Travellers’ Tales
Peter and I were getting a bit stir-crazy staying at home so on the spur of a moment we decided to go on a little road trip up the Queensland coast. The plan was to stay a couple of nights … Continued
T’was a week before Christmas
There’s always a horror story some time around Christmas – plane crashes, strikes and the like. But nothing quite so awful as the events in Devonport, Tasmania, where five kids attending an end-of-school windup party died in a freak accident, … Continued
Our final day
Our last day in Tuscany was very full. In the morning we went to San Gimignano, a little medieval village on a hilltop. And it certainly was a charming place. The bus parked in the bus carpark with the other … Continued
Farmers’ markets and the French Revolution
Our river boat was tied up at Libourne on the Dordogne river. In the morning the mist burned off, promising a beautiful day. The river is always turbulent, probably as a result of the tidal movements opposing the river’s own … Continued
The fortress of Blaye
Today we visited the imposing Blaye fortress. Situated as it is on the heights overlooking the Gironde estuary, there would have been a military installation here from the very earliest times. In fact the remains of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s castle … Continued
The settlers from Pitcairn
The third wave of immigrants to Norfolk Island were the people from Pitcairn Island, and they form the basis of most of the permanent population. The mutiny on the Bounty is part of their family history. It’s how their ancestors … Continued
Hong Kong shopping
Years ago what attracted Australians to stay a day or two or three in Hong Kong was the shopping. Sure, it was an accessible way to get a look at the Orient, but mixed with that was the great exchange … Continued