Hong Kong Travel (Part II)

{Continued from Hong Kong (Part I)}

Hong Kong Travel (Part II)

Day 2:  1 May 2007

Ocean Park

It is a large theme park covering an area of 87 hectares. It consists of two parts: the Headland on the higher ground and the Lowland on the lower ground. To enter the theme park, visitors can use either the Main Entrance at the Lowland or Tai Shue Wan Entrance at the foot of the Headland. There are covered elevators or cable car to go up to the Headland. 
The Park has been in operation for 30 years. It is a place where people, young or old, like to have fun, entertainment and excitement.

 

 

With over 40 attractions and rides, the Ocean Park keeps attracting millions of tourists, annually.

At the Ocean Park, thrill-seekers can ride a roller-coaster of The Dragon and Mine Train, drop 60 metres to the ground suddenly made possible by The Abyss, get wet while riding a boat in The Raging River, drive go-karts in Grand Prix, spin in Space Wheel and swing in Flying Swing. 

For animal lovers, they can join Animal Close Encounters programs to see animals like foxes, wolves, bull frogs, rabbits, dogs, jelly fish, sea lions, dolphins, fish, pandas, sharks and birds.

Those who enjoy relaxing rides can go for a cable-car ride, Ferris Wheel, Ocean Park Tower and SkyFair Balloon ride.

For show-lovers, they can watch shows performed by dolphins and sea lions at Ocean Theatre, world class ice-skaters at Tai Shue Wan Theatre and birds at Amazing Birds Theatre.

Ocean Park Tower  When my wife and I were at Ocean Park, we went for the Ocean Park Tower ride. It rotated as it moved slowly up to a height of 200 metres above sea-level providing a 360 degree aerial view of the South China Sea, Aberdeen and small islands as well as the Headland theme park below. We went up twice as we loved to see the stunning scenery.

Ocean Theatre: A Dolphin and Sea Lion Show

    After the enjoyable Ocean Park Tower ride, we went to watch the dolphin and sea lion show at Ocean Theatre which is a stone throw from Ocean Park Tower. Before the show started we were entertained by a group of musicians for half an hour. It was fun to sing along with them.  
In the show, three dolphins showed off some stunts, like jumping out of the water to do the twist and turn, and touch a ball high

above the water, giving a trainer a piggy back ride and dancing in the water, while three sea lions made us laughed as they kept teasing their master.

Ocean Park: Lowland    After the dolphin and sea lion show, we went to queue outside the cable-car station. It did not take us long to wait for our turn. Sitting in a cable-car and moving down to Lowland, we enjoyed the spectacular, scenic views of Repulse Bay,

the coastline, the lush green terrains, islands and blue South China Sea. 

SkyFair Ride   On arrival at Lowland, we headed straight for the SkyFair balloon ride. The helium filled balloon took us to a height of 120 metres for bird-eye views of the coastline and South China Sea as well as Lowland below.

The balloon has a diameter of 22 metres, contains 6,000 cubic metres of helium gas and can take 30 passengers in its gondola at a time on a fine day.  

After the enjoyable balloon ride, we went to watch an acrobatic show staged by a team of daring young men.  

Giant Pandas   There are two famous giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia, in their HK$80 million habitat on a higher ground in Lowland. When we were there it was closed to visitors. We were told that it was under renovation.

Later, we went back to Headland by cable-car again to have a last look at the breathtaking scenery. In the evening, we left Ocean Park through Tai Shue Wan Entrance and took a bus, No. 629, to

Central. Arriving at Central, we took another bus, No. 15, to go up the famous Hong Kong peak, Victoria Peak or, simply, The Peak.

The Peak or Victoria Peak   The Peak or Victoria Peak is in the south-western part of Hong Kong Island with a height of 552 metres. It is the highest mountain on the island and forms a backdrop of the island city.

The road to the top is narrow, steep and winding. The side of certain parts of the road is almost over the steep slope of the

mountain. While ascending the Peak, our experienced bus-driver, skillfully, negotiated some difficult bends. He, finally, brought us to the top safely in 40 minutes.

The Peak Tower  When we reached the height of 395 metres above sea-level on The Peak mountain, we were amazed to see the latest landmark of the island, The Peak Tower, with a height of 33 metres. It is built in a unique modern structure that looks like a large rice-bowl or wok.

The seven floor tower houses restaurants, shops and entertainment areas. It provides a rooftop platform for viewing the breathtaking scenery of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour: Hong Kong and Tsim Sha Tsui. The rooftop platform is 428 metres above sea-level.

Peak Galleria  Opposite The Peak Tower is a large shopping complex, Peak Galleria. It has lots of shops selling a wide range of goods and restaurants.

The Peak Tower Rooftop  In the evening, we went up to the rooftop of The Peak Tower by elevators. When we reached there we

were surprised to see a lot of people there. As it was so crowded we could not get to the edge of the rooftop to have a good view of the skyscrapers of the city below. After waiting, patiently, for a few minutes, we got a good spot. Standing there, we were mesmerized by the awesome panoramic view of the colourfully-lit Hong Kong City below and part of Tsim Sha Tsui City in the distance. It is like a fairyland with a sea of colourful lights.

Fireworks on Labour Day  After 8 p.m., fireworks were, suddenly, shot into the air from the city-skyscrapers lighting up the sky, brightly. They were set off, intermittently, to celebrate Labour Day (1 May 2007). The extravaganza lasted for several minutes mesmerizing all of us on The Peak Tower’s observation deck.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong  The Peak Tower has a wax museum known as Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. It houses over 100 stunning life-like wax figures of entertainment, fashion, TV and film celebrities,

historical and national heroes, sports heroes and music icons, like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Anita Mu, Bae Yong Jun, David Beckham and President Hu Jintao. We did not enter the wax museum as we have visited one in London.

The Peak Tram  Visitors can go up or down The Peak by The Peak Tram. It is the world’s steepest funicular railway that brings 120 passengers up the Peak in about 8 minutes each time. It is pulled up along a 1.4 km track by a thick haulage rope. The gradient of the track is between 4 and 27 degrees. When the tram is moving along a steep track, the passengers will think that the nearby buildings are tilting.

The Peak Tram is similar to the one on Penang Hill in my country, Malaysia. It has been in operation since 1888. While riding on the tram, passengers will have panoramic views of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour and the harbour itself. (Ticket: HKD30 one way)

The Peak Descend    At 8.40 p.m. we came out of The Peak Tower and decided to descend the mountain by The Peak Tram. But we were shocked to see a very long queue outside The Peak Tram terminal. As we were not sure how long we had to wait for the tram, we decided to go down The Peak by bus No. 15 again.

While descending The Peak, we felt the bus jolted a few times along the long, narrow and winding mountain road. But the skilful driver brought us safely to the foot of The Peak in 25 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the ascend!

Day 3:  2 May 2007

A Visit to Lantau Island  On the third and last day of our stay in Hong Kong, we decided to go to Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island to see a giant Buddha statue, known as Tian Tan Buddha. It would be a welcome change for us to visit a countryside.

Lantau Island  After breakfast at Mongkok we took an MTR train

to Tung Chung, a small town on Lantau Island. Lantau Island with a small population of 45,000 people is the largest island of Hong Kong. The views of Its pristine terrains of lush green valleys and mountains are spectacular. The island’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, has a height of 934 metres. Half of the island is now protected for its natural beauty and charm.

Skyrail  On arrival at the Tung Chung MTR station, we proceeded to the Skyrail terminus nearby to buy tickets for the cable car ride

to Ngong Ping. Although there was a long queue to the ticketing counters, it was moving fast.

A “Special Day”  After 20 minutes of lining up, I finally came to a ticketing counter. I was shocked when the ticket seller told me that I had to pay HKD10 more for a ticket as that day was a “special day”. But I told him that the price of a ticket should be reduced as it was a “special day”. He then explained that “special day” means ” holiday” when there were many visitors and so the

price of a ticket was increased. Having understood what he meant, I paid for the tickets for the Skyrail ride for my wife and myself .

Skyrail was opened on 18 September 2006. It is a 20-25 minute cable-car ride from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village as the distance is 5.7 km.

A Scenic Journey to Ngong Ping Village  While we were in a Skyrail cable-car moving over Tung Chung Bay towards Hong Kong International Airport, we saw airplanes taking off from the airport one at a time. Then our cable-car turned at an angle at Airport Angle Station and moved away from the airport and over the bay again towards Lantau Island.

As it was gliding high above the island, we had breathtaking views of lush green mountains and valleys of North Lantau Country Park and the South China Sea. Occasionally, we saw nature walking tracks in the protected park.

Soon we saw Ngong Ping Village and a figure, Giant Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha, sitting serenely on top of a hill in the distance. Finally, we arrived at Ngong Ping Village.

 Ngong Ping Village  The village looks new and has been

designed and landscaped to reflect the Chinese ancient culture and spirituality. The houses look like those we saw in Beijing Hutong.

An Amazing Act    Entering the village we were attracted by a small crowd watching a show performed by some Chinese men dressed in red Kung-fu uniforms. They were demonstrating their acrobatic, fighting and other skills on a small stage. One of their acts amazed me. In the act, a man in red stood barefooted on sharp knives without getting hurt in the soles of his bare feet.

“Walking With Buddha” and “Monkey’s Tale”  As we strolled through the crowded small village, we passed shops selling food and drinks, souvenirs, antiques, apparels, etc. There is a Chinese traditional building with red walls and yellow roof featuring a multimedia show, “Walking With Buddha”, that traces the Buddha’s path to enlightenment. Another building nearby shows an animation presentation about a monkey learning the importance of humility and kindness. It is called “Monkey’s Tale”. Having seen the village, we entered a large garden known as Tian Tan Garden.

Tian Tan Garden (‘tian tan’ in Chinese means ‘heaven’)    We left the Ngong Ping Village and entered a

garden adjacent to it. The garden is known as Tian Tan Buddha Garden which was opened on 10 September 1996. In the middle of the garden stands a large bronze Chinese traditional urn with three large colourful joss-sticks planted in the middle. Near the urn is a circular mound altar which is smaller than the one in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. There is a row of stalls further down selling postcards, hats, fruits, ice-cream, drinks, snacks, etc.

Giant Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha  Standing in the middle of the garden, we looked up and saw a huge bronze Buddha statue sitting on a lotus throne atop a hill. Many tourists were walking up the 268 steps to the statue. The statue is known as Giant

Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha which is 34 metres tall. It is the tallest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue in the world. Completed in 1993, it took the engineers 10 years to construct the large figure. It is an engineering feat.

On the way up the steps, we saw a few large bronze sculptures, like an ancient Chinese urn and lamp, in the middle of them. The climb to the top was slightly difficult, as it was long and steep (about 268 steps). But when we reached the top we totally forgot about our tired legs. It was because we were overwhelmed by the hugeness of the statue. Besides, the panoramic views of the Ngong Ping terrains and the bird’s eye view of Tian Tan Garden and a Buddhist monastery, Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, near the garden, were spectacular. Kneeling down at the base of the Giant Buddha

statue are six bronze statues of beautiful ladies each making an offering to Him.  

Po Lin Buddhist Monastery and Wisdom Path   Po Lin Buddhist Monastery was built in 1917. (”Po Lin” in Chinese means “Precious Lotus”). Not far from the monastery is a place where tall wooden pillars carrying sacred texts are planted in a figure of the infinity symbol, symbolizing the immeasurable splendour and infinity. This place is known as “Wisdom Path”.

Return to Tung Chung  After an enlightened tour of Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan Buddha Garden, we walked to the Ngong Ping station and boarded a Skyrail cable-car. Then we were on our way back to Tung Chung.

As we were travelling to Tung Chung by Skyrail, we saw an unusual thing on a high hill. It was a lonely white Chinese graveyard. I wonder whose graveyard that is and why it is high up there.

Before reaching Tung Chung, we saw some fishermen in the waist-deep water of the Bay of Tung Chung searching for shellfish.

Tsing Ma Bridge  On arrival at Tung Chung, we took a bus to Admiralty. On the way, we crossed a long suspension bridge known as Tsing Ma Bridge. It has two decks carrying road and rail traffic and is part of the Lantau Link which links Lantau Island as well as Hong Kong International Airport to the urban areas in Hong Kong. Opened in 1997, Tsing Ma Bridge is the world’s longest road-and-rail suspension bridge (1.4 km long) but the 6th. longest suspension bridge (2.1 km long).

On arrival at Admiralty, we decided to go to Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre    At Hong Kong Convention and Exhibiton Centre, we were surprised to see a multitude of tourists there. The Centre is a large building with the world’s tallest glass wall and a roof that resembles a seagull’s wings in flight. Opened in 1988 and expanded in 1997, the integrated complex houses exhibition halls, theatres, hotels and restaurants.

