[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"misadventure-cards":3,"misadventures-category-posts":31},[4,13,22],{"slug":5,"badge":6,"icon":7,"title":8,"excerpt":9,"location":10,"year":11,"readingTime":12},"how-not-to-catch-a-bus","Classic","🚌","The Bus I Shouldn't Have Chased","It was the last bus out of Jokkmokk. The doors closed. I ran. I didn't think about how hard it is to run on ice.","Sweden",2012,6,{"slug":14,"badge":15,"icon":16,"title":17,"excerpt":18,"location":19,"year":20,"readingTime":21},"concussed-in-winchester","Embarrassing","🚗","Concussed by a Parked Car in England","In my defence, it was a very large wing mirror. In the car's defence, it was not moving.","England",2004,9,{"slug":23,"badge":24,"icon":25,"title":26,"excerpt":27,"location":28,"year":29,"readingTime":30},"going-missing-on-the-copland-track","Near Miss","🏔","\"Going Missing\" on the Copland Track","An adventure that started with torrential flooding and finished with a phone call from the NZ police.","New Zealand",2008,12,[32,48,72,89,101,113,124,137,149,224,235,253,270,286],{"author":33,"categories":34,"coords":33,"coverImage":38,"excerpt":43,"location":33,"publishedAt":44,"readingTime":45,"slug":46,"title":47,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},null,[35],{"slug":36,"title":37},"misadventures","Misadventures",{"_type":39,"asset":40},"image",{"_ref":41,"_type":42},"image-397040f2521ff0a4d68dd62007c1fdf7a98627b8-1024x682-jpg","reference","With the number of photos I share, particularly in a year like 2015 when I spent much of my time on the road, it’s not surprising that some people think my life is full of rainbows and northern lights. While I saw plenty of both this year, I can also attest to the fact that…","2016-01-07T23:00:51Z",16,"my-worst-travel-moments-of-2015","My Worst Travel Moments of 2015",{"author":49,"categories":54,"coords":62,"coverImage":63,"excerpt":66,"location":67,"publishedAt":68,"readingTime":69,"slug":70,"title":71,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},{"image":50,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":51},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},"image-9bb286ab76652033b5a8988805b5f86ccc2a1932-100x100-jpg","Kristin",[55,58,61],{"slug":56,"title":57},"norway","Norway",{"slug":59,"title":60},"lapland-and-the-arctic","Lapland & the Arctic",{"slug":36,"title":37},"69.33°N 17.50°E",{"_type":39,"asset":64},{"_ref":65,"_type":42},"image-61352eca753bea5c0a1fba593ac8a287f6ffc3b6-5550x3340-jpg","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 windin","Senja, Norway","2015-11-09T23:00:26Z",11,"things-to-know-before-taking-a-summer-road-trip-in-norway","Things To Know Before Taking a Summer Road Trip in Norway",{"author":33,"categories":73,"coords":33,"coverImage":81,"excerpt":84,"location":33,"publishedAt":85,"readingTime":86,"slug":87,"title":88,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[74,77,80],{"slug":75,"title":76},"australia","Australia",{"slug":78,"title":79},"hiking","Hiking",{"slug":36,"title":37},{"_type":39,"asset":82},{"_ref":83,"_type":42},"image-7c1548badecc724296ca15ceff59d96dc71e9c8b-708x1024-jpg","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’v","2015-04-30T02:00:03Z",10,"an-eventful-trek-to-chalahn-falls","An Eventful Trek to Chalahn Falls",{"author":33,"categories":90,"coords":33,"coverImage":95,"excerpt":98,"location":33,"publishedAt":99,"readingTime":30,"slug":23,"title":100,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[91,92,93],{"slug":78,"title":79},{"slug":36,"title":37},{"slug":94,"title":28},"new-zealand",{"_type":39,"asset":96},{"_ref":97,"_type":42},"image-3155386c46c534da597d6e2d84ba5d0aef444810-1024x577-jpg","I sat in a Wanaka internet cafe, waiting as the infernally slow internet attempted to load my email inbox. It was 2008 and I only had a $30 brick of a phone and no laptop, so this was the only way I could connect to the rest of the world (and I was fine with…","2015-03-25T00:00:40Z","“Going Missing” on the Copland Track",{"author":33,"categories":102,"coords":33,"coverImage":106,"excerpt":109,"location":33,"publishedAt":110,"readingTime":21,"slug":111,"title":112,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[103,104,105],{"slug":78,"title":79},{"slug":36,"title":37},{"slug":94,"title":28},{"_type":39,"asset":107},{"_ref":108,"_type":42},"image-36d20fb77b0fb4dd15184c3da3ab6b8ff1f42c56-1024x616-jpg","New Zealand is a country that inspires you to go hiking out into the wilderness. Rugged mountains, picturesque shorelines, and golden tussock-covered rolling hills represent but a small portion of the amazing landscapes you can see if you just lace up a pair of boots, slip on a backpack, and head