Travel 
ZB Travel – Italian Riviera
Mike Yardley’s travel notes from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show, Sept 28. What part of Italy does the Riviera encompass? The Riviera is essentially another name for the coastal region of Liguria. 2 hundred miles in length, this narrow, crescent-shaped region, hemmed in by the Maritime Alps, stretches from the French border at Ventimiglia ,… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Cape Town Sep 21.
Mike Yardley’s travel notes as discussed on Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show. Unlike Joberg, Cape Town enjoys a reputation of feeling safe and comfortable. Was that your impression? The contrast couldn’t have been starker. After dabbling in the heady crime-racked cauldron of Joberg, Cape Town greets the visitor like an urban Garden of Eden. An… Read More ›
ZB Travel – South Africa Sep 14
Mike Yardley’s travel notes, as profiled on Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show. Is Nelson Mandela’s imprint ever-present across the nation? His influence, his shadow, his image and his name is omni-present. In Johannesburg, I drove past his leafy Houghton mansion, like a shameless rubber-necker. The world’s media are camped out on the manicured footpaths in… Read More ›
ZB Travel – San Francisco. Sep 7
If you’ve ticked off San Fran’s big ticket attractions, like Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf, what would you recommend for a repeat visitor? It’s the watery delights around San Francisco Bay that I think are great fun to explore. The waterfront has been progressively redeveloped since the quake of 89. Of course a legacy of the… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Christchurch Aug 31
It’s the third anniversary of the 7mag quake on Wednesday. How is the city shaping up as a visitor destination, ahead of the summer season? Well, as much as most of the central city resembles a demolition and construction site, there is a much greater semblance of normality in the city, than was the case a… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Lisbon Aug 24
The Portuguese economy maybe in the ditch, but Lisbon is flourishing as a visitor destination, right? Just like its big neighbour Spain, Portugal has been drowning in debt and high unemployment. But the tourism sector is one bright star, which is actually is leading Portugal out of the doldrums, with record-high visitor numbers. It is… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Dolomites. Aug 3
Regarded as Italy’s spiky rooftop, whereabouts about they located? They crown the skyline of Italy’s most northerly province, Alto Adige, which is probably better known by its German name, the South Tyrol. The Dolomites is a sprawling mountain range of 18 peaks, most of them nearly as high at Mt. Cook. These pink and gray… Read More ›
APN Travel – Royal London.
Right Royal London. ( First published in Mike’s syndicated travel page, APN Regional Newspapers. ) It’s a right royal good time to pay a visit to London, as Britannia basks in the glow of a new blue-blood baby. Revel in the arrival of a new royal in style, by threading together the monarchy’s marquee attractions… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Tropical Cairns
( Mike’s travel notes from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show.) Most visitors to Cairns can’t wait to get out of the place. Is that fair on the city? Well, it’s understandable, given Cairns is the kind of city that the very term ‘gateway’ was coined for. North Queensland’s tropical wonders are right on the city’s… Read More ›
ZB Travel – Queensland Trains
( Mike’s travel notes from Newstalk ZB’s Jack Tame Show.) Queensland has Australia’s greatest offering of scenic train trips? And they’re booming? I’m sure when most people think of Australia and trains, its those big, long yawning transcontinental trips from Darwin to Adelaide, or Sydney to Perth that come to mind. But it’s the sunshine… Read More ›
Mike Yardley News and Travel 