Australia has some of the most diverse and unique animals in the world. The continent is probably most well known for its wide range of marsupials but there is also a spectacular choice for reptiles – read snakes and crocodiles – fish and birds. And then there are the introduced species, some of which wore out their welcome long ago. Whatever the case may be, as we travelled around Australia for … Continue reading →
Nobody likes going home after a great holiday. It means the end of a fun carefree lifestyle, seeing new places, trying new food, spending time out of the tiresome routine of life and out of our normal comfort zone. It means back to work, back to school, back to paying bills, back to the boring old same-o same-o. But in our case the whole situation is magnified a hundred fold … Continue reading →
Of all the great Aboriginal words that mark the site of towns, places or things in Australia one of my favourite words was Nullarbor. It just has a fantastic ring to it and is great fun to say. And now we have the exciting opportunity to cross that vast desert plain across the south-central part of Australia referred to simply as The Nullarbor. Unfortunately we also learned that the word Nullarbor … Continue reading →
We stood on the smooth sloping granite outcrop, strong winds trying to knock us down and huge waves crashing on both sides of us. It was a loud, almost violent and yet beautiful scene – the magnificent Southern Ocean crashing into the unmovable Australian continent. It was our first close up view of the Great Australian Bight, one of the most well known and dramatic pieces of water touching Australia.
Continue reading →We had a plan, more or less, to leave Perth after the mighty Cruiser passed its 20,000 kilometre check, and turn east back towards Sydney. That’s nothing less than a drive of about 5,000 kilometres, give or take, with a lot to see along the way. We calculated we had about 14 days to cover this ground and pack in as much as we possibly could. And despite all these … Continue reading →
It’s all very well to be irresponsibly wandering around Australia and posting a few blogs to describe the journey but where in the heck have we been? A friend of mine mentioned in a mail that it all sounded great but he actually had no idea where we were. And to be fair, sometimes neither do we. But after many weeks had passed we finally lashed out on a $6 … Continue reading →
In 1629 the pride of the Dutch East Indies Company fleet, the mighty Batavia, a ship of unprecedented size and scope with the most experienced captain and over 350 people on board, hit the reefs of what is now known as the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia. The ship eventually sank, lives were lost but most people made it to the small nearby islands under the most … Continue reading →
What sort of a name is Monkey Mia for a place that is famous for feeding dolphins? And if it’s so well known for dolphins why is the water called Shark Bay? Did a European really set foot here 150 years before Captain Cook? Why is Steep Point so geographically important? And what the heck is stromatolite? Finally, why is the entire peninsula a UNESCO World Heritage listed place? These … Continue reading →
The colourful fish were swimming below us, oblivious to our movement above them or our loud breathing through our snorkels. We love our snorkelling and have done it in many interesting places but we’ve never snorkelled like this – letting the strong current pull you along the shoreline as you pass over healthy coral and a wide array of beautiful fish. This is the Ningaloo Reef, a huge barrier reef … Continue reading →
The first thing most Australians will know about the Pilbara is the mining and in particular the infamous Wittenoom asbestos mining operation of years past. Others might know it for the Hamersley Ranges, the mountain range that runs through the region and over many eons has created almost unlimited iron ore as well as some spectacular mountains. The Pilbara is also known for two towns with interesting names – Tom … Continue reading →
We’ve enjoyed huge servings of wide rivers, flat savannah woodland, huge cliffs, high waterfalls, refreshing plunge pools, beautiful boabs, snapping crocodiles and long dusty red roads on this trip. But one feature of Australia that we’ve missed is beaches. Australia is justifiably famous for its beaches but we’ve only dabbled in them on this trip. Until now, that is. Because our arrival in Derby on the northern coast of Western … Continue reading →
It’s hard to get your mind around the fact that the rugged rocky mountain range in front of you was at one time on the bottom of the ocean floor. Even more so, it made up a huge reef system which ancient underwater creatures called home. And yet here we are, in dusty fly-infested 35 degree desert heat seeing these grandly sculptured mountain cliffs, twisted shapes and crustacean fossils in … Continue reading →
The western end of the Gibb River Road is dominated by the dramatic King Leopold mountain range, the first true mountains we had seen in some time. Part of an ancient sea bed that has risen over the eons, this rocky range is said to be over two billion years old, making them some of the oldest rocks in the world. The main features of this mountain range are high … Continue reading →
