Bondi Beach, Australia

When in Australia one needs to visit the iconic Bondi Beach. Just 8km from city center of Sydney and 1km long, you can feel yourself turning into a 'rebel' (lol) when you walk the bone white sand and talk to the locals who always make you feel like one of them.  As they will tell you back in the day (1950s) they tried to police the dimensions of the bikini and now there is a topless section, also during the Beach Volleyball competition during the 2000 Olympics the purists frowned upon the commercialization of their beloved beach and avoided the events. After do the Bondi to Coogie Beach walk (5km) and as if you need a reason to do a walkabout mate (lol), you'll see everything from rock pools, cliffs, parks and more beautiful beaches. There is something special about  this place and i can see why the Aussies don't want to see it change.

The famous skyline of Sydney near Bondi Beach

Georges Island, Halifax Nova Scotia

#Georges_Island_Halifax

Finally now in 2024 you can visit this National Historic Site with a ferry ride from the Cable Wharf area on the Halifax Boardwalk & explore Fort Charlotte;
 from its tunnels, fortifications plus all the other history with guides (period correct in costume) or if you choose, self tours

Little know fact that Georges Island (named after King George11 of England) was earlier selected as the gravesite for the French Admiral Duc dAnvile who had tried earlier to reclaim the Fortress of Louisburg from the British. 
After Britain settled in Halifax (1749) a French warship was permitted to visit the harbour to reclaim dAnvilles body & to be shipped back to France 

The first fortifications on Georges Island were constructed in 1750 to protect against the French ships from entering the harbour
Then with the French Revolutionary Wars beginning in 1792 Halifax became the principal Naval Base in North America for the British, so more upgrades were required
So then the son of King George (Prince Edward) was dispatched & put in charge for the construction of Fort Charlotte on the island 

 

 Then during the American Revolution the island defense systems were updated & renewed again

 But it did not see an attack like other points of my Province of  Nova Scotia as Georges Island was just one of five parts of the Halifax Defence Complex (Halifax Citadel Fort, Fort McNab, Prince of Wales Tower & York Redoubt)

 

During the 1850s the fort was rebuilt to be mostly subterranean with a maze of tunnels, corridors, storage rooms plus sleeping quarters buried deep inside the island.

 Then in the late 1890s because of the rapid pace of weapon development it soon rendered the fortress guns obsolete, so then the British installed a new torpedo system & established a manually operated submarine mine field across the harbour's channel, again by using Georges Island as its base.

 

Other history of Georges Island was the years of the French Acadian Deportation
So the island was used as an so called holding area for around 900 prisoners, which were then exiled to various parts of North America, Caribbean & some ended up in Louisiana because of language (still a French Territory at this time) & started the Cajun Culture 
 

Finally during World War One the island was used as an anchor to hold submarine nets to prevent those U-Boats from entering the inner bay where all the ships would gather to form a convoy to cross the ocean with the Canadian Navy to provide protection

So with the over crowded harbor that was what created The Halifax Explosion (December 6th 1917)
 as two ships collided by accident;
Belgian relief vessel Imo & the French munitions ship Mont Blanc
 This then created the biggest man made explosion up to the Atomic Age
with least 1782 people who lost their lives plus another 9,000 others injured from this tragedy 

Since 1971 we have given the City of Boston a Christmas Tree ( lit every season at the Boston Common) for their assistance during this horrific event as a way of saying Thank You

  

 To present times; Georges Island was deemed a National Historic Site in 1965 & finally after many years of closure (with the help of Federal Funding) the island has now opened up to the general public

Plus now with over the 200 Cruise Ship visits per season, direct flights from Europe & the City being host to hundreds of Conventions plus International Events it has become one of the top tourist attractions here in Halifax

 In closing, it shows there is a great interest in our history here on the east coast of Canada.

