Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts

Thursday, 4 February 2016

2 Travel - My Recent Trip To Melbourne

Sooooooooooo I recently went to visit some wonderful friends of ours in Melbourne for a week of rest and recharge. 

And here are the pics! (Click to engorge and enjoy)

Damien
xox

Melbourne Central Shopping Centre Clocktower
 

 
Melbourne CBD
 


Federation Square
 





"The Boys" took me to lunch at a cafe that was a train car perched on the roof 4 stories above the street.   And the burgers and mac n cheese were amazing:)
 




Obligatory Bath Pic - you know I'd do one.
Meanwhile The Boys' tub was so big I could almost do laps!


My attempt at Indian food.  Not really for me. Glad I tried it though


Now this!  Buttermilk pancakes.  Blueberry compote.  Bubblegum Ice Cream.
Popping Candy sprinkles. Edible Flowers.  Oh My Gawd Becky!


And these are pics of the gorgeous suburb The Boys live in :)








Thursday, 20 August 2009

......WTF... Most Ridiculous (?)Hotels ............ Except for the Burj Al Arab ...............

.....................that one I wanna stay in SO bad!!!


Got a spare $A50,000 ($NZ62,700) lying around?

How about lashing out on a night in the Royal Villa at Grand Resort Lagonissi in Greece?

Like a bit of room to move in your hotel suite?

Ask for the keys to the royal digs at the Grand Hills Hotel and Spa in Lebanon.

Hotels are pushing the boundaries to claim an "est" title – the priciest, the biggest – and lure travellers to check out their record-breaking offerings.

Accommodation website hotels.com has compiled establishments from around the world which break the norm.


* The world's tallest – Burj Al Arab, Dubai:



The building, standing at 321 metres high, will only have top billing for a few more months – it will be outgrown by the nearby Rose Tower when it's completed at the end of the year.

The hotel is a self-rated seven star establishment, built on a man-made island 280 metres from shore.

It's one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, boasting a fleet of Rolls Royce cars, a personal shopper for patrons, a helicopter landing platform and Versace bedspreads in each of the 202 suites.


* The world's largest number of rooms – The Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, US:



The establishment nestled on the strip in Vegas operates under the same license as the neighbouring Venetian hotel – together they have 8108 rooms.

The Palazzo is fitted out with a large selection of restaurants, retail outlets and its own Lamborgini dealership, boasting the only Koenigsegg dealer in the US.


* The world's oldest – Hoshi Ryokan, Komatsu, Japan:



This ancient hotel has been operating for over 1300 years – first opening its doors in 718 – and has been kept in the family for 46 generations.

In the 100-room establishment the focus is on ensuring comfort and relaxation.

Guests are welcomed with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and provided with a yukata – a cotton kimono – to use after soaking in the hot springs dotted around the Japanese garden.


* The world's most expensive hotel room – Royal Villa at Grand Resort Lagonissi, Athens, Greece:



Featuring a dedicated butler, chef and pianist, this room will set patrons back a hefty $A50,000 a night.

The room decked out with marble bathroom, walk-in wardrobe and private wooden terrace and pool, overlook the Aegean Sea.

If guests ever want to leave the room, they can use the private Lear jet to do some island hopping.


* The world's most expensive to build – Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi:



The hotel, which opened in 2005, cost over $A3 billion to build.

Silver, gold and marble were used in the construction of the 394-room hotel and the 1002 chandeliers dotted throughout are adorned with Swarovski crystals.

The site is home to 70 football pitches, a beach stretching 1.3km, a marina, a chopper pad and a couple of pools – one complete with a waterslide, waterfalls and a river.

* World's largest hotel room – Royal Suite in the Grand Hills Hotel and Spa, Broummana, Lebanon:

The suite is set over six floors, filling a combined floor space of 8000 square metres – half of which is used in living space.

The remaining area is home to two swimming pools, a private garden, a terrace and tree pavilions.


