Journey Jottings

Spotted this poster on the Community Board down at the ferry terminal

Free Positive Thoughts

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes”

Marcel Proust

Having recently written a blog post about travelling on home turf its a quote that I love!

Just over a week ago I posted on our Facebook page the following:

“What was your favourite journey?”

We had such a fabulously diverse range of what makes a journey a ’favourite’ I just have to share them all with you here!

So… in the order posted…

…I put the first half up on this blog on Tuesday 13th July, here is the second half!

Paris ~ The City of Love

Photo: skgz

Katey Shaw

Oh… this is a fantastic idea! My amazing journey (whilst I have been overseas) would have to have been to Fraser Island. There are no roads, definitely must have a 4wd. The beauty of it, is it’s simplicity of life. There was very little if any internet or mobile reception, you can catch fish straight off the beach, and hang out with Dingos. It would have to be the most beautiful & peaceful place I have been!

Fraser Island

Photo: Imaxandco

Genevieve Frew
Was to the island of Santorini. As a solo backpacker I forged friendships that have survived 24 years. With these people, I sunbaked topless on the coarse black sand of Perissa beach; I sipped ouzo and lemonade in open air restaurants because I didn’t like beer; I ate thick banana yogurt whilst waiting for the bank to open in the afternoon;I rode pillion on the back of a moped to the ruins of Fira; and I swam in the gentle swell of the Aegean and told myself that this would be a journey I would always cherish.

Santorini

Photo: MarcelGermain

Emily Nicola Lynda Armitage
My travels round Australia with fellow Scouts from the UK. We went to the Australian Jamboree and I met a group of friends I will never forget. The Aussies we met were great and so welcoming. We fell in love with many things, like Creamy Soda, VB, Tooheys, Tim Tams, Smiths Chicken flavour CRISPS (not Chips )

Most of all I fell in love with the people I met, the gorgeous land and the city of Sydney. So much so, I’ll be back this year staying with the friends I made on my last trip and making more along the way.

Scout Jamboree

Photo: Steph Matthews

Manny Samaniego
In short, I traveled from NYC to Hong Kong near the end of 2002 simply to maintain frequent flyer status for 2003. After checking-in at my hotel (I needed to list one on my customs form, right?), I introduced myself to a group of English-speaking Asians in the lobby bar. I shared with them I was only in town for 14 hours… and had 11 remaining. After spending more time explaining why I would travel such a long way, they invited me to join them for a spontaneous, whirlwind tour of districts foreign to me.
I received VIP treatment with off-the-beaten path samplings of local food, culture, and entertainment. As the sun started to rise, my new friends needed sleep and I needed to catch my flight.
While we exchanged business cards and assurances we would stay in touch, we never did. But, I’ll always cherish the memories from that very brief visit where the locals embraced me as one of their own.

Hong Kong

Photo: Wenzday01

Charley Jones
So hard to choose but a 4 day horse ride into the mcleay gorge near armidale, inaccessible by vehicle it was a very steep ride down to the river. Supplies carried by pack horse, simple food, damper and steaks and lamingtons, sleeping in a swag under the stars with blue heelers for company. Washed in the river and saw lyre birds, frogs, brumbies and eagles.
The icing on the cake was when our guide having driven us all the way back to our b&b in Armidale and on discovery of my wallet at his home turned around again to bring it back to me. 4 hours of driving: classic Aussie hospitality

Horse Trekking, Macleay River NSW

Photo: Julie Miller

Jean Doorn

Aswan. Late in the afternoon on April 3th, 1987. Old Cataract Hotel on the back. Sitting on a big red rock. Fresh wind. Sun going down. The feeling of a rock radiating it’s warmth. Felluca’s sailing by. Noises. Sitting in the black and fertile world.

Looking at the other side of the river Nile, the red world of the death. Thinking about Lord Carnavon and Howard Carter. Puzzling on what’s the same and different in ancient and modern day Egypt. Wondering on Tutankaten and Tutankamun, 2 radical and different religious names for the same physical man. Felluca’s sailing by. Riverbed with water floating. The same riverbed. For ancient egyptians. For present day egyptians.
Suddenly, everything was quiet and one. The world with all it’s sounds and motions came to a standstill. For a few seconds I felt “…”, One with the universe and humanity. For a few seconds – that seemed to last forever – everything was perfect.

THAT!