Bushwalking Fraser Island (K Gari) Australia

#Bushwalking_FraserIsland_Australia

Many ways to get onto Fraser Island (between $165 per vehicle, but only a 4WD which requires an access permit), Motorbikes $65 or Walk-On Adult $50..... all via the ferry
  
KeyTip:  I would opt for one day with a 4WD vehicle, as going solo you will see much more
 But again, make sure to check with the rental insurance agreement if it covers you for beach driving

 Your other option will cost you; as a two day, one night tour with resort accommodations will be around $600 - $1000  

 Some Rules to Follow;
 A) Once here no swimming because of the strong currents & riptides
 B) Another reason to avoid the ocean, Great White & Tiger Sharks along the coast plus Irukandji Jellyfish 
C) Saltwater Crocodiles (Salties as the Aussies call them which can be up to 6 meters /20 feet long) also have been reported to be in the area
D) No running on the island as it will trigger the Wild Dingoes, which then will be activating their instincts

Here is part of the 120km (75 mile) beach  & officially a National Highway
 Like any road system it has rules which are enforced by police from speeding (80km/50mph the posted speed limit) plus of course NO drinking & driving.
 Also you cannot drive on the beach during high tide for obvious reasons plus keep alert as
   sometimes its doubles as an unique landing strip for small aircraft

As you can see its a tough go if your hiking the island, so most opt to rent a 4X4 which you can find at Hervey Bay, Eurong or Kingfisher Resorts or of course if you brought your own rental

Now some places to see that i would recommend;

A) Central Station; takes you through the rainforest along the Wanggoolba Creek boardwalk 
 B) Lake McKenzie which is the most popular site to visit with its white sand & blue waters
 C) Kingfisher Bay; it has a sheltered coastline giving you great views from the Great Sandy Trail of historical sites
D) Waddy Point Headland; to see from the beach sea turtles, sharks & stingrays
E) Ocean Lake; great spot to view a variety of water birds, cypress, banksia & melaleuca woodlands 

The SS Maheno is one of the most famous wrecks (23 in total) that Fraser Island has claimed.
 It was built in 1905, it was one of the first turbine steamers that did a regular route from Sydney to Auckland.
Finally it was sold for scrap to Japan in 1935 & as it was being towed it was caught in a cyclone (called a hurricane in the North American waters) which snapped the chain, then it drifted onto Fraser Island beach which now has become a famous photo landmark

Personally i took on the challenge of the 2.5 hour hike to Lake McKenzie through the sand.

It is tough as your are pushing off from the bottom of your foot at the same time sinking
 So if any of you followers have calf, achilles tendinitis or other foot/low legs issues, tour the island by vehicle

 

 It is one of those miracles of nature how it became the worlds largest sand island (1840kms or 710 sq miles) with its ancient rainforests, large dunes, pristine freshwater lakes (over 100) endless white sands (including Seventy Mile Beach) also an abundance of birds, free roaming wildlife such as Wallabies, Possums, Flying Foxes and of course the last place on our planet with wild Dingoes. Finally an offshore that has Humpback Whales which are now in the protected waters of Hervey Bay

                                                        So how is this all possible; 

Well the sand was carried here by strong offshore current & because of the volcanic rock it got trapped, add in the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi into the ground which then it provided the necessary nutrients for plants to start the cycle of life. 

 So what better way to see nature than going for a hike, (Bushwalking in Australia Mate) 

Now for the adventurous fit types there is a 90kms (56mi) Fraser Island Great Walk but because of time issues i have opted for the Kingsfisher Bay (ferry drop off point) to Lake McKenzie which a doable 23km (15mi) return trek

       

 Like any journey there are some planning & rules to follow specially because mobile phone coverage here is limited so help could be hours away, so lets be smart about it.

 A) Sturdy/Comfortable boots or shoes are a must as there are some sections that include soft sand which makes the walking slow plus tiring.

 B) The weather can change in a hurry so bring rain gear plus warm clothes.

 C) Carry your own drinking water & First Aid Kit. 

 D)  Have a compass.....please know how to use it 😅  

 Now because Fraser Island is a Natural Treasure here are some additional guidelines to follow; 

 A) Its an offense to remove anything living or dead from the area. 

B) Stay on marked trails as shortcuts create erosion issues plus you might get lost.

