Our latest holiday trip took us to the land of the Orient - Hong Kong China and Macau. Fishermen from Fujian and farmers from Guangdong were the first known settlers in Macau, when it was known as Ou Mun, or "Trading Gate", because of its location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou (Canton). In the early 1550's the Portugese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao "place of A Ma", in honor of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portugese adopted into the name Macau.
Macau is a SAR (Special Administrative Region) of the People's Republic of China since 20th December 1999, and, like Hong Kong benefits from the principle " One Country, two systems". Macau has a population of 542,000 and is spread across 29.5 sq. km and comprises of three islands - Macau, Taipai and Coloane. The official currency of Macau is the Pataca (MOP$) and is divided into 100 Avos.
The tiny SAR is growing in size - with more buildings on reclaimed land - and in the number and diversity of its attraction. The greatest of these continues to be Macau's unique society, with communities from the east and west complementing each other, and the many people who come to visit.
We went to Macau via ferry and it takes 60 minutes to reach the island from Kowloon. We had a full day to explore the fabled island which is famous for its architecture, gambling and textiles. As we cleared immigration we were greeted by our tour guide Cisco who as we realized later is a fascinating specimen of the homo sapien version of mankind. Born in Europe and raised in China, Cisco knows how to read, write and speak in 7 different languages apart from English and Chinese.
Anyways our first pit stop was at the statue of Kun Lam - which has been at the centre of controversy ever since its inception. The statue is made of pure bronze and is gold plated - the reason for the controversy are many i.e the statue looks more Greek/European than Oriental, it is inward facing which is bad Feng Shui and the lotus at the bottom of the statue is closed which is augured as bad omen. Most importantly it's an eyesore for the locals as it has cost $11.5M of the tax payers money.
From the statue we then took a ride to appreciate the majestic casino buildings built by Dr. Stanley Ho, MGM and James Packer. I must say some of the must visit casino buildings are - MGM, Grand Lisboa, Sands and Star world. I can't complete this blog without talking a bit about Dr. Stanley Ho, who is the 11th richest man in the world and is a great philanthropist. Dr. Ho is 89 years old and has 4 wives. He again became a father at the ripe age of 86 and has given the world a testament of his virility. He owns most of the casino buildings in Macau most notably Grand Lisboa and has the Stanley markets in Hong Kong named after him.
Macau is famous for it's historical buildings which are a melange of old Chinese and European architecture. We went to the A-Ma temple which existed before the city of Macau came into being. The temple is more than 600 years old and is an exemplary representation of Chinese culture inspired by Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and multiple folk beliefs. Outside the temple one can look straight into mainland China. In the temple neighbourhood is the famous MACANESE Coffee house which is world famous for its lemon tarts. A bit further down the street are the Moorish Barracks - built in 1874, this building was constructed to accomodate an Indian regiment from Goa appointed to reinforce Macau's police force. The building is distinctly neo-classical integrating elements of Moghul influence.
A trip to Macau is not complete without paying a visit to the following historical sites - Ruins of St. Paul's, St. Dominic's Church, Guia Fortress and Senado Square. Macau has lot to offer especially to the gambling kind, in terms of net profit Macau has taken over Las Vegas. Our last pit stop was the Grand Emperors hotel - owned by Jackie Chan and has 74 gold nuggets/bars encrusted on the floor at the entrance guarded by two guards - who are replica of the Venetian guards at the Buckingham Palace. No visit to Macau is complete without shopping and we did a lot shopping at one of the factory outlets at Senado Square.
Macau is now the gambling capital of the world and represents a heaven for those lucky few who have a great spin of the roulette. For the others who abstain from gambling Macau has more to offer in terms of architectural wonders, shopping and a relaxed life.....
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Hunter Valley - The Wine Country
The upcoming birthday of my friend Gautam along with a desire to spend a weekend away from Sydney in early August took us north towards Newcastle
The Hunter Valley, is one of the most visited wine regions in the world. Life began as a brutal colony here, it was only discovered because of one lieutenant Shortland from the early colony at Sydney was hunting for escaped convicts. As he sailed around the coastline, he saw an outflow of water and pursuing the same he discovered what is present Hunter Valley rich with cedar trees and coal. These were exactly the things the fledgling colony needed.But the Hunter was much too fertile to remain as a penal settlement and settler's soon arrived to take advantage of the area.
Its been aptly said that " The man who could sit under the shade of his own wine, with his wife and children about him and ripe clusters hanging within their reach, in such a climate as this and not feel the highest enjoyment, in incapable of happiness and does not know what the world means."
The valley is divided into regions - Upper and Lower, the Lower region in Pokolbin hosting most of the famous wineries the regions has to boast about. Whilst in pursuit of the Godly spirits (pun intended), a good starting point to commence your journey is Brooke road - there are so many notable wineries on either side of this road. Some of the famous and must visit wineries in Hunter are - Tempus Two, Drayton Family Wines, Mount Pleasant, Broken Wood, McGuigan and Audrey Wilkinson.
As for the wine itself, many grape varieties do well here, from classics like Cabernet Sauvignon to lesser known varieties like the white grape Verdelho, which at its best can have a taste like a refreshing fruit salad. But two varieties of grapes do outstandingly well here :- Shiraz and Semillon.
Our accommodation at Crowne Plaza was fantastic, our cottage overlooked a small pond which was part of the resort golf club. Our cottage was fully furnished and had two rooms, the resort has all the modern facilities along with with two excellent restaurants. Our first day was spend on wine tasting and buying couple of bottles of Moscato and Semillon for giving us company through the evening. I must say the Moscato from Tempus Two cellars is world class. The following day we went to the Cheese and Chocolate factory to buy authentic home made chocolates. Post which, my wife and I paid a visit to the famous Hunter Valley gardens and simply loved it all - 60 acres containing 10 distinctive gardens - the Rose Garden, dedicated to grandmothers - in a corkscrew design, the centre of which showed a grandmother surrounded by happy children and many roses encircling it. Off course it was the wrong time of the year, but their were still a few flowers hanging on and a lot of the northern hemisphere trees had lost their leaves. The Formal Garden featured yet more rose and topiared bushes, the Indian Mosaic garden had topiared elephants and interesting ground covers, as well as an Indian tea house on the lake's edge. The Chinese Moongate featured magnolias and camellias and weeping mulberries, Sunken Garden had a 10m waterfall and lovely garden beds, the Border garden contained formal hedging and fountains, the Italian Grotto Italian urns, citrus trees, the Oriental garden - Japanese Pagoda on the waterfront with beautiful bushes and grasses and finally, for children, the Storybook garden. This featured figures from nursery rhymes, the Mad Hatters Tea Party and all sorts of wonders to delight. We finished our visit with lunch on the cafe' veranda in the sunshine, overlooking the oriental lake and pagoda. Post this it was a drive through the Upper Hunter Valley, lovely farmland, horse studs, green paddocks and high rugged mountains in the distance. Most of the drive through areas we haven't been to before - always good to try the road less travelled back to Sydney...
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Byron Diaspora
An aggregation of organic food stores, yoga clinics and people selling crystals gives a homely air to Byron Bay. The central market area is predominantly full of cafe's, chic boutique stores and some very arty looking people.
The place evocate's emotions of how Adam and Eve may have reminisced upon their time in the garden of Eden: sunshine, rolling hills, soft sands, breaking waves, Fern gully, fresh fruit, community engagement, homegrown, locally made, multicultural, chickpea salad and spiritualistic innocence. However, bear in mind that Byron Bay is a paradise not heaven. Disregarding the cold weather, I could easily paint a picture of myself playing on the beaches of white sand and have a sense of belonging to a place were people care for each other and live by the community spirit.