Golden Bauhinia Square  Located in front of Convention and Exhibition Centre is Golden Bauhinia Square. It was at that square that the historic ceremony at which Britain handed over Hong Kong’s sovereignty to China at midnight on 1 June 1997 was held. Erected in the square is a beautiful gold-coloured monument of a flower known as “Forever Blooming Bauhinia” to commemorate the handover in 1997.

Bauhinia trees are common in Hong Kong and produce large beautiful flowers that have become the emblem of the Hong Kong flag. 

Star Ferry  Having visited Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,

we went to the Wan Chai ferry pier to board a green-and-white ferry, Star Ferry, to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. (Fare : HK$2.20).

The ferry began its operation in 1898. As it was crossing Victoria Harbour, we saw spectacular sceneries of the cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour and a large cruise ship known as Star Cruise Pisces berthed at a terminal. This ship reminds me of her sister

ship in Singapore known as Star Cruise Virgo which brought my wife and I on an enjoyable cruise in the Straits of Malacca on 11 September 2001 (American date).

Clock Tower  When we arrived at Star Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui, we went outside the terminal and saw a tall structure in an open space. It was Clock Tower which was erected in 1915 as part of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus. When the terminus was demolished in 1978 Clock Tower was left untouched . This 44-metre tall tower, built of red bricks, was declared a historical monument in 1990.

As we were strolling along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, we came across a few prominent buildings. Among them were the following:

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

  It is a venue for classic performing arts, Western and Asian.

Hong Kong Museum of Arts  It features Chinese antiquities, paintings and calligraphy, arts works from around the world and many more.

Hong Kong Space Museum  Opened in 1980, it features astronomy exhibits. Besides, its egg-shaped roof houses Stanely Ho Space Theatre where Omnimax and Sky shows are presented. When I was there the museum was advertising three shows, viz. “Small Solar System Bodies”, “Jan Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees” and “Mystic India”.

In the evening, we left Tsim Sha Tsui  for our hostel, Dragon Hostel, in Argyle Road in Mongkok.  At the hostel, Stanley, the kind, helpful and friendly hostel owner, allowed us to use his Internet service for free. We took that opportunity to send e-mails to our loved ones in Malaysia and Singapore.  

Day 4:  3 may 2007  

Departure for Macau  In the following morning, we left Hong Kong with fond memories. We travelled by ferry to Macau to have a day tour there before going back to Malaysia.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this travelogue.

Written by Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia

Hong Kong Travel (Part I)

Hong Kong is a well-known territory in the world. Located in the south-eastern part of China, it consists of Kowloon, the New Territories, Hong Kong Island, Lantau Island and over 260 small islands in the South China Sea. It has a total area of 1,104 sq. km. and a population of about 7 millions: 90 % of them is Chinese. Most of them are live in Kowloon and the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong Island is considered as the most densely-populated island in the world. “Hong Kong” in Chinese means “Fragrant Harbour” as it was once a busy port where fragrant wood products and incense were actively traded. It is separated by a narrow stretch of water known as Victoria Harbour from Kowloon, but it is now connected by three underwater tunnels, viz. Cross-Harbour Crossing, Eastern Harbour Crossing and Western Harbour Crossing.

Historical Facts on Hong Kong:    In 1841, Great Britain seized Hong Kong Island from China. A year

later, China ceded Hong Kong Island to Great Britain under the Treaty of Nanking. In 1860 China ceded Kowloon and Stonecutter to the latter again. In 1898, China granted 99-year lease on New Territories, Lantau Island and other islands to Great Britain. 

In 1997, Great Britain returned Hong Kong to China, after ruling it for over 150 years. Since 1997, Hong Kong has become a China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR), operating under the “one country, two systems” principle. It means that it enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all affairs except foreign and defence for at least 50 years.

A Vibrant City   Hong Kong is a vibrant city and a well-known financial and banking centre in the world. Besides, it is a famous tourists’ destination which offers lots of attractions ranging from historical colonial buildings, places of worship and lush green scenery to restaurants serving delicious and diverse local and

international cuisine, shopping malls, unique modern architectural sky-scrapers and theme parks. For these reasons, my wife and I decided to visit the city in 2007 for three days (from April 30 to May 2, 2007).

Air Asia (Malaysia) often offers cheap airfares to many destinations in Asia. As Hong Kong was not in its list of destinations, we booked the return ticket for a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Macau. Hong Kong is 60 km north-east of Macau.

Hong Kong Itinerary  Below is the itinerary of our memorable three-day tour in Hong Kong. 

    1.     Travel to Hong Kong / Tsim Sha Tsui / Kowloon Park
    2.     Urban Areas of Kowloon / Nathan Road
    3.     Avenue of Stars / A Symphony of Lights
    4.     Joy Guest House /  Dragon Hostel / Victoria Harbour Tunnels
    5.     Central / Chater Garden / Legislative Council Building
    6.     Legislative Council Building / Sir Thomas Statue / A Street Tram
    7.     Ocean Park / Ocean Park Tower / Ocean Theatre
    8.     SkyFair at Ocean Park
    9.     Victoria Peak / Peak Tower / Wax Museum / Peak Tram
   10.    Skyrail / Lantau Island / Ngong Ping Village 
   11.    Tian Tan Garden / Giant Buddha
   12.    Po Lin Buddhist Monastery / Wisdom Path / Tsing Ma Bridge
   13.    Convention and Exhibition Centre / Golden Bauhinia Square 
   14.    Star Ferry / Clock Tower / Museums

Day 1: 30 April 2007

Travel To Hong Kong    On the first day of our journey to Hong Kong, we left our homeland, Malaysia, by an Air Asia plane for Macau. On arrival at Macau, we took a ferry to Hong Kong which is 60 km. away. The

70-minute ferry journey was smooth except for a few minutes of rough ride on the choppy sea near our destination. {We took the budget Air Asia plane to Macau because Hong Kong was not in its list of destinations then.}

Tsim Sha Tsui  At 1.10 p.m., we reached China Ferry Terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. From the terminal, we walked through Harbour City (a megamall of four levels of shops, services and restaurants, and a departmental store), crossed a pedestrian bridge over Canton Road, walked through Kowloon Park and finally to Tsim Sha Shui MTR Station.

Mass Transit Railway (MTR)   Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is an underground system that is quite extensive in Hong Kong. It is a fast, cheap and convenient way to move around in Hong Kong.

On the way to the MTR station, we stopped for a few minutes in a garden on the rooftop of Harbour City to admire the beautiful dolphin sculptures. These animals were named the official mascot of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover from Great Britain to China. There are big trees in the garden and we wonder how they are able to survive on the roof-top.

Kowloon Park   We also stopped in the shady and beautiful Kowloon Park to watch some waterfowls in a pond, like swans, ducks and flamingos. Then we sat in a shady area to rest our tired legs.

Octopus Card   On arrival at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, we bought an

electronic fare card known as Octopus Card. We bought it as it was convenient to pay for public transport as well as bills at restaurants and stores.

Joy Guest House in Sham Shui Po    Then we left Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station by train for Sham Shui Po where we checked in at a small hostel known as Joy Guest House in a high-rise building in Yee Kuk Street. It is run by a young enterprising couple, Buno and Pansy. After resting for an hour, we left the hostel and started our tour in some urban areas in Kowloon.

Urban Areas of Kowloon:    In Kowloon we visited three urban areas,

viz. Sham Shui Po, Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui. After visiting them we found out that they have many things in common. They have, among them, a predominantly Cantonese-speaking population, many old multi-storey residential blocks, street-markets, crowded streets, large signboards with colourful neon lights hanging over the main streets, an MTR station, air-conditioned noodle and chicken rice shops, restaurants, shops and roadside stalls selling the same kinds of products at bargain or wholesale prices, some shopping complexes selling branded goods and heavy traffic in the main streets. These places have frequent influxes of bargain-hunters and food lovers from neighbouring areas and Hong Kong Island.

Among all the urban areas in Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui has the most number of attractions. It has historic buildings, skyscrapers, a variety of museums, a cultural centre, a beautiful garden, large shopping and

entertainment centres, a scenic promenade where tourists will be mesmerized by the spectacular views of the city on Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour.

Nathan Road     There is one important road, Nathan Road, which runs directly from Tsim Sha Tsui in the south to Sham Shui Po in the north. It was originally known as Robinson Road, named after the 5th. Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Hercules Robinson. But in 1909, it was changed to Nathan Road, named after the 13th. Governor, Sir Mathew Nathan, as there was a road on Hong Kong

Island having the same name. Along this long busy road are tall buildings that house shops selling branded goods, restaurants, banks, hotels, etc.

Avenue of Stars    In the evening we went to the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade where there is a well-known

place which pays tribute to famous film stars and the people involved in Hong Kong film-making. It is known as “Avenue of Stars” that is similar to the Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame”. It was opened  in 2004 and features sculptures, plaques with famous film stars’ names (some with the stars’ handprints) and movie history milestone. At the entrance of the place stands a large bronze sculpture of a Hong Kong Film Award.

At this place, there are some kiosks selling film-related items, taking photos of tourists, selling snacks and drinks, making hand models from wax, etc. and are patronized by many tourists.  

A Spectacular Display of Lights:  ”A Symphony of Lights” Extravaganza   

Avenue of Stars is the best spot for looking at the stunning skyline of the Hong Kong City on the other side of Victoria Harbour during the day and night. It is also the best place for watching the city’s “A Symphony of Lights” extravaganza at 8 pm, nightly. This dazzling light and sound presentation of neon lights, laser lights and searchlights on more than 30 skyscrapers on both sides of the Victoria Harbour choreographed to some lively musics mesmerizes the tourists. It is supposed to showcase the vibrancy and charm of Hong Kong as a metropolitan city.

“A Symphony of Lights” earns Hong Kong the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show”.

Tourist Cruise Boats    While we were at Avenue of Stars watching the “A Symphony of Lights”, we saw some

boats chugging along the Victoria Harbour. They were carrying tourists to watch the spectacular show and see the stunning sight of the brightly-lit skyscrapers. After the 20 minute light show we went back to our hostel in Sham Shui Po.

Day 2: Tuesday 1 May  

In the morning of the second day, we checked out from the hostel, Joy Guest House, and walked to a coffee-shop to have our last breakfast in Sham Shui Po. (Most of the food and beverage shops in Hong Kong are air-conditioned.)

Secondhand Goods  As we were walking along Yee Kuk Road, we saw some workers busy loading

secondhand electrical goods, such as refrigerators, TV’s, VCD/DVD players, radios, etc., into a blue container. Out of curiosity, I asked a local man about the activity and he told me that those things were meant for export to third world countries. After a hearty breakfast at a coffee-shop in Sham Sui Po, we left for Mongkok.  

Dragon Hostel in Mongkok    On arrival at Mongkok, we entered another budget hostel, Dragon Hostel, in Argyle Street. As we were too early to check in, we left our luggage with Stanley, the hostel owner, and decided to visit Central on the Hong Kong Island.

Instead of taking a ferry from Kowloon to the island, we took an MTR train from Mongkok to Central. This rail transport is faster as the train goes through a tunnel under the Victoria Harbour water.

Victoria Harbour Tunnels    Hong Kong Island is now linked to Kowloon by three tunnels built under the Victoria Harbour water, viz. Cross-Harbour Tunnel (opened in 1972), Eastern Harbour Crossing and Western Harbour Crossing. These tunnels help to reduce travelling time between the financial and commercial cities on both sides of Victoria Harbour.

Central    Central, Admiralty and part of Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island were the early British settlements

when Hong Kong became a British colony in 1842. They were, originally, known as Queenstown but later Victoria City. Nowadays, the name “Victoria” refers to Victoria Harbour and Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Central has been Hong Kong’s hub of commercial, financial and banking activities since the arrival of the British in 1841.

Central Business District    Located in this central business district (CBD) are many multi-national commercial, financial and banking headquarters, five-star hotels, large shopping complexes and shops

selling branded goods. Besides, it has some historical buildings built in the British colonial era, such as Western Market, Government House, Legislative Council Building, Court of Final Appeal, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Star Ferry Terminal and St. John’s Cathedral.

Skyscrapers  Standing in Central, we felt so small in size as we were surrounded by skyscrapers, like

Cheung Kong Center(62 floors), Island Shangrila(57 floors), Bank of China

Tower(70 floors), Standard Chartered Bank Building(45 floors), HSBC Main Building(52 floors), AIG Tower(40 floors), Jardine House(52 floors), Exchange Square(52 floors), Two IFC(88 floors, the tallest building in Central), and many more.

