"Tourists don't know where they've been, travellers don't know where they're going." ~ Paul Theroux
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Who’ll Stop The Rain?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Ferry Hopping Around Sydney Harbour
The $17.00
My first ‘port of call’ was of course, Circular Quay, where I boarded the first available ferry for my adventures out and about on
I should have guessed the Manly ferry would be one of the most popular operating out of Circular Quay, and indeed a good 80% of the passengers were tourists and visitors like myself.
As we cast off from the quay, the jockeying for prime photographic positions was well and truly underway. Those passengers on the right (or starboard) side of the ferry, concentrated their cameras on the Sydney Opera House, while those on the left/port side, aimed their ‘weapons’ at the
The 30 minute trip to Manly went smoothly enough, and as I disembarked at
Ah, Manly. Even in April the sunbathers were still to be seen stretching out on the sand soaking up as much warmth as the late autumn sun could offer.
Manly. The name says it all. Venice Beach it isn’t, but Manly Beach can still muster up a good showing of inline skaters, joggers, visitors, skateboarders, gawkers, dog walkers, swimmers, promenaders, tourists, surfers, poseurs, and the afore mentioned sunbathers.
While there, make sure you take the time to sample the fish-n-chips from one of the numerous outlets along the foreshore, or The Corso, that strangely named thoroughfare leading from
The ferry to and from Circular Quay sails parallel to the ‘heads’ separating the north shore from the south. As we cruised past the entrance to
At Circular Quay I quickly boarded the
Back at the Quay my next cruise was on the Balmain/Woolwich ferry. Instead of doing the full circuit, I decided to jump off after several harbourside stops at Greenwich Point. From the landing site I had a clear view of the
My final ride was on the longest of the eight major ferry routes servicing
By the time I boarded the RiverCat, the sun had all but disappeared below the horizon. For the next hour, I and my fellow passengers were treated to a spectacular evening cruise that took in
In a previous entry (Circular Quay, Sydney) I wrote: “I never thought I’d say this, but I think the area around Circular Quay is as vibrant, exciting, and involving as any similar part of New York City (where I spent two months last year).”
Well, I never thought I’d say this either, but in terms of setting,
What
For my small investment of $17.00 I saw only a fraction of this vast expanse of water and the beautiful city that has grown up around it, but I loved every minute of it. If you have the time to do as I did, I urge you to spend as much time on the harbour as you can. I guarantee you, you won’t be sorry.
Image: Sydney Ferry, Narrabeen
Photographer: Jim Lesses
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday Photo #13: Moreton Bay Fig
Rising out of the earth like some type of prehistoric creature, this Moreton Bay Fig tree in one of Sydney’s inner city gardens, serves to remind us of just how transient our lives and years on this planet really are.
Hopefully, long after I have gone, this tree will still be standing here; its massive branches reaching higher into the sky, and its thick green leaves providing even more shade for the people sheltering under its canopy from winter showers and summer heat.
Imagine for a moment, the power it takes to keep those huge branches extended for generations at a time. If one of those branches was to be severed from the trunk, you would need a large team of draft horses to shift it even a few metres, such would be its weight. And yet the tree itself has stood (for who knows how many years), growing ever taller, broader, and more magnificent.
Long may it continue to do so.
Image: Moreton Bay Fig, Sydney
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday Photo #8: Mallee Sunset
Late afternoon sun has cast a stunning red glow on this tree alongside the
The Murray Mallee is the grain-growing and sheep-farming area covering parts of
Mallees are the dominant vegetation throughout semi-arid areas of
Just for the record, this image is exactly how it came out of my Canon Powershot S1 IS digital camera. It has not been touched up or enhanced in any way what-so-ever.
