Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Welcome to 700 travel blogs, to access a full index on your mobile please scroll to the bottom & choose from 700 locations. Email is [email protected]

Travel plus danger in 2010

August 24, 2014 by David Herd

My Gold Coast home 1990 to 2011

travel plus danger

travel plus danger

Travel plus danger in 2010, first the travel, I’ll talk about the danger later. Travel included Thailand, Cambodia & Europe plus two visits to Sydney. 

Some English & Italian visitors were guests in my Gold Coast home. Bill & Joan from Wiltshire met up with me in Thailand in January & we flew to Australia in February, this was their first trip “down under”. We drove down the east coast to Sydney before they returned to the U.K.

This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from 2010.

Bill Austin & Joan Baptiste

travel plus danger

Bill is the brother of my friend Alan Austin who is a guest of Her Majesty, Bill & I met when I first visited Alan in 2007. Joan was an Olympic runner who competed in the 200 meters at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Bill was a Para Military man who served time in Ireland & many other countries.

Alan finally regained his freedom late 2018 after 11 years in the slammer.

Mt Tamborine on the Gold Coast.

travel plus danger

Hang gliders jumping off Tambourine mountain.

Byron Bay

travel plus danger

One hour south of the Gold Coast is Byron Bay the most easterly point of Australia.

My beach & Jetty

travel plus danger

I sold my boat last year so I was able to rent my jetty to moor a houseboat.

Cold beer on the houseboat

travel plus danger

You too can have a body like this if you abuse it. 🙂

 

Roberta, Mikie & Alice from Italy

travel plus danger

I did a house swap with this lovely Italian family, I stayed in their ski chalet in northern Italy in July & they came to my home in August.

Roberta loved the pelicans at Labrador.

travel plus danger

Roberta was the Italian champion kite surfer, in fact if I remember correctly she was ranked 4th or 5th in the world.

Lovely Alice from Italy

travel plus danger

Is this a cute little gal or what?

Charis seafood in Labrador

travel plus danger

Wonderful seafood market on the Gold Coast. I moved to Thailand in October 2011 and apart from some friends & family the fresh Aussie seafood is the thing I miss most.

Roberta, Mikie & Alice from Italy

travel plus danger

Playing on the beach in front of my home.

Fresh prawns & avocado

travel plus danger

While on the subject of fresh Aussie prawns, there is no better sandwich in the world than prawns & avocado on fresh white bread.

Dinner with Deb & Jodie

travel plus danger

Planning our trip to Italy & the French Riviera in July at the Garlic Clove restaurant.

Melbourne Cup at Surfers Paradise

travel plus danger

The track is adjacent to my home.

Tania Zaetta at the Melbourne Cup

travel plus danger

Tania was a well know celebrity, I think she may have been in a couple of TV shows & a Bollywood movie.

Melbourne Cup at Surfers Paradise

travel plus danger

A little eye candy at the track, talk about travel and danger, well I would love to travel with her & accept whatever danger that may bring. 🙂

Dressed to the nines & feeling no pain

travel plus danger

It is always great entertainment watching the crowd at the end of the day, some find walking rather difficult. 🙂

Travel plus danger in 2010 “Dueling baseball bats”

