Tag: travel

Travel Talk Made Easy: Mango Languages

XinxinLeave a comment
Mango Languages - Language is an Adventure!

Get ready for your next trip with Mango Languages! Learn French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese and many more languages on Mango Languages for free with your library card! (Select ‘Use Mango As A Guest’ for immediate start)

From transport, tourism, greetings and culture; to food, festivals, medication and shopping — there’s lots of topical help available. Useful phrases can be digested word-to-word; pronunciation by real people is clear and authentic; scenarios are cut into useful chunks; and key vocabularies are easy to find.

Learning French on Mango Languages

From ordering in a French café, to planning a trip to the Paris Olympics, or the Louvre Museum…  head to Mango Languages to learn essential phrases for your trip to France. Learn greetings, sports phrases, navigating the airport, asking for help, and much more.  There is also a special section about French wine and cheese for food and culture… Yum!

Continue reading “Travel Talk Made Easy: Mango Languages” →

Flying solo: New travel books

AmyLeave a comment

Traveling is an incredible experience, being able to see other parts of the world and to learn about different cultures. While it’s great to travel with loved ones, there are benefits to travelling alone as well. You can have complete control over the itinerary, meet new people and it can really help build your confidence. It can sound intimidating at first, but it can be a positive experience that will create many memories. Check out these new travel books for inspiration:

Solo travel / Mylne, Lee | ebook available
“A friendly resource to help you prepare for exciting domestic or international travel — on your own. Solo Travel For Dummies teaches you how to plan the solo trip of a lifetime with must-know info, insider tricks, safety essentials, and more. Get expert tips on safety, budgeting, and so much more! Solo Travel For Dummies is for anyone who needs a trusted, comprehensive source of information as they prepare to travel independently.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Amazing train journeys
“Discover 60 of the world’s greatest and most memorable train journeys, from classic long-distance trips, such as Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and Darwin to Adelaide’s The Ghan, to little-known gems on regular commuting lines. Each profile features a detailed description of the whole experience, with practical information such as ticket recommendations, key stops and the best time to travel. Inspiring photographs and an illustrated route map bring every train journey to life.” (Catalogue)

The man who loved Siberia / Jacobsen, Roy
“Siberia, to me, is a fairy-tale land. Fritz Dorries set out on his first trip to Eastern Siberia in 1877, when there were still blank spaces on maps of the world. Through his twenty-two years in Siberia, Dorries collected a wealth of essential material for scientific institutions, fundamental to our understanding of fauna and flora. This account of his adventures, set down for his daughters in his ninetieth year, and adapted for publication by Roy Jacobsen and Anneliese Pitz, is his second great legacy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Mexico
“Fully-illustrated, The Passenger collects the best new writing, photography, art and reportage from around the world. Mexico: once synonymous with escape and freedom, better known nowadays for widespread violence, narcotraffic, and migration. The ocean, the beaches, the ancient ruins, the tequila: under the patina of mass tourism there’s a complex, neurotic country trying to carve out a place for itself in the shadow of its hulky neighbor.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Epic : adventures across Aotearoa / Salisbury, Ray
“Over the years, countless sea kayakers, climbers and alpine trampers have attempted journeys across New Zealand’s incredible landscape. In Epic, the stories of a dozen memorable Kiwi explorers are brought together, with detailed maps, backstories and stunning images. From the first traverse of the Southern Alps, to the nineteen-year-old who travelled 8000km of coastline, Epic is a testament to endurance, and a reminder to get out there and experience the wild, stunning places of our planet.” (Catalogue)

Wavewalker : breaking free / Heywood, Suzanne | ebook available of Wavewalker
“Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade. Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Best beaches : 100 of the world’s most incredible beaches
“Discover the world’s most extraordinary shorelines inside this dazzling display of diverse beaches. Featuring transporting photography, tips for how to reach each beach, and reasons why Lonely Planet selected these as the 100 best, this is the ultimate collection of the sand, stone and sea the world has to offer. Whether you’re looking to be inspired for your next trip or simply desire some beach-chair travel, experience the world’s best beaches in this book.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Edgeland : a slow walk west / Swire, Sasha
“In Edgeland, the political diarist Sasha Swire escapes the confines of Westminster to walk the northern stretch of the South West Coast Path. She discovers that the path is not only a walk-through Britain’s windswept and wave-battered western fringes but a tale about how we and nature have, through extraordinary resilience and relentless spirit, learnt to tame the various forces that are stacked against us. That we live at the edge of the possible.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Deepen Your World View: New Travel Books

AmyLeave a comment

Up to the peaks of mountains and down under the ocean, following locals and adventurers alike, these new travel books will take you to all the corners of the world! You can discover some interesting hotels in Unusual Hotels or be inspired by adventurous women in Adventuress. Check out what you can discover in our new travel books:

