Oceania, Travel

One Month in Papua New Guinea (1998)

33 Comments

The year was 1998, and – originally from Germany – I had just taken part in a one-year master program in international relations and development at UQ in Brizzie, ready to get some work experience under my belt. The Contract One of my fellow students at uni was the head of the trade union congress of Papua New Guinea. He got me in touch with one of the development NGOs in Port Moresby, PNG’s capital. That NGO happened to support his organisation. I applied and got a one-month job as a paid consultant. Over the next few weeks I had spoken with the local head of the NGO a few times over the phone. Nonetheless, I was still quite nervous when I arrived in Port Moresby. I had done my research, but there was not much to be found on the internet about Papua New Guinea back then.   I […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Restaurants, Sydney

Drake Eatery, Bondi – Great place for an afternoon snack, if you’re in the area

No Comments

During our recent annual visit to Sydney to catch up with friends and family we stayed at QT Bondi for a couple of days, to enjoy the beach and the coastal walks. On our first day we felt like an afternoon snack and found nearby Drake Eatery, which came highly recommended from a number of reviews we had read. We opted for two Aperol Spritz (AUD 10 each), 6 oysters (AUD 3 each), and their meat and cheese board (AUD 38 for the two of us), taking advantage of their ‘’Wine Time” from 4pm to 6pm every day.    The oysters were spot-on, the bresaola outright delicious, the bits of salami, ham and cheese very tasty too. We also enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the fact that there was a light breeze cooling the air through some of the windows that had been opened.     We’ll probably be back […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Sydney, Where to stay

Staying in Sydney with Style (and Beach): QT Bondi

2 Comments

We’ve just returned from our visit to Sydney, where we spent two nights at QT Bondi, an upmarket boutique apartment hotel, just one minute’s walk off Bondi Beach. If your room points towards aptly-named Beach Road, like ours did, then you can spot a glimpse of the beach. All you need to do is stick your head out from the tiny balcony and look hard right down the road.      QT BONDI HAS THE PERFECT LOCATION On the photo above, with the beach and the famous Icebergs swimming pools in the front, you can see two taller buildings in the back. One on the very left-hand side, then another, tower-like one, slightly further to the right. QT Bondi is located in the building complex directly to the right of the latter one, right next to the beach. The beach-facing part of the building is owned by another company, which […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Fun, New Zealand, Travel, Water sports

Hands down the craziest experience the Barbarians have ever done: Shotover Jet in Queenstown

5 Comments

It’s been several years since Ms B & I visited New Zealand during one of our annual visits to see family and friends in Sydney. We were on a tight schedule and spent nearly the whole five days of our trip in Queenstown, the outdoor capital of the world. The town has a pleasant upmarket backpacker vibe to it. There is an abundance of adventure and extreme sports activities on offer, ranging from bungee jumping to downhill mountain biking and white-water rafting. Since 1965 nearly everyone (almost four million people so far) that visits town seems to end up taking a ride with the Shotover Jet on Shotover Creek, not far from the town centre. £80 per person is a bit on the pricey end of the scale for tourist activities, but it’s worth every penny. I’d happily not eat for a week or two just to be able to […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Australia, Hiking, Sydney, Travel

Rose Bay to Watsons Bay Walk

7 Comments

From Circular Quay it’s only a bit over ten minutes by speed catamaran to Rose Bay, the starting point of one of the most spectacular walks we’ve done in Sydney. The walk follows the coastline from Rose Bay to Watsons Bay all of about 8km distance with only a few exceptions, when the path is a bit further inland. More than half the distance is through light woodland, so that you are not fully exposed to the sun, and there are several cafes and picnic stops along the way.       From nearly all points you have beautiful views of the city and the harbour and of the many ships and boats in between. The vegetation is abundant and we saw many lizards, cockatoos, kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, parakeets, butterflies, and other colourful birds and animals.       After about two hours and a half, despite many stops to shoot photos […]

Continue Reading

You may also like