Featured - Flashpacker HQ https://flashpackerhq.com Inspirational travel photography and stories for the independent traveler. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:46:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.1 Toronto’s Kensington Market and Chinatown https://flashpackerhq.com/toronto-kensington-market-chinatown/ Fri, 27 Mar 2015 22:28:41 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=3203 Sports as a Travel Experience for Flashpackers https://flashpackerhq.com/sports-travel-experience-flashpackers/ Mon, 23 Jun 2014 19:06:41 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1488 The world cup is on and almost everyone I know is glued to their seats, which is interesting when you consider that the only time...

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]]> Exploring the 2014 Sundance Film Festival https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-2014-sundance-film-festival/ https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-2014-sundance-film-festival/#comments Thu, 30 Jan 2014 05:24:07 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1357 From experiencing new cultures to trying new cuisines, there are countless reasons to travel.  One of my favorite things to experience during a trip, and...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-2014-sundance-film-festival/feed/ 2 Hitchhiking, Hot Tubbing and Hobnobbing at TBEX https://flashpackerhq.com/hitchhiking-hot-tubbing-and-hobnobbing-at-tbex/ https://flashpackerhq.com/hitchhiking-hot-tubbing-and-hobnobbing-at-tbex/#comments Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:29:11 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1186 I spent this past weekend at TBEX 2012, a conference catering to travel bloggers, and let me tell you, it didn’t turn out at all...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/hitchhiking-hot-tubbing-and-hobnobbing-at-tbex/feed/ 20 First Timer’s Guide For A Quick Trip to San Diego https://flashpackerhq.com/quick-trip-to-san-diego/ https://flashpackerhq.com/quick-trip-to-san-diego/#comments Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:11:38 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1172 The best possible trip you can take to get away from Los Angeles is a quick two-two hour drive south to San Diego.  Ideal weather,...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/quick-trip-to-san-diego/feed/ 16 Travel Photo Roulette Round #44: “Once In A Lifetime” https://flashpackerhq.com/travel-photo-roulette-round-44-once-in-a-lifetime/ https://flashpackerhq.com/travel-photo-roulette-round-44-once-in-a-lifetime/#comments Tue, 29 May 2012 23:53:56 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1173 I am happy to announce I get to host the Travel Photo Roulette contest once again.  I previously won round #3 and hosted round #4...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/travel-photo-roulette-round-44-once-in-a-lifetime/feed/ 39 Cairns, Pro Dive and The Great Barrier Reef https://flashpackerhq.com/cairns-pro-dive-and-the-great-barrier-reef/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:36:25 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1041 Cairns is the epicenter of options for diving the largest reef system in the world – The Great Barrier Reef.  A world heritage site and...

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]]> Exploring The Great Barrier Reef with Mike Ball Diving Expeditions https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-great-barrier-reef-with-mike-ball-diving-expeditions/ https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-great-barrier-reef-with-mike-ball-diving-expeditions/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:35:06 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1027 The Great Barrier Reef is massive, and Cairns is the launching point for the majority of ways to experience the reef.  I’d known since I...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/exploring-the-great-barrier-reef-with-mike-ball-diving-expeditions/feed/ 2 Independent Travel from Cairns to Sydney on Greyhound https://flashpackerhq.com/independent-travel-from-cairns-to-sydney-on-greyhound/ https://flashpackerhq.com/independent-travel-from-cairns-to-sydney-on-greyhound/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:59:55 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=1020 Over the month of July, I spent 25 days as part of a hop-on hop-off tour of New Zealand with Stray.  It was an amazing...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/independent-travel-from-cairns-to-sydney-on-greyhound/feed/ 2 Stray, New Zealand – A Detailed Case Study of Hop On Hop Off Bus Travel https://flashpackerhq.com/hop-on-hop-off-backpacker-bus-travel-a-detailed-case-study/ https://flashpackerhq.com/hop-on-hop-off-backpacker-bus-travel-a-detailed-case-study/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:44:57 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=999 What’s it like to travel on a hop-on hop-off bus? I recently finished a whirlwind, twenty-five day trip around all of New Zealand with a...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/hop-on-hop-off-backpacker-bus-travel-a-detailed-case-study/feed/ 29 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Final Days & Kiakoura https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-final-days-kiakoura/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-final-days-kiakoura/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:48:37 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=978 The last few days on the bus were mostly filled with scenery instead of activities.  We woke up in Dunedin and had a long drive...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-final-days-kiakoura/feed/ 5 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Day 22 – Dunedin https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-23-dunedin/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 01:26:25 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=967 We were up bright and early this morning to catch the morning ferry back to the south island and meet up with the rest of...

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]]> Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Days 20 and 21 – Stewart Island https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-21-and-22-stewart-island/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-21-and-22-stewart-island/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:55:36 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=953 If you’ve been following along form the beginning, you’ll already know that, while in the North Island, heavy rain prevented us from doing river rafting...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-21-and-22-stewart-island/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Queenstown Part 2 https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-2/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-2/#comments Sun, 31 Jul 2011 10:14:01 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=938 These two posts on Queenstown cover five days, which, in keeping with the previous posts, would be days 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-2/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Queenstown Part 1 https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-1/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-1/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:13:33 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=926 These two posts on Queenstown cover five days, which, in keeping with the previous posts, would be days 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-queenstown-part-1/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Day 14 – Slow Day https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-14/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-14/#comments Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:13:03 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=918 After our visit to Franz Josef Glacier yesterday, we’ve got two days of transport before arriving in Queenstown.  Today we traveled to the hamlet of...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-14/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Days 12 and 13 – Franz Josef Glacier https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-12-and-13-franz-josef-glacier/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-12-and-13-franz-josef-glacier/#comments Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:45:45 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=903 Today we not only slept in but left at half-past noon due to one of our activities being canceled.  Normally we would have stopped in...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-12-and-13-franz-josef-glacier/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Day 11 – Cape Foulwind https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-11/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-11/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:26:29 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=886 Today we head south along the west coast of the south island.  Our destination is the town of Greymouth, which, by all accounts, isn’t much...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-day-11/feed/ 8 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Days 9 & 10 – Abel Tasman https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-with-stray-days-9-10/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-with-stray-days-9-10/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:00:53 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=874 We rushed out far too early this morning to make sure we made the 8am ferry from Wellington to the south island.  There were five...

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]]> https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-with-stray-days-9-10/feed/ 1 Flashpacking New Zealand with Stray – Days 7 & 8 – Wellington https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-7-8/ https://flashpackerhq.com/flashpacking-new-zealand-with-stray-days-7-8/#comments Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:17:45 +0000 https://flashpackerhq.com/?p=855 Today was taken up with the “Ultimate Lord of the Rings Tour” put on by Movie tours in Wellington.  From 10:30 – 6:30 it was...

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