Photograph: Mallee Sunset, by Jim Lesses
Location:
With thanks to Wikipedia for information about the Mallee…
Monday, August 17, 2009
In Review: Bypass: The Story of a Road
While the ride forms the backdrop to McGirr’s book Bypass: The Story of a Road, like all good travelogue’s the ride itself is really just a frame to hang the real story around, which as the title suggests, is the story of the
From its humble beginnings as a rough track across the
Bypass takes you on a wonderful journey covering the history of the Hume, and the politics that helped shape it. Along the way you meet some great – and not so great – Australian characters that have helped imprint the name of the highway into the Australian psyche. People like the 61 year old Cliff Young (great), who in 1983 won the inaugural
Then there are the explorers Hamilton Hume (after whom the Highway was eventually named) and William Hovell, who in 1824 along with at least six others, set of from Appin (near the present day
We visit almost every country town along the route of the
Now, I have to confess this section of the book took me completely by surprise, and was one of the great unexpected pleasures I got out of Bypass. Let me explain why.
Some years ago, I was returning to Adelaide from Australia’s national capital, Canberra, and on a whim decided to pass through the town of Yass, which is some 60 kilometres or so from Canberra. Because I had been on the road less than an hour, and because I could see no reason to stop in Yass, I simply left the Hume Highway, drove into town and up along Yass’s main street, while all the time looking left and right taking a mental snapshot of the landscape. I then headed back out onto the Hume and continued on my way.
It may seem such an odd thing to do, but then I am prone to do odd things on no more than a whim, and this was one of those occasions. The reason I write about it now is that as I drove up Comur Street, Yass’s main throughfare, my gaze fell on a small dining establishment called the Liberty Café.
At this point I should mention that apart from putting this blog together, one of the other ‘strings’ I’ve added to my ‘bow’ is songwriting. So within minutes of passing through Yass I began writing a song called The Liberty Café*. This song subsequently appeared on my second album American Dream, and remains one of my favourite songs. Never the less, I had always regreted not stopping in at the café as I drove through town. I’m pleased to say I made amends for that lapse earlier this year, when in April, I again drove to Sydney, and this time I did stop at the Liberty Café for a meal break. In fact, I stopped there for a second time on my way back to Adelaide. So, as I say, it was a delightful surprise to read about the Café in Bypass, and know that of all the restaurants and cafés in Yass, Michael McGirr had also been drawn to the Liberty.
Across its many short chapters, Bypass also introduces us to some of the thousands of bumper stickers that adorn the rear ends of many Australian vehicles. In fact, McGirr uses stickers as chapter headings to introduce us to every aspect of his journey. Thus, the bumper sticker THE OLDER I GET THE BETTER I WAS, allows him to explain some of his own personal story and the reasons for his decision to ride the Hume Highway. In the chapter THE GODDESS IS DANCING, McGirr introduces us to his riding partner Jenny, and in DEATH IS THE MANUFACTURER’S RECALL NOTICE, we pause to learn about some of the many roadside memorials that mark the sites of fatal road accidents that line the Highway.
To conclude, Bypass is a book that ticks a lot of boxes in terms of my personal criteria for a good travelogue. The book is immensly readable, always entertaining and informative, often surprising, and constantly filled with odd facts and humourous anecdotes. These keep the story moving along smoothly and effortlessly – which can not always be said of Michael McGirr’s monumental bike ride.
I began this review by writing “like all good travelogue’s the ride itself is really just a frame to hang the real story around, which as the title suggests, is the story of the Hume Highway.” But it should also be said, that Bypass: The Story of a Road is not merely the story of one relatively short (by Australian standards) stretch of highway. It is also about the history of this country, and about the people who have helped build and shape it into the modern land it has now become.
UPDATE, MAY 2011: At the time I wrote this review Bypass... was out of print. However, I'm delighted to report the book is back in print and available from Amazon.Com. Michael McGirr has also written Things You Get For Free which is also available from Amazon. To make the purchase of both books easy for you, I've added direct links for both books below.
Click here... Bypass: The Story of a Road to purchase Michael McGirr's book. Click the link below to purchase McGirr's Things You Get For Free.
Further Reading at Wikipedia
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
House Swapping for Families
While virtually every individual and couple can enjoy lots of advantages through a house swapping (home exchange) holiday, perhaps families stand to benefit most of all.
Think about it.
Firstly, there are the monetary savings to be gained: no accommodation costs; cooking "at home" instead of going out for meals; free use of car; free laundry, clothesline, dryer and DYI ironing.
