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Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

July 11, 2016 by David Herd

Doyles and Watsons Bay hotel

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

It seemed the parties and drinks never stopped at my Drummoyne apartment, life was very good indeed.

Jeff and Debbie Don

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Gorgeous Debbie & party animal Jeff, another smooth operator.

Sade - Smooth Operator - Official - 1984

The party never stopped

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Who would have thought in 3 years we would be engaged and living together at Newport?

Castle Cove 1980

Gorgeous girls Sydney 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 

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Decorating my XJ 6 in 1980.

Antoinette Sherry

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

What a beautiful redhead. 🙂

Here are some of the usual suspects

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

John Malouf, Peter Singleton and Dennis Moran at another one of my Drummoyne gatherings.

Joanne Barrett came 3rd in Miss Universe 1969

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

What a beautiful face, is it any wonder she was 3rd in the Miss Universe?

Singapore 1980

Gorgeous girls Sydney 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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Now is that a fantastic face or what?

When can I start having fun?

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Right about now I would say, in fact I clearly remember a ménage à trois with two of these gorgeous babes. 🙂

Tall gorgeous redhead

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

An absolute knockout.

Two more knockouts, Kerry & Terry

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

Two of my favourite Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980.

Shirley Jones  1980

Gorgeous girls Sydney 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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

At the end of the day decorum would go out the window. 🙂

Another Shirley

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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

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

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

New Years Eve 1981

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

Follow this link for the full story on New Year’s Eve 1981, the Great Escape.

NYE on board

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980

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.

Debbie 1980 SS

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.


   Here are some more posts on my wild wicked ways. :)

         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) 
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

 

Check out these great posts


Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Newport peninsular Sydney 1984

June 30, 2016 by David Herd

Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.

Newport peninsular Sydney

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.

Newport peninsular Sydney

 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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.

Life was very good

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.

31 Herbert Avenue Newport

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

 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.

 Sydenham Cellars

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

 That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.

 Newport peninsular Sydney Brian Millard

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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.

Newport peninsular Sydney

Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.

Sue and John Heatherington

Newport peninsular Sydney

A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.

Malaysia 1985

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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 

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Newport peninsular Sydney

Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burke who 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

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

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.

Newport peninsular Sydney

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

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

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.           

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) 
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

 

More great photo blogs here;

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil 

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

January 15, 2016 by David Herd

Part of my personal online photo albums, as opposed to my FiveStarVagabond travel blog. The story starts in 1986.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

 Relocate Sydney Gold Coast took place in January 1987, but lets go back a couple of months to when I was living at Newport Beach in Sydney. I had just broken up with my fiancée, beautiful Karen Smith, we were engaged and living together in a wonderful old home in Newport overlooking the Royal Motor Yacht Club. To add to my woes I had also just been sacked from a high paying job as National Sales Manager for Ricoh facsimile machines.

For the past few years I was a regular visitor to the Gold Coast so at the time moving there permanently seemed to be the right thing to do. I had many friends living in Surfers Paradise including Graham Edwards aka “Crazy” who you see in the photo above. The gorgeous girls in the photo are Sandy Palmer & Joanne Bernhardt.

My ex fiancée Karen Smith

 Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Karen was a beautiful lady and a lovely human being, but looking back I finally realised by the mid 90s I was not cut out for “long term relationships”, and the older I get the less I need the company of others.

Paul Slaughter and Tony Murphy

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Two close friends in December 1986 were helping me celebrate the move north. Tony was living in Avalon at the time and now in 2021 resides on the Gold Coast.

Not part of my travel blog just a huge chapter in my life.

Bryan Millard

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Bryan lived close to me at Newport and we were regular drinkers at the Newport Arms Hotel.

Now here is a strange coincidence, one week after I posted Brian’s photo here he was convicted in Noosa for various infringements. Here is the full story.

Big Tim Bristow & Sue Ellis

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Another neighbour the notorious Big Tim Bristow, read more about him here.

Now when I visit Sydney I book my hotel through this link for great room rates.

Ok, bye bye Sydney, Gold Coast here I come.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

I had to return my company car so my transport consisted of my little red Moke. Do you like my impersonation of the “White Knight” at the Watson’s Bay Hotel?

Di Parkinson & Madison

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Di Parkinson was my beautiful ex girlfriend from the 70s, Madison was my beautiful German Shepherd. For the first 3 months I rented a house at Carrara from my good friend Peter Lewis before buying a house at Sorrento.

Jim Cox & Larry Wilson

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Jim was a friend of mine in Adelaide when I lived there in the 70s, Larry was a solicitor in Southport and was responsible for me taking up golf, I have never totally forgiven him. 🙂

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast to my Sorrento home

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

I bought a house at 36 Claymore Crescent and it soon became party central.

