Sunshine Coast Dreamtime – the legend of Mount Coolum
I’m not sure this is true of all expats, but I’ve always felt a bit more ‘local’ (on setting up home in a new place) once I learn about the stories behind my new local place names. Local mythology and storytelling varies greatly around the world but, especially in places with a long history, there is almost always an interesting story to be discovered. Take the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, just north of Brisbane and where I am currently based, for example. The region has a glorious coastline of epic surf beaches and wetlands, rivers, mountains, and further inland rainforest and waterfalls. The landscape really is very special. So, imagine…
What’s in the James Cook Museum in Cooktown?
These days Cooktown, over 300 kilometres north of Cairns, is a quiet and fairly low-key laid back kind of place. However, that was not always the case, as evidenced by the various exhibits inside the National Trust James Cook Museum. From explorer James Cook’s encounter with what is now Cooktown, the town’s founding, the gold rush, and significant immigration, to the impact of the Second World War and of European settlement on the local indigenous population, this small museum houses several exhibits sharing Cooktown’s interesting history. James Cook and the HMS Endeavour Originally jettisoned from James Cook’s ship the Endeavour, the enormous anchor and a cannon form the centerpiece of…
Great Barrier Reef daytrip to Michealmas Cay
Meeting friends in Cairns recently, I was keen to show them the reef. An incredible number of people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year and, since a lot of them go to Green Island because of its proximity, which keeps costs down, we decided to go elsewhere. Michealmas Cay presented itself as an option, and looked amazing – easy decision. With over 900 islands, covering roughly 2,300 kilometres, choosing which island to visit could be an endless task. Fortunately tour operators only offer trips to a few islands or the choice might take all day. We started the day with a leisurely 33 kilometre sail out to sea, which…
Driving the Bloomfield Track in Queensland
There are many adventures to be had in northern Queensland and for four-wheel drive enthusiasts, the Bloomfield Track is number one. Providing a coastal route between Cooktown and Cape Tribulation, the scenic and challenging drive makes a roadtrip along this spectacular section of Queensland’s coast an attractive option. The Bloomfield Track is a 30 kilometre stretch between the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal and Cape Tribulation but, in order to reach it drivers must also pass through Helenvale, so we’ll start there. Black Mountain National Park Located 26 kilometres south of Cooktown, Helenvale is a small community on the edge of the Black Mountain National Park. The park centres around…
10 Best things to do in Dubrovnik
It is no wonder Game of Thrones was filmed in Dubrovnik; the ancient walled city is one of impressive historic beauty, and certainly seems borrowed from another world. Dubrovnik, also known as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, sits in splendour on the southern Croatian coastline. It is best known for its UNESCO World Heritage Site listed old town, surrounded by formidable stone walls. As playwright George Bernard Shaw said during a visit in the 1920s, “Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik” There are many things to do in and around the old town of Dubrovnik. Due to the proximity of everything, visitors could easily see a…
Is it worth paying extra to fly premium economy?
Generally my budget dictates that on long haul flights, an economy seat is all I can afford. I often don’t even compare the cost of different seats on long haul flights, so imagine my surprise when booking a recent trip between Australia and the UK, and I found the premium economy seat was cheaper than a seat in economy. Having already made the journey between Australia and the UK four times last year, I wasn’t really enthusiastic about spending 30+ hours crossing the world again TWICE, but I needed to, so I began researching flights and made my surprising discovery. Pros: The obvious benefit of travelling in any class above…
Cat – themed Street Art: Penang’s 101 Lost Kittens Project
While the street art of Ernest Zacharevic has become an iconic feature of Penang, the cat art trail is less well known. If cats are your thing, or you’re looking for something different and a little quirky to do in Penang, check out the street art dedicated to the feline species. The annual Georgetown Festival inspires creative types, and 2014’s 101 Lost Kittens Project, left a distinctly feline flavour to Georgetown. The inspirational project was created by Artists for Stray Animals (ASA) to raise awareness of the plight of strays and encourage people to help animals. There are 12 artworks in the series, each painted with environmentally friendly paint, which…
See how far your dreams can take you at Paronella Park
Aborigines aside, Australia is a relatively young country. This, combined with a long history of migration has established a fairly multicultural society in Australia, with many individuals bringing parts of their history and culture, varying from foods and languages to traditional celebrations, with them and incorporating them in to their new lives down under. As a result threads of different cultures can often be found, providing a diverse, and often eclectic, variety of places to explore. Paronella Park is just such a place. Originally constructed by an eccentric but passionate, and clearly determined Spaniard, Paronella Park was the dream of Jose Paronella, who arrived in nearby Innisfail in 1913. Paronella…
Social media: How it proved its value this week
The world was rocked by the events that took place last week. The downing of the flight from Sharm El Sheikh to Russia and the Paris attacks were shocking enough. When four people died in five uncontrolled bush fires around an Australian town I used to live in, and friends of mine were fighting those fires, I felt uselessly far away. Using social media to share information As a longtime Francophile I can honestly say my first response to the Paris attacks was to worry about friends, absorb information from Twitter and the news for several hours, and despair for one of my favourite cities. But it wasn’t long before…
The journey to citizenship – How I became Australian
It’s funny how things work out. Ctizenship was never my goal. I moved to Australia temporarily. The plan was to spend a year travelling around Australia, supporting myself with a bit of casual work along the way. However, the offer of a permanent position changed that plan. Here’s how I became an Australian citizen. It all started when I applied for a partner visa. I could have applied for a second year’s working holiday visa, but that would have significantly limited my work opportunities, and it still had an expiry date. Applying for a partner visa, on the basis of my relationship provided more security. Countless forms, photocopies of documents…