Honeymoon Beach is the northern most point you can drive to in Western Australia. We woke from our quiet beach camping spot to a beautiful sunny morning, getting early shade from a huge boab tree that had grown to its monstrous size on the edge of the sandy beach. This was a symbolic turnaround point for our trip, the north-west corner of our journey, and from here it was all … Continue reading →
Every self-respecting Australian four wheel driver, traveller, soft adventurer or dreamer has heard of the Gibb River Road. The Gibb – as it’s fondly referred to – cuts a northerly arc between Kununurra in the east to Derby on the Western Australian coast. It’s rough and dusty track runs for about 700 km and was originally built for the huge road trains that moved cattle and goods from remote stations … Continue reading →
Western Australia is overwhelmingly the largest state in Australia, roughly the same size as the US west of the Rockies, with a proud independent streak in their nature and unique culture. In the last ten years or more WA has been home to the huge resource boom, principally mining and offshore drilling, which has driven the Australian economy and saw it through the global financial crisis with barely a blip. … Continue reading →
We pulled the mighty Cruiser up next to this extraordinary tree and took the mandatory photo. There are some amazing trees in the world with all sorts of unique sizes and features, survival tactics, special characteristics, flowers, nuts, leaves, roots, barks and the list goes on. But when it comes to unique features, I mean really special, different, crazy and a bit weird, nothing beats the boab tree. And we … Continue reading →
We knew from our homework that Litchfield National Park, which lies within a couple hour’s drive of Darwin, was a beautiful and popular park sometimes overshadowed by the more famous Kakadu. And we had also been warned that it is best not to visit Litchfield on a weekend because it is such a popular escape for people from Darwin. But timing and bad fortune had its way with us and … Continue reading →
Julie and I had not been to Darwin for 37 and 20 years respectively. So maybe it’s changed a bit, right? The city was named after Charles Darwin, was a key point in the settlement of the north, bombed 53 times by the Japanese, almost wiped out by Cyclone Tracey and now a prosperous middle-sized town with well-tended parks and its own territory-within-Australia culture. We loved it.
Continue reading →Kakadu deserves its reputation as one of the most unique places in Australia. Its rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, its human history spanning more than 40,000 years, its unique relationship between the weather, plants and animals and its stunning geographic features makes it truly special. We tried to absorb as much as possible but three features really stood out for us – the stunning rock art in three unforgettable … Continue reading →
Many of the places in Kakadu, as in most of northern Australia, have both an Aboriginal name and a western name. This is not uncommon as the two worlds continually adjust their relationship and naming rights become a key issue. For instance, Ayers Rock is now Uluru, Katherine Gorge is now Nitmiluk and the Bungle Bungles are now Purnululu. In Kakadu most places have two names and this causes a moment … Continue reading →
When we started planning for this trip, if you can call it planning at all, there were two areas we wanted to make sure we saw as thoroughly as possible – Kakadu and the Kimberley. Kakadu National Park is a vast area roughly south and east of Darwin in the Northern Territory and west of monstrous Arnhem Land. We finally made it after more than 20 years of talking … Continue reading →
The temperature was getting close to 35 degrees, the only relief being the infrequent bits of shade behind scraggy gums and the outback breeze that blew across the land. We kept pushing on, determined to reach our goal, hoping the heat wouldn’t make us turn back. And then, almost unexpectedly, we came to the lookout, the end of the trail, and below us in both directions was the steep red … Continue reading →
When venturing into the surf or rivers of the Northern Territory you always have to take heed of the many signs warning you of the possibility of crocodiles. Freshwater crocs, which are more prevalent in the rivers, are harmless and shy – they will usually swim away quickly if accidentally confronted. But saltwater crocs, which are also seen in fresh water, are a completely different story. They are aggressive and … Continue reading →
Arnhem Land is a vast part of the Northern Territory, bigger than many countries and at the very heart of the origins of civilisation on this continent. Today it is owned and managed by a range of Aboriginal clans that have occupied this land for tens of thousands of years. But visiting this land is not easy; there are permits to obtain, incredibly long dirt tracks to drive, restrictions on … Continue reading →
The Northern Territory is marked by vast unmarked and uninhabited spaces, long dusty roads and as we learned, beautiful sunsets. But as we slowly moved north, sometimes very slowly, we were on the hunt for lost cities. We knew about them, we had read about them and we were getting closer. But bad roads and beautiful places slowed us down until we finally found what we were looking for.