Naturally I bought a boat

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

A very pretty little runabout with a 150 HP Suzuki on the back.

Allison and Winnie

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

The girls came with me to Byron Bay to pick up my new toy. I had been taking Winnie out occasionally until she introduced me to her 18 year old girlfriend Allison, well I’m guessing you know what happened next. 🙂

Then I had to build a jetty.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Here we are christening the jetty even before it is finished, apologies for the poor photo quality.

The finished product

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

What a beauty it was, big enough to have a party on, and we did very often indeed.

Afternoon drinks on the Jetty

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

My new girlfriend on the left was Tanya Rigley, oh my didn’t she cause me some stress. On the far right is George Hoult aka the “Angry Ant”, I bumped into him outside my condo in Pattaya in December 2015. Sitting next to him is Malcolm Pearce, Mick Cottrell is standing and the little guy in the middle is my old mate Harley Bradstreet.

Jetty! What jetty, I don’t see a jetty.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

It does often rain a little on the Gold Coast, and the canal my house was on was a long way from the main river. Consequently it would take quite a while for the water  to subside after a heavy storm.

Fancy dress party

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

My great mate Bob Martin threw a party at his home near Carrara, I forget the theme, something to do with camels or Lawrence of Arabia I think. On the right is Don Wenham who sadly passed away in 2016 after a long battle with cancer.

Harley is locked & loaded

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

This great mate of mine loved to dress up in his combat gear, it didn’t have to be a fancy dress party, he sometimes strolled into a Surfers Paradise bar dressed like this.

Here is Marco

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

A Croatian friend from Sydney who had more moves than a Swiss watch, Marco always had some sort of scheme on the go, designed of course to relieve somebody of their precious savings.

Such a beautiful girl

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

This was one of my many parties at Claymore Crescent, sadly a few months after this photo was taken this gorgeous lost her life in a traffic accident, RIP.

 Cold beers on the Broadwater

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Mike Hughes was an English guy who eventually moved to Sydney. Boating was a big part of my life in my early days on the Gold Coast.

A couple of hot European ladies

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Another day on the Broadwater, on the right is Tova.


Adelaide 1988

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Jim Stanbury & Suzie in Adelaide, I was there for the Formula one in 1988, Jim used to work for me in Melbourne in 1970.

Come fly with me

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

I was in Adelaide again in 1989, Jim took me for a spin to Victor Harbour and I actually took the controls for a while.

Talking about Melbourne

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

This is Dion Ormond who was a successful car dealer living at Box Hill.

This id Dion’s back yard.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast 

How many people do you now with a DC3 in their backyard? 🙂

Allison Schroeder

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

I clearly remember flying to Brisbane from Adelaide after the Formula one and being met at the airport by this beautiful 18 year old princess. We checked in to a hotel for 2 nights, ordered room service the first night then saw Billy Joel perform at Brisbane entertainment centre  the following night November 17.

In case you are wondering how a 44 year old guy could wind up with such a young babe, quite simple really, I promised her the world and bought her an atlas. 🙂

Relaxing on the broadwater

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

The decision to Relocate Sydney Gold Coast was indeed a major event in my life, I would spend the next 25 years there before selling all my possessions and moving to Thailand in October 2011.

                 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
 
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

 


 

Australian adventures

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

September 4, 2015 by David Herd

A great place to buy fresh seafood.

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road is located in Naklua about 5 kms from central Pattaya. Just jump on a Baht bus & you are there in 10 minutes for 10 Baht or 70 cents.

Very fresh

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Many products are still alive & kicking, they will kill & clean the fish for you then pack them in ice so you can take them home to cook.

Alive and Kicking

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Here is my friend Pothole choosing dinner.

Clams, mussels and prawns.

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

A great choice at the Pattaya Fish Market.

 These guys will cook for you

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Choose you lunch and they will cook it for you.

Live lobsters

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Rather expensive as you can see.

How about a Baby shark?

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

They even look dangerous when they a small. 🙂

Fresh vegetables as well

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

A good selection at reasonable prices.

Cleaning the fish

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Choose from the live tank and they will scale and clean them for you.

Anyone for catfish?

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

The variety is incredible, anything you desire is here.

Man at work

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

A very interesting place to spend an hour or so.

A mountain of mussels

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Seeing all these mussels reminded me of when I was in Brussels last year, the Belgians are absolutely crazy about them, check out my blog called Beer, Fries & Mussels.

Pattaya Fish Market

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

It real is worth a visit, get something cooked and eat in the adjacent park.

