Here is a fun and exclusive infographic on a few of the major sights to see when visiting Sydney along with some useful tips and eye-catching statistics about the sights. The infographic is courtesy of http://www.capeportfolios.com/.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Sights of Sydney Infographic
Friday, April 27, 2012
Discover Norfolk - A Hidden Gem (England)
guest post by Vicky Anscombe
Don’t be fooled by urbanites that write disparaging, snooty articles on Nelson’s County - if you’re looking to explore a part of the UK that’s worth its weight in gold, Norfolk’s your best bet. Tucked neatly away in the east corner of England, Norfolk is a destination that has remained unspoiled because it’s not a place you travel through - it’s a place you travel to. From sophisticated and fun-filled capital city Norwich, to the beauty of Cromer and Thetford Forest, there’s something for everyone - you just have to know where to look. The only thing you’ll need in order to get to grips with Norfolk properly is your own transport, so if you don’t own a vehicle, make sure you hire a car as Norfolk’s trains and buses aren’t known for their frequency.
If you decide to explore Norwich, don’t worry about time - it’s a small city that can easily be explored in a couple of days. Sights worth seeing include Norwich Castle, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (this is located near to the University of East Anglia) and Magdalen Street, which is packed full of chintzy cafes, charity shops and flea markets, and is a must for anyone who enjoys spending an afternoon looking for oddities and curiosities. If you’re thinking about evening entertainment, you can’t go wrong with a film in Cinema City, then a few drinks in Frank’s Bar - the staff there are incredibly kind.
If you’re after a bite whilst you’re in the city, there are plenty of cafes that will ensure you’re probably fed and watered without having to resort to a chain establishment. The Window Coffee in Wensum Street, Mustard Coffee Bar on Bridewell Alley and Olive’s (just off Elm Hill) are independent venues that’ll impress without breaking the bank. If you fancy going (and potentially staying) somewhere a bit more upmarket, Caistor Hall, which is located in the pretty nearby town of Caistor St Edmund, serves excellent food and has some wonderful rooms if you’re after a second honeymoon.
However, there’s more to Norfolk than just the bright lights of Norwich. The seaside towns dotted along the Norfolk coast range from the never-sleeping Great Yarmouth through to the picturesque towns Cromer (photo) and Holme. If you’re after somewhere with plenty of life, Sheringham is always worth a visit, as there are plenty of cafes and shops to peruse as you debate when to have your next ice cream. If you’re thinking about staying in Sheringham, try The Grove Guest house. It’s a beautifully secluded Georgian holiday home set within 3 acres of well-maintained gardens, with a heated indoor swimming pool if you’re after a place to practice your backstroke.
Finally, make sure that you don’t miss the opportunity to get some fresh air into your lungs and take advantage of all the wonderful walks that Norfolk has to offer. The Great Eastern Pingo Trail, which starts just outside of the village of Thomson, clocks in at just under 6 miles. It’s a great way to work off a roast dinner (talking of which, nearby pub The Chequers Inn sells fantastic homemade fare) and you’ll probably see plenty of wildlife. This trail is great for nature enthusiasts as there are plenty of places to sit quietly and wait to see animals make an appearance, and there are many shelters dotted around the circuit for avid birdwatchers.
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Vicky Anscombe is a freelance writer, based in Norfolk.
Photo Credits: cathedral, forest, castle, Cromer beach huts, pingo trail
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Lest We Forget!
Today is Anzac Day, the national remembrance day of Australia and New Zealand when people pay their respects and honour the bravery, courage, resilience and sacrifice of the service men and women of our country. Dawn services are conducted all throughout the country, at Anzac Cove in Turkey, throughout battefields in South East Asia and throughout Western Front villages in France and Belgium.
This wonderful and moving painting (click on it for a larger image) appears in the outstanding Australian War Memorial in Canberra. It is my favourite single piece in the entire collection.
The haunting Menin Gate at Midnight appears by itself in a darkened room with background music of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. Reportedly painted in one sitting by a deeply mournful Will Longfellow, the painting captures the famed gates in Ypres, Belgium that tens of thousands of soldiers passed heading to the Western Front. Today, the walls of the gate list 54,000 Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave, a small portion of the quarter of a million lives lost in this area of battle during World War One. The painting eerily and movingly portrays Longfellow's vision of thousands of spirits of the dead rising and marching towards the battlefields.
