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On a whirlwind tour of Shanxi province, Fiona Harper sits down to a Chinese banquet with a sting in the tail |
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As Jessica Watson approaches the sailors Everest, Cape Horn, on her solo round the world record-breaking adventure, Fiona Harper chats with Jessica to find out what motivates this remarkable 16 year adventurer. |
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Long distance cruising onboard a yacht can be a leisurely, personally satisfying lifestyle. Until one runs aground on an unseen sandbar that is.
Join Fiona Harper on a yachting adventure that sees her 15m yacht aground in far northwest Australia. |
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A former leper colony now makes a most attractive getaway from Carnarvon, on Australia's mid-west coast, discovers Fiona Harper |
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Having sailed along the coast of Arnhem Land, traversing the Gulf of Carpentaria and into one of the most remote towns on the Australian coast, Fiona Harper hungrily anticipates a return to civilisation, dropping anchor at Seisia on Cape York, Queensland.
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The four-hour cross island walk began as a single lane road winding into the foothills, past ramshackle villages struggling to keep the fast growing jungle at bay. Rarotongan village kids ran beside the road giggling and waving while the dogs were as laid back as the adult villagers, barely lifting their heads in the tropical heat to give us more than a brief glance as we passed by.
Fiona Harper fights tropical lethargy in the Cook Islands. |
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Cunning dingoes roam Fraser Island, in southern Queensland, often getting just a little too close to visitors who long for a gentle wildlife encounter. Visitors are advised to keep a close watch on their belongings, particurlarly their passports. |
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Fiona Harper questions the wisdom of the old proverb 'it is better to travel than to arrive' after a coastal passage that ends in Melbourne's Docklands district. |
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Yachting and golfing go hand in hand with the opening of the Whitsunday Islands' first resort golf course and sophisticated yacht club. Perfect for superyacht owners with a penchant for sweeping fairways amid hilltop greens, stylish elegance arrives in the Whitsundays.
Fiona Harper takes on 18 holes at Hamilton Island Golf Club, followed by sundowners overlooking Dent Passage at Hamilton Island Yacht Club |
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They say the best holidays are those with an element of romance. They also say that sometimes the best romances are those that end with the holiday, leaving nothing but happy memories. That's the kind of romance you get when you fall for sea lions, discovers Fiona Harper. |
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Stepping into the workshop at the Wooden Boat Centre, waterside on the Huon River at Franklin in southern Tasmania, Fiona Harper inhales the sweet aroma of Huon Pine permeating the air. |
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It’s hard to envisage that William Bligh stepped ashore at the very same beach that lies beyond the horizon of my villa's beguiling pool. Not known for his generosity of spirit, nor for his hospitality, Laucala Island has been declared one of the 100 most beautiful hotels and resorts of the world.
Reporting from an exclusive retreat on a privately owned island in Fiji, Fiona Harper discovers that perfection has a new name. It's called Laucala Island. |
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Often overlooked by their media tart cousins, the Whitsunday Islands, Fiona Harper explores some of the lesser known islands of north Queensland. |
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Fiona Harper jumps onboard a yacht at Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week, Queensland. |
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With 40 of Australia's top jazz musicians supported by highly acclaimed up and coming stars, the Great Tropical Jazz Party is a melting pot of jazz in tropical north Queensland. Following closely on from Sunferries Magnetic Island Race Week, Fiona Harper takes in some cool jazz beneath the palms. |
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Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our long-suffering feet. Eschewing the need for a 4WD to explore Fraser Island, Fiona Harper decides to explore by foot instead, walking the sand trails that crisscross the worlds largest sand island. |
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Cruising the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Bruny Island reveals a few of her secrets to those who linger long enough to look beyond the wildlife and the laidback lifestyle.
Fiona Harper takes time out in southern Tasmania. |
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Enormous, square white sails billow against an impossibly blue sky. Her elegant bow plunges upwards into the gentle ocean swell.
Join Fiona Harper for an Indian Ocean crossing onboard luxury tall ship Star Clipper. |
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The noise was deafening. The roar of blood pumping through my head as we charged forward, hell bent on hitting the start line milliseconds after the gun went, was drowned out by the commands of our tactitian.
Fiona Harper jumps onboard a chartered pocket maxi yacht at Hamilton Island Race Week. |
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Fiona Harper discovers the cruising grounds of volcanic Vanuatu. |
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