City | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Sydney Inner City Adventure

February 3, 2022 by David Herd

Sydney Inner City Adventure

Sydney Inner City Adventure using Newtown, a diverse, bohemian neighbourhood that bustles with activity day and night, as my home base for a four day birthday celebration.

46 Egan St

I stayed with my lovely niece Alyssa in this little terrace house about 200 meters from the main drag. I can’t believe the rent they pay in Sydney, this little joint is $730 pw.

Sydney Inner City Adventure

Here is Elyssa with her dad, boyfriend Chris & daughter Isabel (who doesn’t look too happy).

The best breakfast in Newtown.

It’s a cafe called Dr Earth & you get all this including an excellent coffee for $16.50.

Different day different cook.

Same breakfast different style.

One of the many Newtown pubs.

Great spot for a beer or 2 on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Dinner at The Bach Eatery

A delightful New Zealand restaurant serving interesting food. Bach is Kiwi talk for weekender.

Chicken liver pate.

TripAdvisor is #2 of 128 Restaurants in Newtown.

A view of the busy main St at Bach.

One of the many eateries offering multicultural fare which caters to locals and University of Sydney students.

The Old Darlington School

We walked from Newtown to Chippendale to have lunch at Central Park & passed this wonderful old Darlington School on the way.

Old Darlington School

A fine example of a single storey 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.

Central Court

Many more new buildings should copy this great idea with lots of plants covering the whole site. Check out THIS LINK on this wonderful building.

My lovely niece Elyssa.

Enjoying lunch at Din Tai Fung. TripAdvisor rating is #1,494 of 5,042 Restaurants in Sydney.

Cruise Bar at Circular Quay

Here is Laura another one of my lovely nieces & her husband Jordan belting out a few numbers on a cold Sunday afternoon.

Sydney Inner City Adventure with Golden Boy & the Bell. 🙂

It was terrific catching up with this lovely couple.

Circular Quay Sydney

What a fabulous part of this great city.

Newtown street art

One man’s graffiti is another man’s street art. 🙂

Sydney Inner City Adventure

The street art really brightens up my Sydney Inner City Adventure.

Saturday July 7 at Mr Wong

I celebrated my birthday with my old boss & friend from Sanyo Office Machines Ross Radford. I worked for Ross in Adelaide & Melbourne way back in the 70s.

Heading east up William Street Darlinghurst

On my way to Woolahra for dinner at Big Mamas.

Let the games begin.

Pre dinner drinks with Wayne (Woody) Morris, we spent some time together in Vietnam in 2015.

Two more friends at Big mamma’s

Roland Bonnici & Robbie Bonett, Roland is a well known Sydney Barrister & Robbie owns Sydney Wheel Repairs and Tyres in Victoria Rd Drummoyne.

Sydney Fish Market

My brother Bryan Herd & Viv Kennelly, for more shots of the market just follow THIS LINK.. Many thanks for visiting my Sydney Inner City Adventure photo blog.

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A-One hotel on Beach Road

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

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Melbourne City cold windy

August 16, 2021 by David Herd

Melbourne City cold windy

Melbourne City cold windy when I visited in 2014 after driving from Adlelaide via the Great Ocean Road. It was so cold I only spent two days before heading to the Gold Coast.

Queenscliff to Sorrento

After the Great Ocean Road I caught the ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento on the way to Phillip Island before staying at Dromana & Melbourne.

Melbourne City cold windy with a beautiful blue sky

Looking at this photo it’s hard to believe how cold it was. 🙂

These two girls must have been cold

I guarantee their teeth were chattering. 🙂

The famous Yarra River

The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the Yarra are where Victoria’s state capital Melbourne was established in 1835, and today metropolitan Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches. Wikipedia

Starbucks

Located in Swanston Street Melbourne, I don’t ever miss a day visiting a Starbucks branch somewhere. 🙂

Prince’s Bridge Hotel

Young & Jackson’s (Princes Bridge Hotel) is one of Melbourne’s best-known hotels. The hotel has stood beside Melbourne’s busiest crossroads for nearly 140+ years emerging from humble origins to become an icon for the city. Young & Jackson’s is famous for many reasons, not just its landmark status, on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets, or its past early openings and riotous 6pm closing when hoards consumed as much as possible prior to the closing bell.

