Travelling Life

My Brother and I just recently flew to Airlie Beach to stay for the Easter weekend. The first day we were there, we took a cruise over to Hamilton Island for the day and spent most of our time exploring the island in golf buggies and taking photos of the beautiful scenery.

The beach was beautiful, stinger season was coming to a close so stinger suits were no longer a necessity and the water was crystal clear. After lounging on a deck chair under overhanging palm trees for an hour, I was far gone from reality with no intention of returning!

A beautiful island and a memorable experience.

Well, as intended a friend and I did travel right around the South Island of New Zealand. 1800 photos later and with broad smiles on our faces we returned back to life as it was.

Highlights of the trip were undoubtedly the beautiful sunset upon Mt Cook, our panoramic views of the Otago Peninsula from our room at Lanarche Castle and the unfathomable beauty of the steeping mountains. Photographs cannot do justice to how beautiful this country really is!

Walking inside this beautiful Abbey, one cannot help but sense a feeling of awe and breathtaking admiration. The tall cathedral ceilings demand attention as they steep upward in a beautifully refined and adorned manner. And the memorial stones of well remembered historians, leaders and world-changers each bear a golden plaque remembering their unequalled contributions to the world in which we live.

In that historic building we stand and hold communion with some of the most revolutionary men and women of the ages. Leaders who have sacrificed their lives to the undying cause of truth and conviction. What an experience!

To visit Buckingham Palace is like taking a step back in time. The changing of the guards demands an audience as the red and black suited brigade perform their daily regimented regime. Their faces are unchanging as are their steps for they undoubtedly have rehearsed this same routine for perhaps months or even years.

It’s a piece of history that I hope will never die, a long-lasting remnant of the formal civilisation which once dictated England. Now society considers these soveriegn formalities as being outdated and unnecessary in the technological age in which we live, however I believe for a country to be true to their heart – they must first be true to their heritage.

I’ve heard so many people tell of disappointing and uneventful trips to the Mt Cook region where the great mountain has been under heavy mists and views have been limited to a mere glimpse of the white peak if at all.

Our hopes were renewed as we drove around the first corner and saw the soaring view of Mt Cook and its surrounding mountains clear in view. The clouds were drifting aimlessly in the blue skies above but not inhibiting on the snowy peaks. My speedo soared to unquestionable heights as we raced towards the mountain in fear that by the time we reached Mt Cook, Clouds would have overshadowed its peak.

We were delighted to find the mountain views were never lost in clouds, nor were we deprived of seeing the sun set light up the mountain like a pink neon light at dusk. There was no comparison for such a view! The most spectacular view of all however was sunrise at 5:30 as the sun peaked over Mt Cook, it lit up the snowy range in an array of colours and caused deep shadows to crease the grounds below, it was a beautiful and completely unparralled experience.

Crossing over lichen covered rocks and passed trickling and thundering waterfalls alike with the soaring view of the frozen glacial river are memories forever inscribed in my mind when I think about the beautiful walk to Franz Joseph.

At 8:00 at night, the air was moist and fresh and the white glacier shone like a white beacon amidst the dense green forests. It truly is one of earth’s many miracles and a must see in our short lifetime!

The walk over small mounds, through towering mountains, over pebbled streams and through dense green rainforests only enhanced the beauty of our final destination – The Fox Glacier. The snow and ice remains as though it has never moved, silently silhouetted between the green mountains.

Documentaries and journal reports do no justice to something so incredible as this, the only way to truly experience the wonder of a glacier is to see it face to face through your own eyes. It was a memorable experience

A girlfriend and I took an overnight cruise on Milford in early January. The weather was slightly disappointing, however I think the heavy mists and temperate conditions only added to the character and mystery of the fiords.

Beautiful journey, magnificent country – I highly recommend it.

We arrived in Christchurch and after a short deviation to the Arctic Centre where we started our photographic exploitation of New Zealand… 100 photos later… we caught a taxi into town.

After discussing our detailed itinerary with Malcolm our taxi driver, we were recommended against staying in Methven as its main attraction is as a ski resort, not so much a summertime holiday destination. Malcolm recommended instead that we take a short trip to Akaroa, a beautiful small town on the east coast.

As we pondered this decision, we again met up with another Akaroa enthusiast, the line they used to convince us was: there’s Spain, there’s Rome, there’s Melbourne, there’s Mexico and then there’s Akaroa. Their applause and accholades of the small town convinced us that it was worth a visit.

Arriving late into Akaroa, we were already taken by the beautiful sunset hovering over the still lake and our admiration for the small town was heightened when we checked into a beautiful bed and breakfast set in a beautiful colonial style heritage house on the waterfront.

We had dinner at a caravan on the side of the road which served up the most wonderful prawn & noodle curries and with the image of the setting sun, the memory of our experience was forever engraved in our minds.

There’s Italy, there’s London, there’s Sydney and then… there’s Akaroa

The sidewalk cafes populated by laughing strangers rugged up in their winters warmest. The sweeping trees which cascade the city streets and the trams which transport tourists and commuters alike down Swanston Avenue and Little Burke Street. Artisans perform their self-expressionistic performances on the riverwalk at Southbank and the epitome of modern art lines the walls of galleries and sidewalks alike.

Melbourne is a hive of cultural flavours and international cuisine, it is on the cutting edge of the arts and its streets are defined by self-expressionism and modern thinking.

Though I have travelled to many places, walked the streets of many cities and witnessed all exaggerations of cultural diversity, Melbourne still remains one of my most beloved cities in the world.