Byron Bay is like a beautiful golden orb cobweb which is made up of a variety of individuals that create an overall beautiful structure. Our morning was spent taking a long walk across the coastline and post a sumptuous breakfast we decided to explore the local markets. If you are a fan of "The Rocks" in Sydney then Byron Bay is a larger than life version of "The Rocks". It's a paradise for shopaholics with keen interest in antiques and organic produce.
Post some shopping and a lunch at HOG's Breath Cafe, we spend more time in the town post which we headed towards to the beach to watch the sunset. I was eager as a beaver to try out my new digital SLR and Byron Bay sunset provided the idyllic setting for it. To add to the mysticism of the evening were a couple of hippie musicians playing the drums as the sun disappeared into the night sky leaving all of us behind in a haze of orange and indigo.
It might seem strange today looking around, but long before tourism Byron Bay was the Australian working man's best choice for an inexpensive family holiday. It was never a place for the "monied and would be trendy' folks. They came like a dribble in the 80's and then like a flood in the 90's never to leave the place. The point is when you find a good spot...for heaven's sake tell no one....
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Greatest Sporting Anthems
Watched 20 to 1 Greatest Sporting Anthems by Bert Newton last week...allthough I do agree with some of them but not all the anthems included in the list are the greatest ever.....
Here is my list of top 21 (in reverse order) of the greatest sporting anthems ever or songs which are played at major sporting events
21.Global Deejays - "Flashdance...what a feeling"20. Genghis Khan - "Moscow" -
Here is my list of top 21 (in reverse order) of the greatest sporting anthems ever or songs which are played at major sporting events
21.Global Deejays - "Flashdance...what a feeling"20. Genghis Khan - "Moscow" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAKRw6mToA
19. The Immortals - "Mortal Kombat" OST for the movie Mortal Kombat in 1994 -
19. The Immortals - "Mortal Kombat" OST for the movie Mortal Kombat in 1994 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWnJyKQACXA&feature=related
18. Jordin Sparks - "You will never walk alone" now official song for FC Liverpool
18. Jordin Sparks - "You will never walk alone" now official song for FC Liverpool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8smO4VS9134&feature=related
17. Hunters & Collectors - "Holy Grail" traditional song at all AFL Grand Finals
17. Hunters & Collectors - "Holy Grail" traditional song at all AFL Grand Finals
15. 10CC - "Dreadlock Holiday"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5xm3F-s6xE&feature=related
14. Mojo Singers - "Cmon Aussie Cmon" debut for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket in 1978
14. Mojo Singers - "Cmon Aussie Cmon" debut for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket in 1978
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzfzNiwyWJk&feature=related
13. John Cafferty - " Hearts on Fire " for Rocky IV
13. John Cafferty - " Hearts on Fire " for Rocky IV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJaEVmbzXSA
11. Sarah Brightman & Jose Carreras - "Amigos Para Siempre"
11. Sarah Brightman & Jose Carreras - "Amigos Para Siempre"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikKzQwgBJc
7. Men at Work - " Land Down Under" Australia's song when they won the America's Cup
7. Men at Work - " Land Down Under" Australia's song when they won the America's Cup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCrZfTkG1c
3. Europe - "The Final Countdown" official song for Euro Cup 1988
3. Europe - "The Final Countdown" official song for Euro Cup 1988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS4giqtbRBM&feature=related
Please do post your comments in case of any sinful omission / inclusion......
Cheers
Please do post your comments in case of any sinful omission / inclusion......
Cheers
Friday, March 26, 2010
Invictus
I watched Invictus yesterday and feel good after watching the movie...its again a top of shelf classic from Clint Eastwood with remarkable performances from Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.
The movie touched a deep chord with my conscience and proves the fact that forgiveness and not looking back into the past are highly mature form of thinking....something only very few blessed souls have on planet earth....
Invictus means Unconquerable in Latin and is actually a title of poem written by an English poet William Earnest Henley in 1875..this poem was Nelson Mandela's favorite poem ...and something which gave him strength when he was imprisoned....
INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tearsL ooms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:I am the captain of my soul.
I was amazed by the fact on how Mandela can / could forgive all the people had indicted punishment , insult and pain to his body and soul. In one of the scenes from the movie Freeman playing Mandela truly says that Forgiveness truly liberates the soul and that he can't afford to delve into the past and instill the fear the white government had whilst passing on the power to Mandela.
The movie is based on a book Playing the Enemy : Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation. Its a true story of human bonding beyond racial barriers in which Mandela asks the captain of the Springbooks (South African rugby team) to win the 1995 world cup for the country and people of South Africa.
Many people already know what is the plot of the movie ...however what is important is the underlying message for humanity....
I personally believe that the day we stop caring for each other is the day we stop being called as humans....it exemplifies the fact that people like Gandhi and Mandela are true gems of the human race...people who believed in the power of mind and sacrificed their whole lives in service for their country...
So on that note for a feel good evening with family do watch INVICTUS....
The movie touched a deep chord with my conscience and proves the fact that forgiveness and not looking back into the past are highly mature form of thinking....something only very few blessed souls have on planet earth....
Invictus means Unconquerable in Latin and is actually a title of poem written by an English poet William Earnest Henley in 1875..this poem was Nelson Mandela's favorite poem ...and something which gave him strength when he was imprisoned....
INVICTUS
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tearsL ooms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:I am the captain of my soul.
I was amazed by the fact on how Mandela can / could forgive all the people had indicted punishment , insult and pain to his body and soul. In one of the scenes from the movie Freeman playing Mandela truly says that Forgiveness truly liberates the soul and that he can't afford to delve into the past and instill the fear the white government had whilst passing on the power to Mandela.
The movie is based on a book Playing the Enemy : Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation. Its a true story of human bonding beyond racial barriers in which Mandela asks the captain of the Springbooks (South African rugby team) to win the 1995 world cup for the country and people of South Africa.
Many people already know what is the plot of the movie ...however what is important is the underlying message for humanity....
I personally believe that the day we stop caring for each other is the day we stop being called as humans....it exemplifies the fact that people like Gandhi and Mandela are true gems of the human race...people who believed in the power of mind and sacrificed their whole lives in service for their country...
So on that note for a feel good evening with family do watch INVICTUS....
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Who is the best batsman ever ? Bradman or Tendulkar
From the moment Sachin Tendulkar first sprang into prominence,cricket writers have compared him , in way or another,with Sir Donald Bradman.
Sir Don in his own time was compared with Australia's Victor Trumper.During Bradman's playing career certain number of critics of about the same age as Bradman - or even younger - continued to make these comparisons and often went to great lengths to prove that Trumper was the better batsman (even without ever having seen Trumper play). Nothing has changed over the past 50-60 years or so the comparisons will keep on happening. We have been fortunate enough to have a player like Tendulkar play cricket in our times but also have been unfortunate enough to never have seen Bradman , before making any comparisons.
Tendulkar himself has always remained completely aloof from the argument , he is possibly now on his swan song but personally I and all his fans would want to see him bat into eternity.
The time is prudent definitely to declare Tendulkar as the one of the batting greats the game has ever seen and also include him in Wisdens Top 5 players of this century , but one should also put rest any comparisons of Tendulkar with Sir Don , Len Hutton , Jack Hobbs, Gavaskar or Sir Viv Richards.