The horse & buggy guy

You gotta love that wastecoat. 🙂

Her Magesties Theatre

Her Majesty’s Theatre is a 1,700 seat theatre in Melbourne’s East End Theatre District, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Wikipedia

Federation Square

Located on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street, Federation Square is at the hub of Melbourne’s CBD, arts and sports precinct. With so much to see and do here, it’s no surprise that Federation Square takes up the entire size of a city block-that’s 38,000 square metres to be precise.

Burke & Wills

The whole monument, at the corner of Collins and Swanston streets, will be moved to avoid damage during the tunnelling works. More about Burke & Wills HERE.

Inge & Geoff

Had dinner at Lupinos with very nice old friends. Lupinos is rated 4.5 of 5 on Tripadvisor and ranked #21 of 4958 restaurants in Melbourne.

Thanks for visiting my Melbourne City cold windy photo blog.

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Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

June 19, 2018 by David Herd

A city between Tokyo & Kyoto

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan sits by the shore of Lake Biwa the largest lake in Japan. In previous blogs I have been a little harsh when writing about Hikone, however the Castle was interesting & I dined at two very good restaurants. Above is Castle Road which as you can guess leads to the famous Castle.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Apparently the buildings along Castle road have been designed like town houses from the Edo Period with white walls.

It was a long walk to Starbucks

Always worth the effort though. 🙂

My hotel to Starbucks

I’m sure it took me longer than 31 minutes. 🙂 Hotel Sunroute Hikone is also only 4 minutes walk from the station, you can get a room for around $30 AUD if you book through THIS LINK.

I stopped for an ice cream on the way back to my hotel.

I tend to walk as much as possible to help my fitness, plus you see more of the local environment. Most days I was walking more than 10,000 steps.

Cute coffee shop

Also there are lots more photo opportunities when you walk.

A monster supermarket

By far the biggest I have ever seen anywhere in the world.

The famous Castle

Five castles in Japan are national treasures, this is one of them. Hikone Castle’s three storied castle keep is relatively small but displays a unique design that combines multiple different architecture styles. This is one reason why the castle keep has been designated a national treasure, the highest designation for cultural properties in Japan, held by only four other castle keeps, namely Himejijo, Matsumotojo, Inuyamajo and Matsuejo.

The other four.

Hikone Castle is a 15 minute walk along the straight main road from Hikone Station.

Entry to the castle

After climbing about 800 steps the end is near. 🙂

The climb is worth it.

I have seen so many castles in Japan yet the attraction is still there for me.

The city from the castle.

As you can see it’s a very small city.

Spare a thought for this guy

He is delivery goods to the shop, a long hard climb.

Take a boat ride on the moat.

Everywhere you go in Japan there is a photo opportunity.

Apprenti restaurant

Very good food & delightful owners.

Duck Confit for dinner

Very French, here is the recipe. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven.

Followed by desert of course.

I ate here two nights in a row. 🙂

Here I am with the owners of Apprenti restaurant.

Masanori & his wife Hiromi are 2 delightful people who provide excellent French food & wine in their small French restaurant.

Uomaru

So many restaurants as such little time.

Busy chef at Omaru

Always great to watch the chef in action.

Avocado

I’m always looking for this on the menu. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan photo blog.

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Nagasaki harbour street drummers

November 15, 2016 by David Herd

Nagasaki-nature-culture-history-Kyushu-Japan

Nagasaki Station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers, arriving at the station by Shinkansen from Kagoshima, I was eagerly anticipating the history and subsequent recovery of this fascinating city on the west coast of Kyushu Island.

Trams

A great way to get around the city in Nagasaki, my hotel was only 200 meters from the station where all the trams stopped as well.

My favourite Nagasaki sign

It’s on billboards, the side of trains & trams, wonderful Japanese humour. 🙂

Kankō Maru

Kankō Maru was Japan’s first steam-powered warship, originally a Dutch warship named Soembing it was presented to Japan in 1854 and renamed Kankō Maru.

Kankō Maru

She was based at Tsukiji until she was sent to the scrapyard in 1876. This exact replica was built in the Netherlands in 1987, it has a crew of 14 and can carry up to 300 passengers.

Waterfront restaurants

A number of restaurants overlook the harbour, I enjoyed many ice cold beers with two Sydney guys I met on a tour to Battleship Island.

Nagasaki nature culture history

Here I am with Doug & Waz, not much culture but lots of tradition, we solved many of the world’s problems before finally having dinner at Gorm’s, a very nice Italian restaurant.