Continue reading →The vast spaces around the Gulf of Carpentaria are famous for crocodiles, barramundi and…well…vast spaces. We left Cape York and headed toward the Gulf across long dirt tracks, frequent water crossings, endless Aussie scrub and a relentless dust that found its way into every nook and cranny of our truck, our equipment and ourselves. There’s no escaping the dust, that’s for sure, but it comes as part of an overall … Continue reading →
The remote unpopulated areas of Australia are usually divided up into huge stations which generally run cattle or sheep over vast distances. They feature dry scrubby land, unreliable water and a harsh hot climate. These stations represent a core foundation of how Australia prospered in years past and makes up an essential element of Australia today. The people who live in these remote outback locations are honest hard working tough … Continue reading →
Some corners of Australia are almost forgotten due to the immense size and scope of the continent. One area we had spied on an earlier trip which we felt needed more exploration was the uninhabited area north of Cooktown in far north Queensland called Cape Melville. Covered by untracked national parks and Aboriginal land the Cape is often overshadowed by its much bigger brother Cape York. But in one of the … Continue reading →
Our days north through Queensland travelling on a series of the inland country roads reminded us of how huge Australia is. We constantly underestimated the progress we could make on a day of driving, despite our relatively early starts and willingness to do long hours in the mighty Cruiser. Of course we were delayed occasionally by taking photos of the beautiful scenery, stopping in community markets in small country towns … Continue reading →
The big Land Cruiser slowly rolled down the driveway and pulled out onto our street. With that momentous movement it started a journey we had been dreaming about for almost 20 years and had feverishly been preparing for the last four weeks – a three month circumnavigation of Australia. The opportunity had come sooner than we expected and with less run-up for preparation but here we were driving down our … Continue reading →
The bright yellow fish darted in and out of the coral reef below us, completely oblivious to our presence. They were joined by inquisitive little black and white striped fish, the larger colourful coral trout and dozens of other Nemo-like friends. And we had a private viewing of all this colour and movement through our mask and snorkel floating in the calm warm water of this protected bay. Such is … Continue reading →
Bhaktapur is the most amazing city in the world that no one has heard of. It’s old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage location and it is overflowing with outstanding history, culture, architecture and religion. But when people think of Nepal they think of the capital Kathmandu or more likely the Himalaya mountains and the great trekking. Bhaktapur is only a few kilometres from Kathmandu and probably gets lost in … Continue reading →
The night we spent in the yak hair tent at 5,200 metres was fairly grim. The room was warm thanks to the heavy tent and the yak dung stove in the middle but the combination of sleeping in our full clothes and the exceptionally thin air made for a restless night. Dawn could not come fast enough.
Continue reading →The British called it Everest after a renown surveyor, the Nepalis refer to it as Sagarmatha and the Nepali Sherpas call it Chomolungma but the Tibetans call it Qomolangma. Since only one of those names is pronounceable we decided to stick to the global convention of Mt. Everest. By any name it stands above all other mountains, an imposing 8,848 metres, king of the Himalayas. And we were standing on … Continue reading →
We ducked our heads to fit through yet another very low doorway to see yet another ancient chapel when I miscalculated and banged my head hard on the top of the door. This brought a mix of laughter and sympathy from the gaggle of old women that were watching Julie and I pass by. Their heavily creased dark faces, well worn traditional hats and skirts, swinging prayer wheels and excessive … Continue reading →
The Tibetan plateau, as this vast region of high elevation is called, is much more than just a plateau. Amongst many features it forms the ‘other side’ of the vast Himalaya mountain range that runs through Nepal, parts of India and Bhutan. Today we started our assault on this ‘other side’ with a few dramatic mountain passes, a wide range of weather and some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable.
