When I first landed in Vietnam it was a cultural shock. It is more beautiful than I would have thought. The streets are lined with shops and everyone is riding on a moped. I sat at a café and thought I should try the coffee. If I hadn’t known that it was coffee when I ordered it I would never have known it was coffee. It was super sweet and cheap. There was no chocolate on top or whipped cream just a thick beverage. It was so nice! Everywhere you go the people had immaculate manners. Altough they can not understand half of what im saying I have yet to go to Ho Chi Minh City but that is definitely the plan tomorrow. I have just come from Mui Nei beach, it was awesome!!! It was so beautiful and I would definitely recommend Mui Nei beach to everyone. There are these little boats in which people use a lot! I went on one with a local fisher. We almost capsized but he was a pro and quickly got everything right again. It was an outstanding experience and nothing is nicer than lying on the warm sand as you sink into it looking up at the cloudless sky, hearing nothing other than the waves crash. After i went to a small cafe type bar where they served alot of vietmanese snacks. The weather yesterday was rainy but hot never the less, today was amazing the sun was ablaze all day long. The weather is very humid so even when the cold droplets of rain hit your bare face it is followed by the heat of the country. In melbourne we have dry heat which is virtually the opposite of humidity. It has just struck 8pm and I am going into town to get some quality Vietnamese food. Everyone who has gone to Vietnam Recommended this restaurant to me apparantly it is the best money can buy. I have never known all the different food styles in the Vietnamese cuisine. The Vietnamese restaurants in Richmond dont even compare to the food that you can get for a fraction of the price over here. I’m in Vietnam for another month, although in sad I may not be able to do all the cool things this amazing country has to offer. I am still to goto all the markets and learn to ride a mopede as they blatently are the fastest way to ride around. The landscape is breathtaking, the beachs are sublime, the citys are remarkable. I will bring everyone back cheap stuff so just tell me what you want and I will see what I can do! I am heading to do all the markets next week, they sell EVEYTHING there and I cant wait.

My holiday in Japan

Hello everyone. My holiday in Japan is going fantastically and I have seen some amazing things. I recently visited the Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji temple. It was an amazing experience, really opening my eyes to Japan's culture and religion. There were many people offering their blessings and praying. The temple itself was brilliant, being extremely colorful and awesome in volume. Seeing the temples made me very hungry, so i stopped off at a ramen bar on the street. I ordered my food and just minutes later i was greeted with a giant, steaming bowl of noodles and soup. It tasted amazing, but was very hard to finish. In the end, i hobbled out of the shop and took a taxi back to my hotel. At the moment I am staying in the vibrant city of Tokyo. There are so many people, and many quirky things, such as vending machines selling underwear! The next morning i awoke feeling absolutely horrible! My head felt like it was going to explode and I vomited several times. I had a dreadful feeling that the ramen i ate the other day wasn't so good. It had chicken in it, so it must not have been cooked properly! Well this was just brilliant, not. This could possibly jeopardize my whole holiday, which would be horrible, as I am so far enjoying my time here in Japan. Looks like i will have to stay at the hotel for a while and get better, for there is so much more to see! Hopefully when I am back to full strength I can visit some museums and learn more about Japan and its involvement in World war 2. Wish me luck!
Thanks,
Big Ned.

Konichiwa From Japan

Konichiwa frobm japan, it is now snowing here (Finishing at recess)

Cylclone in Fiji.......AHHHHHH

I finally made it to the beautiful Fiji, after the long trip I was glad to just go to my hotel and relax for a bit. When I arrived in Fiji's capital city (Suva) it was extremely hot, but it was raining particularly heavy, I could just see the spectacular beach through all the fog. I was uncomfortable, cold, wet and tired, but that was the least of my worries. I was looking for a cab but couldn't seem to get one because I couldn't understand anyone, I felt like I was in a terrible dream.

This was meant to be a lovely exciting relaxing holiday, but the next day I was watching the news without understanding any of the language I was concentrating on the pictures and noticed there was a cyclone warning. I couldn't believe my eyes at first but then I realized that it was true I grabbed all my things and ran, I could feel my heart beating outside my chest. This was surely the worst holiday of my life.

As fast as I could I raced to the top of a very tall hill where everyone else was. The cyclone ruined everything underneath us. We survived but after that appalling experience I will never go back to Fiji. I'm not telling you not to but from that experience I am scared for my life, the mess and the destruction had ruined Fiji.