Bank of China Tower    Among the skyscrapers in Hong Kong, I find Bank of China Tower the most unusual one. This unique building is easily recognizable in the distance. Built in 1990, it has geometrical lines which are supposed to resemble a bamboo plant symbolizing revitalization and hope. It was designed by a well-known Chinese American architect, Ieoh Ming Pei, who is an MIT and Harvard graduate in architecture. He was born in Canton,

China in 1917. Louvre Pyramid in Paris (1989), Raffles City in Singapore (1985), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and Museum of Islamic Arts in Doha, Qatar are some of his designs.

Chater Garden    While walking to a public garden, Chater Garden, we heard a lot of noise. At first, we thought birds were making the noise there. But when we reached the place we were surprised to see many groups of foreign maids having picnic and chattering away. Then I jokingly told my wife that the name of the garden should be changed to “Chatter Garden”.

Foreign Maids in Chater Garden  A lot of foreign maids were at the garden because it was a public holiday, Labour Day (1 May 2007). I guess they meet each other on weekends too and Chater Garden is one of their favourite rendezvous. At present there are about 250,000 foreign maids in Hong Kong and most of them are from poor countries, like the Philippines and Indonesia.

Chater Garden is named after an influential Hong Kong businessman, Sir Catchick Paul Chater (1846-1926). It is a medium-sized garden with many shady trees and a pool of water located right in front of Legislative Council Building.

Legislative Council Building  Standing in Chater Garden, I saw a majestic, quaint building. It was built in 1912 in neo-classical style with columns and arches along Jackson Road. Originally, it housed the Supreme Court. But in 1985, it was taken over by the Legislative Council which still occupies the building.

On top of the front roof of the building is the Statue of Justice, a

blind-folded lady, Themis, (the Greek Goddess), carrying a sword in one hand and scales in the other. Strangely, this statue has one thing that is different from the Statue of Justice on top of the Old Bailey in London. The latter is not blind-folded.

Statue of Sir Thomas Jackson (1841-1915)  It is not easy to find a bronze statue of an important person in Hong Kong. But in Chater Garden, I found one. It was the statue of Sir Thomas Jackson (1841-1915) in front of HSBC Building. HSBC erected it there in honour of his excellent service when he was its Chief Manager from 1870 to 1902.

Court of Final Appeal Building  Not far from the Chater Garden is the Court of Final Appeal Building. It was built in neo-classical style in 1917 by the

French Mission. In 1953 it was sold to the Government which successively used it as the Education Department, the Victoria District Court, the Supreme Court and the Information Centre. Now it houses the Court of Final Appeal.

A Street Tram  In the afternoon, we left Central and walked to a bus station near Lippo Tower in Admiralty. We intended to visit Ocean Park in the southern part of Hong Kong Island.

On the way to the bus station, we saw an unusual double-decker vehicle moving noisily but slowly on a railway with a cable attached

to its top. It is a street tram that runs along a 13 km railway line on North Hong Kong Island. Since 1904, this classic icon of Hong Kong has been providing an old fashion-style travel experience in the hustling and bustling city. For a ride on a tram, you need to pay a small sum, HKD2.

At the Admiralty bus station, we boarded Citybus no. 629 and soon we were on our way to Ocean Park in the southern part of Hong Kong Island

{To continue reading this travelogue, please go to Hong Kong Travel (Part II)}

Australia Travel (Part II)

{continued from Australia (Part I)}

Day 4: Monday 15 Nov 2004S   Sydney City Tour 1

At 10 am we left Melbourne and travelled to Sydney by plane. When we arrived there, a coach immediately

brought us to the city for a sight-seeing tour. 

Sydney City  Sydney is the largest city in Australia. It is a vibrant metropolitan city of 4 million people of diverse races and cultures. It spreads over a vast coastal basin with many harbours, e.g. Sydney Harbour and Darling Harbour.

Sydney Tower  The tallest structure in the city is Sydney Tower which is in Market Street. It is a famous landmark on the Sydney city skyline. Tourists can go up to 250 m above the street level

and view a breathtaking scenery of the city and its harbours. 
Sydney Skyline Sydney Chinatown
First, we went to Chinatown where there are many Chinese restaurants and shops which are traditionally run.

Royal Gardens  After that, we went to the Royal Gardens which is located on the eastern edge of Sydney CBD. It is a place of natural beauty. People go there for peace and relaxation, and to learn about plants and horticulture. Surrounding the gardens is an open parkland of the Domain which is a place for sport, entertainment and recreation.

A large tree of diameter 80 feet can be seen in the Royal Gardens. (See photo on the right)

Darling Harbour   Then we walked about at Darling Harbour, The Rocks, and the outside area of Sydney Opera House.

Darling Harbour is a wonderful place for visitors to spend their time to relax, shop, wine, dine, watch a show and do other activities.

It is a leisure and entertainment precinct in the city. It has 120 specialty shops, 30 waterfront food outlets, National Maritime and Powerhouse Museum where you learn about Australian history and culture, Chinese Garden of Friendship

which is a green and peaceful sanctuary, Sydney Aquarium which keeps more than 11,000 Australian aquatic animals, Imax Theatre where you can catch a movie on a giant screen and Star City Casino where you can try your luck.

The Rocks  At The Rocks, we admired some well-preserved quaint buildings. We could see at close range Australia’s largest steel bridge, Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is one of man’s greatest engineering works.  

While we were at the Sydney Harbour waterfront, we came across two famous Australian iconic attractions, viz. Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Harbour Bridge  Spanning across the Sydney Harbour is a massive steel and single-arch bridge which has a total length of 1149 metres. Opened on 19 March 1932, the bridge carries motor vehicles as well as trains. It links the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and the North Shore.

It ofers a tourists’ popular activity i.e. “The Bridge Climb”. You must have courage and tough legs to walk up

the catwalks, ladders and arches that lead to the top of the bridge which is 194 metres above sea-level. Once on top, you will be able to have a 360 degree panoramic and stunning views of the city and the harbour.

Sydney Opera House  Sydney Opera House has a unique and spectacular shape. From afar it looks like a ship with white sails. Opened in 1973, it is located at Bennelong Point. It is about 185 metres long and 120 metres wide. The highest roof vault is 67 metres above sea level. Inside, there are 5 main auditoria, a reception hall, 5 rehearsal studios, 4 restaurants, a library, 60 dressing rooms and suites, and many more. A guided tour is available here.

The Opera House offers a wide variety of exciting entertainments ranging from theatre, musicals and opera to films.

Sydney Harbour Boat Cruise  After a walk around Sydney Opera House, we went to board a cruise boat

which took us round the beautiful Sydney harbour. As it was cruising, we saw the magnificent views of the city skyscrapers, Sydney Opera House, and Sydney Harbour Bridge. We even went under the huge bridge and were awe-stricken by its complicated massive structure of steel. 
Enjoying a boat cruise in Sydney Harbour
At that time, the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius and it was of course scorching hot on the open deck of the boat. But the cruise was an enjoyable and memorable one. No visit to Sydney city is complete without a Sydney Harbour cruise.

Star City Restaurant  In the evening we had a buffet dinner of over 100 kinds of food at Star City Restaurant. I tried many of them. Our tour guide had prawns only for her dinner and later she fell sick.

Star City Casino  After the dinner, we entered a heavily guarded casino, Star City, which was just opposite the restaurant in the same building. I could only watch people gambling as I had said earlier I was travelling

on a shoe-string budget. The casino offers all forms of gambling, like Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Mini Baccarat, Sic Bo, Big Wheel, Caribbean Stud Poker, Pai Gow and Pontoon.

Day 5 :Tuesday 16 Nov 2004   Koala Park Sanctuary (Sydney)

Wombat & Koalas   After breakfast, we travelled to Koala Park Sanctuary which is along Castle Hill Road, Sydney.  At the sanctuary, my wife and I first took a photo with a ranger

carrying a big, sleepy 14 year-old wombat. Then we took another photo with a young koala at another place nearby.

Kangaroos   When we entered a fenced-up area, we saw some tourists feeding kangaroos. They were quite tame as they did not mind tourists getting close to them. There was a big and beautiful peacock in the area. It often spread its long colourful and shiny feathered tail to show off its beauty.

Sheep Shearing   Later we walked to a place where a fat, dirty-looking

man with a cowboy hat showed us how a sheep was sheared. After shearing half-way, he asked a tourist to continue shearing the sheep for him. As the novice could not hold the sheep properly, the whole audience had a good laugh.

Boomerang Throwing & Sheep Dog   After the shearing demonstration, the man went to an open space and showed us his boomerang throwing skill. Then he commanded his intelligent black and white dog to show us how it rounded up a few sheep in the fenced up area. In another fenced-up area we were fortunate to see some big emus co-existing with the sheep. 

                                                                                
Day 5: Tuesday 16 Nov 2004   Travel to Blue Mountains National Parks 

We left Sydney city in the morning and travelled westwards to the well-known Blue Mountains National Park.

It is a World Heritage Region. On the way, we stopped at Katoomba to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Canton Palace Restaurant. After lunch, we continued our journey.

 Scenic World  Soon we reached a tourist spot known as Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. Then we took a ride on the Scenic Railway which is the steepest in the world. It goes down 200m to Jamison Valley. In the valley, we strolled through lush fern filled rainforest and came across an old coal mine area where there was a

statue of a coal-miner and his horse-drawn cart. We also saw some rusty buckets lying on a slope. They were once used for carrying coal across the valley. One day they fell onto the slope because the cable holding them snapped.

To go up a hill, we boarded Scenisender which is a big carriage carrying about 70 people at a time. It has transparent walls and roof so that the passengers can see the breathtaking panoramic views of the blue mountains, valleys and waterfalls.

Echo Point and The Three Sisters  Later we went to a vantage point, Echo Point, to look at a unique rock formation which looks like three human figures. According to the

aborigines’ legend, there were three sisters who were turned into rocks by their father as he was running away from a powerful evil spirit. Later, he could not change them back to human beings as he had lost his magic wand. So the three figures is now known as “The Three Sisters”.

The views from Echo Point are spectacular. You can see rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs and deep valleys. The whole region, covered with rich green flora, is engulfed in a blue haze caused by the oil from the Eucalyptus trees.

Sydney Olympic Stadium  Travelling back to Sydney, we stopped at Australia’s largest stadium. It was in this stadium that

the Olympics was held in year 2000. We were fascinated by many pillars erected outside the stadium. These pillars carry hundreds of Olympic gold-medalists’ names inscribed on them. I tried to look for some Malaysians’ names on them but, unfortunately, I did not find any.

Looking at the huge stadium outside, I started to imagine that I heard thousands of spectators cheering at the athletes who were running on the track inside. Having finished the race first, the winner jumped up for joy and happily threw kisses to the cheering crowds. Before I could go on imagining, we were asked to return to the coach to continue our journey back to Sydney City. 

Day 6 : Wednesday 17 Nov 2004   Queen Victoria Building (Sydney) 

Queen Victoria Building  After breakfast in Sydney, my wife, son, my wife’s Australian friend and I walked

to a well-known shopping quaint building, Queen Victoria Building, in George Street. It has 5 levels of shops which offer branded fashionable clothes, food, arts, jewellery, antiques, gifts and souvenirs. In the middle of the building stood a very tall Christmas tree which was beautifully decorated. It reminded the locals of the Christmas shopping season. There is a large clock tower in the building with 4 paintings and figurines depicting the life of the Australian aborigines before the white settlement, the Captain Cook’s landing in Australia in 1770, the second fleet landing in

1790 and the taking of the children of the aborigines.

Sitting on a throne on a tall white pedestal outside the building is a bronze statue of Queen Victoria of England.

 
Paddy’s Market  Later, we walked to the Sydney’s largest and famous market, Paddy’s, in Hay Street. It has lots of shops

selling all kinds of merchandise ranging from souvenirs and apparels to vegetables, fruits and seafood. It was fun to browse in the market. But we did buy something there.

City Monorail Ride  After visiting the busy market, we took a monorail which brought us round for an interesting sightseeing tour of the Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District).

In the evening, we took an early dinner and left for the Sydney airport to catch a flight home. At 11 pm (Sydney local time), our plane took off and we were on our way home (Malaysia).
Day 7 : Thursday 18 Nov 2004   Journey Back To Malaysia

On the way home, I started to recollect the beautiful and interesting places I had visited, the friendly people I had met, native animals in sanctuaries I had watched, historic buildings I had seen, spectacular landscapes of the Blue Mountains, different city skylines, and many more that I had admired in Australia. Furthermore, I remembered the Australian foods and wine I had tasted, the air at different places I had smelt, the boat cruise I had enjoyed, and many other unforgettable experiences.

