Flying home to Europe on Malaysia Airlines this week were two people who had spent all their stay in the Northern Tablelands area of NSW. The first was a Swedish woman who came to visit her daughter who was living in Walcha, a small country town in the area. She alos visited three other towns in the area - Gunnedah, Armidale and Coonabaraban. Coonabaraban is most famous for its large radio telescope.
The other was a Dutch guy who stayed in Guyra on business. Guyra is quite a small town and not one that would welcome too many international business visitors so I asked him about his line of work. He is a technical person who was underseeing the operation of tomato processing and packing equipment. The machinery was custom made for the tomato firm and he told me that they process 60000kg of tomatos per day for delivery to Coles supermarkets along the east coast of Australia. I had not realised that Guyra is a major tomato growing area.
I came across quite a few travellers here on family visits, one sadly for a funeral and a British backpacker who did the common backpacker route down the Queensland coast - Cairns, Magnetic Island, Airlie Beach, Whitsundays, Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island, Noosa and then Brisbane.
Travelling home on Qantas was a friendly Singapore family - parents and a teenage daughter. The father was very inquisitive about what I did and told me that he was a businessman involved in trading various products. On Emirates was a Thai student going home after a 3 month homestay and doing a general English course.
Till next week.
Cheers
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
A Friendly Frenchman, A Helicopter Pilot And An Aussie Wine Enthusiast
I was fortunate to again chat with a very varied and mostly friendly bunch of people this last weekend.
My first encounter was with a friendly 60ish French fellow who had been on a short group tour around the country - over two weeks he visited Melbourne, Sydney, Alice Springs, Darwin and Cairns. His English was a little limited but from what I could gather he enjoyed his stay.
On another flight back to Europe was an New Zealander living in England who flies helicopters for a living. He had travelled to Oz for a for a stay of only 4 days - 3 days with family in Bondi and 1 day on business in Maitland. This reminded me of something else I must do one day - take a flight in a helicopter!
Heading home to Malaysia was a Malaysian family group who had just had a holiday in Sydney and the wineries in the Hunter Valley. The older family member I spoke to really raved about the high quality of the wines from boutique wineries that they visited. They had purchased plenty of wine to enjoy when they arrived back home.
On China Airlines was a friendly young Taiwanese couple who had spent time in Sydney and with a friend in Canberra. They were very happy to chat and answer my questions despite their very limited English. I also came across an English couple heading back to Auckland where they now live after a stay in Sydney. They had been to Sydney numerous times and commented that they knew Sydney so well that they are able to show other visiting friends around the city.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
My first encounter was with a friendly 60ish French fellow who had been on a short group tour around the country - over two weeks he visited Melbourne, Sydney, Alice Springs, Darwin and Cairns. His English was a little limited but from what I could gather he enjoyed his stay.
On another flight back to Europe was an New Zealander living in England who flies helicopters for a living. He had travelled to Oz for a for a stay of only 4 days - 3 days with family in Bondi and 1 day on business in Maitland. This reminded me of something else I must do one day - take a flight in a helicopter!
Heading home to Malaysia was a Malaysian family group who had just had a holiday in Sydney and the wineries in the Hunter Valley. The older family member I spoke to really raved about the high quality of the wines from boutique wineries that they visited. They had purchased plenty of wine to enjoy when they arrived back home.
On China Airlines was a friendly young Taiwanese couple who had spent time in Sydney and with a friend in Canberra. They were very happy to chat and answer my questions despite their very limited English. I also came across an English couple heading back to Auckland where they now live after a stay in Sydney. They had been to Sydney numerous times and commented that they knew Sydney so well that they are able to show other visiting friends around the city.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
Sunday, April 12, 2009
One Method of Car Disposal and a Unique Place to Sleep
I met a couple of Dutch travellers flying home on Malaysia Airlines yesterday. One was a backpacker who had done an interesting camping tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide. The other one also had some interesting stories to tell. He had stayed for the first 2 weeks in a luxury hotel in Sydney and then, in sharp contrast, travelled around the country on a very tight budget. He used a car he had bought in Sydney for A$1800 and stayed in backpacker hostels. When he flew out of Cairns to join his flight home in Sydney, he just gave away the car for free to another traveller he had met there. The car had gone well for his travels and had not needed any repairs or manintenance.
