Geo: 28.6137, 77.1834We left Adelaide on Wednesday, 12th and flew first to Singapore and then, after a two hour stop over, on to Delhi. The flights were fine, but as they were with Singapore Airlines we couldn't access the lounges which was annoying. Arriving in Delhi at 9 pm local time we quickly cleared customs and emerged to find our on the ground transport.I had booked this trip through Trip-a-Deal. For $1999 a head they offered all flights, 4-5 star accommodation, all ground transport from Delhi to Jaipur to Agra and back to Delhi plus all meals. A bargain I couldn't pass up! When we arrived in Delhi we were met by a representative from Special Holidays who are managing the land content of the trip. 10 of us assembled and were driven to our hotel. ... read more

Geo: -18.1333, 178.417The Melanesian Championships started with an Opening Ceremony on Wednesday Night, It included a march past of all the teams and a cultural dance display. There was a large Australian contingent and Fiji had entered both a major team and a development squad. The proceedings included a display of Indigenous dancing and male bravado which was very entertaining.During the three days of the championships I fulfilled a variety of roles. I was appointed as a Chief Judge for field events so over the three days I chiefed a High Jump, a long jump, three discus throws and five shot puts. The weather was great, no rain and very mild days. During the events I worked with several local officials and was most impressed by their enthusiasm and willingness to learn the event. Each day ... read more

Geo: -18.1333, 178.417The last two or three days have been quiet but relaxing. Fletcher starts lecturing each morning at 8am so is up and away by 7-45am. I take my time but have usually got organised by 10am. On Wednesday morning I walked to the Fiji Museum which is just the other side of Albert Park, set in the beautiful Thurston Gardens. I had visited here nearly 40 years ago so thought I would take another look. It is a mall building but has several rooms depicting the history and culture of Fiji. The largest room contains, among other artefacts, an outrigger canoe which was the main form of transport before white settlement. This one is grand with a cabin on deck. I spent a pleasant hour or so wandering through the displays and reviving my ... read more

Geo: -32.0531, 115.746We landed in Mauritius on a very hot and humid day. The tour excursion guide said that it was a pleasant 10 minute coastal walk into the city of Port Louis. It lied!! We walked along a very dusty road for over half an hour to reach the main part of the city. I was not feeling the best. So far on this trip I had been exceptionally well but this morning the 24 hour lurgy started so I was struggling a bit. I was determined not to miss out though. On the way to the Caudron Waterfront complex we passed both a Buddhist, Chinese temple and a Hindu temple under construction. Mauritius has a very multicultural population with many citizens of Indian descent who were brought here as indentured labour to work in ... read more

Geo: -21.0326, 55.2351 This was ourlast stop in South Africa. Durban is an even larger port than Port Elizabeth.We came in a little late as the pilot was tardy in arriving. He flew in byhelicopter. We watched the sail in from our balcony. We docked and were free toget off about 9am.We hadplanned to get a taxi from the pier and go into the city. However, we foundconfusion on the wharf. There was a long line of people waiting for taxis andnone in sight. We decided to buy a ticket on the ship shuttle bus which was takingpassengers to Ushaka Marine Park, located on “The Golden Mile”, a stretch ofbeach leading to the Football Stadium which was built for the World Cup. TheMarine Park was housed in a large complex containing shops, restaurants andvarious animal enclosures. ... read more