I spoke earlier of travel and danger, well here is the danger. It was May 2010 and I had only returned from Asia 48 hours ago & was still a little jet lagged. It would have been far safer staying in Bangkok or Cambodia than my home on the Gold coast, as I was the victim of a violent home invasion & robbery at 1 am in the morning. I took a very solid hit from a lunatic with a baseball bat, but luckily was not badly hurt, I managed to fight the bastard off, & when I finally got through to 000 5 cop cars turned up within about 7 minutes. It may well have been the most terrifying experience of my life. There was an 18 year old girl renting a room in my house so when I heard some strange noises in the early hours of the morning I thought it was just her banging drawers etc. Then a loud male voice from outside my bedroom door said “GIVE ME YOUR MONEY AND YOUR JEWELRY OR I WILL SHOOT YOU” I jumped out of bed, put on a pair of shorts, grabbed a baseball bat from my wardrobe and opened my bedroom door, I was only halfway through the door when this wild man rushed me swinging his own baseball bat straight at my head. It all happened so fast, and bear in mind I was half asleep, luckily I came awake fairly quickly and held my bat at a 45 degree angle in front of my head, the bat took the main force of the blow. His bat bounced off and caught me on top of my right shoulder which made my whole arm briefly go numb. Needing to gain a little time & to get the feeling back in my arm I slammed and locked my bedroom door & called 000, (I also hit my house alarm button and the bloody thing did not work) as soon as I reported to the police I knew I had to go back out and front the bastard again because I could hear the young girl sobbing in her bedroom, my biggest worry was that he was not alone. Luck was with me, the coward had bolted with only Alison’s old laptop, her new iPhone and $15 cash. On the same night he robbed at least 2 other places near my house, mine was the only one that included violence. Across the water a couple were asleep on the lounge downstairs while the intruders went through their upstairs bedrooms, one of which contained 3 children under 6 years old. I have absolutely no doubt had I not been able to block the vicious blow aimed at my head I would more than likely have wound in hospital or the morgue.

Theme from Rocky - James Last Orchestra feat. Derek Watkins

Family dinner in Port Macquarie.

travel plus danger

Two of my brothers Warren & Ian, Warren’s wife Kerry & family friend Chris Lockwood.

Warren & Ian with our Uncle Allan.

travel plus danger

Allan Herd our uncle was without a doubt the toughest bravest Herd that ever lived. We travelled to Port Macquarie to present him with a family history photo book I had just finished. His 2nd World War experiences were absolutely remarkable. My brush with violence as I previously described is almost embarrassing compared to the horror he experienced. The title of this post Travel and danger fits Allan to a tee, I have never heard of anyone who was exposed to as much danger as this brave man.

Well into his 90s Allan was as sharp as a tack.

travel plus danger

Allan had a terrific sense of humor, describing the English soldiers on the Burma railway he remarked “those pommies had no stamina, they started dying within a week”. Please note I mean no offence to the thousands of brave British soldiers, this was just a comment from an old Aussie warrior.

Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.

travel plus danger

The fabulous Surfers Paradise skyline.

Alan Kendall from Sydney on his catamaran

travel plus danger

Alan is a nice guy who loves his sailing.

From the Sea wall on the Gold Coast

travel plus danger

A fascinating view of the high rise buildings.

Bondi Beach with Joan Baptiste

travel plus danger

I travelled to Sydney in February with Bill & Joan, check out the photos on this post.

Nikki & Tony Murphy

travel plus danger

Tony & I have been friends for nearly 30 years, here he is with his lovely lady Nikki.

Lloyd Ross

travel plus danger

Chinese food and a few drinks with my good mate Lloydy.

Melbas on the park

travel plus danger

lloyd’s 2nd office and my favourite bar. On July 10 2019 Melbas celebrated it’s 38th anniversary, I was lucky enough to be on the coast at the time. Check out THIS LINK.

Peter Hesky & his children

travel plus danger

Another friend of around 33 years, Peter is almost a recluse in Sydney these days with his Labradors, sadly I never hear from him any more.

Ettalong Central coast of NSW

Ettalong

Driving up the NSW coast to Port Macquarie I travelled through Ettalong for a dose of nostalgia. As kids we used to always spend our annual holidays here and Booker Bay.

Celebrating Xmas at the Shitterer’s house.

travel plus danger

In 2013 Les Scheffer & his wife Robyn placed me on their blacklist after many years of being friends. Now in 2018 I must admit my life is better without them in it. 🙂
 
Thanks for visiting my Travel plus danger in 2010 photo blog.
 
Glen Frey says it better than I can.

                           

 Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

2835141a-02cf-4cda-a909-2a8408a99f47        6a173a01-9744-404a-a45f-87a975ec90fa          d5436828-abbc-4da1-a638-7f90436c6417

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                         d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037              01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 
 That’s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 

Counter only started June 26 2020.