Continue reading →Tibet is full of surprises to the unsuspecting traveller. For instance, you wouldn’t normally use the words barren and beautiful together, like beautifully barren or even barrenly beautiful. But once you leave Lhasa you enter into another domain of huge rugged mountains which are barren of any life and yet beautiful for the rivers between them, the huge sand dunes on them and people who live among them.
Continue reading →Lhasa has an unmatchable mix of culture, history, politics and religion, mixing them all together in a complex and beautiful package for any intrepid traveller who is prepared to negotiate the maze of visas, permits, costs and distance in order to get there. We spent two more fabulous days exploring every nook and cranny, trying to get the best possible understanding of the place. The whole experience was overwhelming!
Continue reading →What did we really know about Tibet? Forcefully annexed by the Chinese more than 50 years ago, spiritually led by the Dalai Lama in exile, perched high up in the Himalayas, a fairly remote and almost forgotten place in this busy world. But as our Air China plane touched down at Lhasa Airport Julie and I knew that our knowledge base was about to change. One of our most highly … Continue reading →
There is no escaping the blue-brown skyline of Beijing in the early summer. It sits on the city, makes visibility hazy, the cars dirty and the people wary. But the days are pleasantly warm, evenings are delightful and the city offers a range of historical and cultural attractions that can keep any visitor busy for days. And that’s perfect for us as we planned to maximise our extra time before flying … Continue reading →
China. Tibet. Nepal. Planes, trains and automobiles. Seventeen days to travel from Beijing to Kathmandu, negotiating all forms of travel, extremes of elevation and weather, government regulations, visas and travel permits, enjoying strange foods along the way and staying at a wide range of accommodations. Its a bit ambitious, not without risks and a nightmare to organise in advance. We landed in Beijing in the early hours of Day One … Continue reading →
Bhutan is one of the most obscure and unknown countries in the world today and that’s exactly how they like it. Through centuries of history the Bhutanese have leveraged their remote mountain location and lack of strategic or economic value to remain proudly independent. They have excelled at maintaining their isolation from the rest of the bustling world and being as self-reliant as possible, sometimes it seems to their detriment.
Continue reading →Some of Bhutan’s history is not clearly documented due to the remoteness of the country, the lack of historical records and the rather obscure relationship between Bhutanese buddhism and mythology. Nowhere is that more clear than at Taktshang Goemba, or Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched high on a cliff face in the upper Paro Valley. Its a tough two hour hike straight up the mountain to get there and we raced … Continue reading →
We woke from our floor mattress bedding to the early morning sounds of chickens and cows in our remote farmstay in central Bhutan. It was foggy and drizzly outside, no wonder from this mountain perch of the Himalaya foothills, but we consumed a functional breakfast that looked remarkably like last night’s dinner warmed up and headed back down the white-knuckle switchback track to the valley below. Travelling on normal roads … Continue reading →
Early morning in the Bumthang Valley meant an attempted run at 2,600 metres (big mistake) and an amazing breakfast from local produce. We had buckwheat pancakes with locally made wild strawberry jam and buckwheat honey, eggs from backyard chickens, beautiful cheese made in the local village and a slab of local butter bigger than an iPhone. As on previous days, we started the day with full stomachs and great anticipation.