Delicious Dim Sum

I arrived in Hong Kong this morning, after leaving Melbourne airport at 3:14, 6 hours behind schedule, and getting absolutely no sleep on my 9 hour flight. After stepping off the plane at 9:30am, I collected my bags and called a taxi to take me to my hotel, the Harbour Grand. It's a bit pricey at $2,500AU a night, but being an extremely successful roller coaster designer and chocolate tester, its not exactly out of my budget. It combines modern architecture and traditional oriental design, and has a magnificent view of the harbor.

After depositing my belongings in my $2,500AU a night serviced suite (complete with maids and a pool), I made my way around Kowloon, one of the main urban areas in Hong Kong. Before I left Australia, one of my good comrades, professional spider-man impersonator and optometrist Kent C. Strait gave me a list of places I should visit. Filing through the list, one name stood out to me. Tim Ho Wan. I'd read about this peculiar little restaurant in The Age a few months ago. Founded by Mak Pui Gor, ex-head chef of the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, it quickly rose to fame in both the eyes of critics and the public.
It also happens to be the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant. Serving some of Hong Kong's best Dim Sum at unbelievably low prices, I couldn't pass this one up. As I walked around the corner and onto the street on which this curious little restaurant was located, I was instantly taken aback. The people were literally swarming around the place. Well, then and there I nearly gave up, discouraged by the crowd, but determined to enjoy the delicacies within, and the bragging rights which came with them, I pushed through the masses to the door, where I was confronted by a vicious looking Cantonese woman standing behind a desk. I approached her. She gazed at me with a look which could stop a panther dead in it's tracks, and handed me a ticket with the number '257' written on it. "Two hours" she barked. I edged back through the crowd, stunned. It was hard to believe I'd just made a booking at a Michelin starred restaurant. It felt more like dropping off a shirt at the dry-cleaners.
I had two hours before my appointment, so I decided to check out the nearby Ladies Market. The origins of it's name were not apparent, as it seemed remarkably similar to every other market I'd seen in Hong Kong. Stalls going up either side of a street, selling anything from walnuts to suspiciously cheap electric mixers. I somehow got conned into thinking I needed 14 spinning tops and a t-shirt saying 'Funny love people indeed will grant unobtainable favor'. Badly translated, or comic genius?



Finally after exploring some of the backstreets of Kowloon, and only just avoiding a group of German tourists asking advice in some kind of German-English-Asian hybrid language, I arrived back at the restaurant. The ticket lady was calling out for ticket number 249.
"249? 249?" She said, the annoyance in her voice becoming rapidly more noticeable. She finally gave up and moved on. "250?". Five minutes later my number was called, I presented my ticket and was granted entrance.
The interior design was less than impressive, but after all I'd heard about this place, I waited for the food to arrive to pass my judgment. After handing in a checklist telling them which dishes I would require and how many of each, my meal arrived about three minutes later in round bamboo baskets. I filled my cup with the traditional jasmine tea, which was complimentary. I opened up one of the baskets, and was greeted by a gush of steam and four small white round buns. BBQ pork buns, the house specialty. I attempted to pick up one of the tasty morsels with the chop sticks provided, before realizing it was not to be, and using the less impressive option, the humble fork. Screw the fork! We have fingers for a reason. I stuck my hand into the basket and retrieved from it one of the dainty buns. It was so delicate. It smelled sweet, and I suspected the crumbly texture which covered the top was a sugar glaze. Well, here I was, about to take my first bite of Michelin starred food. My heart beat faster in anticipation. I brought it up to my mouth-
"More tea?" inquired one of the Cantonese waitresses, somewhat spoiling the moment.
"Umm, no thanks, I'm fine for now" I replied. She walked off, leaving me with my dim sum. Here we go. I bit into the bun. The bun itself was like a perfect biscuit, crispy and sweet. Inside the bun was the BBQ pork filling, made up of chunks of succulent, juicy pork, in a mouthwatering BBQ sauce. I finished it in about three bites, and then just sat there for a minute, flabbergasted at the sheer bliss of it all. I didn't want them to end, but I was unable to stop myself from consuming the entire basket. I yearned for more, but they do not allow more than four serves of BBQ pork bun per order. After that I tried some of the other types of Dim Sum available. Some of these included prawn dumplings, spring rolls, and chicken feet, which were not as unpleasant as I had expected. After eating enough to feed a small country for a month, I asked for the bill. The waiter promptly brought it. $208.5HK. About the same as $30AU.
Leaving Tim Ho Wan, I remember feeling a sense of peace, a feeling of one with the world. A feeling which can only be achieved by eating perfect food. Tim Ho wan serve perfect food at a great price. The ticket system means that the long waits are not that much of a problem and the experience is well worth the wait anyway. If you are a fan of Dim Sum, of Asian cuisine at all, or just enjoy waiting in long queues for large amounts of time, I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. Even if you have never tried Dim Sum (God forbid), this is the perfect way to acquaint yourself with some of the worlds most divine delicacies. My experience will never be forgotten, and if I ever return to Hong Kong, revisiting would be at the top of my to-do list.

