Tall buildings Surfers Paradise where I lived for 25 years before moving to Thailand in October 2011. Personally I preferred the city in the 70s & 80s before the explosion of modern high rise hotels and apartments. Having said all that, it is quite a spectacular part of Australia.
Old motel for sale
I’m surprised this prime property adjacent to the Chevron Island bridge was not developed years ago.
Chevron Renaissance
One of three towers offering apartments and hotel rooms.
Finally drinks with good friends Phil Thomson and Greg Craig at Melbas. Thanks for visiting my Blue Sky tall buildings Surfers Paradise photo blog, before you go check out my Isle Of Capriand Bundall blogs.
Bundall Shops Brothels Racecourse, it has it all. This was where I lived for 21 years until October 2011. The north end of Upton Street was residential with some luxurious waterfront homes including mine, while the southern end is full of shops, offices & factories.
Bundall Shops Brothels Racecourse
90% of anything and everything I needed to purchase over the years I could find in Upton St.
The Corporate Centre
Around the corner in Bundall Road is the iconic Corporate Centre.
Bundall Road near Crombie Avenue
A couple of the Bundall Road prestige office buildings.
McLauchlan & Partners
A financial planning company at 80-82 Upton St, Bundall, I knew Alex many years ago in the late 8os when his office was in Southport. I remember him as a keen golfer who enjoyed a beer.
The Good Guys
Another huge Queensland discount electrical store.
Adult toy shop
Here is where you can buy all those adult toys & accessories to put some buzz back into your sex life.
Right across the road
For those lonely guys here is Silks one of the local brothels, as I said earlier Upton Street Bundall has everything you could possibly need. 🙂
For all you need to know about the local hookers just follow THIS LINK.
Here’s a map
So you guys won’t get lost. 🙂
OK, back to reality
This is one of about 3 major lighting stores on Upton Street Bundall.
The race track
Upton St also butts onto the Southport race track which used to be the only track in Australia to host a meeting every Saturday.
I’m there for nearly every Melbourne cup or Magic Millions event.
Watching the the ladies slowly deteriorate as the day draws to a close. 🙂
This was my home for 21 fabulous years, I designed and had it built in 1990, added a 2nd story in 2004, which turned out to be a mistake as it made it much harder to sell. However sell it did in October 2011 and one week later I moved to Thailand.
This is an awful looking house
Being built 4 doors from my old home in July 2018.
The lake near where I used to live.
My house was just out of the photo to the right.
For a great hotel room rate (with free cancellation) just book through THIS LINK.
Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.
The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.
This is not a travel blog just my personal photo collection from the 2nd half of 2016.
Another birthday rolls around July 7.
Loving Pattaya life 2016
Loving Pattaya life 2016 has seen me spend all year here, the quietest travel year I have had this century. I over spent in the last 2 or 3 years so I thought I should pull my horns in. 🙂
I spent 5 days in Koh Samui in June, 2 weeks in Australia in August and a great trip to Japan in October.
Some of the usual suspects
Greg, Hamish & John helped me celebrate at the Mantra.
A year living in Pattaya seems like about 6 months, time just seems to fly.
Great beach shot August 4th at 7am
All the boats are waiting for the hordes of Chinese tourists.
And here they come in their thousands
The buses roll into Beach Road of a morning and the tourists flock to the boats.
Tony & Nikki Murphy at Signature Steak & Seafood.
The Murphy’s spent a week in Pattaya then 3 nights in Mae Pim before flying back to Australia.
Visitors from San Diego
It was great to catch up with Paul, Eileen, Parker & Elle in Pattaya as part of their 9 week Asian holiday with included Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Samet & Danang.
Seagulls in Pattaya?
Here is a sculpture on Beach Rd showing a flock of seagulls, yet to this day I have never seen a seagull in Pattaya. 🙂
Here comes the rain
I love seeing the black clouds roll in over Pattaya.
