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"In some ways, I think travel is about learning how to see, learning how to pay attention. It's an alarm clock in some ways, and it's a jumpstart to putting our senses on the setting where they're universally receptive. I think theoretically we could do that at our homes, and yet somehow, surrounded by familiarity and the routine we know too well, our eyes tend to close and we don't notice the things that are so wondrous for a visitor. But as soon as we physically start moving we awaken to the beauties around us." --Pico Iyer

Australian Traveller - December 2006

The Woodford Folk Festival Experience

December 30th 2006 10:22
Just a little background info - Woodford is a small country town in Queensland, Australia, that once a year holds a massive folk festival, very aptly named the 'Woodford Folk Festival'. It is 6 nights of dance, shows, comedians, stalls...you name it. Nestled in a valley, holding a scattering of ponds everyone sets up camp on the hillside and gathers in one harmonious crowd.

Tents on the hillside



Each of the roads come with clever names - you need them to find your way back to your tent!


As a virgin Woodforder you can imagine the anticipation of my first time. My palms were sweaty and my thoughts were racing. What expectations would there be? What would I have to do? Would it be as good as everyone said it was?

Loads of friends....



....to greet you along the way!


Well I was completely blown away by the whole experience. If I could have I would have stayed on longer. People were friendly, tents crammed next to each other to form a rural community of fun-loving and genuine friends. From the time you come over the hill and enter the festival grounds your eyes and ears indulge in feasts overflowing with vivd colour and exciting sounds.

Village water reflections


Cultural and Informative


We wandered the muddy tracks, a trail leading to something bigger and brighter around each corner. We sucked it all in, breathed in the experience on the dusty air and let it wash over us and through us and carry us......





So if you are in Australia GET UP THERE! It is still on for the next two days - otherwise see you there next year!
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Raindrops on roses...

December 27th 2006 22:36


It`s raining Queensland, waheeey!
The smell carried to your nostrils on the fresh breeze.
The sound of the drops falling on the roof.
The pictures reflected in the millions of rain drops.
The dry ground drinking thirstily.

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Posted By: Ash - Category: Australia
   


What a complicated world we live in.

December 26th 2006 23:08
I recenlty got this email which sums up so perfectly what a complicated world we live in:

Holiday Greetings to Everyone

I wanted to send some sort of holiday greeting to my friends, but it
is so difficult in today's world to know exactly what to say without
offending someone. So I met with my legal advisor yesterday, and on his advice I
wishto say the following:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes
for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress,
nonaddictive, gender neutral celebration of the summer solstice holiday, practiced
with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular
practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasions
and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or
secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically
uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted
calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of
other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country
great (not to imply that Australia is necessarily greater than any other
country) and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability,
religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms:
This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely
transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies
no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for
her/himself or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is
revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is
warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of
one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever
comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance
of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Disclaimer: No trees were harmed in the sending of this message;
however, a significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced. This
email may contain traces of nuts, MSG and other allergens.


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Posted By: Ash - Category: Australia
   


Woodford Folk Festival

December 26th 2006 08:48
Tomorrow, 27th December, marks the start of the Woodford Folk Festival on Australia`s Sunshine Coast. I have never been so cannot give a first hand account of it, but I have heard so much about it this year I thought I would give it a try.
There seems to be a really good line up or artists and bands from around the world and the website offers some great photos and accounts of the whole experience it sounds like it is going to be a great time. I know that we need the rain, but that is going to make it even more interesting, especially when it comes to the camping bit! I have never tested our new tent in the rain and I did not really think to ask about it being waterproof (DUH!!!!) so we could be sleeping in the car if it isn`t!
If you have ever been I would love to hear what you thought of it. If you are on the Sunshine Coast and a little lost about what to do besides twiddle your thumbs and wait for New Year why not give this a go. You can check out the website here to get a better idea if you are interested.
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Christmas in Zimbabwe

December 25th 2006 20:25
Well the day has come and gone again for another year. I love this time, it has to be one of my favourite. People, for the most part anyways, are cheerful and friendly, kids laughter echoes down the streets and house sparkle with Christmas cheer. It is a magical time! I come from Africa and thought I would some Zimbabwean Christmas thoughts with ya'll:

Zimbabwe - this is the BEST country (sorry to everyone else, but we could not all have been born there ). We have the friendliest faces and the most beautiful scenery and the sunsets.....well you will never see one like it again! Unfortunatley we have fallen into the wrong hands and things have gone very pear-shaped for our beautiful home. Click here to read a fellow Zimbabweans account of Christmas 2006


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Brisbane - learn to look UP!

December 23rd 2006 08:24
As in most parts of our lives we are so focused about what is ahead that we tend to forget to stop and look around us.
We walk through each day, staring at that little carrot dangling on the stick infront of our eyes that sometimes it is all that we ever see.
Sometimes we need to remember to look up for a little inspiration, or at least turn our heads around and see what else is in our world. We need to try and stop cramming so much into our daily lives that we forget the beauty that surrounds us.
take a slow stroll and, as they say, stop and smell the roses.


