Six months in a leaky boat...
Conway's faves!
It's been an age, not helped by my pc deciding that it had enjoyed it's 6 month break so much, that it fancied some more time off...
Anyway, here I will go though my RTW highlights, give a few thank yous, and decide on THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP!
Incidentally, if you wish to revisit my inane ramblings, they're stored on a Blog
http://mikeconwayrtw.blogspot.com/
My photos are still there too
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mfconway@btinternet.com/my_photos
First, the many highlights! In no particular order...
Best beach
I didn't spend must time by the sea (not visiting a single Thai island was a bit careless!) but my faves were
Miami South Beach - a great place to ease off jetlag, with it's stylish Art Deco architecture, relaxed prosperity and massive sandy beach
Lake McKensie on Fraser island in Aus - paradise on earth, though a nightmare to get to!
Most fun place
The type of place where people go to enjoy themselves, and everything is geared around this
Queenstown NZ - adventure capital of the world (I was mainly happy to watch!)
Las Vegas - it's brash, it's tacky, it's OTT. It's amazing!
Best train journey
Karunda scenic railway Aus - great scenery and a decent destination too
Death Railway Thailand - the scenery, the Bridge over the River Kwai tempered with the thought of all those who suffered terribly in it's construction and fill the cemeteries of Kanchanaburi...
Swiss railways - Switzerland wins the prize for the best rail network on my journey, as clean, comfortable, efficient and punctual as you'd expect
Best cablecar/ funicular
Kuranda skyrail - 'flying' high over tropical rainforest, what a view!
Scenicworld, Blue Mountains Aus - the unbelievably steep former coal railway down with modern cablecar up, great scenery
Mount Pilatus round trip - Switzerland in a nutshell, cable car up, funicular down with a lovely lake cruise back to Lucerne to finish
Best road journey
I'm tempted to say the whole of New Zealand, as I enjoyed virtually all of my driving there. The best drive though was probably the road to Milford Sound, for it's sheer variety, the fields, forests, mountains with mad tunnel and snow blizzard at the top!
Most scenic flight
Helicopter flight, Franz Josef glacier NZ - stunning views of the glaciers, then landing and walking on one
Helicopter flight, 12 Apostles Aus - the best way to appreciate the scenery, and good value too
Zurich to Venice - Flying over the Alps, giving stunning views
Best looking air hostesses
Flight scenery of a different type! Difficult one to decide this, on balance Singapore Girl (from last year) still has it.
As I like to cater for all tastes in my readers, I should mention that the best looking male cabin steward was on a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Sydney - I judged this by the amount of female rubber necking going on (even more than when I walked past!). I ought to point out though, that on one of my trips I met a gay couple who were both Qantas cabin stewards, so ladies I wouldn't get your hopes up too much!
Best Airline
Air Asia - an Asian low cost carrier provided some bargain price fares, and many very convenient connections, saving a lot of time and money
Best boat trip
Borneo longboats - you feel like a real adventurer in one, as you whizz through the jungle!
Grand canal Venice - however many times to travel along it, it's still very special
Best beer
A difficult one this, I'd probably say Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (I drank this in LA). Some of the beers in Asia were decent too, Coopers was the best Aussie one, indeed I'm drinking a bottle now (and not a silly stubby either!)
Best wine
The Aussies win this one though, why can't their beer have as much flavour? Honourable mention goes to Waiheke Island, off Auckland, a very pleasant daytrip, and blessed with a similar soil and climate to the Bordeaux region, and hence producing very palatable (if pricey) 'clarets', a wine tour here is recommended!
Best tourist information service
New Zealand - efficient and helpful everywhere with a very useful accommodation booking service
Unexpectedly good museums
Cat museum Kuching Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo - a real labour of (moggie) love!
Te Puke Auto Museum NZ - a great selection of British cars and a massive collection of magazines and brochures to browse through!
Best walks
Queen Charlotte Track NZ - my only trek, four days of attractive scenery, great weather, proper accommodation (with food and drink) and a few steep hills (great for strengthening those thighs!)
Blue Mountains Aus - lots of stunning walks, all within short distance of Sydney
Sporting highlight
Commonwealth Games, Melbourne - Melbourne during the games had a really nice atmosphere. There was always an event going on, and watching the athletics with 90000 other people in the MCG was very special
Rugby in Christchurch NZ, Aussie Rules in Adelaide - watching local sport is a fine way to get to know a country better...and a good excuse to watch sport!
Charlton vs Blackburn - Alan Curbishley's shock last game in charge, I wish I had been there to show my appreciation, but catching it on tv in Singapore was a real bonus.
