tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54702027932364509562024-02-19T17:15:47.891-08:00Andy and Jen's TravelsAndrew Waugh and Jenni Nuppula are heading off on their world travels on 14 May 2008. You can follow their progress here.Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-82123504158277322612009-06-13T06:22:00.000-07:002009-06-13T07:19:08.514-07:00Highlights of the tripMade with Slideshow Embed ToolAndrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-61486691718695065302009-05-15T12:14:00.000-07:002009-05-15T12:19:17.954-07:00Rio de Janeiro (Part 3)Back in Rio for the last three days of our trip, we made our way to the Selaron Steps, named after the artist who created them. Over a 19-year period, Señor Selaron has transformed this backstreet staircase into a tiled work of art. It's featured in numerous music videos (U2, Snoop Dog), films and magazine shoots, and it is now a major tourist pull. Selaron was on hand when we visited and gaveAndrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-68541984165977059472009-05-14T06:34:00.000-07:002009-05-14T06:51:23.040-07:00Angra dos Reis to ParatyThere were no cash machines on Ilha Grande and by the time we got to Angra dos Reis, we were completely out of money. We frantically started searching for a cash machine which would work. The queues for cash machines are phenomenal here and, just because it has the Visa sign, it doesn't mean that it will take your Visa card. The machines are also the slowest we've used in the world. After a Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-80719509894599461412009-05-09T16:55:00.001-07:002009-05-10T10:25:19.700-07:00Ilha GrandeLiterally meaning 'big island', Ilha Grande is an island off the Brazilian Costa Verde coast, 150km south of Rio. It's covered in lush, green jungle and boasts some of the best beaches in the country. Like Papillon, the island has had its own (helicopter) jail brake back in 1994. This resulted in the closure of the penal colony.Our favourite beach was Lopez Mendez, a long and thin stretch of Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-51269848803471862322009-05-06T16:13:00.001-07:002009-05-06T16:21:45.357-07:00Rio de Janeiro (Part 1)Rio is another truly iconic city with its mountainous skyline and Christ the Redeemer statue watching over everything. This is the home of caipirinhas, samba, and the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The French apparently invented the bikini, but boy, have the brasileiros made it their own. Even grannies wear bikinis on the beach! The city also has several favelas, made famous by the Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-27181088117177132072009-05-06T16:06:00.000-07:002009-05-06T16:22:39.517-07:00Rio de Janeiro (Part 2)Instead, we took the slower approach and queued for our train tickets to see the Christ. The spectacular views from the top were spoiled by the crowds, the coin operated candles, the chapel selling T-shirts and the Christ gift shop. It was very funny though to see lots of Brazilians performing Christ-like poses in front of the statue. Posing is a big thing here. Even really young children Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-74734145487031944992009-04-29T14:45:00.000-07:002009-04-29T14:50:13.831-07:00SydneyWell, what can we say about Sydney. It's one of the most iconic cities in the world. We had a lovely four days exploring this very windy city.We strolled through The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney. We found a bronze pig called Il Porcelino outside Sydney Hospital. Apparently, rubbing its nose brings good luck. Surprisingly, another part of the pig's anatomy was also quite shiny.The magnificentAndrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-43449759817358039102009-04-27T03:32:00.001-07:002009-04-27T03:42:19.682-07:00Coffs Harbour and aroundSue and Howard, our friends we made in Nepal, were exceptionally kind and had us to stay for a few days. Their dog Bluff was great company and he accompanied us on lots of local walks. Howard had just bought an impressive new camera and his pictures of the local wildlife - water lizards and fruit bats - were excellent.On a walk along the beach Howard also pointed out some Grey Nurse Shark eggs,Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-9261414714918157712009-04-27T03:29:00.001-07:002009-04-27T03:32:14.286-07:00Mount Warning and Washpool National ParkSue and Howard also took us into the bush to do some walking. One of the highlights was Mount Warning, named by Captain Cook. The peak is at the centre of the world's