Loading...
Start a new Travel Blog! Blogabond Home Maps People Photos My Stuff

phileasdogg

74 Blog Entries
1 Trip
26 Photos

Trips:

Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/phileasdogg




Inclement weather

Te Anau, New Zealand

Te Anau is a sleepy little town on the shore of Lake Te Anau, with a permanent population of just 2500. But that more than doubles during high tourist season, because it's the entry point to Fiordland, home of the Milford Track and Milford Sound. Milford Sounds is one of a number of fiords along the south-west coast, but is the most spectacular. It was uncharacteristically missed twice by Captain Cook when he circumnavigated New Zealand in 1770 and 1773, and was only discovered in the early 1800s by a Welsh sealer who named it after his (and my dad's) home town of Milford Haven.

Sadly it was a very English day weather-wise when I went out on a cruise there - grey skies, mist and persistent rain. It did mean there were a lot more waterfalls in full flow, and you still got a sense of the scale of the towering mountains all around it, but I imagine it would look stunning on a sunnier day. The mountains rise straight up by between 5500 and 6500 feet on either side of the water, and descend for 1000 feet below it, but you have to see it to get a sense of the scale of the place - photos don't really do it justice.

This part of the world is also famous for the Milford Track, a 56km path from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound that takes 4 days to walk. I didn't have time for that, so just did a day trek along the first section. It's mainly a bush walk through rainforest, and is beautiful. The forest is really dense, and about 10 people a year wander off the track and are never seen again. All a bit Blair Witch.

Also received the splendid news yesterday that I'm an uncle for the third time, to Oliver Walter Jones.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on December 3, 2008 from Te Anau, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

KP

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is a beautiful town, on the shore of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. And it was made even better by the arrival on Friday of my old mate from the Rose of the Shires, now resident in Auckland, Keith Potter. In spite of hearing from a lot of people that all the "adrenaline" activities in Queenstown are better done in other parts of the country, we felt we had to do something, and as a bungy was out of the question after KP had a ledge bail-out at the one in Lake Taupo, we opted for whitewater rafting on the Shotover River. It was pretty tame to be honest, not a patch on the Zambezi. The scariest thing about it was the drive to the river along a narrow ledge in the mountains with nothing between the bus and a very long drop down into the gorge.

That was followed by a long evening in the many bars of Queenstown, biding time until the England-NZ rugby match kicked off at 3.30am. The less said about the game the better. But it probably wasn't such a great move to hike up Ben Lomond the next day after KP had left. But in spite of a rather sore head I made it up there, and it was worth it for the view from the top. There's no doubt there are some beautiful landscapes in this country - just hope I don't get scenery fatigue too soon!

Off to Te Anau tomorrow, the main access point for Milford Sound.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on December 1, 2008 from Queenstown, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Solitude

Queenstown, New Zealand

Had a very pleasant 2-day journey between Dunedin and Queenstown. On Wednesday morning I took the Taieri Gorge railway from Dunedin to Middlemarch. It's one of the world's most scenic train rides and was indeed quite beautiful. And then I picked up my mountain bike and took to the Otago Rail Trail, a 150km route to Clyde that follows the route of the old railway line. It's a beautifully scenic ride for the most part, interspersed with some long, mainly agricultural stretches, but is still relatively unknown outside of New Zealand - I must have passed no more than 30 other bikers for the whole two days. I overnighted in a hotel in Ranfurly which called itself an 'Art Deco' hotel, but it quickly became apparent that that just meant it hadn't been refurbished since 1930. But it had food and a bed so that did the job. 92km on day 2 was a bit of a push - definitely some saddle soreness towards the end of that stretch. But a very nice ride. Then a shuttle bus took me on the Queenstown, New Zealand's 'adventure playground', where I'm meeting up with the legend that is Keith Graham Potter, of DHL Vauxhall fame.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 27, 2008 from Queenstown, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Onwards...

Dunedin, New Zealand

So I caught the bus down to Dunedin today and had half a day there. Which was about a quarter of a day more than I needed. Admittedly it just rained for the whole time I was there which didn't improve my image of the town. But even with good weather it would still be a bit of a dreary provincial town, reminiscent of what I imagine small towns in the mid-west of America to look like. Functional. But with limited character. Somehow my brother and his wife managed to spend a whole year working at the hospital here - I can only imagine they achieved this by spending as little time outside of work in the town. Looking forward to getting on two wheels tomorrow and pedalling as fast as possible outta here!

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 25, 2008 from Dunedin, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Defective aircraft

Christchurch, New Zealand

What a sodding journey that was. Let me take you through it...