Best multi day tour
I mostly travelled independently, but in Aus went on a few organised tours as well. My favourite of these was the 3 night Great Ocean road trip (Melbourne to Adelaide) run by Wayward. A good group of people, lots to see, plenty of laughs and the final night bbq, with my aubergine slices cooked in the fat left from cheap burgers! (as it was dark we couldn't see the thousands of millipedes everywhere, and hence squashed hundreds)
Best zoo, wildlife park, aquarium etc
Sydney Aquarium - brilliant displays and tanks, the best aquarium I visited on this trip
Aussie wildlife parks - so many to choose from, Tower Hill (between Melbourne and Adelaide), Alice Springs and Darwin all have a fascinating selection of indigenous animals
Favourite plants, flowers, etc
Kauri Trees NZ - massive, majestic trees, enough to turn anyone into a tree hugger (though you'd have to be stretch armstrong to reach around!)
Singapore orchid gardens - an old favourite, but still beautiful
Favourite animals
Glowworms - ok, not exactly cuddly, but gliding through dark NZ caves lit only by their magical luminescence was very memorable, and indeed quite magical. Take the Spellbound trip in Waikomo, you won't regret it.
Kangaroos, Koalas - has any country got such cute national symbols?
Best exposure to Native culture
Waka Boat trip NZ - Mauri Culture brought to life, and paddling the boat was good fun too!
Iban Long House, Sarawak, Borneo - a chance to see an exotic culture, one which is rapidly vanishing as their society 'modernises'
Most fun accommodation
Iban Long House, Borneo - we were in a special tourist block, but it was still a long house and very exciting, sitting on the veranda and watching the sun go down was very special
Mulu national park, Sarawak, Borneo - a real feeling of being in the wilderness, thick forest around you, and the incessant jungle noises. Luckily the frogs didn't croak all night!
Swagging in the Aussie outback - yes it was uncomfortable, yes it was freezing as the temperature dropped and wind picked up, but a very memorable experience!
Isn't planet earth amazing!
Rotorua NZ - extraordinary natural geothermal scenery, bubbling mud pools, geysers, silica terraces, piles of steaming sulphur, the terrible smell everywhere and the natural mineral baths to relax in afterwards...
Giant caves of Mulu NP, Sarawak Borneo - gigantic caves, stunning formations, millions of bats who fly out in vast swarms, piles of, ahem guano, with that pungent ammonia smell...
Favourite religious buildings
These were in Asia, as Kiwis worship the All Blacks and Aussies worship themselves! Brunei has stunning mosques, as money was no object in their construction, while Thailand and Lao have attractive Buddhist temples, and especially in Thailand, the genuine devotion of the worshippers is moving. Penang's (Malaysia) Kek Lok Si temple is a great tourist site, and really interesting, but perhaps a little bit too OTT and commercial...
Favourite historical buildings
No contest here, the vast 1000 year old temple complexes around Siem Riep in Cambodia are stunning, the highlight being Angkor Wat, one of the great historical buildings of the world. It's worth having a guide to fill you in, on all the mysterious detail, and carvings, but also worth wandering around by yourself, to soak up the atmosphere.
Favourite wilderness
Badwater, Death Valley (US), 86m below sea level. Flat, deathly silent apart from the crunch of footsteps over the salt flat.
So many parts of NZ, but picking out one, the Caitlins, the very bottom part of the South Island, the walk across the boggy and ahem 'fertilised' farmer's field leading to Slope Point, the most southerly place I'd ever been to, and undoubtedly the windiest!
Unexpectedly likeable places
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo - off the standard backpacker trail, but well worth a visit as an interesting place, and a great base to see the jungle and longhouses.
Las Vegas - far nicer than I expected, Las Vegas is a must visit destination, even if you don't spend a cent in the casinos! The stunning (if OTT) architecture of the casinos and malls plus the (relative) proximity to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley make this a great holiday destination for a few days. Just go midweek; at the weekend the hotel rates are sky high, whereas midweek they give rooms away.
Dunedin NZ - I could have picked out several NZ places, but Dunedin caters for all tastes, with lots of nature on it's doorstep (albatross and penguin colonies), brewery and chocolate (Cadbury) tours plus a decent scenic train ride, plenty to keep you occupied!
Vientiane Lao - the most peaceful capital city I've ever visited, the people may be very poor, but there is a really nice atmosphere here, like Thailand 20 years ago, I imagine. Very cheap beer and some surprisingly good, and excellent value, restaurants too.
Favourite country to visit
Pass!
I would add though, that while NZ was the nicest country I stayed in, Australia probably produced more highlights, and Borneo was also very memorable...