It is not an apples to apples comparison and certainly not a fair one.Stats would heavily favour both the greats,Tendulkar in terms of volume and Bradman in his averages.Numbers definitely speak for themselves but I believe in relativity in terms of the era , quality of opposition and bowlers and the ever changing rules of cricket.Bradman played at a time were it was "no holds bar" for the bowler in terms of targeting the batsman's body to limit run flow and get him out.The Bodyline series is a testament of this fact , Tendulkar is playing in an era were bowlers have been limited in terms of their line and length.Moreover the inclusion of the 3rd umpire and the challenge system has benefited the players immensely , thereby completely ruling out the human errors by the umpires. Bradman did score a lot of his runs against England and has been sometimes criticised for scoring heavily against weak teams , just to clarify the only weak team he played against at that point of time was India , that only once. Bradman batted at the crease for 80 times in test cricket and scored a staggering 6996 runs at Godly average of 99.94.
Coming now to Tendulkar , for the majority of his career has always been the pivotal batsman and saviour for the Indian team.This was not necessarily the case for Bradman as he captained "The Invincibles" Australian team to great success.Tendulkar on the other hand instead of being part of a plan has been the plan.
The question is on what grounds do we compare these two greats on style ....has anyone of us seen Bradman play barring a few black and white footage. Secondly in terms of runs had Bradman have the oppurtunity to play more tests and ODI's wouldn't he have amassed more runs at his phenomenal average.
Hence I feel that both Tendulkar and Bradman are great players of their own era's and comparison can't be made between the two.One thing is for sure that is common between the two - the undying love for the game and the great level of fitness they exhibited in their twilight playing years.
Sir Gary Sobers recently compared that Gavaskar is the best batsman ever because of runs he scored against a bowling attack in his time which comprised of Lillee,Thompson,Roberts,Hall,Imran Khan etc.
So just to wrap up Tendulkar is definitely the best modern day batsman especially amongst the players he has played along with ...Lara,Ponting,Anwar,Kallis,Jayawardene etc and Sir Don would remain to be the best in his playing time also.
Sir Don in his own time was compared with Australia's Victor Trumper.During Bradman's playing career certain number of critics of about the same age as Bradman - or even younger - continued to make these comparisons and often went to great lengths to prove that Trumper was the better batsman (even without ever having seen Trumper play). Nothing has changed over the past 50-60 years or so the comparisons will keep on happening. We have been fortunate enough to have a player like Tendulkar play cricket in our times but also have been unfortunate enough to never have seen Bradman , before making any comparisons.
Tendulkar himself has always remained completely aloof from the argument , he is possibly now on his swan song but personally I and all his fans would want to see him bat into eternity.
The time is prudent definitely to declare Tendulkar as the one of the batting greats the game has ever seen and also include him in Wisdens Top 5 players of this century , but one should also put rest any comparisons of Tendulkar with Sir Don , Len Hutton , Jack Hobbs, Gavaskar or Sir Viv Richards.
It is not an apples to apples comparison and certainly not a fair one.Stats would heavily favour both the greats,Tendulkar in terms of volume and Bradman in his averages.Numbers definitely speak for themselves but I believe in relativity in terms of the era , quality of opposition and bowlers and the ever changing rules of cricket.Bradman played at a time were it was "no holds bar" for the bowler in terms of targeting the batsman's body to limit run flow and get him out.The Bodyline series is a testament of this fact , Tendulkar is playing in an era were bowlers have been limited in terms of their line and length.Moreover the inclusion of the 3rd umpire and the challenge system has benefited the players immensely , thereby completely ruling out the human errors by the umpires. Bradman did score a lot of his runs against England and has been sometimes criticised for scoring heavily against weak teams , just to clarify the only weak team he played against at that point of time was India , that only once. Bradman batted at the crease for 80 times in test cricket and scored a staggering 6996 runs at Godly average of 99.94.
Coming now to Tendulkar , for the majority of his career has always been the pivotal batsman and saviour for the Indian team.This was not necessarily the case for Bradman as he captained "The Invincibles" Australian team to great success.Tendulkar on the other hand instead of being part of a plan has been the plan.
The question is on what grounds do we compare these two greats on style ....has anyone of us seen Bradman play barring a few black and white footage. Secondly in terms of runs had Bradman have the oppurtunity to play more tests and ODI's wouldn't he have amassed more runs at his phenomenal average.
Hence I feel that both Tendulkar and Bradman are great players of their own era's and comparison can't be made between the two.One thing is for sure that is common between the two - the undying love for the game and the great level of fitness they exhibited in their twilight playing years.
Sir Gary Sobers recently compared that Gavaskar is the best batsman ever because of runs he scored against a bowling attack in his time which comprised of Lillee,Thompson,Roberts,Hall,Imran Khan etc.
So just to wrap up Tendulkar is definitely the best modern day batsman especially amongst the players he has played along with ...Lara,Ponting,Anwar,Kallis,Jayawardene etc and Sir Don would remain to be the best in his playing time also.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Melbourne - Port Campbell - Phillip Island Trip
Went to Victoria over the Australia weekend and visited Port Campbell,Warnambool,Geelong,Melbourne and Phillip Island.Sharing with all of you some of the pics and information :-
Day 1 - Flew from Sydney via Jetstar to Avalon in the Geelong region, we had already booked a car via Budget. We were surprised that we got a Nissan TIIDA as a our rental car - I was expecting at least a Corolla.Anyways we took off for our first stop at Port Campbell , after a long struggle with our NAVMAN we stuck to the route inland towards Port Campbell passing by the towns of Winchelsea and Colac.Reached our hotel at Port Campbell by 12 pm , were happy to see the location of the hotel at it was right on the beach and had a small wharf adjoining it.We unpacked and immediately took for the 12 Apostles which is situated 12 kms from Port Campbell.All though the apostles have made the southern coast of Australia world famous there are other scenic lookout points and rock formations i.e - The Grotto,London Bridge,The Arch,Loch Ard Gorge,Moonlight Head and Gibson steps.Each one of the the above hold breathtaking views. We ended our first day with a nice Italian dinner at Port Campbell along with a nice bottle of Shiraz.
Day 2 - The next day we woke up at our leisure and got ready by 11 am , we did not have anything specific planned and just wanted to visit Warnambool.Warnambool is a prosperous regional town on the south coast of Victoria and is at a distance of 65kms from Port Campbell.The coastline from Port Campbell to Port Fairy is also called the Shipwreck coast with close to 100 recorded shipwrecks.Along the way some of the must stop at scenic points are - Bay of Islands,Bay of Martyrs,Children's cove etc.
Day 1 - Flew from Sydney via Jetstar to Avalon in the Geelong region, we had already booked a car via Budget. We were surprised that we got a Nissan TIIDA as a our rental car - I was expecting at least a Corolla.Anyways we took off for our first stop at Port Campbell , after a long struggle with our NAVMAN we stuck to the route inland towards Port Campbell passing by the towns of Winchelsea and Colac.Reached our hotel at Port Campbell by 12 pm , were happy to see the location of the hotel at it was right on the beach and had a small wharf adjoining it.We unpacked and immediately took for the 12 Apostles which is situated 12 kms from Port Campbell.All though the apostles have made the southern coast of Australia world famous there are other scenic lookout points and rock formations i.e - The Grotto,London Bridge,The Arch,Loch Ard Gorge,Moonlight Head and Gibson steps.Each one of the the above hold breathtaking views. We ended our first day with a nice Italian dinner at Port Campbell along with a nice bottle of Shiraz.
