Journey Jar

Nobody told me to go to the State Library Victoria. It wasn’t in my original Melbourne plan. I walked past it on my way somewhere else, saw the chess set on the forecourt, went in to have a quick look, and stayed for two hours. That seems to be how most people discover it. You […]

I had three to four days in Melbourne, based in the CBD, and no rental car. That combination sends most travel guides into a mild panic – suddenly the Great Ocean Road “isn’t really possible”, Phillip Island is “best by car”, and you’re left staring at a list of laneway coffee shops wondering if that’s […]

The train arrived at Sreemangal just before midnight. The platform was surprisingly alive for that hour. Travellers in winter jackets pulling bags off the train, vendors hovering at the edges with tea and snacks, the blue-green Sreemangal station sign glowing overhead. We had boarded in Dhaka after dinner, half-asleep before the train left the city, […]

Krabi had been on my list for a long time. I had already fallen in love with Thailand’s islands. Koh Kood left me speechless, and Koh Lanta had stolen a piece of my heart. But Krabi felt different even before I arrived. The moment the plane descended and I caught my first glimpse of those […]

The first thing I thought when someone mentioned Australia was kangaroo. Not the Opera House, not the beach, not even the coffee. Kangaroo. But when I actually arrived, I had no idea where to find one. I had this vague assumption that Australia would just have kangaroos somewhere – on the roadside, in a field, […]

We found two penguins that evening. One appeared briefly on the rocks, looked around with the quiet confidence of something that knows it belongs here, and disappeared. The other stayed for a long time – standing on the sand under the amber glow of the viewing platform lights, doing what penguins apparently do when they […]

One of the most beautiful train journeys in Australia, Puffing Billy is a genuine must-do from Melbourne. Here’s everything I wish I’d known before going – including the photography tip nobody else mentions. Is Puffing Billy worth it? I asked myself the same question before booking. A heritage steam train through the Dandenong Ranges sounded […]

There are road trips, and then there is the Great Ocean Road. Stretching 243 kilometres along the south-eastern coast of Australia, from Torquay to Allansford in Victoria, it is widely considered one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world — and having done it, I’d argue that description still undersells it. This is […]

If you’re interested in Melbourne landmarks photography, this slow walk through the city reveals how history, culture, and light shape its most iconic buildings. Some cities impress you immediately. Others take their time. During my days in Melbourne, I realised this is a city best understood slowly. Not through a checklist of attractions, but through […]

Some cities invite you to rush from landmark to landmark. Melbourne does the opposite. It rewards those who slow down, look out the window, and let the city reveal itself naturally. If you’re looking for the best free tram ride in Melbourne, this guide to the iconic City Circle Tram (Route 35) shows you how […]