A Long Flight Risk   As it was a long journey home, I got up and walked up and down the aisle in the plane several times. That was to avoid the risk of developing dangerous blood clots in my legs. These blood clots may cause death if they block lungs, brains, or other vital organs.

Well, that is a diary of our Australia travel. Thank you for reading it and hope you have enjoyed it.

Written by:

Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor

Australia Travel (Part I)

Australia Travel 

 

After enjoying a tour of six countries in Europe in June 2004, my wife and I were bitten by the travelling bug again. This time we decided to travel to two Australian cities, Melbourne and Sydney, for another exciting sightseeing tour. For this travel, we got our two sons to come along with us to enjoy the travelling experience together.

Below is the itinerary of our Australia travel:

          Day 1   Air Travel to Australia
          Day 2   Melbourne Aquarium  
                      Melbourne City Tour 1  
                      Melbourne City Tour 2
          Day 3   Mornington Peninsula 
                      Phillip Island
          Day 4   Sydney City Tour 1 
                      Sydney City Tour 2
          Day 5  Sydney Koala Park Sanctuary 
                     Blue Mountains
          Day 6 Queen Victoria Building
          Day 7  Journey Home (Malaysia) 

                                                                        (by Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia)

Day 1:  Friday 12 Nov 2004   Air Travel To Australia  

On 12 Nov 2004, we joined a group of 20 Malaysian tourists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). In the evening we boarded an airplane, Boeing 737.

Boeing 747 of Qantas  Soon we were flying in the air and not long we landed at Changi International Airport in Singapore where we boarded another airplane, Boeing 747. When I entered the airplane, I was amazed to see the plane bigger than the earlier one we had taken. It was wider. Besides, it had many rows of seats and a staircase leading to another floor. Out of curiosity, I explored the plane inside and quietly told myself that airplane builders were fantastic. Besides its own weight, the plane could carry more than 300 passengers!

Soon, in the evening, we were flying again and continued our long journey to Australia.

Day 2:  Saturday 13 Nov 2004       Melbourne Aquarium  

After travelling in the air for 8 hours, we finally arrived at Melbourne airport in the morning. Then we were whisked away by a coach to the Melbourne Aquarium located on the corner off Queensland Road and King Street, and near Yarra River. The river at that moment was swollen as it had rained heavily in the interior.

The aquarium shows more than 10,000 marine creatures ranging from tiny jelly fish to huge sting-rays and white sharks. Besides, it carries out a shark conservation project.

When we came out of the aquarium, we were fascinated by a small, yellow car which was completely filled with water and tiny, colourful fish were seen swimming inside. Then we headed to the city for a sightseeing tour.

Melbourne is the 2nd. largest city in Australia. It has a population of 3.4 million who are mostly Europeans.

Among the interesting places we visited were as follows:

Parliament House of Victoria in Spring Street. It was built in 1856 and became the seat of Federal Parliament until 1927 when Canberra became the official capital of Australia. Then it was taken over by the Victoria State Parliament. 
Windsor Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Melbourne. It is a

grand old hotel of four storeys and built in Victorian architectural style.
Adam Lindsay Gordon In the city, there is a beautiful fountain which was built by a convict. In front of the fountain is a statue of a famous Australian poet, Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833-1870). Famous lines in one of his poems are:

              ”Question not, but live and labour

               Till yon goal be won,

               Helping every feeble neighbour,

               Life is mostly froth and bubble,

               Two things stand like stone,
               KINDNESS in another’s trouble,
               COURAGE in your own.”
 
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is located in Cnr. Grisborne Street. It was officially opened in 1858 and  is regarded as the finest ecclesiastical building in Australia. It is built in Gothic architectural style and its

main spire is 105 metres high. It is large with a seating capacity of 1,800 - 2,000.
Fitzroy Garden is near St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It is a magnificent garden which has both big native trees like Bunya Bunya Pine, Flame Tree, Spotted Gum, Moreton Bay Fig, and exotic trees like Cape Chestnut, Tulip Tree, Linden, English Elm and Maidenhair Tree. Attractive statues can be seen in the  garden, such as Boy on the Turtle, Boy and Pelican, Diana and the Hounds, Mermaid and Fish, and Statue of Meditation. Besides, there is a beautiful beige-coloured building built in the Spanish mission architectural style,

the Conservatory. It is a tourist favourite attraction as it has a spectacular myriad of floral displays, e.g. colourful flowers of schizanthus, calceolaria hydrangea, fuchsia, tuberous begonia and gloxinia.
Captain Cook’s Cottage is in Fitzroy Garden. It is a small two-storey building made of sandstone and bricks surrounded by a garden of 18th. Century character. Originally, the cottage was built in Yorkshire, England and in 1755 Captain James Cook’s father bought it. Captain Cook had stayed in it during his boyhood days. In 1933, a prominent Melbournian, Russel Grumwide, bought it as a gift to the people of Victoria. It was dismantled in England and transported to Fitzroy Garden in Melbourne where it was reassembled in 1934.
Sinclair’s Cottage is a small, old brick-house in Fitzroy Garden. It was built in 1864 and is on the main walkway. James Sinclair who was a well-known plant artist had lived in the cottage. He had worked for the

Queen Victoria Market is located in Elizabeth Street. It was opened in 1878 and covers an area of 5.5

hectares. It houses hundreds of stalls which offer goods ranging from souvenirs and clothes to carpets and watches. Besides, fruits, flowers and seafoods are also sold here. Browsing the stalls is a pleasurable and unforgettable experience.
Town Hall is in Swanston Street. It was built in 1870 and its tall tower holds a big clock which is still working. Decisions concerning the city’s development are made here. It is also an important hub for the city’s cultural and civic activities. In addition, it plays host to theatrical performances, weddings, receptions and exhibitions.

 
Southgate Plaza   After the city tour, we checked in at a hotel. In the evening, we went to Southgate Plaza

along River Yarra which is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. It has a casino (Crown Casino), fine restaurants, bars, shopping cehtres and many more.

We entered the casino to watch some tourists and locals trying their luck in all kinds of gambling, from one-armed bandits to black-Jack. But I did not play any, as I was travelling on a shoe-string budget.

When we came out of the casino, we were shocked to hear a loud explosion followed by a large burst of flame lighting up the

surrounding. Then more explosions followed. At first we thought terrorism had struck Australia but later, we realized that they were meant to attract tourists and locals to the area.
Day 3 : Sunday 14 Nov 2004    Mornington Peninsula 

In the morning, we travelled to Mornington Peninsula. This picturesque peninsula is often known as “Melbourne’s Playground”. As we were travelling on the peninsula, we saw rolling hills, bushlands, orchards and farms. We could even see beaches in the distance. It was no doubt a good place for recreation and relaxation for city-dwellers who want to be away for a while from the hustle and bustle of their city.

Nedlands   Our first stop on the peninsula was Nedlands. It sits high atop a hill in Tuerong overlooking

Moorooduc Valley. The scenery there was spectacular.

Lavender Farms   We visited one of the lavender farms in Nedlands. On arrival at a farm, my wife and I were surprised to meet an old couple who were once our neighbours Malaysia. “It’s a small world,” we told each other. They were also touring Melbourne and Sydney.

Welcoming us to the farm was a friendly middle-aged lady. She brought us to her farm nearby and proudly showed us her neat rows

of lavender plants with beautiful purple flowers. She told us about the plants and the uses of aromatic oil extracted from the flowers. Then she brought us to her small, simple laboratory where she showed us how fragrant lavender oil was obtained by distillation using a simple machine she created. Thanking the lady, we went to a small seaside town, Rhye, where we had lunch. After lunch, we went to visit the Australia’s largest strawberry producer, Sunny Ridge. At the farm, we were glad to be informed that we had come at the right time for the fruits.

 
Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm

After paying a small sum of money to a farm cashier each of us was given a small empty box. We were told to go to the farm nearby, pluck the fresh fruits ourselves and fill up the boxes with them. We were quite excited as it was a new experience for us.

As the farm ground was damp, we put on plastic bags provided by the owner to protect our shoes. Walking carefully between neat rows of strawberry plants we searched for large, red, juicy fruits. As we picked them, we put them in our little boxes. When our  

boxes were full we continued picking them and ate them. They were fresh and juicy. Later, I was worried that I might get stomach-ache as I have eaten them without washing them. Fortunately, nothing happened to my tummy.

A Winery  After a visit to the Sunny Ridge strawberry farm we continued our travel to Phillip Island. On the way, we stopped at a winery where we were invited to taste different kinds of wine by the generous winemaker. After tasting the wine, some of us bought a few bottles from her. Outside the winery, we saw neat rows of grape

plants which at that time had bunches of bean-sized green fruits.

Rhyll Swamp Bird Sanctuary  To go to Phillip Island, we had to cross a long bridge from San Remo. Arriving on the island, the first place we visited was Rhyll Swamp Bird Sanctuary. At the sanctuary, we saw native birds in aviaries and others in the trees, e.g. kookaburras, parrots and eagles.

Koala Conservation Centre  Next to the bird sanctuary was a koala conservation centre. It has a natural

habitat for koalas. To look for the koalas in the trees, we had to walk on raised wooden platforms. It was not difficult to find them. When we found them, we were excited and took some photos of them. Then we left Phillip Island and stopped at a Chinese restaurant at San Remo for dinner. On arrival, we were surprised to see it fully packed with tourists who were mostly Asians. So we waited patiently for an hour before we could enter and have our dinner.

The Penguin Parade  After dinner, we went back to Phillip Island. When we arrived at Summerland Beach it was getting dark and cold

wind was blowing from the sea. The we were awe-struck to see hundreds and thousands of the world’s smallest penguins returning home from fishing in the seas of Bass Strait. They were marching up the beach in groups to their nesting places in the sand dunes. The sight of the penguin parade was spectacular. If they could not find their homes they would try to enter other penguins’ burrows but usually they were chased out noisily by the owners.

I was quite amused by these cute, little creatures which were as big as a duck walking upright like a gentleman in a black and white tuxedos. They would stop walking occasionally to catch their breath before continuing their long walk home.

After watching the amazing penguin parade, we travelled back to our hotel in Melbourne. It took us several hours to reach the city as it is 120 km from Phillip Island.

This travelogue continues in Australia (Part II)

Europe Travel (Part II)

Paris   Paris is a vibrant metropolitan city with a large population of 11.5 million. It is the largest city in

Europe. Also known as the “City of Lights”, it is rich in history and heritage. Its beautiful, ancient, unique architectural and historical buildings, museums, monuments, cathedrals and other attractions make it one of the world’s major tourist destinations.

When we arrived at Paris, we stopped at a large shopping complex, Lafayette, in Boulevard Haussmann. It offered a wide range of goods, but they were a little bit pricey for us. Later, in the evening, we checked in at Comfort Hotel in rue Regnault.

In the morning, we were ready to tour and enjoy the sights and sounds of the splendid city.

Below are some of the interesting places we visited in Paris:

Eiffel Tower    This beautiful France’s icon, Eiffel Tower, is the most prominent and famous landmark in the city. Built in 1887 and completed in 1889 for the 1889 Paris Exposition, this massive pyramidal-shaped steel structure is 318 m high (including the pole atop the tower). It has three levels: the 1st. level is 57.6m high, the 2nd. 116 m and the 3rd. 276 m.

We went up by an elevator to the 1st. level and walked round the viewing deck. From that level, we could

 see the spectacular and breathtaking panoramic view of the city.

The Arc de Triumph    This large, massive arch was built on a big roundabout by Napoleon Bonaparte to celebrate his victories in other countries. It is adorned with statuettes and tourists can go up to its top to see the whole view of the city. There are 12 busy avenues converging on the roundabout which is known as Place du General de Gaulle.

Place de la Concorde    In the vicinity of The Arc de Triumph and along the Seine River is the city’s largest square, Place de la Concorde. At each corner of this octagonal square is a big stone-structure with statues representing one of the eight large French cities: Lille, Strasbourgh, Lyon, Marseille,

Bordeaux, Nantes, Brest and Rouen. Standing in the centre of the square is a four-sided stone shaft tapering to a pyramidal point known as Obelisk of Luxor (22.8 m high). It was presented to Louis Phillipe by the Viceroy of Egypt in 1829. This place is a grim reminder to the Parisians of the turbulent French Revolution days(1789-1799). A French king, King Louis XVI, his Austrian wife, Marie Antoinette, and thousands of other important people were guillotined here.

Le Loufvre   This is the richest museum in the world as it houses expensive paintings like “Mona Lisa” and sculptures like “Venus de Milo”.

Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris    This grand building of Gothic architectural style was built in the 12th.

century. The facade of the cathedral has three portals laden with statuettes. Above them is a gallery of kings. A large rose-shaped window depicting Virgin Mary is right above the gallery of the kings. It almost resembles the one we saw in Reims.

