I’ve spent most of the day watching television: a combination of Fox News, CNN and Number 96. I’m totally addicted to coverage of the US election. It’s almost as gripping as an episode of the classic Australian soap opera.
I was only 6 years old when Number 96 appeared on Australian television. When it premiered, it promised something completely new on Australian television. There was homosexuality. There was full-frontal nudity. There was a mixed-race relationship, which included the first kiss between a white man and an Aboriginal woman on Australian television. And there was a lot of ethnic diversity. Put simply, Number 96 was showing Australia as it was. But not in an Eastenders “drab” kinda way. Number 96 was highly entertaining.
Rightly or wrongly, my parents allowed me to watch the show from a young age. While I know some people would find this appalling, I’m glad they did. As from an early age, I’ve grown up quite open-minded and open to diversity. As “older parents”, they’d been around the block a few times (with adult daughters), and I guess they made the decision it was all okay. I think the only time mum told me to go to my room was when Deborah Gray appeared full-frontal. But it didn’t matter, because the local television station, RTN-8 blacked out the screen completely anyway.
For me, though, I think it was all about the great sense of humour in the program. It was also quite camp. But mostly, it was just authentic. As I’ve been watching back some of the episodes contained on the newly released DVD, I’m surprised at how well it’s maintained its relevance. Sure, there are some funny, odd-looking 70’s characters. And sure there are some anachronisms which we would all laugh about now. But the characters are good, strong, and played with genuine authenticity.
Even the comic characters of Dorrie Evans and Flo Patterson are entirely believable. I know people just like them. Sure, they’re few and far between these days, but they’re still around.
The actors and writers obviously took the show seriously and that’s why it’s still around and watchable today.
This is not the case with Fox News at the moment. They’ve been running a pro-McCain/pro-Palin agenda for the last few months, and you can now see from the look on the faces of the presenters, a lot of them no longer see it as viable.
I quite like Fox News, as they have a genuine entertainment value to everything they do. It’s not “news” with a capital “n”, of course. It’s the kind of “news” you find on commercial talkback radio. But once you accept that reality, you quickly overcome some of the associated baggage.
Unfortunately, though, they’ve been so partisan in this election campaign, presumably a management directive, the lack of authenticity is now starting to show. You can see from the look on the face of the presenters they no longer believe what they’re saying. They’re clasping at straws, while the candidates are realising, as Bill Clinton once observed, “It’s the economy, stupid”.
If all the polls are correct, Obama is gonna win which leaves Fox News with a dilemma. It either puts them completely out of step with mainstream America, or it gives them a particular and committed niche that they can further develop.
Their editorial emphasis has changed in the last few days from “why you shouldn’t vote for Obama” to “how bad the country will be because people will vote for Obama”. I hope I’ve articulated that distinction clearly…
I’ll be interested to see how they deal with the election result.
There again, they might have it right…? Who knows, this could be “the event” that “makes” Fox News.
I woke up this morning to the sound of a rooster crowing. I could also hear cattle and birds. So peaceful. And then I heard the sound of milking machines. Less peaceful. But hey, I was on a friend’s dairy and goat farm outside Nimbin. They produce milk and cheese from both animals, and the sound of milking machines is, I guess the price you pay.
Two other friends and I stayed overnight, having attended a party on the farm. Conditions were pretty wet, though it was more constant drizzle than the heavy rain people here on the North Coast have been accustomed to this year.
On a farm outside Nimbin, earlier today.Part of the road just outside Nimbin, still recovering from the heavy rainfall this year.
Six months after the big floods of February/March, people here are still on edge.
One family member called me earlier this week in a panic, after seeing a Facebook post predicting further massive floods over the next few months. “You’re better off listening to climate scientists and meteorologists than someone you’ve never heard of reposting conspiracy theories about cloud seeding”, I told her.
As the radio played softly in the background, as I sat with an older family member who had only just survived the floods, her ears pricked up, as the news bulletin contained a report about possible flooding. “Don’t worry, it’s further down the coast”, I reassured her.
