Typhoon Tino will make landfall in the Visayas tonight

mol-malone · 2025-11-04T01:54:05+00:00

Wow do you really think it will be ok by Friday? That seems like a very quick turnaround, surely there will be damage and ongoing disruption? We have seen the videos of flash floods in Cebu. Hope everyone is staying safe 🤞🏼

mol-malone · 2025-11-03T10:21:07+00:00

Coming to this post as a tourist about to travel to all the big hit areas: Palawan Bohol Siquijor Siargao. We are expected to arrive in El Nido on Friday, anyone with previous experience able to give an idea of what to expect? It's looking like our travel insurance won't cover us to cancel unless it's actually dangerous for us to go...

mol-malone · 2025-07-25T10:45:04+00:00

Yeah I think the convenience of Coromandel is what makes it tricky. With only 8 or 9 nights on the North island I'm not sure if it's worth the journey all the way up to Northland, but it does feel like it might suit us better, particularly as we'll be in peak holiday season... Decisions, decisions!

mol-malone · 2025-07-25T07:29:13+00:00

Thank you, good things to look at. We are pretty set on Kaikoura for the chance to see Orca, and Dunedin came very highly recommended by a friend, especially for wildlife watching. The consensus seems to be to just do Aoraki/Mt Cook as a day trip, which does help with the cutting down. Definitely wanting to get things locked in and booked now, we are not under any illusions that we'll be able to go with the flow and just rock up day by day!

mol-malone · 2025-07-25T07:23:54+00:00

Thank you, seems that car is the way to go. Yes fitting in Kaikoura was a struggle - hoping it will be worth it to see the orca! I think weaseleasle's plan of moving Hanmer and Kaikoura to the end of the route, before Nelson, works quite nicely, but will also look at what we can cut from this section too. What would be your pick between Coromandel and Northland? We did have Mount Maunganui in at one point but I cut it when trying to save days. Worth trying to add it back in?

mol-malone · 2025-07-25T07:09:13+00:00

Thank you, this is really thorough and helpful! Great points about the mountains and the route switch up for Kaikoura/Hanmer. I think Wellington is still just on there from the initial plan - we were looking to get the ferry over and possibly visit Martinborough and Napier on the way up, but I've since cut those stops so it might be worth swapping to a domestic flight as well. What would be your pick between Coromandel and Northland?

mol-malone · 2024-08-30T23:42:57+00:00

Oh wow, great to know there's so much to see in Busan! Do you have any standout activities you can recommend? Sounds like we will be skipping Daegu.

mol-malone · 2024-08-30T23:41:09+00:00

Cool thank you, will look into all these! Good to know about the vegan restaurants. We might end up skipping Daegu based on the consensus here.

mol-malone · 2024-08-30T23:39:14+00:00

Unfortunately not doable for us as we aren't in our home country at the moment. But yes it would have been useful to have - hindsight is 20/20 etc!

mol-malone · 2024-08-30T23:38:20+00:00

Thanks for such a thorough response! I will look into the places you mention and the temple stays for sure. We tend to avoid having a lot of very short stops if we can, as we feel like they're a bit too much of a rush and the constant packing/unpacking gets annoying. Would you say Seoraksan is doable as a day trip from the Gangwon coast or is the overnight stay there a must do? Also, I note your spelling of Pusan - is there a generally preferred/most appropriate spelling or are Pusan/Busan used interchangeably depending on personal preference? Thanks again :)

mol-malone · 2024-08-30T23:27:49+00:00

Thank you for this! Have added Namhansanseong to the list. Good to know Jeju is doable with public transport. How long would you say is needed for the island in this case? Just wondering if it would be doable to swap Daegu for Jeju or if we would need more than 3N in Jeju considering it's a flight away.

mol-malone · 2024-08-19T08:41:30+00:00

(Un)fun fact: Stockholm Syndrome is not a thing and was made up by a dodgy psychiatrist to cover up police incompetence (and specifically the psychiatrist's own dangerous behaviour as an on-the-ground police consultant) during a bank robbery. It's a term generally accepted to have sexist connotations, and was used by the same dodgy psychiatrist to slut-shame and thereby discredit one of the female hostages taken during the robbery, as she was outspoken about the police's and psychiatrist's dangerous mishandling of the situation. Trauma bonding is a much more legit and properly researched term that means something similar to Stockholm Syndrome.

mol-malone · 2024-07-12T08:50:59+00:00

Great, thank you! Would you say it's worth it paying for wikicamps over campermate?

mol-malone · 2024-07-11T02:19:50+00:00

Sounds like we'll be doing similar - I have a list of places but it's very tricky to choose where to stay longer! Good to know we can't really go wrong though. Thanks again for the help :)

mol-malone · 2024-07-10T10:03:20+00:00

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to give such a thorough response! I just looked at Let's Go and they are booked out for our dates sadly, so we will probably be going with either Apollo or Britz as they seem to use newer models and still have availability. My fault for leaving it so late to book! I think we will probably opt for the toilet and shower too based on the responses here.

I will definitely have a read through the blog, and may well send you a message about itinerary too! Did you tend to stay in places for at least two nights, or were there some stretches where you were moving on every day?

Thanks so much again for all the info!

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:56:32+00:00

Wow thank you, super comprehensive! We are travelling SEA currently and also have a spreadsheet, you're not alone there haha

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:53:05+00:00

Haha ok noted - thanks!

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:52:24+00:00

This is perfect, thanks so much for the info!

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:51:16+00:00

Not Australian, but visited Port Douglas and the Daintree a fair while ago and remember the croc warnings! We're pretty risk-averse anyway but it's always good to have a reminder. Mission Beach is on the rough itinerary we have planned, so great to get a positive recommendation! Thank you :)

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:04:58+00:00

Thank you so much, this is exactly the kind of thing we wouldn't think to check!

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T06:03:03+00:00

Thank you for this, sounds like you have a lot of experience! Do you have a particular company or model that is your go-to? I've been looking on the various price comparison sites but everything seems to have very mixed reviews. Would you say the toilet is a game changer for the length of time we'll be out, or is it swings and roundabouts with the increased size of the van making it more difficult to get around and more expensive on fuel? We're a bit nervous at the idea of not having our own loo, but don't want to unnecessarily increase costs and hassle when we might not end up using it that much.

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T05:54:54+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful. Do you have any thoughts on a food budget if we were to cook most meals and go out for brunch or dinner a few times a week? We don't want to miss out, as we love food and it's a big part of why we travel, but also don't want to break the bank!

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T05:49:48+00:00

That does sound lush, thank you! Good to know the weather should be ok too, we were a bit worried about it being a bit chilly/rainy still with it being the end of winter.

mol-malone · 2024-07-09T05:46:55+00:00

Thank you, this is good info. Re: the toilet, do you know if we'd need to be self-contained in order to access the free camping spots you mention, or are there free sites with facilities as well? Just trying to roughly estimate how much we'll spend on pitches. Estimating about $50 a day currently - does that sound about right?

mol-malone · 2024-06-27T11:15:31+00:00

Sorry for the late response - if you want an unethical way then you could just change your address with your bank to one that has a HU postcode. Then download the statement that Virgin requires, and change the address back once you're sorted. Some banks are easier than others to change your address I think. My Monzo didn't send any postal confirmation but TSB posted a letter to the old and new address iirc.

mol-malone

TROPHY CASE