ou","2015-03-18T00:30:20Z","how-the-hooker-valley-track-nearly-killed-my-dad","How the Hooker Valley Track Nearly Killed My Dad",{"author":33,"categories":114,"coords":33,"coverImage":116,"excerpt":119,"location":33,"publishedAt":120,"readingTime":121,"slug":122,"title":123,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[115],{"slug":36,"title":37},{"_type":39,"asset":117},{"_ref":118,"_type":42},"image-757cbb17dd57726a9f69c873f39aaa88f8898ea5-1024x587-jpg","This is a guest post by my brother, Philip, who took the big step of quitting his job earlier this year so he could travel in Australia and Asia. Unfortunately, it seems the ‘uncoordinated’ (or at least, the ‘unlucky’) gene runs in the family… Vang Vieng, Laos is a lovely place. There are maje","2014-10-27T23:00:58Z",7,"blinded-by-a-monkey","Blinded by a Monkey",{"author":33,"categories":125,"coords":33,"coverImage":130,"excerpt":133,"location":33,"publishedAt":134,"readingTime":69,"slug":135,"title":136,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[126,129],{"slug":127,"title":128},"croatia","Croatia",{"slug":36,"title":37},{"_type":39,"asset":131},{"_ref":132,"_type":42},"image-dd1ae2cf7365cc297740f463acbdbc5d1011f9ba-1024x600-jpg","Earlier in the week, I wrote about how a silly mistake — leaving my cabin door unlocked on a sailboat at port — led to my wallet being stolen. Like most regular travelers, I had a backup plan for the event that I was ever robbed while abroad…but it seemed like, for that week in…","2013-07-21T08:00:43Z","dont-let-a-stolen-wallet-ruin-your-trip","Don’t Let a Stolen Wallet Ruin Your Trip",{"author":33,"categories":138,"coords":33,"coverImage":141,"excerpt":144,"location":33,"publishedAt":145,"readingTime":146,"slug":147,"title":148,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[139,140],{"slug":127,"title":128},{"slug":36,"title":37},{"_type":39,"asset":142},{"_ref":143,"_type":42},"image-4e131dcd1f1f27280bd0f568827ac61eb7b43845-681x1024-jpg","I didn’t think twice about doing it. I was just leaving my cabin for a few minutes before I came back to get myself settled for a week of sailing along the Croatian coast. I’d lock up before I went up on deck when we set sail for Hvar. Unfortunately, it was that moment of…","2013-07-15T02:00:22Z",5,"how-i-offered-my-wallet-to-croatian-thieves-on-a-silver-platter","How I Offered My Wallet to Croatian Thieves on a Silver Platter",{"author":150,"categories":153,"coords":159,"coverImage":160,"excerpt":163,"location":164,"publishedAt":165,"readingTime":21,"slug":166,"title":167,"updatedAt":168,"updates":169},{"image":151,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":152},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},[154,157,158],{"slug":155,"title":156},"finland","Finland",{"slug":59,"title":60},{"slug":36,"title":37},"65.74°N 24.56°E",{"_type":39,"asset":161},{"_ref":162,"_type":42},"image-d6fedce5ee9c8cf2627f488ab46049aee860697b-1440x958-jpg","Never did I imagine that a stay in the SnowCastle would result in me nearly passing out from heat exhaustion. As I curled up in my Arctic sleeping bag, leaving only my nose and mouth poking out into the -5C air inside my little dome of a room, the only thing I could think of […]","Kemi, Finland","2013-05-30T08:00:33Z","nearly-being-steamed-to-death-in-the-snowcastle","Nearly Being Steamed to Death…in the SnowCastle?","2026-05-02T19:49:00.000Z",[170,194],{"_key":171,"_type":172,"children":173,"markDefs":188,"style":193},"b27b2b543f7d","block",[174,179,184],{"_key":175,"_type":176,"marks":177,"text":178},"885d048bbb4e","span",[],"As of mid-2026, the SnowCastle no longer exists in the same way it did in 2013. There are now ",{"_key":180,"_type":176,"marks":181,"text":183},"410991d8710e",[182],"dd37d63e536c","luxury glass villas that visitors can stay in year-round",{"_key":185,"_type":176,"marks":186,"text":187},"3be911f65ee1",[],", as well as an exhibition of ice sculptures. ",[189],{"_key":182,"_type":190,"blank":191,"href":192},"link",true,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.icebreaking.com\u002Fsnowcastle-of-kemi\u002F","normal",{"_key":195,"_type":172,"children":196,"markDefs":219,"style":193},"343ec9e7d08e",[197,201,206,210,215],{"_key":198,"_type":176,"marks":199,"text":200},"9b8abec1c933",[],"If you want the full sleep-in-an-icehotel experience, you can still stay in the ",{"_key":202,"_type":176,"marks":203,"text":205},"cfcff9641acc",[204],"0961c3cb8741","Arctic SnowHotel in Rovaniemi",{"_key":207,"_type":176,"marks":208,"text":209},"4702bfa86f3a",[],", the ",{"_key":211,"_type":176,"marks":212,"text":214},"86e8a735ee7f",[213],"9007884ab626","original IceHotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden",{"_key":216,"_type":176,"marks":217,"text":218},"2a9cfa35a455",[],", or