10/10

Chill Banging In Vietnam

Okay so my holiday so far has been a bit weird. So far I have eaten a monkey brain, been offered money for my services and been on a capsized raft. But aside from all this, it has been amazingly fun. I have been to many different markets and beaches. Met many different people and heard almost too many amazing stories. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The weather right now is just superb with sunshine and an occasional drizzle. I am in Ho Chi Minh City right now but I came here via train from Hanoi. there was a very sick man on the train but a doctor can and helped him and he immediatly became noticealby better. I hope the rest of my travels are good. Wish me well!!

Magnificent Mongolia

Hey all from Mongolia, I am having a fantastic time and at the moment I am in Ulan Bator the capital of Mongolia and am loving it. I am here in mid summer so the Nadaam Festival games are on and the full name means the three games of men which runs for the whole of the mid summer holidays. The three games which they play are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery which I have never seen before and is spectacular. After that I visited Sukhbaatar Square which measures a whopping 31,068 square meters in size it took me about five minutes to walk across it. Suddenly the ground shook beneath me and I ran to the closest wall, when I heard a radio close by panicking but not being able to understand it as it was in Mongolian. A local runs up to me and tells me that it is ok to come out now and that it was only a shudder and not an earthquake. Today I am going to Tsetserleg. I arrive there and hop out of the tuor bus and take a big stretch with my arms above my head. The tour guide is now speaking to us in an accent that none of us can understand so i just stand there giving the occasional nod.

And So it Continues!

The plane ride was pretty good. I decided to fly Cathay Pacific so it had all the good things you’d expect from economy class nowadays. It had movies on demand, music on demand, and some decent (but not spectacular) food. I was envious of those business men in the fully reclining chairs up the front, though. Over the duration of nine hour flight, I simply couldn’t help wishing that I had spent less money on the accommodation and more on upgrading to business class.

I wasn’t complaining however when I stepped out of Hong Kong Airport Station, having taken a 30 minute express train from the International Airport, into the centre of Hong Kong. Right outside the doors there was a convenient shuttle bus straight to the hotel! As I stepped through the doors of the Four Seasons Hotel, the reception oozed elegance! Unfortunately when I walked up to the reception, I was dismayed to find that my (no doubt) luxurious room would not be ready for at least a few more hours, due to a late checkout by some important Taiwanese business man. This put a bit of a damper on my so far pleasant experience. They did however compensate me with a free snack and drink in one of their exquisitely decorated restaurants. I was also allowed to use the free wireless internet connection! Using said internet connection, I was able to finalise the details of my trip, i.e. what I would do on which days. I decided that tomorrow, Friday, the first thing that I would do would be to go down to Wan Chai Market. You know, just to get the full impact of the culture shock.

This morning, after waking up and enjoying a breakfast-in-bed meal, I picked up an "Octopus Card" at the underground MTR station (Hong Kong's version of Myki that actually works). This allowed me to take the subway to Wan Chai. When I walked out into the sunlight, I was right across from one of the streets that lead into the Wan Chai Market area. The next 30 minutes involved me stumbling around with my fingers pinching my nose shut, shielding it from the stench of raw meat. When I finally found an exit street to a main road, I gave myself a once-over. I had come out with two pieces of nice looking, completely fake, cheap jewellery, and minus my wallet. Yep, I had been pick pocketed. Fortunately, I hadn't put all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. I had the majority of my cash, stashed in my safe back in the hotel room, and about 75% of what I had taken with me that day stashed in my sock. Needless to say, I moved my trip to Pacific Place forward a bit. This would however give me a chance to see a rather marvellous sounding Buddha statue later in the week. The rest of my day spent at Pacific Place saw to me losing the rest of the money I had allocated for the day. Not to dastardly thieves, but to shops with extremely well presented, tempting items! As I type this now, I am completely exhausted, and am going to bed soon. I guess it just shows you how much I care about telling all of you devoted readers about my travels!