The cathedral houses some statues like Virgin Mary holding Christ’s dead body on her lap, Joan of Arc, the first bishop, angels, saints, the 12 apostles and King Louis XIII

Besides, beautiful and colourful stained glass windows depicting Virgin Mary, saints and the 12 apostles, and Le Bruns’ religious

paintings hanging on a wall can be seen inside.

Seine River Boat Cruise    After the city tour, we went for an hour’s boat cruise on the Seine River which is a busy commercial waterway. As the boat was moving along the river, a pretty, young and smartly-dressed French lady gave us a running commentary on the monuments, historic buildings, bridges and museums as we passed them.

Norelle Eve Cabaret Show  In the evening, we went for a cabaret show at a small theatre, Norelle Eve. It was a decent show for adults. Nearby, there is another theatre, Moulin Rouge, which also offers cabaret shows but it charges more.  

Day 8: Saturday 26 June 2004   Brussels, Belgium 

Brussels    After breakfast in Paris, we headed north for Brussels, the capital of Belgium and also the capital of the European Union (EU). Belgium is a small country with a population of 10 million.

Grand Place    On arrival, we visited the well-known central market square, Grand Place. Surrounding this beautiful square are well-preserved quaint, ornate Baroque Gothic guild houses dating from the 17th. century. It is surprising to see all these buildings having the same architectural style. The largest building is the City Hall.  In the Middle Ages, these houses were given names instead of numbers. Take for example, The House of the Dukes of Brabant which consists of 7 houses each with a different name : The Fame,

The Hermit, The Fortune, The Windmill, The Tin Pot, The Hill and The Beurs. In the past, Grand Place was a place for political meetings, execution and receiving VIP”s like emperors, kings and dukes.

Statue of Everard T’Serclaes     At the Grand Place, there is a bronze statue of Everard T’Serclaes underneath the arcades of Maison de l’Etoile. T’Serclaes was considered a Brussels’ hero in the 14th. century. He was involved in a territorial dispute with the Lord of Gaasbeek. Later, he was ambushed by Gaasbeek’s attackers and died at Maison de l’Etoile. Our tour guide told us that if a person stroked the left leg of the statue, it would bring him/her good luck. No

wonder the left bronze leg was so smooth and shiny then!

Manniken Pis / Jenniken Pis    At the corner of Stoofstraat and Rue de L’Euve near the Grand Place is Brussels’ famous icon: Manniken Pis. This black statue of a little, naked boy standing and peeing into a fountain unashamedly has been there since 1619. Surprisingly, there is a black statue of a little girl peeing into a basin at another place near the square. It is known as Jenniken Pis. But less tourists took notice of it.

The Atomium   Later, we travelled north to Netherlands or Holland. On the way, we stopped at Boulevard du Centenaire to

admire a gigantic modern structure known as the Atomium. Built in 1958 for the 1958 World Fair, it features a huge iron molecule to honour the metal industry and as a symbol of atomic power.

The Atomium is 102 m high and has 9 spheres representing atoms. Each sphere is 18 m in diameter. They are inter-connected by escalators. In the upper sphere, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Heysel area and have a meal at a restaurant. Expositions are held in the other spheres. Unfortunately, at that time, we were not able to enter the spheres as they were closed for repair.

Netherlands     We left the Atomium and continued our journey to Netherlands.  Dubbed the Land of Windmills, Tulips, Wooden Clogs and Cheese, Netherlans is small and flat . She has a  population of 16.2

million. Three quarters of her land is reclaimed from the sea and a large part of the country is below sea-level.

Volundam    Our first stop in Netherlands was a small fishing village, Volundam. On arrival, we thought we were welcomed by the colourful bunting and European flags fluttering in the wind. But later we learned that the whole country was in the 2004 UEFA Cup

(European Cup) fever as the Dutch team was playing in the well-known soccer game presently held in Portugal. The national team would take on Portugal in the semi-final match on 30 June 2004.

(When we were in London later, we heard that Netherlands lost to

Portugal, 1-2. Then on 4 July 2004 the latter was beaten by Greece, 0-1, in the final. So Greece took the 2004 European Championship title.)

Located in the north-west of Amsterdam, Volundam is a peaceful and pleasant place to visit. One can sit on a bench on the sea-side, watch boats sailing at the sea and enjoy the cool and fresh breeze blowing in from

the sea. Besides, one can browse leisurely at small double-storey wooden buildings which sell food, beverages, souvenirs, colourful wooden clogs, apparel and other goods.

After spending more than an hour at the village, we left for

Amsterdam. On the way to the city, we stopped for a while at a place to see a large, old windmill which is Netherlands’ icon. Then we headed for a famous cheese and wooden clog making factory.

A Cheese and Wooden Clog Factory    Arriving at the factory, we were warmly welcomed by a factory guide. He showed us round the factory and explained the traditional method of wooden clog and cheese making. After that interesting tour, we continued our journey to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam   Amsterdam is the capital of Netherlands with a

population of about 780,000. It is dubbed the “Venice of the North” as it has about 100 canals criss-crossing each other.

Dam Square    The first place we visited in the city was a beautiful square known as Dam Square. It was once a busy market-place.

The large majestic building in the square is the Royal Palace. It was built as the City Hall and was later used by King Louis Bonarparte as his official residence in the 19th. century. This building is now used by Queen Beatrix to receive important dignitaries.

Standing 22 m tall in the square is a national monument which is in the shape of an obelisk. It was erected in 1956 to commemorate the liberation of the city from the German occupation and also to honour the Dutch heroes who fought and died for the nation during World War II.

Red Light District    After a visit to the square, we had dinner and then checked in at Ibis Hotel. In the evening, our tour guide brought us to the city’s famous sleazy Red Light District. When we arrived there, our tour guide warned us not to take photographs of the ladies, otherwise, our cameras might be snatched away and thrown into the watery grave in the canal. Fearing that some of our tour members might think of patronizing the ladies, our guide walked past the bars and brothels, quickly. As we were afraid of losing sight of her in that dimly-lit area, we followed behind her closely. That was indeed a lightning tour and we did not get to see much of the place. We went back to our hotel and gladly retired to our rooms after a long and exhausting day of sightseeing.

Day 9 : Sunday 27 June 2004  Amsterdam Canal Boat Cruise

In the morning, while waiting for a canal cruise boat, I noticed many bicycles were chained to lamp-posts and railings and some city-dwellers were cycling. As Amsterdam is on a flat land bicycles are a popular means of transport.

Soon, we were all inside a long, low and broad boat. It had a glass-roof so that we could have a wider view outside. As the boat was moving along the canal, we saw house-boats and narrow, old gabled houses with large windows lining both sides of the canal. These old houses are narrow because during the 17th. and 18th. centuries, house-owners were taxed more if their houses were wider. The windows are large so that it is easy to move furniture in or out of the buildings. We saw the world’s narrowest house on Singel 7a. It is only 101 cm wide!

Gassan Diamond Factory   The boat also took us round the Amsterdam harbour. After enjoying the 90-minute boat cruise, we stopped at a famous diamond cutting and polishing factory known as Gassan Diamond Factory. A guide led us to watch workers skilfully cutting and polishing diamonds. After that we were ushered into a room where we could buy diamond jewellery at discounted prices.

Famous Diamonds    Amsterdam boasts of 24 diamond cutting and polishing factories. Many famous diamonds were cut and polished here, e.g. “Koh-I-Noor”, the world’s largest diamond, “Cullinan”, which weighs 3,106 carats and the world’s smallest 0.00012 carat.

Eurostar Travel     in the afternoon, we left Amsterdam and headed straight back to Brussels to catch the ultra-modern train to London, Eurostar. It is a high-speed train from Brussels to London via the Channe

Tunnel. The tunnel is under a stretch of water, the English Channel, between France and England. The whole journey takes 2 hrs. 20 mins. Eurostar has been in operation since 1994.

Lille Railway Station Incident    When we arrived at the Brussels Railway Station, we boarded a Eurostar train for London. At exactly 6 p.m., the train started to move out of the station. When it stopped at Lille Railway Station, an announcement came over the air requesting all the passengers to leave the coaches with their luggage. No reason was given but the first thing I could think of was a terrorist’s bomb which must have been planted in one of the coaches. As we were walking away from our coaches to the station, another announcement was made telling us to go back to our respective coaches. Obediently, we turned back and returned to our coaches.

When the train moved again, an announcement came apologizing for the inconvenience and explaining that an illegal immigrant had been seen boarding the train and was caught. It was a great relief to all of us as it was not a serious matter. The fear of terrorism then was still real in everybody’s mind after the 911 New York tragedy on September 11, 2001.

The Channel Tunnel    Soon, the Eurostar entered the Channel Tunnel and took 20 minutes to go through

it whereas a ferry would take over an hour to cross the English Channel. The tunnel is 50 km long and 40 km of it is under the sea-bed. Its average depth is about 46 metres.

Arrival at London    On arrival at 8.25 p.m. at Waterloo Railway Station in London, we took a bus to Chinatown to have dinner. After the meal, we checked in at Holiday Inn at Docklands.

Day 10 : Monday 28 June 04   London (England) 

London is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with a population of 7 million. It offers countless historical and modern attractions which require several days to visit all. As we had only one day in London, we could visit a few of them.

At 9 a.m., we boarded a coach. The driver told us he would try to bring us to as many popular tourist spots in London as he could..

Below were some of the places we visited on our last day in London:

Buckingham Palace    It was built as a residence for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703. Now Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are living there on their working days. Guarding the palace outside are foot guards in their red uniform and tall, furry, black hats. The changing of the guards at the palace takes place at 12 noon daily in summer and every other day in

winter. Lady luck was on our side as we arrived in time to watch the grand and unique ceremony.

The Palace of Westminister / The House of Parliament   The English Monarchs lived at this large majestic neo-gothic Italian styled palace until the 16th. Century. Now the House of Lords and the House of Commons conduct their sittings here. It has 1000 rooms including the Chambers of the House of Lords and the House of Chambers.

It has several towers. One of them, the tallest (96.3 metres high), has a clock on each face and houses five bells known as the Big Ben.

The London Eye   From a distance we sighted the world’s largest observatory wheel which is 135 m tall. It is now London’s latest landmark, the London Eye. Located in London’s Jubilee Gardens on the South Bank of River Thames, it was opened to public in March 2000. The wheel turns

slowly and takes 30 minutes to make a complete circle. It carries people in glass-capsules to the top to enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the beautiful city.

Tower of London    It is a well-preserved building and looks like a castle. Over the last 900 years, it has been a fortress, prison, palace, royal mint and zoo. In 1536, King Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleya, was executed there for committing adultery. The tower is now a home to the Crown Jewels and the Yeoman warders (Beefeaters) who are traditional guards.

Tower Bridge    This bridge was built over River Thames and

opened in 1894. The two halves of it can be raised so that cruise ships and naval vessels can pass through in its middle. Between the two towers are two high-level walkways open to visitors who wish to have a panoramic view of the city.

St. Paul’s Cathedral    This cathedral is located on the Ludgate Hill. It has an impressive dome and a height of about 108 m. It was built in a late Renaissance to Baroque style in the 17th. Century.  Many funerals of famous people like Horatio Nelson, the

Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill had been held at this cathedral. On 29 July 1981, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spenser were married here. This beautiful cathedral has been used in many movies, like Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Hands of the Ripper and The Madness of King George.

Westminister Abbey    It is a Gothic cathedral which was built in the 11th. century. It has some resemblance to the Notre Dame cathedrals of Reims and Paris. In 1060, the first English king, William the Conqueror, was buried at the cathedral. Later, other kings, queens, poets and other notable figures were also buried there. On 6 Sept. 1997, the funeral of Princess Diana who passed away in an accident in Paris took place at this cathedral. It also holds important marriage, religious and celebratory functions.

Marks & Spenser    Having visited some of London’s tourist attractions,

we went to a popular shopping complex, Marks & Spenser, in Oxford Street. As the English pound was equivalent to over six times our Malaysian Ringgit, most of us did not shop much there.

The City Hall    Located by the Thames River, this building has the most unusual shape: the shape of a huge snail-shell.

Covent Garden    Covent Garden was once a busy market centre until it was relocated to Nine Elms in 1973. It is now a tourist attraction and also a favourite place for London shoppers who can get good bargains here. It offers lots of goods like handicrafts, jewellery, paintings, antiques, clothing, accessories, fruits and vegetables. Besides shopping, one can watch free street-shows performed by comedians, jugglers, musicians and singers. This place was once a film location for a famous movie called “My Fair Lady” in the 60’s.