Day 2 - The next day we woke up at our leisure and got ready by 11 am , we did not have anything specific planned and just wanted to visit Warnambool.Warnambool is a prosperous regional town on the south coast of Victoria and is at a distance of 65kms from Port Campbell.The coastline from Port Campbell to Port Fairy is also called the Shipwreck coast with close to 100 recorded shipwrecks.Along the way some of the must stop at scenic points are - Bay of Islands,Bay of Martyrs,Children's cove etc.
12 Apostles London Bridge
We reached Warnambool at around 2pm and had a lunch and walked around the central street. Post that we headed towards the Flagstaff Hill Museum.As you stand atop Flagstaff Hill , the picturesque Lady Bay stretches before you.The museum also holds the Maritime village.Representing a typical seaport including businesses and trade indicative of late 19th century.Some the highlight building for my wife and I were the late 19th century classroom (out ling the strict rules which the student and the teacher had to abide by),the bar and blacksmith / undertaker shed.The buildings have been recreated using original and replicated material.The whole hill precinct comes to life each night as the tragic tale of the wreck of Loch Ard is retold in a spectacular world class multimillion dollar sound and laser should - SHIPWRECKED Sunset from hotel at Port Campbell
Day 3 - We had a long drive back along the picture perfect coastline of the Great Ocean drive , the drive is something I will remember for my life as each bend and turn had a beauty greater than the previous one.The day was ideal with deep blue sky ,scorching sun and a rough sea.Being the Australia Day weekend all the beaches were packed.On the way we took a detour towards Cape Otoway for the famous lighthouse and also saw Kaola's in there natural habitat.We had a lunch at Apollo Bay - what a fantastic place.The lunch was light and the name of the joint was L.U.V - Living Unearthed Vitality.
Our plan was to drive straightaway to Phillip Island however wife was at her shirpy best along the winding ocean drive and after 1 hour post lunch was feeling miserable.I was keeping quiet the whole way.Anyways we decided to stay in Geelong at Mercure Geelong.Now Geelong reminded me a lot of the outer precinct area of Christchurch and was practically dead at 4pm in the evening.We took complete rest and were gearing up for our final day for a trip to Melbourne and Phillip Island. By the way during this time the Federer vs Hewitt clash was finalized.
Day 4 - woke and treated ourselves to a king size buffet breakfast at Mercure , both of us were dallying on whether we should watch the touted epic clash between Hewitt and Federer or spend more time at Phillip Island.Anyways we never were in with a chance for the tickets hence drove straight to Melbourne CBD / MCG. We took the MCG day tour and I was awed by the history associated with the stadium , did you guys know that Shane Warne still has not been made an honorary member of the SCG as he played his county cricket for Black rock. Can you believe Victoria's most famous son being denied membership at the mecca of Australian cricket.The MCG also has a world class museum which has all the original world cup trophies which Australia has won. Anyways post MCG we roamed around Melbourne CBD , showed wifey around Federation square , had lunch by the Yarra etc.
The last leg of our trip was Phillip Island and we started off towards it around 3 pm , reached Phillip Island around 6pm and booked ourselves in for the private show of the Penguin March.The Little penguins which are 1 feet tall came ashore at 9pm in hundreds and started of their march in batches of 5-6.It was ethereal experience , there was a Wallaby also which was trying to get the attention of all..anyways came back from Phillip Island and reached back Geelong around 2am.Our flight back to Sydney was at 5am and we barely slept and dropped of our car at Avalon airport.
It was a great trip...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Love for statistics
There are three kinds of lies : lies , damned lies and statistics.
Statistics is the science of collecting ,summarizing and analyzing numerical data and is used to predict the likelihood of events.The knowledge and use of statistics elevates you in the same way that a bibliography adds a couple of stars for an author.The association of statistics in my high school and college days was the one that went hand in hand with the word "vital".There,was in fact, a piece of instrumental music that broadened or rather defined the term - it was called 36-24-36.
Imagination was a powerful thing in those days now everything is evidence based,eve in field of customer service which is slowly now being transformed into a science as opposed to just treat people in a normal courteous manner.
Insurance companies were amongst the first to use statistics as a method to figure out the premium owed to them and also the risk profiling..its these days more popularly known as Actuarial Science.The premium for life/health insurance is based on the body mass index (BMI).If your BMI is more than 25 you are overweight and 35 or more is morbidly obese.With each passing year the number of tests and the number of people being employed is increasing,words like confidence interval,hazard ratios,null hypothesis etc are common.
There are 2 kinds of statistics , the kind you look up and the kind you make up....did you know that 65.4% of all quoted stats during conversations are incorrect / made up at the moment......what predicament....can anyone prove me incorrect...
I would quote the great cricketer turned commentator turned TV Comedy show host turned now politician(phew ..he is quite a handful..) - Navjot Singh Sidhu - " Stats and numbers are like bikini's they hide more than what they reveal.." only Sidhuji and his punjabi euphemism's are capable of making such a comment....
But then what is life without stats and numbers.....
Statistics is the science of collecting ,summarizing and analyzing numerical data and is used to predict the likelihood of events.The knowledge and use of statistics elevates you in the same way that a bibliography adds a couple of stars for an author.The association of statistics in my high school and college days was the one that went hand in hand with the word "vital".There,was in fact, a piece of instrumental music that broadened or rather defined the term - it was called 36-24-36.
Imagination was a powerful thing in those days now everything is evidence based,eve in field of customer service which is slowly now being transformed into a science as opposed to just treat people in a normal courteous manner.
Insurance companies were amongst the first to use statistics as a method to figure out the premium owed to them and also the risk profiling..its these days more popularly known as Actuarial Science.The premium for life/health insurance is based on the body mass index (BMI).If your BMI is more than 25 you are overweight and 35 or more is morbidly obese.With each passing year the number of tests and the number of people being employed is increasing,words like confidence interval,hazard ratios,null hypothesis etc are common.
There are 2 kinds of statistics , the kind you look up and the kind you make up....did you know that 65.4% of all quoted stats during conversations are incorrect / made up at the moment......what predicament....can anyone prove me incorrect...
I would quote the great cricketer turned commentator turned TV Comedy show host turned now politician(phew ..he is quite a handful..) - Navjot Singh Sidhu - " Stats and numbers are like bikini's they hide more than what they reveal.." only Sidhuji and his punjabi euphemism's are capable of making such a comment....
But then what is life without stats and numbers.....
Indian Memsahib
Its the untold story of a bureaucrat's wife is an unconventional look into the world of Indian bureaucracy and its fascinating order. The book is an subtle attempt by the author Dr. Suchita Malik at showing how bureaucracy works in certain ways and brings out the conflict between popularity and credibility.
Indian memsahib traces the protagonist - Sunaina's journey from being an ambitious girl who wants to live life on her own terms to an outside bahu - daughter in law in a traditional family set up fighting her love battle to the trials and tribulations of becoming the wife of Raghu , an upright and honest IAS officer.
Naive and inexperienced at the outset of her life and career.Sunaiana looks at life with her own rose tinted glares and harbours great notions of living life on her own terms.Little does she know that destiny is all set to take her through the corridors of power and places where her modern outlook,ideas and fantasies are soon to be juxtaposed with conservative value systems and cold rationality.
The books makes you live through excitement,struggles,challenges,apprehensions and all the ups and downs that define the nuts and bolts of babudom and the life of a bureaucrats life in India.
