I arrived in Pretoria with low expectations. South Africa had been a mixed bag. The delights of the Garden Route, a superb Johannesburg, falling in love with Cape Town and almost getting mugged there, wonderful stops in Hermanus and Durban. And then the disappointments: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Mossel Bay both left me cold. My South African friends, the same ones who had warned me off Port Elizabeth, had mixed things to say about the country’s administrative capital. I gave it a day and a half. It gave me considerably more than I expected. Pretoria…
Flying via the Middle East right now. Practical tips, not panic, for travellers.
Are you about to fly internationally? With a Middle Eastern airline or to, through or over the Middle East? Many airlines and transit hubs are affected, with flights paused, rerouted or heavily delayed across the region. Before flying Insurance Flights and tickets Accommodation and other bookings None of us should have to factor war into our travel plans, and it is heartbreaking that so many people are living this every day. I’m sharing this not to scare anyone, but to help you make informed, safer choices. Here’s hoping that soon we will be talking about…
Qantas’ “New Era” For Status
Qantas has just made it more expensive to stay loyal. Funny how that works. The airline is calling it a ‘new era’ for its Frequent Flyer program. I’d call it a quiet price hike dressed up in marketing language. This is a change I’ve been waiting on for months. After Virgin Australia overhauled its own program, this felt inevitable. Here’s what’s actually changing, and what it means for your membership. Qantas made a few smaller changes starting in 2025. These included: This new announcement takes things even further. Qantas says the Frequent Flyer program is…
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth): A City That Feels Lost.
I had just had an amazing week on the Garden Route, exploring wineries, seeing whales, and enjoying hikes, coffee, food, and South African hospitality. Enjoy some of the photos! When my Baz Bus minibus (great service by the way) reached Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth, we arrived in a very different world. A power failure had struck. Streets were dark, traffic lights blank or flashing. The driver found a pothole as big as a car. Motorbikes zipped around it, but the bus and trailer couldn’t. On a darkened street, he reversed and turned around, taking the long…
Riga: The Baltic Capital That Punches Above Its Weight
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Riga. I’d heard it described as “small,” which completely undersells it. This city punches above its weight. Great architecture everywhere, working markets, good food, more affordable than much of Europe, and centeuetsi if history you can still see and feel on every street. Not a blockbuster destination, but genuinely enjoyable. I visited in winter, which surprised everybody; I was glad I did. Riga’s Complicated HistoryFounded in 1201 by German crusaders on the Daugava River, it became a wealthy medieval trading port linking Russia and Western Europe. The Old…
Understanding Cabin and Fare Classes to Unlock Airline Miles
As a frequent flier, I hold status in three programs: Virgin Australia, Qantas (oneworld), and Turkish (Star Alliance), and I juggle credits across all of them. I need to know, actually, how many miles I am getting or not getting when I am booking flight choices. For example, last year I flew Ethiopian Airlines in business class and discovered (after the flight) that Turkish Airlines didn’t award any miles because I had chosen the wrong Fare Class. Even though I had paid for Business Class! Normally, I am more vigilant, but this one slipped through.…
Chasing Frequent Flyer Status in a Stacked System
For context: I’m a frequent flyer who maintains status across multiple programs: primarily Virgin Australia Platinum, Qantas Platinum, and Star Alliance Gold. This isn’t unique. Many frequent flyers play multiple programs to maximise coverage and benefits. Are you one of them? Virgin Australia has been one of my “main homes” for 13 years because it operates an extensive domestic network and international routes across the Asia/Pacific region. Virgin has reinvented itself three times: as a low-cost carrier, a full-service carrier, and now a hybrid. Throughout, they’ve been my preferred option for Australian domestic travel, alongside…
Terrific Turku, Finland’s Historical Capital. All You Need to Know
Turku is a low-key river city known for its university life and as a gateway to medieval Finland and the beautiful Turku Archipelago. Turku has tens of thousands of students across multiple universities and this creates a fun, youthful atmosphere. Quality‑of‑life index scores Turku slightly higher than Helsinki overall (Turku 215 vs Helsinki 206), with better scores for healthcare, safety, and housing affordability Nice range of museums. I visited in the depths of January winter, but plan to return in summer! Eight Hundred Years Old Turku is Finland’s oldest city, with its origins usually…
A Moomin Pilgrimage Through 80 Years of Finnish Magic
I just spent two amazing weeks in Finland, which remains one of my favourite countries in the world. This trip: Helsinki, Rovaniemi, and Turku. I’m still processing everything I experienced. The timber architecture of Rovaniemi, the frozen Baltic where ships should be, and now this: my Moomin pilgrimage across 80 years of Finnish magic. All my friends know I’m a huge Moomin fan. The Moomins are a family of warm‑hearted troll‑like creatures created by Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson (1914–2001). Across novels, picture books, comics and murals, she uses Moominvalley to explore friendship, freedom…
Rovvaniemei: Timber, Fire, and Reinvention
Welcome to the ArcticMy second time on the Arctic Circle! Rovaniemi, in Northern Finland, sells hard on Santa and the northern lights. I came for the Northern Lights, the Ice Hotel, to ride one of the most northerly train routes, cross the Arctic Circle again and Santa Claus (in that order), and discovered that beneath the Christmas branding, there is a real Lapland hub for winter and summer activities, warm people, and experiences I’d never had before. But no lights. Backstory: Timber, Fire, and ReinventionPeople have lived around present‑day Rovaniemi since the Stone Age, but…
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