Adelaide for Easter

Back in the heady days when Garry and I were both employed full-time we took advantage of some Qantas discount fares and booked a five-day Easter break in Adelaide. I’ve only been to the South Australian capital once before. The occasion was the funeral of my best mate’s father and as a result, I saw very little of the city itself. Garry has been before but seemed to recall very little. Now that we’re back in Australia, it seems appropriate to begin filling the gaps in our domestic sightseeing repertoire.

We made the most of our trip by hiring a car. This let us get out of the city on a couple of occasions which proved rather prescient as the inner city was almost deserted for much of the weekend. However, the empty streets did have their merit as it meant parking was easy to find. This proved a boon as South Australia has an odd tradition of making city parking free of charge on public holidays. As a result, we avoided hefty valet parking charges at our hotel and always found a parking spot within 50 metres of the front entrance.

We flew into Adelaide mid-morning on Good Friday after enjoying a hearty breakfast in the Qantas Lounge. I think I’ll miss top-tier lounge privileges most of all once I’ve left Text 100. I won’t complain too much as the impact will be a while in coming. By December this year, I’ll have done enough flying to renew my Qantas Platinum status for another year. Then in 2014, I’ll simply revert to lifetime Gold member status, thus retaining some lounge access privileges. That is, until Qantas changes its frequent flyer program, or goes bust.

After checking into our hotel we decided to venture out of the city. Good Friday is one of those rare calendar dates when almost every retail outlet is closed. We headed south towards Victor Harbour with vague plans to visit a few vineyards before ending up at the mouth of the mighty Murray River. However, this plan fell apart once we realized every vineyard was closed for the day. It appears that liquor licensing restrictions on Good Friday cover more than just bars and clubs.

Ultimately, the change of plans did us no harm as we switched focus to finding the most scenic roads to take us between Adelaide and the south coast. Highlights included the quaint homestead of Penny Hill. We currently have a case of this winery's Cracking Black Shiraz cellaring in our pantry. Victor Harbour proved to be a bit of a disappointment. We found many of the beaches layered deep in seaweed deposited by the Southern Ocean’s relentless swell. The seaside cafes were also heaving with visitors who’d clearly decided to make the same excursion we’d planned.

 

We eventually found ourselves on the wharf overlooking Goolwa Channel, a body of water that separates Hindmarsh Island from the mainland. Here you can see the infamous Hindmarsh Bridge curving high over the water. Its construction created a huge controversy in the 1990s. For almost a decade its construction was delayed by claims that its location violated a sacred indigenous site. 

However, those opposing the bridge refused to clarify these claims in what became known as “secret women’s business”. Eventually, a royal commission found that the “secret claims” had been fabricated and the Federal Government went on authorize the bridge’s construction. It finally opened in March 2001 at a cost of $14 million.

We dined on lashings of fresh seafood at Hector’s Café soaking up some glorious sunshine. Afterward, we wandered through weekend produce markets spilling across a nearby park. Needless to say, we didn’t leave empty-handed. We bought a large jar of delicious local honey and a fiery chili paste that the stall owner promised would transform our curries and stir-fries. Three months on, the last of the honey has been eaten, while the chili paste was tested for the first time only last week. Let’s just say it has quite a kick!

Our road trip was completed with a drive across Hindmarsh Bridge and on toward the island’s southeastern corner. Here the road abruptly ends in front of rolling sand dunes. A small lookout on the dunes provides a panoramic view of the Murray Mouth south of the island. Thanks to extensive water diversion further upstream, at this point the river barely flows out to sea. Instead, its mouth is marked by shifting sandbanks, upon which row after row of foaming waves continually break. In 2002 the mouth actually closed over and two dredging barges were brought in to reopen it.

We set aside Easter Saturday to enjoy the inner city. The day kicked off with a late brunch at the Central Markets. These fresh produce markets are a feast for the eyes and ears as much as for the stomach. The rest of the day was spent wandering the banks of the River Torrens and soaking up the sights and sounds of Rundle Mall. I was fascinated to learn that the river is only 85km in length; its source is in the nearby Adelaide Hills.

Easter Sunday was spent driving through the Adelaide Hills, spotting its many vineyards and enjoying its rural attractions. We began our road trip with a brief stop at the Mount Lofty lookout. The viewing area offers views across the Adelaide Plains, the city, and the Gulf St Vincent. We traced the ridgeline as far as the aptly named Corkscrew Road. From here we turned inland winding down into the valley, past Kangaroo Creek reservoir, and on to the village of Woodside.