Continue reading →Waking up in Trongsa was very similar to going to sleep – magnificent views of Trongsa Dzong from the balcony, sweeping panoramas of the deep valley below and no electricity in the hotel. Our visit to the 16th century dzong was absolutely stunning, perched high on the cliff, comprising many courtyards and buildings within its massive stone walls, the former seat of government for kings in the early 20th century … Continue reading →
Bhutan is known for two main features – its magnificent mountains as part of being totally consumed by the Himalayas and its fervent belief in Buddhism. We had the opportunity to combine both of these features in a spectacular morning trek to the Tango Goemba a bit north of the capital of Thimphu and we were rewarded with one of the best experiences in ages. And by donating to the … Continue reading →
The plane quickly descended through steep snow-capped mountains on each side, the ride getting a bit bumpy as we got closer. It then took a few pirouetting turns as it banked left and then right between mountains and followed the winding river course. At the last second it dipped its left wing one more time to line up to the runway and then with a big thump hit the target. … Continue reading →
There we were sitting on our beach lounges under a faded old umbrella enjoying the passing scene and sipping on an Anchor Beer. But the clouds became dark grey, the breeze picked up and within seconds we were forced to retreat to the protection of the bar as the rain came lashing down at almost a horizontal angle. The idyllic beach scene in this budding beach resort town of Sihanoukville … Continue reading →
Songkran is the biggest holiday of the year in Thailand and most well-known for people throwing water on each other, partly as a way to cool off from the blistering heat in what is the hottest time of the year. But as we’ve done the last few years, we use the five day weekend to explore other parts of Asia and this year we zeroed in on Cambodia. Specifically we … Continue reading →
Thailand is obsessed with elephants. They have been revered in Thailand for centuries, kings have ridden them into battle, people keep them as pets, they are the ever-lasting symbol of Thailand. And as it happens, one of our favourite places to visit on long weekends is Koh Chang, or Elephant Island. So when Julie’s youngest sister and her husband were in the neighbourhood we all agreed to spend a few … Continue reading →
Everyone loves weddings. And the closer you are to the lucky couple the more exciting the big event is and the more meaningful is the occasion. For the father of his only daughter it doesn’t get more special then when he walks her down the aisle. And so it was for me, one of the proudest moments of my life when Anna and I slowly walked through the middle of a … Continue reading →
5 March 2013….The rain is coming down harder and harder, the wipers can’t keep up with the torrents of water hitting the windscreen and the steep winding road has disintegrated to almost a four wheel drive track as it finds its way up this shrouded mountain. I put the car in its lowest gear, squint my eyes and hope for the best. If only I had my co-driver next to me … Continue reading →
No self-respecting cook in Thailand can survive long without a mortar and pestle. Julie is becoming a more serious student of Thai cooking, much to my benefit, but she was seriously lacking in the mortar and pestle department. I wasn’t even sure which one was the mortar and which one was the pestle so it seemed like a good excuse to have a weekend excursion and include a stop at … Continue reading →
The best time of year to be in Bangkok is December and January. Magnificent Christmas decorations fill every store and span every street in an annual attempt to remind millions of Buddhists to buy numerous gifts and eat too much with their family and friends. The weather is relatively cool and the city takes on a relaxed holiday atmosphere. And every year at this time we leave Bangkok and go … Continue reading →
Bangladesh is unquestionably one of the most colourful, interesting and photogenic places we have ever visited. Every time we turned our head we saw scenes that were undefinable in their uniqueness, beauty, colour and simplicity. The street scenes, the buildings and monuments, the different modes of transport, the fishing boats and the bright curious faces of the people we encountered everywhere will stay with us for a lifetime.
Continue reading →Flying domestically in Bangladesh is a novelty which becomes obvious when seeing the small airports, small prop planes, infrequent services and minimal security. It took us two domestic flights, numerous delays, a little bit of courage and a good sense of humour to fly from Jessore in the west to Cox’s Bazar in the southeast but the reward was to feast our eyes on the longest beach in the world … Continue reading →
Naming our overnight paddle boat The Rocket was more a case of wishful thinking than anything else. Built almost 90 years ago, it had carried passengers through the waterways of Bangladesh during the aristocratic days of British colonial rule, through the country’s fragile existence as East Pakistan and then during its tumultuous war for independence. The Rocket, with its huge slow turning paddle wheels, rusty body and tired interior, had … Continue reading →
16 December…..We sat in the local version of a Thai tuk tuk travelling slowly through the crowd and chaos of the narrow streets but with a strange twist. The cab for the driver and the passengers were all claustrophobically caged by a strong steel wire screen with a barrier between us and the driver and a lock from the inside. Our driver battled his way through the worst traffic we’ve … Continue reading →
22 November….The monsoon season, or rainy season as the Thais call it, can be pretty exciting. The thunder and lightning storms that come very predictably in the late afternoon almost every day can be spectacularly bright and deafeningly loud, especially when the storm is right on top of you. The rain can come down like there’s no tomorrow and sometimes it feels that way. From my office window on the … Continue reading →
Julie and I rarely need an excuse to go somewhere new and we also don’t have to be asked twice to celebrate someone’s personal milestone. So when both of these opportunities came up – a trip to Kuala Lumpur to see an old friend and celebrate a milestone birthday – we jumped on the plane and headed to KL.
