"The 1880s were the glory days of Marvellous Melbourne - the city was booming, the British Empire was at its mightiest, Queen Victoria was approaching her Golden Jubilee and it was time to create a body devoted to the most famous English writer of all time..."

Discovering the secrets behind Melbourne's oldest societies.
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"The power, the power! I’m standing at a computer console in London, selecting missions undertaken by a well-known secret agent. As I touch each icon, an impressive digital globe rotates on the giant screen above me, indicating the locations in James Bond’s adventures. Yes, I am a Bond villain and I hold the fate of Agent 007 in my very hands. Nyah-ha-ha!"

On the London trail of James Bond 007, and his creator Ian Fleming.
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"Salud, dinero y amor! This is no idle toast. Without warning, the pilot sails up to a small iceberg, rams into its flank, and extracts a large chunk with the aid of an ice-pick. A few minutes later we’re milling around, clinking glasses as we toast each other - with 12 year old Scotch containing 50,000 year old ice. Sure, it’s a gimmick - but what a gimmick."

A cruise through the glaciers of Patagonia, in Chile's south.
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"To describe Warsaw’s history as ‘eventful’ is a major understatement. As Poland’s capital since the 16th century, the city has been at the heart of the nation’s glory days, producing geniuses such as Marie Curie and Frederic Chopin. But its darkest hour came in 1944, with the event known as the Warsaw Rising."

A profile of the historic attractions of Poland's capital city.
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"Though it’s been almost 20 years since Poland’s Solidarity trade union toppled the country’s communist regime, this lively drinking hole is festooned with memorabilia from Poland’s years on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. But it’s not packed with crusty old blokes sporting Karl Marx beards, plotting the return of the 'good old days'. So what’s going on?"

An investigation of the 'communist nostalgia' phenomenon in Poland.
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"Our group moves from green pastures to the remains of prison buildings, down grassy lanes past grazing cows, hopping wallabies and a small children’s cemetery, to large stone ruins of walls without roofs. They look like something from an ancient city and despite its violent past, there’s something wistful about the island. If there are ghosts, they seem benign."

Delving into the prison history of St Helena Island, near Brisbane.
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"The most interesting beer is First Harvest, a brew involving three hops and three malts. It’s made each autumn from the first hops harvested, and produces a bold flavoured beer. Another onsite special is the stout-flavoured ice cream, a chef’s one-off experiment which became a menu fixture by popular demand. Another eccentric dessert special is Cascade Blonde sorbet."

Investigating tours of a brewery and distillery in Hobart, Tasmania.
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"I haven’t spent a lot of time in the company of wallabies, especially in a Victorian-era garden setting. What’s the etiquette when you’re meeting a marsupial? I can see a joey in her pouch. I lift the camera, click, and she lowers her head. It’s not easy living in the shadow of the paparazzi. The Victorian gardens on the northern bank’s Cliff Grounds are a wonderful place to be at 8am on a weekday."

Detailing the attractions of Cataract Gorge, in Launceston, Tasmania.
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"If ever a tourist attraction were blessed with an ideal location, that attraction would be Moorilla. Claudio Alcorso, a pioneer of the Tasmanian wine industry, planted vines here in 1958. Frying Pan Island, as this peninsula jutting into the Derwent River was once unromantically known, may not be the obvious location for a vineyard - its shallow clay soil leads to low yields - but you can’t fault its aesthetics."

A profile of the Moorilla winery in Hobart, Tasmania, and its forthcoming art museum.
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"It's the first distinctly small bar I've been to in Hobart, with nooks lit by retro lamps, quirky art on the wall, and a superbly laidback barman wearing a cloth cap. There's a lot of softly lit red in the decor, from the bar stools to the quilted home bar in the corner. A small mirror ball promises revels, though it's hard to see where you would dance."

I explore four cool bars within Hobart, Tasmania.
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"Dodging part of a fast-moving actor’s costume is not one of the usual rituals of going to the theatre. But I’m at the Globe Theatre, and here the rules are quite different. There’s no real danger of losing an eye, of course - the actors know exactly where they’re treading - but there’s a great sense of energy and excitement when they wheel in your direction to spout Shakespeare’s famous lines."

Taking in the entertainment at London's more stimulating theatrical venues.
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"Forget the downtown district; I’ve been told by locals in the know that Brisbane’s true gems are its inner-city suburbs. Mostly former working-class suburbs that were home to hard-working residents, bustling local pubs and factories, they’ve been transformed in recent years into mellow locales with cool cafes, quirky shops and just enough industrial-edged character to keep things interesting."

Exploring the cool inner-city neighbourhoods of Brisbane, Queensland.
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"The highlight of the Antarctic Experience is an automated ride around an indoor penguin habitat. The ride is a mix of the really interesting and the really naff - there are chic mannequins modelling Antarctic gear, along with fake seals and an unconvincing orca. But the live penguins are great."

A lightning tour taking in the attractions of New Zealand's largest city .
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"Dressed in a black robe and hat, Sinton cuts a startling figure seemingly from a bygone age. He’s standing on the steps of a Gothic monument to colonial pioneers in the chilly darkness, as some bats pass theatrically above his head. 'The State Library is the most haunted building in Melbourne,' pronounces Sinton as we continue the walk."

Delving into the paranormal via ghost tours across Australia. 
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My writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines and websites around the world. I'm also an author for Lonely Planet Publications' travel books.

I'm available to write on any subject, and also undertake business writing jobs such as proofreading, editing and copywriting.

Learn more about my published work and writing services.

articles by subject:
Travel
Arts
Life
Science & Technology
Pets
 

• Aerohaveno, Tim's travel blog
• Aerohaveno Nights, a guide to Australian accommodation
• Travelroads.com

postal:
Tim Richards
507/225 Elizabeth St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia

email:
tim@iwriter.com.au

phone:
0411-242327
(international +61-411-242327)