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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

What with everything changing...

May 31st 2007 08:36
... and us perhaps losing our blogs I think I will have to start posting to this site again because I don`t really want to lose it..... so keep your eyes peeled for further travel adventures being posted in this space... as time permits....



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Intoxicating India...

January 16th 2007 11:14
I have always wanted to go to India. A friend of mine went last year and said it was an amazing, life changing experience. They came back a totally different person. Another friend is going next month.......

I have also lost a lot of family members to the dreadful Cancer disease that plagues our planet today. I would not wish upon my very worst enemy the punishment of watching a loved one die to this disease.

What do the two have in common?

Well, a travel company called World Expeditions has got together with some charities and offers trips to anyone doing fundraising for that charity. The Cancer Council of NSW offers trips to India, trekking in the Himalayas, in return for a personal donation as well as meeting their fundraising target. They give you ideas on how to fundraise, as well as some time after the trip to do some last minute collecting.


As well as this they also offer trips to Nepal and Vietnam and Cambodia....decisions, decisions......Do not think this is a way of travelling for nothing. You must be committed - you will be required to overcome personal obstacles and it is not an easy road to travel. If you are interested in staying in the country after the trek travel arrangements will be made for you to do so, however the cost is all yours.

This is not the only charity challenge that is on offer. There are various ones to different parts of the world and for varying levels of fitness.
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Confusion

January 13th 2007 21:58
If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius

Larry Leissner
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We are interesting creatures, us humans. We will do something, knowing full well the outcome of it and then stand there scratching our heads in amazement and wonder why when things go pear shaped!
We will drink those tequila shots and then wonder why we spend the night curled around the toilet and wake up the next day with a thumping head and body wobbling around like a huge pot of jelly.
We will touch that wall with the big sign on it that says “Wet Paint” and then curse ourselves when we have a nice big green stripe up our finger. Or touch that iron, just to see if it is hot and then complain because we have burnt ourselves


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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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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