Adjacent to the market

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Enjoy the view from the walkway beside the gulf.

Lamchabang port in the distance

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

 Laem Chabang is a large commercial port with not much else in the area. The large cruise ships stop here and they can buy souvenirs and get a massage at the cruise terminal, there is also a shopping centre. Smaller ships may head up the Chao Phraya River and dock at Khlong Toei Port relatively close to Bangkok’s city centre.

Low tide

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

High and dry at low tide at Pattaya Fish Market.

Low tide at Naklua

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Those blocks of condos have all sprung up in the last 2 years. This view is from beside the fish market. Out of picture to the right is the Sanctuary of Truth.

Sanctuary of Truth

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Sanctuary of Truth is a temple, an all-wood building filled with sculptures based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs. More photos on THIS LINK.

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road

Thanks for visiting my Pattaya Fish Market Naklua Road photo blog.

Pattaya seafood market

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

            Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.   

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

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.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

36555237616_da3ed73d6a_o

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               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          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

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

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Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

June 10, 2015 by David Herd

 Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history.

Tyrrel’s Hunter Valley

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley in 1996 started on the Gold Coast where I was living life to the max. The highlight was a great road trip in my Porsche 928 with good friend Ross Kennedy to the Hunter Valley, Sydney, Falls Creek & Melbourne. Also caught up with an old friend from the Gold Coast Jill McCrossan, one very sexy lady.

Talking about sexy ladies

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Well Emily certainly was in that category.

Please note, this is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish, also note this post contains nudity, so if you are bothered by naked humans please leave now.

Drinks at Saks

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Drinks at Saks before going to the Ray White ball at the Sheraton Mirage. From the left we have a girl whose name I forget, then Phil (Swifty) Gregory, Claudia Scrupin, Duncan McGuiness, Emily and yours truly David Herd.

Little did they realise at the time but Swifty and Emily would marry and have a couple of kids.

 Great photo, if I say so myself. 🙂

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Such a beautiful big smile.

Saks was our main haunt

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Saks was a great bar at Main Beach owned by Duncan McGuiness and Steve Solomon. Their main business was building upmarket housing estates. A couple of very nice guys who sadly  went broke around 2011 and their company Solmac went into liquidation.

Saks with Eugene and Debbie.

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Saks with Eugene and Debbie. This was a memorable night at Saks, I watched as Plugger Lockhart kicked a famous point to put the Swans into the Grand Final.

One of the hottest babes in 1996

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

I met Donna Turner in Sydney when she was 18 yo, even after various husbands and 3 or 4 children she still looks as hot as ever, especially in my kitchen. 🙂

Hot Hot Hot in Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

It is now 20 years later in 2016 and Donna is still a hot chick.

My favourite song from 1996

The technicolour team

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Duncan McGuiness, Jim Bell, Ross Kennedy and David Herd.

At the polo

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

These two gorgeous babes were known as Lushy and Mushy, can’t remember their real names. 🙂

Ami and Alan Pearson.

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Alan was a friend of mine when I lived in Adelaide in the 70s, he now earns his living as a musician in Airlie Beach.

Mami & Mariko

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Two gorgeous Japanese girls who often called into my home in Upton St for drinks and fun.

I did mention fun didn’t I? 🙂 🙂 🙂

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Everybody loves Tim Tams.

Billy James & Allison Schroeder

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Billy was a well known Gold Coast real estate identity and Allison one of the sexiest chicks in town.

Allison 18 yo in in 1987

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

I was lucky enough to take Allison out a few times in 1987 my first year living on the Gold Coast. Although I was about 25 years older than her I used the “tried & true” technique, I promised her the world and bought her an atlas. 🙂

Visiting Tim in Sydney

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Ross Kennedy and I took a road trip in my Porsche to Falls Creek for some skiing, stopping on the way at the Hunter Valley & Sydney. I knew about Rossco’s fascination with gangsters and the underworld so naturally I took him to meet Big Tim Bristow at his home in Newport.

Tim’s beast

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

 We were there an hour or two listening to some of Tim’s stories most of which I had heard before many times. As usual Tim’s phone never stopped ringing, but there was one call Ross & I will never forget. Roger Rogerson was in many ways more notorious than Tim, he was known for being a ruthless crooked cop who shot first and asked questions later, the most famous case being where he shot and killed Warren Lanfranchi in a back alley in Chippendale.

Oaks Hotel with old friends

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Derek Pugh, Ian Rich & Paul Slaughter, Pauls sister on the left and his girlfriend Clode on the right.

Falls creek, let the games begin.

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

 We had a terrific few days, drinking too much and  having some of the most spectacular falls ever seen at Fall’s Creek. Little did I realise after this 1996 adventure I would never ski again.

