{"id":67,"date":"2020-04-07T21:01:46","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T11:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.wordpress.com\/?page_id=67"},"modified":"2025-11-09T21:43:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T11:43:42","slug":"my-travel-blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/my-travel-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"My Travels."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Queenstown New Zealand<\/strong> – SKIING in QUEENSTOWN kiwi-land. Is it really that good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skiing in New Zealand is now a crap shoot, with volatile and irregular weather patterns, unpredictable snow falls, and contrary temperatures. Get it right\u2026 and it\u2019s Great!
Flying home from Australia to Queenstown direct (3 + hours) is usually a \u2018comfy no-brainer\u2019, but this trip was somewhat spoilt by a grubby and tired 737, endless toilet queues and my tasteless grilled cheese sammie! (Regardless, the busy flight crew were marvelous and very welcoming)….. \u00a0read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

France and Italy<\/strong> – Tasty Skiing in the Hautes-Alpes, Maurienne Vanoise, and the 3+1 Vallees..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submerged in a stagnant Tropical Monsoon and getting out of Dingo Beach was frustrating, and took \u201cthe neighbour and me\u201d two attempts before reaching the Proserpine-Whitsundays sodden airport. Eventually saved by Virgin who put on a special flight to collect stranded holiday makers and local stragglers down to Brisbane. Bravo and thank you!
Flying EVA Airlines from Brisbane to Milan (return) with a long stopover in Taipei City was an excellent choice. My day in this progressive city was diverse, culturally interesting and brightened with the company of a humorous American travelling to collect his bride?….  read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

New Zealand<\/strong> – My 70th anniversary of skiing on Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sliding on wooden skis at the raw Whakapapa ski area in1954 was my baptism to mountain life, and the first sensational thrill of going down a snow covered mountain\u2026fast.
With father \u201cJack\u201d who was a passionate mountain climber it was a no-brainier \u201cYou walk up and I\u2019ll watch you ski down\u201d, eventually graduating to the Manawatu Tramping Clubs tough n\u2019 gruff private rope tow.
70 years later I was slapping my big red ski bag and boot-pack up a nasty volcanic rock pathway to the Ngauruhoe ski lodge (being a foundation member for 60 years) on Mt. Ruapehu and stumbling into the welcoming foyer….  read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Canada<\/strong> – A Rowdy \u201cFamily Pow Trip\u201d in Canada B.C. 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We arrived in Vancouver en mass, my Nephew and Grand Nephew from Auckland direct, and me via Brisbane and the Spirit of Queensland train from the Whitsundays.
After collecting ski bags and a simple immigration check we took delivery of a brand new all-wheel drive Subaru Wagon (on obligatory snow tires) and with a ski rack from the owner of our TURO RENTAL in the hustling Drop Off lane….  read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Canada<\/strong> – solo to Whistler Blackcomb. 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After missing the last bus, a \u201cWhistler Connection\u201d hostess offered me a seat on their 7 pm shuttle to Creek Side. It\u2019s a comfortable two-and-a-half-hour trip and with my large ski bag and backpack, I connected with the #20 village bus to the former Olympic Games Athletes Village…. read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

New Zealand<\/strong> – A Boys’ ski trip to Kiwiland \u2018down under\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning a ski trip to New Zealand in these post Covid years is now a seriously Hokey-Pokey guess, due to the traditional weather patterns and snow predictions being more volatile and frustratingly dysfunctional.
Flights with coordinated accommodation, vehicle rentals, school holidays, crowded weekends and endless driving up goat tracks (including using chains on 4x4s!)\u2026 all is forgotten when your skis glide and carve down that fresh cold Kiwi Pow…. read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Spain<\/strong> \u2013 Skiing the best Spanish Resorts in the Prynees and indulging in \u201cB.A.R.C.E.L.O.N.A\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

The bus from Estacio del Nord in Barcelona is a calming 5-hour vista up through the Val D\u2019Aran Valley, eventually arriving at VIEHLA. Then connects with a local bus to Salardu Village and stops below historic Refugi Rosta. The new owners Ramon and Miguel greeted me with the traditional h..\u201cOla\u201d, a beer at the bar and much chat about being their first International guest \u201cyardy-dar-da\u201d and the 2 plane, 2 metro, and 2 bus journeys of about 32 hours!…. read more\u2026<\/code><\/strong><\/a><\/mark>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Australia<\/strong> \u2013 Where is the best skiing \u201cDownUnder\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n

Is it the unique Snowgum covered rolling Alps of Australia or around the eye watering lakes and raw peaks of the Southern Alps in New Zealand?
Oh, and there are two major resorts on the volatile volcano Mt.Ruapehu, in the middle of the North Island of kiwi land?\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

New Zealand<\/strong> \u2013 Heli Skiing from The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp.<\/p>\n\n\n

