Thomas Bywater is a Travel Journalist and Multimedia Producer for New Zealand's Herald, specialising in New Zealand adventure travel and Antarctic tourism
I’m Thomas Bywater, Travel Writer and Digital Producer for the NZ Herald. Traversing ice fields in Patagonia and diving the Great Barrier Reef in an electric submarine - there have been a few life-changing trips since joining the NZ Herald in 2018. I graduated with a degree in English from the University of Aberdeen in 2012, which has taken me to a variety of places including a stint working as a digital editor for The Sunday Times in London. I got into travel writing in a roundabout way. After roles with a radio station in Leipzig, theatre restorations and film productions in Prague and Jaipur - it was clear, I don’t stand still for long. Since 2021, I’ve been based out of Christchurch and a bit closer to New Zealand’s Antarctic Gateway. It’s an adventurous part of the world, which I love, and an endless inspiration for stories. Its influences have fed into my podcast Detour: Antarctica, for which I interviewed the first person born on the continent and explorers who were victims of a prank involving two 500-year-old arrowheads. Adventures for your earbuds, go check it out!
Kiwi trampers wanted for safety survey as incidents stubbornly high
Currently one in 203,703 trails end in disaster.
Sagrada Familia: At last, Barcelona's unfinished cathedral gets completion date
144 years later, Barcelona's work in progress is to be topped off.
Is this New Zealand's most expensive airport coffee?
Trapped in departures, how much are Kiwis being asked to pay for a coffee and pie.
Five bizarre French laws that could trip up Paris tourists
Tourists are unlikely to be naming pigs, but should consider swim togs carefully.
Do Kiwis really have the world's best 'work-life balance'?
Aotearoa works hard and plays hard... But, importantly, not too hard says the study.
Architecture fest goes inside Christchurch Cathedral for last public viewing
Ōtautahi is opening the door on 50 architectural treasures, for two days only.
Airline claims 'no record' of Kiwi couple’s miscarriage in Tahiti airport trauma
A flight cancellation turned into a traumatic ordeal for the expectant couple.
Battle of the Baches: NZ's 10 best holiday homes revealed
There are 12,000 properties on Bookabach - here are this year's top 10.
Fun for all ages: New Zealand holiday activities for the whole crew
Choosing the right activity can quite literally make or break any family holiday.
Are Great Walks still good value? Hut prices rise by almost 20%
On the Milford Track 30 years ago Kiwis paid a $3 maintenance fee - now it's $100 a night.
NZ one of only seven countries to meet WHO air quality standards
New Zealand has some of the world's cleanest air... but not everywhere is 100pc pure.
Air NZ apologises after plus-sized flier kicked off plane
The woman was told it was unsafe to fly without booking an additional seat.
Galapagos to double tourist taxes as visitor pressures grow
Waste and visitor pressure is building up in the fragile marine ecosystem.
'€400 taken in broad daylight': Kiwi falls victim to Paris clipboard scam
In the run up to the Olympic Games Paris' pickpockets are more brazen than ever.
'Could barely walk': Injured mum forced to choose between wheelchair and baby
For 'safety reasons' she could travel with a wheelchair or her eight-month-old, not both.
Can wearing this colour on a flight get you better treatment?
It is a bold claim. Can wearing a particular shade or colour land you an upgrade?
Japan reveals steep day charge to cut 'excessive' Mt Fuji crowds
From July pilgrims and tourists will be charged to climb Japan’s sacred mountain.
Body parts and African idols among Auckland hotel's odd auction listings
The QT Auckland is raising money - and questions - with the sale of the Lamp of Chaos.
Auckland Airport travellers face huge delays at the border
Those unlucky to be affected by cancellations faced the processing delays twice.
Gift shop at the end of the Universe: Antarctica's Penguin Post Office
No hot water, no phone lines and 93,000 stamps to cancel by hand. Applicants welcome.
7/10 seniors spend kids' inheritance on travel, says survey, but it's not going as far as before
'Grey nomads' spend on average five and a half weeks annually on holiday.
Uncompassionate fares: Couple claim $13k Air NZ price gouge after shock diagnosis
A couple have accused the airline of a lack of compassion during their medical emergency.
Castaway for a day? $8K Tongan island escape... food or shelter not provided
The simulated near-death experience of being stranded is surprisingly popular.
Richard Branson’s cruise ship cancels New Zealand season over Red Sea fears
The company will not be returning, citing fears Red Sea shipping routes would deteriorate.
Cholera scare holds 2000-passenger cruise ship at sea
Passengers were put into isolation over fears of the contagious waterborne disease.
Haunting image of underwater whale graveyard wins coveted award
The giants’ graveyard shows the outsized impact of humans on the natural world.
Hungarian low-cost carrier named as worst airline second year in row
Poor performance and unpaid refunds have landed the carrier bottom again.
First women take part in Japan's Naked Man festival in 1000 years
The Hadaka Matsuri has broken with more than a millennia of history.
Anything could happen at Sculpture on the Gulf 2024
You can expect a few surprises around the Matiatia headland.
Regional links priced out of the sky by Auckland Airport fees, say carriers
Airlines at the runway’s regional hub say they have the rough end of the deal.
Family claims Singapore airline seats were sold from underneath them
The family were surprised to discover someone else had been placed in their seats.
Mueller Hut reopens as Mt Cook toilets, carparks fill to the brim
Mt Cook toilets, car parks and facilities are under immense visitor pressure.
Air NZ flight to Rarotonga diverts back to Auckland
A busy Air New Zealand service to Rarotonga has become a flight to nowhere.
Is it cheaper to live in an island resort than to rent in Auckland?