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What`s the worst text message you have sent in error?

December 21st 2006 13:36
Yes i t has happened to the best of us I am sure....and created many problems. I do it all the time, generally when I have either been out on the town and squint through one eye and send it to the wrong name or I am so busy trying to juggle seven different things at the same time that I do not concentrate on what I am doing and it goes flying off into cyberspace and there is nothing I can do about it.
Last night my friend and I were sitting having a few pre_christmas drinks and she received a text message from her partner. They have been having a few issues recently, which, as all girls do. we were discussing at length and she obviously got a little too caught up in the conversation and without realising started to type what she was saying. Within seconds of pushing send she was white as a ghost, moaning and groaning and waiting for the reply. Well she told him what she thought of him....and so he replied!!!!
So this leads to rather awkward situations - what texts have you sent that you didn`t mean to? How much trouble did it get you into? Or have you received text messages in error and then watched as the other person tried to squirm their way out of it? Always good to get a little unintentional gossip is it not


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What is your most expensive gift?

December 20th 2006 09:45
The season for giving is upon us again and we find ourselves rushing through the throngs of people in the malls in search of that perfect gift for our loved ones (or hectically clicking on the mouse if you are into internet shopping) and it got me to thinking about all the presents that I have bought and been given over the years.
So why on a travel site you ask? Well Santa is about to make his travels around the world and we all send out our words of cheer around the world so it is perfect don`t you think?
An expensive gift does not only fall into the category of expense money wise, but expense sentimentally wise. I have many thoughless nights with the lead up to Christmas when I think of what to get people


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Brisbane by Night

December 19th 2006 10:35


Brisbane, or any city really, comes to life at night. The lights transform the city into a totally different place and Brisbane is fortunate to have its changing face reflected in the curving waters of the Brisbane River that winds its way through the buildings


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The things girls need to know about cars!

December 18th 2006 13:23
Well, while we are on the subject of this weekends trip into the city for the Robbie Williams (the last time I will mention his name, SERIOUSLY!) concert I should also relay a little info to any gals who may find themselves in the same position as I did.
I have always been lucky enough to have my dad or a partner around to check everything was functioning ok with the car, when I have had one, so I have never really paid much attention to them. I know how to check the oil and water and change a flat tyre but that is about as far as my car knowledge extends. So this weekend when I was driving in the middle of the city during a nice sprinkling of rain and I put my foot on the breaks I was a little perturbed when it went flat against the floorboard and I did not stop! I was even more perturbed when I noticed that the lights at the bottom of the hill, that I was about half way down, had decided to change to red. Could it get any worse? Yes! I was about 15 blocks away from my hotel, it was dark and raining and my dad was about 100km away and partner 20 000km overseas! The boys that I was with were of no particular use to anyone except to moan about wanting to get back to the hotel. They soon shut up when I had to gear down and slowly apply to handbrake which led to a lot of suqealing wheels and us skidding into a thankfully empty intersection! Talk about your life flashing before your eyes.
So just a little word of advice from the newly wise - before you head off on any long distance journeys make sure you check that there is brake fluid in the car! And make sure you know where to look for the little container thingy that you pour it into ( I had to stand in the rain with the owners manual and search in the semi-darkness for the darn thing!). I used to consider myself quite the independent woman, but this weekend I learnt I have a long way to go!
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Robbie Williams rocks Brisbane

December 17th 2006 13:53
Oh bother! I typed out a whole post singing the man`s praises and now it is lost somewhere! GGGGRRRRRR! So I will let the pictures do the talking , get all the Robbie talk out of my system and tomorrow return to the real world! For those of you who went - was it not the most perfect night????? YES!!!

The man himself

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Robbie Williams to marry?

December 13th 2006 00:40
Yes girls, Robbie fever has hit Brisbane this week with his first show tonight. But what is most important is that tomorrow night WHEN I AM THERE and our eyes meet in the crowd he will be unable to control himself and will get down on one knee and propose instantly. I have put a lot of thought into this and marriage is such a big step, but I do feel that he will be able to provide well for my children and give me the sort of life that I should be accustomed to.
Is it those boyish good looks? Is it the charm? Is it that bad boy attitude? hhmmmm he is so good at all of them it is difficult to choose.
Have fun to all of you who will be there, I know I sure will. And when I wake with a bump and realise that my wedding has all been a dream I will console myself with re-runs of the DVD whilst snuggling in authentic concert T-shirt and cap and sipping my can of vodka premix from my Robbie stubbie cooler and crying over the phone on my limited edition Robbie mobile...not that I`m an obessed fan or anything!
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Travel comforts

December 11th 2006 23:37
Has anyone seen that ad of the guy who is looking to buy a car and only settles for the one that has the cup holder? I have just come from a whirlwind trip overseas so I`m actually not sure if it was an Aussie ad or not. Anyways I HEAR THE MAN! I`m a tin drinking kind of girl. These plastic buddy bottles just do not do it for me - for some reason the drink tastes better out of a can. So it is a hot sunny day, you are hurtling along the motorway taking in all the lovely scenery and you do not have a cup holder in your car, so you either have to stick the can between your legs to hold on to it or glug the drink down all in one go and have such a gas build up that you do not enjoy it any way. So, without going out to buy a new car that comes with a cup holder already in it, what do you do? As a budget traveller I am always on the look out for little bargains and found this one the other day in The Warehouse which has solved all my can holding problems. A little clip on device that hooks into the slats of the aircon vents! Imagine that! Now you have a cup holder AND your drink is kept cool from the air coming out of the aircon. Plus it only cost $3 so what more could you ask for!?!

