On a cold day in December in 1964 three helicopters belonging to the Royal Dutch Navy set out across the north sea towards a tiny speck in the ocean about ten kilometers west of Noordwijk on the Dutch coast.
Read more…
Remembering Cummeragunja
Studying Australian history often feels more like uncovering some sprawling conspiracy. Buried underneath all the accounts of white explorers, convicts, bushrangers, miners and diggers is a vast bedrock of black history. The more you dig the more connections you find but the full story always seems to remain hidden.
Banner Blindness
In movies about conspiracies there’s always a moment when the main character finds the clue in the stack of evidence and rushes off to tell someone. Read more…
The Battle for Schloss Itter
Tucked away in a forested hillside in Austria’s Tyrolean alps is a château called Itter with a long history and one remarkable footnote. Read more…
Atomkraft? Nein Danke
As a nation with a large reserve of uranium but no nuclear energy industry Australia is periodically subject to op-ed pieces designed to drum up support for a domestic nuclear power industry.
Read more…
South Coast Track
Tasmania’s southern coastline is one of the most wild and remote parts of Australia
The Women of Rojava
Photos by Asmaa Waguih and Joey Lawrence of Kurdish fighters provide a face for a revolution that is quietly taking place behind the front lines of the war with ISIS.
The Hordes of Mt Doom
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing on New Zealand’s north island has a reputation as one of the most dangerous hikes in the country. On a good day it’s a hard slog across 20km of rock and scree taking you up onto the desolate but spectacular plateau that forms the base of Mt Ngauruhoe.
The Devil’s Staircase
Despite the spectacular views on offer around Mt Howitt it’s clear from the map that early European explorers had a rough time surveying the region.
Unfinished Business
Our first day on the bikes took us up the west coast from Negombo to Puttallam. It was a busy stretch of road and we were still a few days away from getting comfortable with the traffic so progress was slow.
Sea Tigers of the LTTE
In a lagoon north of Mullaitivu is a gold-painted ‘victory monument’. It presides over the area where the ‘Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam’ (LTTE) made their last stand against the Sri Lankan army in 2009.
Riding the Whitewash
It’s hard to know when to visit Sri Lanka. December to April is officially the dry season but the weather conditions are somewhat complex with various monsoon seasons affecting different parts of the island at different times.
Conflicting Stories in Sri Lanka
A couple of chance encounters highlighted the dueling narratives of Sri Lankan history and the tensions that still remain following the end of the civil war.
The Art of Amistics
Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag paints images of suburban Sweden in the 1980s transformed by some unexplained technological breakthrough.
Osaka and the Dekasegi
While wandering Osaka looking for the famous Umeda Sky building in Osaka I met my first talkative local.
Tsukiji Fish Market
One out of every five fish caught on planet earth is sold at Tsukiji fish market. Every day more than 2000 tons of fish pass through the market in Tokyo’s Chūō district.
Pasona 02, Tokyo
Right in the center of the biggest city in the world an experiment in agriculture is being conducted.
Tokyo’s Indestructible Skytree
2015 led me back to Tokyo. This time I spent most of my time in the district of Sumida in Tokyo’s Northeast.
Read more…
Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo
The Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo is a run-down testament to the ambition of some of Japan’s most celebrated post-war architects.