In what I hope will become a regular Friday feature here on Aussie on the Road, I’m going to recommend the five posts from the week gone by that most interested, amused, or educated me.
If you’d like to suggest a link (your own or somebody else’s) to include in an upcoming edition you can leave a comment, Tweet me, or hit me up on Facebook. I’ll read it, Tweet it, share it on Facebook, Stumble it, and maybe even feature it here in my Recommend Reads.
The Reads
Life is Short – Travel Now by A Dangerous Business
Amanda’s blog is one of my absolute favorites to read, and she’s an absolute darling to chat to as well. Always eager to discuss travel and travel writing – so humble for somebody whose blog is so popular!
This particular piece is all about living in the moment and not putting off your travel plans. It’s perhaps best summarized in this post from here entry:
Life happens, and by the time you retire and your kids are grown and your house is paid off, you have bad knees and weak lungs and you simply can’t visit all those places you dreamed about in your youth.
Life is short. Travel now. Words to live by.
How to Use Timeshare Pitches for Travel but Avoid Buying by Around the World L
I’d never even contemplated the prospect of capitalizing on timeshare opportunities until I read this piece, and it sounds like Lillie got one hell of a cheap vacation out of it. While there’s a later entry on the vacation itself, this entry is full of useful tips on how to enjoy yourself without falling victim to the inevitable hard sell.
The Day They Tried to Ban Vegemite by Bitten by the Travel Bug
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud reading this piece about the battle between Australian’s signature spread and the camp supervisors are a Jewish summer camp.
Nicole’s got a great, easy to read style and paints a great picture of the battle between good (Vegemite) and evil (camp counselors). I very nearly wrote ‘Jewish people’ there, but that would veer a little too close to Mel Gibson territory for my liking.
The Poor Writer’s Guide to Cheap Travel by The Life That Broke
By the time this post plops I’ll have hopefully had the pleasure of meeting Lauren over beers at the Sydney Travel Massive meeting, but for the time being I’ve had to content myself with reading her very entertaining blog.
As a part of Brooke’s (from Brooke vs. the World) ongoing project to build a cheap travel eBook, Lauren suggests a few of the ways she has found to make ends meet while you’re out and about on the road. A good read if you’re like me and can’t budget to save your own life.
Is Budget Travel All that Matters? by yTravel Blog
Caz and Craig are legends in the travel blogging business and when it comes to travel advice, their word is pretty much gospel in my eyes. In this piece, Caz talks about how operating on a budget while traveling can sometimes mean missing out on truly remarkable experiences.
It’s also about finding that balance between living frugally and living like a pauper. After all, you’re on vacation! It’s supposed to be fun.
Caz’s example discusses how she and Craig cut back on their accommodation comforts so they could afford to experience seeing gorillas in the wild. And isn’t that worth two weeks worth of ramen dinners and battling mosquitoes?
As always, Caz and Craig have encouraged discussion and there’s a lot of it going on. So swing by, enjoy the read, and then weigh in by contributing your own priceless experiences.
What’s Going On?
I’ve got four entries in the queue ready to go up over the next few days, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Next week you can look forward to an entry about relationships on the road (including some tips on how to meet people while traveling), a piece on street markets, something about street performance’s role in tourism, I discuss getting out to see local sports while traveling, and I make my contribution to Brooke’s budgeting tips when I discuss the value (financially and experience-wise) of walking when you’re traveling.
And with Heather from The Kimchi Chronicles in town, I’ve got a lot of travel coming up. This Saturday we’re taking the ferry over to Manly to see the famous northern beaches, I’m headed up to Newcastle to catch up with family, we’re checking out the Aroma Festival in The Rocks on Sunday, and I pay a visit to Taronga Zoo and the Sydney Aquarium on Monday with Heather and a tall Dutch beauty.