Many Thanks
Many thanks to everyone who helped me on my travels, who put me up, showed me around or fed me, it's much appreciated.
Special thanks to my parents, who looked after my flat while I toured around, and stepped in when things didn't go to plan, I'll be forever grateful.
Six months in a leaky boat
As I travelled, I thought about a song to sum up my trip. A few came to mind - Flying (by Cast), Roam (by The B52s), but nothing worked as well as the Antipodean classic Six months in a leaky boat by the Kiwi (with a bit of Aussie help) band Split Enz (younger Finn brother Neil would go on to form Crowded House), telling the tale of the pioneer explorers who first emigrated to NZ. This classic song, which I heard several times down under and lodged into my brain, never became a hit in the UK, as it came out in 1982 at the time of the Falklands war and was banned by the BBC in case it affected war morale!!! The video is interesting too (very long intro...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yav3C4nKAY
The overall highlight of my trip!!!
It was a difficult choice, but the overall highlight out of many great moments and experiences was the Queen Charlotte Track in New Zealand, the 4 day walk.
On trips like this, it can get a bit passive at times; you pay money, and 'the happy natives' do things for you, such is the power of tourism. Hence, it's nice to put in a bit of physical exertion as well, to earn your supper, so to speak. So why was this walk good?
Great scenery, albeit other walks in NZ have even better scenery
Your luggage is carried on by boat, none of that lugging around your possessions mularkey.
Proper accommodation on the way, hotels and hostels so you can sleep in a proper bed, and not have to put up tents etc
You can get food and drink as well, after a long day's walk, there's nothing better than a beer, shower and nice carb rich meal!
The accommodation has beautiful surroundings - completely isolated, with dark forest on one side and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound on the other, with it's lapping water full of fish (I spotted a Stingray one morning)
Enough hills to give your body a much needed workout, that's probably the fittest I've ever been! (sadly all gone to pot now)
Some really inspiring people (3 women twice my age who completed the walk with a constant smile on their faces) plus unfit people doing small, easy sections of the route, and struggling badly to make you feel very smug as you whizz past them!
And finally...
A brilliant experience, I would heartily recommend anyone taking time out to travel around the world. Make sure you do what YOU want to do, and you'll have a wonderful time, educational, exciting, fun and moving. Writing this email has brought back all the memories
Mike
It's been an age, not helped by my pc deciding that it had enjoyed it's 6 month break so much, that it fancied some more time off...
Anyway, here I will go though my RTW highlights, give a few thank yous, and decide on THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP!
Incidentally, if you wish to revisit my inane ramblings, they're stored on a Blog
http://mikeconwayrtw.blogspot.com/
My photos are still there too
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mfconway@btinternet.com/my_photos
First, the many highlights! In no particular order...
Best beach
I didn't spend must time by the sea (not visiting a single Thai island was a bit careless!) but my faves were
Miami South Beach - a great place to ease off jetlag, with it's stylish Art Deco architecture, relaxed prosperity and massive sandy beach
Lake McKensie on Fraser island in Aus - paradise on earth, though a nightmare to get to!
Most fun place
The type of place where people go to enjoy themselves, and everything is geared around this
Queenstown NZ - adventure capital of the world (I was mainly happy to watch!)
Las Vegas - it's brash, it's tacky, it's OTT. It's amazing!
Best train journey
Karunda scenic railway Aus - great scenery and a decent destination too
Death Railway Thailand - the scenery, the Bridge over the River Kwai tempered with the thought of all those who suffered terribly in it's construction and fill the cemeteries of Kanchanaburi...
Swiss railways - Switzerland wins the prize for the best rail network on my journey, as clean, comfortable, efficient and punctual as you'd expect
Best cablecar/ funicular
Kuranda skyrail - 'flying' high over tropical rainforest, what a view!
Scenicworld, Blue Mountains Aus - the unbelievably steep former coal railway down with modern cablecar up, great scenery
Mount Pilatus round trip - Switzerland in a nutshell, cable car up, funicular down with a lovely lake cruise back to Lucerne to finish
Best road journey
I'm tempted to say the whole of New Zealand, as I enjoyed virtually all of my driving there. The best drive though was probably the road to Milford Sound, for it's sheer variety, the fields, forests, mountains with mad tunnel and snow blizzard at the top!
Most scenic flight
Helicopter flight, Franz Josef glacier NZ - stunning views of the glaciers, then landing and walking on one
Helicopter flight, 12 Apostles Aus - the best way to appreciate the scenery, and good value too
Zurich to Venice - Flying over the Alps, giving stunning views
Best looking air hostesses
Flight scenery of a different type! Difficult one to decide this, on balance Singapore Girl (from last year) still has it.