Steve is a great mate of Larry’s from the Gold Coast. Terrific news for movie goers which vastly overshadows the recent Brangelina bullshit, the “odd couple” Larry Krausz & Steven Reade have been signed by BangBros, the largest porn studio in the world, to star in a remake of the 1988 movie Twins, which stared Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. See if you can pick who will play DeVito. 🙂
The more thigs change the more they stay the same
After many years the Cherry bar on Soi 3 & 2nd Rd has been sold and is now Billabong 2.
When can we have some fun?
Every night you go out in Pattaya the fun starts.
For a discounted hotel rate with free WiFi in Pattaya or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK
Starbucks
Opened in September at the “Bay” which is between Soi 5 & 6 on Beach Rd.
Good coffee & happy staff
They are the first to open at the Bay, next will be McDonalds.
Stunning November sunset
So many great sunsets from my balcony.
My new home
On November 1st after 4.5 years I moved from the 17th floor in Markland to the 20th, does that mean I coming up in the world?
The usual suspects
Jim’s Burgers is a great place for a casual dinner with friends, I’m with Hamish, Jonathon & Matt.
Delicious
Lots of varieties & you can order small or large.
One of my massage girls
Used to be a waitress in Chamiko in Soi 3, now she works at a massage parlour in Soi 3 & sometimes gives me a reasonable foot massage.
Spectacular clouds over Koh Larn
These days I seem to be obsessed with taking photos of clouds & sunsets. 🙂
October in Japan
I m with my friend Kayo in a Spanish restaurant in Tokyo. I purchased a two week ticket on the Shinkansen or bullet train, then after 3 nights in Tokyo I travelled to 6 interesting Japanese cities, includung Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Nagasaki & Fukuoka.
I arrived back in Pattaya on Ocober 28th & the following day my good friend Larry Krausz was rushed to Bangkok Pattaya hospital after suffering a major stroke, now 5 weeks later on December 5th he is still in a serious condition in the intensive care ward.
Ross & Bryce arrive from Australia
The boys came over for a few days to visit Larry.
Centara Grand
After a couple of cold beers at Centara Grand and a Pattaya cop working security wanted to throw us out. I lay the blame 100% on Pothole aka John David Martin who was dressed like a local bum & showing off his silly tattoos. 🙂
Pothole & sons + Kayo.
Tate is Pothole’s eldest son, he arrived in Thailand from Australia to celebrate Xmas & to meet his 2 half brothers Tyrone & Tiger. Notice for some strange reason known only to Pothole, all his children including daughter Tamara have to have a first name starting with the letter T. Just another one of his many offbeat strange quirks. 🙂 The lovely Japanese girl in the photo is my friend Kayo from Tokyo.
Shopping for a dress in Soi 6
Even though Soi 6 is one of the wildest streets in Pattaya there is still time for some quiet shopping. 🙂
Soi Diana redhead.
A very sweet girl from Area 51, no wonder I’m Loving Pattaya life 2016′
On the subject of Soi 6
Here is Geoff from Australia, a fanatical Soi 6 supporter. We are at Leckerle in Soi 33 Naklua with his ex fiance Nana for a terrific meal & lots of wine.
Xmas Day with Geoff & Nana
We started with a bottle of French Champagne on my balcony.
Lunch at Surf & Turf & Loving Pattaya life 2016
A great location on the beach at Wongamat. Kayo flew from Tokyo to spend 10 days in Thailand before heading to Australia.
Two nights in Bangkok
December 29th took Pothole & Yogurt to Cheap Charles before checking out Brewski a new sky bar at the Radisson Blu.
New Years Eve in Pattaya
Steve “Jumbo” Reade having a ball at the Atlantic Bar & Loving Pattaya life 2016.
Atlantic girls
They all looked terrific, dressed to kill. 🙂
Meet the gorgeous Katie.
A very happy lady from Billabong 2.
Here’s Pothole dressed in his Jaffa outfit.
Anything to attract attention. 🙂
Farewell to an old friend
Larry Krausz, a friend for around 30 years suffered a major stroke on October 28. After 2 months in the Bangkok Pattaya hospital on life support he was transported to Australia by a hospital Leer jet, thanks to his Medibank travel insurance. After a month his life support was removed & he passed away peacefully.