No doubt there will also be other savings. For example, you can't stay cooped up together in a hotel room for long. You'll need to spend a good deal of time out and about for the sake of your mental health. And while you're out, you'll inevitably end up spending money on something.
Besides, there's so much more room in a house and yard. Even a normal apartment will be a lot more spacious than a hotel room. So you won't have to go out for your sanity — just to visit local attractions, go shopping and so forth.
Here's something else to think about if you've got children. Why not arrange to house swap with another couple who have children of a similar age? Then you'll each have the necessary items on hand when you get to your destination — whether it be a cot, a high chair, a stroller, a trike or bike. Plus toys and games, books, children's videos, DVDs and the like. None of which (other than one or two special favourites) you will have to take with you. So you'll be able to travel that much lighter.
Even if you're travelling by car, and have a little more room to take things with you, you won't need to cram every corner to get bulkier items in. You'll be able to travel in a lot more comfort.
You may even find a backyard cubbyhouse and swing set at your destination. (Or maybe you'll be on the lookout for things like this, before deciding on which house swap to choose.)
And what if it rains during your holiday? Staying in a normal house is a whole lot more pleasant for a family than being cooped up in a hotel room, or a cramped guesthouse, caravan or tent.
Having constant access to a laundry and iron will also help you travel lighter, since you can pack less clothes when you're able do the washing more often. Especially kiddie clothes, which tend to need changing more than once each day!
Let's return for a moment to the monetary savings you make through house swapping, which are likely to amount to at least hundreds and possibly a couple of thousand dollars. Instead of rationing visits to fun parks, aquariums, "sea worlds" and the like, you'll be able to afford to take the kids to explore as many of these attractions as you like. And STILL come home with a lot more of your hard-earned cash, rather than an empty wallet or purse, and a credit card that will take months to pay off.
When you add it all up, house swapping (home exchanging) really is tailor-made for families!
How much does it cost?
Aussie House Swap membership is only $65 per year! However, if you do not manage to house swap in your first year we will give you another 12 months membership absolutely free! This is our guarantee to you! For $65 (less than the cost of one nights motel accommodation) you can make as many house swaps as you like within your 12 months.
Article courtesy of Aussie House Swap website. Like our Partner site, Home Away, Aussie House Swap gives you the opportunity to stay in someone else’s home, while they stay in yours.
Image for illustration purposes only
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Uluru (Ayers Rock) Climb to Close?
‘Controversial’ because the traditional owners of Uluru have been lobbying for this to happen for many years, while tourists, travel industry operators, the government of the Northern Territory (and now the Federal Opposition), have fought against the proposal.
A draft management plan for the
Currently, tourists visiting Uluru are left to make there own decisions regarding whether or not to climb Uluru. Effectively, they must decide for themselves whether they will ignore the wishes of the traditional Aboriginal owners, or whether they will respect them. Now that choice may be taken out of their hands.
Donald Fraser, a traditional owner of Uluru and a former chairman of the Uluru Kata Tjuta Board of Management has long been disturbed by the sight of people climbing the monolith.
“It's a very sensitive area,” he said in a radio interview. “There's a lot of things involved in climbing. Firstly the danger of people falling down and killing themselves,” Mr. Fraser said. And his concerns are real. More than 35 people have died while climbing Uluru, often in extreme heat. In fact, there is already a ban on climbing the rock whenever the temperature reaches 35C (95F).
Uluru is visited by around 350,000 people a year, about half of whom are from overseas. According to the Government's figures, about 100,000 people climb the 346-metre high rock each year against the wishes of the traditional owners.
However, some operators already ask people on their tours not to climb the rock.
Phil Taylor, a tour operator based in
Of course there is a lot more to Uluru than just the chance to climb it.
Many tourists go to Uluru seeking to interact with Indigenous people and to be exposed to their culture. Simply climbing Uluru does not give them that opportunity. In fact, most visitors will never be given the chance to even talk with the traditional owners during their visit to the site.
Traditional owner, Donald Fraser says the idea isn't to drive tourists away, but to give tourists and Indigenous people a richer experience in the park.
