‘Six Minutes Somewhere Else’ travel podcast
Six Minutes Somewhere Else is the travel podcast that helps you temporarily forget the fears and frictions of the world and immerse yourself in the beauty, wonder and hope of nature in locations near and far.
For just six minutes you can be transported to somewhere calmer, quieter and more natural – a brief escape to help soothe the soul.
Episode summary: I had a thrilling encounter in the Scottish Highlands with a remarkable red squirrel. It’s not just its beauty and playful behaviour that are so amazing – this animal also has a miraculous story to tell. Populations in the UK have declined by as much as…
Episode summary: I spent several hours relaxing on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River near the mighty Taj Mahal in northern India. The Taj Mahal is an incredible building and a worthy UNESCO World Heritage Site but its gardens and the river that glides past it are,…
Episode summary: I just revisited my favourite island in the archipelago just offshore from Finland’s capital, Helsinki. On each trip to this wonderful country I try to explore new islands but I keep getting lured back by one in particular: Pihlajasaari. This is one of my happy places.…
Episode summary: I spent a day of marine mindfulness cruising across the calm Caribbean waters in the Lesser Antilles, en route to the Tobago Cays. I also channelled one of the Pirates of The Caribbean films and a classic 80s pop music video, then snorkelled with turtles. All…
Episode summary: I drove a truly breathtaking road in far north Norway, more than 300km above the Arctic Circle. It is probably the most thrilling road I have ever driven and had me gasping in wonder and staring open-mouthed and speechless. The road hugged the coastline, cruised around…
Episode summary: I spent an hour with a troop of kangaroos in a nature reserve in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. The city is nicknamed the Bush Capital, because walking or cycling just a few minutes from the city centre brings you into nature. Most of the kangaroos were…
Episode summary: This is the first of a new, occasional City Nature Walks series, highlighting the wonder of nature in urban environments. I walked through beautiful Westerpark in north Amsterdam on an unseasonably cold early summer day. The land is made up of lush, half-flooded meadow, narrow canals…
Episode summary: I joined an old friend to take a walking safari in a lesser-known corner of Bali, far away from the mopeds, the gridlock and the grind. We strolled through a forest in the West Bali National Park in the island’s far north-west, exploring its mangroves and…
Episode summary: I walked the Munjip Trail on the south coast of New South Wales in Australia. The 15km (9-mile) coastal path winds through woods and along beaches with spectacular views over the South Pacific. It’s a place where the spirits of ancestors gather, so it’s culturally as…
Episode summary: I spent a magical evening on a sand dune at Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, listening to a very tuneful gecko singing at sunset to attract a mate. The park – in Namibia in southwest Africa – occupies almost 50,000 sq km (more than 19,000…
Episode summary: I sat on the edge of a mighty crater which houses the deepest lake in the United States. It was a truly magical experience to witness this natural phenomenon in south Oregon, watching a September sunset silhouette the spooky Phantom Ship and turn the water to…
Episode summary: I went back to my hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon to search for midsummer spirits in an enchanted English woodland. If you are wondering ‘why is Stratford-Upon-Avon so famous’, ‘what was Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream play inspired by’ and ‘what are some good hikes on the Welcombe…
Episode summary: I braved thick fog and damp reindeer to reach the very top of Europe. I shunned the tourist traps of Nordkapp and instead walked the Knivskjelodden hiking trail, which ends 1km north of Nordkapp. If you are wondering ‘what are some interesting facts about Nordkapp’, ‘is…
Episode summary: I arrived at a small temple tucked under an overhanging cliff in Japan, having gone there on the advice of a complete stranger. That advice turned out to be gold, as I came face to face with a statue of the Buddha more than 1,200 years…
Episode summary: I wandered inland from tranquil Te Ngaere bay on the North Island of New Zealand (Aotearoa) and discovered a secret wood. It was populated by giant tree ferns and guarded by the spirits of the land and lively local birds called pee-waka-wakas. The wood was deeply…
Episode summary: I re-visited an old friend, a large ‘spirit’ horse carved out of the chalk downlands of southern England. It is unlike any other chalk figure ever created. It is beautifully animated, galloping free across the landscape. It is also ancient, dating from more than 2,500 years…
Episode summary: The Vallée d’Ossau is full of summer radiance on the day I come to stay. I and several hundred other people and their huge motorhomes, for the famous Tour de France bicycle race is passing through the valley. After the mass of riders and their entourages…
Episode summary: The Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland make up one of the world’s most important seabird sanctuaries, with thousands of birds flocking here every spring to breed and to nurture their young. I visited in July when the airspace around the cliffs was as…
Episode summary: I am in one of my favourite parts of the world: the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. I’m in St Vincent and the Grenadines sharing my breakfast with my new friend, a very colourful Bananaquit bird. It’s one of the prettiest birds I have seen and…
Episode summary: I am cruising through possibly the most amazing and iconic scenery in South East Asia – the famous karst islands in Phang Nga Bay between Krabi and Phuket. I was supposed to be on a car ferry further out to sea but instead took a small…