Friday 10am - leave hotel in Penang
1pm - flight to Singapore
3pm - arrive Singapore
8pm - flight to Sydney
Saturday 6am - arrive Sydney, for 9am flight to Christchurch (so far, so good)
9am - announcement that there's a problem with our plane's engine, and they need to find another aircraft. Should take 4 hours.
1pm - board new aircraft and taxi to runway. Pilot then announces there's a problem with the take-off flaps and we need to go back to the gate and get it checked
3pm - told that the flight is cancelled and we'll overnight in Sydney and catch the 9am flight tomorrow
Sunday 9am - taxi to runway. Pilot announces there's a problem with the flaps and we need to go back to the gate and get it checked (seriously)
11.30am - not a major problem (thank god) and we finally take-off
4pm - arrive in Christchurch

So that was fun. Thanks Qantas. They were all very nice with free food vouchers and use of their lounge etc. but what they really need is to get some planes that aren't held together with sticky tape.

Anyway, finally on NZ soil. Christchurch is a very nice city, with a substantial English feel to it. And I don't mean it's full of hoodlums spilling out of pubs and vomiting in the gutter, or 15-year-old girls smacking their crisp-wielding offspring. It's green, has a charming punt-filled river running through it, and has statues of Captains Cook & Scott and Queen Victoria. Quite right too. And the weather is distinctly English, with the suggestion of rain at any time, though the heavens haven't opened yet. But I'm not staying here long. Got a bus ride to Dunedin in the morning then going to do a 150km bike ride towards Queenstown over the next 2 days. It's along a disused railway line and is supposed to offer some beautiful scenery. So fingers crossed the rain holds off.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 22, 2008 from Christchurch, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Feet up

Batu Feringgi, Malaysia

Ah. A bit of 5-star comfort after the trials of India and China. (Actually the accommodation in China was very good). But still nice to be at a beach in Malaysia with nothing to do for 4 nights. And good to catch up with my mum and Bob.

There isn't actually a huge amount to do in Penang, and the weather has been a bit variable, so 4 nights is probably enough. Did a tour of the island a couple of days ago, and then took the ferry over to Langkawi yesterday and toured around there. Well I say toured, the guide was bloody useless, preferring to use gestures to words (obviously a fan of legendary 80s quiz show Give Us A Clue), and opted not to take us to Underwater World because "it's school holidays and it will be too busy" (in mime) so took us to the Malaysian version of TK Maxx instead. Thanks, I really sat on a ferry for 2 hours to buy a discounted pair of socks.

Anyway, nice hotel, though between Hong Kong and Penang I've now spanked more cash than I did in 7 weeks in India. Possibly.

Oh, and as a footnote, I think my parents have started regressing in age since hitting 60. My mum went parasailing today and I got an email from my dad saying he'd been to a Madonna concert in Vegas! Whatever happened to knitting needles and Werthers Originals?

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 20, 2008 from Batu Feringgi, Malaysia
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Another colony

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Honkers. Yet another ex-colony. With one of the more interesting stories behind it. China was a net exporter via HK in the mid-19th century thanks to the spice trade, but that soon changed once the British started importing opium from India, which the Chinese took to with some relish. Due to the adverse effect this had on both the economy and the workforce, the Chinese attacked and destroyed a British shipment of opium, the British retaliated and the first opium war was started, which resulted in the Chinese ceding Hong Kong to Her Maj "in perpetuity". 50-odd years later we got hold of the New Territories (Kowloon etc) as well on a 99-year lease. When that expired in 1997, Britain decided it was probably right to hand back Honkers as well. Anyway, that started a 50 year period where Hong Kong is treated as a special economic and political zone (though still controlled by central Chinese government) before being fully reintegrated in 2047. Here endeth the history lesson.

That all gives it a very different feel to the rest of China, but the disappointing thing (apart from the cost of everything) is that if you're not into shopping, there doesn't seem to be a great deal to do here. Once you've been down to the harbour and admired the skyscraper-laden vista, and been up Victoria Peak, there doesn't seem to be much left. And at 6 quid a pint, even drinking doesn't hold the same appeal as it did on the mainland! Though that didn't stop a few of us going into Soho on HK Island to celebrate Richard's upcoming 50th birthday with several long island iced teas at a live jazz club. Nice.