Indian memsahib traces the protagonist - Sunaina's journey from being an ambitious girl who wants to live life on her own terms to an outside bahu - daughter in law in a traditional family set up fighting her love battle to the trials and tribulations of becoming the wife of Raghu , an upright and honest IAS officer.
Naive and inexperienced at the outset of her life and career.Sunaiana looks at life with her own rose tinted glares and harbours great notions of living life on her own terms.Little does she know that destiny is all set to take her through the corridors of power and places where her modern outlook,ideas and fantasies are soon to be juxtaposed with conservative value systems and cold rationality.
The books makes you live through excitement,struggles,challenges,apprehensions and all the ups and downs that define the nuts and bolts of babudom and the life of a bureaucrats life in India.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
2 States – Story of my Marriage
Recently on my business trip to India I borrowed the latest Chetan Bhagat book – 2 States from my sister.Chetan Bhagat has had a meteoric rise to stardom and fame over the past decade and truly so a well deserved one.
The fact that he is a star product of the run of the mill social framework of India were completing an MBA from IIM’s post a degree from IIT truly guarantees success in profession and personal life , strikes a chord with wide diaspora of Indians.
The timing of the launch of this book couldn’t have been more opportune as it coincided perfectly with the pre-release of the movie 3 idiots which reignited the reader’s interest with 5 point someone and also this new book.
2 States is a funny book has all the elements of best seller as the story revolves around interstate / intercaste marriage and a lot of married couples can empathise with it. The author touches the throbbing nerve of a typical Indian marriage and how the situation gets murkier in out of caste / state marriages specifically the expectation which the opposing side parents have from each other.
The book also brings out the underlying feelings/ perceptions which North and South Indians have for each other. This myth and perceptions give a lot instances in the book wherein you would smile while reading it.
I have now noticed a trend in Bhagat’s books; all his novels till date have a number in the title i.e –
> 5 Point Someone
> 1 Night @ Call centre
> the 3 mistakes of my life
> 2 States – Story of my marriage
I wonder what is the title of his next book going to be …how about 4 play ….if Bhagat wants to write books in the genre of Shobha De’.Maybe Bhagat just believes in the power of PRIME numbers..I don’t know but for sure his easy to understand play of words and story lines ensure an enjoyable reading always…
2 States is a good buy / borrow…
The fact that he is a star product of the run of the mill social framework of India were completing an MBA from IIM’s post a degree from IIT truly guarantees success in profession and personal life , strikes a chord with wide diaspora of Indians.
The timing of the launch of this book couldn’t have been more opportune as it coincided perfectly with the pre-release of the movie 3 idiots which reignited the reader’s interest with 5 point someone and also this new book.
2 States is a funny book has all the elements of best seller as the story revolves around interstate / intercaste marriage and a lot of married couples can empathise with it. The author touches the throbbing nerve of a typical Indian marriage and how the situation gets murkier in out of caste / state marriages specifically the expectation which the opposing side parents have from each other.
The book also brings out the underlying feelings/ perceptions which North and South Indians have for each other. This myth and perceptions give a lot instances in the book wherein you would smile while reading it.
I have now noticed a trend in Bhagat’s books; all his novels till date have a number in the title i.e –
> 5 Point Someone
> 1 Night @ Call centre
> the 3 mistakes of my life
> 2 States – Story of my marriage
I wonder what is the title of his next book going to be …how about 4 play ….if Bhagat wants to write books in the genre of Shobha De’.Maybe Bhagat just believes in the power of PRIME numbers..I don’t know but for sure his easy to understand play of words and story lines ensure an enjoyable reading always…
2 States is a good buy / borrow…
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Palace of Illusions
Just completed reading "The Palace of Illusions" Chitra Banerjee Devakurni a book I bought out of the sheer act of getting rid of my last New Zealand dollars at Christchurch airport before flying back to Sydney. The book took me down the memory lane way back into the late 80's when the epic Mahabharata was telecast ed on national television in India. Reading the book I was still imagining the same characters who actually played the roles in the tele-serial.Relevant to today’s war-torn world, The book takes us back to the time of the Indian epic The Mahabharat—a time that is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical. Through her narrator Panchaali, the wife of the legendary five Pandavas brothers, Divakaruni gives us a rare feminist interpretation of an epic story.
The novel traces Panchaali’s life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods, and ever-manipulating hands of fate.The strength of this novel, is the profound thinking that is woven into the main story.
The novel traces Panchaali’s life, beginning with her magical birth in fire as the daughter of a king before following her spirited balancing act as a woman with five husbands who have been cheated out of their father’s kingdom. Panchaali is swept into their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at the brothers’ sides through years of exile and a terrible civil war. Meanwhile, we never lose sight of her stratagems to take over control of her household from her mother-in-law, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Panchaali is a fiery female voice in a world of warriors, gods, and ever-manipulating hands of fate.The strength of this novel, is the profound thinking that is woven into the main story.
Moreover it is a good refresher on the values the epic is trying propagate and the view which Draupadi has throughout her existence on the various key events.It provides a totally new dimension to ascertain what was good and evil during the epic and how things that are destined to happen..happen with a rationale behind it.
Can't say whether it is a must buy or not for your respective collection but for my friends in Sydney feel free to borrow it from me.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
New Zealand - South Island
Day 8 : We flew from Rotorua to Queenstown and the flight was bumpy due to heavy weather conditions , I was a tad nervous as we were flying in a 30 seater plane. To avoid getting more nervous I started to take pictures from the plane below and captured amazing images of pristine blue lakes below 
.The images were absolutely stunning , we passed over Fox Glacier and other snow capped mountain peaks. Once we reached Queenstown airport which is a basically a narrow air strip nestled between mountains on three sides , we straightaway went to get our rental car. South Island is one place were driving on your own is highly recommended and I was eagerly looking forward to the long winding drives over the coming few days.
Our joys knew know bounds as we entered into our rooms as we got an amazing lake Wakatipu view from our rooms.
It was day before Christmas and the whole of Queenstown was bustling with people with their red Santa caps and other festivities.We had an amazing organic lunch and then decided to explore adjoining areas.The first thing we saw from our hotel was the Gondala ride which takes you 450 m on top and one can enjoy the view over a nice lunch / dinner. So immediately we booked ourselves for a Boxing day gala buffet dinner. Next I was keen to see more of the Lake Wakatipu hence we started to drive along the lake stopping almost at every corner
to enjoy and abosrb the breathtaking views.Lake Wakatipu has a bit of hisotry , its a glacier lake and almost stretches for 45 km uptil Glenorchy which we did visit on this drive.According to myth the lake is in a shape of a huge giant (Manata) in cocoon position.As this was the position in which he fell down when he was killed by the locals , the lake rises up / down in height by 12 cm every 5 mins which is very unique as its landlocked.Again according to myth the explanation is attributed to the rhythmic heartbeat of Manata who is still believed to be alive beneath the lake...wow...fascinating...our drive along the lake took us right upto Glenorchy which is basically close to source of the lake.Again our South Island trip had a great start and we came back to Queenstown for dinner at an Indian restaurant - Freija's ..would highly NOT recommend it ..
.The images were absolutely stunning , we passed over Fox Glacier and other snow capped mountain peaks. Once we reached Queenstown airport which is a basically a narrow air strip nestled between mountains on three sides , we straightaway went to get our rental car. South Island is one place were driving on your own is highly recommended and I was eagerly looking forward to the long winding drives over the coming few days.Our joys knew know bounds as we entered into our rooms as we got an amazing lake Wakatipu view from our rooms.