many other snow\u002Fice hotels that have been built in the last 15 years.",[220,222],{"_key":204,"_type":190,"href":221},"https:\u002F\u002Fbootsandabackpack.com\u002Fenjoying-the-moment-at-the-arctic-snow-hotel",{"_key":213,"_type":190,"href":223},"https:\u002F\u002Fbootsandabackpack.com\u002Fhow-sleep-like-baby-icehotel",{"author":33,"categories":225,"coords":33,"coverImage":228,"excerpt":231,"location":33,"publishedAt":232,"readingTime":121,"slug":233,"title":234,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},[226,227],{"slug":155,"title":156},{"slug":36,"title":37},{"_type":39,"asset":229},{"_ref":230,"_type":42},"image-80871e75fd8445cc585921becefad3447819579e-768x1024-jpg","My entire trip to Lapland was fantastic. All of my plans seemed to go exactly as I expected; there were no late buses, very few hotel issues, and all of my activities were just as good (and often better) than they had sounded on paper. Then I tempted fate and mentioned this to a friend…","2013-04-03T03:00:11Z","how-forenom-koto-left-me-out-in-the-cold-literally","How Forenom Koto Left Me Out in the Cold…Literally",{"author":236,"categories":239,"coords":244,"coverImage":245,"excerpt":248,"location":249,"publishedAt":250,"readingTime":146,"slug":251,"title":252,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},{"image":237,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":238},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},[240,241],{"slug":36,"title":37},{"slug":242,"title":243},"spain","Spain","40.42°N 3.70°W",{"_type":39,"asset":246},{"_ref":247,"_type":42},"image-c42bc4813d6770f82e8a1977c2c34abc27d8ce69-960x1280-jpg","Booking a ticket from Brisbane to Porto was no easy task. All of the major airlines flying from Australia seemed to have forgotten that Portugal was a viable destination, and any tickets to Lisbon to Porto had a several hundred dollar premium attached. I spent hours trawling Kayak trying to find opt","Madrid, Spain","2012-11-08T12:00:03Z","on-missing-trains-and-meeting-communists","On Missing Trains and Meeting Communists",{"author":254,"categories":257,"coords":261,"coverImage":262,"excerpt":265,"location":266,"publishedAt":267,"readingTime":12,"slug":268,"title":269,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},{"image":255,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":256},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},[258,260],{"slug":259,"title":10},"sweden",{"slug":36,"title":37},"64.75°N 20.95°E",{"_type":39,"asset":263},{"_ref":264,"_type":42},"image-adad40e246de314bb4ef2df9698f866b348a6e8e-1024x768-jpg","As the owner of the Arctic Colour Apartments later told me, I picked one of the most roundabout and interesting ways possible to get from London Heathrow to the tiny town of Porjus in Swedish Lapland. Nearly everyone flying to northern Sweden has to fly via Stockholm; however, most people take direc","Skellefteå, Sweden","2012-06-12T12:03:07Z","driven-to-distraction-on-a-bus-in-the-snow","Driven to Distraction...On a Bus in the Snow",{"author":271,"categories":274,"coords":278,"coverImage":279,"excerpt":282,"location":283,"publishedAt":284,"readingTime":21,"slug":14,"title":285,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},{"image":272,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":273},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},[275,277],{"slug":276,"title":19},"england",{"slug":36,"title":37},"51.06°N 1.31°W",{"_type":39,"asset":280},{"_ref":281,"_type":42},"image-073537abe923f0704e492aa38e4acb70e4745277-1200x1600-jpg","In June 2004, I went to England with my family on our biennial trip to visit my grandparents. All through the 90s and early 2000s, going on one of these trips meant six fun-filled weeks in the British Isles during which we spent time in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, went to London to visit…","Winchester, England","2012-05-04T08:00:59Z","Concussed in Winchester",{"author":287,"categories":290,"coords":293,"coverImage":294,"excerpt":297,"location":298,"publishedAt":299,"readingTime":12,"slug":5,"title":300,"updatedAt":33,"updates":33},{"image":288,"name":53},{"_type":39,"asset":289},{"_ref":52,"_type":42},[291,292],{"slug":36,"title":37},{"slug":259,"title":10},"66.60°N 19.85°E",{"_type":39,"asset":295},{"_ref":296,"_type":42},"image-7c581b28ffc9ce1fbf425f5e6a583350dcafcf08-512x512-png","Catching a bus really isn’t that hard. Turn up at the right time and there’s a reasonable chance that you’ll get on the bus and be on your way to your destination in no time. I managed to catch quite a few buses in my short time in Sweden, but there’s one in particular that…","Jokkmokk, Sweden","2012-02-19T07:22:53Z","How Not to Catch a Bus"]