It’s now 2017 and here is Glenn Frey to tell you exactly how I feel today.
For a discounted hotel rate with free WiFi in Pattaya or anywhere in the world, just book through THIS LINK
Enjoying the last year of the 90s, please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal online photo albums.
Gold Coast life 1999
Gold Coast life 1999 was not too different from previous years except for the fact I was no longer working. In 1998 I decided to take a year off work and travel, little did I realise I would never go back to full time work again.
I have often wondered if I made the right decision to retire and travel the world. On one hand had I continued to work for another 6 or 7 years I obviously would have been far better off financially, however on the flip side I can never replace the wonderful years of travel I enjoyed during those years. Consequently looking back in 2016 I’m very happy with the decision I made. Take a look at my travel record for 1999 below. 🙂
An incredible year for travel
The photo above was taken in Koh Samui with Francesca & Barbara from Florence. In 1999 I had three trips to Thailand, February, August & December, my first trip to Rio for Carnival in February was part of an around the world adventure with my friend Larry Krausz. Another fabulous 2 month around the world trip in November included Los Angeles, Las Vegas Miami, Mexico City, Bolivia, Brazil, (Rio, Iguazu falls & Salvador) Paris & Thailand.
Kathy was a regular visitor
A simple phone call would result in an hour or so of passion, priceless. 🙂
A little more of Kathy
Without a doubt Kathy had one of the hottest bodies I have ever seen. 🙂
Lots of parties lots of girls, Narrelle, Simone & Kushler.
All through the 90s and beyond the parties never stopped.
Myoung-sook a nice Korean lady
Myoung and I spent some time together in 1999.
Sometimes she would stay for breakfast. 🙂
She was a very keen golfer.
she was quite a keen golfer.
Lorrie & Leonie
I took Lorrie & Leonie boating, they were two Canadians visiting the Gold Coast.
Dinner at Ashmore Steak & Seafood
This popular restaurant always ensured you never left hungry.
My beautiful mother Iris Joyce Herd, my brother Ian & his wife Sandra, Adam one of their sons & Myoung my Korean girlfriend.
Rossco, one of the happiest guys I know.
I count Ross Kennedy as one of my best friends, we had so many great times together. Certainly one of our most memorable adventures was our road trip trip to Melbourne in 1996, to check it out just follow THIS LINK.
Thinking back to my 25 years on the Gold Coast there were just so many highlights, I’m really very happy to be able to re-live them through my FiveStarVagabond photo blog.
Through all those years I remember having a hand full of good friends and many many acquaintances. Due to my reasonably abrasive personality there were also many people that couldn’t stand me. My message to them is quite simple, see below.
A message for the knockers
Having said all that let’s get back to 1999. 🙂
Jimmy Bell & the smokers
Another Sunday session at my Upton St home, Jim “HO HO” Bell rented a room at my home for 17 years.
For a great room rate on the Gold Coast just book through THIS LINK.
Emily used to be a meter maid
And yes the silly tattoo is a temporary one from Thailand. 🙂
Swifty actually wound up marrying Emily and produced a couple of fine sons. I owe thanks to Ray for introducing me to Kathy who you saw at the start of this post.
Farewell Colleen
Colleen was leaving Saks bar & restaurant, owners Duncan McGuiness & Steve are wishing her well.
Phil Thomson, another great friend.
Phil has always been a Porsche lover, these days in 2016 he has a Boxter sitting in the garage.
Talking about cars, here are my beauties
It was a very difficult decision to decide which one to drive. 🙂
Ziggy & my boat
You had to have all the toys & props to stand out on the Gold Coast, to be honest 50% of the people I met were fairly shallow individuals & easily impressed. Then again the same probably applies to other Australian cities as well. 🙂
Main Beach blondes
Catie, Marina & Kylie were waitresses at a popular Main Beach cafe.
Mike Wood, Greg Craig and Dave Allen.
A few drinks at Melbas in as we did so many times over the years, it was simply Gold Coast life 1999.
