Two iconic 'must-do' things in Hobart are the famous Salamanca Market and the relatively new but quickly (in)famous MONA - described by its owner as a 'subversive adult Disneyland'. I hadn't been to Hobart for 20 years and took the opportunity at the end of a work trip to spend a weekend there visiting Anne, who I met on my trip to Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Salamanca Market The Salamanca Market operates every Saturday and is located down on the Hobart waterfront in Salamanca Place. … [Read more...]
Melbourne: Foodie Heaven
Melbourne is known as a foodie heaven but my attempts to explore this aspect further with an expert seem to be ill-fated. Last time I was in Melbourne my tour was cancelled but I did do a Laneways tour and my own walking tour. This time I picked a 'Tram to Market' tour thinking I would be able to combine two iconic Melbourne institutions (trams and the Queen Victoria markets) with learning all about its food culture. But as fate would have it, this was the day that the tram drivers went on … [Read more...]
Australian Outback: Red Centre Safari
May 2015 "Get a taste of Australia's rugged but ever-so-scenic Outback on this four-day journey from Uluru to Alice Springs. Watching the sun set and then rise over the world's biggest rock is about as iconically Australian as experiences come. Encounter indigenous lore and legends on a guided cultural interpretative walk around the rock and gain an enhanced respect for how a people could possibly survive in such an inhospitable environment. Then explore the spectacular desert landscapes … [Read more...]
Day 1: Uluru and Kata Tjuta
28 May 2015 Catching the 7.00am flight seemed like a good idea when I booked it but when the alarm went off at 3.30am - not so much. Still, it meant that I could just take 2 days leave added to a long weekend and get a 5 day mini-break adventure. But it was a very long day. I always forget how vast Australia is and how long the flights are to get anywhere. I had a 3 hour flight to Sydney where I met friends Carmella and Boon Li and transferred to a 3.5 hour flight to Uluru/Ayres Rock. A … [Read more...]
Day 2: Uluru
29 May 2015 It was a noisy night: there were lots of goings on around the wider campground, lots of snoring, and we were right next to the camel farm so could hear whatever it is that camels do at night as well. Thanks to still being on NZ time I was wide awake at 4.00am. Even though it was the right side of the time zone to bee, it was still far too early for our 5.15am wakeup, 5.30am breakfast and 6.15am departure. About 4.30am I decided to go and luxuriate in a hot shower (I hoped). … [Read more...]
Day 3: Kings Canyon
30 May 2015 During the night we were woken by what I initially thought was someone doing a really bad wolf-howling attempt. It sounded really close. But then at least 6 more howls started up around us and I quickly realised that these must be dingos. In the morning we discovered just how close they had been - actually in the camp, and just a metre away from where Phillip and Cathy were sleeping in their swags. Opening their eyes to find a dingo looking at them wasn't quite what they had … [Read more...]
Day 4: West MacDonnell Ranges
31 May 2015 We have a much later start this morning. Kelly comes to pick us up at 7.45am for our trip out to the West MacDonnell Range. This mountain range was uplifted at the same time geologically as Uluru and Kings Canyon. It is the only mountain range in Australia to run East to West. Alice Springs sits in the gap dividing the East and West ranges. Our first stop is to visit John Flynn's grave. John Flynn founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service that supports the vast Outback … [Read more...]
Day 5: Alice Springs
1 June 2015 We have an 11.00 shuttle pick up to take us to the airport, so we have a few hours to explore Alice Springs before we go. We start the day trying to find a café open for breakfast at 7.30am. I fortify myself with Eggs Benny and a latte in preparation for our Self-guided Walking Tour of the historical parts of the CBD (which all date from the early 1900s). Alice Springs is a central outback town in the middle of Australia. Today there are approximately 28,000 people and the … [Read more...]
Laneways of Melbourne Tour
On a recent work trip to Melbourne, I was fortunate enough to be able to stay the weekend and explore more of the city (also see my previous post Walking Melbourne). I booked to go on a Laneways of Melbourne walking tour: there are few different companies offering these tours, I went with MelTours. This was an absolutely fascinating experience and opened my eyes to much more of the city than I would have ever explored myself, with the benefits of a local guide to tell you the history and … [Read more...]
Walking Melbourne
Melbourne is made for walking - especially when the weather is nice. This Australian city's riverside location and abundance of gardens combined with the well-thought-out network of walk- and cycle-ways means that it is both easy to get around and a delight to explore. I was there for business recently and stayed in a hotel in Southbank near the arts precinct. This was a perfect location for everything I needed to do and a lovely 20 minute walk along the river front to and from the … [Read more...]