Travel 
ZB Travel – Christmas Markets
Just how much of a magnet is the Christmas Market mania? The allure of these seasonal pop ups is monstrous. They are the biggest people-mover in the European winter, casting a spell over millions of travellers, who traipse all over the continent, in the worst of weathers, for the market magic fix. Some German markets lure… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Innsbruck Nov 30
Innsbruck is an Alpine city, right? Very much so. It’s the capital of the Tyrol region of Austria. So if you’re heading north from Italy, you cross the Alps via the Brenner Pass, and Innsbruck is the twinkling city that greets you. Innsbruck does mountains , like some cities do skyscrapers. The city is cocooned… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Italy’s Country Roads.
You don’t strike me as a coach tour kind of traveller. Is it for everyone?It’s a damn good question because I had a stack of pre-conceptions that this might be a hokey, stuffy coach tour with a pack of disparate high-needs tourists, always running late and leaving their passport behind in the hotel safe. But… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Hong Kong Nov 16
You’ve just been to the tallest bar in the world? My head is still lingering in the clouds, of that bar. If you’re heading to Hong Kong, check out the swanky new watering hole, Ozone, which crowns the roof of the Ritz Carlton, housed in Hong Kong’s tallest building, and the fourth tallest in the… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Ephesus Nov 9
If you’re Turkey-bound, why should Ephesus be high on your agenda? From my various visits to Turkey, the ancient site stands out as a top-tier highlight. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Med. Slowly but surely, the city is being unearthed and restored. Two thousand years ago it was one… Read More ›
ZB Travel – French Polynesia
Last week you talked about the main island of Tahiti. What about further afield? How many islands can you explore? French Polynesia spans a large slab of the Pacific. It’s home to one hundred and eighteen islands, scattered over an area ,equivalent to the size of continental Europe. You can easily get to over fifty islands… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Papeete. Oct 26
Tahiti is regarded as an ultra-pricey Pacific destination. Is the perception well-founded? Well, if you’re looking for the bargain basement bolt hole of the South Pacific, you’ve come to the wrong place. In fact, on the cost of living index, Tahiti is the third most expensive place on the planet, after Japan and Switzerland. The… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Great Ocean Road.
This panoramic touring route was built by World War One veterans, right? Indeed. Originally, it was just a dusty narrow coastal track, but after the Great War, all manner of public works projects were commissioned to help Australia get through the tough economic times. And thousands of returning soldiers couldn’t find work. So, they were… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Macau Oct 12
Macau is easily reached from Hong Kong, right? Super easy. If you are Europe bound and dropping into Hong Kong, Macau is like a stopover within a stopover. Handily located less than an hour away by fast ferry, you can even get direct ferries to Macau from Hong Kong Airport. When did the Portuguese rock… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Victoria Goldfields
Mike’s notes on Victoria’s Goldfields, from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show. How close to Melbourne is Goldfields country? Over the hills and not that far away. In fact, from Melbourne Airport, head west through the rolling pastoral countryside, and you’ll be in goldfields country in one hour. Born in the romance and turmoil of the… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 