Altona Beach @ Sunset

Altona, Western Suburbs April 2014

There are few nicer ways to spend your autumn evenings, than enjoying a relaxing stroll with your wife along the sea front at Altona. This was a particularly calm and clear evening, with a delightfully colourful dusk skyline.   

Mountain Biking in You Yangs National Park

April 2014, You Yangs, Victoria.

We often go walking in the bushland of the You Yangs National park, around forty five minutes south west of Melbourne, and thoroughly enjoy it. I finally got round to taking our mountain bike down there this holiday weekend. Absolutely brilliant! Boy do I regret that taking me four years to get round to. 


There are two designated biking areas, containing over 50km of excellent tracks. I tried the easier and flatter Kurrajong Plantation area, that consists of three loop tracks of around 20km, and route 15 which has a few jumps and high bank turns to muck around on. This area is designed for riders of all abilities, and since it was the first time I had been mountain biking since the early 2000's with my PCWB chums, I was happy to ease my way back into the saddle. Plus our mountain bike dates back over 15 years old, and even though we recently had it serviced, it's lacking any form of suspension, and frankly would scare the crap out of me going hell for leather down hill. read more...

Over 30s Guide to Hostels - Top 10 Tips

Something interesting has happened in the world of hostels over the past few years. A very subtle but important change. If you look closely, the word youth has all but disappeared from hostels around the world. Even the YHA never goes by its full name anymore, just by its trendy three letter acronym. Which is great news for those of us over 30, who aren't ready to hang up our backpacks just yet. Backpacking and hostels go hand in hand, and our memories of travelling the world are built from the unique experience of sharing budget accommodation with like minded explorers. 

Want to get in on the action? Don't let your age stop you. Modern hostels can be light years ahead of the crusty old dorms of yesteryear - they now come fully loaded with private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, barbecues, terraces, open fires and designer kitchens. And they still offer the best travelling experiences you can find. 

There are still plenty of dives out there, and everyone has their own hosteling horror stories, and a few of mine are included below. If you haven't used a hostel before and you're over 30, or you just need a refresher course, then this guide might just well save your life. Or at very least, a good night's seep. Read on:  

Point Cook Coastal Park

April 2014, Point Cook, Melbourne. 

Point Cook is the place I call home, and a place often ridiculed by Melbournians, much like the west side of the city as a whole. The most common argument is that it lacks culture or soul, and admittedly it's pretty hard to argue against. After all, that's the downside of any new and purpose built residential suburb. It takes time for a new town to define itself and find its purpose. What frustrates me are the naysayers claiming there is nothing to do. If they ever dared leave the city, they would soon realise that west side of Melbourne has easy access to national parks and raw countryside that most Melbournians can only dream about.

Gannets at Pope's Eye Fort, Port Phillip Bay

Koalas in Cape Otway, Victoria

48 Hours in Mildura

March 2014. Mildura, NW Victoria, Australia.

Mildura is a large country town, located five hundred and fifty kilometres north west of Melbourne. It owes its existence almost entirely to the colossal Murray River, in an an otherwise landlocked, and arid desert region. It was Australia's first irrigation colony, and remains the biggest and by far the most interesting across the country. It's also still off the beaten track, so it's a great time to visit, before everyone else realises how delightful it really is. Here's a guide of how to spend a fascinating 48 hours in Mildura.  

Fair Dinkum Aussie Phrases - How to Speak 'Straylian

God bless 'Straylia! For keeping local dialect alive and kicking. The Aussies have their own unique vernacular of some five thousand plus expressions, making them the world leaders in non standard linguistics. Or slang. Strewth. 

 

I for one love the local Aussie slang, and think they should use it proudly, before the next generation get consumed by Americanism. You can easily google much more definitive lists than this one, but these are the the most common ones I've heard, and some of the funniest for a pom. Have a read and have a chuckle, especially at the context of when I first heard some of them.