Continue reading →20 October….A small group of people had the unique life experience of leading young people around Europe in 1970’s and 1980’s on camping bus tours for 18-35 year olds. Through the main attractions of Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Greek Islands, these tours provided a great introduction to Europe for people travelling for the first time. I had the good fortune of working for one such company … Continue reading →
“Oh Bill” Julie cried out, “look out!” But I didn’t need this loud advice to realise our awkward situation. I quickly hit the pedal and swerved over onto the dirt shoulder of the road to just barely maneuver the car around the fully outstretched trunk of a huge bull elephant. I nervously glanced back at him in the mirror as we drove off, a look of curiosity and maybe … Continue reading →
The more birthdays you have, the less you count them and the less you celebrate them, right? And if you’re in the 50-somethings, like I am, there’s no need to get carried away with wild attention-getting activities. But a recent business trip to Sydney meant I was with our three kids for my birthday and we all got together for a memorable day together.
Continue reading →15 August….There might be this lingering notion based on the entries of this blog that all Julie and I do from our base in Bangkok is travel around. And it’s true, we cram in a lot of interesting excursions or trips whenever we get half a chance. But one of us also commutes to the office, deals with customers, worries about budgets and goes on business trips. And business trips … Continue reading →
4 August 2012…Our rattling old local train slowed down as it rounded a bend entering the local town of Mae Klong. The view from the train driver’s cabin was a surprise – a busy weekend market sprawled out across the train tracks as if a train hadn’t been through there in years. But as we approached the stall keepers quickly pulled back their awnings and moved their boxes of vegetables as … Continue reading →
8 July 2012….It doesn’t matter where you are or what your circumstances are, everyone enjoys having good friends come over for a catch up and a laugh. The difference for us is that when our friends in Sydney want to ‘come over’ to visit us it means taking a nine hour flight and a week’s holiday. So we’re always touched when it happens and usually end up turning what might … Continue reading →
The wine was good, the atmosphere was great, the setting was perfect, it was shaping up to be a beautiful evening. Suddenly everyone around us jumped up, abandoned their dinners, and ran for cover. It took us just a second to realise what was happening before we also cleared the decks and ran for shelter. The incredible speed of how it happened left us wet and laughing. How did such … Continue reading →
As it turns out, Julie and I have recently developed quite a taste for islands, or so it seems. There is no master plan at play here but the last couple of trips have been to islands. So maybe there’s no surprise that on a recent long weekend we decided to visit one of the lesser known islands of Thailand, Koh Lanta. It didn’t work out exactly as we expected … Continue reading →
Bali used to be every Australian’s dream of an exotic foreign holiday and it was the place many people, including Julie, made as their first overseas trip. I had done many conferences in Bali over the years but we had never gone together so when the holiday gods of Thailand gave us another four day weekend we jumped at the chance to explore this legendary fly and flop destination.
Continue reading →What better way to start your day than with a quick swim down the back steps of your bungalow in the crystal clear water of the Maldives? With a clear head and plenty of sunscreen we walked out on the pier over 500 metres long to reach the jetty and our boat for an island hopping half day excursion. As our old wooden vessel puttered across the turquoise waters between … Continue reading →
In Thailand the biggest holiday of the year is called Songkran and this year it created a four day weekend that was too good to let pass without a big plan. But what to do? An unexplored island, a new country and culture, perhaps something a little unusual? Yes, exactly, a perfect time to visit one of the most alluring and unknown destinations in this part of the world. The … Continue reading →
Mt. Everest may have been behind us but we still had a couple of days trekking to get back to Kathmandu and then some exploring of the ancient capitals of the old Himalaya kingdoms. And we knew in the middle of all this was that exciting flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu and a return to hot showers, cold beer and civilisation.