Also heading home to Scandinavia at the weekend was a young Norwegian backpacker who had also had quite an adventure on the East Coast. She had rented a car with some other fellow travellers and also was on a tight budget. They slept in the car on 2 occasions including 3 consecutive nights at one location. However she had also spent 4 nights in a much more unusual location - an airport hangar! They had gone skydiving and somehow managed to be allowed to sleep next to the planes.
On a flight home to Christchurch was a friendly Chinese family with a very cute 8 year old daughter who was happy to answer all my survey questions (on behalf of her mum) to the best of her ability. They had been on holidays in Sydney.
Other visitors of note that I came across included:-
* An Egyptian lady here to visit her son. She had already been to Australia many times.
* An older English couple on a round the world journey who travelled by rental car in Tasmania and travelled by train from Melbourne to Adelaide and the Ghan train from Adelaide to Alice Springs. They were heading to Honolulu and then Las Vegas before going home.
* An American who had done Melbourne, Kangaroo Island (SA) and Cairns all in 6 days. He was on his way to visit a friend in New Zealand while the rest of his family spent some more time in the Cairns area.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
Also heading home to Scandinavia at the weekend was a young Norwegian backpacker who had also had quite an adventure on the East Coast. She had rented a car with some other fellow travellers and also was on a tight budget. They slept in the car on 2 occasions including 3 consecutive nights at one location. However she had also spent 4 nights in a much more unusual location - an airport hangar! They had gone skydiving and somehow managed to be allowed to sleep next to the planes.
On a flight home to Christchurch was a friendly Chinese family with a very cute 8 year old daughter who was happy to answer all my survey questions (on behalf of her mum) to the best of her ability. They had been on holidays in Sydney.
Other visitors of note that I came across included:-
* An Egyptian lady here to visit her son. She had already been to Australia many times.
* An older English couple on a round the world journey who travelled by rental car in Tasmania and travelled by train from Melbourne to Adelaide and the Ghan train from Adelaide to Alice Springs. They were heading to Honolulu and then Las Vegas before going home.
* An American who had done Melbourne, Kangaroo Island (SA) and Cairns all in 6 days. He was on his way to visit a friend in New Zealand while the rest of his family spent some more time in the Cairns area.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
Monday, April 6, 2009
From Dublin To Oz And An Avid Train Traveller
This week I encountered lots of Irish visitors who all seemed to enjoy their stay Down Under. They included a couple here for a family wedding in the Hunter Valley and to stay with relatives in Gosford. I also chatted to a young Irish lass who had been working here for the last few months.
On a flight to Christchurch was an American businessman from Colorado who works for a medical equipment company. I guess this is a busy industry to be in with fast advancing technologies and our ageing population.
Travelling to Malaysia were a Chilean guy in Sydney for just one night on business - that's what you call a quick business trip! There was also a Malaysian guy here to spend a week with his girlfriend in Sydney.
On British Airways back to London was an English guy who was in Sydney for a job interview and to visit a friend. He already knew that he had got the job (in the engineering field) and now had to get everything organized for the big move to Australia.
Also travelling home on BA was a German guy in his early 30's who had travelled over most of the country during the last few months. But, in contrast to most backpackers I come across, he had travelled mainly by train - on the Indian Pacific, the Ghan and the Overlander trains. He found train travel much more appealing and quite economical using a rail pass. That's something I need to look into myself. I quite enjoy rail travel but haven't done much for a long time.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
On a flight to Christchurch was an American businessman from Colorado who works for a medical equipment company. I guess this is a busy industry to be in with fast advancing technologies and our ageing population.
Travelling to Malaysia were a Chilean guy in Sydney for just one night on business - that's what you call a quick business trip! There was also a Malaysian guy here to spend a week with his girlfriend in Sydney.
On British Airways back to London was an English guy who was in Sydney for a job interview and to visit a friend. He already knew that he had got the job (in the engineering field) and now had to get everything organized for the big move to Australia.
Also travelling home on BA was a German guy in his early 30's who had travelled over most of the country during the last few months. But, in contrast to most backpackers I come across, he had travelled mainly by train - on the Indian Pacific, the Ghan and the Overlander trains. He found train travel much more appealing and quite economical using a rail pass. That's something I need to look into myself. I quite enjoy rail travel but haven't done much for a long time.
Till next week.
Peter
Souvenirs Australia Warehouse
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