second largest caldera, the first being in Aso, Japan. The mountain was steep enough to have chains at the top. We came down in the dark and the rainforest looked magical as it was filled with glowworms.On our second day we Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-90008550166541262052009-04-22T04:11:00.000-07:002009-04-22T04:11:00.780-07:00Jack and Carol's in SydneyThis is the first of three new posts. Read our Port Douglas to Lake Tizali posting.We had a lovely time staying with Andy's aunt's former neighbours. Their daughter Yazi had grown up a lot since Andy last had cornflakes with her. After chauffeuring us from the airport, they laid on a fabulous pool side barbecue. They were very patient listeners, as we told stories from our travels. Their Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-60675232162886261992009-04-19T04:09:00.000-07:002009-04-20T03:46:38.491-07:00Great Barrier ReefIn our quest to find Nemo, we booked onto a boat tour to the outer Great Barrier Reef. At 2,000km long, the Great Barrier reef is the biggest structure in the world made by living organisms. (It looked really impressive from the air as we flew to Sydney yesterday – the individual reefs looked like jewels in the sea).Kitted out in flattering full-body lycra suits to protect against 'stingers' (Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-78571789980864356562009-04-19T04:07:00.001-07:002009-04-19T04:21:45.203-07:00Paronella Park to Mission BeachParonella Park was built, almost single handedly, by Jose Paronella during the 1930s. Being in the wet tropics, vegetation and cyclones are slowly taking their toll on the park. Bizarrely, this just adds to the experience. The night tour included florescent fungi, fireflies, baby bats and huntsman spiders in the 'Tunnel of Love'. An impressive waterfall fed into a lake full of slithering eels.Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-87020828896991694522009-04-19T03:57:00.000-07:002009-04-19T04:23:20.484-07:00Port Douglas to Lake TizaliLeaving Port Douglas in a heavy tropical downpour, we made our way inland to the Atherton Tableland. Higher up, it was much less humid than the coast. Our first stop was Granite Gorge. As our car wasn't insured to drive along dirt roads we had to walk for a while. We passed giant termite mounds and a few large 'beetle things' crushed under car wheels. Once we got to the gorge, we were Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-23245608674141492882009-04-13T18:17:00.000-07:002009-04-13T18:36:41.929-07:00Cairns to Port DouglasThe weather in Cairns was very rainy and humid, and we couldn't get a hire car for 24 hours due to the school holidays and Easter. The one we eventually found is the most expensive car we've ever hired, so you'd expect something a bit special. Not so – it's a Daihatsu Charade - essentially a golf cart with 75,000km on the clock. Jeremy Clarkson couldn't review it for Top Gear as he couldn't even Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-6518346352011310502009-04-11T03:23:00.000-07:002009-04-11T04:35:53.996-07:00MelbourneFollowing our time in the countryside, we've been dazzled by the bright lights of Melbourne. Famed for its food, the city lived up to its reputation. We reminisced about Indonesia, eating some fine suckling pig in one local warung - this time without the sounds of the slaughter haunting us. We've also dined on excellent sushi right in the centre of town.A walk around the city led us to the Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-4224711096638494252009-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:002009-04-08T21:14:52.746-07:00Wilsons PromontoryWilsons Prom lies 200km south-east of Melbourne and is home to one of Australia's most visited National Parks. The local government uses the slogan “Healthy parks, healthy people”. However, this doesn't extend to the in-park greasy spoon café. There we had an unhealthy fish and chips/ pie and chips lunch.The park was affected by the recent bush fires. They destroyed about half of the forest Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-63715442427754638302009-04-05T02:48:00.000-07:002009-04-05T03:09:55.671-07:00Grampians National Park, Mount Arapiles and BallaratThe Grampians mountain range is not famed for its height, but for the awe-inspiring sandstone rock formations, deep gullies and chilled out bush walking.Our trip from the Great Ocean Road to Halls Gap wasn't quite so chilled out. With the windows down and driving at 40 miles an hour, a big spider (at least 5cm long with the legs) began crawling into the car. Gripped