This gallery contains 4 photos

Sydney World’s Best Harbour

August 5, 2013 by David Herd

Wonderful harbour, golden beaches & sunshine.

Sydney World’s Best Harbour

Sydney World's Best HarbourSydney harbour best in the world, it is as exciting city, I admit to being biased when talking about this great city, I was born & raised here in the middle of the last century. I have flown into Sydney hundreds of times and even now it still takes my breath away. Most of this post will centre around the fabulous harbor because without a doubt it is the best the world has to offer.

View from Drummoyne bay.

Sydney World's Best HarbourFor several years I was fortunate enough to live on the waterfront in Drummoyne, a few miles west of the city, and every day from my balcony I would marvel at the city skyline and Harbour Bridge. My boat was moored in front of my home and every weekend you would find me on the harbour visiting quaint little beaches and wonderful restaurants. The photo above was part of my view.

Here is a stunning view of the Sydney city skyline.

Sydney World's Best HarbourSydney is rather fragmented due the harbour splitting it between north & south, personally I prefer to stay north of the harbour, but Darling Harbour on the west of the city is a great location, as is the famous Bondi Beach which is located in the eastern suburbs. Make sure you catch a ferry to Manly from the city and you will see why Sydney Harbour is regarded as the best in the world. So do your research and pick the district where you would like to book your hotel.

Circular Quay, the gateway to the city. 

Sydney World's Best HarbourGrab a seat here and soak up the tremendous view.

Sydney World’s Best Harbour

Sydney World's Best HarbourA huge ship is moored right opposite the Opera House.

Ferries at Circular Quay

Sydney World's Best HarbourA short trip to Manly across the magnificent harbour should be on the top of your list.

Centrepoint Tower.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Centrepoint tower which naturally has a revolving restaurant stands 309 m (1,014 ft) above Sydney. 

Anzac Bridge

Sydney World's Best Harbour

The ANZAC Bridge, replacing the earlier Glebe Island Bridge, is a large cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island close to the central business district of Sydney, Australia. Wikipedia

Darling Harbor in Sydney

Sydney World's Best Harbour

The Grand Mercure hotel in Darling Harbour.

The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

One of my old haunts for many years, the Oaks is one of the best hotels in Australia.

The Oak tree at the Oaks hotel

ab035f6b-c4f2-4d74-8f38-53c498eb2d3a

I have so many wonderful memories of enjoying a beer or two with friends at this great hotel.

Mr Wong, good Cantonese restaurant.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Mr Wong’s is a very good Cantonese restaurant off Bridge St in Sydney not far from Circular Quay.

Mr Wong at 3 Bridge St.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Mr Wong’s has a great atmosphere and very good food, put it on your list.

The famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

No doubt this is the best harbour in the world.

Please click on Google + to help my ranking. 

 

Climb the Harbour Bridge.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

My English friend Bill Austin said “lets go climb the bridge”,I said “thank you, but I think at this stage I will decline”, Bill being an ex Para military man had experienced about 500 jumps out of planes, many at night into enemy territory. I on the other hand have a great fear of heights, in fact let me tell you a little story about my brief stint in the fire brigade. I was 22 years of age when I passed the simple entry exam for the NSW fire brigade, everything was fine in the first 2 weeks, I was learning all the riveting information about the contents of a fire extinguisher and driving around Centennial Park in the fire engine.

Suddenly they produced what they claimed was the highest ladder in the country, 130 feet they proudly quoted. All the new recruits had to line up to climb to the top, drop a hook attached to your belt over the top rung of the ladder, then lean backwards trusting the hook would hold you. My turn finally came, I pointed out to the instructor there was nobody up there that needed to be rescued, so if he didn’t mind I would rather decline his request. As you can imagine he wasn’t happy, so after many heated words had passed between us I wandered into the front office and laid my helmet and axe on the counter, resigned and went home. So ended my career as a fearless fire fighter.  😳

This pastime is more my preference.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Forget about climbing bridges or jumping out of planes, I prefer to do battle with a wonderful Queensland Mud Crab. OK, so maybe he was dead and posing no threat, but there is no finer meal in Australia than a 1.5 kilo monster washed down with a Margaret River Chardonnay.