Sweet Myumi
Well that’s all folks from Myumi & I, thanks for visiting my Gold Coast life 1999 photo blog. It’s now February 2018 & I”m living in Thailand, and I get a huge kick from re-living some of these incredible years through my photo blogs. I just can’t believe what a fortunate life I have had. 🙂
Mae Pim beach boats sunsets a beautiful onshore wind & peace and quiet. Only 90 minutes from Pattaya and 2 hours from Bangkok airport. The peace & quiet only applies between February and October, the 3 months over Xmas is a different story when the crowds converge on this delightful beach side resort.
Fishing traps
Here are the traps being loaded onto the boat.
Setting off for a nights fishing
The traps are on board and there is a long night ahead, Mae Pim beach boats sunsets it’s all here.:)
Roadside stalls
The fresh produce is sold at roadside stalls beside the beach.
Beautiful Mae Pim beach boats sunsets
Plenty of deck chairs through the high season however they don’t seem to waste their time offering them in the low season.
Looking west the beach goes on forever
This is the perfect place for long beach walks with the onshore wind blowing in your face.
Mae Pim beach resort Thailand
Sunset at Mae Pim
A beautiful time of the day to enjoy a stroll along the beach.
The sun setting in the west
Mae Pim is on the gulf of Thailand only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, it’s so quiet and peaceful after the noise & Madness of Pattaya.
However it’s not all a wilderness
There are many restaurants offering live seafood, the photo above is my brother Warren & I at Tequila Sunrise.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 and 81 living on the waterfront in Drummoyne with the view you see in the header on this post. I drove a white Mercedes Sports, had my Bertram 25 moored in front of my apartment, and a liquor store in Sydenham, quite a few good friends and a long line of beautiful girlfriends, life was very close to perfect. The Watsons Bay hotel shown above was one of my regular haunts as was Doyles restaurant. It’s a great place to stay when in Sydney, for an excellent room rate just book through THIS LINK.
This is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
My boat
I had an absolute perfect mooring right outside my apartment, it was so much fun on Sydney harbour visiting all the great beaches & restaurants. They really were Great years Sydney 1980 to January 1987 when I pulled up stakes and moved to the Gold Coast.
Smooth operator
It seemed the parties and drinks never stopped at my Drummoyne apartment, life was very good indeed.
Jeff and Debbie Don
Gorgeous Debbie & party animal Jeff, another smooth operator.
Sade - Smooth Operator - Official - 1984
The party never stopped
Looking back to my 6 years at Drummoyne I feel I made a serious mistake getting engaged and moving to Newport. My decision was based on a particular mindset we grew up with, eventually we all should settle down, marry & have children. In hindsight I now know that’s OK for the majority of people, but not everybody, & I’m certainly in the category of “not everybody”. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Talking about being engaged, here is my future fiancee in 1981
Karen Smith and Dirk Kammerling were an item for several years until her and I started going out in 1984 which led to our engagement.
Karen & I in 1981
Who would have thought in 3 years we would be engaged and living together at Newport?
Castle Cove 1980
Two of the girls here were sisters, Carmen & Antionette Sherry, plus my good friend Rob Symonds and Peter H.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 included Carmen & Antoinette
Decorating my XJ 6 in 1980.
Antoinette Sherry
What a beautiful redhead. 🙂
Here are some of the usual suspects
John Malouf, Peter Singleton and Dennis Moran at another one of my Drummoyne gatherings.
Joanne Barrett came 3rd in Miss Universe 1969
What a beautiful face, is it any wonder she was 3rd in the Miss Universe?
Singapore 1980
Some people who have seen this photo have been cruel enough to suggest that I looked like a Miami drug dealer, and here was I thinking I was just a very cool dude. 🙂
Rob Symonds & I in Singapore 1980
Rob & I had a great trip to Manilla, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore. This was when I first got hooked on Thailand, little did I realise 31 years later I would move there permanently. Take a look at my photo blog, just follow THIS LINK.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980, the blondes are here
That’s Teresa on the left sitting at my bar, and I can’t believe that I have forgotten the name of the other beautiful creature. 🙂
Here is the beautiful anonymous blonde as a redhead
Now is that a fantastic face or what?