Hills overlooking Nagasaki

One one side of the city is the bay & the other side hills overlooking the city.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

On two occasions I was so lucky to see street performances by some amazing artists.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Drummers in Nagasaki perform for the crowd

Watch this video on YouTube

Nagasaki ferry terminal

I bought a ticket to Battleship Island.

Ferry terminal

The terminal itself looks like a ship with a huge funnel. 🙂

In front of the station

The tram stop was in front of Nagasaki station and my hotel was just around the corner.

Orion Hotel

Perfect location only a three minute walk to the station. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

That’s all for now.

Thanks for visiting my Nagasaki city harbour street drummers photo blog, if you have time please check out the Peace Park, Battleship Island & Nagasaki food.

Standing Boy of Nagasaki

Please follow think link for the full story.

A young boy carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother, in the devastated city of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb. An American military photographer, Joe O’Donnell, took a picture of him standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the boy’s name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This program follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of “atomic-bomb orphans” and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.

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Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

October 22, 2016 by David Herd

Looks like Sydney Opera House

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay has a similar look to the Sydney Opera House. Not nearly as spectacular of course but certainly well worth a visit.

Whale shark

The whale shark is the largest of the fish species. The biggest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 meters and a weight of around 21.5 ton.

Here is a video of the Whale Shark & others.

Huge whale shark at Kagoshima aquarium in Japan.

Watch this video on YouTube

I’t’s so peaceful & relaxing watching these amazing fish swim lazily in circles around the huge pool.

Another big guy

I can’t remember how many years it has been since I was at an aquarium, it was a total pleasure visiting the aquarium at Kagoshima. Entry was 1500 Yen or $14 USD.

Another huge tank with a great variety of fish

The women in the photo gives you an idea of the size of the tank & the fish.

Jelly fish

Jellyfish are the most efficient swimmers in the oceans. They use less energy to cover a given distance than any other ocean creature. Follow THIS LINK for some great information.

Big body, small head.

The huge variety of marine life is quite amazing.

Hiding among the reeds

This little guy was only about 6 inches long.

Here are some starfish in the background

The starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.

Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.

Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body. Credit National Geographic.

Here is another video, great shots of sharks swimming.

Great variety of fish & sharks at Kagoshima aquarium

Watch this video on YouTube

These sharks are absolutely fascinating creatures, so streamlined & graceful.

Great location & excellent hotel

My hotel is only 10 minutes walk to the aquarium, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Now for some more sashimi 🙂

Another beautiful looking creature.

Deep sea worms

Despite being an inland bay, Kinko Bay reaches depths of more than 200 meters, making it home to deep see marine life as well. Additionally, a new species of tube worm, or Lamellibrachia Satsuma, can be found on the sea floor at depths of around 90 meters in the upper bay. Research has shown that this unique population is supported by underwater volcanic vents from Mt. Sakurajima that spew hydrogen sulfide from the sea floor.

A few small fish among the coral

The coral itself makes a beautiful display.

You have seen the worms, now how about a sea snake?

Snakes are one of the things I have always been afraid of. Growing up in Australia which has nine of the ten most venemous snakes in the world, is it any wonder we are scared of them? 🙂

Beautiful colours

You really can spend hours watching these wonderful creatures.

Stonefish, most venemous fish in the world.

Stonefish are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. It is one of the most venomous fish known. They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific.

Video of the Stonefish in full camouflage

Stone fish resting at Kagoshima aquarium in Japan

Watch this video on YouTube

Very hard to see this guy, looks just like the surrounding rocks.

This guy is giving me the stare. 🙂

They are so sleek and sinister.

Imagine swimming in the sea & seeing this guy coming toward you.

I think I would die of a heart attack before he got to me. 🙂

Watching the seals being fed

Always popular with the crowd is feeding time.

Video of the dolphins

Dolphins jumping at Kagoshima aquarium in Japan

Watch this video on YouTube

Personally I don’t like to see these wonderful intelligent animals in captivity, they need to be free in the ocean, not imprisoned in a small pool.

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

Just 10 minutes walk from my great hotel.

Langkawi island Malaysia

Thanks for visiting my Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay photo blog. I think this is the first rather educational blog I have ever published. 🙂

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Brisbane City South Bank

August 29, 2016 by David Herd

Brisbane City Hall

Brisbane City South Bank

Brisbane City River South Bank was a pleasant surprise for me, it had been many years since I last visited and the changes were many. Way back in the 90s when I worked for Metway Bank and the NRMA I would travel there regularly for the endless tedious meetings banks & insurance companies were famous for. This trip was purely for pleasure after spending 10 days on the Gold Coast.

