| Australia
| Europe | Asia
| Americas
Pacific
 |
Auckland Express
The West
Australian, 9
October 2008
"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 .
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
Land of
Contrasts
Medical Observer,
4 July
2008
"It’s not just
from the obvious
vantage points that the scenery impresses. On my first night, as I walk
home from a fundraising concert to my accommodation along the dimly lit
main road, there’s a brilliant full moon. It throws the pine trees into
silhouettes against the sky, and I can hear my footsteps falling in the
silence. It’s beautiful."
An exploration of
Norfolk Island's
old-fashioned charm and historic attractions.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
24 Hours in
Easter Island
The Sunday Age,
1 June
2008
"Statues,
statues and more of
those mysterious statues. Let’s face it, you’re hardly going to spend
time
on Rapa Nui (Easter Island’s local name) without having a look at its
famous
figureheads, the moai. If you want sophisticated urban excitement,
however,
you’re out of luck. But what Easter Island lacks in chic, it makes up
for
in mystique."
Details a day among
the treasures
of this remote Pacific island.
Available
for
republication (print only).
Images
available.
|
 |
With a Head for
a Pisco Sour
The Sunday Age,
3 June
2007
"Wherever you go
on this exotic
island, you encounter a nimble dance between Polynesian and Latin
American
traditions, whether culinary or cultural. It’s a hurahura (as the
locals
call their traditional dance) worthy of the dancing lady who appears on
every second postcard in the Easter Island gift shops, dressed in a
traditional
feathery gear and shimmying away as if her life depended on it."
An exploration of
Polynesian culture
and Latin American influences on Easter Island.
Available
for
republication (print only).
Images
available.
|
 |
A Life in Stone
The Sydney
Morning Herald,
12 May 2007
"Then we catch
our first glimpse
of Easter Island, a rocky, hilly green mound rising improbably out of
the
ocean. Down below, a silver-haired man waits with our name on a board
for
a hotel transfer. To our astonishment, he has a broad Australian accent
and a slouch hat. So how does an Aussie bloke end up running a hotel on
the world's most remote inhabited island? Via the movies, believe it or
not."
Profiles an
Australian hotelier resident
on Easter Island.
Available
for
republication (print only).
Images
available.
|
 |
Trip With
Lights Fantastic
Medical Observer,
2 February
2007
"As we tear
along the back streets,
our Balkan-born cabbie delivers a running monologue on traffic lights,
Macedonians, and the desirability of taking assorted shortcuts to avoid
the dreadful congestion on the conspicuously quiet main roads. I peruse
the street directory and supply useful hints on reaching our
destination,
as the meter rolls on. But at least Auckland is turning out to be more
interesting than I had expected."
A 24-hour whirlwind
tour of Auckland,
New Zealand's attractions and entertainment.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
Pacific Gem
Medical Observer,
1 December
2006
"Using the
Goldilocks Technique,
we dismiss the bungalows ('too cramped'); veto a five-star choice ('too
expensive'); and enter the Fare Vai Moana in the characters of two
dusty
heat-stricken gentlepersons of the road, seeking sanctuary. But you
have
to have a few ordeals, just to remind you how good paradise is when you
find it. And Mo’orea is very beautiful."
The delights of the
island of Mo'orea,
part of French Polynesia.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
Bon Appetit -
It's Paradise,
at a Price
The Age, 22
July 2006
"Ka-ching!
Welcome to paradise!
I know it's not right to worry about money when you're on holiday -
it's
supposed to be a time of letting yourself go and having fun. But French
Polynesia is so expensive that it can throw a serious spanner in the
'letting
yourself go' concept."
A light-hearted
look at the expensive
nature of French Polynesia.
Available
for
republication (print only).
Images
available.
|
 |
A Slice of
French Polynesia
Pacific Magazine,
July
2006
"As vibrant as
it is, Pape’ete
may represent 'paradise lost' for many visitors. Rather than an idyllic
focus of beauty, springing from Paul Gauguin’s famous paintings, the
French
Polynesian capital is a bustling blend of concrete, car fumes and
lively
nightlife. A short ferry ride away from Tahiti, however, Mo’orea is
still
a living postcard: beaches, an aquamarine lagoon, swaying palm trees
and
low-level development."