At all Anzac Day services, the Ode of Remembrance is always read.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest We Forget!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Pancake Rocks: A Layered Wonderland (Punakaiki, New Zealand)
Sandwiched between the uninspiring towns of Westport and Greymouth are the extraordinary Pancake Rocks - the ocean sprays, pounds and bursts through fissures in unusually carved and layered rocks near the tiny village of Punakaiki.
Constructed of stratified limestone formed thirty millions years ago, this geological wonderland was formed on the seabed, kilometres underwater, with layer after layer of shellfish, plants and dead marine creatures mixed with mud and clay forming over time. The immense weight and water pressure gradually compressed and petrified into soft and hard layers. Earth tremors and seismic action uplifted the seabed where constant ocean surges and whipping winds carved bizarre and wonderful features and formations, while rainwater leeched into the rock eating narrow alleys.
Naturally, the softer rock has eroded much faster causing the unusual pancake stack appearance. The ocean surges in and out of pools, blowholes and caverns making deep hollow booms while seawater channels through narrow tunnels spraying into the air in a spray of rainbows and thin mist. Like limestone caves, the erosion allows imagination to witness all kind of animals and figures from the rock – a lion head staring menacingly out to sea.
A scenic half hour path meanders through native rainforest to the coast, high above the bluffs, arches and sea caves offering numerous views of Pancake Rocks. Natural staircases are carved from the historic seabed while vantage points look over surge pools and blowholes and offer panoramic vistas down the coastline.
With good planning, high tide is prime time with the extra height of the water powering sea water through tiny passageways shooting spray high into the air.
Pancake Rocks are a wonderful natural diversion driving down the New Zealand west coast offering stellar scenes of exotically shaped rock weathered and sculpted over millions of years.
Friday, April 20, 2012
An Appropriate Name (Cape Foulwind, New Zealand)
The day is foul – a wind howls across the point resisted by only the hardiest of scrubby bushes and toughened grasses. Surf pounds relentlessly into the west coast’s limestone cliffs and volcanic beaches. Brooding dark seas merge into the pewter grey clouds blurring any idea of a horizon, a lonely characterless lighthouse warning all things marine to steer a careful path around this treacherous area. The original 1876 lighthouse was a fine timber building, its gleaming beacon guiding vessels for 50 years before being replaced by the current concrete automated lighthouse. Functional but rather unattractive.
In March 1770 the weather was no different for Captain Cook as Endeavour, at the mercy of the persistent gale-force winds, was blown off-course prompting him to appropriately name the point Cape Foulwind – today only a few kilometres south of the uninspiring town of Westport.
Almost indistinguishable from rocks and driftwood debris thrown by the savage waves, New Zealand Fur Seals luxuriate and relax at nearby Cape Tauranga. Sea spray showers the rocky shoreline, seals basking in the brutal weather conditions. The pockmarked coastline is only distinguishable as a faint greyish line in the murky atmosphere.
In the scrubby foreshore vegetation, western wekas fuss about their bushy hideaways. These plucky birds confidently go about their day oblivious to hiking travellers. Dealt a bad hand, birds like the kiwi and weka evolved into ground dwellers and lost the ability to fly due to the complete absence of mammals and rodents as predators when the continental split happened many millions of years ago. Sadly in the last thousand years as mammals and rodents reached the shores of New Zealand, populations of these wonderful but defenceless feathered creatures were decimated.
On a map as a thin long ribbon of red, SH6 weaves and meanders the full length of the west coast of New Zealand from Nelson in the north to Invercargill in the south. It makes for one of the world’s more inspiring drives with numerous areas of natural beauty – glaciers, fjords, cliffs, panoramic vistas, caves and weird rock formations - only occasionally interrupted by townships.
The west coast of New Zealand gets a considerable share of rough weather and rainfall, conditions which have carved and crafted the evocative coastline. Whether in glistening sunshine or foulwind, the drive down the west coast is an exhilarating natural experience encapsulated by the twin points of Cape Foulwind and Cape Tauranga.
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