The floods and whatever happens next have been a constant conversation source in the last twenty-four hours.
As we headed out to Nimbin, I gave my friends what I called the “ten-minute” flood tour. Both live away from Lismore now, and for one this was his first visit since the floods. They couldn’t believe the scenes around our family home where buildings had been knocked off their foundations. They were both upset as we drove past our old high school which will likely be rebuilt on another site, due to the level of structural damage.
As I went for a walk around the block this morning, the sounds of construction were evident. It would normally be pretty odd to see tradies working on a Sunday, but today there were a lot of them around the Lismore CBD.A photograph taken earlier today at the AZA Motel has sparked a lot of interest on Twitter. The motel is located in the main part of Lismore’s CBD, and now features “flood signs” for previous record floods in 1974 and 2017, as well as this year’s catastrophic flood. Seven hours after posting, it’s had 145,000 page impressions and hundreds of “likes” and re-tweets. Many have commented it’s the first time they’ve really understood the enormity of the disaster.
The photograph was taken by a woman visiting from Sydney. Her son and his family live in Bridge Street, North Lismore.
“Maybe I go on about it too much? People in Sydney ask me how it’s going, expecting I’ll say all is okay, and we’re getting on with things, and when I don’t, their eyes glaze over”, I told her.
Despite the negative situation here, there’s room for some optimism as reconstruction work happens.
Most of all, though, it’s lovely to be home with my family, to hang out with them, and to help with a few repairs over the next couple of weeks.
While surfing the net, I came across a reference to a new “regular night” at a local Surry Hills restaurant. The “Bouillabaisse Night” at Paua Restaurant was described as providing “mouth watering culinary delights to give Sydney palates something to yearn for.” Give it a go? Yeah, why not.
Neither Damien nor I had eaten bouillabaisse before, so it required some research. What exactly is it and what do we drink with it? And is Paua any good?
Likewise, neither of us had been to Paua before. It’s a relatively new restaurant, which, since arriving back in Sydney I’ve noticed has always been reasonably busy. Opened by chefs Andrew Saxon and Alice Hyde, it operates in what used be a local delicatessen/cafe and seems to have found a niche for itself in the Indian, Thai, Turkish conflagration of that end of Crown Street.
“Andrew Saxon: Former head chef from Le Lavandou in Sydney, Euphorium in London and Paramount in Auckland. He was also a former Pastry Chef from Smiths of Smithfield in London and Sous Chef at New Zealand’s acclaimed Vinnies in Auckland.
Alice Hyde: Former Sous Chef from La Mensa in Sydney, Euphorium in London and Chef de Partie at Smiths of Smithfield in London.”
Thanks to Damien’s New Zealand heritage, an understanding of why it’s called Paua became obvious, as the bill was served in a Paua shell, common in NZ.
What is it? “Bouillabaisse is a fish dish traditionally served in two great steaming bowls. One contains the aromatic fish bouillon – with classic accompaniments of oven roasted French bread rubbed with garlic and Rouille. In the other bowl are the poached fish.”
On the arrival of the meal we were instructed, as was everyone else in the restaurant that there were two ways to consume the meal. One involved consuming the bowls separately, the other involved combining them together. We chose the “combination option” because it seemed the most logical way of combining some of the stronger flavours set before us, including the soup and the gruveye cheese.
So, we began with the croutons, then the cheese and then soup. The croutons quickly absorbed both the cheese and the soup and provided an extremely tasty mush which I thought was “very Sunday night”. And then it was time to add the two varieities of fish although, unfortunately, neither of us could actually decipher what varieities they were. What I can say, however, is that one of the varities contained a lot of bones. Looking around the restaurant, it bordered on the comic to watch so many people removing fish bones from their mouths.