Uniting Church Albert St

Across the road from City Hall stands this delightful old church which was originally built in 1888.

From the old to the new

Infinity tower is the magnificent tall building (81 floors) on the left and the monster on the far right is 1 William Street which will house only government departments. The photo was taken from the William Jolly Bridge.

The William Jolly Bridge

The art deco design bride was built during the depression and opened in March 1932.

Sunday Suitcase sale August 21st 2016

The majority seemed to be backpackers selling their old clothes.

Treasury Casino

Treasury Casino was formerly the Lands Administration Building until it became a casino in 1995.

Many cranes on the skyline

There is no doubt Brisbane is in the middle of a building boom, just count the cranes on this small part of the city.

CityHopper is free

The CityHopper lets you travel the Brisbane river for free, the ferries run every 30 minutes between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. Follow the link below for all the information.

Simply hop on and hop off and enjoy all the Brisbane River and city sights.

City Cat

Another great way to see Brisbane’s city and suburbs. Check out THIS LINK for my photo blog.

A sunny Sunday afternoon at South Bank.

Lots of people cross the river to visit South Bank with its many attractions.

South Bank tranquil garden

The garden has a genuine rain forest feel.

A beautiful pagoda.

This Nepalese Pagoda was originally brought to Brisbane for Expo 88, in fact I actually remember seeing it back then. Incredibly this is one of only three Nepalese peace pagodas in the world to be located outside of Nepal.

As you can see from my Brisbane City South Bank photo blog there is so much to see in this great city.

The Wheel of Brisbane

Nowhere near as large as London or Tokyo but it certainly looks very nice at night. ?

Approaching Equilibrium

A rather interesting sculpture

Brisbane City South Bank

This sculpture in front of the Queensland Art Gallery is named “Approaching Equilibrium”, I guess people with more understanding of art than I possess will appreciate it. In my opinion a better name would be “Big Black Mosquito”. 🙂

The heart of Brisbane

The Queen Street Mall is certainly the heart of Brisbane, no traffic, lots of shops & restaurants.

Relax in the Mall

A great “people watching” place where you can enjoy dinner & a glass of wine.

Lots of colour, lots of shops

Day or night the mall is a hive of activity.

Eagle Street pier

Eagle Street is Brisbane’s business hub, jump on a City Cat and cruise along the river past many of the cities landmarks.

Huge towers beside Eagle Street wharf.

Lots of offices and lots of good bars & restaurants to capture the workers for lunch and dinner.

Brisbane City South Bank

Cruise past the wheel on your way to lunch at The Regatta Hotel, you won’t be disappointed. 🙂

The Regatta Hotel

The perfect spot for lunch or dinner, great steaks and good service. Check out my photo blog here.

Regatta Hotel

Thanks for visiting my Brisbane City South Bank photo blog, this city has improved out of sight in the last 20 years.

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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.

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Good Value Brisbane City Hotels

August 28, 2016 by David Herd

Abby On Roma

Good Value Brisbane City Hotels starting with Abby On Roma which is directly opposite Roma St railway station. The coffee shop you see on the ground floor does an excellent breakfast. Use THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

The header on this post shows two of the hotels I will mention later, The Park Regis and Meriton serviced apartments. For excellent room rates just book through the highlighted links.

Ibis Styles

Located at 40 Elizabeth Street in the heart of the city. Nice rooms and friendly staff, good shopping arcade next door where you will fine Coles supermarket & Target. Book through THIS LINK for a very good room rate.

Park Regis North Quay

Very nice rooms with an incredible view. About an 8 minute walk to Queen St Mall. My only complaint was the very poor internet service, they give you a miserly 250 meg per day. Book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Good Value Brisbane City Hotels here is view from Park Regis.

One of the best river & city views from my room on the 7th floor.

Park Regis pool & Infinity Tower incorporating Meriton hotel & serviced apartments.

As you can see the Meriton Infinity tower is a spectacular building.

Riverside Hotel Southbank

Just across the road from South Bank and the convention centre. Book through THIS LINK for a discounted rate.

Meriton hotel & serviced apartments aka Infinity Tower

A huge 81 floors with 549 apartments with stunning views of Brisbane and beyond. For a great discounted room rate at the Meriton hotel there just use THIS LINK to book.

Thanks for visiting my Good Value Brisbane City Hotels photo blog.

Each month my posts receive 75,000 visits which I certainly appreciate.