with sheer terror, Andy couldAndrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-45913997406438398012009-03-31T22:17:00.001-07:002009-03-31T22:24:20.149-07:00Great Ocean Road, VictoriaWithin two ours of landing at Melbourne airport, we were driving along the Great Ocean Road that runs along the south-west coast of Australia. We knew we were in Australia when we had to brake suddenly to avoid crushing a koala bear that was sitting in the middle of the road – our first ever koala sighting!We're staying with Jen's course mate from Turku University, Meri, who now lives in a lovelyAndrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-36844011472398054562009-03-31T22:11:00.001-07:002009-04-01T01:28:37.508-07:00Otway National Park, VictoriaOn our way to the Great Ocean Road, we took a tour inland. Turning off at Kennett River, home to a number of koala bears, we drove through “The Bush” to the Otway Fly tree top walk.The Otway Fly tree top walk was completed in 2003 and does exactly what it says, giving you a great view of the forest, 47 metres above the ground. It was great to see the forest at its best.There were lots of signs Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-89706629675856793972009-03-25T14:37:00.000-07:002009-03-25T14:41:37.899-07:00Day with dolphins around Mount Maunganui, Bay of PlentyThis morning, we got up early to join the Butler's 'swim with dolphins' trip in the Bay of Plenty. We saw a lot of blue penguins resting in the water and tuna fish breaking through the surface. But by 2pm, there had been no signs of dolphins. We were getting seriously worried.Then out of the blue, we saw a dolphin surface right next to the bow of our sailing boat, Gemini Galaxsea. We got into Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-6393891737047179492009-03-25T14:07:00.000-07:002009-03-25T14:36:54.188-07:00Taupo and RotoruaIn our whistle-stop return tour of the North Island, we stopped at a little town called Taupo. It's home to New Zealand's biggest lake which drains into Huka Falls. They were not quite Niagara Falls, but pretty impressive.We also watched Aratiatia Rapids fill up after the floodgates of the dam above were opened. It wasn't the tsunami we'd expected, but a steady filling up of rock pools. The Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-84761880895673504072009-03-23T01:13:00.000-07:002009-03-23T18:05:15.588-07:00Paraparaumu Beach and Mokai Gravity CanyonLeaving behind the South Island, we made our way to Paraparaumu Beach, home to Jen's old boss Connie, her husband Rod and their daughter Mollie. We had a relaxing time, doing a bit of DIY and joining in the bubbles and trampolining fun with Mollie.During a short walk on the beach, we saw an impressive thunderstorm – and then promptly got drenched by it. Oh well, perhaps we didn't have time for Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-41057066253216937212009-03-20T02:42:00.000-07:002009-03-20T04:57:32.524-07:00Abel Tasman National ParkNamed after the Dutch explorer who first anchored his ship here, the Abel Tasman National Park has some great coastline. The hour-long walk to the first beach tired Andy out sufficiently to merit a 30-minute nap. The shock of seeing a spider on the path didn't help either.The goal of our walk was Separation Point, known for its seals. We didn't see any until Andy almost stumbled into this one,Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-44837916557859525762009-03-20T02:41:00.000-07:002009-03-20T04:28:35.203-07:00Greymouth to Farewell SpitOur night at Arthur's Pass was rather cold, so after our walk up Avalanche Peak, we drove to Greymouth. Our campsite was besides the long grey pebble beach.Running short of time, we had to rush up the coastal road to the north the next day. We wanted to top up the tank in Greymouth (following sound advice from other travellers), but all petrol stations were closed due a power cut affecting a Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5470202793236450956.post-63041520855739637742009-03-16T04:15:00.000-07:002009-03-16T04:22:05.380-07:00Arthur's Pass and aroundKnown locally as Arthur's arse, the South Alps are breached in the middle by the impressive Arthur's Pass. It's named after Arthur Dobson who had the 'idea' of putting a road here - it follows an old Maori trading route. On the way to the pass, we had a short stop at the Castle Hill limestone cliffs and boulders.Darren and Zoe literally fed us for the entire weekend. They gave us a packet of Andrew Waughhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805558161798040422noreply@blogger.com0