Finally, The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp in New Zealand is open and now firmly established on the International \u201cAdventure\u201d trail.
Passionate \u2018huntin\u2019 shootin\u2019 and fishing kiwi gent \u2013 Doug Rikard-Bell and his most capable team, have concocted this amazing Base Camp and social centre par \u2018escalante\u2019 in Glenorchy.
It\u2019s a pretty 45-minute drive west of Queenstown, and within the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Switzerland \u2013<\/strong> Spring Skiing in Switzerland after a two year Covid19 Lock-Down!<\/p>\n\n\n

When pushing the \u2018Departures\u2019 door open and dragging my ski bag into the Brisbane International airport I was confronted with an eerily apocalyptic void.
There was nobody there?\u2026 No Body!
What was going on, even the coffee bar-bistros had chairs up on their tables? Confused, and a little apprehensive I sat down in a big comfy chair and digressed back to yesterday\u2019s delicious calm of \u2018Room with Roses\u2019 in the Brisbane Arcade.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Europe<\/strong> \u2013 Gypsy ski travels in Europe and \u2018new wave\u2019 Hipstel accommodation<\/p>\n\n\n

Planning a European ski tour from \u2018down-under\u2019 has always been a gamble, this year I chose 10 of the highest resorts with a history of consistent and reliable snow; to enjoy skiing their best steeps and coldest pow?\u00a0 read more…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Italy <\/strong>\u2013 Tasty skiing in the Dolomiti.<\/p>\n\n\n

Skiing the Dolomiti in northern Italy is\u2026\u201cAmazing\u201d! It is the largest ski region on the planet (450 ski lifts), and the outstanding beauty of these unique mountains and variable terrain makes the skiing truly \u2018delicious\u2019. read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Switzerland \u2013 <\/strong>Skiing the dream in Switzerland<\/p>\n\n\n

Fast and punctual Swiss express trains make Milano to Zermatt picturesque and very pleasant and after arriving at Brig I schlaped my ski bag and boot pack off the train into the rather hip Bahnhof restaurant and cafe. Lunch wasn\u2019t particularly memorable, (tagessuppe, breads and a cappuccino) but the price was\u2026\u201cget used to it mate, you are now in Switzerland\u201d!\u00a0)\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Argentina<\/strong> \u2013 Skiing and all that tango.<\/p>\n\n\n

Ever since I started wandering the planet, Las Lenas in Argentina has always been a \u2018must do, gotta go there\u2019 ski destination. But getting the skinny about this iconic mountain and finding a cheap air ticket not leaving from \u2018the states\u2019 never popped up. Then Qantas entered the fray and made Argentina and Chile viable ski destinations from Australia and New Zealand.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

USA, and Cuba<\/strong> \u2013 Skiing, Cigars and a submarine.<\/p>\n\n\n

After 21 years of back to back winter seasons teaching and coaching upper level skiing my insatiable passion needed a change of direction. To include different travels and more \u2018Free Riding\u2019 and Fun skiing for me, and outside the confines of relentlessly greedy and demanding ski schools.This \u2018down under\u2019 winter I stayed at home to enjoy more time in my gorgeous back yard, (The Great Barrier Reef) kayaking and honing skills as a newbie crew member on a IRC. race yacht.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Japan<\/strong> \u2013 Chasing the POW POW in Japan<\/p>\n\n\n

After dodging Kangaroos eating their roadside breakfasts, we finally arrived at Proserpine railway station. Then an officious employee insisted I lighten my new Sierra Summit ski bag by 1 kilo! \u201cmate, ya gotta lighten the bag to 20 kilos\u201d\u2026 on a train?
The 10 hour trip rumbled north and developed into a kinda \u201cFaulty Towers\u201d train, stopping at every Tom, Dick and Harry station and with friendly-bumbling crew swaying to and fro in the retro carriages while dishing out the tasty railway nosh.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Italy<\/strong> \u2013 Skiing in the beautiful Valle d\u2019Aosta Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n

It took me three trips to footprint Gypsy Ski Travels in this beautiful valley, as there are 11 major resorts and a few more worth visiting for a quick day trip.
Usually, I start from Malpensa-Milano, but if coming from France Valle d\u2019 Aosta begins at the exit of the Mont Blanc tunnel at Entreves. It is Train and Bus friendly (that\u2019s me), however the west to east motorway makes the various \u2018finger valleys\u2019 quicker and easier in a car\u2026sometimes and always on winterised tyres or in a 4 x 4.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Italy <\/strong>\u2013 SKIING in Lombardy\u2026 the Italian region of style.<\/p>\n\n\n

My one stop flight was in flashy Abu Dhabi and while gliding through \u201canother designer mall\u201d I spotted a poster promoting Red Bull Air Races above the faux Corniche. O.K it didn\u2019t tick any boxes, but these aerobatic planes flew fast n\u2019 low, twisting, turning\u2026looping, an interesting alternative to the usual opulent choices offered to a tiring punter on a long stop over.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

France <\/strong>\u2013 Skiing the Via Latte from the border village of Claviere.<\/p>\n\n\n

