the left side of the road than we did on the right; doing so in Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and…
auckland, bird flying over

Mostly free things to do in Auckland

Guest Post from Kathryn I grew up in New Zealand and was always looking for free things to do in Auckland. From nature hikes to museums to contemporary art, here are a few of my favorites. 1)  Stroll the boardwalk between Mission Bay and St…
Cairns great barrier reef fish

Free things to do in Cairns, Australia; even free scuba

Cairns is a popular jumping off point to explore the Great Barrier Reef. There are many free things to do in Cairns, we'll even give you some tips on how you can scuba for free. Since Australia is so expensive, you have to take advantage…
Kokorec best sandwich turkey
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The 11 best sandwiches in the world, which one costs only 35 cents?

Sandwiches are one of the universal foods, they're cheap and convenient. We ate way too many of them on our trip and offer up the 11 best sandwiches in the world. 1) Shawarma in Jerusalem A shawarma is a Middle Eastern sandwich made from meats…
Michael eating pizza
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The surprising best pizza in the world

Pizza is our go-to food on the road, our favorite is New York-style. And when we return from a trip it's usually the first meal we eat. On our year-long journey we tried pizza on six continents, including at its birthplace in Naples, to…
Unique Places to stay Little petra Bedouin camp
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7 unique places to stay in the world

From a kitschy throwback hotel in North Korea to a nudist B&B in Portugal, we found a few unique places to stay in the world. Here are some of our favorites: 1) Little Petra Bedouin Camp, Jordan The Little Petra Bedouin Camp…
New Zealand Road trip man overlooking glacier
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A scenic New Zealand road trip

There’s a reason Peter Jackson selected the South Island of New Zealand to film his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The landscape with its snow-capped mountains, glaciers, rainforests and sweeping vistas lives up to the dreamland created…
One Tree Hill Auckland New Zealand

Why there is no tree on One Tree Hill

U2 fans will recognize One Tree Hill as the name of a song off The Joshua Tree album. It refers to One Tree Hill in Auckland, New Zealand also known by its Maori name of Maungakiekie. The song was dedicated to Greg Carroll,…
Bali beach trash
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Drowning in a sea of plastic

One of the more sobering aspects of our journey has been the environmental abuse we’ve seen, sometimes in the least likely places. Although we've traveled all over the world and written about some incredible sights, the story that resonated…
Mad Max

Chasing Mad Max in the Australian Outback

There could hardly be two more disparate Australian films than Mad Max, the post-apocalyptic tale of a policeman trying to survive in a world without water, and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the story of three drag queens…
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Pictures: Seeing the forest and the trees

I'm usually not much of a nature boy, saving the passion of the outdoors for my forester brother. But in the Southern Hemisphere I couldn't help take pictures of trees that are really different from the ones at home. The tree picture above…
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Don’t drink from the toilet!—and other odd signs around the world

We've come across some unusual signs in our journey. Some funny signs caution people about not doing things that would seem to be self-evident. Like the sign posted above. It's in the bathrooms at the Adelaide Airport in Australia. Not that…