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Most people stop at Lake Tekapo for the lake. We went for the stars at Tekapo Springs, in one of the darkest skies in the world, and then the clouds rolled in. What happened next turned into one of the highlights of ourwhole New Zealand trip, and something neither of us had ever done before. Add in a late night soak in the hot pools under red lights, an ancient Māori instrument played to the sky, and a place that turned out to be a lot bigger than we thought when we went back in daylight. We also treated ourselves to a bit of luxury at the day spa,found the best hot pool view we’ve ever had, and played a round of mini golf. One of us scored two holes in one and still lost by a mile. Have a listen to find out who. If you’re driving between Christchurch and Queenstown and thinking of skipping Tekapo, listen to this one first. Photos and links are here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/153/tekaposprings

Nearly a quarter of a million travellers have listened to our advice, and today we're taking you to Toledo, the walled hilltop city that was Spain's capital long before Madrid ever was. Just thirty minutes from Madrid on the fast train, Toledo hides a cathedral holding a 237-kilogram solid gold monstrance worth fourteen million dollars, sword shops stacked floor to ceiling with blades, and a terrace bar where we somehow crashed the locals' Sunday sesh, wine in hand, overlooking the Tagus River gorge. Join us as we wander winding, deliberately confusing medieval streets built to outsmart invaders, and hear from a local guide whose own father used to drag him to Sunday Mass in that very cathedral. Click the link here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/152/toledo to see all 23 photos we took wandering Toledo, an interactive map with every place we mention, and our best tips for planning your own visit.

Halfway between Madrid and Barcelona sits Zaragoza, a city most travellers skip on the fast train between the two, and one of our favourite surprises in Spain. In this episode we visit the Basilica del Pilar, wander the tapas bars of El Tubo, explore the Moorish Aljafería Palace, and climb the water staircase in the stunning Parque Grande. We share our favourite meals, the best value tapas in town, and why two or three nights here is well worth the detour. Head to the link here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/151/zaragoza for the full blog post, photos from the trip, and a map of everywhere we cover so you can plan your own visit to Zaragoza.

We're heading to Port Douglas, a chic, laid back coastal village in far north tropical Queensland, that's the gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. In this episode we walk Four Mile Beach, wander the markets at Anzac Park, and share our favourite restaurants and pubs along Macrossan Street. We relive our Padi open water dive certification (and our very patient instructor), take you river tubing through Mossman Gorge, and cross the Daintree cable ferry to Cape Tribulation, where the rainforest meets the reef and the crocodiles are very real. Click here to see all the photos, the map and written information for this episode www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/150/portdouglas

Thinking about visiting Kuranda from Cairns? In this episode we share our experience riding the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over the World Heritage-listed rainforest, exploring Kuranda's colourful rainforest markets and returning on the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway. This is one of our favourite day trips from Cairns. We cover what to expect, the best viewpoints, Barron Falls, practical tips and why this remains one of the most popular day trips in Far North Queensland. To find out more and see all the pics from this episode click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/149/kuranda

Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and theancient Daintree rainforest, and this episode has everything you need to plan your trip. We had five wonderful days in Cairns and in this episode we share where to stay right on the marina, the best restaurants in the Pier and Marina precincts and why the Esplanade Lagoon is worth a visit even if you're not a local. We also break down how to actually get to Cairns, the islands you can reach by ferry, and our reef day with Reef Magic, which was honestly one of the best organised reef trips we've done. Find photos, maps and all our recommendations at www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/148/cairns

Australia’s oldest wine region is only a couple of hours from Sydney, but the Hunter Valley still feels like one of Australia’s best weekend escapes. In this episode, we head to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales for a private wine tour with our own sommelier, Matt from Sydney Privé, visiting some of the region’s most iconic wineries along the way. We stop at Tyrrell’s, one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries and home to the famous VAT 1 Semillon, before heading to Hungerford Hill for an incredible food and wine pairing featuring dishes like ocean trout roulade and venison sliders. Lunch is at Bistro Molines, perched above the vineyards with sweeping views and beautiful French-inspired food that completely lived up to the hype. Along the way, we also share where to stay, the best way to visit the wineries if you’re planning a Hunter Valley weekend, and a few things that might surprise you about the region. Keep listening to hear about hot air ballooning over the vines, why Hunter Valley Semillon is called Australia’s gift to the wine world, and the outdoor concert scene that has attracted some huge international artists over the years. If you would like to see all the pictures, the tour and an interactive map with all the places we mention and recommend then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/147/huntervalley

Underrated wine region, incredible scenery… and yes, Australia’s first nudist beach all in one day. In this episode, we are taking you to McLaren Vale on a relaxed day trip from Adelaide. We visit cellar doors in old stone churches, 5 story Rubik's cubes,  country barns, spectacular gardens, and sweeping vineyard views surrounded by the Mount Lofty ranges. We take you to 5 different wineries, each unique in their own way. Our day even included an multi award winning gin tasting – have you ever tried oyster shell gin? Or what about a wine made from virus affected vines? Both delicious. If you want to plan your own day trip or, stay a few days then this episode has everything you need, but make sure to keep listening to the end to find out where that nudist beach is. If you would like to see all the pictures of the wineries we visited and a google map with all locations included then click www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/146/mclarenvale