 C) Do not use detergents, toothpaste or soaps in the waterways (creeks & lakes) and also limit the amount of sunscreen on you before going in for a swim. 

D) Wash your dishes or yourself at least 50 meters away from the waterways.

 E) Use only a fuel stove.

 F) Use only toilets in camping areas.

 G) Hard to believe i would have to mention this one......bring all your rubbish out with you then dispose of it properly.

 H) Finally be Dingo safe, don't be stupid by trying to feed them as they are wild animals.

 I) Also don't leave anything around in your tents, store all food in storage lockers located in the campgrounds, walk in groups & again dispose of your food scraps/garbage properly.

 There it is folks, for all to enjoy a place that will leave you a mind full of amazing memories.

Rubber traction mats are everywhere for the those you dare 😃 to drive on Fraser Island 

Fraser Island namesake has some history
Eliza Anne Fraser was an English woman that was a shipwrecked survivor in 1836.
 After she was rescued, wrote / talked about her experiences so then the island was given the designation after her husband Captain James Fraser
Finally it was renamed to its traditional name of Kgari in 2023

Happy Valley is basically the center of things on Fraser Island
You are close to the rainforest with a boardwalk around Wanggoolba, or check out the shipwreck of the SS Maheno among other things

On my way back to Northeast Australia (Hervey Bay/Rivers Head) which is a 50 minute ferry ride from one of the most unique places i have ever visited in all my travels 

Hot Air Ballooning over the Australian Outback

#HotAir_Balloon_Australia

The Chinese invented the first Hot Air Balloons thousands of years ago but on a much smaller scale to send messages to their troops if surrounded by the enemy
Then the first recorded pioneers of manned flights were actually a sheep, rooster & duck who flew 3.2kms (2 miles) in an experimental test from the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th century with their ultimate idea of balloon flights for humans

The tradition of the balloonists prayer before flight (which is a glass of champagne) comes from a not so exciting history.
When the Montgolfier brothers were performing test flights, the local farmers were very suspicious as they thought they were dragons descending from the skies & bringing a danger to them

So nothing like alcohol to ease the tensions 😅 as the Montgolfiers would then give champagne to the farmers & thus continue to land on the fields with their balloons

Watching some of my fellow adventure seekers take off

We arrive early in our buses & get ready to soar with the birds in one of mankind's first way to fly.

 At first you don't realize how huge these balloon airships are, but once the propane is fired up to fill the bag or envelope (made of nylon fabric with the material closest to the flame is a fire resistant composite, plus Australian rules require that they meet the criteria of the Civic Aviation & Safety Code) you get a sense what it was like to be a pioneer back in the first days of flight.

 

 Our pilot must of  read the air currents better than our "sister ships," because within minutes we were up around 5000 feet & above them as we flew around this valley for some great views as you can see below 

So as we get ready to land our Captain asked if

   some of us guys would jump out of the gondola & guild it along as the flatbed truck could not access  the marshy grounds, which then would transport the wicker basket back to our original starting point

  After the pilot asked in typical Aussie humor if anything poisonous grabbed us while in the tall grass? So i asked what kind of animal or plant that could that be? 

 Mate!! everything toxic in Australia.... even the women 😂 (as he told me later he was going through a divorce)

Some cool history of Hot Air Balloons;  they were used during the US Civil War as reconnaissance viewing aircraft to report crucial information from their high perch.
 They would then either telegraph data or use special flags to signal what they could see

One interesting fact is Hot Air Balloons are restricted to fly during wet conditions as it becomes much harder to control for the pilot.
 Why you ask; the rain would accumulate on the top which makes the balloon heavier, burns more fuel thus added up to perilous situation

Looking down at one of my sister airships at approximately 5000 feet up

 To be above the other Hot Air Balloons my pilot would of researched the local conditions from nearby airports, weather stations & service forecasters to get to a proper air current update then by controlling the temperature & volume of the heat to inside the envelope to reach that level

Meanwhile to start the decent the pilot would open a large vent at the top of the balloon plus valve off excess heat, which all makes it heavier as gravity takes over

