Helsinki, Finland

Published by Gemma – Part one – Sight Seeing

Helsinki is an amazing city; it is a mixture of eye catching Russian architecture and effortless Scandinavian cool.

I personally have visited Helsinki on two occasions and it is one of my favourite cities to visit.

The Helsinki skyline is dominated by the picturesque Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko). The pure white building is a must see and is the focal point of the central Senate Square, flanking the Cathedral are the Government Palace and main building of the University of Helsinki.

Central Railway Station
Hands down is one of the most unique designs I have ever seen and I think it sums up the quirky and fun personality of Helsinki. The main entrance to the station is flanked by 4 “Stone men” holding spherical lights. The Clock tower is also quite striking and is hard to miss as well.

Suomenlinna

Is a small sea fortress a short distance from the mainland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  You can get to the island via a ferry which you can catch from Market Square and you can walk around the island within half a day.
Places of interest on the island:
King’s Gate
Great Courtyard
The Suomenlinna Church
Bastion Zander

Uspenski Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral is a perfect example of the Russian architecture with its deep-red brick walls and green-and-gold onion domes. The Orthodox Cathedral was completed in 1868. The Cathedral can be found next to Market Square on the Harbour front.

The Old Church of Helsinki

The Old Church of Helsinki (Helsingin vanha kirkko) is another beautiful snow-white building. The Church was only supposed to be temporary until the Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko) was complete. The grounds surrounding the church were once a cemetery and some of the  tombs and memorials still remain.

Sibelius Monument

To be honest the real reason we wanted to visit the Sibelius Monument was because of the giant bust of Jean Sibelius, we had decided it would be hilarious to have photos taken with the giant head as our own.

The Park grounds give you an opportunity to take some nice nature photos especially in Autumn (fall) as the leaves on the trees have started to change colour and have fallen to the floor.

Old Market Hall

The Old Market Hall can be found at The Market Square, the red and creamed brick hall has been open for over 120 years. The Vendors in the stalls sell a collection of traditional gourmet foods as well as some unique souvenirs.

Harbour Front

Another good place to see for photography purposes, in the winter the Harbour freezes over which makes for some nice photos with the city as a backdrop.

Melbourne, Australia ~ Part Two

Published 1 July 2013, by Jess

Getting To and From the Airport.

A taxi from the Melbourne airport into the CBD will set you back approximately $70-80 AUD including the toll fare. This depends on the time of day, as traffic will obviously play a big part.

The Skybus runs to and from the Airport to the Southern Cross Station on Spencer Street in the CBD and costs approximately $17AUD for an Adult one way and takes approximately 20 minutes.  See the link below for schedule times.

 http://www.skybus.com.au/fares/

 The CBD

 Melbourne’s CBD is energetic, fast paced and quite beautiful, with a mixture of historic and modern architecture co-existing in close proximity.

Flinders Street Station is the CBD’s hub for the train network. A truly beautiful building, and a perfect centrepiece for the city. 

Federation Square is located opposite Flinders Street Station, it is the culture precinct of the city and civic centre and opened not long ago in 2002.  A strange building I must say, but somehow it works and marries the mix of modern and historic architecture that I spoke of earlier being so closely built to Flinder Street Station.

Queen Victoria Markets opened as a small market in the 1850’s, it is now the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere located on 17 hectares. A major tourist attraction, the markets offer fresh fruit and vegetables, hand made arts and crafts, clothing and shoes. The markets have a great variety of products.

Laneways – Melbourne have some really cute laneways that they have made excellent use of, including for Shopping, Restaurants and Bars.  During Christmas, the Royal Laneway in the CBD is beautifully decorated and a great place to walk through to get into the festive spirit.  Hardware Lane is a fantastic option for bars and food.  Do yourself a favour and checkout Hardware Lane, you won’t be disappointed.

Royal Arcade Laneway

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)

Built in 1853, and known to locals as ‘The G’ – The MCG hosts Test Cricket and is home to the Australian Football League (AFL) hosting games throughout the year and the Grandfinal each year. 

In 1956 it also hosted the Olympic Games for track and field events. Besides sporting events, the MCG also holds music concerts including U2, The Rolling Stones and Madonna to name a few.

Whether you are a fellow Australian visiting Melbourne, or an overseas traveller, I highly recommend catching an AFL game at the MCG.  The atmosphere is fantastic, the stadium is well set up and it’s a chance to see our National game played in the largest stadium in the country with a seating capacity of 100,018.  Recommended games due to atmosphere would be Carlton vs Collingwood, or Essendon vs Richmond.  Friday night football also tends to draw a big crowd.  With most of the leagues teams residing in Melbourne (10 out of 18), games against two Victorian teams naturally draw a larger crowd at the MCG.

Make sure you rug up at the G – It gets cold!

Having a beer during Friday night footy!

The MCG is a short distance from the CBD, a short tram or train ride or approximately a 20 minute walk.

The Great Ocean Road

While I am yet to do this one myself, it is most definitely on the bucket list and therefore I had to add it as a must see. Australian Heritage Listed, the Great Ocean Road stretches between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool for 243 kilometres.

The road was built by soldiers who had returned from war between 1919 – 1932, it is the world’s largest war memorial.  It was built in honour of World War 1 casualities. 

A highlight I’m told is the 12 Apostles limestone stack formations in the water.

Melbourne, Australia ~ Part One

Published 26 June 2013, by Jess

Melbourne is the capital city of the Australian state of Victoria and the second most populated city in Australia with approximately more than four (4) million people.

