A Pom Down Under: First stop, Melbourne

I know, I know... I've been on the other side of the world for three whole weeks now and still no blog. What the heck has she been doing with herself, you may ask? The answers lie within...

17 places STILL on my travel wish list - are they on yours too?

It was a proud moment when I suddenly realised last week that I've been to six continents in the past eight months. Six! South America, tick. North America, check. Europe, yup. Africa, Asia and Australasia, boom. For an express tour around the world I've done pretty well, and I've racked up heaps of experiences and happy memories along the way that, rather than satisfying and placating the wanderlust I've been nurturing since April, have only served to intensify my desire to see more of the world.

10 reasons your iPhone makes the best RTW travel buddy

Back in March, I was plied with advice about what to pack and what to leave at home when I left for my round-the-world trip. DO pack a money belt. DON'T take wads of notes with you. DO NOT take your iPhone. All words of well-meaning advice - and all entirely ignored. 

Let me explain: I've never found money belts useful or necessary and I'd rather have ready cash to minimise withdrawals from dodgy ATMs (depending on where you are in the world, your card may not even fit in the slot). But what I really want to talk about is how ruddy useful my iPhone has proved on my travels - and why I'm glad I rejected all pleas to take my crappy old Nokia. 

Angkor what?

I'm going to say it. I will be judged, but I'm going to say it.

I didn't like Angkor Wat.

It's pretty, and an impressive architectural achievement when you consider how old it is (the temples were built between 802 and 1220 AD), but I wasn't blown away by it, rendered speechless, whatever.

10 reasons I fell in love with Chiang Mai

Thailand's northern 'culture capital' is a firm favourite among travellers and holiday-makers alike. Desperate to discover why, I went on an exploring mission in the 33 degree heat within half an hour of arriving at my guest house and wasn't walking for long until I, too, fell hook, line and sinker.