As I like to cater for all tastes in my readers, I should mention that the best looking male cabin steward was on a Qantas flight from Brisbane to Sydney - I judged this by the amount of female rubber necking going on (even more than when I walked past!). I ought to point out though, that on one of my trips I met a gay couple who were both Qantas cabin stewards, so ladies I wouldn't get your hopes up too much!
Best Airline
Air Asia - an Asian low cost carrier provided some bargain price fares, and many very convenient connections, saving a lot of time and money
Best boat trip
Borneo longboats - you feel like a real adventurer in one, as you whizz through the jungle!
Grand canal Venice - however many times to travel along it, it's still very special
Best beer
A difficult one this, I'd probably say Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (I drank this in LA). Some of the beers in Asia were decent too, Coopers was the best Aussie one, indeed I'm drinking a bottle now (and not a silly stubby either!)
Best wine
The Aussies win this one though, why can't their beer have as much flavour? Honourable mention goes to Waiheke Island, off Auckland, a very pleasant daytrip, and blessed with a similar soil and climate to the Bordeaux region, and hence producing very palatable (if pricey) 'clarets', a wine tour here is recommended!
Best tourist information service
New Zealand - efficient and helpful everywhere with a very useful accommodation booking service
Unexpectedly good museums
Cat museum Kuching Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo - a real labour of (moggie) love!
Te Puke Auto Museum NZ - a great selection of British cars and a massive collection of magazines and brochures to browse through!
Best walks
Queen Charlotte Track NZ - my only trek, four days of attractive scenery, great weather, proper accommodation (with food and drink) and a few steep hills (great for strengthening those thighs!)
Blue Mountains Aus - lots of stunning walks, all within short distance of Sydney
Sporting highlight
Commonwealth Games, Melbourne - Melbourne during the games had a really nice atmosphere. There was always an event going on, and watching the athletics with 90000 other people in the MCG was very special
Rugby in Christchurch NZ, Aussie Rules in Adelaide - watching local sport is a fine way to get to know a country better...and a good excuse to watch sport!
Charlton vs Blackburn - Alan Curbishley's shock last game in charge, I wish I had been there to show my appreciation, but catching it on tv in Singapore was a real bonus.
Best multi day tour
I mostly travelled independently, but in Aus went on a few organised tours as well. My favourite of these was the 3 night Great Ocean road trip (Melbourne to Adelaide) run by Wayward. A good group of people, lots to see, plenty of laughs and the final night bbq, with my aubergine slices cooked in the fat left from cheap burgers! (as it was dark we couldn't see the thousands of millipedes everywhere, and hence squashed hundreds)
Best zoo, wildlife park, aquarium etc
Sydney Aquarium - brilliant displays and tanks, the best aquarium I visited on this trip
Aussie wildlife parks - so many to choose from, Tower Hill (between Melbourne and Adelaide), Alice Springs and Darwin all have a fascinating selection of indigenous animals
Favourite plants, flowers, etc
Kauri Trees NZ - massive, majestic trees, enough to turn anyone into a tree hugger (though you'd have to be stretch armstrong to reach around!)
Singapore orchid gardens - an old favourite, but still beautiful
Favourite animals
Glowworms - ok, not exactly cuddly, but gliding through dark NZ caves lit only by their magical luminescence was very memorable, and indeed quite magical. Take the Spellbound trip in Waikomo, you won't regret it.
Kangaroos, Koalas - has any country got such cute national symbols?
Best exposure to Native culture
Waka Boat trip NZ - Mauri Culture brought to life, and paddling the boat was good fun too!
Iban Long House, Sarawak, Borneo - a chance to see an exotic culture, one which is rapidly vanishing as their society 'modernises'
Most fun accommodation
Iban Long House, Borneo - we were in a special tourist block, but it was still a long house and very exciting, sitting on the veranda and watching the sun go down was very special
Mulu national park, Sarawak, Borneo - a real feeling of being in the wilderness, thick forest around you, and the incessant jungle noises. Luckily the frogs didn't croak all night!
Swagging in the Aussie outback - yes it was uncomfortable, yes it was freezing as the temperature dropped and wind picked up, but a very memorable experience!
Isn't planet earth amazing!
Rotorua NZ - extraordinary natural geothermal scenery, bubbling mud pools, geysers, silica terraces, piles of steaming sulphur, the terrible smell everywhere and the natural mineral baths to relax in afterwards...
Giant caves of Mulu NP, Sarawak Borneo - gigantic caves, stunning formations, millions of bats who fly out in vast swarms, piles of, ahem guano, with that pungent ammonia smell...