It was day before Christmas and the whole of Queenstown was bustling with people with their red Santa caps and other festivities.We had an amazing organic lunch and then decided to explore adjoining areas.The first thing we saw from our hotel was the Gondala ride which takes you 450 m on top and one can enjoy the view over a nice lunch / dinner. So immediately we booked ourselves for a Boxing day gala buffet dinner. Next I was keen to see more of the Lake Wakatipu hence we started to drive along the lake stopping almost at every corner
to enjoy and abosrb the breathtaking views.Lake Wakatipu has a bit of hisotry , its a glacier lake and almost stretches for 45 km uptil Glenorchy which we did visit on this drive.According to myth the lake is in a shape of a huge giant (Manata) in cocoon position.As this was the position in which he fell down when he was killed by the locals , the lake rises up / down in height by 12 cm every 5 mins which is very unique as its landlocked.Again according to myth the explanation is attributed to the rhythmic heartbeat of Manata who is still believed to be alive beneath the lake...wow...fascinating...our drive along the lake took us right upto Glenorchy which is basically close to source of the lake.Again our South Island trip had a great start and we came back to Queenstown for dinner at an Indian restaurant - Freija's ..would highly NOT recommend it ..Day 9 : Merry Christmas to everyone ...the spirit of Yule was infectious especially in Queenstown ...we were lucky to be there during the Christmas period as the whole township was bustling and there was joy all around...we woke up late hence missed out on the breakfast at the hotel ...hence wifey and I ventured into the main street in search of food...I would like to confess here that allthough Iam of a cheerful disposition ...however when Iam hungry and I can be a pain..you know what I mean..:) anyways most of the eating joints/cafes were scheduled to open mid day and luckily we found a place were we had a quick bite...my sensitive buds can devour any quality of food when Iam hungry....I become like ANGRY ANGUS...
Anyways our plan was to visit Wanaka township famous for lake wanaka and so we packed our car with snacks / essentials to drive to Wanaka which is approx 100 km's fro
m Queenstown.On the way we decided to stop at Arrowtown. Arrowtown is almost 160 years old and the town was formed during the gold rush period.Its about 400 sq m and has basically three parallel streets across the township.It is famous for its well preserved town structure , shops and buildings and also nice gold artefact's. As we went their on Christmas the town wore a deserted look and reminded us as if were in that specific time period. There are a couple of shops famous for woollen and leather and it would be recommended to shop here for the same.
m Queenstown.On the way we decided to stop at Arrowtown. Arrowtown is almost 160 years old and the town was formed during the gold rush period.Its about 400 sq m and has basically three parallel streets across the township.It is famous for its well preserved town structure , shops and buildings and also nice gold artefact's. As we went their on Christmas the town wore a deserted look and reminded us as if were in that specific time period. There are a couple of shops famous for woollen and leather and it would be recommended to shop here for the same.
From Arrowtown we drove straight upto Wanaka ..famous for Lake Wanaka. The sight was (again repeating myself) was absolutely breathtaking and we grabbed a quick bite from Turkish takeway as that was the only place open and sat in front of the lake for an hour so. I wanted to explore the township more and was wondering if there was a road which ran alongside the lake and would take me to a place like Glenorchy.What we did discover just outside Wanaka was a township which was idyllic and exhibited a happy state of lifestyle and living.Imagine houses lined up with a backyard looking into one of the most scenic lake sides in the world and 
for what its worth I found out that these houses didn't cost more than NZ$ 1.5 MM.Compare that with Sydney and you would get an apartment for AU$ 1.5 MM in north shore / CBD for a sneak peak of the harbour ...bullocks...
for what its worth I found out that these houses didn't cost more than NZ$ 1.5 MM.Compare that with Sydney and you would get an apartment for AU$ 1.5 MM in north shore / CBD for a sneak peak of the harbour ...bullocks...Anyways post this our day was still not over and we decided to go to Cromwell another heritage town like Arrowtown on our way back to Queenstown. We found a Masonic temple in Cromwell which made me wonder about how well the Masonic society was entrenched even at a far out place like Cromwell in the middle of nowhere way back in the 19th century.
Ohh yes before I forget before reaching Wanaka we did stop my the Leaning tower of Wanaka ,interestingly the clock on the tower moves anti clockwise and it was instated on 1st January 2000.Implying that with each passing day of this millennium we are moving a day back into the 20th century...The Curious case of Benjamin Button....
Anyways we winded up our day with early Thai dinner.... I was a bit sad as this was going to be our second last day in Queenstown.
Day 10 : Our last day in Queenstown started of with a nice brekky by the lake shore and a day spend at bowling.
Day 10 : Our last day in Queenstown started of with a nice brekky by the lake shore and a day spend at bowling.
We went took a Gondola ride to the mountain top and a had an excellent gala dinner with an amazing lake view to keep in our memories for ever. Lake Wakatipu would be forever be etched in my memory and I made a promise to come back to Queenstown soon.
Day 11 and 12 : Boarded the 10am flight to Christchurch and reached in 45 mins.Checked into our hotel and went for lunch.The conditions were overcast and Christchurch reminded me of Adelaide a lot.Later I did come to know that Christchurch and Adelaide have the same town architect hence th
e resemblance.Christchurh is pretty Victorian in its look and feel.We discovered an opportunity for punting at the Oxford Cove rivulet and got a poor man's experience of Venice.I must say that the experience was romantic with the adjoining willows and ducks adding to the beautiful scenery.
e resemblance.Christchurh is pretty Victorian in its look and feel.We discovered an opportunity for punting at the Oxford Cove rivulet and got a poor man's experience of Venice.I must say that the experience was romantic with the adjoining willows and ducks adding to the beautiful scenery.Christchurch is famous for its trams , cathedral and architecture.We discovered a nice fine dining restaurant - The Bangalore Polo Club in the city.It was established in 1859 and the restaurant has an Victorian /Royal Indian look and feel to it.
By this leg of our journey I was missing Sydney and wanted to g
o back as soon as possible , with no offense to Christchurch ..we just were plain tired. Hence we watched a couple of movies - Sherlock Holmes and 3 Idiots.
o back as soon as possible , with no offense to Christchurch ..we just were plain tired. Hence we watched a couple of movies - Sherlock Holmes and 3 Idiots.We needed to do some souvenir shopping and that's were the rest of our time was spend.
It was the end of an excellent holiday our first international holiday together as a couple.Hence New Zealand will always have a special place in our hearts for making our journey so memorable.
So there we ended our trip and took an early morning flight across the ditch back to Sydney.....
So there we ended our trip and took an early morning flight across the ditch back to Sydney.....
From KIA ORA it was back to GDAY MATE HOW R YA ...
Sunday, January 03, 2010
New Zealand - North Island
I have been now staying in Sydney,Australia for the past 3 years , and over these past 3 years my friends and colleagues have always told me about how beautiful a country New Zealand is.So we (my wife and I) started to plan our trip across the ditch to our trans-Tasman neighbours in Aug’09. We have just completed our 2 week trip to NZ and after driving for 1840 km’s,visiting 5 major cities and 12 towns across North and South Island we feel immensely pleased and rejuvenated and also would like to let everyone know reading this blog that calling New Zealand just beautiful is an understatement.It is the most scenically beautiful country I have travelled to and the Kiwi people are warm , hospitable and beautiful.