Continue reading →The idea of turning around and going home when you’ve invested so much time and effort in getting there doesn’t sound that attractive at first glance. But when you are in the middle of the Himalaya and you have four more days of trekking along a new track through beautiful mountain ranges before you hit civilisation you know it’s going to be spectacular. And we’d conquered Everest Base Camp so … Continue reading →
When it comes to life above 5,000 metres clouds can be bad, if for no other reason they block the view of everything above you. But when the wind picks up to knock-me-over levels and the clouds take on a sinister gray look and cover you like a blanket you know you’ve got a new situation. And after eight beautiful days of blue skies and only three hours trek … Continue reading →
The word most commonly heard and repeated in Nepal is the friendly greeting “Namaste”. There can be no better way to start the day or say g’day to fellow trekkers and locals than a cheery Namaste. And so it was, over and over, every day. But the words we really came to respect with a little bit of dread and a lot of excited anticipation were “zham zham”.
Continue reading →The town of Namche Bazaar was our home for two nights as we paused to have an important acclimitisation day, which is basically a day by which we punish our bodies to the max and build up as many red blood cells in as short a period of time as possible. Or as Arjan our guide said, “Go high, sleep low”. We didn’t know what that meant until we started … Continue reading →
Trekking to the Everest Base Camp is all about going up. From the roadless mountain town of Lukla and its amazing airport at 2,830 metres we were to spend nine days climbing to the base camp which is at about 5,400 metres (almost 17,000 feet). In those nine days we expected to have to deal with the relentless uphill hiking, we expected to deal with the debilitating altitude sickness and … Continue reading →
The 2007 movie The Bucket List immortalised a new term which is now synonymous with people wanting to do a select list of special things before they die. I imagine most people have come up with some sort of their own bucket list since the movie or has said, “That’s definitely on my bucket list”. Well, full disclosure here, one of the top items on my bucket list has always … Continue reading →
26 February 2012….India is a great place to visit and a great place to do business. For me the two are closely linked, especially with our biggest customers in the market, the fastest growth of any market in the region and some of the most challenging business conditions. And when your biggest customer invites you and your spouse to a ‘Leadership Retreat’ to thank its partners and suppliers for a … Continue reading →
In February 2009 I moved to Bangkok after living in Sydney for 26 years. That was an amazing three years ago this month but it seems like only yesterday. The plan was for Julie to visit Thailand as many times as possible during the year but by her own choice she had one more year of motherhood duties at home with Zach as he settled into Uni. So we would … Continue reading →
15 February 2012….Thailand is impressively committed to preserving some of its natural settings despite the insatiable demand for more places for people to live, more farm land and more commercial development. There are almost 150 national parks in this country covering over 60,000 sq. kms of space – about 10% of Thailand’s total land. That’s outstanding evidence of the value the country accords its wild places.
Continue reading →We are probably destined never to spend a Christmas in Thailand which is a real shame because it is such a festive season and the Thais know how to do festive better than anyone, even if it isn’t officially part of their religion. But our destination for the festive season was Sydney, a much anticipated break to reunite with our family and friends, put on a few kilos and enjoy … Continue reading →
The brave white water adventurers 26 December….A common question is ‘What do you give someone for birthday if they say they don’t need anything?’. Well, Julie is the master at these situations so when my birthday recently came up she had the perfect answer – a two day adventure white water rafting and camping trip on the Pai River in Northern Thailand. Perfect.
Continue reading →Koh Kood is not your normal first pick island holiday destination in Thailand. In fact for most people it wouldn’t rank in the top four or five islands, mainly because it is further away from Bangkok, not really developed to western standards and overshadowed by its larger and more popular neighbour Koh Chang. All these reasons made it an ideal place for us to spend a recent long weekend.
Continue reading →What does a children’s orphanage, a dam, a tent, 3,000 year old rock paintings and a couple of ferry crossings have in common? Normally I would say very little. But on a recent weekend we combined all these features plus a whole lot more into a busy couple of days up in the Kanchanaburi region northwest of Bangkok.