Aswan

Photo: JeanD99

Melissa Stanford
At the top of Mount Tarrengower, Maldon, Victoria – no one but me and him and the ghosts of ancient deities. Can see the universe from there, hear the songs that sang that land into being. It’s from a view like that, that you know there’s a God.

Mount Tarrengower

Photo: mickramsey

Leanne Berry

My Fav Journey was our honeymoon 5 years ago – after an official wedding ceremony here in Aus which was beautiful we took off for the south coast of England to a little village called Martinstown outside of Dorchester in Devon – the whole village had been roped into the unofficial UK wedding held in a guide tent in the backyard of Ians parents next door neighbours – the theme was quite definitely Australian, lamb on spit, gum leaves and many of the villagers and Ians family and friends made this a fantastic day – we then had 5 weeks touring culminating in a visit to the new Arsenal Stadium (only open 3 weeks) to see Arsenal play Sheffield United and they won – a lifelong dream of Ians

Arsenal Stadium

Photo: Kieran Lynam

Frank Wall

The Overland Track in Tasmania – beautiful varied scenery, world heritage wilderness, excellent walking conditions, inspiring vistas, you meet great people, It can be challenging, beautiful, snowing, sunny, raining and delightful, all in 60 minutes! Highly recommend it for a great adventure trip.(biased of course, we wrote a book about it!)

Overland Track, Tasmania

Photo: frank_in_oz

And the ‘favourite journey’ that received the most votes was…

MY JOYFUL JOURNEY by Robin Dickinson

I’ve just come from a journey to Fiji where the national pastime must be smiling. Fijians are one happy bunch of people – the young, the old,
the workers, the students – everybody. Everywhere we went we experienced smiling souls. They smile the real smile – you know – the one with the eyes that look deeply and appreciatively into your heart.
Their joy is so contagious. What a lesson!

Their villages are simple compared to our ‘sophisticated’ cities. People live on less and seem not to stockpile useless possessions. They project a real interest in joyful living and sharing what they have. They dance with you, sing to you, wave to you and smile at you. It’s the happiest journeys I’ve ever made.

Joy-full Fijians

Photo: Cak-Cak

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share with us their favourite journeys ~

Fiji

Photo: Montanafish

And Robin for leaving us with such a joyful journey

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Just over a week ago I posted on our Facebook page the following:

“What was your favourite journey?”

We had such a fabulously diverse range of what makes a journey a ‘favourite’ I just have to share them all with you here!

So… in the order posted…

…half today, and the other half on Friday

Yvonne Adele

My first trip to New York, where I came back with a life-long souvenir – a NY yankees tattoo! The day after I got it, I sat at Yankee Stadium – forward in my seat because it was hurting my back – with my giant pretzel and giant foam hand. The regular baseball fans I was sitting next to thought I was mad. On the same trip, I went roller skating at The Roxy.

Yankee Stadium

Photo: LawrenceFung

Journey Jottings

My first trip to the Pilbara, walking through Karajini’s rugged red gorges, where the lower sections are worn smooth from water pounding down during the Wet; swimming in icey pools at the base of these chasms where the sun’s rays can only fleetingly touch each day. Then onto the Great Sandy Desert… sleeping out under the stars listening to the wind whistle through the spinifex grass ~ Magic

Karajini ~ Pilbara

Photo: NeilsPhotography

Catherine White

…finding myself in an establishment that offered more than ‘massages’ in Midtown New York (eeeek!   hehe!)

Massage?

Photo: schatz

Debbie Ellis

Spending a week on the sleepy little island of Procida, in the Bay of Naples, Italy. I was captivated by the rustic charm of the island; the fishing village with its faded pastel coloured houses clinging precariously to the cliffs, the rocky jagged coastline & the scent of lemons from the citrus groves. Exploring the labyrinth of narrow winding walled streets and colourful local piazzas, authentic & unpretenious, and a welcome respite from the chaos of Naples !

Procida

Photo: J.Salmoral

Kirsty Wilson

The climb up Mt Sinai at 3.00am to witness an inspirational sunrise. Together with a small group of backpackers who spent the night at St Catherine’s Monastery, we all set out without a guide and by torch light. We negotiated our way along what we ‘hoped’ were tracks until we could see more torch lights near the base. These torch lights were the local Bedouins selling trinkets. We made it to the summit in time to witness the most spectacular sunrise over the pink, smooth, bubble-like mountains of Sinai. It was one of the most moving and memorable moments I’ve experienced.

