Devils Marbles Australia
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Where’s Home for a Barefoot Nomad?

Where is home?

Is it a place? The house you grew up in? Where you keep your most treasured possessions?

Is it a country? Lines drawn on a map, forged by treaties and wars and negotiations?

Once, home was what I knew, what was familiar, what was nearby. The world was unknown, full of places I hadn’t seen and unfamiliar people.

We’ve been on the road, off and on, for over ten years now. First as a couple hanging out in dodgy hostels and hanging off the back of tuk-tuks in Thailand, and now as a family with two little travelers leading the charge.

All those years have left an imprint: Home is a mosaic; a collection of places and people, tastes and sounds.

chocolate con curros
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I Want to Go with Oh to Barcelona

Have you ever felt like you just didn’t fit in?

I was born on the Canadian prairies, on a family farm. Chores at 6:00 am? Check. Winters so cold they’d freeze the icicles off a snowman? Check. Big, heavy breakfasts at the crack of dawn? Check again.

For a night owl who hates the cold, this is a problem.

And then I read about Spain, a country with a warm, Mediterranean climate, where they serve chocolate con churros for breakfast at 11 am, and where entire families start their evening meal at 10 pm.

Now that’s the kind of place where I’d fit in…

Cathedral Cliffs Fraser Island Australia
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Australia’s Best Kept Secret: Wild and Beautiful Fraser Island

Australia’s Fraser Island is one of the most diverse, interesting places we’ve ever visited. In our three days on Fraser Island, we packed in enough sights to last a month. And we almost missed it…

So what’s so great about Fraser Island? In a sentence? Shipwrecks, airplanes landing on the beach, towering sand cliffs, champagne tidal pools, wild dingoes, migrating humpback wales, a freshwater aquifer, camping on the beach, 4×4 sand tracks, beautiful sandy beaches, and a fascinating Aboriginal history.

Here’s a overview of all the great things we found to do on Fraser Island…

Relaxing the Hot Pool at the Delta Residences at Sun Peaks
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A Little Slice of Hot Tub Heaven at the Delta Residences at Sun Peaks

We love our hot tubs.

There’s something wonderfully relaxing about sliding your tired body into steaming water, leaning your head back, and breathing in crisp, clean mountain air.

We were seriously in need of a getaway. We’ve been planning travel itineraries, booking rooms, and all the not-so fun things we need to do to prepare for a long trip.

So when we had a chance to visit the Delta Residences at Sun Peaks we jumped at the chance.

Sculpture in the middle of the Oodnadatta in Australia's Outback
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Cruisin’ the Australian Outback on the Oodnadatta Track

Cinnamon-red mud splatters the windshield, and our van slides precariously sideways toward the ditch, righting just in time to keep us on the road. We don’t dare stop; the thick mud is as slick as ice, and deep enough that we would be stuck in seconds. Charles and I are driving the infamous Oodnadatta Track, which cuts through the heart of Australia’s Outback and traces the route of the old Ghan railway.

We decided to brave the track, sometimes notoriously rough and difficult, in our 14-year-old, 2-wheel-drive, Toyota HiAce van. We are prepared for the trip: the van carries enough water to float a small navy, food for a few weeks, spare tires and a jack. Still, I’m worried that our van, which we’ve owned for barely two weeks, won’t be up to the trip…

Panasonic Lumic DMC TS4 Review Hands on Waterproof Camera Affordable

Hands on Review of a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 Waterpoof Camera

Buying a new camera can be incredibly frustrating. You have to sort through the dozens of cameras available, try to make sense of incomprehensible technical reviews and try to find a decent price. It’s easy to get so caught up in comparing specs that you put off your purchase until the last minute and then hope that it lives up to expectations.

I think we’re like a lot of people who just want to know a few simple things: Does the camera take good pictures and video? Is the camera easy to use? How rugged is it? Is it truly waterproof?

We had the opportunity to review Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TS4 for a few weeks and put it through it’s paces. Is this rugged, waterproof, point and shoot camera for you? Find out in our review.