Thanks Again for Reading,

Ryan Aun

Welcome to Thailand, First Destination: Phuket

Hi Everyone,

It is my second day in Thailand, and I have already fallen in love with this glorious country! After arriving in Phuket yesterday, completely exhausted from travelling, I decided to go into a cafe for lunch and accidently pointed my foot at the person who was serving me... big mistake. Unfortunately she noticed what I had done, and walked away without my order! The manager of the cafe came out, and asked me to kindly leave. I guess I won't be going in that place again!! After that 'interesting' experience in a foreign land, I came to the conclusion that I should just go and check into my hotel, the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket and sleep, because as you already know, I was exhaustedand I love to sleep!!!

Today I woke up refreshed and ready to go out and explore the wonders of Phuket. I explored one of the many beaches ready to demonstrate my extraordinary surfing skills. I discovered one thing, the waves and I don't get on! The weather is very hot and humid, but relaxing by the pool at my hotel really eases the pain of the climate.

In five days I am off to Bangkok to visit the magnificent temples and other sites. I can't wait to try some of the delicious and spicy foods that are avaliable in Bangkok, although apparently there is so much chilli, it makes your ears feel like they're going to EXPLODE!!!!

Bring on the chilli!!!

Imogen Cygler

I HATE RUGBY!!!

It was so exciting when I arrived in Wellington this morning. After three hours in a cramped up plane, I was really glad to be off the plane and breath in some fresh air. I arrived at 8 am and got in a Taxi to my hotel. I am staying at the Best Western Wellington hotel and it is really nice. But as the day progressed, I started to get really tired and decided to have a relaxing siesta! My instincts are telling me to go to Italy :). Anyway, when I woke up later today and realised that if I didn't hurry, missing the really exciting rugby game that I had to book tickets to go to tonight would become a reality.

Once I was ready, I called a taxi and made my way to the game. When the taxi arrived the stadium was empty. My watch said the time that the game was meant to start. The taxi driver said it was a different time. I suddenly realised that I had not changed my watch to the time in Wellington time from Melbourne time. I was so early that I decided that to go back to the Hotel. When I turned around though, the taxi had gone. I was stuck at the stadium waiting for the game to start. When I was able to take my ticket to get into the game, they said my ticket was cancelled because it was booked in Australia. The website had crashed in Australia which meant that my ticket had not gone through. That was a waste of $100!! By now I was so cheesed off that I didn't even want to go to the game any more!! I caught another Taxi back to my hotel and I am about to have an early night. I hope that tomorrow is a better day!!

See you soon,

Bronte

YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!!!

So guess what? My travels aren’t going nearly as well as I'd hoped for before leaving home. I arrived in Malaysia, tired from my travels. I was hoping to grab my bags and jump in a taxi and head off to my hotel. However, I arrived at the luggage carousel and waited to the very end just to find that my bags had not arrived. Thanks QANTAS! After my many complaints and the airports many apologies I got in a taxi and was transferred to my hotel without my bags. I put on the hotel provided pyjamas, I would go shopping for clean underwear and a toothbrush in the morning.

I was hoping that on my first morning in Kuala Lumpur I would wake up to the sound of chirping birds and the rumble of a few cars as they drove by, instead, rain, lots of it. Loud rain on the roof and noisy traffic zooming past. I put on my dirty clothes from the plane journey and went down to the lobby to order a taxi. However, there were no taxis running today, I would have to take the bus. Taking the bus was fine by me, maybe not the preferred transport but it would do. Hours passed as I waited for the bus. Three hours of waiting and I had had enough. I went back into the hotel to complain when the bus arrived. I ran to catch it but it drove straight past!