Melbourne is a mix of hipster meets grungy street artist with various funky cafes, bars and shopping.  This is particularly evident in suburbs like St Kilda.  If you’re a lover of multiculturalism and the arts, then Melbourne is the place for you.

This city has a lot to offer, having been there five (5) times already, each time seems to be a new experience, with restaurants and bars ever-changing.

When leaving your hotel room, I suggest you be ready for the craziness that is Melbourne weather.  Melbourne is well known for its ‘4 seasons in 1 day’ weather, so take a jacket, an umbrella and sunglasses, prepare yourself for anything.

Places of Interest

 St Kilda

I think St Kilda would have to be my favourite part of Melbourne.  It offers travellers a mix of everything that is Melbourne – from the beach, to the shopping, to the bars and restaurants.  St Kilda has it all!

Acland Street is a must for any traveller to St Kilda.  Lining one side of the street is cake shop after cake shop, if you can resist what’s on offer then you have more will power than I do. 

Be aware that cakes on Acland Street are not cheap. Portions are big however I wouldn’t agree that the price tag is warranted. I paid $6.50 AUD for a Peppermint Chocolate slice.

Shopping

On the opposite side of Acland Street is the shopping.  The stores are very ‘one of a kind’ orientated, offering some pieces that I hadn’t seen anywhere else in Melbourne shops….and I shopped a lot! There was a great mixture of prices, from fantastic sale items to the completely ridiculous.

The Beach

The beach area is a great place to enjoy a beautiful Melbourne summers day.  You will find a few restaurants and cafes with some great views of the beach.

St Kilda Beach

Luna Park

A very old amusement park and somewhat the centrepiece of St Kilda as it is the first thing you see.  All five times I’ve been to Melbourne, LunaPark was closed each time I ventured to St Kilda.

Locals Recommendations

While I haven’t been to any of these places, I was told by a local that these are great spots to check out while in the St Kilda area;

Bars – Vineyard, The Branch and Veludo

Food – Radio Mexico and Za’Ba

Shopping Recommendations In Melbourne

Bourke Street Mall – Myer, David Jones. Myer puts on an amazing Christmas Window in December.

Chadstone – Large, multi-storey shopping centre/mall

Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) South Wharf – Between the CBD and Docklands, fantastic cheap shopping, highly recommended.

Discount Outlets Spencer Street Station – Discounted, last season items. You can find a few bargains if you really look hard.

Melbourne Central – multi-storey shopping centre/mall

Bridge Road – Located in Richmond, popular for DFO’s and up and coming local designers.

Chapel Street – Known for its Exclusive upmarket fashion designers, the shopping tends to have a hefty price tag here.

Food and Bars

Mamak – An incredible Indonesian restaurant on Lonsdale Street.  Incredible not just for the quality food, but for the price. Between 4 people, we ordered 4 dishes + rice, 2 desserts and a drink each and only paid $25 a head.

The Hardware Societe – Located on Hardware Lane. Do yourself a favour and have breakfast here, you won’t regret it.  The interior design is very industrial, the seating varies from private tables to communal benches and the food is fantastic. The best scrambled eggs of my life!

The Merrywell – The Merrywell can be found in the Crowne Casino and offers an upmarket pub style alternative. The food is great, I hear the Angus Burger comes highly recommended but my recommendation is the Pulled Pork Quesadilla’s.

Drinks at The Merrywell while waiting for food.

Tequila & Tapa’s Bar – Found on Hardware Lane, the ambience created has resulted in a very cute and cosy bar. The bar is small in size though, so finding a free table can sometimes be an issue.

Lygon Street – Located in Carlton, Lygon Street is an extremely popular among tourists for its Italian influence.  Personally, I think the hype is a little over-rated.  Italian men stand outside their restaurants and if you stop and look at the menu, you’ve as good as sat at one of their tables, there is no getting away.

The Crown Casino – A great mix of bars and restaurants for everyone, plus the casino if you are a gambler.  Highly recommend checking out the Crowne.

Rooftop Bar/Cookie – Located on Swanston Street, the Rooftop Bar had a really great vibe to it.  I think this would be an excellent place to hang out in the summer months. During winter, it was a little on the cold side, it also didn’t help that half of the outdoor heaters were off for some unknown reason.  Cookie was more a restaurant style bar, tables all set up like a restaurant and didn’t really invite mingling amongst others which is what I think a bar should offer. Good cocktails though.

Drinks at Rooftop Bar.

Corner Hotel – Close proximity to the MCG and found on Swan Street. Great idea to check this place out before seeing a football game. The rooftop is big and it’s a great atmosphere before the game.

San Francisco, California USA

Published 10 May 2013, by Jess

San Francisco is located in the US state of California. You will most likely recognise it from the numerous shots of popular sites seen in many television shows and movies from Full House (popular in the 80’s) to more recently, The Five-Year Engagement.

San Francisco is a great city, for us Aussies though, be warned that the wind chill is cold! I travelled during the summer months on both occasions I visited and when the wind kicks in, you’ll feel it believe me!

Alamo Square – Painted Ladies

Getting There

Departing Vancouver, Canada the flight is approximately 2hrs & 45mins. Flying Westjet (Canadian airline) my flight in 2012 cost $304.92 AUD.

Departing Los Angeles, USA the flight is approximately 1hr & 20mins.  Flying American Airlines my flight in 2012 cost $294.37 AUD.