Melbourne

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Drinks with Rossco’s friends in South Yarra, from the left Ross Kennedy aka “Shoeless Joe Jackson, David Herd aka “The Cincinnati Kid”, Craig Belcher and Johnny Mac.

Yum Cha in Chinatown

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

This gorgeous girl Jaqui O’Brien actually lived in my house for a few months in 1987,  she then worked with me for a short time in 1998. A lovely lady until she had one drink too many, she then turned into a nightmare. Rossco came up with a classic name for her, “Jacqui Petrol”. 🙂

Rossco & DH

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

The high rollers have hit town. 🙂

On the subject of gorgeous girls

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Meet Jill McCrossan, another super hot chick I was lucky enough to be involved with.

Felling no pain

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

I’m too sexy for my shirt. 🙂

A day at the beach in Coffs Harbour

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

We had a great couple of days at Tony Murphy’s apartment, the spa was excellent. 🙂

Both sides look great

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

A great view from every direction.

 Meanwhile back on the Gold Coast

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Natalina from the coast and Rodney Rosenfeld from Melbourne.

John Sinclair & John Cece

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Both these guys moved from Adelaide to the Gold Coast, they were good friends and now mortal enemies. 🙂

Great fun in Manila

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Here I am with Simone and Doug Ritchie in some club in Makati. 🙂

Pascal, Junko and Rene

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Pascal was gorgeous girl, 1/2 French & 1/2 Vietnamese, Junko is the Japanese wife of my good friend Phil Thomson and Rene was a rather sexy Australian girl. 🙂

And the beat goes on

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

This is a rather significant photo, on the left is Larry Krausz, a good friend to all of us. It’s now 2017 and he is fighting a huge battle in Robina hospital on the Gold Coast. Larry suffered a major stroke on October 28th in Pattaya where he had been living large for almost a year. Our best wishes are with Larry, hopefully he will recover enough to lead a comfortable life.

Maybe one more look at Donna

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

Certainly one of the sexiest ladies ever to decorate my kitchen. 🙂

One more shot of lovely Emily

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

As you can see Emily was a total knockout.

New Years Eve at Mustang Sally’s.

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

One of my regular Main Beach haunts.

Farewell folks

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley

 Thanks for visiting my Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley photo blog.


That’s all folks

 

Sydney Melbourne Hunter Valley    

   Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

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  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
 
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 16 2020.

This gallery contains 5 photos

Thailand Brazil England Gold Coast

November 26, 2014 by David Herd

This is not part of my travel blog just my personal photographic history.

Thailand Brazil England

Thailand Brazil England

Thailand Brazil England 2009 are not included in this post, they are trips I made through this year, as well as visiting Sydney in November. Brazil was another great experience which included a fascinating tour through Rocinha Favella. My England trip included Lands End, as well as St Ives & the nice seaside village of Lime Regis. 

So although Thailand Brazil England are not included in this post you can access them by clicking on the above links.

Seaway with Labrador in the background.

Thailand Brazil England

If I had the money this is the type of boat I would like to own.

Gold Coast Turf Club

Thailand Brazil England

It’s Melbourne cup day and my good friend Phil Thomson & I join the happy crowd which is a long way from Thailand Brazil England. 🙂

At the races with good friend Phil Thomson

Thailand Brazil England

The guy lurking in the background is Norm Jenks who is originally from Melbourne.

Carolyn Clarke, an old girlfriend from 1994.

Thailand Brazil England

Carolyn is a super girl with a great personality.

Semi trailer that turns into a bar.

Thailand Brazil England

The VB semi trailer is at the track.

My nieces Laura and Elyssa.

Thailand Brazil England

Here we are on Chevron eating fish and chips at Frank’s seafood shop.


 

Jim Bell pretending to be an important executive.

Thailand Brazil England

  Jimmy was a border at my home for 15 years from 1994 to 2009. He tends to take himself rather seriously at times. 🙂  

Dani Tobin, a real wild child.

Thailand Brazil England

I clearly remember one night Dani trying to climb through a gap at the top of my front gate and getting jammed. Her screams could be heard for miles. 

Super high tide at home

Thailand Brazil England

A tide like this only happened two or three times a year, always at however.  

Phil Thomson and I had the same model Lexus.

Thailand Brazil England

Mine was the white one, even though it was only a 1998 model it is best value car $ for $ I have ever owned.

One of my lovely Japanese borders

Thailand Brazil England

Tall and beautiful.

Old friend from the 80s.

