Jess is a Wanderer kicked off 2019 by visiting one of New Zealand's most beautiful places: Milford Sound. And wow! What a day. We arrived and it was raining - creating a gloomy and spooky feel to the place. I'd been told by various people that "it's better in the rain," but somehow I couldn't quite understand how that was true. And for a place that has rain on more than half of its days in a year... I thought there was no point trying to pick a 'good day' and to hedge our bet

I had been in New Zealand for just over two weeks when someone first introduced me to the phenomenon which is glow worms. AKA the glowing poop in little grubs that appears blue in certain spots - waterfalls, caves, the bush. Fast forward eleven months and we went to photograph these fascinating wonders. McLaren Falls is a reserve which, as you can guess, has a most impressive waterfall. What's more exciting about this waterfall is that if you time your visit right (as in, in

Jess is a Wanderer took a trip out to Kawerau in search of Tarawera Falls. Either accessed by boat or along a private road (which you need a $10 permit for), it's well worth making the effort to see this spectacular 65m drop. Permits can be purchased Monday-Friday from the site at the start of the private road, seven days a week from the iSite in Kawerau or online via Doc. The road is unsealed and winding but the track to the falls is short and well-maintained. You could easi

Jess is a Wanderer travelled east in search of the highly-esteemed Bridal Veil Falls. Having done very little research about this waterfall, it was an absolute stunning discovery! Don't miss this gem if you're headed to Raglan Beach. #waterfall #rainbow #photography #northisland

Jess is a Wanderer left the city confines of Rotorua and headed further around the lake to Okere Falls Scenic Reserve. This is a DOC (Department of Conservation) site and home to four waterfalls. Arriving at Okere Falls, you're not sure what lies beyond the bush but boy is it exciting when you get there! Rushing water (we think more than usual because of recent rainfall) has created these enormous rapids that would sweep you away in a flash! You can walk the track (or along t

Jess is a Wanderer drove along State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumaranui (over two or three different trips) to explore New Zealand's famous Forgotten World Highway. The highway has some of the most scenic views I've seen across the almost 10,000km that I've driven around the north island of this fabulous country. From sprawling fields to sun-kissed hills and quaint railway tracks - this road will not disappoint. You can even stop in the tiny village of Whangamomona and g

Jess is a Wanderer returned to Hawkes' Bay tallest waterfall because it's that amazing and absolutely worth a detour, a special visit or even without a reason at all. A must-see destination. The sign in the carpark says the walk takes two hours return. The sign lies. Without much effort at all, you can reach the halfway mark in forty minutes. Walk quickly and you'll do it in thirty. If you're a bit nuts and you've left your camera and laptop with a little old lady and her dog

Jess is a Wanderer defied all warnings and climbed over fences in order to access perilous Omanawa Falls. Omanawa Falls are found outside Tauranga. Located before the turn-off for McLaren Falls, you'll see the other curious trampers parked up in their cars and make-shift camper-vans dotted on the side of the road. Perhaps you'll speak to some fellow travellers and ask of their success or failure in getting down behind the falls. We met some chaps who had decided not to ventur

Jess is a Wanderer was back in Whangarei staying out in the wop wops (Kiwi name for 'the sticks' or the back of beyond or the middle of nowhere... Having settled into the lovely Airbnb accommodation with my new comrades (I've just taken on a volunteering job with event company XRACE) - there are eight of us who will all be travelling together for the next six weeks. We have thirteen events to run and a whole lot of fun ahead. Day one involved some trampolining, some beaching

Jess is a Wanderer visited Kerikeri (near Paihai) and had to stop at the famous falls. It's not much of a walk from the carpark so if you're short on time then it's an easy visit. Here are the pics as there's not much to tell you! #waterfall #northland #photography #rainbow

Jess is a Wanderer arrived in Whangarei and headed out to see the famous waterfalls. A highly recommended day out no matter what your level of fitness may be. There is a walking track through park-like grounds and you're even able to camp the night if you have a self-contained vehicle. It's a fabulous track - a loop if you're more able or return via the same route if you're less albe. Free to enter and it's even possible to have a swim. Take a picnic and enjoy the view. #wate

Jess is a Wanderer set out in search of Shine Falls - Hawke's Bay's largest waterfall at 58m tall. A two-hour round trip will lead you to the falls and back again. Well worth the tramping for the beautiful view that awaits. Leaving Napier, you soon find yourself in the mountainous wilderness with no phone reception and some very windy roads. There are some lovely lakes to see and great mountainous views. You might even spot some local wildlife! Eventually - around 30km away,

Jess is a Wanderer was road-tripping around the Bay of Plenty when a recommendation for a secret waterfall near Whanarua Bay was mentioned. Of course, it had to be checked out so pulling off State Highway 35, the quest to find the secret falls began. It was a bit of a mission climbing up to the top of the steep river banks and then criss-crossing using wobbly stepping-stones and pieces of abandoned driftwood. Nonetheless, it was absolutely worth the effort as the falls at the

Jess is a Wanderer had been recommended to visit McLaren Falls by the wonderful Shelley and Paul - our Christmas Airbnb hosts. With glowworms and waterfalls, it was the perfect place to end our stay in Tauranga. What's more it's free and there are no restrictions for photographs like other glowworm hotspots. McLaren Park is accessed by a gate which closes at 7:30pm prompt each night. As long as you're inside the area before then, you can stay for as long as you like (if overn

Jess is a Wanderer tramped out to Wairere Falls and despite there not being a lot of water, it was still an impressive trail and a worthwhile jaunt through the New Zealand bush. The trail begins in a carpark which has a bathroom at the start, if you're like me and always need to pee after being in the car! It's a 5km round trip to the lookout point which is quite steep and passes rocks, rainforest-like-bush, streams, bridges and mini-falls before the main event appears in fro

Days 76-78: Jess is a Wanderer flew to Laos to meet some good friends. I met Kye and Paige (from Bristol, UK) in Slovenia in 2016 and they visited me in Egypt earlier this year. Now, the three of us are hanging out in the UNESCO town of Luang Prabang. After a sleepless night in Kuala Lumpur airport (I was being frugal with accommodation spending so opted for a night on the benches of KLIA2), I arrived at the hostel and almost immediately, we set off to Kuang Si waterfalls. Th

Days 39-46: Jess is a Wanderer headed to India's yoga capital - Rishikesh. In the Himalayan foothills, not far from the source of the River Ganges, this is the perfect place for meditation and relaxation. Having booked our yoga retreat just the night before, we actually had no idea what to expect. Imagine two Brits with their gym kit and not much else! In the end, after contacting several companies in Rishikesh, we settled for Mahatma Yoga Retreat. A seven day stay will cost

Days 25-26: Jess is a Wanderer was hiking mountains, chasing waterfalls and sampling homemade rakia in Albania's wilderness and it couldn't have been more perfect! Arriving into the village was perfect timing as - per usual - Wolvo and I desperately needed to pee. We pulled up to Sadri Lukes 'Hotel' and realised very quickly that it wasn't a hotel and in fact, a lady's house. You could' really get two more awkward people so put us together in a homestay situation and, well, i

Days 10-12: Jess is a Wanderer spent three days hiking in Slovakia's Tatrus mountain range. Here's why you should too! 48 hours before arriving in High Tatrus, I'd never heard of the place. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I did hear about it but once I had, I was adamant about visiting. With a range of peaks to conquer, there's something for every ability of hiker. There are lakes to walk around, trails to waterfalls and forests galore. We stayed in the most wonderful