Where to Stay

If you do your research into San Francisco, one common thing that all travellers who have been to San Franscisco agree on is this, do not stay anymore than 2 blocks outside of Union Square.  The reason is because San Francisco has an extremely large homeless community, as you venture outside of Union Square this becomes noticeably more apparent, and the area is quite unsafe.

Your other alternative is to stay down by Fisherman’s Wharf which is also a nice area.

In 2012 I stayed at;

Sir Francis Drake Hotel

Standard Triple room for 3 nights stay cost $856.42

The hotel is located right in the heart of Union Square, prefect location.

In 2011 I stayed at;

Nikko Hotel

Double Queen room for 4 nights stay cost $564.00

The hotel is located 2 blocks from Union Square and also in a great location.

Union Square

Union Square is a public plaza and is central in San Francisco for shopping and hotels and is also the theatre district.

The main plaza consists of 4 monuments in the shape of a heart decorated in individual artwork.  I believe that university students enrolled in Art in San Francisco can put their name into a draw and if they are drawn they design and paint the artwork on the monument as per the below pictures.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Is a neighbourhood in San Francisco down by the Northern waterfront.  The area has many restaurants, shops, museums and other attractions which makes it a very busy tourist area.

Pier 39 on Fisherman’s Wharf is also home to numerous California sea lions which you can view on the marina docks in large numbers.  Quite a sight to see!

Alcatraz

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

$32 – Last tour boat of the day.

The tour leaves from Pier 33 on Bay Street, before boarding the boat you will have your photo taken by staff which is available for purchase when you return.

Quite possibly one of the best informative tours I have ever been on!

The story of Alcatraz is really quite interesting, and the self audio tour allows you to go through the prison at your own pace.  The audio tour itself includes the voices of actual prison guards and prisoners who experienced Alcatraz first hand.  Many of the jail cells have been left in their original condition or house original items owned by prisoners of those cells.

If you are travelling in the summer months, you definitely have to book in advance (weeks not days) as the tours sell out very quickly.

You cannot visit San Francisco and not check out Alcatraz, it is a must see.

Golden Gate Bridge

Ride A Bike – You can hire bikes all along Fisherman’s Wharf.  It will take approximately 1.5 hours (stopping along the way) to ride from Fisherman’s Wharf  up to the Golden Gate bridge, ride across it and then into Sausalito, San Francisco.  There are some really great photo opportunities along the way.

In the summer of 2011 they were doing some construction to the Bike lane on the bridge and therefore pedestrians and cyclists were together on the same lane.  This didn’t work so well, the pedestrians weren’t very patient or aware or their surrounds so it was a little frustrating during the ride over the bridge.  The construction was finished in the summer of 2012 when I was there and it seemed to work much better. 

Once you cross over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausilito there are some great views from the other side of the bridge.  You can then continue riding into the town and if you wish, you can take the ferry (with your bike) back to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Vintage Fire Engine ride – Such a great idea for a very unique way to see the Golden GateBridge and Sausilito.  The tour departs from the Fisherman’s Wharf neighbourhood and costs $50.00 per adult.  As you jump on the Fire Engine you will notice there are fire fighters jackets you can put on and wear, I was lucky enough to get myself an Australian Fire Fighters jacket, he had flown over to help fight the recent Californian fires at the time.  I suggest you definitely put one of the jackets on, even in summer going across the bridge in an open vehicle the wind was freezing!

The tour guides are fantastic, although it is a little cheesy as they get you to sing along to songs and wave to those walking by, it is all to get into the spirit of things and have a great time, which is exactly what we did!

Lombard Street

According to some San Francisco tour guides I met while in San Francisco, Lombard Street is actually the 2^nd most crookiest street in the world, the other also being in San Francisco but it is not as pleasing on the eye and therefore San Francisco has passed the title onto Lombard Street.

Lombard Street has a steep, one block section with eight (8) turns in it.

Powell Street Tram Stop

The Powell Street Tram stop is quite a sight to see if, like me, you do not have trams in your city.  The tram stop is where the trams come through in abundance and rotate to go back up the hill on Powell Street.  Change over of those riding the tram happens here also with many people waiting to get on the trams. 

Napa Valley Wine Train

$129

http://winetrain.com/

The Napa Valley Wine Train is basically a whole day excursion.  Leaving from Fisherman’s Wharf you will take a ferry then a bus to get to where the train departs.

We opted for the glass roof carriage to have even better views and to do the trip in style.

The food and service on the Napa Valley Wine Train was exceptional.  The whole tour was definitely worth the money and we also got to enjoy so beautiful wines from the NapaValley (additional cost).

Lobster Bisk Soup

Lamp Chops

Places to Eat

Lori’s Diner – There are a string of these around San Francisco that you’ll find. Lori’s Diner is a very authentic diner with great food and wonderful service. 

Milkshakes at Lori’s Diner

House of Nanking – Is a well known Chinese Restaurant with locals in San Francisco.  If you would like to dine here, it’s essential you make a booking or you’ll be waiting a while for a table.  Our group weren’t to sure on the menu when we arrived and therefore when the waiter arrived to take our order he suggested we do what most locals do and allow him to order for us. 

The food was amazing, he ordered things I would never think to order and our bill at the end of the night with a tip was under $25 US each.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Published 3 May 2013, by Jess

Reykjavic is the largest city in Iceland and also the Capital. It has a population of approximately 120,000 in the inner city and 200,000 in the outer city area.

Iceland is quite an expensive city.  While they did experience hardship from the 2008 economic crisis which made the city a little more affordable to travellers, it was still rather expensive while I was there in 2009.

