My Trip To Australia, New Zealand and Asia

Now in Melbourne

Location: Elizabeth St. Melbourne City Centre
Weather: Sunny and Warm in the day, cold at night

Made in to Melbourne, went on the train via sunny Albury, a very pleasant place except for the thousands of buzzing insects that come out at night. Checked into a hostel called the Backpackers Intl 'hotel' which is on Elizabeth St right in the centre of Melbourne and only 10mins walk from the tennis, after being told "oh you'll be lucky to find a place what with the Aussie Open being on". Relying only on my devastating good looks, magnetic charm and paying off the security guards I managed to get into the tennis the first night I was here and got to see Pat Rafter play doubles, completing my Grand Slam of tennis Grand Slams - Aussie Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open!




By JamesReed on 25.01.04 @ 03:29 AM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]

Off to Albury (probably)

Location: Sydney
Weather: Hot and Sunny

Went to the Blue Mountains yesterday, got the train to Katoomba, most spectacular scenary, a lot like the Grand Canyon, but with much more greenery and waterfalls! Went out drinking with Dan around midnight last night and ended up in the Star City casino bar until around 4am, then had to get up at 8:15am to pack and checkout of the hotel. Dan flew off to Cairns today. Now checked into some ropey hostel/hotel place called the CB or something which is right next to Central station, as after much deliberation I am probably off to Albury - a mere 8 hours train ride. Wanted to go to Jenolan Caves but the busses/trains in this place are so rare and randomly timed that there would be no way for me to get to Melbourne by Friday unless I took 500 Pro-pluses(so I didn't sleep for 3 days) or didn't mind spending most of the week sitting on a bus or train!

P.S. Most amusingly I keep getting ID'd everywhere I go, it's like America, especially at the casino! I couldn't believe the first time it happened, because the age limit is flippin' 18, NOT 21 like in the USA! the bouncers are usually quite shocked when I say I'm over 10 years older than that! it was also funny because they also usually say "you can go in mate" straight away to Dan and he's younger than me!

By JamesReed on 20.01.04 @ 10:43 AM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]

Now in Australia

Location: Some dodgy net cafe in Sydney

Well I am now in sunny Sydney, it is like summer here and quite hot although there was a bit of an electrical storm yesterday! To conquer the jet lag of 3 hours I ended up drinking in the Star City casino until 2am on the first night I got here, then yesterday did the 10km Scenic walk from Manly to Spit Bridge, ran into various dangerous lizards and birds along the way. Am also finding this backpacker malarky really tough here, what with being forced to dine in such establishments as Tony Roma's at only about $50 per meal. And then tonight went to see world famous Jazz player Ahmad Jamal in the main theatre of the Sydney Opera House! got standing room tickets which was pretty cool!

By JamesReed on 15.01.04 @ 12:43 PM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]

Went to China for the day

Location: Hong Kong Central MTR Station

Well, today I went to China, without a map or guidebook of any kind! hooray! Got the KCR train $33HK from Mong Kok to Lo Wu (the border with China). Spent about 30mins going through Customs to get into the Chinese town of Shenzhen. Then took the train on a 1.5 hour journey to a big city in Canton called Guangzou for $70HK. Got there and realised I had no Chinese money and had to eventually find a bank (on a Saturday) to get some. Well what can I say, hardly anything is in English (no way could I read where my train ticket was to) and China has the highest air pollution I have ever seen, worse than LA and London combined! in Guangzhou and Shenzhen there were huge skyscrapers and others being built which I was surprised at, several McDonalds about and expensive shops, selling lots of expensive designer goods! but outside there were real people in rice fields like you see on TV and stuff and in the town there were police everywhere, but sadly there were no big statues of Mao around at all. Bit of a developing country I suppose, reminded me of Greece.

By JamesReed on 10.01.04 @ 02:40 PM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]

Aberdeen and Lamma

Location: Hong Kong Central MTR Station
Weather: Warm

Today I went to this place called Aberdeen which is probably like the other Aberdeen only warmer! I had to wait ages to get a ferry to this island called Lamma and got harrassed by these illegal sampan junk boat women who wanted to charge me about 50 times as much as the official ferry, would've been a good mystery ride though I suppose. It was dark by the time I got to Lamma and you're supposed to go on this walk from one port to the other port, which is across the island, then you catch the boat back to HK. So I went on the walk that is alleged to take 45mins, well it took me about 45mins (yes, at the speed I walk) and was great fun in the total pitch darkness! it was flippin miles! with the odd stray dog about to scare you and in prime malarial mosquito country which was most terrifying in some places after I realised I didn't have any repellant stuff! Finally I made it to the other port, which is characterised by a load of sea food restaurants that all have live fish swimming around in tanks and other creatures ready for you to choose and eat! I ended up having some chicken and fish rice which was pretty good and included a free trip back to HK in the price! and the boat back ruled cos I basically go to see the whole penisula of HK island at night.

By JamesReed on 09.01.04 @ 02:06 PM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]

Made it to Hong Kong

Location: Hong Kong Central MTR Station

Made it to Hong Kong fine after 11.5 hour flight from Heatrow! What a great place it is!
Soon as I landed, I went to Hong Kong island on the AER Airport Express Railway and checked out the harbour view, pretty amazing site! Then checked into my hotel, pretty good place, big room and even has a room safe!
Since yesterday I have visited the harbour at night, been to a night market, took the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong island, saw/heard the famous Noon Day Gun, visited Happy Valley racecourse, went to the 45th floor of Central Plaza to see the sky view, and have taken a tram to the Peak!

By JamesReed on 08.01.04 @ 01:04 PM GMT [As Web Page] [Archives]