A very pleasant and short drive from the beautiful and ancient town of Winchester in Hampshire, lies Brockenhurst, the largest of the New Forest villages. It is a place of immense charm; surrounded by forest, where ponies walk in the middle of its roads, where the driver passes through a ford and where a famous citizen once caught snakes and was reputed to be immune to their venom.
The name Brockenhurst is traditionally said to mean ‘badger wood’. However it is more likely that the name means ‘broken wooded hill’ - broken in the sense of divided by the valleys and streams of the New Forest. The village is ancient. It was first recorded in the Domesday Book. In the twelfth century the Manor was held by Peter Spilman. In return, he had to provide litter for the King’s bed and hay for his horse - when the King would visit on his frequent hunting trips to the Forest. The New Forest was cultivated as a Royal hunting ground since Norman times.
Many minor roads in the New Forest pass through a ford - most being dry for most of the year. The most famous of the fords is in Brockenhurst ‘watersplash’ at the western end of the main street, called Brookley Road. At the other end of Brookley Road, near the main-line station, you will find the New Forest Cycle Experience - a great way to explore the Forest. The village has two car parks. It is highly recommended that you park up and explore the village by foot or bicycle. At one of the car parks stands a brick plinth. Attached to it is a ‘wheel plate’, a great disc of cast iron which was used until 1915 by the local forge when fixing metal rims to wooden wagon wheels.
Heading south out of Brockenhurst you will find St Nicholas’s Church. It is the oldest church in the Forest and is adorned by a beautiful Norman doorway. In the church yard you can wander about the many ancient headstones. If you do so, you’ll come across a very surprising and yet poignant war cemetery for New Zealand soldiers. The neat rows of tombstones commemorate over one hundred soldiers who died in the nearby field hospital during World War I.
Also, to be found in the graveyard is the tomb of Harry Mills, better known as ‘Brusher’ Mills. His nickname came from his occupation of brushing Brockenhurst cricket pitch before a match to remove twigs and leaves and, no doubt, the droppings of the ponies and cattle who wandered about the roads. But his main claim to fame was that he made his living from catching snakes in the Forest. Apparently, it was said he was immune from the venom of the Adder - Britain’s only poisonous snake. He prepared a primitive anti-snakebite serum from the snakes themselves, sending any spare specimens to London Zoo as food for secretary birds and other creatures that enjoyed dining on snakes. He also made a small income from ‘rescuing’ visitors from snakes that suddenly appeared amongst them. Whether visitors paid him in thanks for their rescue or for being entertained, we can only imagine.
If you want to wander beyond the village into the New Forest, you should head towards Roydon Woods Nature Reserve. You can reach the Wood about half a mile outside the village on the Brochenhurst-Lymington road (A337). The area is an ancient woodland rich in wildlife with some areas of both dry and wet heathland. You should always keep to the clearly marked paths. You can get an information leaflet from Hampshire Wildlife Trust (023 80613636).
If you are staying in Winchester or anywhere else in Hampshire you should consider taking at least one day out to explore the New Forest. It is a unique place in England. Its woodland and heathland has been cultivated for well over a millennia. It is a haven for Britain’s rarest wildlife as well as some of its most picturesque villages.
Robin O’Brien lives and works in Winchester and is founder of Winchester Tourist Information where you can find more information on the city such as, places to visit, walks, restaurants, photographs and hotels in Winchester
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Atlanta has a cold climate, and with many thunderstorms during summer, spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit it. You can get in Atlanta by plane, train, bus or car. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the biggest in the city you can get from here to downtown by train, Marta terminal is near the airport. It is cheaper to go by train than with a cab. Atlanta has a good network of transportation means, you can go from neighborhood to neighborhood with buses, trains, taxis or you can rent a car.
In Atlanta, you have to visit the CNN center. Besides seeing the studios, the CNN center has a mall and restaurants where you can eat while watching on huge screens what is going on around the world. Most definitely, you have to go to Georgia Aquarium the biggest aquarium in the world; it will be a wonderful experience.