Funky isn`t it?

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The end of the day

December 11th 2006 08:16
I saw a boat today, it bobbed with the never-ending tide,
Each time a wave rolled up, on the other side it would hide,
The sails were down, the bare masts stood high


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Posted By: Ash - Category: Aussie Sightseeing
   


A night at the Drive-In

December 10th 2006 23:32


The last time I went to the Drive-In was about 10 years ago so when I saw that we had one in Queensland I just had to add it to the itinerary. Little did I realise that it was so far or I would have left it for this weekend when we are in Brisbane. Anyways it was well worth the trip. We are on the Sunshine Coast at the moment and headed off two hours before the show started at 8:30pm, just to give us enough time in case we got lost. The Gateway Bridge is always something quite spectacular at night, reaching up into the night sky and creating a glowing arch over the Port of Brisbane below. After crossing here we went through Murrarie, which offers some great night views over the colourful city of Brisbane in the distance. Things were going so nicely up until this point. As I have mentioned before I am not a huge fan of map books (simply because everyone winges about having to be navigator so every 5 seconds I have to pull over to look up where we are going.) so it was here that our directions from the internet went a little wrong. Let`s just say that we were half an hour late for the movie and were truly amazed when we got there and it was still interval! How lucky was that! (for those of you who intent to go here just head toward Beenleigh and you will see a huge truck stop on the left. Take that turnoff and it is sign posted from there


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Rainbow Beach

December 10th 2006 00:26
Rainbow Beach - lovely name isn`t it? And so reflected when you get there. I have never driven on the beach before so was a little apprehensive when we arrived (Ok basically we sat at the edge of the beach entrance with me going, "Should we go? What happens if we get stuck? No let`s turn back. Ok no let`s go....") Eventually the engine was roaring and the tyres were gripping firmly on the sand and we were off! And now I have found my new addiction! For those of you who have never tried this before I highly recommend it.

Beach Highway!

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Hervey Bay Activities

December 9th 2006 06:47
So there you are, sitting on the beach, a fine glass of red in one hand, feet playing with the soft warm sand and the sun setting over the ocean and all of a sudden you get the urge for some excitement. So what does this little backpackers town have to offer?
Although we never did any of these activities while we were there this time we have done some of them before and I would highly recommend the splash out on the cash for them.
A few weeks ago I was up here and were lucky enough to go out Whale Watching. This only happens July-October so you have to pick your time carefully. I have been Whale Watching further down south on the Queensland coast but never had I seen Whales like I did here. They were jumping right out the water in front of our boat, mothers slapping the water with their long, elegant flippers. Also included in this trip is a cruise along the shallow waters of the coast of Fraser Island. If you are lucky enough you may see a dingo on the shore or some dolphins bobbing in the water


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Hervey Bay

December 6th 2006 21:26
As an avid traveller there are not many places I like to go more than once, but Hervey Bay is one of the few that I always seem to find my way back to. There is just something about the little town that is addictive - the aqua water, the pelicans waddling along the beach, the laid back backpacker atmosphere - the list goes on.

The Esplanade

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Isn`t Australia amazing?

December 6th 2006 06:55
Day two saw us waking to a clear day with blue skies and only very small wispy clouds floating in the air. We were starving when we woke up and could not be bothered to get the fire going to cook breakfast so waited 20 minutes for the shop at the campsite to open. HOt food in the tummy, a little bird feeding and we were off.


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Bunya Mountains

December 4th 2006 22:12
Ok so back to the camping trip. Well it did not start out quite how I planned. Basically the boys were messing around and our 11am start turned into a 3:30pm start. We never got the chance to get to the Observatory and besides it was really cloudy so I am not sure we would have been able to see anything anyways.
The drive up to the campsite was a rather interesting one. The mist was rolling in and dry, empty fields lined either side of the road. Dead and gnarly fingers of branches poked through and with the ghost stories being called across the car it was not long before we all feeling just a little edgy!
Fingers grabbing out for us

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The perfect sunset

December 3rd 2006 22:32
Moving away from the camping trip for a second, and although technically not quite Australian Travel (although if you are in Australia it is quite easy to travel there ) I was looking at some photos from Fiji last night and came across some of a sunset that we saw whilst over there. (Due to a coup about to break out it is possibly not the best time to travel there but I would DEFINITELY recommend it some time down the line!)

Fiji Sunset

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