The journey begins…

Me and my travel team

Thanks for joining me!

What started as a little side project to keep ‘me busy’ while looking for work after lockdown and COVID-19 I have taken the leap and started my own content and copy writing business (Rhubarb & Co.). Backyard Traveller is my passion. My family and I are passionate travellers and love nothing more than packing our bags and heading off for an ‘adventure’. More often than not recently this has been to our favourite haunts around beautiful Auckland. But we aspire to more adventures further afield.

My hope is to inspire others to explore and enjoy their own backyard. Helping to promote those wonderful places we've stayed, visited and enjoyed over the travels. I've photographed my way around, often indulging my passion for film photography with my 15 year old Minolta camera.

I caught the traveller’s 'itchy feet' with my OE nearly 20 years ago (how is it that long??). With over 45 countries stamped in my passport, including living in London, Bangkok and Auckland. This has meant that I have spent a lot of my time and energy focussed on getting off New Zealand shores and experiencing what is beyond the horizon. And this desire hasn't really left me. But with the massive upheaval and unprecedented global impact that has been COVID-19 and New Zealand’s recent lockdown I'm now looking at an indeterminate time within New Zealand borders.

Thankfully this is not too much of a hardship and we live in a glorious tree covered enclave that is the Waitakere Ranges, west of Auckland. What the lockdown gave me, was a new appreciation of what I have immediately in my backyard (and I mean no further than 2km away!). We have quiet bays, green, bird filled bush tracks following streams and many gorgeous views over the Manukau Harbour. WE’ve recently discovered glowworms in our favourite trail! Filled with a sense of gratitude and delight with our surrounds, rather than booking our anticipated trip to the West Coast of America next year, and reading our Lonely Planet guide front to back, we are considering our options within New Zealand.

And what better time to celebrate the glorious country we live in. As my wise husband stated, 'many people save and save and travel half way around the world to visit New Zealand just once in their lifetime!' But the grass is always greener...

We are good travellers, we enjoy the planning, the exploration and the sense of discovery a new destination offers. The food, the people, the landscapes, travel truly enhances and uses all of the senses to immerse yourself in the environment and experience something different. Over the years we have explored parts of New Zealand and I'll write about these explorations. We continue to find new places in Auckland and beyond to spend our time and energy.

I hope to inspire, those of us that can, to use this unique time to expand our experiences, here in God's Own and hopefully offer some relief to the many that have been hit by the economic fallout that is COVID-19. I want to highlight our experiences and the companies, areas and people that have helped us see and enjoy our travels.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, weekend escapes or great cafes you'd like to highlight please let me know. I'd love this blog and instagram to be a place to find inspiration and shed light on the best we have to offer.

Whilst it's the home grown audience that will benefit for now, I know I've managed to inspire at least a few of my overseas friends to travel to and experience New Zealand and I know the energy and desire will be there at the other side of this.

Please join me on this journey of discovery through New Zealand, and my very own backyard.

Jess x