Iceland has a lot to offer and for this reason I would definitely recommend more than 3 nights, as this is all I stayed and our time was quite rushed and we didn’t get to see everything and really take in the city.

My first experience of seeing snow

Getting There

In 2009 I paid $381 AUD to fly from Copenhagen, Denmark – Reykjavik, Iceland.  The flight is approximately 3 hours 10 minutes from Copenhagen.

Currency

Iceland possesses its own currency, the Icelandic Krona.  The Icelandic Krona is also referred to as the Icelandic Crown and in May 2013 converts as follows;

 $1 AUD = 119.91 ISK

$1 US    = 117.03 ISK

$1 CAD  = 116.08 ISK

1 Euro    = 154.13 ISK

1 Pound  = 181.99 ISK

Blue Lagoon

http://www.bluelagoon.com/

The Blue Lagoon is a Geothermal spa in Reykjavik and is the most visited tourist attraction in Iceland.

The lagoon is rich in sulphur and silica and extremely good for your skin, in particular it helps with those suffering from skin diseases. The water temperature is approximately 37-39C or 98-102F. 

During my visit the outside temperature was -1C and extremely windy.  When you think of a spa you think relaxing and calm however because of the wind the lagoon was far from relaxing.  I suggest you visit on a day when the wind is not a factor, the outside temperature really has no bearing because the water temperature is so warm and your whole body (apart from your head) is submerged.

Around the outside of the lagoon you will notice buckets that contain the silt from the floor of the lagoon, this is extremely good for your skin and I recommend you rub this on your body and face.  You will notice the difference in your skin over the next few days, its amazing!

Definately a must see!!!

Enjoying the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon

Golden Circle Tour –

Duration: 8-10 hours

Price: Approximately 9,405 ISK or $78.50 AUD

The Golden Circle Tour is a really great way to see Iceland if you don’t have a lot of time.  The tour is 8-10 hours and covers a 300km loop from Reykjavik to central Iceland and then back to Reykjavik again. 

The stops include the following;

• Kerid volcano crater
• Hveragerdi greenhouse village
• Skalholt church
• Nesjavellir geothermal power plant

Enjoying my first ever time touching snow

• Thingvellir National Park (main stop)

Troll monument in Iceland

• Gullfoss Waterfall (main stop)

The Gullfoss Waterfall – It was absolutely freezing here.

 

• Geysir Geothermal Field (main stop)

Stokkur Geysir about to erupt.

Eruption of Stokkur Geysir.

NightlifeIcelandic’s are known for their crazy partying ways, in particular they know how to party all weekend.  It all starts on what is known as ‘Friday Night Madness’ and some Icelandic’s are known to go all weekend.

Generally locals start partying late (around 12am) and it is not unusual to see a very empty club fill very quickly! Clubs and Bars stay open until 4:30am on the weekend and 1am during the week. It is also quite common for Cafes/Restaurants to turn into bars later in the evening.

If you are in Iceland, make sure you are there for a weekend, you won’t want to miss it!

The Amazing Race Montreal – Canada

Published May 2 2013 by Gemma

Saint Joseph’s Oratory

If you are looking for a fun and unique way to see a cities sights you can’t look past Amazing Race in Montreal (http://www.amazingracemontreal.com/).

I have to say this is one of the best experiences I’ve had as far as sight seeing is concerned. The organisers have put together an excellent tour!

The organisers met up with us at the hotel and presented us with a map and our 7 clues for the day and to make things interesting we decided to split up into two teams to make it a real competition. We even took it one step further and wore “team” t-shirts which came in handy when asking locals for help as they realised we weren’t a bunch of crazy Aussies running around asking random questions.

Like the real Amazing Race you can only open up the next clue once you have reached the location of the current clue. 

You will have to navigate through Montreal using various forms of public transport, make sure you chose the right one otherwise you can find yourself on the back foot very fast.

Most of the clues are quiet easy to figure out but there are a few curve balls and you may find yourself running around like a chook with no head asking locals for help and them being just as clueless as you are, but to be honest this makes it all the more fun.

We finished the day with big smiles on our faces but that might of had something to do with the fact that we were victorious.

I highly recommend that anyone going to Montreal should sign up for the Amazing Race and see this beautiful city in an action-packed, fun, unique way.

Extra information

Tours available:

Montreal Pot Luck – A cross-section of Montreal destinations which feature its diversity
Tastes of Montreal – For all of the foodies out there, tour Montreal by enjoying our local foods!

Price: $55

Perth, Western Australia – Part Two

Updated on 14 March 2014, by Jess

In 2013, Perth ranked in the top 10 most liveable cities in the World by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), coming in at 9th position.

Perth is beautiful, clean and friendly – all three factors I believe to contribute to a great city particularly for travellers/tourists.

Perth CBD & Waterfront

The Perth CBD has something for all ages offering art museums, retail, cafes, entertainment, small bars, fitness options and big open spaces.  The CBD is undergoing many changes, adding an even more inviting and tourist friendly atmosphere to what is already a very beautiful and friendly city, in my opinion. While many of the heritage buildings were pulled down decades ago to make room for more modern buildings, some of the heritage buildings still remain and are simply stunning.

Kangaroo statues outside of Council House and the Supreme Court Gardens

St George’s Cathedral

Retail

The CBD offers a wide variety of retail options with a great mix of department stores and unique designer brands.  The city is made up of many arcades lined with shops including the older Carillon City, Piccadilly Plaza and Trinity Arcade and the newer enex100 and Wesley Quarter.  Hay Street and Murray Street offer a large selection of jewellers, fashion retail and souvenir shops where as King Street is for the more sophisticated and well lets be honest…those that have money to burn.  King Street offers the high end brand names including Fendi and Tiffany and Co.