 

Woodside is famous for Melba’s Chocolate Factory. Inside we watched technicians coat chocolate balls and dress freshly molded chocolate Easter rabbits. Naturally, we didn’t escape its well-stocked store without purchasing several packages of tasty goods. We suffered a similar fate in Cheese Wrights, a local cheesemaker located next door.

Our tour of the Adelaide Hills finished in the incredibly quaint town of Hahndorf. The area was settled by Lutheran migrants from Prussia and so the town is heavily influenced by German culture. After a walk to soak up the local atmosphere and Autumn colours we eventually stopped at the Hahndorf Inn, a Victorian-style pub serving German fare. We both went for the classic Six Weiner Platter. Germans do sausages better than anyone.

Our final day in South Australia saw us make the most of our hire car. We started with a visit to the Botanic Gardens to see its famous Amazon Lilypad House and elegant Tropical Palm House, before heading north to Port Adelaide and then down the coast as far as the seaside suburb of Glenelg. In Glenelg, we found a fish and chip shop selling the perfect seafood. However, the highlight of the day was a dolphin we spotted frolicking in the local marina.

Deja vu: the adventure begins (again)

I'm sure regular readers have noticed it’s been sometime between posts. Why?  Put simply, 14 years of predictable, stable lifestyle are about to radically change.  In July I leave my current employer with no fixed plans for the future. It's a bold decision I made some time ago but have waited until now to act. There are plenty of punters who think I'm crazy to give up a comfortable, well-paying job that's all but set for life.  

However, for several years, the journey with my current employer has felt like a dead end.  I've achieved every goal I set for myself almost 15 years ago, and then some.  Life has become staid and predictable. I feel I have another career path within me.  After much soul-searching I've decided it's time to bring it to fruition.  

As you can imagine this decision has consumed my focus since I set the wheels in motion in late-January.  It’s been more than 21 years since I was last out of work. Understandably the prospect of finding my next pay cheque is proving both daunting and exhilarating.  Since taking this decision I’ve experienced a full spectrum of emotions; from relief and anticipation to utter terror and despair.

What should I do with my career?  As you can imagine I’ve received advice by the truckload.  It’s all been rich, varied, and at times terribly contradictory.  As time passes my options have coalesced into three distinct categories:

1. Take a year off, either to study for an MBA or to consult on a freelance basis until my next step is clearer.
2. Go into business for myself, ideally buying a going concern I believe I can successfully grow and develop for the long-term.
3. Strike out in a new career direction with another employer, leveraging the international business skills I’ve accumulated over the years.

Naturally, each option has merits as well as pitfalls.  With so many choices to explore I’ve decided I need to take a couple of months off and clear my head.  Some might say I’m simply procrastinating.  However, taking a moment to still, or perhaps distract, my mind seems to be the right way forward.  I’ve enjoyed a surprising sense of peace since taking this decision and I'm already seeing new opportunities and connections appear without me forcing the issue.

As a result, I’ve finalized plans for two travel adventures in August and September. First, in August Garry and I take a three-week road trip up the West Coast of the USA from Los Angeles to Seattle.  We then return to Sydney for two weeks before I’ll depart again to take my parents on a vacation through Canada and New York they’ve always dreamt about.  The second trip is a recent development, reflecting in part the success of a ten-day vacation I took with my parents in China last month.  My father coped well with the travel, the food, and the long days of sightseeing.

Dad turned 75 in May. In the midst of his ongoing cancer therapy, there was a time when none of us thought he’d see this day.  Every year has become a precious gift.  Therefore, while reflecting on my own career future I realized that I’d created a unique opportunity to more spend time with him before life settles into a new routine.  It seemed foolish to pass up the chance to take him on a journey listed on his bucket list. 

My parents and I will kick off in Vancouver in mid-September.  Here we’ll catch a train through the Rocky Mountains to Banff; then on to Toronto and Niagara Falls, before taking time to explore New York.  Our journey will finish with a week of driving from Montreal to Toronto via Ottawa enjoying the spectacular autumn foliage.  I then return to Sydney and start making more concrete plans for the future.

