The conversion of England to Christianity began in this wild, rugged border county. There are many wonderful places to visit here. Northumberland has impressive castles (more than in any other county in the UK), rolling hills, pretty villages with houses of soft grey stone, and unspoilt beaches with fine white sand. Many artists head to this area, attracted by the…
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On a sunny Friday morning I visited the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden for the first time, despite my having lived within stone-throwing distance for several years. The house is now a museum dedicated to Katherine’s life and works. I soon discovered that there was a lot more to Katherine than I previously realised. Born into a wealthy, middle class…
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You might have studied languages at school, evening classes or from an online course. But there’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in the daily life and culture of a country. Language learning holidays take your learning to a whole new level. They’re not all about hard work, either. Typically you will be in class for half a day, and going…
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If you want to chill out and get away from it all, Russell – Kororareka – could be the place for you. Situated in the idyllic Bay of Islands, this pretty, genteel town was the first European settlement in New Zealand and the site of the country’s first capital. It’s hard to believe it today, but it was once known…
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Do you glaze over when you arrive at the airport only to be faced by a bank of self-service machines? Or do you confidently stride up to them and press, type, insert and go, like a seasoned tech-savvy traveller? Travel is becoming increasingly hi-tech at the world’s major airports. Biometric self-service entry clearance gates at many airports allow us to…
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Own up – do you have a collection of hotel toiletries in your bathroom cabinet? You know – those cute mini-soaps and bottles of shampoo and body lotion in stylish packaging, that you couldn’t resist taking home as a souvenir. I’m sure hotels fully expect us to do this, and build the cost into their room charges. Yet somehow we…
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