London Court also offers a variety of shopping in a European setting.  This arcade is beautifully designed with ornate clocks and European style facades.  London Court is popular among tourists and locals alike and a chance to see some of our older architecture.

London Court at Christmas time

Monday to Thursday	9am – 5.30pm (some retailers open later)
Friday	9am – 9pm
Saturday	9am – 5pm
Sunday	11am – 5pm
Public Holidays	11am – 5pm

*Extended shopping hours apply during the Christmas period.

Coming Soon

The construction of Elizabeth Quay is underway and is intended to merge Perth’s waterfront with the city and bring our focus back to the beautiful Swan River.  Construction is due for completion in mid 2015 and will see newly built inner city residential options, hotels and significant commercial space. For more information visit the link below;

http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/Projects/Elizabeth-Quay/About-the-Project/

Waterfront

The SwanRiver divides the city of Perth into two areas.  Perth locals will often make reference to this when asked what suburb they live in by responding either “North of the River” or “South of the River”.

The city waterfront presently has made very little use of actually building on the waterfront, only opting for views of the river (however this will change significantly with the construction of Elizabeth Quay).  The area known as the Barrack Street Jetty is however located on the waterfront and is where you will find the BellTower.

The Bell Tower is uniquely designed as a result of a major architectural competition and boasts some historic content – the Swan Bells, given to Perth as part of the National Bicentennial celebrations in 1988.

The Bell Tower

Fountains in front of the Bell Tower

Barrack Street Jetty is also home to ‘The Lucky Shag’, a pub on the SwanRiver that is very popular during the summertime (December – February) for “Sunday Sessions” (Sunday afternoon drinks).  Bookings and reservations are not accepted, and if you have attended a private function on a boat that departs the Barrack Street Jetty, it is highly likely you will be refused entry.  The pub in my opinion is very Perth – laid back, traditional pub food and a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting.

East Perth Waterfront

Has become very popular in recent years with the construction and renovation of bars and cafes along the waterfront. A definite must for a relaxing drink with lovely views.  Sunday sessions at The Royal are also popular among the younger generations.

View from The Royal

St Mary’s Cathedral

Located in the centre of Victoria Square, opposite the Royal Perth Hospital, St Mary’s Cathedral is a Catholic church.  It is officially the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The church was constructed in 3 phases;

Phase 1 – Completed in 1865

Phase 2 – Repairs originally to commence in the 1920’s but these were halted due to the Great Depression and instead completed in the late 1990’s early 2000’s.

Phase 3 – New design added and completed in late 2009.

Even if you aren’t religious, the cathedral is a beautiful piece of architecture worth seeing.

The Perth Mint

The Perth Mint offers guided tours for;

$10AUD – Adult

$4AUD – Child

$26AUD – FamilyPass

The Perth Mint is Australia’s oldest currently operating Mint and played a central role in the development of WA’s gold industry.

Perth Mint created in October 2011 the world’s largest, heaviest and most valuable gold coin at approximately 80 centimetres in diameter and 12 centimetres thick, 99.99% pure gold. It features a red kangaroo on the front of the coin and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse. It is legal tender in Australia with face value $1 million AUD, at the time of minting it was valued at $53.5 million AUD.

Fremantle

Fremantle is a suburb in the Perth metropolitan area and was the first area settled by the SwanRiver colonists in 1829.  The Fremantle port serves as the port of Perth

Places of Interest

The Harbour

Where you’ll find many restaurants including the award winning Ciccerello’s, famous for their amazing Fish & Chips.  The Harbour is also home to the Bon Scott statue, a tribute to the late Bon Scott of ACDC fame. The Harbour provides a great relaxed atmosphere and is particularly beautiful on a summers day.

Bon Scott Statue

Round House

The Round House is the oldest public building in Western Australia, it was completed in 1831 and originally used to house colonial and indigenous prisoners until 1886 where they were moved to the Fremantle Prison.

Fremantle Prison

The Fremantle Prison was built in the 1850’s by convict labour, used from 1886 as a gaol for locally sentenced prisoners, it was closed as a prison in 1991 and then reopened as a historic site.

The gallows in the prison was the only legal place of execution in Western Australia between 1888 and 1965, the last prisoner to be hanged was Eric Edgar Cooke.

Tours through the prison are available and are really quite interesting.  You will visit the gallows in the tour, if you think this may be distressing to children, talk to your tour guide who I am sure would be happy for them to continue on through to the solitary confinement yard.

Day tours, night tours and tunnel tours are available. See link below for details;

http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Visit_Us/tours/Pages/default.aspx

The Gallows

Little Creatures

Little Creatures is a local brewing company originally established in 2000.  It has won a number of Australian International Beer Awards and other awards.  The brewing site is open to the public with a restaurant/café offering great meals and outdoor dining.  Next door to the Little Creatures brewery is The Loft – also a part of Little Creatures and offers a great alternative in the winter months (June-August), play Pictionary, Scategories or Connect Four board games with your friends while you drink.

Fremantle Markets

A public market on the corner of South Terrace and Henderson Street and was built in 1897.  The markets offer some great food options, I suggest you try the chocolate coated strawberry skewers – they are amazing!