Thailand Brazil England

The shortest lady in the black top is Teresa Hamilton-Smith who was one of my girlfriends in Sydney in 1982, that’s her daughter on the right & on the far left is her sister Lexi Hamilton-Smith. Terry is married to an English guy & now lives in the U.K.

Flashback to Teresa in 1982

Thailand Brazil England

At my home in Drummoyne with Helen Burke.

For some great 1982 memories just follow THIS LINK.

Huge storm at my home.

Thailand Brazil England

  We really get some spectacular storms on the Gold Coast, this one was a beauty.  

Here is my Brother Ian & family

Thailand Brazil England

    Adam, Shane and Ian Herd with grandfather Laurie Poulton.  

Tony Murphy & I have coffee

Thailand Brazil England

Tony & I have been friends since the early 80s, of course I now live in Thailand but when I visit the Gold Coast Tony & his wife Nikki always find a bed for me in their lovely home.

Melbas on the Park

Thailand Brazil England

   Drinks at Melbas with old friend Lloyd Ross. 

For a good hotel is a great location on the Gold Coast use THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

My brother Warren with his good friend Lenny

Thailand Brazil England

 Sadly in 2016 we lost our good friend Lenny Schorsy after his brief battle with cancer, RIP.

I’m sorry if I misled you with the title Thailand Brazil England, it really is about my life in 2009.                          

         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
 
Pattaya live webcam 
 
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

Australian adventures

 
Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Flying high fifty years old

November 17, 2014 by David Herd

This is not a travel blog, it is part of my personal photo history . 

Flying high fifty years old

Flying high fifty years old

Flying high fifty years old living in Surfers Paradise, working for Metway bank & living life to the max. A great trip to Berlin & Prague with a stopover in Bangkok on the way home. Helen & Helenka are in the photo having Birthday drinks at Broadbeach tavern, can’t remember the name of the girl on the left. 

I’m also getting a great buzz re-visiting some of my fantastic years. Some of the photos contain nudity & certain comments may offend the narrow minded, so if you are in this category it’s probably best to close the page & move on.

flying high

Flying high fifty years old with my great old friend Harley Bradstreet

Flying high fifty

Harley and I have been friends since about 1968.

Female bouncer at Cocos.

Flying high fifty years old

This well built is the only female bouncer I have seen working in a nightclub. As you can see she took no nonsense from Harley. Then again Harley could talk underwater with a mouth-full of marbles so she may have just been trying to shut him up. 🙂


Stacy at Rio’s in Orchard Avenue

Flying high fifty

Stacey was absolutely gorgeous.

Georgie, Sonya & Dave Hamilton.

Flying high fifty years old

Dave was the owner of the club, a wild Scotsman who was always getting himself into trouble, mainly street fighting. Sonya was a Kiwi who was as mad as a snake. Georgie was a gorgeous blonde singer from Perth.

Steve Jones (RIP) & Dave Barnes (RIP)

Flying high fifty years old

Sadly both these lads have passed away, Dave in early 2016 and Steve about 10 years prior to this.

Beautiful Kelly Davis

Flying high fifty

For a few months in 1993 I was lucky enough to be taking out this gorgeous lady. This is proof that I was flying high in 1993.

Kelly Davis

Flying high fifty years old

Say no more.

Japanese for dinner

Flying high fifty years old

Great dinner opposite the casino at Broadbeach with Kelly Davis, Sandy Ansell & Helen Burke. Kelly & I went home by boat, I dropped anchor in a quiet part of the river & enjoyed one of the most memorable hours I have had with any woman in my life. 🙂

Happy friends at Marina Mirage

Flying high fifty years old

On the left is an American guy called Henry Geller, 2nd from the right is Tony Sweurs a guy I knew in Sydney who is now living in Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

Jill McCrossan with Tony Sweurs & Lorana from Brazil

Flying high fifty years old

What time can we start having fun?

Andre Buzek on Chevron Island

Flying high fifty years old

Andre was one of my best friends and a total party animal. He told everyone, especially the cute girls he was French when in fact he was from Prague in Czechoslovakia, sounded more sophisticated I guess. 🙂 Sadly within a years of this photo being taken he lost his life in a car accident in Cuba.

Andrea from Rio de Janeiro & Andre Buzek

Flying high fifty years old

One two occasions when Andre traveled to Rio de Janeiro he bought back to Australia an exotic Brazilian girl for a holiday. Andrea was fairly calm compared to the one he bought out the following year who was younger and wilder.

Flying high fifty years old with Andrea from Rio.

