Places & People

Our Top Places in Japan

WomanGoingPlaces has chosen some of the places we saw as first-time visitors to Japan that became our Top Places in Japan.
These are to be found on 4 different islands of Japan - Honshu, Miyajima, Hokkaido and Shikoku. The choices are arranged according to islands and not in order of favourites.
March 3, 2017/by Rosalie Zycher

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands gives you a sense of space, of wilderness and of untamed nature, thanks largely to its many national parks and large stretches of uninhabited spaces. In winter, it becomes a wonderland of ice and snow and people flock to its ski resorts. Autumn arrives earlier in Hokkaido than in the rest of Japan, so you are more likely to see the turning of the leaves here first. Of all the wonderful sights and attractions of Hokkaido, its volcanoes and natural hot springs, are the most impressive.
January 27, 2017/by Rosalie Zycher

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Remarkably, Japanese trains have an annual average late arrival time of only 38 seconds!
The bullet train or Shinkansen that connects major centres, is a marvel. Travelling at up to 300km per hour, this sleek, white, green or red serpent of a train is whisper quiet and provides a smooth ride when you are inside. Outside, it appears as a rush of wind if you’re lucky enough to catch it passing at full speed.
January 24, 2017/by Rosalie Zycher

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

The pleasures of the Japanese toilet are gaining worldwide attention. The BBC in its news today, made an announcement about toilets in Japan. And recently the New York Times ran a feature story on Japanese toilets. Why toilets would qualify as news might puzzle many - but it would not surprise those who have been to Japan.
Japanese toilets are quite ingenious.
January 19, 2017/by Rosalie Zycher

Ryokans in Japan

Ryokans in Japan have been described as national treasures. These traditional inns for travellers are located throughout the country. You can stay in Western-style hotels throughout Japan, but you would be missing out on very memorable and pleasurable experiences by not staying in a ryokan. Many hotels also offer you a choice of Western or Japanese-style rooms. The latter are similar to a room in a ryokan. These rooms tend to be larger than Western-style rooms which are often tiny.
January 13, 2017/by Rosalie Zycher

Onsen in Japan

Japan’s ubiquitous volcanoes frequently cause land and sea to shudder. But they are also the source of the healing waters of the Onsen, the public bath houses all over Japan that are often supplied with mineral water drawn from hot springs in volcanic craters.
Onsen have been part of Japanese life for millennia.
And one of the great delights of visiting Japan is staying in ryokans - traditional inns - with Onsen.
January 6, 2017/by Augustine Zycher

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto is the centre of Japan’s Geisha culture. There are almost 200 Geiko (Geisha) in Kyoto, making it the largest concentration in Japan. It is hard to find a Western equivalent for this exclusive profession. It combines the rigorous training and discipline of an elite ballet school and music academy, with the self-renunciation of a nunnery. Exquisitely costumed Geiko are sometimes seen along the narrow streets in the Gion quarter. Meeting a Maiko, a young woman in apprenticeship to become a Geiko, was one of the most memorable events of our time in Japan.
January 2, 2017/by Augustine Zycher

Autumn in Japan

WomanGoingPlaces chose to go to Japan in autumn in order to see the beauty of the autumn leaves.
Spring in Japan is a very popular time to visit because of the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
But it is also very brief. So it is hard to time your trip with any certainly of seeing blossom.
You will have better luck with autumn foliage.
December 23, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Notes on Japan

WomanGoingPlaces visited Japan for the first time this year. As did 20 million other visitors. And with the summer Olympic Games scheduled for Tokyo in 2020, this number is expected to soar with many more travelling to see the marvellous sights and rich experiences that Japan can offer.
December 22, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Kakadu National Park – Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge), Northern Territory

I had asked my daughter Genevieve, who lives in Darwin and works in surrounding Aboriginal communities, to take me to one of her favourite spots. She had heard of Jarrangbarnmi from friends and as it was a sacred site she thought it would be an ideal place to go to with her mum and sister Anna. I had always wanted to visit a sacred site as I am interested in Aboriginal culture and ways of relating to the environment.
October 24, 2016/by Rosalie Zycher