Places to Eat

The Fremantle cafe strip can be found on South Terrace and is an entire street lined with cafes,restaurants, pubs and bars.  My recommendations on the strip would be Cafe Bella Rosa for their amazing pizza.  Other places of interest include Cicerello’s for the best fish n chips in Perth and Little Creatures.

Nightspots

Crowne Casino – Formerly Burswood Casino, has recently had a makeover in 2012 and is now the Crowne Casino. There are many and various bars to choose from;

Groove Bar: Offers 80’s & 90’s music from the live band

The Merrywell: Relaxed chill and chat bar or to have a really good meal

The Carbon Sports Bar:  For all sport lovers

Minq Bar:  The cocktails are amazing but they have the price tag to match – A Peach Bellini will set you back $19 AUD.

There are also some amazing restaurants including Nobu, The Merrywell, Yu Chinese Restaurant and 88 Noodle Bar.

Northbridge – The main nightclub and bar precinct in Perth.  Northbridge offers a variety of entertainment spots for all ages and all tastes.  I’m not sure if it is the whole “Older and Wiser” scenario but the older I get, the less appealing Northbridge has become.  Police patrol the streets but that doesn’t seem to stop the pointless fights and brawls and girls seem to be joining in on the action these days too.  In my opinion, do not go to Northbridge by yourself, if you do go, pick a club in Northbridge and stay there all night, when you leave, walk to the taxi rank and be aware of your surroundings.

Recommendations: Mint (Top 40, 80’s & 90’s music), The Shed (For a very stereotypical Aussie vibe).

Subiaco – Frequented by the more “sophisticated” and some would say “pretentious” crowd, Subiaco offers a variety of bars, nightclubs and pubs.  The dress code is quite strict so make sure you do your research first.  Clubs have long lines so expect to wait.  Subiaco is also frequented by the local Australia Football League (AFL) team, The West Coast Eagles as their home playing ground is in the Subiaco suburb.

Recommendations: The Subiaco Hotel, Llama Bar and Gold Bar.

Subiaco Oval – AFL ground

West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Dockers AFL Match

The City Nightspots

The Perth CBD has come a long way in terms of nightstops. It has a Melbourne vibe to it now offering laneway bars and small wine bars and eateries.

With the construction of Brookfield Place on St Georges Terrace came the influx of small but trendy bars.  These are generally very busy on a Friday night for after work drinks and frequented by the “suits” crowd.  The bars are somewhat expensive however they are the norm for Perth these days, finding a cocktail for under $15 is a struggle all over the city.

Wolfe Lane located just off Murray Street offers some small bars along a small hidden laneway and is also a great spot on a Friday and Saturday night.

Recommendations: The Stables Bar, Ginger Nightclub, The Aviary, The Belgian Beer Café, The Trustee Bar, Tiger Lils, Print Hall and Halcyon.

Perth, Western Australia – Part One

Updated 14 March 2014, by Jess

Perth is located on the West Coast of Australia and is the Capital city of Australia’s largest state – Western Australia.  It is approximately a 4.5 hour plane flight from Sydney and Melbourne on the East Coast of Australia and is the most isolated city in the world.  The cities population is approximately two (2) million people.

Perth is popular for its laid back atmosphere and outdoor lifestyle including some of the world’s best beaches.

Kings Park

KingsPark is one of the largest inner city parks in the world at 4.06 square km’s (1,003 acres) and is larger than the very famous Central Park of New York City at only 3.41km.

KingsPark provides the greatest view of Perth on a whole. Behind the State War Memorial is the SwanRiver, to the left of the SwanRiver is the Perth CBD and to the right is South Perth.  From Kings Park you will also get views of Crowne Casino (Formerly Burswood Casino), The Old Swan Brewery and Nedlands/Matilda Bay.

KingsPark is the most visited tourist attraction in Perth and for good reason.  The grounds are kept immaculate, the views are stunning and there is something so very peaceful and serene about KingsPark.  Pack a picnic and head to one of the many family friendly picnic areas, ride along bike tracks or go for a walk, the activities are endless.

Trees lining the entry to Kings Park heading towards the State War Memorial

The State War Memorial resides on Mount Eliza in Kings Park and overlooks the CBD.  The Kings Park War Memorial comprises of Cenotaph, Court of Contemplation, Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection.

The war memorial is a backdrop to the ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) Day dawn service held every year on the 25^th April at 5:30am.

2013 saw KingsPark hold the largest dawn service in the Nation, with 50,000 people in attendance.

The Bali Memorial is dedicated to the 16 Western Australian victims, the injured and those who helped the survivors of the Indonesian terrorist bombings in Bali on the 12^th October 2002.

The Botanic Garden consists of 2000 species of West Australian flora and is a great location for some beautiful photo opportunities.  The Botanic Garden consists of the Lotterywest Federation tree top walk, Pioneer Women’s Memorial fountain and water garden and the Boab Tree.

Lotterywest Tree Top Walk

Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain

The Kings Park Festival is held in September every year to promote the beauty of Western Australia’s native wildflowers. The festival attracts over 500,000 people each year.

The Kokoda Track is a tribute to the Australian soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea from 1942 – 1943 and comprises of 150 steps that ascends a height of 62 metres.  The track is also used by many Perth residents for fitness.

Jacob’s Ladder is a set of 242 steps from Mounts Bay Road up to Cliff Street and is also used by many Perth residents for fitness purposes.

Queens Gardens

The Queens Gardens is a beautiful garden located in East Perth and named after Queen Victoria in honour of her Diamond Jubilee in 1899. Surreal to find such a peaceful and beautiful resting spot amongst city life, however Perth manages to offer a number of these “great escapes” throughout the city.