Unusual hotels : world
“Discover the finest unusual hotels from around the world in this exceptional photographic guide. How about spending the night in a see-through capsule stuck on the edge of a cliff, in a secret contemporary work of art, in an old church, or in a house sitting atop a water tower? Would you like to treat yourself to a night in an igloo, in a circus, in a futuristic tree house, in an underwater bedroom or at an open-air suite? Sometimes, hotels can be destinations in their own right.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Adventuress : women exploring the wild / Amell, Carolina
“In turn inspirational and extraordinary, these profiles in female courage, determination, and adventure are illustrated with breathtaking photography from some of the most intriguing corners of the world. From the ocean’s deepest canyons to the earth’s highest peaks, these extraordinary women offer readers the inspiration and encouragement they need to pursue their dreams-whatever they are, wherever they may be.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Windswept : life, nature and deep time in the Scottish Highlands / Worsley, Annie
“Annie Worsley traded a busy life in academia to take on a small-holding or croft on the west coast of Scotland. Windswept explores what it means to live in this awe-inspiring place of unquenchable spirit and wild weather. Windswept evokes a place where nature reigns supreme and humans must learn to adapt. It is her paean to a beloved place, one richer with colour, sound and life than perhaps anywhere else in the UK.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Continue reading “Deepen Your World View: New Travel Books” →

Katherine Mansfield centenary: Author talk with Redmer Yska

Tess

**Update:** Unfortunately our organised NZSL interpreter is no longer able to be at this event.

We apologise to anyone in our Deaf community who had been planning to attend — we will be recording and uploading this event to our YouTube channel, and providing subtitles for anyone who wishes to watch at a later date.

Join us for a special event on iconic writer Katherine Mansfield at Karori Library on Thursday November 30th, 6-7pm. (Facebook event)

Redmer Yska, author of ‘Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station’ will be joined by our Local & NZ History Specialist Gábor Tóth to deep dive into Mansfield’s words, travels and her local Karori connection. Hear how Yska traced and pulled together letters, journals and research to compile this fascinating insight into Mansfield that acts as part travelogue, part literary biography, part detective story and part ghost story.

Redmer Yska is an award-winning writer and historian based in Wellington. ‘Katherine Mansfield’s Europe: Station to Station’ is Yska’s second book on the iconic writer, his first book on Mansfield ‘A Strange Beautiful Excitement: Katherine Mansfield’s Wellington’ was shortlisted for the 2018 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

Gábor Tóth is the Local & New Zealand History Specialist at Wellington City Libraries. He conducts research for both library customers and council staff as well as developing history resources such as the library’s heritage platform, Wellington City Recollect.

We anticipate this event will be very popular and will be seated on a first-come first-served basis, please arrive early to avoid any disappointment.

Planning a Holiday? Books for your future adventures

Xinxin

When you are on an overseas trip, is it easy to order food other than McDonalds? Would you like to know what to say in response to friendly local’s greeting? Here are some resources on language, culture and food, perfect to read while you plan your next flight to escape the winter and wind.

  • Mango Languages is the free resources for learning key phrases to survive your next trip at many popular travel destinations such as Indonesia, France, Japan, and more.

Lonely Planet Fijian phrasebook & dictionary
“Dazzling sands, perfect palm trees and waters so blue they glow – Fiji’s beaches look airbrushed. While most Fiji locals can speak English, it’s not their mother tongue. Never be stuck for words with our extensive two-way dictionary; order the right meal with our menu decoder; refreshed look and improved navigation. Get more from your trip with easy-to-find phrases for every travel situation. Use our carefully selected words and phrases to get around with ease.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

Japanese
“Rough Guide Japanese Phrasebook: a convenient, contemporary travel companion from Rough Guides’ trusted language experts. Compact, clear, and packed with key words and phrases to help conversation, this pocket-sized Japanese phrasebook is a trusty travel companion, and all you need to make yourself understood when you’re visiting Japan. With its emphasis on conversational usage, and pop language – this is the only phrase book you’ll need when exploring Japan.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

South Pacific phrasebook / Te ‘Atamira
“Your passport to the most relevant South Pacific phrases and vocabulary for all your travel needs. Chat over dinner with a local family in Fiji, understand the hula in Hawaii, and join a traditional umukai feast in Rarotonga. With language tools in your back pocket, you can truly get to the heart of wherever you go. Languages: Fijian, Hawaiian, Kanak languages, Maori, Niuean, Rapanui, Rarotongan Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, Fijian Hindi, Pacific French and Spanish”. (Adapted from Amazon.com)

Flavours of South Australia : favourite restaurants, wineries and producers with their signature recipes
“You’ve never seen South Australia like this before. From farm gates to cellar doors and hidden bars to extraordinary restaurants, prepare to immerse yourself in the best of South Australia’s culinary scene. Within these pages you can journey from the remarkable restaurants in Adelaide to the world-renowned wineries and producers of the Barossa.” (Catalogue)