Madame Tussaud Wax Museum   This is a popular attraction among the locals and tourists alike. In 1835 Madame Tussaud from France opened this London wax museum. It houses wax figures of notorious and notable people. Visitors are allowed to take photos with the life-sized figures of their favourite idols.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was inside the museum, I could not resist taking photos with some of the famous figures, like Elvis Presley (the Rock and Roll King), the Beatles (the famous English singing pop group in the 60’s), Michael Jackson (the famous moonwalker), Marilyn Monroe (the sexy and beautiful actress), Kylie Minogue (a famous Australian singer), John Wayne (the husky-voiced and macho cowboy hero), Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and heads of states, like Bush, Tony Blair, Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler.  
 
Day 11 : Tuesday, 29 June 2004  Journey Home ( Malaysia ) 

At 5.30 a.m., we hurriedly left the hotel, Holiday Inns, in London with our packed breakfast and headed straight for Heathrow Airport. Then at 9.40 a.m. our plane took off and flew back to Malaysia, our home, via Dubai and Brunei.

Well, that was our memorable trip.

We thank you for reading this travelogue and hope it is useful to you.

Written by: Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia.

Europe Travel (Part I)

 Europe Travel

Introduction

Europe, one of the five continents in the world, has many beautiful countries.
Its rich histories as well as diverse cultures and traditions lure many interested tourists to the continent. Furthermore, it is a land of splendid landscapes, vibrant cities of stunning old and modern architectural buildings, and lovely people of different nationalities, languages, religions, cultures and traditions.

European Union    Over twenty European nations have formed an association known as the European Union including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgian, Luxemburg, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Austria. More and more are bidding to join the union and soon Europe will be known as the United States of Europe (U.S.E).

In 2004, my wife and I joined a Europe tour of 6 interesting countries, viz. Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands and England, in a very short period of 10 days.

Day 1 : Saturday, 19 June 2004   Departure for Frankfurt (Germany)  

On 19 June 2004, my wife and I joined  a group of 29 Malaysians at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) . After a short briefing from our tour guide, Julie, we boarded a plane and flew to Germany via Brunei. The long journey was smooth except for a brief moment when we encountered a slight turbulence over the Bay of Bengal.

Day 2 : Sunday 20 June 2004   Rudesheim (Germany)  

After travelling for 12 hours from Malaysia, we finally landed at Frankfurt Airport in Germany in the early morning. Then we boarded a coach and went to our first destination, a small German town known as Rudesheim.

Rudesheim     Rudesheim is located in the centre of the Rhine River region which is a Unesco World

Heritage. It is a small town of about 10,000 dwellers. This peaceful guaint town is surrounded by low hills with vineyards. It has an old castle which houses a museum and a small railway station where passengers can take a train to Koblenz in the east or Frankfurt in the west. Cruise boats stop here for tourists to visit this picturesque village.

As it was Sunday when we were there, most of the shops were closed and the streets were quiet. But lots of tourists, mostly Asians, were seen in the town. After spending a short time in the town, we left for another larger German town, Heidelberg.

Heidelberg   Heidelberg is 80 km south of Frankfurt and has a population of over 145,000. It has a

picturesque place which is surrounded by densely forested mountains and has a deep wooded valley where a large river, Neckar, flows slowly. Spanning across the river is an old bridge, Karl-Theodor Bridge, built in 1788. It has an arched gateway with twin towers that are capped by spiky helmets. Near the gateway stands a bronze statue of a monkey. There is a local belief that if one can put one’s head inside the monkey’s hollow head without touching its inside, one will be blessed with good luck.

Standing in the middle of the bridge, one can see an old ruined sandstone castle, Heidelberg Castle (Schloss), on a hill overlooking the valley. It was built in several stages from the 14th. century to the 17th. century. The oldest German university is located here.

After spending a few hours at the place, we checked in at a hotel, Mercure Hotel, in the downtown. As all the shops were closed on Sunday we retired early.                                                                      

Day 3 : Monday 21 June 2004  Titisee (Germany)

At 8 a.m., we left Heidelberg for a small village, Titisee, in the lush green pine forests in the mountainous areas.

Titisee    Titisee is a tiny and tranquil village situated at a height of 858 metres above sea-level in the

upper Black Forest. It has an oval-shaped lake of clear emerald-green water, Lake Titisee. The lake is 2 km long and 800 m wide. In winter it freezes and offers winter-sports activities like ice-skating, curling and ice-hockey. Surrounding the lake are lush green mountains of unspoilt beauty. Houses with steep roofs (for heavy snow to slide down in winter) are scattered all over the mountain slopes.

A cuckoo-clock factory      At Titisee, we visited a famous cuckoo-clock making factory known as Black

Forest Clock Center. The kind owner explained to us the traditional way of making cuckoo-clocks. Then he showed us a wide variety of fine hand-made cuckoo-clocks in his shop. One of our tour members bought one at a price of 400 euro-dollars!

Then we left the factory and browsed at nearby shops which were selling myriads of goods like dolls, porcelain-figurines, apparels, wooden and plastic cuckoo-clocks and flowers. While walking by Lake Titisee, my wife and I saw some wild ducks swimming in the water. More ducks appeared from nowhere when they saw us throwing pieces of bread to the ducks.

Rhine Falls (Bodensee), Schaffhausen    After the Titisee visit, we travelled to Schaffhausen to see the

Europe’s largest waterfall, Rhine Falls (Bodensee). The waterfall is 150 m wide and 23 m high. It is a spectacular sight to see water cascading down the cataracts. Tourists can take a boat close to the waterfall to feel the power of the thundering water.

On a hill-top near the waterfall stands a medieval castle, Schloss Laufen. In the shallow, crystal-clear water, one can watch large fish swimming about. 

Journey to Switzerland    After spending an hour at the waterfall, we left for a long journey to Lucerne in Switzerland. On the way, we saw scenic countrysides, quaint half-timbered cottages, lush green-pine forests and beautiful

mountain landscapes in the Black Forest region in south-eastern Germany. Arriving at Basel on the Switzerland border, we passed through an immigration checkpoint without any problem.

Basel    Basel is a small Swiss border town. It is a centre of banking and chemical industries. Its port on River Rhine is Switzerland’s only port.

Lucerne (Switzerland)    Soon, we arrived at Lucerne, a quaint town with many tourists’ attractions, such as medieval squares, frescoed houses, ancient guildhalls, churches and chapels. A river, Reuss, flows from a large lake, Lucerne Lake, through the town. The lake is the 4th. largest in Switzerland.

We visited a few attractions there including the followig:

The Lion Monument    An injured and dying lion was curved out of a limestone hill. It is a monument to commemorate the bravery and loyalty of Swiss mercenaries who died at the Tullieries in 1792.

Chapel Bridge   It is a covered wooden bridge built across Reuss River in the first half of the 14th. century as part of the town’s fortification. Old faded 17th. century paintings depicting scenes of the Swiss and local histories can be seen under the roof. The drabness of the bridge is cleverly camouflaged by pretty colourful flowers placed along its sides.

Water Tower   Near the Chapel Bridge is Water Tower, a 34 metre-high tower. It was built in a shape of an

octagon in 1300 as part of the town wall. Later, it was used as an archive, treasury, prison and torture chamber.

Lucerne has some shops selling many kinds of Swiss products, such as army knives, cow-bells, watches, chocolates, porcelain dolls, cuckoo-clocks and beer-mugs .

Summer Solstice   In the evening we checked in at a hotel in a mountainous area near Lucerne. I was surprised that the day was still bright at 9.30 p.m. Then I realized that it was Summer Solstice.

Day 4 : Tuesday 22 June 2004   Mount Titlis (Switzerland)

We left Lucerne in the morning and travelled to a Swiss mountain, Mount Titlis, which is 300 metres high.

A Cable Car Ride   On arrival at Engelberg, we went straight to a cable car station at the foot of Mount

Titlis. We sat in a cable car and were moving slowly up the mountain.

While going up we were surprised to see national flags of the world painted on the cable cars. After ascending halfway, we changed to a larger cable car, Rotair, which goes up a steeper slope to the summit. It can rotate slowly as it ascends so that  tourists inside can have a 360 degree panoramic view of the breathtaking scenery outside. They can see snow-capped mountains, U-shaped valleys, pine forests on mountain-slopes, scattered houses, green pastures and the Engelberg village.

Cow Bells   Halfway up the mountain, we heard sound of umpteen bells that became louder and louder as

we approached it. Then, looking out of the window of the cable car, we saw below us cows grazing in the meadows dotted with yellow flowers. We realized that the sound was from the large bells worn round the necks of the cows.

Mount Titlis Summit   When we reached the snow-covered top of Mount Titlis, we shivered as cold wind was blowing strongly. We left the Rotair and took a lift-chair to a snow-field. Standing on the snow-field, we feasted our eyes on snow-capped Alpine mountains and valleys in the distance. The scenery was awesome. Occasionally, visibility was poor when the air became misty and snow was falling. On a snow-covered slope, adults and children were enjoying a short tyre-tube ride down the slope.

Ice Grotto   On the peak, there is an ice grotto adjoining the cable-car station. Later, we left Mount Titlis

for Colmar in France, a town of 100,000 inhabitants.

Colmar (France)    Colmar has 100,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded by vineyards and well-known for wine-production. This charming town is also famous for quaint half-timbered buildings such as churches and houses, cloisters, balconies with potted colourful flowers, facades with ornate wood sculpture, paintings, gables and edifices from the Renaissance. The buildings have been well-restored and preserved since the Middle Ages. The streets are narrow and cobble-stoned. One should visit the picturesque small area dubbed “Little Venice” in the leather makers’ district. For a small fee, we took a short train ride to see the popular areas in the town.

In the evening, we retired to a hotel known as Novotel Colmar.

Day 5 : Wednesday, 23 June 2004   Verdun (France)

Verdun    In the morning, we left Colmar for a small French town of 25,000 dwellers, Verdun. Located in the north-east of France, Verdun is the place where the longest and bloodiest battle in world history was fought during the 1st. World War. The battle began on 21st. February 1916 when the German soldiers attacked the French soldiers. They fought for 10 long months resulting in heavy casualties on both sides - 328,000 Germans and 348,000 French. The total number of deaths was a staggering 250,000.

We visited the monument in memory of the war heroes near a bridge which is over River Meuse flowing through Verdun. Then we left for Reims.

Reims   Reims has a population of 200,000. It is in a large region of vineyards and a famous centre for producing French champagne. 

G.H. Mumm & Company    Arriving at Reims, we visited one of its many well-known wine-cellars, G.H. Mumm & Company. A guide of this company brought us to a large wine-vault where barrels of champagne are stored and explained to us the fine art of champagne-making. Later, we were generously treated to some champagne.

In the lobby of the company, we saw some large Formula 1 Race posters. One of them showed Michael

Schumacher and his boss celebrating the former’s victory in one of the Formula 1 Racing Car Championship races. I guessed the company was sponsoring the champagne for the prestigious race.

Notre Dame of Reims   Thanking the company’s guide, we headed for Reim’s largest and most well-known cathedral, Notre Dame of Reims. It was built in the Gothic architectural style of the 12th. century. Many French kings including King Louis XVI were crowned here.

Its imposing facade has two 81.4 m tall towers, three portals with statues and statuettes, a large, round window in the shape of a rose (rose window) above the middle portal and a gallery of kings above the rose window. Statues and sculptures of religious figures, stained glass, tapestries and paintings depicting religious themes can be seen inside the cathedral. After spending an hour at the cathedral, we checked in at a hotel, Europe Hotel.

Reims Streets    After dinner, we strolled in some Reims streets and noticed that chairs and tables outside

cafes and restaurants were a common sight. One can sit there and have a meal, cup of cappuccino or mug of beer. Besides, one can watch people and traffic passing by.

Day 6:  Thursday 24 June 2004   Disneyland, Paris / Euro Disney, Paris

Early in the morning we left Reims for a world famous theme park known as Disneyland, Paris (or Euro Disney). Located near Paris City, it was officially opened in 1992. It offers a wide variety of attractions for both adults and children. The park is divided into 5 areas, viz.

           Main Street USA 
     Discoveryland
  Fantasyland
            Adventureland and
   Frontierland.
Each of these areas offers some interesting and enjoyable attractions.

As we had a day to spend at the park, we chose a few of them that we liked, such as the following:

“Dumbo, the Flying Elephant”     It is a slow and relaxing train ride. The train resembling Dumbo, the Flying Elephant in a Disney animated film “Flies”, cruises slowly over the Fantasyland.

“Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”    We watched this short movie with a special pair of spectacles that gave us a 3-D virtual reality experience. The story was about Professor Szalinski who used his new contraption and accidentally “shrunk” the audience.