The garden is surrounded by Hay Street, Plain Street, Hale Street and Nelson Crescent, East Perth and sits opposite the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground.

The garden covers 3.3 hectares and includes the park bench made famous in the movie ‘Notting Hill’ starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.  The bench was anonymously donated after a man used it to propose to his girlfriend, she declined.  The bench reads “To June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her”.

Government House/Gardens

Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Western Australia and is located on St Georges Terrace in the Perth CBD. Government House makes a beautiful backdrop to the well kept gardens that surround it, another peaceful resting spot amongst the city.

Supreme Court Gardens and Stirling Gardens

Located along Barrack Street in the Perth CBD these gardens are a city workers dream to escape the office and the lunch time hustle and bustle.  The Stirling Gardens is regularly frequented by office workers for a lunch time picnic and to read a book.

Stirling Gardens

The Supreme Court Gardens is frequented more by the fitness enthusiasts for lunch time soccer matches, personal training workouts and exercise classes.

The Bell Tower is a beautiful backdrop to the Supreme Court Gardens

Beaches (Cottesloe/Scarborough/Trigg)

 Perth and the state of Western Australia have arguably some of the best beaches in Australia and the World.  The popular beaches in Perth line 12,000km of the Indian Ocean including the three most popular among locals and tourists;

 Cottesloe Beach –   Cottesloe Beach is affectionately known to locals as ‘Cott’ and is a 15 minute drive by car from the Perth CBD or you can catch the Fremantle train line (the blue line) to the Cottesloe train station and walk 600 metres to the beach.  Cott is popular among swimmers, snorkellers and the occasional surfers.  Cott also has a lively atmosphere on the weekends, with the street directly opposite the beach lined with cafes and pubs.  Popular among the younger crowd are the Cottesloe Beach Hotel (The Cott) and the Ocean Beach Hotel (The OBH).

Scarborough Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD or you can catch the Joondalup train line (The green line) to Glendalough train station and then catch the bus to the beach.  Scarborough is popular among teenagers, surfers, bodyboards, kite surfers, wind surfers and swimmers.  There is a larger amphitheatre which holds many events in summer including ‘Sets on the Beach’ (Beach parties with live music) and beach cricket events.

You can also take surf lessons at ScarboroughBeach, see the link below.

http://www.learntosurf.net.au/

Trigg Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD along the sunset coast.  Due to the reef break just offshore, Trigg is popular among surfers and bodyboarders.  Trigg also offers some good beach fishing and hosts the surf lifesaving carnivals.

Other Beaches

Metham’s Pool, CityBeach, FloreatBeach, CoogeeBeach and RockinghamBeach

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Approximately a 20 minute drive from the Perth CBD by car North-West.  Hillary’s BoatHarbour comprises of the harbour, a man-made beach, restaurants, bars and retail shops.  The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is also located at Hillary’s and offers an amazing insight into the creatures of the sea.  www.aqwa.com.au

Opposite the man-made beach is The Great Escape, a waterpark with great fun for the whole family.

Swan Valley

The SwanValley is a 25 minute drive by car East from the Perth CBD and is Western Australia’s oldest wine region.  The SwanValley is buzzing with over 70 restaurants and cafes, amazing picnic spots, gourmet local delights from olives, cheeses and preserves to chocolate, nougat and ice creams plus some award-winning boutique breweries and various wineries. During the summer time the SwanValley also puts on many summer outdoor concerts like ‘A Day on the Green’ which has hosted Michael Buble, Ronan Keating, Lionel Richie, Alicia Keys and many more.

My recommendations – Elmars in the Valley (German brewery offering amazing Pork Knuckle), Houghtons Winery (pack a picnic) and the Margaret River Chocolate Company.

Lake Louise – Alberta, Canada

Published 16 April 2013, by Jess

Located in Alberta Canada, Lake Louise is a 45 minute – 1 hour drive from Banff, Alberta.

The Lake itself is truly spectacular! To say Lake Louise is ‘postcard perfect’ would be an inaccurate statement because I honestly believe that the postcards don’t even do it justice! You really need to experience it to know how breathtaking it is.

The township is nothing to write home about and only consists of a couple of bakery/café style places along with a few retail stores. It is for this reason that I recommend you only need to stay overnight at Lake Louise.

There are many and various hiking trails to be explored, so if you have time, check them out.

It has been said before that of all the travellers who visit Lake Louise, the average time spent admiring the lake is only 5 minutes, definitely not long enough in my experience.

Where to Stay

Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise
While the Chateau Fairmont may very well break the bank, it is the only hotel with complete views of Lake Louise.

A Junior Lakeside Suite consists of 2x Queen size beds and a fold out sofa bed. The view was truly amazing (see picture below). The price in 2012 was $1055.97 CAD for 1 night stay.

View of Lake Louise out of our window at the Chateau Fairmont

Located in the Chateau Fairmont are various retail stores and restaurants. All restaurant have views of the Lake and can be used by all hotel guests as well as visitors.

View of the Chateau Fairmont from Lake Louise

Lake Louise

Glacier water makes this lake the unbelievably crystal blue colour it is. Unlike any water body I’ve ever seen, you need to experience the lake itself by canoeing on it.

Canoeing is offered in 30 minute and 1 hour increments and costs approximately $16 CAD. 30 minutes is plenty if you just want to experience the lake and go for a relaxing canoe with some superb photo opportunities. 1 hour is recommended if you would like to paddle out to the mountain that commands the backdrop of Lake Louise. Even in the middle of summer the mountain top was still snow capped.