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Holiday Inn

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.

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Brisbane Inner City Restaurants

August 27, 2016 by David Herd

Harajuku Gyoza

Brisbane Inner City Restaurants

Brisbane Inner City Restaurants I visited in August 2016 included Harajuku Gyoza at 141 Queen St. The service was good and the Gyoza excellent. There are two other branches, one in South Bank the other in Fortitude Valley.

Busy chef at work

The Gyoza was as good as I have experienced in Japan.

Little Singapore is adjacent to Harajuku Gyoza

TripAdvisor rating is 502 out of 3,180 Brisbane restaurants.

Vapiano 191 Albert St Queen Street Mall

Also opposite Harajuku Gyoza and I could not believe the queue waiting for a table. I didn’t eat there myself but if the queue is any indication the food must be good. 🙂

Comuna Cantina

Mexican restaurant in the same complex as the above at 175 Albert St.

Comuna

Latin, Mexican & South American dishes , dine in or takeaway.

Chez Nous opposite Roma St station

Very busy for breakfast, good coffee and quick service. For an excellent room rate at Abby on Roma just book through THIS LINK.

Pony Dining Eagle Street Pier

Great location and some good reviews, however I thought the food was over rated & expensive.

Pony Dining

Ambience & service was fine but I’m guessing I ordered the wrong dishes.

Not my cup of tea. 🙂

I’m positive I won’t return, there are too many other choices in the area that I need to try.

Brisbane Inner City Restaurants

As you can see there are many restaurant choices on Brisbane Riverside, follow THIS LINK for more suggestions.

Jimmy’s on the Mall

One of Brisbane’s most popular restaurant bars & probably the best “people watching” spot in the city.

Lots of choices in Queen St Mall

Sidewalk cafes & restaurants offering all types of food are everywhere on Queen St Mall.

Pig & Whistle

There are six of these popular drinking spots in Brisbane. Based on a British Pub with live sports screens, follow THIS LINK for the locations.

Finally make sure you visit the Regatta Hotel

The Boathouse at the Regatta is an excellent restaurant with very good aged beef & an interesting wine list.

Thanks for visiting my Brisbane Inner City Restaurants photo blog, before you leave please check out my City Cat blog.

Here are some other Brisbane photo blogs to check out.

City Cat cruise Hotels Restaurants

A-One hotel on Beach Road

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

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Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

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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

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

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.

Australian adventures

Great Ocean Road

Melbourne

Port Macquarie

Sydney landmarks

Australian seafood

Mr Wong

Remembering Melbas

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Brisbane

My life in 2003

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Brisbane City River Cruise

August 26, 2016 by David Herd

South Bank Wharf

Brisbane City River Cruise

Brisbane City River Cruise started for me at the South Bank Wharf and took me on a 45 minute cruise almost to the Gateway Bridge and back. This post will highlight many of the wonderful Brisbane buildings along the river.

Treasury Casino

Overlooking the river is the Treasury Casino where they will be very happy to relieve you of your hard earned cash. 🙂

What a monster

I believe this huge skyscraper will house most government offices when completed. That’s the Victoria Bridge in the foreground.

South Bank Ferris wheel

Not as large as London or Tokyo but it does look nice at night. 🙂

Another look at the Monster

A very impressive building.

Executive Building

Called the Government’s new Executive Building it towers over Brisbane river.

Riverside buildings

This is the heart of the Brisbane business centre.

Huge towers dominate the skyline

The city cat stops right here for the workers to commute from home.

City Cat arriving

What a great way to get around Brisbane, my 1.5 hour trip only cost me around $3.

The famous Story Bridge

The Story Bridge first opened in 1940, & is named after prominent public servant, John Douglas Story.

Beautiful old paddle steamer

Kookaburra Queen paddle wheelers are famous for their dinner cruises.

Luxury living

What more could you want than a waterfront penthouse and this fabulous ship tied up in front?

Beautiful old ferry wharf

So nice to see these beautiful old structures preserved.

Bretts Wharf

Hundreds of modern (and expensive) condos are sprouting adjacent to the ferry stops, what a great way to commute to the city rather than fighting the road traffic.

Bretts Wharf up close

The city cats are smooth, comfortable and fast.

City Cat

A great way to see the sights of Brisbane.

Brisbane City River Cruise

You can also sit outside at the bow and the stern.

Enjoy the fresh air and the wind in your face

The perfect spot to take photos of this wonderful city.