Donald Trump and “Crooked Hag” Hillary

Donald Trump’s lewdness towards young women has caused an uproar that looks set to end his chances of winning the presidency. By contrast, his attacks against Hillary as an older woman have barely drawn a murmur. Trump and his supporters have conducted a vicious campaign against Hillary using her age as a weapon against her. As though being an older woman is contemptible. They have played on negative stereotypes of old women and used scary, nursery rhyme images of witch-like women. “Crooked hag” is just the latest double-barrelled epithet they have hurled at her.
October 14, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Peggy Guggenheim in Venice

Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) made an unparalleled contribution to the development of 20th Century modern art. But 37 years after her death, the story of Peggy Guggenheim is still bound up in misconception and prejudice. Much of the commentary about her recognises her role as the ‘midwife of modern art’, but trivialises this by describing her endlessly as a sex addict.
September 6, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Iconic Bathing Boxes of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Did you know that women are the reason we have those iconic, brilliantly coloured bathing boxes on the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria?
June 15, 2016/by Rosalie Zycher

Outback Australia in the Wet Season

My daughter Genevieve and I drove 4000 kilometres from Port Augusta…
May 8, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Port Arthur, Tasmania

Port Arthur is a place full of contradictions.

At first glimpse,…
April 27, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Tasman Island Cruise, Tasmania

The boat is fast and the seas are often very rough. In the front rows, it’s the thrill of being on a roller coaster. The waves hurl you up and land you with a thump. From the middle rows to the back it is a more sedate ride - depending on the weather. So you get to choose what sort of ride you want, according to where you sit.

But wherever you sit, the views of the south-eastern Tasmanian coastline are spectacular.
April 18, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Maria Island Tasmania

The boat pulled into the clear turquoise waters of a small cove. We were surrounded by rocks aged from 280 million to over 400 million years-old, pressed together in configurations seen nowhere else in the world. And then lunch was served.
March 4, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Ragusa Ibla, Sicily

Ragusa Ibla combines magnificent architecture, celebrity glitter,…
January 7, 2016/by Augustine Zycher

Glide Down the Grand Canal of Venice with WomanGoingPlaces

WomanGoingPlaces invites you to hop on our boat and glide down the Grand Canal of Venice. Click on the video below to join our journey on one of the most glorious waterways in the world.

If you have never been to Venice, our film will show you the magnificent marble palaces that line the canal, the graceful gondolas, the bustling boats - all part of the vibrant flow of life on the water. Even if you have been to Venice, this film will bring its beauty back to you.
August 24, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

In Praise of Solo Travel in Italy for Women

Italy is the perfect place for solo travel for women. But when I told people that I had recently travelled through Italy myself, they looked at me in disbelief and the usual response was — “ Well, that takes balls. I wouldn’t do that.” But why not? Travelling solo is a liberating and exhilarating experience. It fills us with a sense of adventure, opens our minds and relaxes the soul.
August 9, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

Woman In …. Paris

Two girlfriends and I were sitting outside a suburban Melbourne …
June 25, 2015/by Rosalie Zycher

Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia has had very bad press for over 300 years.

She was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning for 34 years until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. But ask the average Russian what he knows about her and he will smirk and say Catherine was debauched and is mostly known for having countless lovers, usually from the ranks of her young army officers.

So why has the NGV decided to mount an exhibition dedicated to her?
June 1, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

ACCA – The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art

ACCA - the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art -  is Australia's…
April 8, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

Wine, Vineyards and Kangaroos

Yabby Lake Vineyard, the Mornington Peninsula. Rows of vines, draped in white netting, spread down the hill and across the valley. The sea shines in the distance. You sit on the deck overlooking the vineyard and enjoy an excellent meal. The wine you are drinking is produced from the vines below you, and it is some of the best wine in Australia. Suddenly six kangaroos come leaping past and hop between the vines down to the lake - Yabby Lake.
March 21, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

Woman In…. Esperance, West Australia

Esperance is a seaside town on the south-eastern coast of West Australia. To get there, my daughter and I set off on a road trip from Perth, and in one day, drove 730 kilometres through the lower belly of West Australia.
February 23, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

Bathing Boxes Brighton Beach Melbourne

WomanGoingPlaces continues to receive such an enthusiastic response…
January 25, 2015/by Augustine Zycher

