After crossing the Tasman Sea on a three hour flight I arrived in Auckland, the largest city of our closest neighbour and great mates from New Zealand. This country of four million people is blessed with sublime natural scenery, friendly people, superb tourist infrastructure and world class beer. Oh, and it's also the adventure capital of the world! If you have a taste for adventure and wanna do something wild and crazy ... sweet as a nut bro, just come to NZ and the Kiwis will take care of you. I was out of the airport like a shot, and had [View Full Entry]

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Perth is the most remote capital city in the world. If you cast your eyes east the vast expanses of the Nullabor Plain stretch to the South Australian border and way beyond; if you cast your eyes west the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean stretch all the way to the South African coast and the nearest city of Johannesburg. The inhabitants of this booming city feel removed from the goings on in the Eastern States, and methinks maybe they like it that way. Perth is situated on the Swan River with a population of over one million people, who are [View Full Entry]

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The far north of Australia is one of the most remote places on Earth, and every day in this part of the world features stunning scenery and a sense of wonder at the vast distances travelled. There are three major towns stretching from the East Coast to the West Coast, and a whole lot of nothing in between. But this is the real Australia, where you can ride on the bus for an entire day and be lucky to pass a single car travelling in the opposite direction. I had a five week opportunity to explore the Far North, and a [View Full Entry]

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Sumatra is a destination that few people are knowledgeable about, and even fewer people visit. It is, surprisingly, the sixth largest island in the world and well and truly off the beaten track. The previous journal left off in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, from where I organised a bus ticket to Bukittinggi in West Sumatra. Not surprisingly, the bus was jam packed and my travelling companion, although not a tall man, spread his legs luxuriously for the thirty hour journey so that my legs were almost fused together by the end of the trip. Travelling can be a gruelling experience [View Full Entry]

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There is so much more to the Indonesian archipelago than simply paying a visit to Bali. Our nearest neighbour to the north is home to 220 million people, and the world's largest archipelago has 1700 islands which span more than 5000 kilometres. Mind you, no visit to Indonesia is complete without stopping off in Bali, a beautiful island that holds a special place in my heart. When the flight arrived from Sydney I checked into the same Kuta hotel as previously, and enjoyed a few days relaxing with the smiling Balinese before setting off to explore Java and Sumatra. So then, [View Full Entry]

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Singapore is an intriguing country that has always fascinated me. To use a sporting parlance, the country reminds me of the little guy who is always punching well above his weight, the guy who gets extraordinary results despite what seems to be overwhelming physical deficiencies. For example it's incredible to note that Singapore, with a population of 4.5 million people, has the fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre in the world. This country is a serious player on the world stage in spite of it's tiny size, an island state of 63 islands situated just below East Malaysia. Continuin [View Full Entry]

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Malaysia is an unheralded destination on the South East Asian backpackers trail, but fits the description of being Truly Asia! I flew in from Sydney to land in Kuala Lumpur on the Peninsula Malaysia, kicking off a backpacker trip in the most populous part of the country. Only five million Malaysians out of the total population of twenty four million live in Borneo on the other side of the South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur is the very modern capital of this regional economic powerhouse, and I spent an enjoyable few days exploring the city, which included a brush with a conman [View Full Entry]

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The United States dropped more bombs in the Vietnam war than were used during the entire course of World War ll, and it's easy to assume the Vietnamese harbor a deal of resentment toward foreigners. However, it's somewhat incredible to experience nothing but kindness from the local people when visiting the country, in a predominantly youthful population of 75 million people. The reality of travel in Vietnam proves they are unfailingly gracious hosts who treat travellers with a welcoming smile. Vietnam is a highly recommended travel destination in South East Asia, and I was excited to board a f [View Full Entry]

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There is an indefinable quality that makes Buddhist countries superb travel destinations, and possibly the most famous of these is Thailand. Tourists flock to this Asian paradise from all over the world, and when it comes to the tourism industry the Thais do things better and with more grace than anyone else ... and who can resist the world famous Thai cuisine! When I arrived in Bangkok I mysteriously slotted into Thai lifestyle as if they had cast a magic spell over me. It hardly seems possible to be in a foreign country for the first time, and yet from the [View Full Entry]

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For several years I'd been focusing on my Sydney rock n roll band with all the puritanical zeal of the Blues Brothers, to the extent that Mind's Eye was the focus of my existence. The idea of gallivanting around the world to visit exotic locations never even crossed my mind during these band years, that is until my lead guitarist and bass player informed me they planned to cement their relationship through the sacrament of marriage. They asked me to be the best man at their wedding to be held in Bali and I felt honoured. The news, however, hit me [View Full Entry]

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