I demanded the hotel provide another form of transport to get me some clean under wear and a toothbrush because I STUNK!! They couldn't offer transport but they did give me a toothbrush and plastic underwear. Plastic Underwear? Its like a plastic bag for your bum! Great?!?!?!?

Hungry, I decided I would try to find something edible for lunch so off I went to the hotel restaurant. Hmmmm... what should I have? Nasi Goreng or a hamburger and chips? Local food, definatly. So I ordered my food and I waited and I waited and I waited. My food arrived after an hour of waiting and eventually my food arrived, but it wasnt what I ordered. Instead of my Nasi Goreng I got fried chicken and salad.

That was it.... I was going home!!!

The blue water, the grey skys and the rain... Indonesia

Hey guys, here in Indonesia it's wonderful and rainy. :(

Normally I love the rain, but not when I'm on holiday...

I'll start from the beginning: I got off the plane at the airport it was really windy and blew my skirt up :P I thought nothing of it as I went to my hotel. I arrived to my hotel it was very gracious, my room was fit for a king, or a queen in my case. Having an outstanding room was very useful, as when I woke up it wasn't only windy it was raining too. This went on for a couple of days. When I got sick of staying inside, I decided to go to the airport, and get on a plane from Java to Jakarta. But it seems the rain was following me, as the day after I got to Indonesia's capital Jakarta the rain came and stopped in Java. I decided there wasn't much point continuing the holiday as all my clothes were wet and I couldn't find anywhere to wash them. just to make it worse I wasn't feeling the best. So yeah, hopefully my next holiday turns out better :S

cya :)

Skiing in New Zealand!

After waking up at 3AM to catch my morning flight to New Zealand, (to keep travel costs to a minimum) i couldn't help thinking that nothing could possibly be worth such an early wake up. After arrival New Zealand is definitely worth the trouble I had to go through to get here. I've just landed in Auckland on the North island of New Zealand and it's amazing, I was blown away by Auckland tower and would highly recommend taking a taxi ride through the city to see the amazing sights. I'm staying at the Hilton Hotel which is one of the best hotels Auckland has to offer. Rooms at AU$248 per night for the cheapest room, it's not the most affordable hotel but if you want the best New Zealand experience possible it's an excellent choice.

I will be staying in Auckland for 5 more days before flying down to Queenstown on the southern island to experience the best Skiing that New Zealand has to offer. Queenstown has several ski resorts for you to choose from; however the main three are Cardrona, Treble Cone and Coronet Peak. I have chosen to ski at Cardrona based on a recommendation from an avid skiing friend, but all three are renowned as being excellent resorts.

Thanks for reading!

OUCH!... THAT 'S GOT TO HURT !

You wouldn't believe it , I was on the plane to Fiji, thinking this is going to be a great holiday. I finally fell asleep and suddenly I felt this burn... AHHHHHHHHHHH! The lady next to me had spilt her coffee near my crutch. I couldn't stop screaming, it hurt so much. After the flight, I disembarked in Nadi and it was very warm. I went to the hospital they said "Sir you have third degree burns". My holiday was off to the worst start possible. I went back to the hotel, to find my booking was cancelled here I was having knowhere to stay for my holiday, so I needed to stay somewhere else because it as full. So I stayed at the Western it was pretty nice. the next day I couldn’t move so I just spent the day at the beach. The doctor said I couldn't swim for atlest 1 week. There wasn't much to do, that weather was very hot and the water was hot, I got sun burnt in the first few days. The next day I visited Suva and stayed there for a couple of nights, it was very nice. I watched the Rugby Union match Fiji vs. England it was a good match. My Crutch Finally healed and I was ready to go out and go swimming. I went swimming in the Suva River it was very cold but nice. I met some of my family and went out for dinner with them it was really good to see them. The next day after I saw them I went back to Nadi to continue my holiday.
Bye

Monsoon in PNG :(

I’m in exquisite Papua New Guinea. I’m travelling around the whole country and am currently in the city of Lae. So far I have also been to Port Moresby.
The weather has been really humid, with torrential rains every day. I had a feeling visiting a country like Papua New Guinea during Monsoon season was probably not the best idea.

Sadly, the heavy rains were just the beginning. Only a mere day after visiting beautiful Lae the rain started and it persisted. The sky has become constantly dark and the wind is so strong it can knock you off your feet. The whole city is flooded and everything is practically under water. So for the moment I have to had to move a bit further north where the land is higher until the water subsides.