When can I start having fun?
Right about now I would say, in fact I clearly remember a ménage à trois with two of these gorgeous babes. 🙂
Tall gorgeous redhead
Her name was Louise and we had a brief fling, Antoinette & I are checking her prowess on the BBQ. She knew how to handle a sausage. 🙂
I told you she was gorgeous
An absolute knockout.
Two more knockouts, Kerry & Terry
Two of my favourite Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980.
Shirley Jones 1980
Shirley was an air hostess for TAA which does not exist anymore. She & Debbie Don were flatmates who lived around the corner in Drummoyne ave and came to most of my parties. Compare us in the following photo. 🙂
After many hours of booze
At the end of the day decorum would go out the window. 🙂
Another Shirley
This Shirley worked for Stripper-gram, we used to go out together occasionally. A very funny thing happened at my Dad’s retirement party, he had worked for Berger paints for 46 years. We were celebrating at what was then the Silverwater Businessman’s Club, in came a gorgeous girl in a bikini, draped in feathers, and proceeded with her well-practised routine.
The shocked look on my mother’s face had nothing to do with the girl sitting on Dad’s knee, it was when she walked over to our table and said to me, “hi David, nice to see you, when are we going out on your boat again”? Yes, it was Shirley, somebody had hired a stripper-gram for him. 🙂
This was Vickie in 1980
The long line of Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 continues, it seemed there were so many babes and such little time. 🙂
Carol Aboud the ultimate party girl
Even though Carol was the mother of four young children she was the ultimate party girl. Part of a wealthy eastern suburbs family, her father was the managing director of Century batteries & in his eyes she could do no wrong.
We really had some great times together over a four year period, although it was one of those on & off relationships that ran into quite a few road blocks along the way.
Talking about party animals
This is Roger “Ramjet” Williams who could always be relied upon to put on a show. Two of his party tricks were drinking a Bloody Mary containing 1/2 a bottle of Tabasco sauce. If a normal person had one sip it would set your mouth on fire. His 2nd trick was to take a raw onion and eat it like an apple, this man obviously had no taste buds. 🙂
A Mexican bandit? No it’s Chris Adams
One of the Adelaide guys I knocked around with when I lived there in 72 to 74, Chris wound up in Sydney then I lost track of him. I have always had a knack of giving people nicknames that seemed to stick with them, in Chris’s case his name was “The Mouth”. 🙂
Another Shirley, Xmas 1981
A gorgeous little girl from the eastern suburbs who had a wealthy father and lived at Darling Point.
Ron Walsh from Broken Hill with Donna.
Ron was a close friend for many years, he owned the Retravision store in Broken Hill and would find any excuse to visit me when I lived in Adelaide, we had some wonderful fun times together.
Debbie Secombe another of the Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980
Debbie a cool Aussie chick who worked at the Manilla Playboy Club for a few years before turning up at one of my famous parties.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980, Di Parkinson Xmas 1981
Di was one of the most beautiful ladies I ever knew, also one of the craziest. No woman has caused me more problems in my life than this one. Apart from all that we had many great times together during the last 10 years.
One of the great nights of my life, and one of the best NYEs of my life, we overloaded my boat with 16 people and headed off to a seafood restaurant at “the Spit” for dinner before heading to the Opera House for the incredible fireworks. My girlfriend for the night was the gorgeous one in the middle, very unusual that I can’t remember her name.
I considered Wolf Wottke my best friend since we met in Adelaide in 1973, that friendship continued until I moved to Newport in 1984, sadly after that it was never the same.
Sydenham Cellars grand opening 1980 featuring Debbie Don.
In the 4 years I owned my liquor store I never really made too much money, 3 of those years the road was was closed for 3 or 4 months which effected my turnover rather badly. Luckily I had purchased the property and made a killing when I sold.
OK, one last look at Debbie.
She is certainly worth a look don’t you think?
Thanks for visiting my Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 photo blog, what an era that was. No doubt at all 80, 81 & 82 were amazing years for living large & gorgeous ladies.
