LATEST TRAVEL BLOG POSTS
Glamping in New Zealand (Yay Or Nay?)
In the ten years that we have spent living in New Zealand, my family and I have never been glamping.
Not once.
Let’s face it. It’s not the sort of thing you want to do with two kids, is it?
But. With the kids now old enough to make their own beans on toast, Brian and I decided that it was time to check out what this New Zealand glamping craze was all about.
Get us a little bit of hippy outdoorsy fun.
And while we were there – glamping in New Zealand – we made a podcast episode for you. And wrote a post.
After all, what else would a husband and wife do when they find themselves alone without their kids for the first time in nineteen years??
7 Benefits of Homeschooling (Excluding The Usual Baloney)
can't believe it. After years of blabbing to anyone who'll listen about the benefits of homeschooling, the world is finally warming up to the idea that there might just be more than one way for kids to learn other than school. This post may...
Wine O’Clock. What’s on Top? Liz & Brian Discuss: Why You Need Time Alone.
This week’s podcast is brought to you by me (Liz) and my husband Brian.
It is brought to you with love. And with wine and with sushi.
This is a different kind of podcast format from any other that we’ve done in the past (and, I won’t lie, it was slightly scarier).
Brain and I will talk about what’s on top for us right now. As parents. As husband and wife. As friends.
What share we are loving, what are we struggling with and how we are dealing with both.
Homeschooling With Wine And (Sometimes) The F Word
Nine years ago, when I first started homeschooling, I felt a little bit like a duck. A duck without any water on its back. A dry, ducky freak. Not because I had chosen to take my children out of a four-walled box so that I could spend more time with them and teach...
What You’ll Miss When You Move To New Zealand
I wish I’d read a post like this when we were looking to move to New Zealand ten years ago.
At least then I would have been prepared. I could have packed a hot water bottle and a sun hat and some hankies.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I got to the other side of the world and blubbed for six months about how my family never returned my calls and that the bathroom in the house that we were renting was cold and smelly and damp.
10 Brilliant YouTube Channels (That’ll Help Your Kids Math Grades Soar)
ouTube and I have one of those love-hate relationships. While Youtube is perfect for providing educational videos for kids, it can also be the reason why my housework gets put back another day. Having homeschooled two kids for the past ten...
Raising Your Kids In New Zealand
Last week I received this email.
“Hi. I am thinking of moving to New Zealand with my family but I am concerned that as we are moving from the UK, my eldest son (who is 12) will be bored. Could you give me any advice?”
I have two kids, a boy age 18 (note to oneself, must stop calling him a kid) and a daughter who is 15.
We have been living in New Zealand for almost eleven years. We emigrated from the UK for a better way of life.
And yes.
We found it.
Going on Vacation. 39 Simple Ways To Make It Better
Going on vacation can go one of two ways. Either you ease yourself into your holiday preparation nice and gently, leave yourself no room for mistakes by using a travel checklist that Mary Poppins would be proud of Or... You can be like the majority of...
6 (More) of The Most Beautiful Places in The World
If you had to pick just a few, which would you say were the most beautiful places in the world to visit?
This is a question that our family hears a lot when we tell how we spent twelve months travelling the world together (two adults and two teenagers) on a budget.
We visited thirty-three countries in total – all of them magnificent but some being crowned more beautiful than others.
HELLO THERE!
I am Liz, a travel and lifestyle blogger! I met the love of my life, Brian, in the late 80’s. We spent our first 10 years together wearing very large shoulder pads, saying “rad”
As tends to happen, we grew into adults (sort of), got a mortgage (boo hoo) and started a family (yay!). We still continued to travel the world with our little children but our itchy feet were never far away and we decided that rather than mess about with holidays, we’d go all out and emigrate instead. And anyway, British wine is rubbish.
So, we emigrated to New Zealand. Once there, our lifestyle changed dramatically. We are currently backpacking the world with our two teenagers, trying to regain our youth (joke. Sort of) whilst trying to conceal the amount of wine we drink each night (truth). We would love you to join our journey on this honest (a bit too honest) blog as we try to discover ways to make this lifestyle achievable, not just for us, but for you too!