Flying high fifty years old

Here is a funny story, I had a day scheduled to visit Metway bank branches in Lismore & Ballina so I generously took Andrea with me to see some of the Australian country. We stopped for lunch in Byron Bay and were hitting it off famously. Knowing the reputation of many Brazilian girls I made sure we arrived back at my home a couple of hours before Andre finished work. Well it took no more than 10 minutes for this gorgeous tall Brazilian to shed her clothes & drag me into the bedroom. By the time Andre arrived to take her home we were composed and innocently awaiting his arrival. 🙂

Coral Knowles, Andre Buzek & Helen Burke.

Flying high fifty years old

One of my favorite photos, Andre’s eyes always lit up around attractive females. Also around some that were not so attractive, it never mattered to Andre as long as they were female & breathing. 🙂

Eddy Bonaventure , Jill Mc Crossan & Andre Buzek

Flying high fifty years old

WOW! Did we have some fun in those days? Yes we did, you better believe it. 🙂

Flying high with the Melbourne girls

Flying high fifty years old

The parties & barbecues seemed to never stop all through the fabulous 1990s.

 Another Sunday lunch at home

Flying high fifty years old

A typical lunch at Upton St.

Two beautiful Koreans

Flying high fifty years old

I feel like a rose between 2 thorns. 🙂

The big guy is Graham LaRoche aka Biff.

Flying high fifty years old

Harley & Biff are with another one of the lovely Korean girls who enjoyed out parties. There is a terrific story about these two guys on my 1982 post called New Year’s Eve 1981, the Great Escape.


Another Sunday lunch at my home.

Flying high fifty years old

You will notice how Harley always like to dress up in his army fatigues.

My favourite song from 1993

Winnie Andre & Harley.

Flying high fifty years old

Winnie was from South Africa, she loved a party. Andre of course was always in the thick of the action. Harley in this photo looks a lot like Col Gaddafi.

Eugine Korin has company at Kooralbyn

Flying high fifty years old

Kooralbyn was a great gold course which sadly has shut down in the last few years.

Two Tonys Murphy & Bonner

Flying high fifty years old

This was Coffs Harbour where Murphy was working & Tony Bonner was in a motorbike rally.

Family Xmas at my home on the Gold Coast

Flying high fifty years old

Of course this was Xmas 1993, many of my nephews & nieces now have children of there own. Here is a Xmas gathering in 2006.

Family dinner NYE 1993 at Marinas Cove

Flying high fifty years old

It was so good catching up with all the family.

Catherine Bonetti NYE 1993

Flying high fifty years old

So many women and such little time.


Roberta Aitchison still runs the meter maids

Flying high fifty years old

Roberta was originally a meter maid herself, she still runs the company today in 2021.

Crazy Sonya

Flying high fifty years old

Sonya was a Kiwi with very few inhibitions, check out the photo below if you want to see her in her birthday suit. However please remember my warning at the start of this post, in case you have forgotten……

Flying high

Sonia in all her glory

Flying high fifty years old

Andre is also going nuts on the slideshow, check it out before they censor it. 🙂

I told you he was crazy

Flying high fifty years old

I will never forget you old mate.

Sexy Suzie is on the slide show as well.

Flying high fifty years old

She was as cheeky as they come. 🙂

Why wait, here she is. 🙂

Flying high fifty years old

Just like little apples.

Sexy Jill Mcrossan

Flying high fifty years old

Jill was a lovely sexy lady who was always fun to be with. She now lives in Sydney and I  bumped into her at Manly about 3 years ago.

Patpong Road Bangkok

Flying high fifty years old

On my way home from Prague & Berlin I stopped in Bangkok to meet my dear mother who was on holidays there with a friend. Naturally I had to visit Patpong for some R & R.

At Coolum with Robert Allemby

Flying high fifty years old

May as well finish where I started, playing a round at Coolum with Robert Allemby, is that like 15 minutes of fame. 🙂

Henry from California & Kelly David

Flying high fifty years old

Lunch with nice people.

Once again, so many women & such little time. 🙂

Flying high fifty years old

Flying high fifty years old    Flying high fifty years old

    Oh well, a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. 🙂    

Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

Flying high fifty years old        Flying high fifty years old          Flying high fifty years old

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

Flying high fifty years old          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        Flying high fifty years old

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) 
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

 

Jump forward 21 years and I’m still flying high, click here.

 

Before you go have a look at 1997 in Bali.

 

Australian adventures

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

November 9, 2014 by David Herd

Chevron Renaissance Surfers Paradise

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular, semi tropical climate, 25 kilometers of beautiful beaches, an amazing skyline and lots of good restaurants & bars.

Tall building is Soul & the Hilton

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Soul is a 243 m (797 ft) tall residential tower local on the corner of Cavill Avenue and The Esplanade in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has overtaken Circle on Cavill as the second tallest building on the Gold Coast, behind Q1. The building was approved by the Gold Coast City Council in October 2004 and finished construction in 2012 along with the next stage of the Gold Coast renovation project. Use THIS LINK to book a great rate at the Hilton.