Please find below a day by day account of our travel :-
Day 1 : Arrived safely in Auckland and checked into Scenic hotel at the heart of Auckland's CBD overlooking the Skytower.All of us were hungry hence we grabbed a quick bite and straightaway ventured towards the skytower and took a tour of it , spending close to 3 hours.The highlight was all of us
having coffee at Sky Lounge overlooking the Auckland harbour and city. Came back to our
hotel , took some rest and and bought nice New Zealand white and red wine to give us company at dinner (which was a combo of Indian and Mexican).All of us had the urge to watch AVATAR across the road at Sky theater but we refrained from it.
Day 2 : Woke up and had a sumptuous breakfast and then went to Budget Car rental to get our car - Toyota Corolla , checked if all parts are in order and then switched on the GPS to drive straight to Hamilton.Took us 2 hours to reach Hamilton and we passed by townships of RamaRama,Bombay and Helensville.In Hamilton we went to our friends place and were well received by them , had a heavy brunch there and were forced to stay for lunch...cm on gimme a break my tummy was stuffed..hence we promised that we would join them for dinner at Hamilton.From Hamilton we drove to Matamata a small town blessed with picturesque surroundings and boutique cafes.Matamata was our launch point for our tour to Hobbiton the home for the movie set of Lord of the Rings.
The tour costs NZ$58 per head and is worth every cent if your a LOTR fan / fanatic , else one can spend more time in Matamata/Hamilton.Having said that Hobbiton is a beautiful place and you would feel as if you are in the 15th century , highlight of the place is when you get to enter in to a Hobbit hole and can take pics around the Party Tree.
After the tour to Hobbiton we came back to Matamata and had very nice coffee at Matamata and spend some time in the town before heading back to Hamilton.Reached Hamilton and had dinner with our friends and walked around the city before heading back to Auckland.
We were pretty tired by the end of the day but I was still brimming with excitement.
Day 3 : Woke up a bit late but were all ready by 10am in the morning , the whole day was planned in and around the Waikato region and we drove down towards Waitamo caves famous for the Gloworms and black water river rafting.It took us 3 hours to reach Waitamo and we booked our cave tour and then had lunch at Curly's bar a unique restaurant/bar overlooking lush green meadows. I had a pint of Steinlager and pasta and was refuelled for the cave trip. The caves are famous for their limestone formations and freshwater lakes , the limestone formations are a miniature version/ copy of Jenolan caves @ Sydney..hence might be a let down for Sydneysiders.The highlight is when you take a boat and move further into the caves to look at the glowworms who are embedded into the walls and you feel like you are looking at millions of stars.The feeling is ethereal and you don't want to leave the place at all as its full of mysticism.
Anyways as all good things come to an end so did the cave tour and we were back outside the cave in the real world.After spending some time near the caves /museums we drove back to Auckland and reached by 8.30 pm.Our stomachs were rumbling and we decided to go for Italian , had amazing Italian food capped with nice Chianti red wine .. I was feeling really happy after a couple of glasses and my wife's glare also looked like a smile to me...ahh...thats what good food and wine does to your senses....
Day 4 : This was our last morning in Auckland and we decided to part ways in grand terms ,after checking out we went to Devonport a small village town 20 mins from Auckland famous for its Anglo - Saxon settings and fish n chips. Brekky was on our mind and we went to Mecca a fine dining "Breakfast" restaurant ......after eating a little bit more than our capacity we drove down towards Rotorua - the spa/sulphur capital of New Zealand ..just kidding...
Reached Rotorua around 4 pm and checked into our hotel which was overlooking Lake Rotorua.I fell in love with Rotorua as soon as we entered the township. The lake and surrounding areas pretty much governs all the activities in the city.The place is dottde with Mud / Hot spa's ,the most famous one's are - Polynesian Spa and Hell's Gate. Our first eveining was already pre booked as we had to go to Mitai Maori village for a Maori experience , we were greeted by the village community and were exposed to their customs , rituals and the traditional Haka dance.Post which we again took a glowworm tour and had a nice earth cooked Hangi meal.The village experience is a must do for all first timers in New Zealand.After the great Maori cultuarl experience we retired to our hotel , I was feeling a bit restless so my wife and I went out for a walk across the Lake Rotorua before crashing. I woke up suddenly around 3am in the morning as the whole room was smelling like rotten eggs , was a but tense since I was suspecting that some insect might have slid into my backpack from the Maori village and now it was growing bigger in my room releasing this noxious smell.Well sanity prevailed over my imagination and I gave a call to the reception who informed me that it was the Sulphuric gases which was emanating from the earth surrounding Rotorua.Anyways I slept off peacefully post that.
Day 5 : We decided to drive and visit all the adjoining lakes so our first stop was at Lake Taravera and the adjoining buried village.The very name of the buried village intrigued me as I was thinking of Pompei and ruins like them.So we booked ourselves for the Taravera buried village tour , the village was buried when the now dormant Mount Taravera erupted in the late 19th century.What remains now is some earthen pots a couple of huts and a
beautiful walk.It was disappointing as there was a lot of hype over the buried village before the tour , so my recommendation would be a complete no-no to go for the buried village tour. Lake Taravera was pristine and I was dying to go kayaking but was stopped by my wife as she was petrified that I might topple the kayak and sink....she thinks I am the anchor of her life and sometimes view me like an anchor ...pun intended.....
Anyways I wanted to spend more time at Lake Taravera however we had plans to go to Lake Taupo so we pushed the pedestal towards Taupo. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and is a beautiful township. Fish N Chips was the mood for the day and so we indulged ourselves sitting write in front of the massive lake. Spend the rest of the day in Taupo and returned back to Rotorua around 7 pm.Needless to say the drive was beautiful as are all the drives in New Zealand.
Day 7 : Was the big day for us as we had White Island (NZ's only active volcano) and a Mud Spa treatment on our agenda. An early morning scenic drive took us to the Bay of Plenty township of Whakatane dotted with beautiful lake shore houses and boutique cafes.We boarded our cruise ship at 9.15 am sharp and I immediately jumped on board asking Amie our hostess if there was a bar on the cruise.I don't know why , but I was feeling like having a J
D early in the morning.Anyways we rushed of the Whakatane harbour into the pacific ocean towards the majestic White Island.White Island is 45 nautical miles from Whakatane and the trip takes 1.5 hrs , you can see the island for the last 30 mins of the onwards journey and its looks beautiful.The water near the island is a mix of azure blue and emerald green because of the sulphur river which has trickled down the island into the ocean.A small jet takes you from the cruise to the shores as there is no proper landing area.We walked in and around the island looking at all crevices and the dormant portions.The volcano last erupted in 2002 and is privately owned by the Butler family.NZ govt has an agreement with the family to treat the island for tourism purposes and also as a heritage site.It goes without saying that the family takes a large proportion of all the earnings. Anyways the moments I spend on the island will always remain etched in my memory and I would love to go back there again.We got back to Whakatane and then straightway drove back to Rotorua for our mud spa appointment.The day was the best one of all the days and I slept like a baby aware that this was our last night at Rotorua.
Day 8 : Getting up in the morning knowing that I was leaving Rotorua was not a good feeling I had , I did make a promise to come back to Rotorua soon ...so it was Kia Ora just for the time being.We handed back our rental car at the Rotorua airport (please note you need to pay airport tax here to fly out..) and boarded our 30 seater Air New Zealand Bombardier plane to take us to Queenstown via Christchurch.
..... wait for the next blog for a detailed description of our stay in South Island....