Nellie Bly – Around the World in 80 Days

It is the 125th Anniversary of the Race Around The World.
Who…
November 14, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Our Woman In….Havana

One of my favourite ways to prepare for travel to a country,…
October 28, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

100 Acres of Rhododendron Glory

 

One of the most glorious ways to spend a day in…
October 20, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Uluru – Icon of Australia

At the end of May 2017, Uluru stood as a silent sentinel over an historic summit of the First Nations of Australia. They had come from across the continent and the Torres Strait Islands, 250 community leaders. At the end of 3 days of deliberation, they issued a powerful and beautifully crafted document, entitled Statement From The Heart.  It rejected symbolic recognition. Speaking from the  “ torment of powerlessness” it demanded a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous voice in government decision-making. It also called for a Makarrata Commission to supervise agreements with government and lead the way to a treaty.

This summit and the charter it produced added another dimension to the political, cultural and spiritual significance of Uluru.
September 28, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Woman In … Lake Balaton, Hungary

Woman travelling with extended family.

With two grown-up…
September 10, 2014/by Rosalie Zycher

Marvellous Buildings of Melbourne

We tend to forget that Melbourne is only 179 years old. Founded…
August 13, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Legendary Stockman of the Australian Outback, Luke McCall

Luke McCall, aged 84, is one of the few surviving stockmen. For over half a century he crossed the vast length and breadth of Australia with thousands of head of cattle and horses. He loved the life and the stock and never saw it as a life of extreme physical hardship, danger and isolation. In this profile she has written for WomanGoingPlaces, Patricia McPherson describes her mate, Luke McCall as " a legendary stockman whose name stands high right across the north of Australia."
July 23, 2014/by Rosalie Zycher

Woman In…Outback Australia: Camooweal, Queensland

Right across the top of Australia, old drovers are rolling their swags because it is time to head to Camooweal for their annual reunion at the Drover’s Camp Festival held every year on the 4th weekend in August. This event commemorates the droving tradition when Camooweal was the centre for the largest cattle drives the world has ever seen.
July 11, 2014/by Rosalie Zycher

Woman In…Patagonia

"Oh, that's impossible, I can't do that!" This is what I…
June 17, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Making Vodka from Chardonnay

It is rare to find a winery and a distillery located in the…
May 30, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Australia’s website for women’s travel, activities and adventure – Why we set up the WomanGoingPlaces Website?

WomanGoingPlaces is Australia's website for every woman from…
May 26, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Why are women terrified of dining solo?

 

Why are women terrified of dining solo?
When Australian…
May 2, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Feed native birds in an Australian rainforest

 



WomanGoingPlaces went for a walk into a 60 million…
April 11, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Go Meet Artisan Cheesemaker and Sheep Farmer Burke Brandon

WomanGoingPlaces drove deep into a forest to film cheese…
March 16, 2014/by Augustine Zycher

Melbourne Now – The National Gallery of Victoria

 



 

Like an Empress Dowager, the National…
December 10, 2013/by Augustine Zycher

Home Alone – Not Necessarily!

 

I've just read an article that again confirmed why…
December 4, 2013/by Rosalie Zycher

Go Yachting in Australia – A Great Activity For Women

 

You've always wanted to go yachting but you don't…
October 28, 2013/by Augustine Zycher
Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo Reef Australia for Women Travelers

How I came to swim with the sharks, giant turtles, stingrays, dugongs and endless schools of dazzlingly coloured fish in Ningaloo.

Everyone knows of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia. Far fewer know of the magnificent corals that form the Ningaloo Reef off the west coast of Australia. This is surprising given that Ningaloo was awarded World Heritage status and recognized as one of the most spectacular and last remaining pristine coral reef systems in the world. It is home to 220 species of coral and 500 species of tropical fish.
September 22, 2013/by Augustine Zycher

Go touring Melbourne Laneways Street Art

Melbourne has a reputation as a city with intriguing laneways.…
September 15, 2013/by Augustine Zycher

Go Mushrooming & Wild Mushroom Bruschetta recipe

Serves 4-6 as an entree or light lunch

 

1 large…
September 1, 2013/by Augustine Zycher