What to do drink with it? Well of course, we went to the internet to discover that “Bouillabaisse’ hearty flavors suit a wide range of wines. As long as you choose something with good acidity and a fairly assertive personality, you should have a nice match. Sauvignon Blanc-based whites, including white Bordeaux, would probably be my pick, because the Sauvignon flavors complement the tomatoes, onions, and fennel in our bouillabaisse recipes.” We chose a drop a 2005 Cape Mentelle Semillion Sauvigon Blanc from WA (excellent, fruitier than expected, but not citrus) that met with these ideas although, looking around the restaurant, we noticed one table where they’d actually brought a full bodied Shiraz with them. Had we missed something? Did they know something we didn’t know? Or were they “wankers who only drank red”? We shall never know, but we did think the wine combined well with the food.
Flavours? Although Damien thought the taste of chilli in the accompanying soup was strong, I didn’t actually pick that up. Maybe it’s my desire for reasonably hot foods, but I thought it seemed reasonably mild. Overall though, we thought the tastes were a little “one dimensional” and were probably a little disappointed in some ways. Nonetheless it was a terrific night and one to mark up to experience.
But the deserts? Ah yes, they were different. They were terrific. Unlike our experience at Marque Restaurant, where we found the deserts disappointing, these were classic French deserts done very well. I had the rosewater flavoured pannacotta with stewed fruits and Damien had the creme brulee. Both were excellent.
Overall, a good night… but not great. Over dinner we discussed that it was probably time for another visit to Becasse, which is a terrific French restaurant on Albion Street,
Surry Hills.
Two years ago, I had returned from an overseas holiday with a severe infection that led to the amputation of my lower right leg. To mark the second anniversary, I decided it was time to prove to myself that my travelling days were not over.
I chose China for a number of reasons. A super-cheap travel deal was the main driver, but it was also the appeal of visiting somewhere familiar. I had been to China twice before and felt I knew what I was getting myself in for, at least in terms of the physical challenges.
The decision to join a group tour as a single person, however, weighed heavily on my mind. I didn’t want to be a burden or, worse, a subject of pity. I worried about spoiling their holiday if I fell over—a real concern, as only a few months prior, a fall had resulted in a broken hip and a complete replacement. In the end, I made a pact with myself: I would only go if I felt absolute confidence in my ability to travel independently. Right up until a couple of days before the flight, I still had my doubts.
My prosthetic limb certainly attracted some interest during the trip. On one occasion, an older woman stopped dead in her tracks, pointing at my leg in shock. I just smiled back and offered a platitude about how well it works. In the entire week I spent exploring cities and towns, I was the only visibly noticeable amputee I saw. It reminded me of a trip to a rural town 15 years earlier when I had seen a man without legs begging on a footpath. That’s not to say there are no amputees in China; they just weren’t visible in the same way.
The tour itself presented the challenges I had anticipated. The cobblestone streets and the sheer distances were demanding. On the day we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, our group clocked up 18,000 steps. In amputee terms, you can probably double that for the amount of additional effort involved. The two older women on the tour wisely hired a wheelchair and an assistant for the day, which cost them about $80. They assured me it was worth it, and as I struggled with the distance and the heat, I wondered if I shouldn’t have been so stupidly independent and joined them.
The “yellow” tour group, led by Eric made up with people from Australia and New Zealand
A visit to the Great Wall was always going to be a test. I had climbed it twice before in my youth, scaling the heights with friends. This time, I could only manage a few steps up the steep, cobbled incline. “It’s not so bad,” I told a young man from Tasmania who congratulated me on making it that far. “You see a lot more when you take it slowly.”
Walking on the flat bit of the Great Wall of China
There was only one day when I really struggled. It was raining, making surfaces slippery, and we had to get on and off boats with a distinct lack of handrails. But throughout the trip, the 41-person tour group was a source of incredible support. Members would often offer assistance, not from a place of pity, but genuine kindness. Though I mostly declined with a “thank you, I need to do it myself,” there were a few moments when a helping hand was a welcome relief, and I smiled with a simple, “Thanks, that would be lovely.” They were a great group of people.
A couple of days before heading off, I spotted a “Made in China” rain poncho at Big W. I only used it one, but it sure came in handy on the day it was needed.
