RoachTravel

A Glimpse of the Middle East March 29-31, 2007 It would be impossible to imagine a greater study in contrast than our experience in beautiful but impoverished Lesotho and our short stay in Doha, capital city of Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world. An 8 hour flight can indeed take you to a whole other world. We flew Qatar Air from Johannesberg, SA to Doha and even as the bus made its way from the aircraft to the terminal, we were able to glimpse the rounded turrets of mosques beyond the airport’s perimeter. Because our flight path en route to London then Spain took us via Doha, it seemed only sensible to stay for a few days and catch a glimpse of life in the Middle East. (or at least that is ... read more

Kruger National Park: Wild and Wonderful March 16-22, 2007 Two huge male lions lay sprawled in the middle of the road, just as the sun was setting. The larger of the two, lifted his shaggy maned head, opened the biggest jaws I had ever seen and roared…then roared again. Flashbulbs fired from several safari tour trucks, but we just looked at each other in our little red Chevy rental car (a piece of junk!)…we needed to get by them and back to the Paul Kruger gate before 6, and that was 10 minutes ago! The roaring lion ceased, lay his head down on the pavement, and we reluctantly (and carefully) drove around him and onward. Kruger National Park is unlike any other park we have ever been to, and it was a destination for us ... read more

Our first stop after leaving Tasmania was, once again, Melbourne, where we made the most of our one day/one night stop over. The city was humming, even on a Sunday and we enjoyed browsing the shops, galleries and attractions, knowing we couldn’t even begin to do the city justice in such a short time. We enjoyed a visit to the huge Victoria Market Place, more for the ambiance and the food offerings than for the merchandise, which was dominated by a lot of imported trinkets that held little appeal to us. The Sunday Art Market on the south side of the river was near closing by the time we arrived, but we did manage to make a few purchases from the beautiful work on display there. That evening we took the bus (the city transit system ... read more

Travels in Tasmania February 9-16 How does one describe Tasmania, the smallest state in such a huge country? Much like our own Newfoundland, Tassie (as it is called in the usual Aussie shorthand) is often the brunt of barbs and jokes…the backward state. However, Tasmania seems to be a microcosm of all that this great country has to offer-stunning sea scapes, rolling hills, fertile valleys, magnificent scenery, terrific fresh seafood and produce and friendly people. Our first week here has continued to provide a variety of experiences that have made each day different. The three and a half hour drive from Devonport, where the ferry landed, to our beach house home in St. Helens was broken by our first taste of the fresh food that has become a highlight of our visit. The best muffins we ... read more

Our next destination was another we had been looking forward to. Christchurch is the third largest city in the country and very possibly the prettiest. It is also the home (well sort of) of Tony and Sue Naughton who spent 2004 as an exchange teacher in Garden Creek School in Fredericton. They actually live in a beautiful new home in the lovely town of Rangiora with two of their children, Bryce and Courtney. We were welcomed with open arms and spent several days with the family and being shown not just wonderful hospitality, but some of their favourite sights. The drive to and walk around Christchurch’s Port Hills was one of the nicest outings we have had. As we drove the winding, circuitous, narrow road that twists its way in a labyrinth of options through ... read more