Sydney's Vivid Festival

No other festival in the Southern Hemisphere illuminates a city quite like Vivid Sydney. As the festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney flicks on the ultimate light switch and ignites the city with spectacular colours. It features the lighting of the Sydney Opera House, which sees Utzon’s iconic sails transformed into a spectacular living canvas. Now in its second year, it’s a harbourside artwork that’s grabbed the world’s attention!


The lighting continues with Macquarie Visions, which sees Macquarie Street and surrounding buildings lit up spectacularly, and the anticipated return of The Rocks Fire Water – a dazzling Bollywood-inspired performance that taps into our history with a cast of tall ships, fire and colourful smoke.

Fiji Islands

Fiji, officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean about 2000 km north of New Zealand's North Island. Its immediate neighbors are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec to the southeast, Tonga to the east, Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of ca. 18,300 km2. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 850,000. The former island contains Suva, the capital and biggest city.

LA - City of Angels

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, the largest city in the state of California and the Western United States, with a population of 3.8 million. The urban area of Los Angeles extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of over 14.8 million, it is the 14th largest urban area in the world, affording it megacity status.


Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of the river of Porziuncola). It became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its independence from Spain. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States; Mexico retained the territory of Baja California. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.


Often known by its initials, L.A., and nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States.

As the home base of Hollywood, it is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World", leading the world in the creation of motion pictures, television production, video games, and recorded music. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs home.


Los Angeles enjoys a subtropical climate, with an average of 320 sunshine days and only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually. The summer's season lasts nearly all year round, although during the period from December to April temperatures are alternately - between a fifty several and seventy several degrees Fahrenheit (a dozen or so and twenty-some degrees Celsius) during the day.

Alcatraz - America's most notorious prison

Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, 2.4 km offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and federal prison until 1963. Later, in 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986.


During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed no prisoners had ever successfully escaped. 36 prisoners were involved in 14 attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and three were lost at sea and never found. The most violent occurred on May 2, 1946 when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the so-called Battle of Alcatraz.

On June 11, 1962 Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin successfully carried out one of the most intricate escapes ever devised. Behind the prisoners' cells in Cell Block B (where the escapees were interned) was an unguarded 3-foot (0.91 m) wide utility corridor. The prisoners chiseled away the moisture-damaged concrete from around an air vent leading to this corridor, using tools such as a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime and an electric drill improvised from a stolen vacuum cleaner motor. The noise was disguised by accordions played during music hour, and their progress was concealed by false walls which, in the dark recesses of the cells, fooled the guards.

The escape route then led up through a fan vent; the fan and motor had been removed and replaced with a steel grille, leaving a shaft large enough for a prisoner to climb through. Stealing a carborundum cord from the prison workshop, the prisoners had removed the rivets from the grille and substituted dummy rivets made of soap. The escapees also constructed an inflatable raft from several stolen raincoats for the trip to the mainland. Leaving papier-mâché dummies in their cells with stolen human hair from the Barbershop for hair, they escaped. The prisoners are estimated to have entered San Francisco Bay at 10 p.m. Articles belonging to the prisoners (including plywood paddles and parts of the raincoat raft) were located on nearby Angel Island, and the official report on the escape says the prisoners drowned while trying to reach the mainland in the cold waters of the bay.


Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans from many different tribes (many individual Native Americans relocated to the Bay Area under the Federal Indian Reorganization Act of 1934), occupied the island, and proposed an education center, ecology center and cultural center. According to the occupants, the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U.S. and the Sioux returned all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal land to the Native people from whom it was acquired. In fact, the Sioux Treaty of 1868 stated that all abandoned or unused federal land adjacent to the Sioux Reservation could be reclaimed by descendant of the Sioux Nation. For that reason, the group Indians of All Tribes abandoned the Sioux treaty as the basis of their occupation and claimed Alcatraz Island by Right of Discovery.

If you look careful at the picture below you can actually see the word "FREE", which was writen in the American flag by the Indian Occupants.


While on Alcatraz I had the opportunity to meet one of the former inmates. Darwin E Coon was incarcerated in Alcatraz from 1959 till 1963 and he returned to promote his compelling life story which he worte in the book: "Alcatraz - The true end of the line". A very interesting read!

Getting super-sized in San Francisco

San Francisco is a major city in California, the centerpiece of the Bay Area, well-known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, Victorian architecture, scenic beauty, summer fog, and great ethnic and cultural diversity. These are only a few of the aspects of the city that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the world. I am enjoying my time here and it seems San Fran is a fine city to visit. It has a population of only 800.000, but is the center of a metropolitan area of millions.