* World's coldest hotel – Icehotel, Jukkaskarvi, Sweden:



Rooms are built entirely out of ice and snow, decorated with handcrafted ice art and sculptures, and stay cool with temperature sitting between five and eight degrees.

It has an ice chapel, two eateries and a bar serving sexy cocktails from ice glasses.


* World's highest hotel – Hotel Everest View, Nepal:



The mountaintop escape sits 3880 metres above sea level, in the Sagarmatha National Park, atop the world's tallest peak, Mt Everest.

Guest planning to stay at the establishment have to pack their hiking boots for the 45-minute trek from the airstrip to the hotel.

Saturday, 15 August 2009

.................Dunedin .............. My Southland Odyssey....................

..........well........... not so much an odyssey as a trip down to Dunedin for Work. Dunedin is referred to as the "Edinburgh of the South".

For those of you unaware of Dunedin, here is an excerpt from Dunedin City's official website...

_____

Abundant Victorian and Edwardian architecture is found in this beautiful city. These elegant buildings often house, hotels, restaurants, and conference venues, and include New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle. These heritage buildings all bear testimony to the wealth that flowed into Dunedin during the gold rush period, 1860-1880.

Dunedin city captivates and enchants, it is a city in which to linger and explore. A city rich in heritage and architecture that leaves lasting memories for its visitors. Once the centre of European commerce and culture in New Zealand, Dunedin retains an elegant grandeur often missing from larger cities in New Zealand and combines it with the vibrancy of youth.

A compact city with a population of 122,000 (including a student population of 23,000) Dunedin is located on the southeast coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is a safe and compact city with most hotels and restaurants being within easy walking distance of the city centre, ‘The Octagon’.
Dunedin is nestled in tree-clad hills at the head of the Otago Peninsula which is home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife.
Dunedin maintains a position of national importance as a major seat of learning with a strong arts and cultural. Stemming from the early Scottish immigrants bias regard for education, the University of Otago, New Zealand’s first, is recognized as a major force in education and enjoys an international reputation.
This is your chance to travel Dunedin online before you arrive. You can book your Dunedin flights with Air New Zealand or Pacific Blue, and book your accommodation, attractions, activities and transport all online. Don’t miss out on your Dunedin tourism experience when you visit New Zealand.
____

Unfortunately I was there for work and didn't get any time to sight-see - and I wish I could have because the countryside and coast of Dunedin looked absolutely gorgeous when we flew in.

But here are some snaps anyhoo..................... and click on em for the HUGE versions.

Hotel Room - I do like a nice hotel room and this one was very comfortable. The bed was to die for.



I do wish these places would make a LITTLE more effort on the mini-bar nook tho.

Hotel Robe - I like a nice waffled robe to twirl around a hotel room in - and twirl I doth. Julie A would be proud.




The Speights Ale House where I had lunch both days - this is a VERY popular brand of beer here in NZ.



The hot server-lads wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get them in a pic. I am certain the young uni guy was going commando. AND he had a great knowledge of the wine list - paired my wine
excellently with my meal. Looks and style - always a nice combo.

This is my meal BEFORE I attacked it..........




This is it after *burp* - pardon.




Here are the obligatory pics of NZ sheep - they are actually quite cute.





More of the STUNNING countryside of Dunedin.




This was a plane getting ready to do take off.




*THIS* was my plane.




It was actually a VERY smooth ride and very comfy - I wish I could've got a pic of the handsome and very good-at-his-job Male Attendant.


In the Airport they have some examples of local natural icons. The city bird is the Albatross.

There is a large Albatross colony just outside of town. I hope to visit it next time.




This is a Moa skeleton that was uncovered in the Dunedin area and is a complete example of the now extinct large bird. It stood up to 7 feet tall and was a flightless bird that fed on the local foliage. Sadly, when man came here approx 1000 years ago they hunted the bird to extinction for meat and its feathers for decoration and clothing. It is commonly agreed that Moa were extinct by 1400CE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa




So that was my little jaunt down south.

Hope you guys are good and ready to enjoy your weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

Damien
.