I am Liz, a travel and lifestyle blogger! I met the love of my life, Brian, in the late 80’s. We spent our first 10 years together wearing very large shoulder pads, saying rad alot, and travelling around the world. It was within those ten years that we discovered our mutual passion for travel, adventure, food and wine. And chocolate peanut M&Ms.
As tends to happen, we grew into adults (sort of), got a mortgage (boo hoo) and started a family (yay!) We still continued to travel the world with our little children but our itchy feet were never far away and we decided that rather than mess about with holidays, we’d go all out and emigrate instead.
In 2009, we took our family and emigrated to New Zealand. Once there, our lifestyle changed dramatically. We are currently backpacking the world with our two teenagers, trying to regain our youth (joke) whilst trying to conceal the amount of wine we drink each night (truth). We would love you to join our journey on this honest (a bit too much sometimes) blog as we try to discover ways to make this lifestyle achievable, not just for us, but for you too!
OUR MOST POPULAR TRAVEL BLOG POSTS!
The Travel Bog Diaries. Thrown Out Of A Yoga Class In India
y desire to indulge in some yoga came out after I witnessed the perfect family in India. Perfect kids, perfect Mother. I concluded that this must surely be a result of partaking in either a) dancing around the full moon naked, b) drinking lots of...
Japanese Culture. 10 Things You (Probably) Should Know. Podcast #15
In this week’s podcast, Sonny and Liz talk about the culture of Japan and a few things you need to be aware of before you go.
Life in Japan is very easy to adjust to and the Japanese people are amongst the most generous and welcoming folk in the world.
But.
The Japanese do have one tiny downside…
Japan. 39 Things You Probably Should Know (BEFORE) You Turn up.
ant to know the secret of a successful trip to Japan? Familiarise yourself with a few culture facts about Japan before you arrive in...
Bloody Hell. Travelling in India by Sleeper Bus. Podcast #11
I love you India, I really do.
I dedicated an entire India podcast on what it was like travelling in India for the first time.
No matter what time of day you ask me – regardless of whether my hormones are playing up or not. I will always tell anyone I meet that travelling in India for seven weeks – backpacking across your beautiful land with my kids was one of the best experiences of my life.
But bloody hell.
India. Is it as scary as everyone says it is? PODCAST # 010
After spending seven weeks backpacking around India with my kids (teenagers age 16 and 13) I thought we should do a podcast on the country (and put to bed the silly myths that surround visiting India).
When I told people that we were planning a trip to India the response was…let’s say colourful.
Some (mostly those who were born before the 1960s and had spent their youth discovering Asia on a couple of quid) encouraged us: ‘you’ll love it’ they said and went on to talk about the beautiful Indian beaches or the temples in Hampi.
But others weren’t so encouraging.
Sri Lanka Villas. A Review On This Slice Of Paradise.
ho doesn't love a bargain? But the trouble with bargains is they usually came at a cost. There always seems to be a catch. That's why you are going to love me for this blog post on where to stay in Sri Lanka. I have for you the ultimate find...
28 Things NOT To Do In Japan (so’s not to look like a complete wally)
e careful in Japan. It can catch you out. My family and I spent a month backpacking around Japan and we learned a lot about the things not to do in Japan. It might help to brush up on some culture facts about Japan before you arrive. Especially if...
5 Things To Do in Japan (That Won’t Leave You Broke)
You cannot visit Japan and do what every other tourist does. You just can't. It's against the law and I won't let you. If you are looking for cheap or inexpensive things to do in Japan, you have a sense of adventure, don't mind heights and want to experience a...
Things To Do In Ella Sri Lanka (And One Thing Definitely NOT To Do)
lla in Sri Lanka was nothing as I'd imagined it to be. We took the train from Colombo to Kandy and from there we took the most beautiful train ride of our lives and travelled from Kandy to Ella. If you are looking for tips on where to stay and...