ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne is one of the finest in the world, an easy walk across the Princes Bridge from Federation Square. This being nearly the third week into autumn, most all the flower blossoms were spent. Still, there was much to admire here. As you would imagine, there were many native trees of Australia on... Continue Reading →
I’d never heard of börek before, but as we were walking along Elizabeth Street recently, we came across a café, Borek Bakehouse. It happens that there is a significant population of people of Turkish descent in Melbourne, estimated to be around 300,000 in 2013. This explains why we'd seen börek at more than one place as we walked... Continue Reading →
How does one describe the largest market in the southern hemisphere? Just big doesn’t seem adequate. The corner building as you approach it on Queen and Franklin Streets is rather ordinary, easy to walk past if you weren’t looking for the signs. The mass of people outside is no different than the crowds anywhere along Elizabeth.... Continue Reading →
The gum trees of Australia are everywhere. They lined the roadsides as we drove to and from the Bellarine Peninsula from Torquay. Otherwise known as eucalyptus trees, there are 700 varieties in Australia.
How is it that a hilly, almost mountainous peninsula that is an ideal environment for lush forest, surrounded on three sides by the ocean and composed of mineral-rich volcanic soil, seems almost devoid of it? Any drive through the Banks Peninsula reveals a landscape that is tussocky with very few stands of trees. What isn't covered... Continue Reading →
Christchurch's earthquakes clearly shut down many restaurants. To address these vendors' concerns and as a way to meet demands of workers in the red zone for refreshment, the city council has provided these businesses the opportunity to operate at certain access points. This seemed like an effective solution. While exploring revitalization efforts in Christchurch's Central Business District on Thursday,... Continue Reading →
It was 2½ years ago that the last great earthquake struck Christchurch. Many lives were lost and much of the Central Business District (CBD) was destroyed. Soon thereafter, red-zoned properties were closed off to the public in the CBD and elsewhere. Even if government aid was forthcoming and the Christchurch City Council charged with rebuilding damaged... Continue Reading →
They look like the remains of a ruined castle in the high country of the Southern Alps. They are limestone outcroppings that weirdly punctuate the landscape. It looks as if an ancient megalithic civilization once lived here. They comprise the Castle Hill Scenic Reserve, one of several similar groupings that appear in the area. On Monday, we arrived past the... Continue Reading →
It dominates the center of Christchurch near the Central Business District, a verdant stretch of forest and open space that was set aside in 1855 by the Provincial Government. In a city known for beautiful parks, Hagley Park is the largest. It is no wonder that Christchurch is called the Garden City. At 1.6km2, it... Continue Reading →
Air New Zealand has a Premium Economy (PE) class that the airline touted as a significant step forward in comfort and service for economy passengers when introduced in 2010. Is it worth the more-than-double fare over economy? On a flight between Los Angeles and Auckland, my wife and I upgraded to PE. I’ll explain how below.... Continue Reading →
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