This is not exactly the holiday I was hoping for. I really don't like rain and if the whole of Papua New Guinea is like this, I may have to end my trip earlier than planned. When I was listening to the radio earlier this morning, the broadcaster said that the water isn't thought to go away for another few days. Sitting in a smelly, crowded hostel with 300 other people isn't the Papua New Guinean getway I imagined before leaving Melbourne.

Fingers crossed, the water will subside quicker than suspected.


Andie

A day in a life of Seoul, South Korea.

21/4/10, Monday.

I had just landed in Seoul, South Korea and, you guessed it, my bags were gone. Nowhere to be seen.
I was trying to find help from anyone that looks a slight bit Australian, (Not because I'm a racist, its just not many people here speak English). Finally I was put on to a security guard who knew what she was doing. She immediately rang up my flight details into a nearby computer. After a good hour on the phone, Zzzzzzzz, she finally hangs up and gives me some good news. My bags didn't get delivered to Seoul, so they were to be delivered to my hotel later that evening.
After the long and much anticipated wait from leaving the airport I stepped out the into the fresh air, (well I wouldn't say 'Fresh', to put it in better terms). But on the other hand the scenery is spectacular! It was kind of good that I had to wait until dark, which meant I saw the city at night! It was certainly living up to my expectations.

I was driven by a fancy chauffeur to my hotel that basically overlooked the whole city and its beautiful lights. I arrive to find my bags in reception ready to be taken to my room, only to find the smell of dead rats in the ceiling. I didn't have the strength at the time to speak up about the problem, which was alright seeing as I would spend most of my days out and about.

22/4/10, Tuesday.

I woke up feeling, well, not good about the smell but was in a happy mood. After all, it was my first real day in Seoul. I was going to visit the magnificent architecture South Korea have (especially in Seoul). My day started off by stopping at a little side street for some early morning brunch. I decided to have 'Manduguk' a dumpling soup.

I wasn't surprised that the food here tastes exquisite and the people very friendly. I was off to the Gyeonbokgung, a South Korean palace. It was first constructed in 1394 and then again in 1867. This was very interesting and as I am studying architecture I found it amazing to see these kinds of buildings.

My day so far had been very educational and worth while, but it was getting late I was getting very hungry. So I decided to try a new dish. The dish sounded very new to me and worth a try. It was called Saengseon gui, a grilled fish based dish. After some wait it came out looking raw. I'm no food critic but I certainly can tell raw fish from its looks. I ended up having to have some soup (which didn't taste very good, and on top of that didn't fill me up).

Seoul had been one to remember and I saw the ups and the downs. But overall South Korea as a whole should most definitely be on every one's list!

Bede,

Going to Hong Kong!

I'm in Melbourne airport, about to go to Hong Kong. And I'm not happy.
It's 1:15 in the morning and the plane has been delayed. They say we'll be able to board in half an hour, but then again, that's what they said half an hour ago. Aren't Qantas just brilliant?

There is an Asian man sitting next to me looks considerably more irritated than I am, which is saying something. He has been shouting into his iPhone in some foreign dialect for the last 15 minutes. The pregnant woman sitting behind us seems to have had enough and finally turns round and snaps at him to shut up. He replies in an incomprehensible burst of angry Asian diction. It is unclear whether or not he understood her, as he continues to shout into his phone.
A voice comes over the intercom.
"Ladies and gentlemen boarding the QF7149 flight to Hong Kong,"
Come on, gate open...
"Unfortunately, your flight has been further delayed. Melbourne Airport would like to apologize for the inconvenience."
Thats it? I've been stuck at this hopeless airport for 3 hours thanks to them and they haven't even offered me a toothbrush for compensation.

Sheep... Here I Come

Hi everyone. I am really excited to be leaving Melbourne and go to NEW ZEALAND. I will be staying in Wellington which is on the northern island. There are only FOUR DAYS until this amazing adventure. HOW EXCITING IS THAT! I am having trouble sleeping and have been ringing my friends every night. I have booked tickets to see a rugby match between Australia and New Zealand. It is going to be soooo cool.

So, once I have had my stay in Wellington, I will be going to Auckland. Auckland is also on the northern island. Actually all of the interesting places in New Zealand are on the northern island. There I will go on many hikes and hopefully the weather will be nice enough for me to go Sailing!