 The Manly Ferry.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

One of the best things to do in Sydney is to catch the ferry from Circular Quay in the city to Manly one of Sydney’s famous beaches. Enjoy some fish & chips by the beach and try to keep the seagulls from stealing your food.

Fish & Chips + Oysters.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Here I am at Manly with my friend Sue from Shanghai.

The Corso in Manly.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

In 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip of the Royal Navy left England with a fleet of ships to establish a colony in New South Wales. He was to be it’s first Governor. In January 1788, the fleet arrived at its destination, Botany Bay, which was found to be unsuitable for settlement, So, on 21 January, Phillip with others travelled north and examined Port Jackson, so named by Captain James Cook in 1770. They spent three days exploring Port Jackson and Phillip, impressed by the “confidence and manly behavior” of a group of aborigines in the northern reaches of the harbour, called the place “Manly Cove”.

Doyles at Watson’s Bay.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

On the opposite side of the harbour from Manly is Watson’s Bay, I have forgotten how many times I ate at this famous Sydney harbour side restaurant throughout the 70’s & 80’s, in fact I could almost drive my boat blindfolded from my waterfront home in Drummoyne about 40 minutes west of here.

Doyles in 1981.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

This was Doyles 32 years ago in 1981. On this original site, Doyles opened Australia’s first seafood restaurant in 1885. The restaurant has been family owned and operated for over five generations. With both indoor and outdoor dining, Doyles is located right on the foreshore of Watsons Bay overlooking the magnificent panorama of Sydney Harbour.

Flashback, Doyles 1982.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Here I am at Doyles with Helen Burke, my girlfriend at the time, enjoying one of our countless lunches on beautiful Sydney Harbour. Who said nostalgia was a thing of the past?

Did I have any fun in the 80’s?

Sydney World's Best Harbour

So maybe I am going back a long way, over 30 years in fact, however the fun we had on Sydney’s beautiful harbour will never be forgotten, and you can still live this same great life in Sydney today.

Dining solo (again) at Mr Wong.

Sydney World's Best Harbour

More photos of Mr Wong HERE.

Check out the super hotel rates from Agoda

Sydney is magnificent

Sydney World's Best Harbour

Put this venue on your bucket list.

What a harbour

Sydney World’s Best HarbourMy only complaint is that I can’t afford to live there anymore. 🙂

Well folks, many thanks for visiting my Sydney Harbour photo blog about the town where I was born. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed growing up there.

Please send the link to your friends https://fivestarvagabond.com/

                   Here are some more travel posts.

 Zagreb Croatia                      Rio de Janeiro                  Brisbane River 

Zagreb Croatia bars restaurants        a7ff7566-9628-434d-a2b1-8c6e8b9a9021       IMG_0100

       

     Koh Samui                                   Korea                                  London

32780a6c-baf6-428a-bd71-68b1bed30b4c         Changdeokgung Palace (2)        IMG_7042

         Bangkok                                   Osaka                                     Pattaya

Soi Cowboy (25)          Osaka 1st night (17)       Walking St Pattaya is wild & sexy 

                                     

             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

Chiang Mai with Tone        9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)   191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b

Pattaya live webcam
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Sit back and check out the slide show.

 

What a wonderful World

David Attenborough - Wonderful World - BBC - Full HD 1080p

             

 Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

2835141a-02cf-4cda-a909-2a8408a99f47        6a173a01-9744-404a-a45f-87a975ec90fa          d5436828-abbc-4da1-a638-7f90436c6417

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                         d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037              01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 That’s all folks
1g Duck
Pattaya live webcam 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 

50 Reasons Why Australians Are The Luckiest People On Earth

 Click here to see my 2010 Sydney post.

https://fivestarvagabond.com/circular-quay-and-bondi/

Super deals from Agoda
Click on the photo below to see more of Sydney harbour

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 5 photos