Soul on Australian Gold Coast

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Use this link for great deals on Gold Coast hotels

Surfers Paradise beach

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

The tall blue building is Q1 a skyscraper in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It lost its title as the world’s tallest residential tower to the 348 metre building The Marina Torch in Dubai on 29 April 2011.Wikipedia

Surfboat Australian Gold Coast

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

A surfboat is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach.

 Circle on Cavill

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Circle on Cavill offers great ocean views and is a good location to spend your holidays, use this link for an excellent room rate.

 Light rail on the Gold Coast

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

 Fast, efficient & hard to buy a ticket. 🙂

Cavill Avenue Surfers Paradise

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Lots of action here at night.

The Oracle at Broadbeach

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

The twin towers of Oracle are a new addition to the Broadbeach skyline.

Melbourne Cup day at Moo Moo in Broadbeach.

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Moo Moo restaurant is a great place to “people watch”, not bad for a steak as well.

Melbourne Cup day at Melbas on the Park.

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Melbas has been my favourite Gold Coast bar since 1981. It was owned by the late Paul Allen one of the coasts most colourful characters.

Circle on Cavil on the Nerang River.

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

Thank you for visiting my Australian Gold Coast post, it was great to catch up with old friends & family.

My home

Australian Gold Coast is spectacular

I can’t visit the Gold Coast without thinking of my beautiful home I built in 1990 and lived there for 21 years before moving to Thailand.

                     Here are some more posts on my wild wicked ways. :)       

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


Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Home extension budget blowout

October 15, 2014 by David Herd

Doubling the size of my home

Home extension budget blowout

Home extension budget blowout

Home extension budget blowout  was due to the many changes I made to my original plan. I wasn’t satisfied with just adding a 2nd floor. The photo above was taken just after my home was built in 1990.

Day one the job begins

Home extension budget blowout

From here on nothing will ever be the same.

Laying the slab

Home extension budget blowout

My builder Ari is the guy with the shovel, one of the hardest working guys I have ever seen.

Dad’s army take a coffee break

Home extension budget blowout

Ari and his guys were the hardest working tradesmen I have ever seen.

Seeing some progress with home extension

Home extension budget blowout

Starting to see some progress with my home extension, these guys really work fast.

Now we are getting somewhere.

Home extension budget blowout

I really wanted to give the home “street appeal” something it didn’t have in its original form.

Brickwork & a fancy door.

Home extension budget blowout

Painting the door was one of my jobs. 🙂

The tree has gotta go

Home extension budget blowout

It was like losing a friend, I had planted it 14 years ago.

Timberrrrrr!!!!!

Home extension budget blowout

There goes my beautiful tree.

Starting to look terrific

Home extension budget blowout

This is the point it’s all starting to look fantastic.

 Laying the floor

Home extension budget blowout

There is no job these guys can’t handle.

The kitchen takes shape

Home extension budget blowout

It’s easy to be wise after the event, on the original plans a stairway was supposed to lead from that wall to the main house downstairs, for some reason we left it out which later proved to be a mistake.

Laying Terracotta tiles

Home extension budget blowout

The finishing touches.

The downstairs studio $250 pw.

Home extension budget blowout

The jewel in this home extension is this fabulous little studio completely self contained with a private entrance.

Beautiful private courtyard for the studio apartment

Home extension budget blowout

Quite a beautiful peaceful area for the granny flat.

Upstairs lounge & kitchen

Home extension budget blowout

When I look at this home extension which cost me double the original quote of $120,000  I feel it was all worth it. Uptairs consists of 3 bedrooms & two bathrooms and downstairs a separate private studio apartment.

Bedroom & en-suite

Home extension budget blowout

OK, so the chair should really have been dumped.

Beautiful courtyard

Home extension budget blowout

Quite spectacular at night.

Courtyard & front entrance

Home extension budget blowout

I was very happy with the entrance to my new home.

I really love the front gate & entrance

Home extension budget blowout

Now how good does that look?

The fabulous finished product

Home extension budget blowout

One of main main goals with this home extension other than creating rooms I could rent to students was to give my home more “street appeal” to help when the time came to sell. I think I certainly achieved that.

My dream home

Home extension budget blowout

The finished product was wonderful however I made some big mistakes in my overall scheme of things. I did not do enough research on council regulations regarding student rental, secondly I never anticipated the reaction from my feral neighbours who were always complaining to council about anything & everything. These people the Ryan family at 108 Upton proved to be cowardly & malicious. I often wondered why until a policeman friend of mine pointed out the increase in complaints from neighbours always increased after major renovations due to their uncontrollable jealousy.