Well I had better go and start packing my suitcase!!

Bye

Beautiful Thailand !!

Thailand is the most fascinating country I have ever been to and that's not just because of the delicious Thai food, it's mostly because of the beautiful scenery, like Maya Bay (picture). If you are thinking about visiting Thailand Maya bay is a must. If you much rather like the city life you should go to Thailand's capital city Bangkok. It's got delicious food ,but you have to take care about the water always look when you buy a water bottle if it has been opened before, because a lot of shops like to just refill the water bottles. I was one of the 'lucky ones' who got to taste the tap water of a refilled bottle, after i drunk the bottle I got really sick and couldn't quite enjoy my holiday any more. All in all I loved Thailand ( except for my ' water bottle experience'). Thailand has got a lot of spectacular and fascinating nature spots, if you like peace and tranquility you should go to Maya bay (picture) ,or if you like nice and popular then you should go to Patong beach (2. picture).
My favorite part of the holiday was snorkeling at Maya Bay, which is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to. Even thought Thailand is in no way dangerous you should still, know where to go and where better not. Where you off course always can go to is the Centre Point Silom hotel in Bangkok. which has got a fantastic view over Bangkok. If you like it warm, then Thailand is the perfect place for you it stays warm the whole year there because it is located near the equator. Another tip is always bring a little dictionary with you otherwise you won't be able to read anything.

Result: Thailand is beautiful and fascinating, the food is just delicious. Take care what you buy and always bring a dictionary.

Bye Bye Melbourne

Hi everyone,

I am going to Thailand tomorrow and am so excited and can't wait.

Firstly I'm going to Phuket, for a relaxing time. After discovering the magnificence of Phuket, I am off to Bangkok.

Bye,

Imogen C

Cyclone in Fiji... Ahhhhhhh

I finally made it to the beautiful Fiji, after the long trip I was glad to just go to my hotel and relax for a bit. When I arrived in Fiji's capital city (Suva) it was extremely hot, but it was raining particularly heavy, I could just see the spectacular beach through all the fog. I was uncomfortable, cold, wet and tired, but that was the least of my worries. I was looking for a cab but couldn't seem to get one because I couldn't understand anyone, I felt like I was in a terrible dream. This was meant to be a lovely exciting relaxing holiday, but the next day I was watching the news without understanding any of the language I was concentrating on the pictures and noticed there was a cyclone warning. I couldn't believe my eyes at first but then I realized that it was true I grabbed all my things and ran, I could feel my heart beating outside my chest. This was surely the worst holiday of my life. Racing as fast as I could I raced to the top of a very tall hill where everyone else was. We survived but after that appelling experience I will never go back to Fiji. I'm not telling you not to but from that experience I am scared for my life, the mess and the destruction had ruined Fiji.

And So It Begins...

Hi WORLD!

(Not that I think the World at all cares that I'm posting this... I doubt you care either.)

Anyway, in a few days I'll be going to Hong Kong, and you're going to hear all about it! Right now I'm booking my hotel and checking travel sites to plan my trip. I think I'm going to indulge and stay at the four seasons.

I can just tell your on on the edge of you seats, holding your breath for the next post of: Ryan's Adventures In Hong Kong!

Now if you've read this far, I thank you for you commitment.

Enjoy Your Life,

Ryan Aun

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Haka

I am doing what Ryan did!!

Its the Haka from New Zealand

hi

hey Andie, Bede, Cosi, Finn and Maddy.

how are you?

blog on :P


Maddie

Wow, now that I'm finally in Morocco, it's great (apart from the stink of pee everywhere- people's, donkeys'...). As it's the smells that hit you first when visiting a new country, it was a bit of a worry. Now that I've found spice markets and stalls, I'm feeling a bit more enthusiastic! After the smell, it's the colours that you really notice: ochre, saffron and rich scarlets are everywhere. I'm going to spend a lot of money here, I can feel it... Between the rugs, the lamps and the scarves I think I'll be paying excess baggage!

This video shows you how to get to Pacific Place Shopping Centre from Hong Kong Park.

Perfect Philippines!

Crystal clear waters, blinding-white beaches, mouth watering fresh fruits and 7100 islands of natural beauty! The Philippines are spectacular!