Focuses on the
unspoiled inland attractions
of Mo'orea, French Polynesia.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
Romance in the
Stones
Medical Observer,
9 June
2006
"Mystery is the
essence of Easter
Island's attractions: for centuries, its hundreds of massive
hand-carved
statues (or moai) have puzzled and fascinated visitors. But for
the moment, there’s a more pressing question as we leave the humble
terminal
building. Why does the bloke with our names on a board have an Aussie
accent
a mile wide?"
A travel piece on
the enduring mystique
of Easter Island.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
Taveuni Time
Medical Observer,
26 August
2005
"Fiji time is a
relaxed approach
to everyday life, a feeling the new day is stretching on forever and
might
never end. It’s so relaxed, you might forget what day it is. And that’s
a familiar feeling on Taveuni, bisected by the 180th meridian of
longitude.
For part of the 19th century, this marked the International Dateline.
This
geographical accident meant the island was divided into two days: the
east
side today and the west tomorrow."
Time takes on new
flexibility on
Fiji's third-largest island.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
Images
available.
|
 |
All Blacks,
Long Blacks, Short
Blacks and Lattes
The Age, 8
May 2004
"With the
success of the movie
epic Lord of the Rings, the New Zealand landscape looms large
in
the imaginations of would-be travellers worldwide. A lesser-known
attraction
is the café life of its capital city, Wellington. This compact,
picturesque city has a surprising range of places to enjoy a drink."
Highlighting the
impressive cafe
culture of Wellington, New Zealand.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
|
 |
Red Flag Flies
in Wellington's
Cafe Quarter
The New Zealand
Herald,
27 February 2004
"Nothing
succeeds like nostalgia.
The Berlin Wall has crumbled, Red Square is infiltrated by burger
chains
and China is into capitalism in a big way. But the red flag is kept
flying
in the most unlikely of places: New Zealand’s capital city. To get to
the
heart of the matter, take a stroll down Cuba Street, in Wellington’s
city
centre."
Investigating cafe
names inspired
by communist nostalgia in Wellington, New Zealand.
Available
for
republication (print and Web).
|
 |
Capital Walks
The Press, 3
February
2004
"Walking is one
of the great attractions
of New Zealand, whether as three-day treks through stunning landscape,
sleeping in huts or tents, living rough in the company of nature. But
if
you’re an urban kind of person and the great outdoors doesn’t appeal,
you
can still get in some walking and be at a good restaurant or theatre by
sunset, if you’re visiting Wellington."
Hitting the walking
trails in and
around Wellington, New Zealand.
Available
for
republication (print and web).
|
More travel
writing:
Australia
| Europe | Asia
| Americas
For additional
examples of Tim's
travel writing, including full articles not published elsewhere, visit
Tim's travel blog Aerohaveno;
Tim's
guide to Australian accommodation Aerohaveno
Nights; and Travelroads.com.
|
Travel: Pacific
|
I'm a member of the
Australian Society
of Travel Writers. This page contains examples of my travel writing,
organised
by location. Each entry includes a sample paragraph, and indications
of available rights.
I also have a
selection of high-quality
digital
images available, depicting a variety of international
locations.
See
examples
of my travel photography.
If you'd like to republish
one of these pieces, or would like a new piece written about
the
same location, please get in touch via the contacts below:
|
| . |
postal:
Tim Richards
507/225 Elizabeth St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
email:
tim@iwriter.com.au
phone:
0411-242327
(international
+61-411-242327)
|
| . |
| Follow Me
|
|
Buy my iPhone app
 |
|
|
| . |
| Archive
articles by
subject:
Travel
Arts
Life
Science
&
Technology
Pets
|
| For
more of Tim's
travel writing, including full articles not published elsewhere, visit
the following:
|
| . |
|
|