This sense of camaraderie culminated on our second-last night. On the bus, one of the participants led an extended chorus of the Slim Dusty song “Duncan,” with personalised verses for everyone on the tour. When my turn came, I told them with a smile, “It’s okay to change ‘he never gets rolling drunk’ to ‘he never gets legless drunk’.” The bus erupted in laughter.
The institutional challenges, however, continued right up to the end. There was a moment, as I waited for the wheelchair to depart from Hangzhou Airport, that I had to laugh at the bureaucracy. Even though I had pre-arranged assistance, there was an added layer of paperwork to fill in and an additional counter to visit.
It’s worth noting that wheelchair assistance in China is nowhere near as common as in Australia. Back home, it’s a regular sight to see people being assisted through airports. In China, while the staff were wonderfully helpful, they did seem a little unprepared for the logistics. On one flight, a single staff member impressively pushed two separate wheelchairs at once. On another, I was initially assigned one person, but two others soon arrived to help. Despite the institutional differences, the support I received was great. During one of these transfers, an attendant politely asked if the man pushing my chair could have a photograph with me. Perhaps I looked like a famous celebrity instead of an old white guy from Australia? Of course, I agreed and, in return, asked for a photo with them as well.
After the delays at Hangzhou, I breezed through customs and security for my flight home. The journey ended with one last, unexpected hurdle upon arrival back at Sydney Airport. I was “randomly” selected for a full quarantine screening, which slowed down the otherwise speedy process. The one upside to this final delay was getting to meet a very diligent sniffer dog named Emma, who gave my bags a thorough, but ultimately approved, inspection.
Though it was a great trip, it’s great to be back home nonetheless. There’s no place like your own bed. The only downside? After a week or so in the northern summer, it’s freezing back in Sydney!!
Post Script
I shared a few of my experiences on the Facebook group, TripaDeal China Family and therse were some of the responses to my observations and tips about travelling with a disability.
“I found the tour amazing with my mobility challenges. Tripadeal contacted the guide company who were happy to accommodate my small lightweight scooter.”
“Love reading about your experience. Everyone seems to be saying the same thing about tour groups helping each other. I’ve booked my first trip for October.”
“Thanks. I’m concerned about being too slow (old army injury can slow me down when I’m getting weary) and hearing this makes me a bit more comfortable!! We leave Monday, cannot wait!!!”
“Thank you for sharing your experience. I also took all assistance I could when we did our trip in 2023. Wheelchairs at Airports, at various attractions etc. I also took a walking stick which could easily be converted into a seat, and therefore was able to sit for short periods instead of standing. Our Guides were fantastic and very helpful, and so were the members of the Group we were travelling with. It is challenging, however, with a bit of planning it is absolutely doable.”
“We both have mobility issues. Hubby took a small fold-up seat and I took a hiking stick. Also, we had excellent members in our group who helped us with our mobility issues like helping me up and down stairs.”
“Hi, what a great post! Practical advice and with a positive can-do attitude. You should do blogs for travellers in the same situation, as some may be afraid to venture out. Well done.”
“I love this post – so glad you got to enjoy China despite your disability. I look forward to reading more of your travels and how you navigate things.”
There is a particular kind of trap that many of us who travel for work fall into.
You know the one: the “work-hotel-pub-work” cycle. You fly into a new city, spend all day in meetings, grab a quick bite at a local bar, and then head straight back to your hotel room to open the laptop and keep going until your eyes blur.
I’ve been a hard worker my entire career, but this week in Darwin, I decided to break the cycle. I made a firm resolution: the laptop stays at work.
I first came to Darwin in the late 90s, and I’ve been lucky enough to return many times since—including a stint in management at the ABC.
When the offer came up to head back north to help bed in a new team, I didn’t hesitate.
Even with a cyclone looming and heavy rain forecast, the lure of the Territory was too strong.
As it turns out, the weather has been spectacular. We’re in that magical window where the humidity is present but the sky is clear, with temperatures sitting comfortably in the mid to late 20s.
After a full-on day at the office, I realised that if I spent my evening staring at a spreadsheet in a hotel room, I’d be missing the very essence of why this place is so special.
