Is that what Vegas is? Perhaps, although the pleasure part can get lost amongst the innumerable elements that can grate on your nerves. It's a little like watching a movie where Rambo kills about a million people; subtle it aint and you walk out of the cinema knowing you should pan it remorselessly but somehow you end up guiltily extracting some enjoyment from it. I remember a guy at work once telling me I was wasting my money and time trying to travel the world. He reckoned he did Rome, Paris, New York, Venice and Cairo in 2 days. It's all in Vegas Baby! And I suppose that's true if you don't mind your landmarks faux. But it's not just the landmarks that are heavy on the pseudo and light on the panache. You can dine ... read more

So I did manage some really fun waves in Taranaki and like many parts of the New Zealand coastline, accessing these waves can be more of a mission than pulling up in the car directly in front of your favourite break. My own little hideaway point involved a minor adventure. It starts out with a jaunt across some private farming land, then: "Gary, I think these fences are electrified." "Yes, but these sections here are packing tape and you can't put an electric current through pack... OUCH! OOO that smarts." Remembering the incident at Fox Glacier, Penny was careful not to overdo the laughing but still couldn't completely contain herself. So once again the karma Gods were smiling down upon me and barely 2 minutes later.... It's amazing how old cow dung can look so innocuous ... read more

Fortunately for the Sounds in Fiordland, there's plenty of rain to like, something in the vicinity of 7-9 meters annually, about a third of which seemed to fall while we lolled about for a few days in the area. However, extreme rain in this neck of the woods isn't the grim reaper for holiday goers that it would be in other tourist hot spots. The large volumes of water create hundreds of waterfalls that only appear after/during such downpours and the low hanging clouds clinging to the mountains also provide an aura that some might describe as eerie, others romantic. The trade off for this eerie/romantic ambience is that most outdoor activities are put on hold. Plus, the dim, grey light makes for some tough photographic conditions. So don't come back complaining my images are heavy ... read more

To go or not to go, THAT, was the question. Aung San Suu Kyi said "don't come" based on the theory that tourism only reinforces the ruling junta's behaviour. The troubles of a couple months back didn't make the decision any simpler. Why then, are we here? Selfishly because we wanted to. We can also justify it because there are plenty of arguments in favour of visiting, most notably, the rank and file people of Myanmar need the funds. Like the majority of independents we avoided wherever possible channelling our dollars into government coffers and rather into the pockets of those who really do need it. The overwhelming opinion we developed was that the people of Burma are desperate for tourists to visit. As a consequence of the incidents this year, tourist numbers are WAY down ... read more

Not happy again Jan. Hong Kong is part of China, according to the pundits, so how come when we do this blog, the entire map of China isn't filled in red. Just HK. I was hoping for the opposite to present the illusion we'd covered more territory than actual fact. Speaking of HK - chaotic, noisy, polluted and plenty of people speaking a language that sounds like a tin can being kicked down the street. Things didn't start off too well because my darling wife thought it would be a lovely idea to share her flu that she picked up in Dubai. Enough of the whinging because HK, despite its claustrophobic drawbacks, is exciting, particularly by night. After the sun sticks its head away, the skyline lights up and is a spectacle from all angles, particularly ... read more