“There's a lot of other things for the people to see; walk around and learn culture and everything else in a steady way, not only the climb. We're not hunting the tourists away, we're inviting them to come and learn about us and about our culture,” Mr. Fraser said.
Another traditional owner of Uluru, Vince Forrester, said he was relieved a ban on climbing the iconic rock was one step closer to becoming a reality. He said the rock was sacred to the local Aboriginal people and traditional owners have wanted the climb closed since the park was handed back to them in 1985.
Mr Forrester said tourism operators should not be concerned about the closure. "The visitors will get more information by walking around the base of Uluru and getting told the stories which Aboriginal people are available to do," he said.
Commenting on some of the environmental concerns, the Director of National Parks, Peter Cochrane, said there were concern about erosion, and "…there are no toilets on the top of the rock. So human behaviour up there means that we get run-off fouling water holes, and having impacts on plants and animals and the health of Aboriginal kids who play in those water holes," he said.
Clearly, Mr Cochrane was being very circumspect here. This behaviour is akin to visitors urinating against the ‘Wailing Wall’ in
Given that Uluru is probably the most sacred of all Aboriginal sacred sites, it is hard to know how one could treat their culture with less respect – or offend them more.
The draft management plan, which is open to public comment for the next two months, notes that recent surveys show 98 per cent of people would not be put off visiting the area if they were not allowed to climb the rock. The plan could come into effect within 18 months, but must first go through a consultation process and be signed off by Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
More Information
Listen to an ABC radio interview about the proposed ban here…
Or you can read more here...
And here… Plan to ban climbers from Uluru…
Image courtesy of AAP
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Off The Beaten Track In Australia
by Bruce Haxton
For many gap year travellers
Famous sights such as The Great Barrier Reef, Uluru,
1.
A brilliant way to get away from the crowds on
2.
This one really is for the most determined of explorers. The
3. The
Hire a car or better yet a jeep and burn some rubber for the full open road experience. This particular route lies between Torquay and Warrnambool along the Southwest coast and offers nearly 300km of uninterrupted coastal beauty, from huge cliffs, raging surf, peaceful bays, lush rainforests, to an abundance of fascinating wildlife. Remember to keep your eyes on the road; it's a long way down! It's worth thinking about getting someone else insured so you can share the view and leave enough time to stop and explore en route.
4.
The
5. The Adelaide Hills,
The Adelaide Hills have remained pleasantly underdeveloped aside from the abundance of lush woods, walking routes and a rich covering of flora and fauna. Follow any road you like and you'll find dipping valleys, gently bobbing hills and vineyards. Great food is never far away from great wine and here is no exception; roadside fruit and vegetable stalls and fantastic restaurants will keep your energy up.
6. Nature conservation working holiday
It doesn't get more off the beaten track that heading off into the wilds of
About the Author
Bruce Haxton writes: I'm totally passionate about travel, it's been my life and work for a good few years! My travel adventures haven't really been about seeing monuments etc but far more about people and getting off the beaten track. I would like to share my many experiences and offer a little advice if I can to fellow travellers or anyone who is just about to set off on a life changing trip!
Friday, June 26, 2009
In Review: OUTBACK Magazine Website
The OUTBACK magazine website is well laid out and functional, making it very easy to find your way around the site. Pages load quickly, and most information can be accessed in a few mouse clicks.
Regrettably, that’s about as good as it gets.
There is a great Story archive in 27 searchable categories starting with Adventure and finishing with Utes. However, only the opening paragraphs of each feature article are included on the site. If you want to read the full article you must subscribe to the magazine or purchase the back issue containing the full article you are interested in.
The Shop Online section lets you order a subscription to the magazine: 1 Year (6 issues) $49.00*, or 2 Years (12 issues) $90.00*. (international prices are also listed on the site). You can purchase a small range of merchandise, or order back issues of OUTBACK from this section of the site as well.
Under the Events tab you will find a calendar of events for every Australian state and territory. Or maybe I should say, you won’t find such a listing, because sadly, this feature of the site is not being maintained to its full potential, and is all but useless.