The Gateway Bridge

Construction on the Gateway Bridge commenced on 5 June 1980. It was officially opened on 11 January 1986.

Brisbane River

As you can see the river meanders through the suburbs and almost circles the city.

CityHopper is free

The CityHopper lets you travel the Brisbane river for free, the ferries run every 30 minutes between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. The ferry travels along the Brisbane River, to North Quay, South Bank 3, Maritime Museum, Thornton Street, Eagle Street Pier, Holman Street, Dockside and Sydney Street terminals.

Simply hop on and hop off and enjoy all the Brisbane River and city sights.

I leave the City Cat after a terrific 90 minute cruise.

You can take the City Cat in both directions from the city, a nice idea would be to head in the direction of Toowong and disembark at the fabulous Regatta Hotel, a great place for lunch, dinner or a few drinks. Follow THIS LINK to see this iconic hotel.

Brisbane City River Cruise

This city is just getting better & better, it’s now August 2016 and the number of cranes on the skyline indicate a building boom.

Thanks for visiting my Brisbane City River Cruise photo blog. For a discounted hotel rate at the Park Regis Hotel which is in a terrific location just book through THIS LINK.

Here are some more posts to check out

Istanbul Budapest London

Mostar Dubrobnik Split

Saigon Zagreb Vung tau

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

Pattaya live webcam

That’s all folks

Holiday Inn

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.

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Bangkok Silom Sky Bar Cloud 47

January 24, 2016 by David Herd

Bangkok before & after sunset

Bangkok Silom Sky Bar

Bangkok Silom Sky Bar in Sathorn Rd is one of the many wonderful Sky bars in this great city. Much more casual and affordable than the others with an amazing city view.

Looking toward Baiyoke Tower

About 45 minutes before sunset in this city of 8 million people.

A closer look at Baiyoke Tower

The building directly in front of the Baiyoke Sky hotel is Centara Grand at CentralWorld. On the top floor is the magnificent Red Sky Bar.

Chang draught beer special

Pay only B299 or $12 AUD for unlimited Chang draught between 5 and 7 pm. A great deal for beer drinkers.

Thai Wah Tower II aka e Banyan Tree Hotel

The tall building in the centre is the Banyan Tree Hotel which has another famous Sky bar and restaurant called Vertigo on the 61st floor.

Bangkok’s tallest buildings

Stunning outlook

This is from a small bar area on the 2nd floor which would be a great spot for a private party.

A slightly different angle

A very casual atmosphere.

Maybe you prefer a tent

Bangkok Sky Bar Cloud 47 really is one of the cities great location. 47th Floor, United Center Building, Silom, Bangkok. Tel: +66 91 889 9600. For you Thai speakers suay mak mak.

Just before sunset

We are eagerly waiting for the lights of the city to come on.

Bangkok’s tallest building

MahaNakhon is a luxury mixed-use skyscraper currently under construction in the Silom/Sathon central business area of Bangkok. Designed to fit into the Thai landscape with a unique pixelated facade, it will have the unconventional appearance of a glass curtain walled square tower with a cuboid-surfaced spiral cut into the side of the building. Upon its estimated completion in 2015, it will become the tallest building in Bangkok at 314 metres (1,030 ft), with 77 floors. Featuring hotel, retail and residences, 200 units of The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok inside the building are priced between around US$1,100,000 to US$17,000,000, making it one of the most expensive condominiums in Bangkok. From Wikipedia.

My favourite time of the day

Such an exciting sight to see the lights of the “Big Mango” start to come to life.

Bangkok traffic

Peak hour is a good time to avoid the Bangkok traffic, take the Sky train instead.

Larry is quenching his thirst

My friend Larry Krausz has recently moved to Thailand from Australia, we have known each other for quite a while, in fact in 1999 we travelled around the world including Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Absolutely breathtaking

City views don’t get much better than this.

Bangkok Silom Sky Bar

By now we were on our 6th beer and feeling no pain at all.

Sadly my old friend Larry suffered a major stroke & passed away in January 2017.

A great night

This certainly was a night to remember, Cloud 47 will become one of my regular Bangkok haunts. For those of you who like to boogie the band starts at 9 pm.

Remember the name

Put Cloud 47 on your bucket list, especially if you are a beer drinker.

Cloud 47 Bangkok Sky Bar sunset (1)

Watch this video on YouTube

Goodnight folks & thanks for visiting.

My Bangkok Silom Sky Bar post simply proves once again what a fabulous city this is.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.