Mt Sinai Sunrise

Photo: bluelizardworld

Rita Maria

Travelling from Adelaide via the Flinders Ranges and along the Oodnadatta Track to Australia’s red centre to see Uluru for the first time.
We left Adelaide on 12th September 2001, still in shock about the terrible attacks which happened in the US the night before. Once we reached Marree, the tiny town at the start of the Oodnadatta Track, we felt we reached a different world. The vast and lonely desert around this little town was stunning, the craziness of the world outside dwindled. Since the horror of 9/11 a few days ago, we felt completely at ease.
Later on that trip, the magic of Uluru was captivating and spirtual, however, Marree will always be a special place for us.

Oodnadatta Track

Photo: splaTT

Susan Stubbs
My fav journey was from Brisbane to Phillip Island for the MotoGP in 2006 my first big ride on my own Motorcycle. 16 days away touring NSW and VIC, Jap Peace Gardens Cowra, Cricketers Walk Cootamundra, Great Ocean Road, Salt Lakes (Lake Corangamite) Phillip Isle Trackside, Hawkesbury River, and Nabiac Motorcycle Museum on the way home approx 5,500kms. A great expereince to see this vast land of ours

Trackside Philip Island

Photo: teliko82

Debbie Yeomans
It hasn’t happened yet but it will this Saturday when I drive to the airport to collect 3 of my boys. They have been visiting their father interstate and I have missed them so much. It will be a short trip but a very happy one

Reuniting

Photo: Jasmic

Robin Dickinson

I’ve just come from a journey to Fiji where the national pastime must be smiling. Fijians are one happy bunch of people – the young, the old, the workers, the students – everybody. Everywhere we went we experienced smiling souls. They smile the real smile – you know – the one with the eyes that look deeply and appreciatively into your heart.
Their joy is so contagious. What a lesson!

Their villages are simple compared to our ‘sophisticated’ cities. People live on less and seem not to stockpile useless possessions. They project a real interest in joyful living and sharing what they have. They dance with you, sing to you, wave to you and smile at you. It’s the happiest journeys I’ve ever made.

Joy-full Fijians

Photo: Cak-Cak

Shandel D Burns

I just came back from the UK and Italy. They were both great and what stood out was how lovely the people were in both areas.

England

Photo: Catchesthelight

More on Friday when I announce the winner!

Winner will be the ‘Favourite Journey’ voted with the most ‘Likes’ on our Facebook Page ~

To be in the competition just add your favourite journey to our page

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My good friend Kirsty Wilson from Travel Tips Plus wrote a blog post last week entitled ‘Souvenirs:  Postcards from Travel Destinations”.

I posted the link onto our Facebook page asking:

“Do you keep all the PostCards you receive?”

Kirsty's Fridge Door

Photo: Travel Tips Plus

“I keep them!” piped up Charley Jones

And Sarah Mitchell responded:

“I don’t but my sister-in-law recently showed me a shoebox full of postcards I’d sent to her kids over 15 years of international travel. It was a very cool record. I had forgotten about some of it.”

Despite the best of intentions, one does forget!

Sarah’s statement brilliantly exemplifies how even a few words, in this case on the back of a postcard, is all it takes to bring back otherwise forgotten travelling adventures ~

So… next time you are away and writing a few postcards, take a few moments to jot down the equivalent of a postcard to yourself in a small notebook jotter, and at the end of the holiday pop it in an envelope (with a selection of pretty local stamps) and post it home to yourself  ~ Postmarked envelopes are like passport stamps in that they mark where you were and when. On your return you’ll have the fun of receiving mail from this far flung location with a neatly parcelled chapter full of memory joggers encapsulating your latest escapade.

Check out my Best Kept Travel Secrets for other ways to

*highlight your holiday adventures*

‘Mangroves‘  vegetate the inter-tidal area between land and sea that gets flooded with the tides. The name Mangrove is therefore applied to any plant that is able to live in salt water whether a tree, a bush, a fern, grass or shrub.

Over 18% of the Australian coast line is vegetated with mangroves ~

This week, I was sent an invitation to a gallery exhibition opening in Port Hedland with this beautiful pastel image on canvas of mangroves, by artist Sharon Jack.

