The crowd awaits silent and respectful in the pre-dawn stillness. Minutes later a distant rythmic tapping sound gradually gains momentum and is joined by the sharp call which commands the marching veterans. Applause starts to ripple out through the crowd as the veterans approach, then march proudly up the steps leading to their place on the Court of Honour. Poignant, moving...the single bugler sounds The Last Post, and flags are lowered - signalling the start of a minutes silence. All retreat to private thoughts, more than a few tears are shed. "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them" "We will remember them" The bugler sounds again, 'Reveille' ... read more

Meeting up with fellow 'TravelBlog'ers can be a 'hit and miss' game at the best of times. You may make plans to be in the home city of a TBer, only to find out that they themselves will be on the road when you pass through. Or flight schedules may hint at gifting you a random airport catchup, only for cancellations or delays to interfere. On an almost daily basis TBers would undertake an amount of travel looking something like a combined flight route map of all the airlines currently in operation - you know the ones, the maps we've all gazed longingly at while dreaming of the next great adventure. I'm far more a believer in fate, serendipity and the power of the universe than I used to be. Sometimes things happen just because they're ... read more

"Given that there's now around 7 tonne of dynamite strapped to the bridge, did you still want me to drive over it?" asked my brother-in-law as he gave us a ride into town. 'The bridge' was the Sydney Harbour bridge, and my sister and I had tickets for an event on my bucket list - a pole position view of the New Year's Eve fireworks display, with an afterparty of course. Unfortunately though, the pole position didn't come with somewhere to set up a tripod, so my photos were quite disappointing and definitely don't do the occasion justice. The majority of streets in the CBD were closed to traffic until the early hours of the following morning, and the crowds of people starting to build were reminiscent of those seen in Auckland during the Rugby World ... read more

48 games of rugby were played throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011. 48 games played by 20 of the best teams in the world, providing some exciting entertainment and the occasional upset result. But players on the field weren’t the only crowd-pullers. Although some followers took game results more seriously than others, many were here for the atmosphere that can only really be experienced when an international sporting event of this size takes place. From the arrival of the first team until well after the last game was over, it was the fans themselves that were the real support act - wearing their hearts not only on their sleeves, but also painted brightly on their faces. Not even the so-called ‘minnow teams’ were left unsupported, with each being adopted by various towns as a ... read more

There was plenty of colour, just as there used to be. The main event took place on a long wide strip of grass, just as it used to. But this time, instead of riding around Ellerslie Racecourse, I was a spectator to the smells, sounds and colour of the inaugural Auckland International Carnival. Getting there ahead of the opening ceremony almost felt as though I had arrived too early. Then more people drifted in, food stalls opened and the atmosphere picked up. After doing a couple of laps of the globe I ate in India, then zipped over to Hungary for dessert. Now I'm not one for missing parades without a good reason, and with this one being the main event to showcase all the the countries taking part in the carnival, I was quite happy ... read more