The King Center and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is a historical center that includes Dr King’s home a museum and Ebenezer Baptist Church. This center is situated downtown and it is worth your time. If you pass through Intown Atlanta and Midtown Atlanta, you should stopover to see the Atlanta Botanic Gardens, Shakespeare Tavern, Cyclorama, and Margaret Mitchell House or the Atlanta History Center.
If you decide to go shopping, go to Discover Mills mall because here are some of the greatest discounts or you can go to Mall of Georgia the biggest mall in the city.Little Five Points is a bohemian area where you can find some very nice restaurants, Virginia-Highland and Buckhead districts are filled with bar pubs and restaurants so it would be easier for you to find a good place to eat here. There are many hotels in Atlanta but you should also check the metro region because you can find accommodations cheaper here.
Travel Guide | New York
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Originally founded in 1876 as a service port for the North Queensland goldfields, Cairns is today the international gateway to North Queensland. With a population of 100,000, the Cairns region offers a healthy, relaxed lifestyle with the local economy based on tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, mining and fishing industries. The Cairns International Airport provides a first point of entry for both Australian and International travellers.
Cairns is surrounded to the north, west and south by magnificent rainforests, many of which are protected by World Heritage listings. To the east is Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. The wealth of natural beauty in the Cairns region provides the perfect setting for a huge range of activities including swimming, snorkelling, diving, sailing, jet-skiing, white water rafting, bushwalking, fishing, hot air ballooning or simply enjoying the fantastic scenery on a drive out of town to Mossman Gorge, Port Douglas, Kuranda or the Nandroya Falls.
The Esplanade in the centre of Cairns, is where restaurants, cafes, markets, nightclubs, pubs and shopping arcades are located, and is also the departure point for most reef tours and island cruises. Accommodation is plentiful in Cairns, with the Esplanade and surrounding areas offering quality accommodation ranging from luxury apartments and five star hotels to caravan parks and camping areas.
Set in a lush tropical environment, the water-based activities available in Cairns are endless. Whether sailing the beautiful waters of the Great Barrier Reef and the islands, canoeing or jet-skiing on the bays and lakes, taking a casual cruise or a dynamic jet boat ride, there are adventure tours available for every taste. If fishing is your passion, Cairns is a brilliant destination at any time of the year. Offering excellent angling opportunities for all areas of fishing. Cairns is famous for its Black Marlin fishing and hosts fishing tournaments September to December. Barramundi and Mangrove Jack abound at Trinity Inlet, while freshwater fishing is available further inland on the Atherton Tablelands at Tinaroo Dam. Further afield, the Gulf Savannah and Cape York offer anglers an almost limitless variety of spectacular locations in which to enjoy the fishing experience of a lifetime.
The Rainforests of the Cairns region are another major attraction that simply should not be missed. Home to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and national parks, the rainforests are magical environments containing 200 year old palms where everything seems larger, more colourful and healthier including trees, leaves and seed pods. The rainforests were World heritage listed in 1988 and cover almost one million hectares of lush tropical vegetation. The tropical wet season from January to March is a special time of regeneration and restoration in the rainforest. The rainforests have excellent bushwalking and 4WD tracks, and 4WD Nature Safaris are available. As most rainforest animals are nocturnal, a night excursion can provide the opportunity to view a rich variety of animal life including green tree frogs, pythons, tree climbing kangaroos, geckos and rare possums.
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the Cairns coast to the east in the Coral Sea, and consists of 344,000 square kilometres of warm, clear waters in which an amazing array of sea life abounds, from sea slugs to migrating whales to coral. The many wonders of the Great Barrier Reef can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, including snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, or a plane or helicopter flight.
The Great Barrier Reef includes many magnificent locations for day tours and longer expeditions, including the Hinchinbrook Channel, Mission Beach, Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown, and Green and Fitzroy Islands. Green Island is a tropical island paradise perfect for a day trip from Cairns where you can enjoy activities such as windsurfing, rainforest walks and snorkelling. The best reefs for snorkelling and diving are Arlington, Elford, Agincourt, Oyster, Michaelmas and Upolu Reefs.
Miguel Scaccialupo writes regularly on Australian Outback Tour topics including Ayers Rock Tour itineraries and Alice Springs Accommodation options.
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