Author: Michael

Picton, New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand

Get a Room – Hotel Reservation Tips

Posted on by Michael

I’ve had the good fortune to have worked a number of different jobs in my life. They all come with their share of learning curves and you’re just going to have to believe me when I tell you ice cream jockey at the local Baskin-Robbins next to Big Al’s video arcade had the steepest one of all, but the jobs I’ve had that really taught me about customer service were the ones that required me to get out from behind the counter/desk/Muppet costume (another story for another day) and experience my job from the vantage point of the customers I was serving. Buy something from your store. Order your own pizza. Ride your own ride (that was at Walt Disney World, so it may be a little job-specific). Try to understand what the people you’re serving are experiencing.

As we plowed through a driving rainstorm the dimly lit streets of Napier, New Zealand were doing very little to make the night on Hawke’s Bay magical in any way. The travel fates seemed Continue reading “Get a Room – Hotel Reservation Tips” →

Uluru in ocus

Uluru, Part II

Posted on by Michael

 

The size and scope of Uluru goes well beyond the physical presence of the monolith itself. Even the word you use to refer to “The Rock” says a lot about your politics. Do you call it Uluru? Then you probably agree, at least in part, with the Australian government’s decision to return ownership of the land to the Anangu tribe of Aborigines who have lived there for almost forty thousand years. Do you call it Ayers Rock, the name given to it by white explorer William Gosse, who came upon the site in 1873? That may say something about you, too.

Uluru
The view from the sunrise viewing platform where we began our filming of Uluru for the documentary.

Me? I never knew quite what to think while I was there. The park is called Uluru-Kata Tjuta. The airport that services the region, Connellan Airport,  is designated with Continue reading “Uluru, Part II” →

using credit cards when traveling

Vegan Hamburgers and Grape Nuts (oh, and using credit cards overseas)

Posted on by Michael

Using credit cards overseas. You almost certainly will, but how you use credit cards overseas is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Traveling can be very counterintuitive. Habits and behaviors that work perfectly well in everyday life don’t always work when you’re on the road, especially if that road is not in your native country. At the very top of the list is how you should be using credit cards overseas, and how you should balance the use of your credit cards when traveling. I’ve written about using cash and using debit cards overseas, so it’s time to complete the trilogy by talking about using credit cards overseas.

using credit cards overseas
There are precautions you should take while using credit cards overseas, but it may be a good option for you

I want to start with the following assumption, which is a biggie, but it has to be the starting point. I’m assuming you have good credit, are not already maxed out or even close to it, and that you’re not further putting Continue reading “Vegan Hamburgers and Grape Nuts (oh, and using credit cards overseas)” →

Uluru Sunset Northwest
Uluru
001

Uluru – Part I

Posted on by Michael

I’ve always enjoyed Bill Bryson’s writing style, but I’ve often thought it would save a lot of time if every travel essay he ever wrote was titled “Things I Didn’t Get To Do OrSee Because I Didn’t Do Even The Minimal Amount Of Planning Ahead Of Time.”  On the flight to Australia, I was reading Bryson’s travel musings in his book on Australia, and I found it hard to sympathize with the plight of only being able to spend an hour at Uluru, thanks to a shortage of hotel rooms at the nearby Yulara hotel complex. His disappointment seemed akin to maintaining a diet based on Pringles and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and then wondering where all that extra weight came from. What do you expect, is what I’m getting at.

Uluru is one of the most remote places on earth. It’s a five hour drive from anywhere – the definition of “anywhere,” and the only one that matters, being Alice Springs, which is itself more than a thousand kilometers from the next largest town –  on a two lane road in the middle of the Australian outback. You have to want to get there. Once you do arrive, be prepared to stay a while, and don’t plan on finding many of the comforts of home. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the gift shops, you aren’t finding it. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s information you should have on hand, and well ahead of time.

Uluru
Uluru is big. It demands your full attention.

Here’s the tradeoff, and it’s a good one: you’re in the presence of one of the world’s natural wonders. Uluru, once known as Ayers Rock, and still called simply “The Rock,” is a starkly singular Continue reading “Uluru – Part I” →

The Debit Card Decision

Dealing with Debit Cards When Traveling Overseas

Posted on by Michael

Using debit cards when traveling overseas is not always the best option. In fact, I would go so far as to say using debit cards when traveling overseas is never the best option. While ATM’s are usually within hailing distance no matter where you are, there are plenty of factors you should take into account before using them to get cash, and you should definitely be wary about using them for purchases.

Using debit cards when traveling overseas
Using debit cards when traveling overseas might not be your best option

While shooting on location this spring in Australia and New Zealand, we seriously considered not taking Continue reading “Dealing with Debit Cards When Traveling Overseas” →