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The Nude Olympics. And not in Athens, but at the beautiful Masiln Beach, just a 30 minute drive south of Adelaide. I have seen many things travelling, but sometimes the quirkiest things are in your own backyard. For some, sadly, the event hasn’t been held for the last three years due to a lack of volunteers to stage it – time for intrepid travellers to help out! ***Please note there is some nudity, but it’s pretty tasteful.***

I’ve carefully phrased the above subject as I don’t want to pretend that I’m a) not a tourist, and b) not annoying. I am keen though to know what really gets your blood boiling when you’re on the road travelling.

(Image of tourist blatantly ignoring ‘No Photography’ signs at Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, 18 October 2009. Jamie McDonald Photography)

One of the last jobs I completed in Australia before I moved overseas was the Tour Down Under cycling race in Adelaide. The race is starting again with a criterium in Adelaide on Sunday and I’ll be tuning into my TV in London to see what happens.

My tip for this years race is 2008 champ German Andre Greipel for the overall honours, with RadioShack working hard for Lance to win a stage. I’ve released a gallery of images from the 2009 race for you to have a look at.

2009 has gone and with it goes my greatest year of travel; so many people have asked for highlights, so here is my top 5 in no particular order!
I had the enviable task of spending six months of 2009 on the road – taking in 14 countries – and I’m going to try and narrow it down to the top five spots that I visited. Plenty of people that I’ve spoken with think that such lists are daft, that there is little point in designating an obscure spot that is …