All Posts | A Pair of Boots and a Backpack

Things You Might Not Know About the Midnight Sun

Lapland and Northern Norway are not places that you travel to expecting to sleep at traditional hours. No matter what the season, the natural phenomena of the Arctic Circle are often at their strongest in the middle of the night; the northern lights dance overhead in the darkness of winter and the midnight sun shines…December 1, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Celebrating Midsummer in Rovaniemi

In the Nordic countries, midsummer is a big deal. It’s similar to a national day, like the Fourth of July or Australia Day, but without the nationalistic overtones; simply put, it’s a huge party that celebrates the never-ending light of summer and the fact that there is no snow anywhere to be seen. This past…November 21, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Jet Skiing to the Island of Horses

Usually, if someone mentions horseback riding, it brings to mind rolling hills in the country and river crossings at the base of epic mountains; it makes me think of being out on my own in the country. One thing I can categorically say I did not think of, prior to my trip to Rovaniemi this…November 17, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Things To Know Before Taking a Summer Road Trip in Norway

If you’re looking for a place with spectacular scenery and plenty of open road for your next trip, then you shouldn’t look any further than Norway. It’s easily one of the three most awe-inspiring countries I’ve ever been to (the other two being Iceland and New Zealand); combine that with some winding roads that would…November 10, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Great Ways To Spend Ruka’s Long Summer Days

Lapland is a region that is well known for its winter attractions. From dogsledding to northern lights watching, nearly all of the activities that immediately spring to mind when people think of Finland’s north are only available during the coldest months of the year. As a ski resort, Ruka (located just south of Lapland in…November 7, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Exploring Helsinki’s Archipelago by Kayak

The idea of an archipelago in a Nordic country used to bring to mind thoughts of Volvos inching down roads made of ice, red wooden saunas barely peeking out of the snow, and hovercrafting. I guess that’s not surprising, since all of my experiences in the Nordics up until this summer were at the height…October 30, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

A Rare Business Class Experience on Finnair

I’ve always wished that I was one of those people that could drop off to sleep anywhere. Unfortunately, I’m not. I’m the person sitting next to you on the airplane that is constantly wiggling, trying to find a place for my legs that isn’t in the back of the person in front of me (and…October 27, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Hopping Around the Hebrides With Haggis Adventures

I’ve been feeling the ‘Deep Scottish Love’ since I was seven years old. That was the year that I was introduced to Scotland in a trip that featured sitting on a canon outside a 13th-century castle (Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull — still one of my favourites!) and my younger brother trying to…October 21, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

An Eventful Trek to Chalahn Falls

The best places are the ones that you can return to time and again knowing you’ll have a completely unique experience every time. O’Reilly’s Plateau, located in the heart of Lamington National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland, is one of those places. I’ve visited four times — far too few, given I’ve lived in…April 30, 2015 / No Comment / Read More

Lofoten in January: The Land of Two-Hour Sunrises

When I visited Reine and Svolvær in Norway’s Lofoten Islands back in 2013, I knew that the three days I had allotted weren’t anywhere near enough to do the place justice. I wasn’t sure when I’d ever get back — given the remoteness of Norway in relation to my home base of Australia — but…April 17, 2015 / No Comment / Read More