Travel Guide to the world (NO SPAM)

[Georgi]

Originally posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
The Valley of the Giants is around Margaret River, and that's pretty nice. It's an ancient karri forest in a valley.

That's the one with the elevated walkway? Already on my list of things to see (after reading about it in Bill Bryson's book ). A friend of the friend I'm going with is apparently organising somewhere for us to stay in Margaret River, which is cool... my friend seems quite keen on going wine-tasting

Can't say I know of any good bars in Perth, though I'll look into it if you want.

Oh well, at least I'll know where to go if I want some pot

I went over to Melbourne a few years ago and it was quite a nice city.

Yeah, my housemate lived there on her year out, and she loved it... I also hear it's good on the cultural side

Originally posted by C Elegans
If you are staying as long as a almost a year in Oz, you should definitely visit NZ at the same time!

I will do, I may book it when I'm out there though (since as a British citizen I don't need to organise a visa or anything), because I don't know how long I'll want to stay in various places. But it would be a shame not to visit while I'm in the neighbourhood

@Mah I'll let you know, it will be around July-Aug next year

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Originally posted by Georgi
Oh well, at least I'll know where to go if I want some pot

I live to please .
Drop by my place and I'll show you the renovated train carriage I live in. I built it (well, renovated it) myself, with my father. It's not at all touristy, I promise, though I could always start stocking those stuffed koalas with the "Made in Taiwan" labels if you like.

[Georgi]

Originally posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
Drop by my place and I'll show you the renovated train carriage I live in. I built it (well, renovated it) myself, with my father. It's not at all touristy, I promise, though I could always start stocking those stuffed koalas with the "Made in Taiwan" labels if you like.

You live in a renovated train carriage? No, I'm sure there will be plenty of other places to buy "Made in Taiwan" tourist tat

[C Elegans]

@Maharlika: I don't know when I will visit Thailand again, but when I do, I'll certainly let you know Nothing could be better than a local guide

Originally posted by Georgi

I will do, I may book it when I'm out there though (since as a British citizen I don't need to organise a visa or anything), because I don't know how long I'll want to stay in various places. But it would be a shame not to visit while I'm in the neighbourhood

Yes, you should absolutely wait and see where you are at the time you wish to go, I think you can fly from several places in Oz to at least both Auckland in the North and Queenstown in the South of NZ. When are you leaving? I had hoped to get the opportunity to see you in London this summer

[Georgi]

Originally posted by C Elegans
Yes, you should absolutely wait and see where you are at the time you wish to go, I think you can fly from several places in Oz to at least both Auckland in the North and Queenstown in the South of NZ. When are you leaving? I had hoped to get the opportunity to see you in London this summer

The travel agent said something about only being able to fly to NZ out of Brisbane for some reason, but that might have just been the particular airline she was looking at... I'll have to check it out.

Leaving early August, when were you planning to come over?

[C Elegans]

Originally posted by Georgi

The travel agent said something about only being able to fly to NZ out of Brisbane for some reason, but that might have just been the particular airline she was looking at... I'll have to check it out.

Leaving early August, when were you planning to come over?

When I was there, I flew from Brisbane to Auckland, I heard you could also fly to Queenstown but I don't from which Oz city´.

I'll be visiting London for a few days (2-3) the first week of July. If you have time and feel like it, I'll be happy to see you I'll send you a PM with the details later.

[VoodooDali]

*bump*

I'm going on vacation in June to Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania? Any of you folks ever been there? What do you recommend?

[Tamerlane]

Originally posted by VoodooDali
Any of you folks ever been there?

I believe fable recently went on a trip to Eastern Europe.

Or at least some one did from SYM did

[Raistlin]

Originally posted by VoodooDali
*bump*

I'm going on vacation in June to Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania? Any of you folks ever been there? What do you recommend?

I live in Istanbul . Ask anything .

[Gruntboy]

Normandy

I just stayed 5 nights in Normandy with my girlfriend (from Montreal, speaks French, very handy). This was a pilgrammage of sorts to the D-Day beaches. So I'll get the peripheral details out the way. I wasn't there to enjoy the Calvados.

The people are a little sullen and introverted - Normandy is a poor area of France and despite our best efforts to speak their language and not be brash tourists, we found it tough going. The food is great... if you're not vegetarian. Since this accounted for 50% of us, this too was tough going. If you love fresh bread, seafood and cheese, jackpot! Not liking strong cheese... that was the other 50%. Still, there is an amazing number of baguettes... and pastries, cakes, apple tarts etc. Watch out for the apple cider and brandy too - delicious! And the beer has to be tasted to be believed. Put plainly, we survived but only time would make us comfortable there (which we didn't have). The weather and beaches were fantastic - the sun just followed us for 4 of the 5 days. Travel by bus and train was easy. The Norman countryside is beautiful and even the large town of Caen is sleepy - haven' slept so well in ages.

The Beaches

We spent 4 days travelling the beaches and it is a holiday I won't forget. We didn't see it all. What we did see was, for those interested in D-Day, a historical testament. The beaches might seem like ordinary beaches but you know what happened there. The dozens of cemetries dotted about the countryside remind you, especially the large American one at Colleville (over 9,000 graves). Memorials bear testament to the struggle time and again. If you don't know much about it, you can pop into the tourist-trap museums that will help you out.

Pointe-du-Hoc, specifically, really brings it all home. Sheer cliff fcae, squalid bunkers, concrete shells and huge craters mark a stretch of land that you will remember.

Sadly, there wasn't time to do everything. Of what I did see, I will never forget:

• Omaha beach
• Colleville cemetery
• Pegasus bridge
• Pointe-du-Hoc
• Bayeux cemetery
• Bayeux tapestry

And its not just WW2 stuff! The Bayuex tapestry was fantastic "in the flesh" so to speak. Its not everyone's idea of a great time. But I only scratched the surface, and like most travellers, this is an excuse to go back.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Originally posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
There're these little animals called quokkas that only exist on Rottnest<snip>

Okay, as I found out recently on my week down south, this is in fact not true, and is an urban myth fostered and encouraged by the Rottnest Island Tourist Authority.
They are also found in the forests near a small town called Walpole, though after a recent terrible bushfire there's not that many left.

Betcha didn't know that, eh @Tam?

[Tamerlane]

Originally posted by Ode to a Grasshopper
Okay, as I found out recently on my week down south, this is in fact not true, and is an urban myth fostered and encouraged by the Rottnest Island Tourist Authority.
They are also found in the forests near a small town called Walpole, though after a recent terrible bushfire there's not that many left.

Betcha didn't know that, eh @Tam?

Well thats news to me, hopefully this will give me the edge that I sorely need over my competitors.

Shame about the fire though