While watching the movie, we felt as though we were involved in it. We could feel mice running around our feet trying to escape from a large, grey cat. We felt uneasy when the cat came out of the screen and stared at us closely for a long time before it disappeared. Later, a huge venomous snake suddenly appeared in front of us and looked at us fiercely. We felt a rush of adrenalin to our brains when it opened its large mouth showing its long, sharp fangs. Then it quickly “swallowed” us up. It was truly a virtual reality and scary experience!

“Star Wars”      We joined a very long queue for a 10-minute flight simulator ride in a “space craft” in the “outer space”. It offered us an exciting intergalactic travel adventure, Star Wars. The most thrilling moment in the adventure was when our ”space craft” manoeuvred quickly to avoid the attack by several enemy “space-crafts”.

“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril”    This is a rough and jerky roller-coaster ride. My wife and I sat together on a hard seat in a ”mine-car”. As it moved backwards all the time we did not know what to expect behind us. We felt shocked when it, suddenly, made a complete vertical loop. My spectacles nearly fell off when I was upside down. After the short ride we felt a bit shaky.

“It’s a Small, Small World”    Sitting in a boat, my wife and I cruised round the “world” watching “children” of different nationalities (little pretty dolls in their national costumes) dancing and singing a beautiful children song, “It’s a Small, Small World”. During that short ride, we felt we were children again.

“Pirates of the Caribbean”    This attraction shows scenes of pirates’ lives. As we went through the

scenes we could hear voices of the pirates and victims. We learned that the pirates were violent and merciless creatures. They attacked, robbed and burnt ships and villages, killed, drank and gambled.

Sleeping Beauty Castle    On the ground floor of this large magnificent castle, there is a legendary dragon sleeping in its lair. Occasionally, it wakes up and blows out a big fire. Upstairs, tapestries and beautiful stained glass windows depicting the Sleeping Beauty’s story can be seen.

Princess Parade at Disneyland   The highlight of the day at Disneyland starts at 4 p.m. It is the “Princess Parade”. During this awesome parade, all the characters in the Disney animated films turn up, such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and her Prince Charming,

Sinbad and his pretty lady, Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs, and many more. They appear on large and colourful slow-moving floats waving happily to the spectators. In front of the parade, beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen in striking colourful costumes dance gracefully to the tune of a loud music coming from big loudspeakers placed at strategic places. This is truly a colourful and spectacular event no visitor should miss.

After a day of fun, excitement and adventure at Disneyland, we reluctantly left for Paris City.

(To continue reading this travelogue, please go to Europe Travel (Part II)}

New Zealand Travel

To any tourist, the mere mention of the country, New Zealand, conjures up the images of active volcanic thermal activities in the North Island, millions of sheep grazing in the green pastures, beautiful glacial landscapes and spectacular fiords in the South Island. (See map of New Zealand on the right)

It was in 2003 that my wife and I decided to make our first overseas tour together. The first country we agreed to visit was New Zealand. We wanted to see for ourselves those wonderful things we had read about in Geography textbooks during our school days. It would be my maiden trip to a distant foreign country.

Below is the Itinerary of our New Zealand Travel:

  Day 1   Air Travel To New Zealand 
  Day 2   Auckland City Tour
  Day 3   A Kiwi Fruit Farm / Waitomo Caves / Rotorua City Tour / Rotorua Museum
  Day 4   Whakarewarewa Thermal / Reserve / Rainbow Springs / Agrodome
  Day 5   Christchurch City Tour
  Day 6   Journey to Queenstown / Queenstown
  Day 7   Travel to Milford Sound / Milford Sound Boat Cruise
  Day 8   Travel Back to Christchurch
  Day 9   Travel Back Home

Day 1 : 12 Nov 2003   Air Travel To New Zealand 

On 12 November 2003, we boarded a New Zealand airline at Singapore Changi International Airport. We knew that it would be a very long journey to our destination. The non-stop flight would take 10 hours.

We boarded the plane and soon it was moving slowly on the runway. Then it started to accelerate. As it was moving fast, I could feel light thuds of the floor. It must be due to the wheels running over narrow gaps in the runway. At the same time, I felt my body pressing against my seat.

When the plane had gathered enough speed, the flap of the left wing (I saw it outside my window) moved downwards slowly and the plane finally lifted off the ground. It front tilted upwards at an angle soaring loudly into the air. I saw a pretty air-stewardess who was sitting in front of me a few metres away higher than me as the plane was climbing steeply. Several minutes later, it was flying at a height of about 8,000 metres above sea-level (which was shown in the screen). Finally, it was moving horizontally. At such a height, my ears had a strange feeling. I could not hear clearly what my wife sitting next to me was saying. Then I realized that the air pressure inside the plane had dropped. To overcome the problem, I swallowed some saliva to equalize the pressures on both sides of my ear-drums. Frankly speaking, that was my first flying experience.

Inside the plane, out of curiosity, I looked around me. I noticed that the plane was full of passengers of different nationalities. Most of them, I thought, were tourists who wanted to visit New Zealand, a well-known tourist destination.

Every few hours, the hard-working air-stewardesses would push trolleys of food and drinks for the passengers down the narrow aisles. At such times, it would be difficult to go to toilets as the passageways were narrow. There was plenty of food to eat and beverages to drink. If a passenger was asleep during a meal-time, he might miss his meal.

On the journey, I felt uncomfortable to sit for long hours in a seat which had very little room for my legs to stretch. I slept very little as I am not used to sleeping in a seat which can only incline slightly. Most of my time was spent on watching movies, listening to songs, reading free newspapers and magazines, and looking at maps on a small screen which showed data of the flight such as height, speed, flight-route and the temperature outside the plane. I was wondering how these readings could be recorded and shown instantly.

Man is a genius  I marvel at one of the man’s great inventions, i.e. flying machines. They are not only heavy themselves but able to carry a lot of people. Besides, they can speed over 800 km per hour making our world seem smaller.

Day 2 : 13 Nov 2003  Auckland City Tour 

Ten hours later, the plane touched down safely at Auckland Airport at 11.30 am (Auckland local time). It was a smooth but long flight. At the airport, we went through the strict immigration and custom checks. We were asked whether we had brought in meat and fruits from our countries. The officers were polite but looked serious. It would make a lot of difference if they could give us a smile.

When we came out of the checkpoints, we saw a pretty Chinese lady holding a card with my name written on it. I went up to her and identified myself. She was actually our tour agent. She told us to go to a coach and join 11 Malaysian tourists who arrived a day earlier (see photo on the right).

After a sumptuous lunch at a restaurant in the downtown, the coach driver brought us round to see Auckland City. It was a cloudy and windy day with occasional drizzles. But the anxiety to see the city made us forget the bad weather condition.

Auckland     Auckland is a vibrant cosmopolitan city. It is the largest city in New Zealand and a home to 1.2 million people of different races of diverse cultures and religions. It sits astride a narrow isthmus with the Tasman Sea in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. The views of the two harbours, Waitemata and Manukau, are spectacular.

Auckland is rich in maritime history and it is known as the “City of Sails”. To live up to its name, it holds a world sailing competition annually.

In the hub of Auckland is the vibrant central business district (CBD). It is sited around the famous street, Queen Street. In this area, there are many tall buildings but the most prominent landmark is Sky Tower which rises 328 metres above the street. It is in fact the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest free standing structure. One can take an elevator up the tower and have a superb view of the city and harbour.

On this hill there was a war memorial in memory of the fallen heroes in World War II (see photo on the left). Then we travelled to Parnell Rose Garden where we feasted our eyes on the beauty of about 300 types of roses. Later, we visited the American Express Viaduct Harbour where yachts of different sizes belonging to different nationalities were berthed. From that place we could see a long harbour bridge which links Auckland City in the south to Northcote in the north.

A Kiwi Fruit Farm   

On the way to Waitomo Caves, we stopped at a kiwi fruit farm. The kiwi fruits, at that time, were small and greenish on the plants which were supported by props. Fortunately, we could find ripe ones for sale in the farm shop. Kiwi fruits are brownish with a hairy skin. They are slightly bigger than a duck’s egg. They are quite juicy but not very sweet. Strolling in the farm behind the fruit shop, I was attracted to an old broken-down farm tractor with a manufacturer’s name “Fordson”. I was so fascinated by it that I climbed onto it and sat on it with joy. Then I asked my wife to take a photo of me pretending to drive the machine.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

As there was nothing much to see at the farm, we spent a short time there and continued our journey to Waitomo Caves.

Waitomo Caves  When we arrived at the caves, we were greeted by a guide who told us that the region has an amazing network of limestone caves and grottos. She then led us into a dimly-lit cave to admire the spectacular

limestone structures of different shapes and sizes sculptured by Mother Nature for millions of years. Each structure has a living or non-living form which is given a name. All these are actually stalactites and stalagmites.

Glow-worms     Then we took a slow and quiet boat ride into the green “starry” world of glow-worms in a grotto. As we glided silently through it, we were awe-struck by hundreds of thousands of tiny green lights looking like stars on the roof-ceiling.

Glow-worms are actually not worms. They are larvae of small fungus-gnats (Arachnocampa Luminosa) which emit green lights to attract their preys like midges or other flying insects. When an unsuspecting victim flies towards the light it gets caught among the glow-worm’s sticky strands hanging down from the ceiling of the cave. Then the worm pulls up the poor soul and feeds on it.

Later, we left Waitomo Caves and headed east for Rotorua City.

Rotorua City Tour      On arrival at Rotorua city, we checked in at a hotel known as Lake Plaza Hotel. We were surprised to see steam together with a smelly gas like a rotten egg coming out of the ground continuously around the hotel. The hotel is located near a lake which gives out the same smelly gas. It is due to volcanic thermal activity in the ground. We had no choice but to tolerate the smell during our stay there.

In the afternoon, we went sightseeing in Rotorua City. For a better panoramic view of the city, we went to the top of Mount Ngongotaha where

we could see the city at the edge of Lake Rotorua and a small island, Mokoia, in the middle of the lake.

Rotorua City      Rotorua City is in the middle of the Central North Island’s volcanic plateau. It is an area of intense volcanic thermal activity. There are 14 lakes surrounding the city. They provide excellent trout fishing, boating and camping activities. Besides, the scenery is beautiful.

Rotorua is rich in Maori history and culture. The original settlers in Rotorua, the Maoris, were attracted to the hot thermal water which they could use for bathing and cooking. The place which has sizzling volcanic thermal activity is now a popular tourist spot.

The Rotorua Museum    The Rotorua Museum is located in the Government Gardens (see photo on the right). The building has a beautiful Tudor architectural style. It is a place where one can learn about Rotorua’s great stories of the past and present.

In the evening, while we were having a hearty Maori Hangi feast (a Maori traditionally prepared food) at the Lake Plaza restaurant, we were entertained to a cultural concert performed by the Maoris in their traditional clothes with colourful and intricate designs. While the male Maoris were performing a war dance, Haka, they would shout, haka, and stick out their long tongues many times. Whenever they did that we had a great laugh. We were amazed to see pretty female performers doing a poi dance. Poi is a ball with a short string attached to it. As the ladies were dancing they sang their folk songs and kept swinging their pois rhythmically.

Day 4 : 15 Nov 2003   

Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve     Having taken our breakfast at the Lake Plaza Hotel in Rotorua City, we travelled to the Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve. When we arrived there, we took a walk round the area and were amazed to see hot boiling

mud, the awesome 30-metre high Pohutu Geyser which burst into life 10 to 20 times a day, hot silica terraces and the unique geothermal vegetation. Then we entered a Maori Village to see native arts and crafts and learn about their rich culture and history.

Rainbow Springs     Our next stop was the Rainbow Springs which is 6 km from Rotorua. It is a place where native bush, ferns, trees and plants are grown.

This place has many aviaries and offers a guided walk to look out for native birds in the aviaries, such as North Island Kaka, South Island Kea, Tiri, Kereru, Paradise Duck and many more. Besides birds, one can see native lizards, e.g. the Gecko and Skinkas well as trouts. Among the trouts are Rainbow, Brown and Tiger. They cruise in the crystal-clear, cold water in the fern-fringed pools at Rainbow Springs. Water flows into the pools continuously from subterranean springs.

Kiwis     Then we went to see adult kiwis (New Zealand national icon) in a specially designed dark house nearby. Kiwis are nocturnal creatures which are as big as a domestic fowl. They have a long slender bill and covered with coarse hair-like feathers. As their wings are small they are unable to fly. They like to eat worms, insects, grubs, leaves, berries, etc. Their natural habitats are native forests, scrubs and grasslands. Eggs from the wild are collected, incubated and hatched at Rainbow Springs. When the chicks are big they are released in the wild. This is to ensure that kiwis do not become extinct. Five kinds of kiwis are found in New Zealand. Among them are Brown Kiwi, the Little Spotted Kiwi and the Great Spotted Kiwi.