Anyway, overall I've really enjoyed China. It still has some major political and social issues to sort out but as a visitor I've found it to be a country with a proud and fascinating history, the food has been great, the scenery beautiful and the people hospitable. If they would just stop spitting everywhere it would be even better! My tour group have been great for the most part too, with the exception of the demanding Canadian and the slightly spooky guy from the Isle of Man. So it's with a slightly heavy heart that I move on, lightened by the fact that my next stop is in Penang where I'm meeting my mum and her husband Bob for a few days of R&R in a 5-star hotel.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 17, 2008 from Hong Kong, Hong Kong
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Final port

Yangshuo, China

I was sorry to leave Lijiang, it was a beautiful town in a great setting, but all good things must come to an end. So we took a couple of local flights to Guilin then a bus to Yangshuo, the last stop in China. The weather has been getting progressively better the further south we've come (the Beijing fleece has long since been discarded) and it was a distinctly balmy 25 degrees in Yangshuo. It's another beautiful landscape, one unlike anything I've seen before. There are about 20,000 karsts dotted across the region, cylindrical or steep pyramid limestone formations ranging from 100m to 300m tall. They give the landscape a magical, ethereal feel, particularly in the early morning mist. We went out for a bike ride a couple of days ago which was just great - unlike the one in Dali, this was proper off-road biking, through little villages and paddy fields being harvested (all by non-mechanical means). Then in the evening we went to see a light show at one of the lakes in town, choreographed by the guy who designed the light show at the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It featured a cast of hundreds, many of whom were local fishermen or farmers, and was highly impressive, aided by the stunning backdrop.

Then yesterday a few of us went kayaking down the Li River which was good fun and a nice peaceful way to appreciate the landscape. It's been good to have 3 full days here - the town itself is not as pretty as Lijiang but is still a very enjoyable place to stay (in spite of a rat running across the floor of our restaurant yesterday!) In fact the last week or so has been brilliant - I'll be sorry to leave China when I get on the overnight train to Hong Kong tonight.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 13, 2008 from Yangshuo, China
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Climb every mountain

Lijiang, China

Lijiang is beautiful. It's like a picture postcard Chinese town, nestled in the mountains with streams coming straight down off the mountain and running through the maze of cobbled streets, lined with traditional craft shops, guesthouses and Chinese and Tibetan restaurants. We're staying in a brilliant little guesthouse built around a courtyard and although it gets distinctly cold at night, the days have been clear and sunny.

Lijiang was the base for our 2-day trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge, about 2 hours away by bus. As its name would suggest, the Yangtze River surges through a Canyon in the mountainous terrain, and we trekked high above it along mountain paths for about 17kms, overnighting in a guesthouse halfway along. The views were spectacular, and it felt a bit surreal playing cards and having a couple of beers as the sun set on that landscape, with a couple of the Danish boys in our group playing their harmonicas. Think Sound of Music meets Deliverance!

All in all a very enjoyable few days. In fact the last week has been great, and it really feels like we're seeing proper China now. Yangshuo is our next stop, and promises more of the same, so fingers crossed.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 8, 2008 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment

Another post

Dali, China

Another bus ride on to Dali, a very agreeable little town nestled between a mountain and a lake. Went up the mountain on day 1, then got on the bikes and went around some local villages on day 2. Saw some great local markets and had a taste of Chinese pizza from a street vendor - that should definitely be imported. Sadly the weather took a turn for the worse by midday. There's been loads of rain here the last few weeks and there was evidence of flooding everywhere. There was a landslide in a nearby village yesterday that killed 40 people. So the journey home wasn't much fun - think a grey, drizzly November day in England and that's about it. They don't really do heating in China it seems, so took quite a while to warm up again. Needless to say the process was aided by some alcohol. It's a beautiful town though, and really feels like proper China, complete with centuries old buildings, narrow little streets, outdoor food vendors and traditional craftsmen. Apparently the next stop Lijiang is even more beautiful, so just hoping for better weather there.

permalink written by  phileasdogg on November 4, 2008 from Dali, China
from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs
Send a Compliment
Viewing 31 - 40 of 74 Entries
first | previous | next | last



author feed
 author kml

Heading South?

Online Spanish lessons with a live personal tutor FairTutor can hook you up with Online Spanish lessons with a live personal tutor. It's pretty sweet! Online Spanish lessons with a live personal tutor www.fairtutor.com
Navigate
Home
Find Blogs
Find People
Find Places
Find Photos
Browse Tags
Make Maps
Write a Blog Entry
search
Login

go
create a new account



   

Blogabond v2.40.58.80 © 2024 Expat Software Consulting Services about : press : rss : privacy
View as Map View as Satellite Imagery View as Map with Satellite Imagery Show/Hide Info Labels Zoom Out Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom In
find city: