Category: Regional Wonders

An Afternoon in Ghent

July 6, 2019

The original plan with my trip to Europe was to travel to Amsterdam, do what people tend to do when they are in Amsterdam, and then jump on a plane and fly to Istanbul to explore some of the coastal ruins, as well as paying a visit to Gallipolli (something that many Australians like to do, though it has been suggested that the one time you don’t go to Gallipolli is on ANZAC day because, well, the place becomes ridiculously crowded). Well, unfortunately, that didn’t happen, one of the reasons being that my Mum was dead against me taking my brother to Turkey (though she didn’t seem to have a problem with me taking him to Thailand and Cambodia – go figure). … More An Afternoon in Ghent

On to the Coffs

April 14, 2019

So, after spending a couple of days in Newcastle (that is Newcastle Australia) it was time to continue my trek north. By this time I had pretty much reached to edge of the Sydney Rail network – to an extent, so it was now time to jump onto the Countrylink to continue my journey. The problem with the Countrylink is that there are only two that pass through here on a daily basis, which means that I had to make sure I was at the station otherwise I would be waiting around for quite a while with absolutely nothing to do, and nowhere to stay. … More On to the Coffs

Newcastle Upon the Hunter

February 22, 2019

I’m not sure whether I would call it ironic or not, but it isn’t just that there happens to be a city named Newcastle in Australia, as well as England, it is that the Newcastle in Australia is not only on a river, but it is also a major port, and the mineral that this port ships happens to be coal. Maybe that is why they decided to give this city the name, because it reminded the original settlers of where they came from. … More Newcastle Upon the Hunter

On The Right Side – Driving in Europe

January 22, 2019

This isn’t the first time that I have driven in Europe, but I will be honest and say that my experience with driving on the right hand side of the road is somewhat limited. Having grown up in Australia, which is basically at the back end of the world and is pretty much miles away from any other country, particularly countries that drive on the right hand side of the road (Thailand and India both drive on the left), the opportunity to drive on the right hand side of the road (legally that is) is not readily available. … More On The Right Side – Driving in Europe

Old Town Phuket

December 26, 2018

I decided that when we arrived in Phuket, instead of making a mad rush for the harbour in hope of catching a ferry out to Phi Phi island, we would take it a little easier and spend the night in the main town, though that one night ended up stretching out to two, especially after I discovered a few things to go and check out while we were on the island (and in the local area as opposed to the beaches). … More Old Town Phuket

Wave to the Rock

November 28, 2018

I remember a book that my Dad had on the shelf when I was a kid. I’m not entirely sure if it is still there, but if it is it would be on the verge of falling apart. Anyway, the book was about Australia, or more specifically about the natural wonders that you can find scattered across the continent. Anyway, on the cover of this book was a rock that was shaped like a wave, and that rock had been sticking in my mind for quite a while. … More Wave to the Rock

Phi Phi Don – The Island of the Cats

November 11, 2018

This isn’t the first time that I’ve been to Phi Phi Island, though the last time, back in 2015, I only stayed for a short time. Basically I took a day cruise from Phuket, which took us to Pileh Lagoon, Monkey Beach, and then we jumped onto the island for a spot of lunch where some guys were wandering around with monkeys charging us ฿100 to hold them and have a photo taken. … More Phi Phi Don – The Island of the Cats

Out in Ararat

September 16, 2018

Ararat was one of those towns that we would regularly pass through on our road trips to Melbourne. Mind you, passing through simply meant skirting the city since the highway didn’t head down the main street, and off towards the mountains that marked the road to Melbourne. … More Out in Ararat

Ypres & the Fields of Flanders

October 28, 2017

I have had this desire to travel to Ypres for quite a while, and no doubt it had a lot to do with my passion for history, and in particular World War I history. One of the reasons that Ypres (actually probably the only reason) is that it was the sight of a number of battles that raged near the end of the war, and also because of an iconic picture of soldiers marching along wooden boards through a skeletal forest across a muddy terrain that had been blasted to smithereens. … More Ypres & the Fields of Flanders