Mantas and others

I was actually hoping to see a Mola Mola (Sunfish) but it seems they were all hiding from me in Bali. Netherless I caught up with about 6 or 7 Manta Rays at Manta Point and lotst of other interesting stuff on the dive sites around Bali. It just feels great to be in the water, not for training, not worrying about anyone else just absorbing the nitrogen and the amazing underwater world. Thanks Minni!

Manado

Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. It's a bit difficult to get there but Manado and the nearby Bunaken Island and Lembeh Strait are a paradise for scuba divers. Coming here on business I had the chance to stay an extra day and do some diving around the fascinating 600m deep walls of Bunaken Island. Definitely worthwhile with amazing five star dive sites.

Variations of Perth

Perth is a beautiful city and the capital of the Western Australian State. Not that I was particulary bored but I had quite a nice view from my room so I thought I would share the impression with you. The photos show the Perth CBD from Canning Highway overlooking the breathtaking Swan River.





The photos are taken at 7am, 5pm and 6:30pm.

Pinnacle Desert

Some 250 kilometres north of Perth (The capital city of Western Australia) lays the world-renowned Nambung National Park. And within this biodiversity hot spot you can find the very unique and spectacular Pinnacle Desert. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in strange contrast to the surrounding heath. The Pinnacles were sculptured from limestone by wind, rain, vegetation, sun and time for many thousands of years. These limestone formations of varying colours reach up to four metres.







But not only the Pinnacles are a truly fascinating sight, you will certainly enjoy some kangaroos or wallabies and also the beautiful white-sand beach is only a short drive away. This is the perfect day-trip from Perth and to round up your experience ‘on the road’ you should stop in Cervantes for a nice lobster lunch. Make sure you visit the Pinnacle Desert either during sunrise or sunset to ensure you get some nice photographs to remember your trip.

Beautiful Tassie

Tasmania is a beautiful island in the south-eastern corner of Australia about 250km from the mainland or an two-hour flight from Sydney. The nature is just stunning, some would compare it to the South Island of New Zealand but of cause you should never mention this to the locals here. Diving conditions can be quite beautiful around here, with fantastic visibility and some special creatures like the spotted handfish or the leafy seadragon. In wintertime the visibility is better but of cause the water temperature only around 12 degrees celcius.





I went for a nice drive around the Hobart region from Kingston to Woodbridge, Cygnet and back through the Huon valley. I also tasted some nice Sauvignon Blanc from the Two Bud Spur Vineyard in Gardners Bay. Yummy!

Diving in Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the south east has both and this was the area I choose for some diving.







As you can see on my photos Bali is one of the top diving destinations in the world. Beautiful corals, encounters with Manta Rays and Sharks but also a wealth of macro organism like Pygmy seahorses make any dive trip worthwhile. In the North near Tulamben you can also find the wreck of the USS Liberty. Plan your dive trip around August to October for your best chance to see the fantastic Mola Mola or Sunfish.

Ну, погоди!

Nu pogodi! which means something like 'You just wait' is a Russian animated series. The series was created in 1969 and became a popular cartoon of the Soviet Union. One I crew up with and a very funny one indeed. The series follows the comical adventures of an artistic and mischievous wolf trying to catch (and presumably eat) a hare. Like Tom and Jerry, the series has additional characters that usually either help the hare or interfere with the wolf's plans.
The Wolf is initially portrayed as a hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, abuses minors, breaks laws, and is a heavy smoker. The Hare on the other side is portrayed as a supposedly positive hero. He gets much less screen time and is less developed than the Wolf, and most of his actions are simply reactions to the Wolf's schemes. Therefore, the sympathies of some viewers are more with the Wolf. I just love it and its a great thing to be able to find those episodes on the internet again.

Sanya

Sanya is the southernmost city in China's island province Hainan. Sanya is renowned for its tropical climate and is a popular tourist destination. The Guanyin Statue of Hainan is one of the main attractions. The 108 meter tall statue of the bodhisattva Guan Yin, has three aspects; one side faces inland and the other two face the South China Sea, to represent blessing and protection by Guan Yin of China and the whole world. This is currently the fourth tallest statue in the world.
The statue took six years to build and was enshrined on April 24, 2005, with the participation of 108 eminent monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China, and tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and a paradise for scuba divers. It is named 'Turtle Island' after the turtle-like shape of the island. Coincidentally, the island is also an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. You can reach Koh Tao by ferries from Surat Thani (4 hours day boat, 9 hours on overnight boat), Chumphon (1.5 to 3 hours), Koh Samui (approx 2.5 hours) and Koh Phangan (approx 1 hour). The island has quite developed in the last 15 years and the most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants.
Koh Tao is less developed than Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, but has become increasingly popular especially with the mid-20's backpacker crowd in search of relatively inexpensive scuba diving certification. Apart from scuba diving there is also some great hiking, climbing, kayaking and free-diving on offer. Check it out, Koh Tao is definitely worth the visit. The photo shows the view down to Sairee Beach and Koh Nang Yuan.