Tokyo : a pocket guide to the city’s best cultural hangouts, shops, bars and eateries / Wide, Steve
“Tokyo is a city of contemporary metropolis where there are bright lights and neon, bars under railway bridges, Michelin ramen and sushi, tech, toys, coffee and vintage shopping. The crazy, the cute, the chic and the traditional are all flourishing in this city. All you need to know to shop, eat, drink and explore. Also nearby places like Nikko, Hakone, Mount Takao, and the cute ‘Eno-den’ train from Kamakura to Enoshima and Fujisawa.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Korean BBQ & Japanese grills / Cramby, Jonas
“In Korean BBQ & Japanese Grills Jonas Cramby explores recipes of Korean and Japanese barbecue and culture. He shares his favourite recipes such as yakitori, yakiniku and izakaya-style classics and Korean BBQ. He also outlines how to perfectly ferment kimchi, how to grill indoors without choking and how to chill a refreshing lager without it turning to ice.  Simple salt and fire with the right practice and the right technique can turn into something sublime ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Thai in 7 : delicious Thai recipes in 7 ingredients or fewer / Holmes, Sebby
“Thai recipes often has too many ingredients, so it becomes a cuisine we treat ourselves at a restaurant rather than cook at home. Author shows how to make deliciously fragrant and fiery Thai dishes with ingredients from supermarkets. From Drunken Noodles with Tiger Prawns and Sweet Basil to Yellow Curry with Mushrooms and Crispy Tofu with Soy & Sesame Glaze. Also pickles and desserts to make your taste buds tingle.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

 

 

Explore like a local: Recent travel books

Alayne

Are you planning on travelling to far off places 2023, or exploring closer to home? Either way, our recent travel books are sure to inspire you: with curated lists of unusual attractions, amazing islands, local travel tips and more!

You can reserve any of these items online for pick up from any of our branches, for free. Happy travelling!

Bring me! : the travel-lover’s guide to the world’s most unlikely destinations, remarkable experiences, and spectacular sights / Khong, Louise
“Now for the first time, BuzzFeed brings together all their tips, tricks, advice, and knowledge on hundreds of unlikely destinations and unique experiences in this officially licensed travel guide meets bucket list, where travelers are encouraged to seek out new adventures or simply daydream right from their couch. Get ready to see, taste, and explore hundreds of interesting places around the world, from weird museums and underwater adventures, to food festivals and extraordinary art. BuzzFeed’s Bring Me! offers thrill chasers the chance to see the world around them in exciting new ways”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The writer’s journey : in the footsteps of the literary greats / Elborough, Travis
“Follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas. Some truly remarkable works of literature have been inspired by writers spending time away from their typical surroundings. From epic road trips and arduous treks into remote territories to cultural tours and sojourns in the finest hotels, this book explores 35 influential journeys taken by literary greats and reveals the repercussions of those travels on the authors’ personal lives and the broader literary landscape.” (Catalogue)

The islands book : a journey to the world’s most amazing islands / Atkinson, Brett
“Islands have long been a source of fascination for travellers and theres an endless variety to explore: from storm-battered Faroes to the sort of tropical islands where long-gone pirates may have buried their treasure hauls. Following a similar format to Lonely Planets iconic pictorial The Travel Book, The Islands Book presents 150 of the world’s most unique and enchanting islands.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Barcelona like a local : by the people who call it home
“This insider’s guide is packed with recommendations from Barcelonans in the know, helping you to discover all their favourite hangouts and hidden haunts. Of course, with a city as enchanting as Barcelona we could fill the pages of this book tenfold. Rather, Barcelona Like a Local offers a snapshot of local life, and it’s yours for the taking. Whether you’re a Barcelonan looking to uncover your city’s secrets or a traveller seeking an authentic experience beyond the tourist track, this stylish guide helps you to experience the real side of Barcelona.” (Catalogue)

My family and other enemies : life and travels in Croatia’s hinterland / Novakovich, Mary
“My Family and Other Enemies is part travelogue, part memoir that dives into the hinterland of Croatia. Mary Novakovich explores her ongoing relationship with the region of Lika in central Croatia, where her parents were born.. ‘Lika is little known to most travellers – apart from Plitvice Lakes National Park and the birthplace of Nikola Tesla’ she says. ‘It’s a region of wild beauty that has been battered by centuries of conflict.” – Goodreads.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

New Zealand / Atkinson, Brett
“Lonely Planet’s Experience New Zealand is your guide to unforgettable experiences and local surprises. Discover the Dark Sky sanctuary of Great Barrier Island, explore laneways of Wellington, and tour the Paradise region – all guided by local experts with fresh perspectives. Uncover New Zealand’s best experiences and get away from the everyday!” (Catalogue)\

 

Explore Australia 2023 : Australia’s Essential Travel Guide
“Explore Australia 2023 is the latest edition of the country’s longest-running and most trusted travel guide. Now in its 39th edition, this guidebook has been completely revised and updated to reflect the way we travel across the continent, making it more user-friendly than ever!”–Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Blue Mountains best bushwalks / Stuart, Veechi
“The thoroughly revised fourth edition of the bestselling Blue Mountains Best Bushwalks is the perfect companion for the bushwalking fan. The book features: 67 different walks, varying in length from 30 minutes to two days, accurate, full colour maps and step by step directions, detailed walk statistics including distance, total ascent/descent, grade and estimated time, detailed information on Blue Mountains history and natural environment, walking ideas for families with children, including safety tips, and over 200 full colour photographs.” (Adapted from Catalogue)