In today's episode we’re taking you on a fabulous day trip from Adelaide, through the Barossa Valley on a hop-on hop-off bus tour with TrailHopper, which is such a great way to visit a wine region as you have lots of flexibility and you don’t have to drive. We stopped firstly at Bethany Wines – which was a bit emotional and we tell you why early on in the podcast. Next was the stunning Lambert Estate for a long and very enjoyable lunch with spectacular views. Then we went onto a favourite -  Saltram and  Pepperjack wines where tasted some famous reds in the pretty gardens  and lastly  Kaesler Winery  where we met the winery dog – Lucy and had a wine with a very unusual name. If you’re thinking about doing the Barossa for a day or even staying overnight, this episode will give you some great ideas on where to go, what to expect, and how to make the most of it. If you would like to see all the photos we took of our Barossa Valley visit – then click the link www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/145/barossa Please enjoy episode 145 of the Beach Travel Wine Podcast

In this episode we’re heading back to one of our absolute favourite cities in Spain, San Sebastián. This beautiful Basque city on the Bay of Biscay has a bit of everything we love when we travel. Incredible food, stunning beaches, an easy-to-walk city centre and one of the best food cultures in Europe thanks to its famous pintxos bars. This was our second visit, and it confirmed what we already suspected… San Sebastián might just be Lyle’s favourite Spanish city. In today’s episode we wander through the Old Town, stroll along the famous La Concha promenade, take in the views from the surrounding hills, and talk about the pintxos culture that makes the city such a food lover’s paradise. Stay listening because we’ll also tell you about one of the most unusual, and honestly slightly gross sounding pintxos that we tried… and ended up absolutely loving. And we’ll explain why the fanciest hotelin town still has bullet holes in its walls. And if you’d like to see the photos, a map with all the locations mentioned and the tours we did then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/144/sansebastian So grab a glass of wine, settle in, and come exploring San Sebastián with us.

We finally made it to Segovia… and instantly regretted not coming sooner. From the towering Roman aqueduct to the storybook castle and plates of seriously good food, Segovia delivers at every turn. In this episode we tell you the best time of day to visit the aqueduct, and a secret vantage point, oh plus a fantastic rooftop bar to take in the stunning view at night. We also walk through the main street, through Plaza Mayor, past the cathedral to the Alcazar that inspired Disney's Cinderalla Castle. Of course there is a whole lot more to learn about Segovia in this episode, but if you want to see the interactive map with all the places we visited, and the fantastic photos (especially the aqueduct at night) then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/143/segovia

Ourense is one of those Spanish cities most travellers skip,and that’s one of the reasons why we loved it. Tucked away in inland Galicia, it’s an easily walkable city set along the Miño River, surrounded by green parks, shady trees and criss crossed by historic and modern bridges. In this episode, we talk about why Ourense is known asSpain’s thermal capital, how you can soak in natural hot springs right in the city, and which baths are worth visiting, including Termas de Outariz. We also cover the old town, the Roman roots of As Burgas, the riverside walks, and whystaying a few nights made all the difference. If you enjoy exploring lesser known Spanish cities, natural thermal baths, stunning landscapes and historical old towns, this episode is for you. To see all the photos, the map with all the locations mentions and links to hotels and tours that we recommend, then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/142/ourense

In this episode, we talk about how we spent four enjoyable days in this coastal city in north western Galicia. We did a walking tour that really helped us understand the city, found what we think is the best tapas area, with fantastic food, great atmosphere and very reasonable prices, and spent plenty of time just wandering. It is a very unusual Spanish city and we explain why in the podcast. We also walked part of the longest seaside promenade in Europe and visited the Tower of Hercules, the oldest Roman built lighthouse in the world that is still working today. It is simple, impressive and very much part of everyday life in A Coruña. If you would like to see all the pictures, maps and the tours we did then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/141/acoruna

Want to know about a city in Spain that has the oldest intact Roman walls in the world with 80 towers, and 10 gates that you can walk around for free and is part of the first camino in Spain?  then today’s episode is for you. Not only will you learn about where these walls are, we share some of the fascinating history and the amazing food and free tapas around the city. And the best part is there are hardly any tourists. So please enjoy episode 140 all about Lugo, in Galicia Spain and if you would like to see the pictures of the city walls, then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/140/lugo

Today we’re taking you with us on a brilliant day trip fromSantiago de Compostela all the way out to the edge of Galicia. It’s a route packed with coastal views, little villages, dramatic cliffs and a few surprises we didn’t expect. We’ll share what it’s like visiting Ponte Maceira in the morning mist, wandering through the fishing town of Muros, standing at the end of the Camino at Cape Finisterre and seeing the wild coastline of Muxía with its huge granite rocks and crashing waves. It’s an easy, relaxing day out and a perfect way to see more of this beautiful part of Spain without having to plan a thing. So, settle in and come along as we explore the Costa da Morte, one of Galicia’s most unforgettable coastal regions. And if you would like to see all the pictures, a map of where we went or a link to the tour, then click here www.beachtravelwine.com/podcast/139/deathcoast