Garry’s life is also taking a radical turn.  While researching options for acquiring a company I stumbled across a stationery wholesaler.  Some initial due diligence quickly revealed a host of simple changes, which if undertaken, would dramatically improve the company’s growth potential.  After some agonising internal debate, I ultimately decided it wasn't the business for me.  However, Garry became somewhat passionate about the opportunity and ultimately made an offer.  In July he’ll start life as a small business owner.  Watch as Gazena takes on the world.  It’s somewhat ironic that my current journey of discovery has ended up setting Garry on a new career path.

My next path of exploration proved somewhat more compelling.  By chance I spotted an executive role advertised on LinkedIn, the business networking social media site.  The brief was written in a style that captured my imagination.  On a whim, I drafted a cover letter and submitted my resume.  Weeks later I received a call and was asked to come in for an interview.  To cut a long story short, I was subsequently short-listed on the spot and invited to meet more of the executive team. 

It was both motivating and inspiring to find myself in this position the first time I’d seriously applied for a job.  However, I found myself somewhat conflicted by the prospect of leaping straight from my current employer into another role without a pause.  In the days that followed job applicants were narrowed down to me and one other person. I was not successful. A part of me breathed a sigh of relief. This experience made me realize I needed to take a break and clear my head before truly committing myself to another career path. 

As you can see, it is been quite a journey so far, hence the blogging hiatus.  However, as I finally start to wind down my current employment commitments, I’ve decided to revive the blog.  In the weeks ahead you’ll see me update you on a host of travel adventures, including:

• An Easter weekend in Adelaide.  Garry and I took time out to explore garden city, as well as exploring the southern coast of South Australia and the picturesque Adelaide Hills wine country.

• A series of ANZAC weekend excursions with my brother and sister-in-law during their five-day vacation in Australia.  Garry and I took them on a day trip down the south coast to Wollongong the day they arrived, before heading to Canberra for a picture-perfect weekend of blue skies and sunshine.

• My final business trip to the USA.  I found myself in San Francisco with a weekend to fill.  On the spur of the moment, I booked flights to Southern Utah to take in the dramatically eroded landscape of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.  The experience proved more memorable than expected and the photos simply speak for themselves. 

• Ten days in China with my parents.  I took on the role of tour guide, escorting my parents through the urban wonderland of Shanghai, the historical realms of Xian, and the cultural highlights of Beijing.
  
  
• A brief excursion en route to Hong Kong airport where I rode the Ngong Ping cable car to Po Lin Monastery. This Lantau Island institution is home to the Tin Tan Buddha, a 34-metre-high bronze statue that sits serenely on a nearby hill. The more hardy visitors climb more than 240 steps to its base to marvel at its colossal size.

• Stories from far North Queensland where Garry and I are traveling this week to witness the marriage of his younger brother to a wonderful, lively lass from Cornwall, England. They currently live in Port Douglas and so family and friends have been invited to join an informal ceremony on a boat anchored along the Great Barrier Reef.

• Highlights of our forthcoming road trip up the West Coast of the USA, followed by a summary of the trip to Canada I’ll be taking with my parents.

A year initially devoid of travel seemed to have morphed into a final hurrah before life truly does change for good.  However, future posts won’t just be about travel.  I’m keen to also share the journey of my new career as its direction begins to unfold.  Let the adventure begin (again)!

UPDATE: JUNE 2015

Garry and I have acquired a fast-growing small business called Artiwood.  We take possession on 12 June.  After several false starts with my new career direction, it's exciting to have finally found the right opportunity. I've looked at dozens of businesses in the last three years. So many of them have been a bitter disappointment and their numbers simply haven't stacked up once I've taken a closer look at the books.  

However, this business is the real deal. Its owner is selling simply because it's become too successful, too demanding, and in desperate need of significant investment to gear it for continued success.  If things play out as we believe we'll double the size of this business within four years; and be well on the way to setting ourselves up for life.

In appreciation of Walter Burley Griffith

For the record; I love Canberra. I don’t care what its detractors say. I think it’s a beautiful city with plenty of exciting potential. I recently rekindled my love affair after taking my brother, Matt, and sister-in-law, Shelley, for a weekend excursion; or as Shelley described it, “a mini-vacation within my vacation”.

Matt and Shelley dropped into Sydney for five days in April. They took advantage of the ANZAC public holiday and extended their visit into the following weekend. Garry and I took our guests on several road trips in between some passionate bouts of shopping.

Garry and I filled their first day in town with a road trip along the south coast. We stopped first at Stanwell Park to admire dramatic sweeping coastal views along the Illawarra Escarpment. The headland is also a popular launching site for local hang-gliding enthusiasts. Unfortunately, when we arrived, there were no hang gliders to be seen. Instead, visitors were pummeled by a harsh, bitterly cold wind.

From here we took our guests along the coast via Lawrence Hargrave Drive and the stunning Sea Cliff bridge. The bridge was opened in 2005, replacing a section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that was prone to regular rock falls. It winds its way for almost 500 metres along a narrow coastal rock shelf, offering some stunning ocean views. We later stopped for a seafood lunch on the shore of Wollongong’s main harbour. The day trip finished with a leisurely walk to each of the harbour’s two prominent lighthouses.

 
On Saturday morning we rose early and headed south again; this time for Canberra. We’d made plans to base ourselves there for the entire weekend. Month’s earlier I’d booked us into the Canberra Novotel as 40th birthday present for Matt. However, our itinerary was somewhat curtailed when shifting airline schedules moved Matt and Shelley’s return flight from Monday morning to Sunday evening. Naturally we had to stop briefly in Golburn to visit the Big Merino, a 15-metre high Merino ram built from concrete.

My first few months living in Australia, back in 1990, were based in Goulburn. As a result, the city and its tourist gimmick hold some special memories. At the time, the main highway between Melbourne and Sydney was routed through the city centre, making the Big Merino a popular rest break for thousands of weary travelers. 

 In 1992, a freeway by-pass was opened east of the city, leaving the concrete ram isolated on the edge of town. In 2007, in a feat of engineering genius, enterprising locals lifted the beast off its foundations and moved it to its current location by the local freeway interchange. Sadly the view from its eye no longer looks out over farmland; instead you’re greeted by a panorama of warehouse roofs and power lines.

The weather in Canberra was stunning. Our entire weekend was filled with blue skies and warm sunshine. We made Mount Ainslie our first stop. I love this place. From its summit you gain a real sense of the city’s planned layout; a series of radiating axes carefully aligned with significant topographical landmarks around the Australian Capital Territory. Its design is the result of a design competition that attracted architects from around the world. The winning submission was made by two Chicago architects, Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion Griffin.

Once we’d gained our bearing we drove down to the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. We stopped to learn more about the city’s history at the National Capital Exhibition centre. Here you can marvel at a 3-D scale model of the inner city, most notably the Parliamentary Triangle around which the city’s layout is centered. Our next stop was Parliament Hill where we spent several hours wandering its vast hallways, visiting the legislative chambers and admiring the view from its grass-clad roof.

The building’s 81-metre tall stainless steel flagpole never fails to impress. I recently learnt that the flag it flies is 12.8 metres by 6.4 metres, about the size of half a tennis court. I was also surprised to discover a copy of the Magna Carta from 1297AD on display in the central Member’s Hall. The Australian Government purchased it in 1957 for £12,500. It’s now valued at more than £10 million.

Our last sight for the day was the National War Memorial Museum. We couldn’t have chosen a better time to visit. Thanks to ANZAC Day ceremonies days earlier the museum and its surrounding memorials was festooned with fresh wreathes and thousands of red poppies. It made for a moving display of remembrance. I was also pleased to see my favourite exhibit was still on display; a badly damaged Japanese midget submarine salvaged from the bottom of Sydney harbour.

The submarine is actually the remains of two separate vessels. They were part of a trio that entered Sydney Harbour on May 31, 1942 in an attempt to sink Allied warships during World War II. The raid failed and all three subs and their crew perished. The remains of two subs were recovered, reassembled as one vessel, and then taken on a tour of Australian cities to stoke local animosity towards the Japanese. How times have changed. It was somewhat ironic that we’d seen at least one busload of Japanese tourists visiting Parliament earlier in the day.

 
Our evening was spent hanging out at a local bar where we gently toasted ourselves under an outdoor gas heater. Despite dire comments about Canberra’s nightlife, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of bars, cafes and restaurants within walking distance of our hotel.

The following morning dawned clear and still. Shelley went for a jog along the lake shore and was greeted by the sight of hot air balloons floating overhead. As I explained to her later, she’d been privy to the city’s ultimate postcard experience. After a hearty breakfast, we stopped to visit the National Museum. This venue was built on the site of Canberra’s original hospital. The site was cleared using a controlled explosion. However, the blast went horribly wrong and large pieces of debris were hurled 500 metres across the lake into a crowd of spectators. A young girl lost her life and nine others were injured.

 
Before making our way back to Sydney we stopped briefly to see the corrugated iron cows adorning the New Zealand High Commission's front lawn. We made Bowral our lunch stop; eating at the organic Wild Food Café. However, in hindsight, we should have stopped at Berrima, rather than Bowral. Berrima is a quaint village of colonial homes a few miles south. It sits in a pretty wooded area, unlike the rather soulless, drab concrete streets of Bowral.

New York, New York

Sitting at the airport soaking up a stunning Summer's day view of Sydney. I'm off to New York for a week on business.

• Posted from my iPhone
• Location:Departure Plaza,Mascot,Australia

Australia Day in Aotearoa

We've just returned from a three-day weekend in Wellington, New Zealand's windy capital city. The weather was mainly sunny and the winds were mild most days. The first full afternoon in town was windy and so I was able to convince Garry that this really is New Zealand's windy capital.  There's nothing like a horizon smothered in white caps and wind-blown water gusts to make your point.

We stayed in a hotel on Cuba Street, an area that's fast beginning Wellington's cafe and night life hotspot.  We ate some superb Thai close to our hotel and were somewhat bemused by the antics of harmless weekend revelers.  As you'd expect we took in all of the regular sights; the Kilburn Cable Car, Te Papa National Museum, the National Archives (where tattered copies of the Treaty of Whitangi can be found) and the spectacular Kapiti Coast.

Here's a quick panorama taken from the top of Mount Victoria (below). It's a stunning view, shared with just a handful of noisy Japanese tour buses. Click on the photo for a full-size image.  More details on our weekend coming soon.

Kamay Botany Bay National Park

Kamay Botany Bay National Park is arguably home to one of modern Australia’s most sacred sites. Within the park’s boundary lies the landing place of Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour. The exact location where they stepped ashore on Saturday, April 28, 1770 is marked by a stone obelisk. On its southern flank a bronze plaque records an extract from Cook’s journal entry;

"At Daybreak we discovered a bay and anchored under the South shore about two miles within the entrance in six fathom water, the South point bearing SE and the North Point East. Latitude 34°S Longitude 208°27’ W.”

The Endeavour’s arrival transformed the continent’s destiny.In particular, the testimony of two seasoned botanists, Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, proved instrumental in encouraging British authorities to establish a penal colony in 1788. Over a period of eight days, Banks and Solander collected an unprecedented variety of specimens, many edible, while noting the presence of freshwater, a sheltered harbour and a favourable climate.

Garry and I decided to relive this history today by visiting the National Park today. The weather was picture perfect; clear and sunny with a pleasant breeze. We took several short walks to admire the view, read the many interpretive plaques and enjoy the sun’s warmth. A short walk from the Park’s Visitor’s Centre took us through a wooded picnic ground to the rocky coastline. It was fascinating to watch multicultural Australia at its best. Where else could you see old men fish while children play cricket and veiled women smoke shisha from a hookah pipe?

We soon discovered that Cook’s obelisk is just one of several memorials scattered along Botany Bay’s southern flank. Other notable memorials commemorate both Banks and Solander, while nearby, a low stone plinth rests on a tidal rock shelf. It commemorates Midshipman Isaac Smith, the first Englishman to stand on the Australian continent. Further along the coast a short flag pole marks the spot where Forby Sutherland was buried on May 2, 1770. He died of tuberculosis and thus became immortalized as Australia’s first European grave

We then drove along the coast to Yena Gap, opposite the entrance to Botany Bay. A short walk took us down to rocky ledges where foaming white waves were crashing ashore. The view was spectacular, first across the bay to the La Perouse headland and then out across the blue expanse of the Tasman Sea. So often I’ve flown over this area, either departing or landing at the airport, just a few miles away. No matter how many times I fly out, Sydney’s harsh, battered and rocky coast line is always a welcome sight on my return.

Our last stop for the day was Cape Solander where the park’s scenic road comes to an end. Here towering sandstone cliffs sweep down the coast for miles. Once again, the sensation of a brisk sea breeze proved both intoxicating and awe-inspiring as waves pounded the rocks below. Beautiful.