In Winter the Lake completely freezes over and there is the opportunity to ice skate on Lake Louise.  I don’t believe you would get the desired effect of the glacial water during the winter months though.

Lake Morraine

Lake Morraine is a surrounding Lake approximately a 15 minute drive from Lake Louise. Well worth the drive not only for the incredible scenery you experience along the way, but in my opinion Lake Morraine and Lake Louise are equally as beautiful and stunning as each other.

Never before have I been so content to stand and stare (and could have done for hours) at the natural beauty and scenery that surrounded me.

Las Vegas ~ Nevada, USA

Published April 12, 2013 by Jess

“Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire” – Elvis Presley: Viva Las Vegas

“How ‘bout that ride in? Guess that’s why they call it Sin City” – Alan: The Hangover

Las Vegas, it’s the subject of movies, television shows and songs. Everyone is always talking about Las Vegas and for good reason, it is unbelievably over the top but that’s what makes it amazing!

Known for gambling, its tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment and its partying ways, Las Vegas became better known as ‘Sin City’.

The Las Vegas Strip

Getting There
Las Vegas is a 45 minute flight from Los Angeles and costs approximately $100 AUD.

Las Vegas is a 2hr 15 min flight from San Francisco and costs approximately $110 AUD

*Be warned – If you are flying with United Airlines, they will charge you for any check-in baggage.

Where to Stay
Caesars Palace
Is where I stayed and I highly recommend it!
It is located on the Las Vegas strip, opposite The Flamingo hotel and next to the Bellagio hotel.
Caesars Palace is massive, like many of the other hotels in Vegas. It has gaming areas, various restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shops and the Garden of the Gods pool oasis with 8 swimming pools. Themed in a Roman style as the name suggests, Caesars Palace has beautiful fountains, columns and magnificent art décor ceilings.

In 2011 I payed $126 a night for a deluxe triple share room through www.otel.com

Without requesting it, the lobby receptionist upgraded our room to a suite which included 2x queen size beds, two bathrooms with a double interconnecting shower and two toilets. Vegas hotels tend to upgrade frequently, so be cool, don’t worry about asking and generally if the rooms are available you’ll get lucky!

Caesars Palace Lobby

Other Hotels
Bellagio Hotel
The Bellagio is famous for the dancing fountain out the front of the hotel. The show is spectacular and free. For show times see the following link;
http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/fountains-of-bellagio.aspx

Located next to Caesars Palace and joined through an interconnecting bridge, the Bellagio in my opinion is not as impressive as Caesars Palace inside the hotel.

Bellagio Fountains

Venetian Hotel
Located opposite Treasure Island down the end of the Las Vegas strip, the Venetian Hotel captures Venice perfectly. The man made canels, ceilings painted with sky and clouds and singing gondolier make for a romantic gondola ride with your loved one, or a great experience with friends. Gondolas carry 4 persons or for extra you can pay for a private gondola ride. I recommend the inside gondola ride instead of the outside ride. The gondola ride costs $16 AUD (2011 prices) and cannot be purchase online.

Paris Hotel
Located across from the Bellagio Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, you can’t miss the Paris Hotel with its spectacular replica of the Eiffel tower. Beautiful and stunning hotel inside and out with lots of entertainment available.

New York, New York Hotel
Opposite the MGM Grand Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, New York, New York has a rollercoaster that starts inside the hotel and ends up on the outside. If you like a thrill, check it out!
New York, New York is also home to the famous ‘Coyote Ugly’ bar.

Grand Canyon Air & Floor Landing Tour
http://www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/helo.htm
$325.99 per person

You are picked up from your hotel in a limo and taken to the Las Vegas airport where your helicopter will depart.
I recommend you choose an early flight as it is the desert and temperatures can become extreme. We chose the 8:15am flight and by 9am it was 40C in the Canyon.
You will fly over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Valley before landing in the Canyon for a champagne and a light snack. Perfect picture opportunities throughout the tour and some great views. You cannot go to Las Vegas and not visit the Grand Canyon!

*Please note: You will be weighed prior to your flight

Things to Know
• You can walk freely down the Las Vegas strip and through the hotels and casinos with alcohol.
• Many nightclubs have a higher cover charge for males than females. Many will also allows females to drink for free until 12am.
• Free in the USA does not exempt from tipping. If you do attend a club where females drink for free, a $1 US tip per drink is usually expected/appreciated.
• It is extremely hot in the summer months, as you would expect. All hotels and casino’s are air conditioned but going between those can be rough. People sell ice cold water on the street for $1US, take them up on the offer!
Bottle Service at Nightclubs
My experience with bottle service was at Pure Nightclub in Caesars Palace.
We paid $1200 (including tip) AUD for bottle service which included the following;
• Priority entrance into the club
• A reserve table all night in the VIP roped off area
• 2x bottles of Belvedere Vodka
• 12 cans of red bull
• And various mixers including orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and water.
• Your drinks are poured all night for you by your table waiters (this can be dangerous as you don’t realise how much you are drinking when you aren’t pouring your drinks yourself!).

Highly recommend bottle service for the experience, however it is not something that is affordable for every night you are there. Sometimes it is just nice to treat yourself.

Nightclubs in Vegas are popular no matter what night it is but they generally don’t kick off and get a good crowd until 12am-1am. So I suggest you find a bar/club that offers good drinking deals and drink until everyone arrives.