Please find below a day by day account of our travel :-
Day 1 : Arrived safely in Auckland and checked into Scenic hotel at the heart of Auckland's CBD overlooking the Skytower.All of us were hungry hence we grabbed a quick bite and straightaway ventured towards the skytower and took a tour of it , spending close to 3 hours.The highlight was all of us
having coffee at Sky Lounge overlooking the Auckland harbour and city. Came back to our hotel , took some rest and and bought nice New Zealand white and red wine to give us company at dinner (which was a combo of Indian and Mexican).All of us had the urge to watch AVATAR across the road at Sky theater but we refrained from it.
Day 2 : Woke up and had a sumptuous breakfast and then went to Budget Car rental to get our car - Toyota Corolla , checked if all parts are in order and then switched on the GPS to drive straight to Hamilton.Took us 2 hours to reach Hamilton and we passed by townships of RamaRama,Bombay and Helensville.In Hamilton we went to our friends place and were well received by them , had a heavy brunch there and were forced to stay for lunch...cm on gimme a break my tummy was stuffed..hence we promised that we would join them for dinner at Hamilton.From Hamilton we drove to Matamata a small town blessed with picturesque surroundings and boutique cafes.Matamata was our launch point for our tour to Hobbiton the home for the movie set of Lord of the Rings.
The tour costs NZ$58 per head and is worth every cent if your a LOTR fan / fanatic , else one can spend more time in Matamata/Hamilton.Having said that Hobbiton is a beautiful place and you would feel as if you are in the 15th century , highlight of the place is when you get to enter in to a Hobbit hole and can take pics around the Party Tree.
After the tour to Hobbiton we came back to Matamata and had very nice coffee at Matamata and spend some time in the town before heading back to Hamilton.Reached Hamilton and had dinner with our friends and walked around the city before heading back to Auckland.
We were pretty tired by the end of the day but I was still brimming with excitement.
Day 3 : Woke up a bit late but were all ready by 10am in the morning , the whole day was planned in and around the Waikato region and we drove down towards Waitamo caves famous for the Gloworms and black water river rafting.It took us 3 hours to reach Waitamo and we booked our cave tour and then had lunch at Curly's bar a unique restaurant/bar overlooking lush green meadows. I had a pint of Steinlager and pasta and was refuelled for the cave trip. The caves are famous for their limestone formations and freshwater lakes , the limestone formations are a miniature version/ copy of Jenolan caves @ Sydney..hence might be a let down for Sydneysiders.The highlight is when you take a boat and move further into the caves to look at the glowworms who are embedded into the walls and you feel like you are looking at millions of stars.The feeling is ethereal and you don't want to leave the place at all as its full of mysticism.
Anyways as all good things come to an end so did the cave tour and we were back outside the cave in the real world.After spending some time near the caves /museums we drove back to Auckland and reached by 8.30 pm.Our stomachs were rumbling and we decided to go for Italian , had amazing Italian food capped with nice Chianti red wine .. I was feeling really happy after a couple of glasses and my wife's glare also looked like a smile to me...ahh...thats what good food and wine does to your senses....
Day 4 : This was our last morning in Auckland and we decided to part ways in grand terms ,after checking out we went to Devonport a small village town 20 mins from Auckland famous for its Anglo - Saxon settings and fish n chips. Brekky was on our mind and we went to Mecca a fine dining "Breakfast" restaurant ......after eating a little bit more than our capacity we drove down towards Rotorua - the spa/sulphur capital of New Zealand ..just kidding...
Reached Rotorua around 4 pm and checked into our hotel which was overlooking Lake Rotorua.I fell in love with Rotorua as soon as we entered the township. The lake and surrounding areas pretty much governs all the activities in the city.The place is dottde with Mud / Hot spa's ,the most famous one's are - Polynesian Spa and Hell's Gate. Our first eveining was already pre booked as we had to go to Mitai Maori village for a Maori experience , we were greeted by the village community and were exposed to their customs , rituals and the traditional Haka dance.Post which we again took a glowworm tour and had a nice earth cooked Hangi meal.The village experience is a must do for all first timers in New Zealand.After the great Maori cultuarl experience we retired to our hotel , I was feeling a bit restless so my wife and I went out for a walk across the Lake Rotorua before crashing. I woke up suddenly around 3am in the morning as the whole room was smelling like rotten eggs , was a but tense since I was suspecting that some insect might have slid into my backpack from the Maori village and now it was growing bigger in my room releasing this noxious smell.Well sanity prevailed over my imagination and I gave a call to the reception who informed me that it was the Sulphuric gases which was emanating from the earth surrounding Rotorua.Anyways I slept off peacefully post that.
Day 5 : We decided to drive and visit all the adjoining lakes so our first stop was at Lake Taravera and the adjoining buried village.The very name of the buried village intrigued me as I was thinking of Pompei and ruins like them.So we booked ourselves for the Taravera buried village tour , the village was buried when the now dormant Mount Taravera erupted in the late 19th century.What remains now is some earthen pots a couple of huts and a
beautiful walk.It was disappointing as there was a lot of hype over the buried village before the tour , so my recommendation would be a complete no-no to go for the buried village tour. Lake Taravera was pristine and I was dying to go kayaking but was stopped by my wife as she was petrified that I might topple the kayak and sink....she thinks I am the anchor of her life and sometimes view me like an anchor ...pun intended.....Anyways I wanted to spend more time at Lake Taravera however we had plans to go to Lake Taupo so we pushed the pedestal towards Taupo. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and is a beautiful township. Fish N Chips was the mood for the day and so we indulged ourselves sitting write in front of the massive lake. Spend the rest of the day in Taupo and returned back to Rotorua around 7 pm.Needless to say the drive was beautiful as are all the drives in New Zealand.
Day 7 : Was the big day for us as we had White Island (NZ's only active volcano) and a Mud Spa treatment on our agenda. An early morning scenic drive took us to the Bay of Plenty township of Whakatane dotted with beautiful lake shore houses and boutique cafes.We boarded our cruise ship at 9.15 am sharp and I immediately jumped on board asking Amie our hostess if there was a bar on the cruise.I don't know why , but I was feeling like having a J
D early in the morning.Anyways we rushed of the Whakatane harbour into the pacific ocean towards the majestic White Island.White Island is 45 nautical miles from Whakatane and the trip takes 1.5 hrs , you can see the island for the last 30 mins of the onwards journey and its looks beautiful.The water near the island is a mix of azure blue and emerald green because of the sulphur river which has trickled down the island into the ocean.A small jet takes you from the cruise to the shores as there is no proper landing area.We walked in and around the island looking at all crevices and the dormant portions.The volcano last erupted in 2002 and is privately owned by the Butler family.NZ govt has an agreement with the family to treat the island for tourism purposes and also as a heritage site.It goes without saying that the family takes a large proportion of all the earnings. Anyways the moments I spend on the island will always remain etched in my memory and I would love to go back there again.We got back to Whakatane and then straightway drove back to Rotorua for our mud spa appointment.The day was the best one of all the days and I slept like a baby aware that this was our last night at Rotorua.Day 8 : Getting up in the morning knowing that I was leaving Rotorua was not a good feeling I had , I did make a promise to come back to Rotorua soon ...so it was Kia Ora just for the time being.We handed back our rental car at the Rotorua airport (please note you need to pay airport tax here to fly out..) and boarded our 30 seater Air New Zealand Bombardier plane to take us to Queenstown via Christchurch.
..... wait for the next blog for a detailed description of our stay in South Island....
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