Finally my biggest mistake was building such a large home which made it very difficult to finally sell. It was just far too big for the average family, without realizing it I had placed myself in a small range of under 10% of buyers. Apart from all that I was very proud &  thrilled with the final product, it also gave me a great sense of achievement to design & create my dream home.

 
 
 

Click here for a flashback to my home in 1991.

 

Jump forward to 2007 just click here.

 

 Here are some more posts on my wild wicked ways. :)

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

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
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Bangkok Bars                         TokyoCape Town Safari
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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
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Pattaya live webcam
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Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Home Gold Coast 1990

October 10, 2014 by David Herd

Part of my personal online photo albums, as opposed to my FiveStarVagabond travel blog.

Home Gold Coast 1990

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

Home Gold Coast 1990 was a great thrill for me, I also completely designed the layout & drove the builder crazy by checking the progress every day. The address is 106 Upton St Bundall, QLD Australia 4217.

This post also features many of the terrific people I crossed paths with in 1990. Apologies for the poor quality photos, it was very early day for digital cameras.

Dream home 1990 & a new boat

home Gold Coast 1990

I was working for Metway Bank & took out a loan to build the house, the interest rate was 12.5%, can you believe it? I also still owned my previous home in Claymore Crescent Sorrento.

Followed by  new girl. 🙂

home Gold Coast 1990

 Karen Greenwood was a Kiwi & we spent the next 12 months or so together.

My favourite song from 1990

Madison & my car fleet completed the set. 🙂

home Gold Coast 1990

My best friend Madison & my Mini Moke came with me in January 1987 when we moved from Newport Beach in Sydney to Surfers Paradise.

At Coolum with Ross Radford & John Sprouster.

home Gold Coast 1990

These two great guys were my bosses, John was GM at Macdougals Ltd at 58 Clarence St Sydney which was my first selling job in office equipment. Ross owned Sanyo Office Machines & sent me to Adelaide in 1972 then Melbourne in 1974.

Helen Burke at Coolum golf resort

home Gold Coast 1990

This lovely lady really knew how to have fun., + she had a fabulous pair of Bazookas.

Bryan Dart, Greg Hughes & Wayne Jones

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

We often played golf as I was a member at Sanctuary Cove, Greg forever the village joker took my putter and had it shortened by 4 inches. Next time we played I couldn’t understand why they seemed to be laughing & giggling each time it was my turn to putt. Being a fairly average golfer I never noticed the difference. 🙂

Amanda Kathy & Christy

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

Three beautiful Surfers Paradise princesses.

Boating to Sanctuary Cove

home Gold Coast 1990

Taking Kathy Amanda & Christy to a party in Sanctuary Cove at Peter Hesky’s waterfront villa.

 Dave Alen at Melbas

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

Dave is the son of Paul Alan the owner of Melbas nightclub & restaurant.

NYE at Melbas with gorgeous Simone.

home Gold Coast 1990

Another great year is almost over.

New Years Eve 1990

home Gold Coast 1990

Narrelle one of the gorgeous girls working at Melbas and my old friend Harley Bradstreet.

Tony Fasio & Steve Jones, RIP.

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

Tony was the manager at Melbas & big Steve one of the bouncers, Steve sadly passed away far too young in the late 90s.

Surrounded my lovely ladies on New Years Eve.

home Gold Coast 1990

Life is hard in Surfers Paradise but someone has to do it. 🙂

Happy group at my home for dinner

home Gold Coast 1990

Tony & Narrelle & the other names I can’t recall.

Derek Pugh & I in Sydney

home Gold Coast 1990

Derek & I worked for MacDougalls in the late 60s.

Paul Slaughter with Clode & Ian Rich.

home Gold Coast 1990

Xmas day in Sydney with my brothers.

home Gold Coast 1990

Ian, Bryan & Warren, the only one missing as usual was Neale.

The Herd clan at Kihilla Rd Auburn for Xmas.

home Gold Coast 1990

Most of them now in 2014 have children of their own.

A rose between two thorns.

Building dream home Gold Coast 1990

More like a thorn between two roses. 🙂

Tony Murphy & Graham Hughes

home Gold Coast 1990

Cold beers at my home in 36 Ckaymore Crescent Sorrento  just before moving into my new home.

The end of another exciting year.

home Gold Coast 1990

Thanks for visiting my Building dream home Gold Coast 1990 photo blog.

After building my dream home 1990 I lived happily there until October 2011 & then moved to Thailand.

   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) 
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

 

This gallery contains 2 photos