It’s now 2017 and here is Glenn Frey to tell you exactly how I feel today.
Great hotel rates here, just book through THIS LINK.
Sydney landmarks harbour bridge were on my agenda when I spent a couple of days in Sydney in 2005. This was my first stop on an exciting around the world trip to San Francisco, Miami, Rio de Janeiro for Carnival, north East coast of Brazil, Paris, Bangkok and Pattaya.
Sydney landmarks harbour bridge
The magnificent Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are two of the most recognisable structures in the world.
Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon’s 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The NSW Government, led by Premier Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958, with Utzon directing construction. The government’s decision to build Utzon’s design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect’s ultimate resignation.
Sydney landmarks harbour bridge
Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people.
The Rocks overlooking Circular Quay
The oldest part of Sydney was founded in 1788 as a penal colony.
Bill Austin from Wiltshire
My friend Bill jumped out of planes 100s of times when he was in the Paras so climbing the bridge was a piece of cake for him. 🙂
For a very good discount on Sydney hotel rooms just book through THIS LINK.
Doyles at Watsons Bay
Certainly one of Sydney’s well known landmarks, world famous for the fish & chips.
Doyles in 1981.
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.
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?
The old Darlington school.
Here is a lovely building most Sydney people would not know existed. It’s a fine example of a single story Gothic Revival style suburban schools designed by the Architect to the Council of Education: George Allen Mansfield. An important public building of the former suburb of Darlington, the smallest municipality in Sydney.
Sydney landmarks harbour bridge & Anzac Bridge
Opened in December 1995, costing $170 million to build, it’s a link between Sydney City and the western suburbs.
View from Crows nest
Nice to see lots of trees.
Thanks for visiting my Sydney landmarks harbour bridge photo blog.
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Champagne weekend Sydney in 2008 was on the menu when I spent a weekend at a friends home in Point Piper. He worries about being seen on the internet, so to protect his privacy we will just call him Stingy. I imagine a whistle-blower will tip him off about this post and he will complain as usual. I would like to stress nothing in this personal photo blog of mine is intended to cause him any discomfort. It is in fact a salute to a very successful businessman.
I would like to emphasise my policy regarding my photo & travel blogs, should any person be offended or concerned by material I have posted, please contact me direct and I will immediately remove it.
Champagne football Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.
I was very lucky when Stingy lent me one of his cars to use, extremely lucky when it turned out to be a Lexus. 🙂
City skyline from Vaucluse
I took advantage of my flash transport and did a little tour around the eastern suburbs.
A deserted Coogee beach,I have many memories of the local pubs where I often visited in my 20s.
Stingy is the big guy in the middle
Peter Hobbs and Peter H on the right. Peter H is another guy who is paranoid about his name on the internet. We are at the SCG to see the Sydney Swans play the Richmond Tigers.
Sydney Cricket Ground
This wonderful sports arena with this beautiful members stand, which was built in 1886, holds countless memories for myself and millions of sports fans all over Australia.
Stingy & friends
John Martin aka Pothole with his Chinese girlfriend and Lee O’mara are here with Stingy at the Woolahra hotel. Pothole lives in the same condo as I do in Pattaya 2 hours south of Bangkok, in fact he accompanied me on a quick trip to Koh Samui only last week on June 20 2016.
Woolahra Hotel
Sadly Pothole lost his best friend John Griffin just a few months after this photo was taken after he lost a long battle with cancer.
For a great hotel rate in Sydney just book through THIS LINK.
Bar Reggio
Friday lunch at Bar Reggio is a long term tradition for Stingy and his friends, located in Crown St Darlinghurst, it is a lively Italian restaurant that serves good food and allows you to bring your own wine.
Back to Stingy’s palace
Every wall upstairs and down is cluttered with paintings.
Running out of wall space
A great example of how to make a terrific home look less attractive. 🙂
A Stingy lookalike
They could be twins. 🙂
Champagne weekend Sydney, I’ll drink to that.
I’m not generally a champagne drinker however I will make an exception for Dom Perignon. 🙂
Great kitchen
This is certainly one of the nicest homes I have ever stayed in.
