Friday, October 25, 2013

Flashback: Darwin and the Australian Outback 2004



DH did a 5 week four wheel driving trip in 2004 that was almost 100% camping, not my thing, so my sister and I decided to take a week and go somewhere. I was pushing for somewhere else in Asia, Borneo maybe, Thailand, Malaysia perhaps, but she wasn't keen and that's how we ended up in Darwin, Katherine Gorge, the Devils Marbles, Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Kata Tjuta. Again prior to me having a digital camera....

Baby Crocodiles in Darwin


 Feeding the fish at Doctor's Gully

Katherine Gorge

The Devil's Marbles, the dreamtime stories surrounding this area are some good memories from my childhood 

The famous Daly Waters Pub


At Uluru, and no we didn't climb


Its a stunning part of the world and it's amazing how much we covered in 7 days (by car from Darwin down to Uluru).

Friday, October 18, 2013

Travel by Museum

DH and I are history buffs, a big part of our travel experience is learning about the history of a country, so needless to say most of the museums we have been to are history related but not all....


MONA, Hobart

The Museum of New and Old Art, is the new draw card for tourists in Hobart and worth the trip



Museo Inka, Cusco, Peru

It's beneficial to get a guide to take you through the large Museo Inka in Cusco, having said that we didn't and still got a good view of all the the museum covered.


War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Mainly covers the American war, but I visited on both trips to Ho Chi Minh City in 2002 and 2009

Auckland Museum, New Zealand
The Auckland Museum has an impressive section on Maori and Polynesian history.


War Photo Limited, Dubrovnik, Croatia
One of the great ways to learn about history is through photos. There was one in particular taken during the Siege on Sarajevo that is still etched in my mind

Iolani Palace, Hawaii, USA
The only Palace in the USA, the guided tours give a glimpse into Hawaii's history as a monarchy








Friday, October 11, 2013

Flashback: China 2002/2003

I visited China over the Christmas/New Year period of 2003/2004.



This was a trip prior digital camera (for me) and with no travel log/diary, so I don't have much details. But it's always fun to look at where you've been.

It was a whirlwind trip, only 9 days from Beijing, to Xian to Shanghai, all by train once I arrived in country.

 I was significantly under prepared for the weather, I spent the whole tour in the Forbidden City thinking I was going to get frostbite!






It was also the trip I discovered eggplant (no, seriously, I have no idea how I missed it before!) and Peaking Duck.

The Terracotta Warriors were only discovered in 1974, and were definitely the highlight of the trip.




By Xian is much more than this and a walk around the wall of the old city is worth it.




 I also am glad I visited this time of year, for Australian's good snow is hard to come by and there were very few people stupid enough to be visiting the Great Wall.





I'm not sure many of my Shanghai photos look like the Shanghai of today.





Friday, October 4, 2013

Hilton, Sydney

September 2013

We stayed at the Hilton back in 2011, but we need a place to base ourselves close to a train and within walking distance of the finish line of the Sydney Running Festival and they had a great rate so this was it.

Our room was the basic king, but it had a great bed, a great view of the QVB and great blackout blinds for our early night.




The big advantage of the Hilton is the location. Right near Town Hall station, within walking distance to the QVB, China Town, Darling Harbour and the Rocks. The only thing it misses is the harbour view.