Pastel on canvas by artist Sharon Jack

The exhibition of her work is to run through July to the end of August, should you be lucky enough to be in Western Australia during this period ~

The islands in the Bay off Brisbane, where I’m based, are surrounded by some beautiful species of mangrove ~

More than anything, I love their arched root systems

And these that must be years old with amazing gnarled and weathered trunks

As the soils in these zones have little oxygen the root systems are  generally close to the surface, and do a great job of helping to prevent erosion

Journey Jottings:

Where/When/How ~ What did I See, Hear, Smell, Touch, Taste?

• Australia’s inter-tidal zone

• Arching roots
• Clicking of crabs disappearing down holes
• Un-oxygenated mud
• Shiny leaves, slippery mud
• Salt

I had to go into Brisbane last week ~

Old & New in Brisbane, Queensland

And with business done, I couldn’t resist popping into the Queensland Art Gallery for a quick look!

Queensland Art Gallery

It always fascinates me how they are able to have such a beautiful big water feature in amongst the delicate art works! For the longevity of the exhibits the building is constantly monitored for atmospheric changes to ensure the works are never too hot nor too humid; so how, I wonder, do they keep humidity in check with all that water in the building?

I liked the juxtaposition of this display composition

Mixed Cultures

All the craft-works in this group had been made in Queensland from local timber materials about the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth centuries ~

The shields and the woven basket made by the indigenous population, and the tilt top table made by a migrant Joseph Soblusky.

Queensland timbers, European design

Such beautiful designs and patterns from two cultural perspectives ~

I’m always taken by Margaret Preston’s work ~ I particularly love her renditions of native Australian flora, so this image of Sturt Desert Peas caught my eye.

Margaret Preston

However, the obvious indigenous influences in this work, painted in 1943, has in more recent times attracted criticism of her applying cultural designs without understanding their meanings.

QR Bench

Back out of the gallery and on my way home, I thought this was a nice little detail on the South Brisbane railway station ~ The platform benches with a QR (Queensland Rail) insignia.

Journey Jottings:

Where/When/How ~ What did I See, Hear, Smell, Touch, Taste?

• Queensland Art Gallery, June 2010, quick side-visit

• native timbers organically patterned with ochres / hewn structure
• echoes of soft voices
• water
• all encompassing space
• cultural exchanges

In February of this year I was thrilled to receive a nomination from Kirsty Wilson of Travel Tips Plus to reveal 3 of my best kept travel secrets as part of a Blog Tag game initiated by Tripbase.

(To cut to the chase the images below are click linked! My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets feature in the blue covered ‘Travel Tips’ ebook )

Worldwide Secrets

The rules were simple ~ Once nominated the tagged blogger revealed 3 of their best kept travel secrets and then tagged a further five bloggers who in turn revealed their secrets (Once tagged you’re out!)

Beaches

It culminated in over 150 travel bloggers across the globe contributing over 500 inspirational travel secrets!

Foodie Travel

Each one of these phenomenal travel gems has now been compiled into a series of unique travel e-books.

United States

There are 7 in all giving away travel secrets as to the best beaches, great food, fabulous family travel tips, worldwide wonders and a couple concentrating on the specific countries of the United States & Italy ~

Travel Tips

My three travel secrets appear in the ‘Travel Tips’ blue covered e-book illustrated above (where I can be found directly after featured author Rolf Potts

Italy

The most exciting development however, has been Tripbase announcing that for every single e-book that is free to download, they will make a $1 donation to Charity: Water.

Family Travel

To download any of these free e-books simply click here

Then pass the link onto all your friends! As every download = $1 towards Charity:Water

The downsides to long haul air travel for me are all ‘D’s…

Dehydration, DVT and Deafness (as the pressure changes on descent)

Air travel

To overcome these, here are my tips -

Dehydration: I take a water bottle with me – Whilst there can be no liquid in it as you board (current security) the larger planes have water stations where you can help yourself and keep refilling your own container throughout the flight – Fill it up before you take off (or if you have no bottle ask the cabin crew for one) so you can start sipping without having to wait for the first round of refreshments which, what with take off and depending on where you’re sitting, could be a while – Then keep drinking – water that is (alcohol is best avoided) as  it really does make you feel a whole lot better when you get to your destination and so reduce jet lag

