Features
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Paddling the NileThe first ever paddle down the Blue Nile from source to sea. 5,000km through wild rapids, war zones, crocodile and hippo infested waters, disease, terrorists, guns, arrests; the works... |
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Chinese AdventuresNewly married amongst the neon glow and dumpling vendors as we bumble our way trying to figure out the world's most populous nation at this exciting time in it's history... |
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The Great Canadian Bike Trek23 years old and naive, I set off in the middle of Canada's barbaric winter perched on a woolskin seat-cover peddling solo from one side of Canada to the other... |
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Mark Tanner's Travels
Whether it be slurping tea with nomadic camel herders or watching a Vietnamese peasant plough his field, there aren't many pursuits that give you more of a perspective on things than experiencing different cultures. In 1998, teary-eyed and naive, I left my beloved hometown intent on seeing the world and having these experiences. Since then, I have been lucky enough to see some interesting pockets of the world.
Although I could never dream of seeing everything the world has on offer, I hope to enjoy as much as I can. Below are a few brief memoirs of some of the things that I have done and places I have lived...
Beijing & Shanghai, China 2010-
The capital of the world's most populous nation's sheer scale is staggering, chock-full with almost 20 million people. Dotted with significant historic sites and super-sleek modern buildings, this city is going through it's most significant change ever. My wife and I kicked off with a semester of learning the Chinese language basics and are now trying to figure out what is going in this fascinating time in history.
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Trincomalee SriLanka |
Uppuveli Beach |
Dutch Bay |
May 12, 2013 WTF Hangzhou?
April 5, 2013 El Nido, Palawan, The Philippine’s Absolute Stunner
February 1, 2013 Why I’d rather be born in the Year of the Snake than the Dragon in China
January 9, 2013 Burma: Nice Spot, But Overrun With Tourists Unless You’re Happy Sweating
November 23, 2012 Fake New Zealand In China?
November 13, 2012 China’s Police Force: The Most Approachable in the World?
October 26, 2012 Chinese in Greenland – Good News You May Not Have Expected?
September 21, 2012 The Polystyrene Bike Guys of Shanghai
September 6, 2012 The Blind leading the Blind in China
July 25, 2012 Biking in Shanghai
June 18, 2012 Lamb Love in Shanghai
May 3, 2012 Koh Rong Island, Cambodia: Paradise … for the Time Being
April 4, 2012 English Names for Chinese: “Hi I’m Rambo, nice to meet you”
March 8, 2012 Chinese Chicken Love
February 7, 2012 Winter in Tibet – the best time to visit?
January 5, 2012 Chinese Year of the Dragon – The Top-6 Reasons to go Shopping
December 6, 2011 China’s One-Child Policy Shaping the Cars of the Future
November 24, 2011 Art and Culture – China’s Missing Link?
November 9, 2011 Trincomalee – Home to Sri Lanka’s best beaches
October 25, 2011 The Chinese Rugby Strategy
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Tibet in Winter |
Tibetan People |
Tibetan Landmarks |
Wellington, NZ 2005-2010
I was dubious about what it would be like to get back to Wellington having left in 1998, but in the time I was home, there wasn't a day I would have rather been somewhere else. Great to be back amongst the stunning scenery, fresh air and fantastic lifestyle.
2007 Belarus - The Soviet Time Capsule
2007 Bike tripping, mountain biking, beach and weddings
2006 Beach, Olympic gatherings, tequila luges, morris minors and Milford
2005 Moustaches, hiking, weddings, footy and Christmas
Khartoum, Sudan 2004-2005
At the confluence of the Blue & White Niles on the southern edge of the Sahara lies the bustling Sudanese capital of Khartoum. The city oozes exotic charms, celebrating a marriage of colonial Africa with the mystery of Arabia. More than 5 million people make their home in the clay and mud brick edifices that clutter the city’s mishmash of dirt lanes. During my time here, I was teaching the English idiom at the University of Khartoum and drinking too much tea.
August 18, 2004 Green Ethiopia
May 16, 2004 The Onslaught of the Sudanese Summer
February 23, 2004 Khartoum: The fuul capital of Sudan
The Top-10 Must-Sees along the length of the River Nile
The Importance of the Annual Nile Flooding
Dublin, Ireland 2000-2003
On the eastern coast of the last misty isle before the new world of the Americas, is a city with a history that spans over 1,000 years. As times have past the Fair City has seen everything from famines to uprisings, but in recent years has become one of the booming and liveliest cities in Europe, supporting a culture that is famous for good music and pubs. My time there saw me working for Vodafone trying to get people to use their mobiles more.
February 28, 2003 A Gamble in Kuala Lumpur
February 18, 2003 Temples, Tombs and Pyramids
January 14, 2003 A Fond Eirewell
April 18, 2002 Frog legs and berets
March 20, 2002 The Musical of all Musicals
December 1, 2001 Ireland's scorching summer of '01
September 4, 2001 Weird and Wonderful Greenland
August 20, 2001 The Iceland Roadtrip
May 1, 2001 Priceless Portugal
December 28, 2000 Dublin, Fair City
Mark Tanner Memorial Fooz Champs
Vancouver, Canada 1998-2000
Amongst an idyllic setting of a glistening harbour bordered by beaches and parks with a backdrop of spectacular mountains and an equally impressive skyline, it is no wonder Vancouver wins the hearts of the many tourists that visit this metropolis every year and why it is consistently rated the most liveable city in the world. I was fortunate enough to be one of the 1.8 million residents living in the greater Vancouver area, living by the beach and working downtown in a marketing job for Net Nanny, a company selling software designed to keep children out of the naughty stuff on the Internet.
November 22, 2000 The Beloved Hometown
September 28, 2000 Big Red Buses and the Big Ben
August 9, 2000 New England and the Last of North America
July 10, 2000 FBI-Looking Guys and Big Black Cars
February 2, 2000 The end of an era
December 20, 2000 The Fat Guy Dressed in Red is Coming
October 6, 1999 A Year Without Sheep
August 2, 1999 Basking in the Vancouver Sun
April 29, 1999 The End of the Rain?
February 22, 1999 Marathon Training Begins
January 10, 1999 God Bless America
December 16, 1998 A Wintry Christmas Buildup
November 24, 1998 South of the Border
October 28, 1998 The Changing of Seasons
October 12, 1998 Leaving City Limits
September 29, 1998 A Kiwi in Vancouver
September 15, 1998 The Eagle has landed
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