Travelling South Australia
The truth is that many people do not really travel much for relaxation in their own region or state. In that we are no different. We tend to head interstate for our major holidays. I suppose most people are the same. With the advent of dearer petrol prices, the trend is for people to take holidays closer to home. The cost of travel has become a real issue for many.
Last weekend was a long weekend in South Australia with a holiday on the Monday for the running of Adelaide Cup. This is “the race that stops a suburb”, said one wit in the letters to the editor section of “The Advertiser”, our state-wide daily newspaper. He was referring sarcastically to the world famous Melbourne Cup, a horse race that literally does stop a nation. On that one day of the year, a horse race is THE most important thing happening. Just shows what terrible gamblers we are here in Australia. I shouldn’t say “we”; I’ve never had a bet on a horse race in my life. Sure, I’ve occasionally been a part of an office sweep, but gambling no. Mugs game I reckon. The only ones to win are the bookies and the horses.
Because it was a long weekend our daughter took the opportunity to fly to Sydney to visit her brother and sister in law. She also spent a day with English friends who have recently moved to live there. That left the problem of Nancy, her pet dog. We’ve looked after this lovely pooch on many occasions. Dog sitting we call it. Looking after the “grand-dog” is another expression used often (as we don’t yet have any grand children).
So we travelled to Clare in the mid-north of South Australia for the weekend. It’s just over a two hour drive. There are several different routes to take. Most take you through the beautiful Barossa Valley, arguably Australia’s premier wine growing region. The Clare Valley itself has a growing reputation for producing fine wines.
It was a relaxing weekend. We watched a few movies – our daughter has an excellent collection of DVDs – and I did a lot of reading and writing. It’s quiet staying at her house; no one knows we are there so the phone doesn’t ring often. Only three times in the five days we were there; one was our son and another was our daughter.
Note to self: we must have more short breaks like that.
Links:
- A short break in Clare – from my Birding Blog.
- Birding while Travelling – also from my Birding Blog.
Exotic Destinations: Incredible India
No Comments »13th March, 2007; Category: Exotic Destinations
When I travelled to Nepal in 2006 I had originally planned to spend a few weeks in India as well. My plans changed and I didn’t get there – but at Chitwan National Park I came quite close. I hope that one day I shall get to incredible India.
Over recent weeks the local television stations here in South Australia have been running a series of advertisements from the Ministry of Tourism and promoting Incredible India, their official tourism web site. The web site is actually very good.
It covers pages that will help you to get to know India, its people and cultures, its geography and history and its festivals and fairs. Other sections include a Help Desk and a facility to read the information in different languages. There is also a Holiday Ideas section and a Search button.
Links:
- Incredible India – official Ministry of Tourism web site.
- India Ink – a blog about travelling in India and other countries.
Exotic Destinations: Provence, France
4 Comments »12th March, 2007; Category: Exotic Destinations
Every year I eagerly look forward to watching the Tour de France. We now can enjoy full television coverage here in Australia. I enjoy watching the cyclists as they wend their way through the French countryside. I admire their stamina, strength and tenacity. The tour would have to be the toughest sporting event anywhere, with the possible exception of the Iditarod dog sled race in Alaska.
For me, however, the cycling is secondary. I mainly watch the race to see the magnificent French countryside and their wonderful architecture. I can sit there for hours watching the scenery on television. The outcome of the race unfolding being of much lesser importance to me.
I would love to explore the countryside in France. There seems to be so many beautiful places to discover and enjoy. I would particularly like to go hiking through parts of the country so I could get a personal appreciation of both the people and the environment.
One region that would be high on my list of places to see would be Provence. There are many blogs covering this region of France but I wish to mention just one: chez mistral. This charming blog has a focus on the food, wines, places to stay and things to see in the Provence region.
Perhaps one day I will live out my dream.
Exotic Destinations: From New Zealand to India
No Comments »11th March, 2007; Category: Exotic Destinations
Pete McGregor who is from New Zealand, has an amazing blog called Pohanginapete. It is about birds, natural history, mountains, photography, people, travelling and a host of other subjects. Pete has an engaging and fascinating writing style, evocative of place, mysterious and poetic. It is well worth the effort to spend some time reading his articles.
A major feature of his blog is the photography, whether that be of a Cormorant sitting on a jetty, a wind-whipped seascape, a delicate spider’s web or a panoramic mountain scene the quality shows a master at work.
Pete is currently travelling overseas. His latest articles feature a long journey through India during November through to February. It makes fascinating reading, complemented by wonderful photos from India.
Exotic Destinations: India
When I was planning my trip to Thailand and Nepal I originally wanted to go on to India and explore there for a few weeks. Unfortunately it would have added far too much cost to an already stretched budget. This is a shame because India is such a diverse country both culturally and geographically. If I’d gone ahead with my original plans, I would have only touched a small portion of this wonderfully exotic country. I had intended seeing some of the country within a day or so travel from New Delhi.
So instead, I travel vicariously via travel blogs. Possibly one of the best travel blogs I’ve come across is called India Ink. This blog is written by Basia, an instructional designer who lives in Chennai. Being single, she has been able to spend many holidays in different parts of India, as well as many other exotic locations. Some of these include Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe (she was born in Poland) and the USA, where she grew up.
Basia has written about her impressions of the many places she has visited. These accounts are wonderful; I especially loved her piece about taking a luxurious bath in the Everest View Hotel after struggling up the mountains while trekking in Nepal.
In my opinion, the main strength of her blog, however, is the photography. It is brilliant. She never hesitates to not only take the spectacular, but she focusses her camera on the bizarre, the unusual and the ordinary things of life in these cultures.
Highly recommended.
Links:
- India Ink – India and beyond – the good, the bad, the ordinary and the spectacular.
- Travels in Nepal – from my travel blog
- Travels in Thailand – from my travel blog