Rome Colosseum

#Rome_Colosseum

The Rome Colosseum is a structure made of limestone, volcanic rock (tuff), timber & concrete which stands four stories tall & took 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves (after their defeat during the Jewish-Roman War) eight years to complete its construction
 It is still the largest amphitheater (Greek word amphi...both sides or all around) on earth

During those times of neglect & abandonment the Roman Catholic Church used the Colosseum like a quarry for its stone & built the Basilicas of St Peter, St John & Palazzo Venezia
Times have changed as now the arena welcomes millions of tourists per year

KeyTip: Tickets will range from $100 up to $400 depending on if its a private tour, to where you visit inside the Colosseum from the underground or arena floor

There were eighty entrances to the amphitheater as the arches were numbered with Roman Numerals to serve as guides for sitting
 There were seventy-six entry points for the audience, two for the participants of the events which one was called The Gate of Life for the gladiators who entered & The Gate of Death (located on the western side) for the gladiators who did not fair so well in the contest & were carried out 
 Finally two archways was used exclusively by the Emperor

When the Colosseum first opened the Emperor Titus celebrated with a hundred days of gladiatorial games.
Beside the contests the venue was used to host dramas, reenactments & even public executions

After the fall of the Roman Empire the Colosseum began to deteriorate
Add in earthquakes, passage of time & human neglect......which meant by the 20th century nearly two-thirds of the original building had been destroyed

A restoration project began in the 1990s to repair the Colosseum & so today it plays host to millions of visitors each year plus has musical concerts & events inside the arena 

We think of the Colosseum as old (1952 years) but compared to the Pyramids of Giza (4000 years) & Stonehenge which dates back 5000 years, it is young in historical terms

Fun fact; the original name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheater which was the name of the dynasty that ruled the empire at this time
Historians believe the current name came from The Colossus of Nero statue that stood outside the amphitheater

Being a huge follower of history, i couldn't wait to visit the Colosseum located in the middle of Rome. It was awe inspiring to see this amphitheatre  

  Now once inside the arena you can envision when it could hold around 50,000 spectators who would view gladiatorial contests, executions and even mock sea battles. How you ask                                                                                                              

      Through a series of underground tunnels the Romans would flood the arena floor for Emperor Titus. Then they used special flat bottomed boats (because of the shallow water) to replicate naval battles, also  built an artificial island so sailors could land to fight 

The floor was around 83 by 48 meters (272 x 157 feet) but since it was made from wood plus covered with sand its long gone So because of this the top is open to view and you can now see how the hypogeum (underground) worked with its two level subterranean network of tunnels, hidden maze of rooms /cages 

 There were also 80 vertical shafts to access the hypogeum plus an extensive network of trap doors through which scenery elements could be deployed during the spectacles.

 

        If you were Roman your entry fee was free as Emperors used the arena to promote their political policies, if a foreigner you were of no use to the agenda being spoken so had to pay to watch.

          Speaking of no more use 😄 the site that the Colosseum sits on was once the location of an artificial lake from the Golden House of Nero.  Following his demise, much of his luxurious palace was destroyed or put to public use including his private lake

Fun Facts;
 A) The movie Gladiator was not filmed inside the Colosseum even though the director had permission. He decided it needed to look newer so built a stand-in Colosseum in Malta plus many of the location shots were computer generated
B) You think of the Roman Empire & the name of Julius Caesar comes into your thoughts
 But he was never inside the Colosseum as the two never existed simultaneously where he was assassinated 125 years before the gladiator games even started 

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The Colosseum was built with approximately 100,000 cubic meters / 3.5 million cubic feet of travertine limestone that was used for the main pillars, ground floor, external walls, the seats (they no longer exists) plus slabs of travertine were paved into the area to support the outer realm of the building
The remaining areas were constructed with a mixture of concrete & held together by 300 tons of iron clamps

The Romans built a special road designed to transport the limestone from the quarries of Tivoli ( 32 kms / 20 miles away) to the arena