abroadtravelingabroad

I Did Not Come to Queenstown to Behave: Skippers Gorge & Running Off a Mountain

1 Comment / Blogging, Natural Wonders, Oceania, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel, Videos / Pamelahawthorne

There are trips. And then there’s Queenstown — where the mountains look like they’ve been airbrushed by God and the town politely suggests you fling yourself off one of them. Equipped by one of the thrill providers on every corner! Skippers Gorge: Where the Road Is Basically a Suggestion Let’s discuss Skippers Gorge. First of […]

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Into the Shire: Ten Secrets of New Zealand’s Most Enchanting Movie Set

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Oceania, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Tolkien fans, or not…you think you know what Hobbiton is. You’ve seen the movies. Read the books. You expect a tourist trap with pointy doors. And then you step into actual magic. Here are 10 little-known things about visiting Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand that might surprise you. 1. It’s on a Real Working Sheep Farm

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Sip, Stroll, Repeat: A Slightly Reckless Day on Waiheke Island

Leave a Comment / Blogging, Food and Wine, Oceania, Sights to See, Travel, Uncategorized / Pamelahawthorne

Start your adventure with the ferry from Auckland — the 40-minute ride across crystal waters sets the tone perfectly: you’re leaving the everyday behind and stepping into pure Kiwi laid-back luxury. Waiheke is often nicknamed “Wine Island” for good reason: it’s home to dozens of world-class vineyards, each with its own vibe, views, and wines

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Salt-Air and Symphony: Sydney in Full Sail

2 Comments / Food and Wine, Oceania, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

You don’t really “see” Sydney until you’re on the bay. I stepped onto the ferry at Circular Quay and suddenly the whole city revealed itself in layers — sandstone cliffs, sailboats tilting in the breeze, ferries carving white ribbons through impossibly blue water. The skyline doesn’t crowd the harbor; it frames it. Everything bends toward

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Uluru & Field of Light: Ancient Power & Modern Magic

1 Comment / Natural Wonders, Oceania, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Uluru doesn’t need hype. It’s been standing in the red center of Australia for roughly 550 million years, quietly radiating authority. You don’t arrive here to be entertained, you arrive to pay attention. If you’re going to travel all the way to the Outback (and you should), you might as well do it right. Here’s how

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Ten Fascinating Facts from the Edge of the World

Leave a Comment / Natural Wonders, Oceania, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

When you snorkel or dive the Outer Great Barrier Reef off Cairns, you’re not just floating above coral—you’re hovering over one of Earth’s oldest, largest, and most complex living systems. Far from the shore and closer to the Coral Sea’s deep blue, the outer reef is wilder, clearer, and more ancient. Here are the most

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Blue on Blue on Blue: Amazing Fethiye and Its Islands

1 Comment / Asia, Blogging, Natural Wonders, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

If there is a corner of Turkey that blends ancient history, turquoise seas, forested mountains, and island-dotted horizons, it’s Fethiye. Tucked along the southwestern part of the country on the famed Turquoise Coast, Fethiye is serene and adventurous, a place for paddling across crystal coves, walking through Lycian ruins and, (one of my favorites) browsing

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Ankara: A Fifty Year Lookback and Now

1 Comment / Asia, Blogging, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Ankara: Then and Now, Through My Eyes It’s hard to believe fifty years have passed since I first walked the streets of Ankara, a college student on break with waist length hair and a backpack stuffed with 6 weeks of “essentials”. The city was simple, yet magnetic and foreign. My traveling companion, a multi-lingual American

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Whirling Spirits, Silent Stones: From Mevlana to Sagalassos

Leave a Comment / Asia, Blogging, Sights to See, Solo Travel, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

Turkey’s spirit is one of contrasts — the living mysticism of Konya and the haunting silent ruins of Sagalassos. One hypnotizes with the spinning, haunting prayer and poetry of Sufism; the other stands in solid, still testimony to the genius of Greek and Roman empires. Click on images below to enlarge. Sagalassos –

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Floating Over Turkey’s Moonlands: Ballooning in Cappadocia

Leave a Comment / Asia, Natural Wonders, Sights to See, Travel / Pamelahawthorne

I had to remind myself to breathe. It was that amazing! Cappadocia appears pulled from a dreamscape, especially during the pre-dawn hours on an October morning. Located in the heart of Anatolia, the land ripples with rock formations called “fairy chimneys”, sculpted by volcanic eruptions and centuries of wind and water massage. Beyond the famous

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