Stingy’s liquor cabinet
There is no shortage of booze in Stingy’s house, as you can clearly see Jim Beam is his preferred poison.
Ten years have flown by & now in 2018 aged 70 Stingy has given up the booze. So many years of heavy drinking have finally caught up with him. The doctors advice was crystal clear, stop drinking or die.
Geriatrics R Us.
That’s Stingy (2nd from the left) in December 2017, he has lost an incredible amount of weight being off the booze.
Naturally living on the waterfront you need a boat
Captain Stingy conducting business on the high seas. 🙂
Stingy = chick magnet
Of course the ladies are attracted by his good looks and animal magnetism, boats, booze & a $6 million dollar house have nothing to do with it.
Champagne weekend Sydney at Stingy’s palace
Three stories and looking over Sydney harbour.
Just a short distance to his great catamaran.
Stingy’s great looking boat.
Sea Treasure at Crows Nest.
On the right is my cousin Debbie with her South African friend Phyllis, great food at the Sea Treasure.
Crab at the Sea Treasure
Fantastic crab at the Sea Treasure, this reminds me of Boat Quay in Singapore. 🙂
That’s all folks
Thanks for visiting my Champagne weekend Sydney photo blog.
Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Newport peninsular Sydney was my home for three years from 1984 to 1987. After becoming engaged to a beautiful Melbourne lady Karen Smith, I purchased a timber home perched on a hill above the Royal Motor Yacht Club. The cost was $128k, and I sold it after our engagement fizzled out 4 years later for $360K. I guess it would be worth nearly 2 million dollars today.
Absolutely gorgeous.
As you can see Karen was a beautiful lady, it took me anther 10 years before I realised I was just not cut out for marriage or long term relationships. There is probably a multitude of reasons why, fear of commitment, too independent etc etc.
Dinner party at Herbert Avenue
We were very happy at Newport 80% of the time, I tried hard to settle down and enjoy life as a couple, every now and then however the “call of the wild” would interrupt our utopia.
Wolf Wottke (with the beard) had been my best friend for a number of years, I left him renting my Drummoyne apartment for a year or so until I got fed up chasing the rent. Consequently I sold it which in hindsight was probably a mistake.
Lots of birds & wildlife
These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.
Life was very good
I had all the toys, a beautiful Mercedes Sports, a cabin cruiser moored at the yacht club, a liquor store in Sydenham which I was in the process of selling and a good sales job with Canon Australia.
Lion Island
This great photo (excuse the quality) was taken on Lion Island in the Hawksbury River, from left to right we have Graham La Roche aka “Biff”, his girlfriend at the time Mona,Ross Ansell from Melbourne and Karen Smith & I.
Me Tarzan
Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.
31 Herbert Avenue Newport
About 25 years later around 2012 I paid a visit to Herbert Avenue to see if things had changed. Apart from the colour scheme and far less vegetation nothing much had changed.
Another day on Pittwater
My good friend Tony Murphy and his beautiful wife Inge join Karen & I on my 26 foot cabin cruiser. After 29 years I caught up with Inge in Melbourne in 2014.
My back veranda overlooked Bayview
Here is my good friend Paul Slaughter with two gorgeous girls, on the left is Trish and on the right an old girlfriend of mine Shirley.
Big Tim Bristow, dinner at Herbert Avenue.
Tim Bristow was a friend of mine dating back from the time we met in 1971 when he was on my tail to give me a hiding, but that’s another story just follow THIS LINK. In the 70s just the name Tim Bristow struck fear into the heart of all those who knew him, an enforcer with a reputation of being one of the most brutal street fighters in Australia. Put simply he was legend, a bouncer at the Newport Arms hotel, would be contenders for his crown would travel from all over Sydney to try their luck, many came and all of them were sent packing battered and bruised.
I sold my liquor store in late 1984 which took the pressure off me. I had been working with Canon for a few months and travelling to Sydenham (a one hour drive each way) at weekends to work in the liquor store. Meanwhile I dug a wine cellar underneath my Newport home and stored a huge amount of wine that I took home from the shop.