Agrodome     From Rainbow Springs, we travelled to the Agrodome to watch an hour-long sheep show in a huge auditorium with 800 seats. The show included a parade of 19 breeds of sheep (Romney, Drysdale, Perendale, Merino, Cheviot, etc.) (see photo on the right), a sheep shearing demonstration by a top shearer, hand milking of a cow by tourists, demonstration by Huntaway dogs and an opportunity for tourists to feed lambs with milk in large bottles on the large stage. We enjoyed the show very much as it was entertaining and hilarious.

 

In front of the auditorium is a building which has a very old and large machine. It is a woolen mill manufactured in 1906. It is still functioning. An elderly man demonstrated and explained the working of the noisy antique machine. Besides, he gave us an interesting detailed account of New Zealand wool history.

As it was getting late we were unable to explore the other interesting areas of the farm at Agrodome. So we travelled back to our hotel at Rotorua city. 

Day 5 : 16 Nov 2003  Flying to Christchurch

In the afternoon, we departed Rotorua by plane and travelled south to Christchurch in South Island. While the plane was flying to Christchurch, I could see the clear eastern coastline of New Zealand South Island, the snow-capped mountains of the Southern Alps in the western island and the wide blue expanses of the Pacific Ocean below the plane.

 After travelling for 2 hours, we finally landed at the Christchurch International Airport. It was a smooth flight. Then we stepped out of the plane. As we were walking towards the airport terminal, cold wind from the Pacific Ocean was blowing strongly towards us and we were struggling to reach the terminal.

Christchurch Sightseeing Tour

Cashmere Hill     After going through the immigration, security and custom checks at the Christchurch Airport we boarded a small tour coach and headed to the vantage point of Cashmere Hill, where we could see the wide Canterbury Plains and Christchurch City.

Christchurch     Christchurch is the 2nd. largest city in New Zealand. It perches on the coast with the Southern Alps in the west as a backdrop and bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is the gateway to the large Canterbury Plains spreading westwards towards the mountains. The city has a population of over 340,000. Over 80% of the population is Europeans, 7% Maoris, 5% Asians and the rest are other ethnic groups.

The city is dissected by the crystal-clear meandering Avon and Heathcote rivers which give the charm reminiscent of the English cities from where its first inhabitants emigrated. One can go punting in Avon River with its grassy banks lined by trees such as poplars and weeping willows.

As much of the city landscape is devoted to parks, natural reserves and recreation grounds, it has earned an International Garden City award.

Cathedral Square     The coach then brought us to Chistchurch city where we walked around Cathedral Square and saw the most visible and well-known historic building, Christchurch Cathedral. It is one of the finest examples of Gothic Provincial architecture in New Zealand.

Chalice     Standing in the centre of the Square is a tall, unique metallic structure called Chalice. It is a metallic work of art in the shape of an inverted cone with a perforated network of 42 leaf patterns depicting the leaves of native trees. It stands 18 metres high and is designed by a well-known sculptor, Neil Dawson. Chalice celebrates the new millennium and the 150th. anniversary of the founding of Christchurch and Canterbury by the Canterbury Association.

Flea Market     Strolling down Worcester Blvd., we saw a tram-car which follows the inner city route. Along the route, passengers will enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

We visited a flea market near the Art Centre which is a historic building. At the market, stalls which were mostly run by senior citizens were selling souvenirs, arts and handicrafts, antiques, clothes, paintings, food, beverages and many more. Then we visited Canterbury Museum which is another historic building. 

Canterbury Museum     In Canterbury Museum, one learns about stories of Pacific migration, the moe-hunter Maori, the European settlers and the flora and fauna of the region. Besides, it houses spectacular fossils, decorative arts and costumes collection, the Bird Hall and the world’s most important collection of Antarctic items. The admission is surprisingly free of charge but donations are encouraged.

Botanic Garden    Near the museum is the Botanic Garden where both exotic and native trees, shrubs and plants are grown. Besides, it has roses and water plants, and a rockery. A beautiful blue fountain can be seen in the garden. The garden is serene and its air is clean and refreshing.

Day 6 : 17 Nov 2003  Journey To Queenstown

In the morning, we made a long journey by coach from Christchurch to Queenstown. Travelling south-west, we saw lots of sheep grazing in the pastures. New Zealand has 45 million sheep and is one of the world’s biggest wool producers. As New Zealand has a human population of 4 millions, the sheep outnumber the country’s human population by more than 11 to one.

Lake Tekapo Town     After about 3 hours of travelling we reached Lake Tekapo Town where we stopped for lunch. Then we continued our travel to a lake, Lake Tekapo. When we arrived there we were amazed to see a milky green hue in the lake. It is caused by finely ground rock particles crushed by glaciers deep in the Southern

Divide that feeds it. At the lake, our faces felt the cold icy wind blowing strongly from the snow-capped mountains in the west. The view of the snow-capped mountains in the Southern Alps was breathtaking. Among them is New Zealand’s highest peak, Mount Cook or Aoraki (3,754 m).

Church of the Good Shepard    Near Lake Tekapo stands a little stone-church, Church of the Good Shepard, with a statue of a dog nearby. The church was built as a memorial to early pastoralists and their best friend, the working dog, was immortalized in the statue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Cook National Park    Then we headed to the Mount Cook National Park. When we arrived there, my wife and a few tourists took a scenic helicopter flight over an amazing region of snowfields, glaciers and snow-capped mountains.

When the helicopter landed on a snowfield high above sea-level, the passengers stepped out of the helicopter excitedly. They saw Mount Cook (3,754 m), New Zealand’s highest peak, in the distance and the U-shaped valleys that have been carved out by glaciers thousands of years ago. Some of these valleys have lakes with rivers flowing into them. They also saw snow-capped mountains with hanging

valleys. Later, my wife told me repeatedly that the views of the landscapes from the high ground were spectacular. She also told me that they enjoyed playing in the snowfield where the helicopter landed as our country, Malaysia, has no snow. That was an unforgettable and worthwhile experience for my wife even though it burned a big hole in her pocket.

Queenstown     After the visit to Mount Cook National Park, we moved south to Omarama and then south-west to Queenstown. That was a three-and-a-half hour journey from Christchurch. On arrival at Queenstown, we checked in at a hotel which overlooked Lake Wakatipu.

Queenstown is a small town. It nestles under Remarkable Mountains Range and is on the shore of Lake Wakatipu. This lake is long and narrow and is in a shape of an S.

Queenstown was once a booming gold town. But now it is a popular tourist resort. It is a mecca for thrill-seekers. They can make bungy plunge off a bridge, ride the Jet Shotover River in a high speed jet-boat, raft the region’s wild rivers, skydive, ski in the nearby mountains in winter and indulge in other exciting and adventurous activities. Tourists who do not like these exciting adventures may board the vintage steamship, TSS Earnslaw, and enjoy the beautiful sights of Lake Wakatipu.

Filming of “The Lords of the Rings’ Trilogy”    We were told that some of the locations around Queenstown were used in the filming of “The Lords of the Rings’ Trilogy”, e.g. Glenorchy, Kawarau River, Te Anau, Deer Park Heights, Mavora Lake and Dart River. It must be its natural, unspoilt landscapes suitable for the story.

As Queenstown is a small town, it took us a short time to walk in all its streets. It is amazing that in such a little town there is a casino and a foreign currency exchange shop. After strolling in the streets, we decided to browse at shops selling souvenirs, postcards, T-shirts with colourful designs, and other merchandise. Later we relaxed by the lake, admiring the beautiful scenery round the lake and watching small planes flying tourists to the sky for aerial sightseeing. Then we walked back to our hotel which was a few hundred metres from the town and it was a good exercise for us.

Day 7 : 18 Nov 2003   Journey to Milford Sound 

In the morning, we left for Milford Sound where we wanted to see the well-known scenic fiords. We travelled in a blue luxury coach with a glass-roof that offered a larger view outside. Besides, its front could be raised as it went up a steep slope or lowered when it moved down.

Lake Wakatipu    While our coach was travelling south from Queenstown it moved slowly along a narrow road with vertical steep slopes on one side and Lake Wakatipu a few metres away on the other. After the

lake, the scenery is transformed into high pastures surrounded by mountains and then serenely beautiful farm country of the Northern Southland Plains. As we travelled westwards towards a small town, Te Anau, we passed by some crystal-clear streams.

Te Anau    Soon we reached Te Anau, and stopped there for some refreshments. An hour later we continued our journey to the north. Not long, we entered The Fiordland National Park which is a world heritage area. It has some of the most spectacular scenic splendours

of the world.

Homer Tunnel    From the Eglinton Valley with its endless golden tussock pastures, we travelled into beach forests and past tranquil lakes and crystal clear streams. We also climbed steadily into the very heart of the mountains. In the mountainous region we came across a long tunnel, Homer Tunnel, which is the gateway to Milford Sound. It is 1,219 metres long and was officially opened in 1954.

The tunnel is narrow and has a single lane. If two vehicles happen to travel in opposite directions inside the the tunnel, one of them has to stop very close to the side allowing the other to pass by.

After passing through the tunnel our coach stopped at a place near the tunnel. We came out of the coach and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of snow-capped mountains and valleys. Although it was a sunny day, the wind blowing from the snow-capped mountains was dry and cooling. Further down the road was a stream. Its water was crystal clear and cold. Soon we were travelling again. Finally, we reached Milford Sound.

Milford Sound Boat Cruise     Milford Sound is a 22 km-long fiord which was created by moving glaciers during the Ice ages. It is dominated by Mitre Peak (1,683 m). Some have described Milford Sound as the 8th. Wonder of the World.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we arrived at Milford Sound, the weather was sunny and the cold wind was blowing from the Pacific Ocean, continuously. We boarded a cruise boat and soon we were on our way to see one of the world’s stunning landscapes, the Milford Sound fiord.

While the boat was cruising in the fiord, we had close-up views of Mitre Peak, luxuriant rainforest which was clinging to sheer rock walls and cascading waterfalls. The sights of all these were awe-inspiring and invigorating. On one occasion, the boat went very

close to a spectacular waterfall, Stirling Falls.

Seals and Dolphins    When the boat had cruised several hundreds of metres away from the seashore we spotted some seals basking on some rocks and later a few dolphins swimming close to each other towards the vast ocean.

After the unforgettable boat cruise in Milford Sound we returned to Queenstown.

Day 8 : 19 Nov 2003  Travel Back To Christchurch 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shotover Jet Boat Ride    In the morning, we had a last peek at Queenstown. Then we travelled to Shotover River Canyons where we had a thrilling and adrenalin-pumping experience in a Shotover Jet boat ride. We screamed as it sped past rocky outcrops with only a few centimetres to spare, twisted through narrow canyons and made three awesome 360 degree spins. It took several years for the expert of the boat to

master the spin. When the boat returned to the jetty we were feeling dazed. Luckily, our clothes were not wet as we were wearing borrowed rain-coats during the rough ride.

Arrowtown    After that screaming experience in the canyons, we travelled to Arrowtown which was once a booming gold-mining area. In this little

town, the heritage is fiercely protected. Many of the original 19th. Century quaint stone-buildings still remain perfectly preserved and in daily use. We were told that we could hire a gold-pan and pan for gold in the river nearby. But none of us was interested in getting gold there.

Bungy Jumps    The next destination was a place where tourists could do bungy jumps into a deep canyon. When we arrived there, it was lunch-time and the workers had gone for their meals. We could not wait for another hour for the jump to commence again, as we had to travel northeast to a town to have a prearranged lunch. We disappointedly left the place without a chance to experience the jump.

In the evening we arrived at Christchurch. Shortly after dinner, we walked along Colombo Street in the city and shopped for some souvenirs.

Day 9 : 20 Nov 2003   Travel Home (Malaysia) 
We woke up early in the morning and had breakfast at a hotel restaurant in Christchurch. Then we left for the Christchurch airport. At 10.30 am (New Zealand local time), we left the airport on a domestic flight to

Auckland. Arriving at Auckland, we boarded a larger plane. At 6.50 pm (Auckland local time), we finally left New Zealand for a long, long journey home.

While flying in the air, I was reminiscing about the whole tour that I had enjoyed  every moment in New Zealand. As this tour is my first overseas experience I will always remember it with fond memory. I am now beginning to like overseas tours and planning to make more before my old legs start to give me trouble.

Thanks for reading my New Zealand travelogue and I hope you have enjoyed it.

Written by Choo Chaw, Kluang, Johor, Malaysia.

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