Hello Digi-Pal! I’m chuffed that you’re here!
I’m Jo and I live in Western Australia.
I write The Zigazag Mag to inspire you to visit and get out and about in Western Australia. I hope you’ll find helpful tips, answers to your questions, feel good stories and inspiration. So if you want to live, work or play in WA you’ve come to the right place for information. And if you’d like to enjoy a slice of Aussie life from the comfort of your armchair, that’s also ok – I hope you’ll find lots to entertain you.
And there’s more
In The Zigazag Mag you’ll also find blogging and writing tips. Generally I post these on a Friday to answer the many questions I get asked by people who want to start blogs or make their blogs better. The tips are also for writers who want to break into the world of freelancing.
World Travel Tales – We all like to get away from time to time, don’t we. As well as writing about WA, I champion voyages of discovery to dream places and quiet spaces, helping you to “Live for the moment, Love adventure and Do something awesome.”
I live in south west Australia, which I love to explore and share. These days, as an ‘empty nester’, I’m trying out new things. If you’ve also waved your children goodbye from the family nest, now’s the time to embrace a new journey, travel to new places, re-discover the region you live in, spruce up your style, and perhaps get involved with new pursuits. What are you doing? I love hearing about people, places and adventures.
Zigazag is all about Travel & Lifestyle.
Anyway, I’m a freelance writer and I also give writing and blogging workshops. When I first arrived to live in Australia I found it hard to make contacts now that my children have grown up, so I started Zigazag … and suddenly a whole new world opened up.
Zigazag aims to entertain and inform. It’s all about, “Making connections and sharing conversations” whether that’s about WA, world travel, blogging, healthy living or ‘that’s life’ topics.
I wonder who you are so please don’t be shy. Please comment in the reply boxes at the end of posts. Why not sign up for the Newsletter too- it’s free – and you’ll receive a free eBook and qualify to enter competitions for prizes or giveaways.
Subscribe to newsletter
So why not grab a cuppa, hop on, enjoy the ride, and definitely join in the conversation?
C’mon! Live it – Love it – Do it! You’re worth it!
The nitty gritty
Johanna Castro is not related to Fidel. Honest. She’s a freelance writer who writes magazine and newspaper features, blogs, newsletters and marketing collateral for businesses. She loves helping others, and facilitates ‘Writing for Publication’ and ‘How to Blog’ Workshops for writers and bloggers wanting to get started.
After a life on the move with her geologist husband (11 countries later and counting) Johanna has come to rest with her family near a beach in south western Australia. Her gypsy heart is currently content, but maybe not yet tamed.
Contact Jo via the form on the Contact Page
Blogs
Personal Web Page:http://www.jocastro.com
Social Media
Facebook Page: The Zigazag Mag
Facebook Group: We Love Western Australia
Twitter: @johannaAcastro
LinkedIn: Johanna Castro
Published writing includes …
Shark Bay – The West Australian – travel
South West Wildflowers – The West Australian – travel
Your Business Magazine – an interview with MXit CEO Herman Heunis
Country Life Magazine – profile
South West Times – best selling author profile
The Lady Magazine – travel
Further Pdf’s of published work can be supplied on request. My work has been featured (sometimes regularly) in 40+ other publications that include:- Fodor’s Australia Travel Guide, South West Catchments Council environmental Case Studies, The West Australian, The South West Times, A Place in the Sun, Living Abroad, Woman & Home, On the Home Front, Riding Magazine, Your Business, Femina, Living & Loving, People Dynamics, The Lady, Writer’s News, Devon Life, Good Housekeeping, Shoreline, Essentials, The Islander, Traveller, Country Life, Pace, Sethala, The Motorist, Travel World, Scope, Bona, Botswana Airways in-flight magazine, Thandi, Flying Springbok, Sunday Times (SA), Daily News (Durban), The Mercury (Durban), Sunday Tribune, Windhoek Observer, Windhoek Advertiser.
Novel
In 2000 and living in the Philippines, I wrote and self-published a children’s novel in support of a children’s orphanage in Manila.
Workshops
I facilitate … How To Blog and Writing for Publication workshops
Sponsored posts accepted
Want your own piece of internet real estate? If you have a business, product or service in WA I will write sponsored and review posts providing your business is in synch with the ethos of Zigazag – interesting, helpful, useful or just beautiful and relevant to Western Australia. Sponsored and review posts may also be promoted on Twitter, LinkedIn , Facebook and other social media networks if/where applicable. Please see the Advertise Page or contact me via the form on the Contact Page to request rates and details.
Nightlife – Perth style
Have you got something interesting to say about places you have visited in Western Australia, or people you have met, or why it’s great to live in WA?
Why not become a contributor and write a guest post? (For guidelines, see the ‘Contributors’ Page above).
We love Western Australia
If you live in WA, email me your take on something about Western Australia and I may use it as a guest post, or you can add your own photos and information about what’s on in WA by joining “Zigazag” page or We Love Western Australia group on Facebook.
Amazing WA
I’m lucky enough to live in South Western Australia. Western Australia as a State is amazing. It’s about the size of India, approximately half that of Europe and it covers one third of the continent of Australia. Perth’s nearest interstate city is Adelaide, a mere 2,700kms away. As yet, I have no intention of doing anything daft like traversing that distance with a camel, but there’s still time.
In the South West there’s little traffic, a scant and scattered population; lots of white, uncrowded, sandy beaches; vineyards, rivers, inlets, estuaries, fruit growing areas, and towering forests.
Further north of the State are largely undiscovered reefs and long stretches of beautiful, red, lonely hinterland;
WA is inspiring … it makes you want to put on a rucksack and hiking boots, or grab your suitcase and swimmers, hitch the bike or the surfboard to the car and go somewhere interesting, do something different or see something unusual, maybe even indulge in a little pampering or retail. So come with me as I pay homage to food and wine, trips and travel, being active, reducing stress, eating healthily, as well as enjoying the little things that make life interesting – oh, and please don’t forget to have your say in the comments box.
At the end of the day, I hope this blog will be entertaining and helpful, and that you’ll enjoy stopping by. Most of all I’d like my experiences to lead you to reflect on your own life in a good way, and my writing to send out meaningful echoes.
Hop on, enjoy the ride!
Zigazag – It’s a lifestyle.
Live it, Love it, Do it!
Jo
Contact me via the form on the Contact Page.
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