Today, when I checked each of the links to see what events were taking place across the country, only New South Wales (with two events), and Tasmania (one event) were listed. Apparently nothing else of note was happening across the whole of
I think it’s fair to say the site is there solely to promote and help sell the magazine. In and of itself, this is not a bad thing, but in this day and (internet) age, when your website is competing with literally thousands of other online travel related magazines and portals, you have to work a whole lot harder to give visitors a reason to come back. Or do you? I’m thinking out loud, now, you understand.
Maybe it is enough to attract potential subscribers to the physical magazine, and be happy with that – as long as they actually subscribe. After all, if the purpose of the site is to promote the magazine, then it is probably doing a reasonable job. Although, clearly there are areas that need to be addressed, such as the underwhelming Events section, and it wouldn’t hurt to republish selected articles in full – even if they are twelve months old – but beyond that, who knows?
Personally, I believe the best advertising and promotion for the magazine – is the magazine itself. As my review yesterday indicated, it is well written, informative, and worth reading for the insight one can gain into life in the Australian bush. And you can't ask for more than that.
*Unless otherwise noted, all prices quoted are in Australian dollars.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
In Review: OUTBACK Magazine
Take a trip to your local newsagent, and you will find titles like Australian Traveller, Get Lost! Travel Magazine, On The Road, Travel + Leisure,
For this first magazine review I have selected the April/May 2009 edition of OUTBACK magazine.
Yes, yes, I know it’s almost July, but I had intended to review the magazine when I bought it a month or so ago. Unfortunately, I’m only just getting around to doing it. However, for the purposes of this review it doesn’t really matter, since I’m looking at the overall quality of the publication, not the timeliness or otherwise of the contents. So can I get back to my review now? Thank you.
OUTBACK – or should it be R.M. Williams OUTBACK, is a bi-monthly magazine owned by R.M. Williams Publishing. R.M. Williams itself is now owned by the Cowley family. However, before R.M. Williams simply became a privately owned company, the name belonged to a real person, Reginald Murray Williams (for more info see Footnote).
OUTBACK was launched in September 1998 to celebrate the Australian outback. In its relatively short history the magazine has caught the attention of people far and wide, and according to the circulation graph published on the OUTBACK website, was increasing its readership with each passing year (the average readership per issue for Jan-Dec 2006, was 232,000).
It’s not hard to see why. The subjects the magazine likes to showcase are as different as the outback itself: station owners, jackaroos, stockmen, travel and hospitality operators, pilots, doctors, miners, fishermen, in fact, anyone who has a close involvement with the outback.
This glossy, large format publication is printed on high quality paper, and is aimed straight at the coffee table demographic. That is, readers who are seen as “…upmarket and middle market, primarily in the 30-55 age group”; and also according to the website, “…people who identify with R.M. Williams, the man and the products, and what this represents to
Having said that, the magazine is a great read, and as you might expect is filled with wonderful photography, illustrating stories in this issue as diverse as water conservation (Water: A New Reality); station life (Home Where The Heart Is), keeping young people on the land (Positive Future’s), and the new ‘sport’ of geocaching (Hide and Seek), which utilises GPS (Global Positioning Systems) to “track down secret caches stashed around the globe”.
The April/May 2009 edition also included a Boys From the Bush At War photo essay; Flocking North which looked at some of
Feature articles are well written, and each writer is given plenty of space to explore their chosen topic fully and comprehensively. For example, the main feature in this issue, Water: A New Reality is spread over 12 pages.
There is an extensive Letters section, and readers can also contribute to the monthly Poem page. In addition, readers can submit their own photographs for monthly sections headed, Mailboxes, Dogs, Boots, and Bush Kids. Each image and accompanying story published (200 words or less) is rewarded with a $100 R.M. Williams gift voucher. By the way, the writer of the published poem also receives a similar gift voucher, while the writer of the Letter of The Month wins an Akubra hat. And finally, readers can also send in a bush yarn, funny story or joke to the Laugh Lines page where “The entry that makes us laugh the most wins a Waeco Cool-Ice icebox valued at AU$209.”
