House-Hopping, and an Appreciation of Dish Sets

My friends are amazing. They’ve emailed me out of the blue many times in the last month and a half to say, “Hey, I’m gonna be out of town for X number of… Continue reading

Riding the Trans-Siberian: May the Visa Gods Permit

So I began looking at the Trans-Siberian Railway, because that’s part of the list, and frankly I’m getting to the point here in the Bay where I’m so comfy I don’t want to leave,… Continue reading

Vaccinations: The Other Side of Exotic Travel

I’ve been thinking about traveling to Southeast Asia for some time, though I couldn’t yet tell you when exactly, and it will be for some undetermined amount of time. This just throws the… Continue reading

How to get around Western Australia and the Northern Territory

Western Australia and the Northern Territory provide the independent traveler large expanses of unpopulated, varied, and raw landscapes, ranging from bone dry deserts to pristine azure beaches to the tropical rainforests of the… Continue reading

To Surf or Not to Surf: My Experience CouchSurfing in Australia

I tried CouchSurfing on an erratic whim. I was sitting in Dunsborough, doing some research into how to go north. I had decided to fly from Perth to Broome when I couldn’t find… Continue reading

Spring Onions, Bacon and Other Stories from Alice Springs

Most tourists don’t come to Alice Springs to be in Alice Springs. For many, it’s just a launching point to get to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), the massive and ancient swooping… Continue reading

Slowing Down: from Kakadu to the Ghan to Uluru

The day I got on the Ghan in Darwin, I’d been having a rotten morning. I’d woken up at 4am to a shaking and rumbling. My first trained thought was, “Oh, god, an… Continue reading

The Ghan and the Australian Overland Telegraph Line

As I write this, I am back on the train again and it feels almost as if I have come full circle. We’ve got the rad crew, the same ones we had on… Continue reading

Hostel Life in Darwin, Northern Territory

You can tell a Californian when they start talking about medical marijuana; I’m listening to a kid near me at the hostel talk about the 25 max plants right now, and it occurs… Continue reading

Australia’s Backpacker Circuit

The trip so far has been a nice mix of hostel and home: I’ve spent a fair portion of the time alone or with people I know at their houses; I’ve spent a… Continue reading