Where are the most affordable islands to live in luxury?
Watch: Air NZ carries on Taylor Swift afterparty with airplane karaoke
If Taylor will not come to New Zealand, then the party will come to Taylor.
Norway to ban Arctic cruise passengers from remote islands
Svalbard visits reduced from 240 to 43 sites, some islands totally out-of-bounds.
Toilet backlog closes NZ’s favourite alpine hut walk for 'foreseeable future'
NZ's most popular hut has been closed to day walkers after a busy summer.
Taylor Swift: Climate Anti-hero?
Travel booms as fans book trips to shows that could have been held in their home country.
Woman refused Aussie cruise holiday, denied refund over pregnancy
She hoped to join the family celebration but was turned away at the gangplank.
Map reveals why Taylor Swift’s biggest fans are airlines
"If Taylor Swift isn’t coming to Chile, Chile will come to Taylor Swift!"
Swifties ticked off: Fans say cancelled Airbnbs re-listed at double the price
620,000 Taylor Swift fans are expected to descend on Australia over the next 10 days.
Air NZ passengers asked to share hotel rooms in Valentine's chaos
'We were told to make friends because we would be sharing.'
Kiwis asked to pay Bali’s new tourist tax from today
New Zealanders are among the international visitors being asked to pay a new tourist tax.
Inside Paris’ $300m destination proposal business
Around 36,000 tourists visit Paris every year, hoping to hear one word... 'YES'.
Kiwi cities where hotel rooms are cheaper than Airbnbs
Airbnb may no longer be the budget option for travellers in New Zealand.
Antarctic legs of cruises iced out, leaving passengers fuming
Operational issues have led to an early end to NCL's Antarctic cruise season.
Wagyu hot dogs and Taylor Swift: Inside Super Bowl's US$2.5m VIP suite
Football is a side serving in the world cup of sports catering.
Everest climbers will have to take their poo home this year
'Our mountains have begun to stink.'
Should you visit Antarctica? Polar tourism's 'sciencewashing' problem
Can 'citizen science' really justify your bucket-list holiday to the Antarctic?
Taylor Swift quietly sells one of her two private jets
Is the downsize aimed at reducing emissions or increasing privacy?
Why Sri Lanka is at war with its beloved elephants
470 elephants and 176 people died last year in Sri Lanka's undeclared conservation war.
Flying start: The ultimate guide to flying with a baby in NZ
Here’s what I wish I knew before taking our tamaiti to departures.
Four cruises fall foul of biofoul but MPI sees improvement this summer
Pacific Adventure was one of four ships affected by ‘biofouling’ this summer.
Kiwi traveller allegedly removed from flight for not wearing bra
The passenger says she was unfairly singled out over her choice to wear men's clothes.
Aussie weatherman rumbled: Man fired for abusing WFH policy to take US holiday
Employees urged to understand what WFH really means before booking flights.
Cruise company granted B Corp status for polar tours
Can you visit the most fragile parts of the planet and still have a positive impact?
Air NZ passenger charged $1500 to take luggage on replacement flight
The passenger was travelling with her partner to London via LAX to set up home in the UK.
Love is in the air: Woman asks web to rekindle airline romance with mystery Kiwi
Were you the “handsome Kiwi man” flying from Shanghai to London?
‘Whale poo’ discovery could make Whangaruru local $20,000 richer
A chance beach discovery by a Northland local was nothing to sniff at.
World’s biggest cruise sets sail. Are growing ships a growing climate concern?
The Icon is the latest evolution in a trend for larger, flashier cruise ships.
Black, white and all over the runway: Penguin delays flights at Wellington Airport
Flightlessness didn’t stop a penguin from storming the runway at Wellington.
Should you visit Afghanistan? Tour company inviting Kiwis back to Bamyan
Now is the time to return to Afghanistan, says tour company started by Afghan expats.
400 million years later, Hindu cave temple seeks escalator upgrade
The 272 brightly coloured steps form a stairway to heaven for pilgrims and instagrammers.
French tourist’s 7.46 carat find sparks US diamond rush
The 'Carine Diamond' is one of 11 found so far in 2024 at the American national park.
Kiwi tourism icon hardest to locate on the list of world attractions
Visited by 800,000 tourists a year. Imagine how more might turn up if they could find it?
Pass the hat: World Buskers Festival acts on the etiquette of tipping street performers
The world's best street performers are in Christchurch for the next 10 days.
I took my 3 month old to a Youth Hostel. Can basic be baby-friendly?
Hostels are about hosting young travellers on a budget. 12 weeks might be pushing it.
Captain Sully says flying still ‘ultra safe’ despite Boeing 737 woes
'We’re past the time when we could define safety solely as the absence of accidents.'
Penguin chick returns to Starship Hospital with stories of Antarctica
A group of young Kiwis have returned from an Antarctic mission with a story of survival.
Around the world in 180 plates: Every country’s must-try food revealed
Do you know your fufu from your kimchi?
Stop right there! Las Vegas bans common pedestrian habit
Las Vegas will not tolerate lollygagging.
Colombia tourists urged not to use dating apps. Embassy links deaths to online liaisons
The embassy connected eight deaths to criminals using of dating apps to target tourists.
Is it safe to travel to Iceland? Volcano closes tourist attractions
A second eruption has swallowed houses in South Iceland and shut tourist attractions.
NZ luxury stay among gifts inside $500k Golden Globe goodie bags
With goodie bags like this everyone’s a winner, really.
The call that saved 379 lives on burning Japanese Airlines plane
It was a flight attendant who had to inform pilots of the cabin fire.
Flockhill: The world’s most glamorous sheep station?
A remote luxury lodge for when money is no object.