Continue reading →13 November….I’ve heard it described as surreal, the slowest train wreck of all time, living in a parallel universe or perhaps most succinctly – unbelievable. Yes, unbelievable probably says it best. Bangkok, a city of over 10 million people, is slowly being flooded, so slowly in fact that while some parts of the city can be under 2 metres of water the downtown area is completely dry. It is … Continue reading →
30 October….Family, sport and travel seem like three good ways to fill one’s leisure time and that’s pretty much what we’ve been doing lately. Unfortunately we’ve also had to deal with the massive flooding in and around Bangkok as the late season heavy rains have swamped all rivers and canals and the people of Northern Thailand have suffered enormously as a result.
Continue reading →6 October 2011….It’s a big world, right? I mean, as an example we’ve got family in California, Arizona and Washington. We’ve got most of our family in Sydney of course, when they’re home that is. We used to have family in Ireland and we still have family in Holland and Singapore. Plus there’s us in Bangkok. So we’re scattered and by definition our paths sometimes don’t cross often enough. That … Continue reading →
We’ve had a buffet of unique life experiences lately and been reminded that it’s the diversity of life in Thailand which is so fascinating and gives us all so much to learn from and enjoy. This place has such enormous scale from the super elite of society, including the royal family, to the humblest and simplest of life in the local villages. Any chance we get to experience that … Continue reading →
Every great city has much to offer its visitors but Bangkok seems to have an endless supply of memorable places, moments and experiences that makes living here such a joy for Julie and I. And through the benefit of having lived here a couple of years now we can scratch the surface beyond the typical tourist activities and begin to see how unique and special the Thai culture and society … Continue reading →
And they said it would never happen – Julie dragging me to the driving range 16 August 2011….Julie and I are living the old line ‘there’s just not enough time in the day’ or week or month or year. With our various travel and work commitments filling most of our calendar we always look forward to a free day or weekend to explore more of Bangkok or interesting … Continue reading →
The happy tourists in front of the Arc de Triomphe 25 July 2011…..Ah yes, Paris. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon, high prices, poor service, The City of Love, the capital of le Republique and all other features and descriptions. A customer conference, I suppose I have to go and Julie, do you want to go as well? Maybe spend a couple extra days exploring one of … Continue reading →
Team lunch when California and Australia meets in Vietnam 5 July 2011….When you have family scattered across three continents sometimes it’s a bit hard to stay in touch, or even harder to see each other. But when you’re blessed to have a niece born in Vietnam and her family is coming back to Vietnam for a special visit then you have all the perfect ingredients – family reunion, weekend … Continue reading →
Puka Beach, Boracay – it doesn’t get any better than this 7 June 2011….The Philippines doesn’t get as much attention as other countries in Asia, partly because it’s not on the way to anywhere like Singapore or have the reputation for beach, culture and fun like Thailand. But I recently had a week there for meetings and to attend a customer conference so Julie joined me to explore this … Continue reading →
On the banks of the Mekong 22 May 2011….You have to like the number of public holidays in Thailand this time of year. It creates opportunities to have three and even four day weekends – perfect if you want to explore northern Thailand and see the sights on the banks of the Mekong River as it separates Thailand from neighbouring Laos. On such a recent weekend we jumped in … Continue reading →
The Omar Aly Saiffudin mosque and royal boat – if you’ve got it, flaunt it The twin prop plane with a dozen passengers took us from Mulu National Park, over the rainforest, then the oil palms, finally to the coast where we landed in the coastal city of Miri. Our Borneo adventure was coming to an end but not without treating us to some new experiences beforehand.
Continue reading →Flying in and out of remote Mulu was half the fun Our plan was to spend another day and a half at Mulu National Park – and wishing we had more time – before finishing our journey in the sultanate of Brunei. So yes, it was from the jungle back to the sea but the route had some unique twists to it and we learned a lot along the … Continue reading →
Exploring the huge caves of Mulu in Sarawak It sounds like we can’t make up our mind. Is this a jungle holiday to Borneo or is it a water holiday to Borneo? Back and forth we go, trying to take in all the good stuff this huge island has to offer. Our next stop is Semporna where we snorkel amongst the world famous diving reefs in the Semporna Islands … Continue reading →