Unwins Bridge Road
That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.
Newport peninsular Sydney Brian Millard
Brian was a boat broker at Newport and a regular drinker at the Newport Arms hotel. He lived just up the road at Bungan Beach before moving to Noosa where I believe he still resides.
Richard on the left and Rob Carnahan
Two very nice guys who were customers of mine when I was with Canon. Their office was opposites the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay so more often than not we would meet in the pub. 🙂
A bunch of my nephews & nieces come to visit.
Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.
Sue and John Heatherington
A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.
Malaysia 1985
John & Sue, Karen & I went on a Canon conference to Penang, here we are driving from Penang to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur.
Singapore Xmas 1985
Here we are in Singapore, notice the cigarette. I smoke on and off for most of my life until 2003. Usually 2 or 3 years then I would quit for a similar time before returning to the grip of the nicotine.
Newport peninsular Sydney with Phil Parkinson
Phil has lived most of his life on the Newport peninsular Sydney and I believe still does in 2016. He is the brother of my ex girlfriend Di Parkinson.
Melbourne Cup 1985
Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burkewho is on the left of the photo. Helen has a vineyard at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular, I spent a few day there in October 2014 drinking wine with her and her partner Jack.
Oscars Coolangatta 1985
I can’t remember the name of the beautiful dark haired princess, she was the girlfriend of my crazy chiropractor from North Sydney.
Newport peninsular Sydney
Prior to buying my cabin cruiser I had this little run-about, it was a lot of fun, do you like the name? 🙂
Another guy from my rogues gallery.
Danny Rose one of Adelaide’s true characters, we had a day of the water, you can see “Stamped Urgent” in the background.
Beautiful Karen Smith
Certainly my life on the Newport peninsular Sydney revolved around lots of good friends and my beautiful fiancée Karen. My thanks to her for being the most important part of my life for those great years.
Thanks also to you for visiting my Newport peninsular Sydney photo blog.
Koh Samui sports bars have increased quite a bit since I was there in 2007. Most of the beer bars etc have numerous screens showing sport from all over the world. The header for this post show my friend John Martinaka Pothole& I on our first night in Chaweng at Henry’s Africa which seems to be the best bar in town.
Koh Samui sports bars
Henry’s Africa is a huge bar with lot’s of girls, some pool tables and TV screens. As you can see Potholeis enjoying himself. 🙂
Henry’s Africa
Early in the evening they offer Chang beer at B79.
Best racks in town
Or so they claim.
Opposite Henry’s
There are a couple of small bars struggling to attract customers because of the low number of tourists in June 2016.
Green Mango
This iconic bar nightclub is a little further along the street, it is arguably Chaweng’s most popular nightspot. It boasts of one of the largest dance floors on the island, Green Mango is large, loud, & very busy from around 11 pm.
Green Mango
A great effect with the green and orange decorations.
Happy Bar
A little further around the corner from the Green Mango there are quite a few smaller bars.
It was a little early and there were no customers, most of the young tourists in Samui don’t go out until around 11 pm. Geriatrics like us are living in a different time zone. 🙂
Keep walking back to the main street and you will find the Hard Rock.
Bondi Aussie Bar & Grill
Another sports bar where the Aussies gather for obvious reasons. I was rather put off by the B210 price for a Jack Daniels. So I went to the bar next door to watch the State of Origin played on June 22nd, which QLD won.
The bar next door.
A glass or red here was only B80.
The Islander
200 meters down the road from the Aussie bar is the Islander where I watched the AFL, next door is Legends, another well known sports bar.
Tropical Murphy’s Irish Pub
Quite a way up the road past Central Festival is Tropical Murphy’s another popular sports bar.
Tropical Murphy’s
A fairly normal layout, however a funny thing happened as I took this photo, initially the Thai barman was standing towards the front of the bar, but as soon as I raised my camera he ran like a rabbit to get out of the shot. I’m guessing he is hiding from somebody. 🙂
VW sidewalk bar
There are lots of these great mobile bars where I live in Pattaya.
