Pancake Rocks is a must-stop on any tour of New Zealand’s South Island.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

They were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers.-Department of Conservation

The natural roadside attraction is located on SH 6 in Punakaiki. It’s great to see at all times of day, but especially spectacular at high tide when blowholes in the rocks are bursting with water.

Church of the Good Shepherd is a small, stone church located right on Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. One of the country’s most photographed churches, it was built in 1935 and is still operates today. Though it was closed when we visited, wedding services are a regular here and people can check the church’s website for dates of public worship.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I found out about the Church of the Good Shepherd and Lake Tekapo while researching for my trip to the South Island. The first photo I saw of the church included the Southern Lights above it. Lake Tekapo is a quiet, holiday town without much light pollution, so it is possible to see the South Lights from here.

We didn’t, but we loved visiting the town. The church is so adorable. On our visit, there was a bride and groom taking photos of each other in front of the church. It was kind of weird to see just the two of them doing this, no wedding party, but it is an ideal spot to photograph for a wedding.

The town isn’t very big, so the church should only be a short walk from camp sites located around the the lake.

There are going to be some changes around here. Starting with this space, the Heels and Wheels blog.

But the whole thing is a blog, isn’t it? 

Yes…no…I’m not really sure. Over the past few months I’ve been doing a lot of things with this website. I’ve been thinking about it, I’ve been agonizing over it, I’ve been moaning about it and I’ve been staring at it, over and over and over again. In fact the thing I’ve been doing least with this blog lately is actually writing on it.

Let me explain. Continue Reading

Erected in the 9th century, Angkor Wat has seen a lot over the years. The world’s largest religious monument, the structure has had a Buddhist, Hindu and cult following.

It’s had addition after addition added until the 15th century, stretching 400 km2 across the center of Cambodia. The funny thing is, if you didn’t know it was there you probably wouldn’t be able to find it amongst the country’s forests.

More than anything the monument has survived the test of time, the Khmer Rouge that tried to destroy all of Cambodia’s cultured past and even mother nature who still tries to rip through the architectural wonder today with its mighty roots.

We spent about an hour and a half just walking around the main temple in Angkor Wat. It really felt like a trip back in time. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Angkor Archeological Park is home to all the temples that make up Angkor Wat. Today the UNESCO World Heritage site that had been ignored for so long is getting the attention it rightfully deserves. Tourists from all around the world visit the site each year to see its crumbling religious structures.

Seeing how massive Angkor Wat is, makes the detail even more incredible. Here are wall carvings of Khmer soldiers in the main temple. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I visited in May 2011 and was in shock of the size of the place. The guesthouse I stayed at set up a tuk tuk to pick my partner and I up at 4:30 a.m. We hired the tuk tuk for half a day for only $20, a bargain considering he drove us around for six hours that day and my partner and I split the price.

Ric and our tuk tuk driver inside the Park. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Entrance into the Park costs $20 per person for one day, but multiple-day passes are discounted. Though most the guidebooks and blogs I read recommend visiting for at least three days, I decided to just try one day and see how I felt. Inevitably I would have liked to have seen more, but like castles in Scotland, I was starting to get a bit temple-weary at this point in our trip around Southeast Asia.

The sun warming the walls of Angkor Wat's main temple. We walked around here just after sunrise. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Our tuk tuk driver had a schedule of temples for us to visit that day, but also considered ones we point out in a tourist book I bought there for $5. We visited Angkor Wat for sunrise, which was worth the early wake up. Besides being an amazing building, a pond in front mirrors the image of the sun rising behind it. We visited Bayon (the temple with many faces on it), Ta Prohm (the most photographed temple for trees growing through it) and about five more temples that day. The three mentioned are probably the most well-known, but there is so much more to be discovered in this park.

I had seen so many photographs of this spot in Ta Prohm over the years. It was hard to get the photo I wanted of it though, because now there is a massive platform in front of it. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Luckily, there are plenty more gorgeous spots to photograph here. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

It's ironic that the lure of Ta Prohm is actually the thing that is destroying it. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Not much of the park that I visited was cut off to visitors at the time. A lot of it was being restored while I was there, which was great to see. I have to say my favorite temple is Bayon. It was such an amazing structure and fun to walk around. Everywhere I looked a stone face was smiling back at me. Visitors will spot quite a few monkeys hanging around this area of the Park, which are cute, but still wild so treat them as such.

Bayon was definitely my favorite temple to visit. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

No matter how lost you get in Bayon, someone is always watching you. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

People were restoring a lot of the ruins in Angkor Wat while I was there. Here is a wall near elephant terrace pieced together. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

We saw so many monkeys on the drive from Angkor Wat to Bayon. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

There are plenty of places to buy food and water. A strip of food carts operate by the main temple. Each cart is named after a celebrity like Lady Gaga or Angelina Jolie.

There are plenty of spots in the Park to buy souvenirs. Cambodia is very poor, but I met more children and people who were selling goods rather than just begging around Angkor Wat. I bought a few bracelets from children and books from land mine victims in Siem Reap. I would really recommend this as a way to give back to a place with such beautiful people and land who have suffered so much.