Puerto Galera

Puerto Galera is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,925 people. Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. This coastal town is well known among tourists for its numerous pocket beaches and many snorkeling and Scuba diving spots. The area was designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO in 1973 and has some of the most diverse coral reef diving in Asia. The marine environment has benefited in recent years from the influx of tourist dollars. This has seen a huge reduction in the number of fishermen in the area, as they gain higher revenue from tourists. A great place to visit and a fantastic area for your next scuba diving holidays.

Nyepi in Bali

Nyepi is the Balinese "Day of Silence" that falls on Bali's Lunar New Year on 26th of March 2009. Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali’s usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.

Who is BNE?

Who is BNE? Surely everyone who spends a bit of time in Bangkok these days must have noticed BNE in form of stickers, tags or graffiti plastered all over the city. You can find BNE just everywhere in Bangkok and I mean there must be thousands of those tag-lines around the City of Angels. Now the question which comes to mind is of cause "Who the hell is BNE?".
I have tried to find an answer in the Internet and quite interesting there are few articles about BNE and even some videos. Apparently police noticed the first BNE stickers in San Francisco in May 2005 and since then BNE has gone worldwide. Sticker appeared on phone booths, post boxes, street signs, walls, vending machines and parking meters around the world from Prague to New York, from Tokyo to Hong Kong and now in Bangkok.
The B-N-E mystery remains unsolved so what could the acronym mean? Well, BNE is the three-letter airport code for Brisbane (Australia), some suggest it might mean 'Breaking 'N Entering' or 'Be Nowhere Else'. To be honest I have no idea so if you come up with something better please let me know. Sometimes the letters BNE are accompanied by the words 'was here' or as in the picture taken at the Queens Park on Sukhumvit with some Japanese symbols.

Bang Saen Beach

Bang Saen is a beach in the province of Chonburi. The small village is situated in south-east direction about half way between Bangkok and Pattaya on the gulf of Thailand. Bang Saen is especially popular amongst Thais from Bangkok and on weekends hundreds take out their cars, bikes or girlfriends and then occupy on of the thousands of beach chairs nestled along the 2.5km palm tree beach. Bang Saen is also famous for fresh seafood and you will find oysters, prawns and fresh fish on countless BBQ stalls along the beach road.

It's not much frequented by tourists, the only 'farangs' you will find here are expats from Bangkok. It's definitely a nice place to hang out for a few days and indulge in some delicious sea food. However the down side is that the beach and the surrounding waters are full of rubbish and no one seems to mind to swim or sit on a beautiful beach covered with plastic trash.

Perth's City Beach

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 (2007), Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average. One of the city's beaches is the town of Cottesloe and a fantastic place to relax and unwind. Bring your family and spend a day playing in the waves. Think beach, think Norfolk Island pines, think Western Suburbs lifestyle - that's Cottesloe. Just 15 minutes west of Perth, Cottesloe is internationally famous for its superb beach and terraced lawns overlooking the Indian Ocean. Whether you're a local or a visitor, the village atmosphere and seaside heritage demands further exploration.

Khao Lak National Park

Khao Lak is a seaside resort area in Thailand, located 80 km north of Phuket International Airport and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands.

The pristine coastline is synonymous with beauty. Nearby rubber and palm plantations dot the coastal region and most nearby inland areas. The major national Highway 4 runs north and south and mostly parallel to the coastline. Khao Lak is a thriving tourist destination for backpackers, up-scale tourists, adventure tourists and seasoned scuba enthusiasts. Local peoples are mostly Thai often with some Chinese ancestry. The diversity of ethnic groups and cultural influences within and surrounding Khao Lak makes this region rich in agricultural, fishing and dry good products. Tourism is Khao Lak's revenue generating entity, becoming Thailand's most popular jumping-off point for the world renowned Similan Islands.

Khao Lak was one of the areas of Thailand hardest hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Many people died including many foreign tourists. The final death toll was over 4000, with local unofficial estimates topping 10,000 due to the lack of accurate censuses and the mere fact that the Burmese population was not recognized as residents. Most of the coastal landscape, i.e., beaches, resorts and vegetation, was completely stripped back by the power of the tsunami. Some replanting programmes have been initiated and a great deal has been accomplished in the rejuvenation of surrounding foliage.