The heart of this large n\u2019 snowy region on the boarder of Italy and France is the busy train and bus station at OULX. My regional train from Torino was fast and a connecting bus dropped me at the historic and beautiful Claviere Church, before continuing over the Montgenevre Pass to Briancon.
There are seven resorts in the Via Latte region, Claviere butted to Montgenevre, (in France) Cesana Torinese, Sansicario, Sauze D\u2019Oulx, Pragelato and the imposing Sestriere.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Canada<\/strong> \u2013 Skiing the \u201cPowder Highway\u201d in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n

Powder this, pow pow that, its all a bit \u2018ho hum\u2019 and often misleading when one is pre booking air travels, and has limited time. However I have travelled the highway twice and thoroughly enjoyed it\u2019s imposing beauty, frigid temps and the consistently reliable snow with varied skiing.On my first trip we arrived in \u2018freezing\u2019 Calgary to plugged in parking cars and heated underground shopping malls. Then went anti clockwise \u201cSnob Hopping\u201d in the best hotels in Canada.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Europe<\/strong> \u2013 Creating Gypsy ski travels\u2026 global adventures of Skiing and Fun.<\/p>\n\n\n

My first adventure was very ambitious. Oh, I had already been travelling extensively for life, business and fun, but that had become a well worn rut and honestly, I felt ignorant and globally uneducated.
This trip started in Brisbane and after a bum numbing flight via Perth, my Etihad flight landed in Abu Dhabi at dawn. Then a luxury coach dropped me at a metro station in Dubai, and a quick ride put me opposite the MEGA \u201cMall of the Emirates\u201d and the Dubai Indoor \u2018Snow Resort\u2019?\u00a0read more…<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Australia<\/strong> \u2013 Fun in the Sun with Sea Shepherd \u201cOcean Defense Tour 2022\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

I wear the iconic Sea Shepherd logo on all my outer ski wear, to support and encourage participation in this global conservation group\u2019s clandestine ocean campaigns and stealth executions.
\u201cfighting to defend, conserve and protect our seas\u201d.
Recently my tenacity to get more involved exploded (my backyard is the Great Barrier Reef) and \u2018jumped ship\u2019 to the Spirit of Queensland that stops at Proserpine. Then embraced the 15 hour (1050 k) rail torture down to Brisbane.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Australia<\/strong> \u2013 Rugby and visiting the Gold Coast\u2026.while waiting for snow?<\/p>\n\n\n

After 6 months of being \u2018locked down\u2019 within the Queensland borders and sailing in the Airlie Beach Race Week became a non event due to major rig failure, I needed a gulp of fresh air and a new focus.
Could a Rugby Test and a visit to the infamous \u201dGold Coast\u201d beaches do this?\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Australia \u2013<\/strong> Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses on the beaches of Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n

There\u2019s not much snow in the Australian summer and now the government is saying \u201cthere\u2019s little chance of any International Travel\u2026(maybe to \u2018kiwiland\u2019) until later this year\u201d?
But there is plenty of beaches to get your toes into the sand and the state border to New South Wales had finally opened.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Australia<\/strong> \u2013 Coaching Skiing \u201cOnline\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n

Recently I meet a guy at our local Doyle sail loft who said, \u201cI have been coaching Surfing Online\u201d\u2026and latter my light bulb went on!
Thinking\u2026it could be fun trying to coach Skiing OnLine, just for fun.
In fact it\u2019s perfect timing, as I am \u201cLocked Down\u201d in the Sunshine State and the kiwi A.O. group is now spring skiing on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand?
Usually we enjoy these 5 to 7 day ski weeks at Whakapapa, as it\u2019s Ski In-Out from the comfortable Ngauruhoe Ski Club Lodge and the slopes are better protected here in the volatile spring weather.\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Ski Tech Chat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then he said, \u201cI want to buy a new pair of skis\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Recently one of the guys I coach in Kiwiland phoned and said just that, then the obligator \u201ccan you help me\u201d?
Well,..I\u2018m here in the warm Whitsundays winter, (topping out at 26 degrees) quarantined for the second time and the Queensland borders are still locked down. Of course \u201cmy eyes are wide open\u201d as there is a possibility of a Trans Tasman Bubble opening soon\u2026yeah, maybe?\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Buying new Ski Boots\u2026and how to avoid the pain!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

Everybody is doing it\u2026.and hopefully aware of the hidden pitfalls which can arise when buying a new pair of ski boots.
Always a challenge, as feet change with life and modern technology is proving new is better\u2026maybe? I ordered mine last year after agonising over conflicting thoughts and aspirations. Now a Super Senior my first decision was Race or High Performance, what brand, what features, and especially where is my future skiing heading? Done!
It was another pair of Lange RS race boots, wide toe box and the lighter 110 flex (me being 70 kg).\u00a0read more\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Queenstown New Zealand – SKIING in QUEENSTOWN kiwi-land. Is it really that good? Skiing in New Zealand is now a crap shoot, with volatile and irregular weather patterns, unpredictable snow falls, and contrary temperatures. Get it right\u2026 and it\u2019s Great!Flying home from Australia to Queenstown direct (3 + hours) is usually a \u2018comfy no-brainer\u2019, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-67","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4272,"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/67\/revisions\/4272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gypsyskitravels.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}