At a cover price of AU$8.95 and running to 156 pages, “…OUTBACK represents all that is powerful and positive about the outback - the people, places, events and experiences that are making outback Australia one of the most favoured tourism destinations on earth.”
Footnote: Information supplied courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
In Review: Down Under, by Bill Bryson
I’ve got two weeks to read as many books as I can squeeze in – in between writing, surfing the internet, swatting errant flies, drinking cups of coffee, and serving the occasional customer.
I’ve decided to start with Bill Bryson’s, Down Under (2000, Doubleday). Yes, I know I’m nine years and about a million readers late, but then better late than never, as the early adopters might say.
It is always interesting to read other people’s thoughts about the country you live in. You generally find the things that matter to you the most, are often the things others find least interesting. Or to put it another way, the things you take for granted; those things you live with everyday, and often never give a second thought to unless you have to, are precisely the things others find the most fascinating.
Things like the kangaroo, the platypus, koalas, wombats and echidnas just for starters. Then there are some of the deadliest snakes on the planet, sharks, fresh water crocodiles, funnel-web spiders, box jellyfish, and the blue ringed octopus.
The other pleasure is discovering the wealth of interesting information writers like Bryson, are able to uncover during their research, which they subsequently include in their books.
For example, until I read Down Under, I didn’t know that the Simpson Desert was named – in 1929 or 1932, depending on the source you choose – after Alfred Simpson, a manufacturer of washing machines. Say, What? Apparently Simpson funded an aerial survey of the area and as a result had the desert named in his honour!
Thanks Bill, I will never look at my aging Simpson washing machine in the same way again.
Good writers also notice strange quirks that locals have long forgotten or simply don’t ‘see’ anymore. Like when Bryson writes:
“Two of the leading explorers of the nineteenth century were called Sturt and Stuart and their names are all over the place, too, so that you constantly have to stop and think, generally at busy intersections where an instant decision is required, ‘Now do I want the Sturt Highway or the Stuart Highway?’ Since both highways start at Adelaide and finish at places 3,994 kilometres apart, this can make a difference, believe me.”
He is right of course. And since I live in Adelaide myself, I must make a mental note of that to ensure I don’t end up in Alice Springs the next time I want to drive to Sydney.
I was delighted to find that Bill Bryson and I share a common interest, and that is the habit we both have of buying the local paper of whatever city or community we are passing through. As Bryson says:
“What a comfort it is to find a nation preoccupied by matters of no possible consequence to oneself. I love reading about scandals involving ministers of whom I have never heard, murder hunts in communities whose names sound dusty and remote, features on revered artists and thinkers whose achievements have never reached my ears, whose talents I must take on faith.”
The more I read, the more I liked Down Under and it’s very observant author. In a recent post on this blog titled, Something About The Light I wrote, “There is something about the late afternoon light that seems to be uniquely Australian.” Of course, it is presumptive of me to assume the Australian landscape has a monopoly on the uniqueness or otherwise of light, but Bryson also makes observations about the light while driving along our country roads.
“Do you know how sometimes on very fine days the sun will shine with a particular intensity the makes the most mundane objects in the landscape glow with an unusual radiance, so that buildings and structures you normally pass without a glance suddenly become arresting, even beautiful? Well, they seem to have that light in Australia nearly all the time.”
One of the things Bill Bryson is noted for is the humour he brings to his writing. He seems to have the ability to see the funny side of a nations many quirks and foibles, and Australia is no different. His description of listening to a cricket match while driving from Sydney to Adelaide, is one of the funniest I have ever read.
I won’t try to quote from the book since that would spoil the fun for you, if you are yet to read Down Under yourself. Suffice to say that I had to put the book aside because I was laughing so uncontrollably.
Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and after living for many years in Britain with his English wife and four children moved back to America. He is the best selling author of The Lost Continent, Made in America, A Walk in the Woods, and many other great travel books.
If you haven’t read Bryson’s Down Under you should put it on your reading list now. Despite the fact that it was published in 2000, it has never been out of print, so you will have no trouble finding a copy, either in your local bookshop, online shop of choice, or good secondhand book resellers like the Book Box.
Down Under, Bill Bryson. Pub: 2000, Doubleday