Prepare for takeoff

DVT: The in-flight magazines and often the in-flight entertainment show you exercises you can do to help avoid Deep Vein Thrombosis , which can occur from being couped up on a long haul flight ~ But on top of doing these, I always wear special flight socks (compression socks) that I put on two hours before takeoff; and wherever there’s a stop-over I make the most of the time to get some serious exercise! Having sat for anything up to 13 hours the last thing I want to do is sit in a transit lounge so, ensuring I have the boarding gate number firmly implanted in my memory I briskly set out for a timed 15 minutes away from the gate making the return trip a good half hour walk to get the blood flowing – If the queue for re-boarding is long I will continue to walk away and back, so when faced with another 8 hours of sitting I’m not quite so fidgity

Airplane Travel

Deafness: Some pilots it seems are better at keeping the pressure stable in the cabin on descent than others! But if you, like me, are sensitive to the pressure that presses on your eardrums till you can’t even hear the roar of the engines you’ll know how incredibly uncomfortable it is – I have tried chewing lollies, yawning and blowing my nose (holding nose closed whilst blowing) all said to alleviate the discomfort,  but on this last trip I resorted to Otrivine, which is a decongestant that really does work a treat, and as absorption is quick I waited to see how the pilot was doing before applying

Engine power

But the fun of flying can’t be denied

Up, Over & Out of Australia

An opportunity to see places from a different viewpoint

Above the clouds

Like the runway approach to the City of London…

Coming into London over Tower Bridge

Happy flying

Photos were all taken on my recent trip from Australia to Great Britain

Its funny how we clamber to travel and explore other parts of the globe, whilst travellers from other parts of the globe clamber to travel and experience our home turf! Places, that to us are merely where we go about our everyday business are to them a far off distant land worthy of exploring; areas that we think of as ‘boring back waters’ to them arouse wide-eyed interest and fascination.

So, what wonders are we missing by walking around with our eyes closed?

We obviously need to maintain the visitor’s vigilant eye of observation so details that fall on either side of our rushed daily paths don’t go unnoticed ~ I had to do some ‘travelling’ this week, having a business appointment in Brisbane on Monday, and then on Wednesday a meeting down the coast in Surfers Paradise ~

Ferry from the Moreton Bay Islands to Redland Bay

I took the ferry to the mainland, and a train into Central where I walked down Creek Street passing Koala House, which had a huge sculpture of a Koala atop it that to be honest, I’d never noticed before!

Koala House, Brisbane

At the bottom is Eagle Street where, on one of the top floors of this skyscraper, I had my first appointment for the week.

Eagle Street, Brisbane

The view from the top was of course great, looking down onto the Brisbane River…

Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane

…across to Kangaroo Point

Brisbane River

…and the Story Bridge

Story Bridge

A few days later I cruised by car down the coast on a short trip to Surfers Paradise calling in at the Coast Map Shop (to replenish our map stocks) and then onto meet up with Kirsty Wilson who produces the TravelTipsPlus website.

We met at the Marina Mirage, one of the few places on the east coast you can watch the sunset over water!

Marina Mirage, Surfers Paradise

Many people travel to new places to experience change, so I find artist Andy Goldsworthy’s comment an interesting thought ~

“I believe that change is best understood by staying in one place.”

I love ‘travelling’ on my home ground ~ It only becomes mundane and dull when you stop looking!

Due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull my stay in Scotland was extended

Making the most of the extra time, my sister and I did a coastal walk along the Solway Firth south of Dalbeatie between Sandyhills to Rockcliffe ~

Coastal Path

There is something gorgeous about walking a trail that winds along a stone walled cliff’s edge adorned with bright yellow gorse. Enjoying the anticipation of treading the trail ahead…

Our path went over the hill up to the right

…whilst taking satisfied glimpses behind of hills and dales now conquered, and peering down into sandy bays.

Sandy Bay

Spying cormorants…

Cormorant

and sea gulls

Sea Gulls

on the craggy rocks below

Rocky arch

And then doesn’t food always taste just the best out in the fresh air after an exerting morning

Picnic at the halfway point

We’d passed salmon nets out to sea in the morning ~

Salmon Nets

and ancient ruined cottages in the afternoon

Ruined Cottage Window

decorated with dandelions!

Dandelion decoration!

Before climbing  the final hill… around the final headland…

Me on the Coastal Path

…before descending down to the shoreline…

On the home leg

…and along a shelled beach ~

A beach of shells

to our just reward!

Caramel Apple Granny Cake