Favourite religious buildings
These were in Asia, as Kiwis worship the All Blacks and Aussies worship themselves! Brunei has stunning mosques, as money was no object in their construction, while Thailand and Lao have attractive Buddhist temples, and especially in Thailand, the genuine devotion of the worshippers is moving. Penang's (Malaysia) Kek Lok Si temple is a great tourist site, and really interesting, but perhaps a little bit too OTT and commercial...
Favourite historical buildings
No contest here, the vast 1000 year old temple complexes around Siem Riep in Cambodia are stunning, the highlight being Angkor Wat, one of the great historical buildings of the world. It's worth having a guide to fill you in, on all the mysterious detail, and carvings, but also worth wandering around by yourself, to soak up the atmosphere.
Favourite wilderness
Badwater, Death Valley (US), 86m below sea level. Flat, deathly silent apart from the crunch of footsteps over the salt flat.
So many parts of NZ, but picking out one, the Caitlins, the very bottom part of the South Island, the walk across the boggy and ahem 'fertilised' farmer's field leading to Slope Point, the most southerly place I'd ever been to, and undoubtedly the windiest!
Unexpectedly likeable places
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo - off the standard backpacker trail, but well worth a visit as an interesting place, and a great base to see the jungle and longhouses.
Las Vegas - far nicer than I expected, Las Vegas is a must visit destination, even if you don't spend a cent in the casinos! The stunning (if OTT) architecture of the casinos and malls plus the (relative) proximity to the Grand Canyon and Death Valley make this a great holiday destination for a few days. Just go midweek; at the weekend the hotel rates are sky high, whereas midweek they give rooms away.
Dunedin NZ - I could have picked out several NZ places, but Dunedin caters for all tastes, with lots of nature on it's doorstep (albatross and penguin colonies), brewery and chocolate (Cadbury) tours plus a decent scenic train ride, plenty to keep you occupied!
Vientiane Lao - the most peaceful capital city I've ever visited, the people may be very poor, but there is a really nice atmosphere here, like Thailand 20 years ago, I imagine. Very cheap beer and some surprisingly good, and excellent value, restaurants too.
Favourite country to visit
Pass!
I would add though, that while NZ was the nicest country I stayed in, Australia probably produced more highlights, and Borneo was also very memorable...
Many Thanks
Many thanks to everyone who helped me on my travels, who put me up, showed me around or fed me, it's much appreciated.
Special thanks to my parents, who looked after my flat while I toured around, and stepped in when things didn't go to plan, I'll be forever grateful.
Six months in a leaky boat
As I travelled, I thought about a song to sum up my trip. A few came to mind - Flying (by Cast), Roam (by The B52s), but nothing worked as well as the Antipodean classic Six months in a leaky boat by the Kiwi (with a bit of Aussie help) band Split Enz (younger Finn brother Neil would go on to form Crowded House), telling the tale of the pioneer explorers who first emigrated to NZ. This classic song, which I heard several times down under and lodged into my brain, never became a hit in the UK, as it came out in 1982 at the time of the Falklands war and was banned by the BBC in case it affected war morale!!! The video is interesting too (very long intro...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yav3C4nKAY
The overall highlight of my trip!!!
It was a difficult choice, but the overall highlight out of many great moments and experiences was the Queen Charlotte Track in New Zealand, the 4 day walk.
On trips like this, it can get a bit passive at times; you pay money, and 'the happy natives' do things for you, such is the power of tourism. Hence, it's nice to put in a bit of physical exertion as well, to earn your supper, so to speak. So why was this walk good?
Great scenery, albeit other walks in NZ have even better scenery
Your luggage is carried on by boat, none of that lugging around your possessions mularkey.
Proper accommodation on the way, hotels and hostels so you can sleep in a proper bed, and not have to put up tents etc
You can get food and drink as well, after a long day's walk, there's nothing better than a beer, shower and nice carb rich meal!
The accommodation has beautiful surroundings - completely isolated, with dark forest on one side and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound on the other, with it's lapping water full of fish (I spotted a Stingray one morning)
Enough hills to give your body a much needed workout, that's probably the fittest I've ever been! (sadly all gone to pot now)
Some really inspiring people (3 women twice my age who completed the walk with a constant smile on their faces) plus unfit people doing small, easy sections of the route, and struggling badly to make you feel very smug as you whizz past them!
And finally...
A brilliant experience, I would heartily recommend anyone taking time out to travel around the world. Make sure you do what YOU want to do, and you'll have a wonderful time, educational, exciting, fun and moving. Writing this email has brought back all the memories
Mike
posted by Michael Conway at
1:46 am
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