A little kid runs through the pillars of Angkor Wat. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

People interested in visiting Angkor Wat should base themselves in Siem Reap. The busy Cambodian town is located about a 20-minute drive from Angkor Wat. All you hear about in the town is Angkor Wat, but make sure to take a few days to just enjoy Siem Reap. It’s a gorgeous city with markets, cafes and great restaurants.

I wouldn’t bother arranging anything until arriving in Angkor Wat. You’ll most likely get scooped up by a guesthouse at the bus station anyway. They’re really good in organizing tours and very friendly. Make sure to haggle though and always be aware that scams do happen.

Angkor Wat is a magnificent place to visit and it’s an incredibly cheap trip in terms of travel around the world. Have you ever visited the Park? What was your experience like and what are your tips for those who have never been?

(This post is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel series. All are welcome to join.)

It was the Southeast Asia I imagined.

Ric and I celebrated Easter this past year, cruising around Koh Phi Phi. It was one of the most perfect days on our trip. One we didn’t spend deciphering where to go next or gushing over future travel plans.

No, this day belonged completely to Ko Phi Phi. Take a look through some of our photos from that one day and you’ll understand why.

Our first stop was Monkey Beach where crowds of tourists feed monkeys living there, things they probably shouldn't eat. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

We spent a lot of time on a tiny long-tail boat cruising through islands in the area, stopping occasionally to snorkel. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The best part about the day was how relaxed it was. Everything was planned from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and it only costs about $10, so no stress over spending too much. Photo by Richard Hackey.

The trip felt even more authentic on a long-tail boat. Here's one at Bamboo Beach, where we had lunch and swam. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Maya Bay is the highlight of any Ko Phi Phi tour, but I preferred Pileh Cove, which is also on Ko Phi Phi Ley. It was gorgeous and not bombarded by people. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The limestone rocks of Ko Phi Phi are what make it so special. It was especially gorgeous to see at sunset. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

There's just something about a Thai sunset. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

With only two days to get from NJ to Alabama for a wedding Ric was best man at, I didn’t have much time to show Ric the East Coast of the USA. (And we had even less time after getting a flat tire in Maryland, but anyway…)

One stop on our mini-road trip of course had to be my nation’s capital, Washington D.C. It’s a stop anyone visiting the States should try and fit in, and one all Americans should get to, if not for patriotism, then just for a visit to a great city.

Ric explained our quick, cheap tour in a post earlier this week, but I wanted to look back on some of the memorable images from that day.

The Vietnam Memorial by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The first time I visited the Vietnam Memorial as a child there were a lot paintings of sad people looking into the wall as a soldier stared back at them. Visiting the memorial with my dad and having him point out people he went to high school with was a pretty harsh reality of just how hard war hits home.

The Lincoln Memorial by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

This was my favorite image from our trip to D.C. Ric was so excited to visit the capitol and up until we got there I was only excited to show him it. Because I’ve been so focused on traveling abroad, I kind of forget how special it is to travel America. Once I got to D.C. it finally hit me how much is left to explore of my homeland.

The Washington Monument by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I know I didn’t perfect this shot, but I think it’s a pretty classic one. So many school trip come through D.C. a day. No matter what your party of interest, most of us want to see a better America for the next generation. Seeing kids smiling and playing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking out to the Washington monument is a good reminder of that.

Have a favorite shot of Washington D.C.? Share is below or one Heels and Wheels’ Facebook page.

It seems all I’ve been talking/thinking about lately is island-life. Though technically I am still living it in New Zealand, it’s freezing! Longing for the warm waters around Malapascua in the Philippines and a cool Red Horse  on this floating bar just off the tiny island.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

The mental image I had of myself walking through the rainforest included these bad boys. So when I finally visited Cape Tribulation I couldn’t get enough of them. Shading life below as they tower high above in the forest, these trees can reach up to 6 meters (30 feet). No trip to Cape Tribulation is complete, or possible for that matter, without checking out these plants.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

Have I mentioned how much I love Port Douglas yet? Something about the tropical village just takes hold of you and causes you to act in ways you wouldn’t normally act. Love, or something like it, is an often occurrence and sporadic is a way of life. Everyday I woke up there I didn’t know what my day would entail and planning just never seemed like a good idea.

One random day, my good friend Dorcey and I turned a trip to Jai Gallery into a proper photo shoot. Amongst countless photos of her and I posing to look like Kate Moss and Anna Wintour, this one just happened by accident. Nico, an artist working in the shop at the time, had left out flowers that sat perfectly around the word “Love” written in black marker on a table in the porch out back.

Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

To see more photos, check out the gallery “Chai at Jai” on my facebook page.

Every sight at Yoga in Daily Life retreat in Dungog, NSW is incredible. Even the view from the compost toilets is beautiful. People can watch the sunrise from their caravan or tent and look out to the Blue Mountains from the kitchen window throughout the day. But the best view on the property is a little more difficult to access, the sunset. A view of the sunset requires guests walk up the mountain and down through an uncleared bush area. But reaching this lookout point is worth it. Plus it’s an ideal place to meditate.

Lakshmana, Veronica, Lise and I trekked to the lookout point at Yoga in Daily Life in Dungog on the perfect day for a sunset. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon