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 Every summer after Christmas, the town of Frankston hosts a themed sand sculpture exhibit. They truck in a remarkable 3500 tons of sand and various artists are commissioned to show their work. First a form is made, then the only other material used is sand. The sculptures stand about 15 feet high and can be about 20 feet long. They’re huge!
The 2010 theme was ‘Great Moments in History’, and as you meander the path, you pass by all areas of the world and all types of important parts of history. We saw the Trojan horse, the Great Wall of China, the pyramids, the tallest buildings in the world today, scenes from many wars to include the Vietnam and both world wars.
One section was named the most important inventions, and the thought process in making each sculpture made this section very thought-provoking. Some of the inventions represented were toilet paper, the wheel, the electric hair dryer, the telephone, the typewriter, the guitar, and much, much more. Many I agree with, but I have to be honest, some were a little frivolous. I mean did the hand-held electric hair dryer really make an important contribution to society?
At any rate, viewing the sand sculptures was one of the highlights of our time in the Melbourne area. It’s not something that is widely known and it was fantastic. If I lived there, I would go every year. If you happen to be in Melbourne between Boxing Day and March, check it out.
UNESCO World Heritage Count
Australia 4 Out of 17 (Not bad for such a huge country!)
Great Barrier Reef -2003
Fraser Island – 2003
Wet Tropics of Queensland – 2003
And now…the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne
 The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne I was not going to be overly happy if I was going all the way to Australia and not able to hit even one UNESCO World Heritage Site, so imagine my glee when I found out that not only could I visit one, but that it would be right there in Melbourne. It was practically our first stop. We just went to the Visitor’s Center first to find out the easiest way to get there, which was on the Free Tourist bus across the street. How convenient!
The Carlton Gardens are well-laid out with plenty of indigenous plants and trees, as well as a few imported ones. Its significance lies in the fact that it is laid out in a 19th century tradition with symmetrical designs and carriage ways that lead into and around the fountain.
The building itself was closed when we were there, under renovations it said even though I saw no evidence of such. However on most days you are able to take a tour through the building, if you call ahead. We were able to peek through the glass doors to see the interior and since there was nothing in it, we could easily see the green walls and the majestic frescoes. I’m sure it is well worth walking around on the inside, if you can get in.
A majestic edifice, it was built in 1880 and is still in use today for trade shows and fairs. It was also the very first building to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Go to Museumvictoria.com to book tours, which cost $5.00 for adults.
 We stopped in Cambodia for four days as we were leaving Vietnam. We really only wanted to go and see Angkor Wat. I know that many people also go to the Killing Fields and the museums devoted to it in Phenom Phen, but we weren’t planning on hitting too many depressing points on our trip.
I love countries where you can not worry about getting your tourist visa ahead of time. Upon arriving in the Siem Reap airport, you are able to pay and provide your photos right there to get your visa. As with many airports where this is a possibility, it was a little chaotic, but we expected that.
We took a tuk tuk into the city and found our hostel. It was located across from the big hotel and only a few blocks from Angkor Wat, our destination.
 Filling her gastank with blackmarket petrol, this lady could not afford legal gas. As you enter the Angkor Wat park, you must buy a pass. You can buy a one-day pass or for the price of two days, a three-day pass. Everyone had suggested the three day pass, and we felt it was well worth it. The officials even took our digital pictures and put them on the passes. All said and done, they make pretty good souvenirs to boot.
Our hostel set us up with a tuk tuk driver that we paid by the day, for about $10 per tuk tuk. We hired two for the first two days we did the temples, and we are glad we did. They knew all the places to take us and didn’t care how long we spent at any of the spots. Our driver used to be a teacher. It was a pretty tragic story. He had worked as a teacher and could barely make ends meet. This in itself is not unusual, because many teachers in the US are also underpaid.
His school did not have any supplies or textbooks; he had to supply everything he used. Many of the teachers charged the students for materials, but of course many of them couldn’t pay either. Then because the teachers have too many students and no materials, the schools can only do so much with the kids.
He made more as a tuk tuk driver in a couple of days (not including tips) then he did all month as a teacher. He was able to send his own children to private school, where he felt they were getting a much better education.
Because he was a teacher, he began to tell us many things about the temples, buildings, and customs of the country. We enjoy wandering around by ourselves and just taking it in, but it was nice to get an overview of the place as well.
The highlights of Angkor:
1- Angkor Wat at sunrise and any other time of the day. The biggest temple and the one most photographed with the three towers is just gorgeous. Even upon it’s approach, the gardens and out-lying parts of the temple is awe-inspiring. As you wander through, you can see some very steep steps that Jim climbed, but since then I heard a tourist died and now no one can climb the steps anymore. I hope it’s true, because they were extremely treacherous.
2- One of the temples I didn’t expect and which I really enjoyed, was the Bayon in Angkor Thom. Before entering the gate, you are faced with 216 faces of Avalokiteshvara, a pretty impressive sight. Also there you can rent elephants for a quick ride around the temple—cheesy, but fun.
3-Ta Prohm, made famous by Angelina during the movie “Tomb Raider” was pretty fantastic. I love trees. I love temples. I love ruins…and this temple has it all. Lovely.
4-One thing to do is watch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng Temple. You can either take an elephant up the mountain or walk. We chose to walk. Yes, it was hot. But yes, it was well worth it. Again here, you have to climb up some pretty steep steps when you reach the temple. It is quite a slog up the hill, so if you’re tired or infirm, take the elephant.
A couple of other things we did in Siem Reap were to go to the market in the center of the town and to take an excursion to Tonle Sap Lake. The market was cheaper than any Thai market I’ve ever been to, with basically the same items. A shopper could go hog-wild here. Bartering is always a fun pastime.
 Tonle Sap, on the other hand, was a huge body of water that housed some refugees from Vietnam. There is a complete city on boats. We saw a church, school, many markets, farms, all kinds of things. I couldn’t believe that people kept their pigs on the boats, but where else were they going to put them? I was a little skeptical signing up for this tour, but felt it was well worth it.
All in all, Cambodia was a blast of a few days. I might try and get back there some day. I still have to do the other UNESCO World Heritage site, the Temple of Preah Vihear. It’s also so close to both Vietnam and Thailand that it’s cheap and easy to make it a quick add-on.
(Chris’ Title)
 Lazy Skink! As we drove north to Hanging Rock where we planned a short hike and some photography, we noticed the traffic getting thicker and thicker. We turn into the gate and were charged 10 AUD each. I was thinking this is a pretty steep price for a hike, but hey, that’s travel.
Seemingly, there were plenty of people just gunning to get up that hiking path as we had to park in a green patch along with about five hundred other outside enthusiasts, but then we discovered that most of the people weren’t there for the fresh air at all, they were there to bet on the horses. Every year, on New Year’s Day, Hanging Rock hosts a horse race, which is a fantastic place to people-watch—one of my favorite pastimes.
 Watching the race...from the cheap seats! We, however, had a purpose and started up the hill. As we climbed, we would stop and look through crevices and off-shoots and on one of these we discovered that we could see part of the track from way up high. We stayed to watch of few of the races and take some good pictures, but then continued on our way enjoying the skinks and the flora. We also happened on a wallaby that posed for us for a few minutes, but that was on the way down.
We did head over to the races to try some Aussie festival food – potato pancakes and hamburgers. Now, we’ve had both those things before, like the potato pancakes in Germany and the hamburgers in the States, but I have to tell you we’ve never had anything like this before. I would categorize Aussie horse racing food and a “once in a lifetime experience,” for sure.
The best part of the races were the people and their um…accoutrements. We saw one guy in an orange tuxedo and top hat, but he kept moving too quick for me to get a photo of him. The women were really who you were meant to look at, with being all frocked up with a fascinator to match. Yeah, that’s an Aussie sentence which means the women were all dressed up in their finest dresses, high heels, and either a wide-brimmed hat or a frill-of-a-sort pinned to the top of their heads.
As the consummate tourist that I am, I deftly intercepted three girls sporting these toppers, aptly named “fascinators” and asked them what they were. As they had spent the last few hours betting and dare I say – drinking the day away, they were too happy to tell me all the facts about fascintors. Taking the place of the traditional hat worn at all the races, fascinators allows the wearer to be freer but as proper, still keep her head covered (well sorta!) We saw fascinators that ranged from one single, albeit long, feather, to bows, feathers, and mesh all rolled into a “piece”. Apparently the good ones cost between $70-400 AUD, and luckily for this girl, her mom made them in her kitchen. She made the one she was wearing that day!
 Fascinators!
 Along the Yarra River Melbourne is the capital of Victoria, and is an artsy city. Everything from the bridges, to the parks and buildings, is done in a myriad of styles. Some of them seem so whimsical. I especially love the Federation Bells in Birrarung Marr Park. It is a series of 36 computer-controlled bells that toll at various times during the day and are all sizes. They are just one example of the detail and care that has been put into the city.
Melbourne must be one of the best places for getting around without a car, that is except for getting to the airport. They have a nice train/metro system that branches out from the middle of the city to the suburbs. We were based in Edithvale and it was very easy to jump on the train, which comes about every 20 minutes to get to the heart of the city.
Once there, our first stop was the Melbourne Visitor’s Center which is completely overwhelming. The walls are covered with brochures and ideas. Even though there is a number system and a little bit of a wait, I must say that when it was our turn, we did get some great advice and our assistant was extremely helpful. Some visitor’s centers that I have been to refuse to give you any indication where to eat or stay, but this man told us where he always eats fish n’ chips, and for me that’s always a good place to start.
One of the best displays were the columns listed the tram routes and the tourist sights to hop on and off to go to. We did do parts of the Central Tram route and really enjoyed ourselves. We started at the Unesco World Heritage Site—The Royal Exhibition Hall and Carlton Gardens, then went to the Melbourne Gaol and State Library.
Melbourne is also the jumping off point for a couple of key tourist sites, the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road. Both of these are must-see sights that you will not want to miss while in the area.
The Penguin Parade is located on Phillip Island and is about an hour to an hour and a half’s drive from the city. There are tours that you can sign up for out of the Visitor’s Center if you don’t have your own transportation, but if you rent a car it’s the best way to go. The day we went it was sold out! I don’t know how many people that encompasses, but let me tell you—a lot! The reason you go here is to view the Little Penguins (the smallest species of penguins) return to their burrows after a few days of fishing. I was afraid that with that many people, the penguins would be spooked, but not so; we saw plenty. A little pricey, I would still say do this! It didn’t disappoint, but leave your camera at home as they do not allow you to take any photos.
The Great Ocean Road is just that a road….albeit a road with some spectacular views. Unless you are there to just see the scenery, there are plenty of places to stop, swim, surf, eat, jump on trampolines, and just hang out at the beach. We watched (and drove with) thousands of people who were ready to enjoy the sun and the sand. Again, this is something that you just have to do, so do it!
 Plenty of things to do along the Great Ocean Road Melbourne is definitely a city that I could live in. It’s clean, spacious, friendly, has tons of things to do and see, and it’s fun!
 New Zealand is a tourist-friendly country, at least the South Island seems to be very well set up to entertain visitors. From the moment we landed in Christchurch the people were hospitable, and seemed genuinely interested in our having a good time. I have never met a customs agent who asked me what I was going to see and then tell me what not to miss before. She was actually chatty, instead the usual stern and suspicious types that I’ve come across many times.
Getting around the island is easy, especially if you drive are plenty of car rental and camper rental places right outside the airport, and every town had places for camping. Al l the parks and camping areas we stopped in had clean toilets, complete with toilet paper. I was pretty impressed.
The food is typically British with many ethnic possibilities. Going to milk bars that hosted fresh fish n’ chips were our favorite places to eat. Almost all the food was at least pretty good, and some were down-right delicious (see Blue Ice post).
Our absolute favorite spot was Dunedin, and we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived there. Other than Christchurch, most of the towns and villages we had stopped were small and not necessarily very quaint. Dunedin, established in 1852 by Scottish immigrants, is a little city on the eastern coast that has a lot of personality. The architecture is very colonial, and in the center of town is the Octagon which features a prominent statue of Robert Burns (the poet), a majestic cathedral, and many shops and cafes. It was a great place to hang out during the evenings and people watch.
Of course the huge draw to New Zealand, especially the South Island is the gorgeous scenery and the wildlife, and in our opinion, it did not disappoint. Our favorite of the abundant bird population was the Pukeko, a beautiful blue land bird with the fluffiest chicks, but really at every turn there was some type of animal or bird to observe.
If there is one thing that we wish is that we would have liked to have even more time on South Island. There is so much to do and see and the island is much larger than it looks on the map. I suggest that the minimum time allotted for this gem is three weeks.
 Mama Pukeko gathering comfy grass for her nest.
New Zealand is famous for its scenery and wildlife and nowhere demonstrates this more than the Otago Peninsula. About 30 kilometers in length, you could spend days exploring its riches. The road follows the water’s edge and you can view all types of animals and birds.
 Stewart Island Shags  Hooker Sea Lion on Pilot's Beach. We drove directly to the tip of the peninsula so that we could visit the Royal Albatross Colony Conservation Center…and we would have went, too, if it didn’t cost an outrageous $80 NZ per person. When the attendant told us the price, we were more than ready to dish out the $80 for the two of us, for the half hour talk and half hour in the observation tower, but for each of us, come on….let’s just stick it to the tourists! We chose to enjoy the albatross just as they soared through the air, not on the ground.
At any rate, it got us out to Taiaroa Head nice and early and we were almost alone at the(free) lookout point, where we stayed for at least an hour marveling at not only the albatross, but a multitude of sea birds as well as a couple of rafts of Hooker Sea Lions.
On the other side of the tip, there is Pilot’s Beach. Unfortunately we didn’t come here the night before, because every night right after sunset, the little Blue penguins come back on shore and waddle to their nests. So, alas, we’ll have to wait for our next visit to see them.
 Comfy sheep. What we did get to see were a bunch of adolescent sea lions. As we walked along the rocky shore, there was one who we watched doze for a few minutes completely unaware that we were practically surrounded by these potentially dangerous and, might I add, huge marine mammals. As we became more and more aware of them, we must have stumbled onto a whole raftslumbering on the rocks and even in the grass. It is amazing to me how camouflage really works. They were incredibly difficult to see until we were within mere feet of them. We didn’t really notice one of them, until he ceremoniously announced himself with a loud snort. They weren’t too worried about us, some not bothering to keep even one eye open, but we also didn’t overstay our welcome. It was very calming, only these sleeping giants and us on the beach.
On the way back to Dunedin, we really took our time and meandered in and out of all the bay on both sides of the peninsula. The landscape changed at every turn. On the opposite or southern side, the environment seemed more wind-blown and there were tall, marshy grasses where flocks of sheep were hiding. Whereas on the northern side, it was less swampy and more rugged and rocky. All of it was beautiful.
 The Boulders at Moeraki One of the coolest things to see on the East Coast of New Zealand are the Moeraki Boulders. These are a sight not to miss. When we saw the sign, we took the turn and immediately had to decide if we wanted to go the tourist shop or the beach. We chose the beach. The parking lot is nestled in between some sheep grazing fields and the walk along the beach was windy, but beautiful.
As you approach the boulders, you can’t help but wonder how Mother Nature formed these perfect balls. As it turns out, they were formed in a similar manner to oysters. Some item get stuck in the sea bottom and it collected sediment around it for centuries. Scientists have found all kinds of things in the center, skeletons of turtles, bones, wood, and extinct reptiles.
The boulders are strewn along the beach, almost in a line. They had been buried in the cliffs until erosion has worn away the cliff sides and they are exposed. Walking along the cliffs, you can still see some of the boulders that have been completely uncovered. I wonder how many are still there and what they contain. A few on the beach had broken open and you can see where they originally fit together.
The Moeraki Boulders ranks up there as one of my favorite things we saw in New Zealand, since to me they seem so unnatural and somewhat mysterious.
 Pancake Rocks, Punakaiki As you travel through the country, the New Zealand government has provided funds to develop walking paths and informational signs for many of the more interesting coastal areas and geological features. The ones that we came across were well-signed, provided plenty of parking, had both paved and non-paved walking paths, and either had a series of informational placards or a full-on information center. There was no cost to you unless you gave at the donation box at the end of the walk.
One of the spots we stopped is a few kilometers north of Greymouth—Pancake Rocks. New Zealand is chock full of unusual geological formations and these limestone rocks are pretty cool. They appear to be layered and are quite stunning with a carpet of sea grass and local flora on the top layer of some, while others have pointed peaks that reach up into the sky. The path is on the top of the cliffs, so you are always looking down. There are some stunning views up and down the coastline.
It was a nice walk, a good break from riding in the car, and the weather was warm and sunny. In fact, surprisingly, we realized we should have put on sunscreen. I think we would have even enjoyed the outing more if we had been there at high tide. Apparently one of the big tourist pleasers are the blow holes. We saw where they would come up, but didn’t have the time to stay that long. I think we hit it right at low tide…just our luck.
All we hear about growing up in the United States is the Vietnam War, where our fathers fought. My father did, and I sat in front of the black and white screen of our t.v. watching Walter Cronkite every night waiting for him to mention my dad. He never did, thankfully.
 At any rate, when I started hearing what a wonderful place to visit Vietnam was, I had to go. Call it morbid fascination, but I couldn’t wait. Of course entering any communist country is a little unnerving; at least before you get there. It’s the preconceptions and the unknown that gets you. Once you get your visa stamped and are through customs, you look around and you begin to realize what a friendly people and what a beautiful country it is.
We started in Hanoi and worked our way south. We hit a number of the big places to visit on the way, Hue, Hoi an, Nha Trang, and of course Ho Chi Minh City (still popularly known as Saigon). We traveled by public transportation and since everything was usually in a rather concentrated area, we walked. We took the train from Hanoi to Danang, and then it was a short taxi to Hue. The train had spectacular views. I’ve heard of many people taking the overnight trains as well, but we didn’t quite go that far.
Attractions:
Hanoi – A very provincial city, looking like some old European capital with a certain flair, Hanoi was the perfect place to begin our Vietnam holiday. We did the usual stuff: water puppets, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, temples and markets. All good.
Hue—A wet city, it rained the whole time we were there. The hotel had loads of mold in some of the rooms and at first we feared we would have to find another hotel, but finally the concierge found us a suitable room and we were mollified. Hue is a host to many important sights in Vietnam, a series of which combines to make the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Complex of Hue Monuments. We visited the many areas and found that although the architecture was extraordinary and could have been quite majestic in their day, that at this time they were rather dilapidated. I’m hoping that being named a World Heritage Site and the continuing tourism that accompanies that prestige, that the powers that be will not only maintain the site, but do some much-needed repairs.
My Son is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, located up the famous Perfume River. The only way to get there is to take a day tour, but these are plentiful. The day we went, was one of the drier of the few we were in the Hue area, so it was quite satisfying walking around the temple complex. Everything was very overgrown, and very green.
Hoi an- Yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was much cheerier than anything in Hue. Of course the major draw to this quaint town is the abundance of cheap tailoring. Everywhere you walked, there were tailor shops promising to make you a suit, coat, or any other type of clothing that you desired. And yes, it would be done when you pull out of town. We’ll have it to your hotel before you leave…and they did. What fun to have clothes made for you. Hoi an is a town where a lot of backpackers head and then hang out for awhile and there were plenty of good little hang-outs, all kinds of restaurants and bars.
 Nha Trang- A resort town, Nha Trang is not someplace I would often head to, but the draw here was the little island that you can take a round boat made out of bamboo fronds to a fishing island. We never did find out what the island was called, but it was quaint and riding in the boats were a lot of fun.
We also visited Long Son Pagoda with its gargantuan white Buddha. It was also a home for orphans who would try to peddle their artwork to you. The best part of this was running into a young man who was coddling his prize cock. Boy, was he proud of that bird.
Our final stop was Ho Chi Minh City, which after the countryside and the charm of Hanoi just seemed like a money-grubbing metropolis. I’m sure there is plenty to see here other than the Continental Hotel made famous by the journalists during the war. We dove into the coffee shop out of a torrential rain. One thing we learned, going to Vietnam in December, is that I feel for those poor souls who had to trudge through the Mekong during those downpours.
To sum up our experience this mysterious country fraught with a sordid history that involves my own country, I loved it. Even though the sites were run-down and crossing the street was slightly hazardous, the food was delicious and the people were wonderful I would go back in a heartbeat!
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