One of my main apprehensions about this trip was the logistics of bringing my mobility scooter. I knew it would be essential for getting around in the heat, but the “white-knuckle” paperwork involved—securing approvals and lithium battery clearances—had me worried. I shouldn’t have been. The process was seamless.
From the security checks in Sydney to the flight itself (where I ended up with three seats to myself), it was one of the most pleasant transcontinental trips I’ve had. Having that independence to zip around has changed the entire experience of being here.
Following my “no laptop” rule, I finished work and headed straight to Shenanigans for a glass of wine—a nostalgic stop for anyone who knows Darwin’s CBD. From there, I took the scooter for a long run along the Esplanade.
There is something grounding about sitting by the water here. When you look out past the nearby islands, you realise just how close Darwin is to Indonesia and East Timor. It feels less like the “edge” of Australia and more like a gateway to the rest of the world.
The CBD has changed—a few more empty shopfronts than my last visit three or four years ago—but the adventure remains.
I’m finding the best local coffee spots, meeting the new team, and ensuring that this trip is about more than just the “grind.”
It’s a reminder that no matter how hard we work, we have to leave space for the “magical” moments. For me, tonight, that meant a sunset, a scooter, and a closed laptop.
I’m clearly out of touch with the musical tastes of the Swedish public. Last weekend I was at Melodifestivalen—the Swedish finals leading up to Eurovision—and a local man in Sundsvall asked for my favourites. I told him Sanna Nielsen and the A-Teens. Both made it through to the finals held over the weekend, but they absolutely bombed with the voting public.
I should have known, really; at the heats, Sanna was incredibly popular with the older demographic but failed to connect with the younger voters.
It’s a shame, because Sanna is a legendary Swedish performer and “Waste of Love” was an absolute banger of a song—a bit of an old-fashioned schlager, which I suppose is why I liked it.
The A-Teens, who started as an ABBA cover band years ago and recently reunited, also struggled to find momentum with their song “Iconic.”
Obviously, times have changed for the Swedish public, or at least for those who vote in Melfest.
Interestingly, Australia votes in these finals. I saw the Australian jury on screen—no idea who they are or what their qualification is, though I assume they are from SBS.
This is Sweden’s entry for Eurovision 2026 – Felicia – which of course, I’ll support, though it doesn’t do much for me.
Back in Sydney, it’s been a weekend of settling back into life after my travel. I had a lovely catch-up on Friday for drinks with friends. We shared stories and videos from my recent travels, but the real highlight was discussing a joint travel plan for next year.
There’s a new confidence in those discussions now. I’ve been scared of travel lately, worried I’d be a “burden” on my companions, due to my amputation. But having navigated this last trip independently, that fear has lifted. I know now that I can hold my own.
To round out the weekend, I saw Afterglow at the Eternity Playhouse, an extension of the Mardi Gras season. There was a sign at the entrance prominently warning that the play contained adult themes and nudity—a fair heads-up given the subject matter. The audience was almost exclusively gay men between 40 and 70. A man sitting next to me, closer to the top end of that demographic, kept nodding off! Of course, the nudity featuring Matthew Mitcham was a drawcard; I’m not going to beat around the bush, who wouldn’t want to see a bit of Matthew Mitcham naked?
The play was good, though not great. They used generic American accents that didn’t feel quite “New York” enough, and the themes felt universal enough that they could have just used Australian accents. It got me thinking about the evolution of “Gay Theatre.” I remember the era of liberation where a gay play was a massive, anticipated event. We used to wait for Monday nights at 10:00 pm on SBS just to get our “fix” of queer content. Now, that level of anticipation seems to have faded.
While I didn’t personally connect with the polyamory plotline—played out by three very handsome young men—it was good to see it happening in Sydney. Now, I’m just settling back in, restocking the fridge, and prepping for the next big thing: work travel to Darwin in a couple of weeks.
When my friend Sue first spotted the “Nexus Holidays China Sampler” late last year, we both thought it sounded “too good to be true”. For about the cost of a return flight from Sydney to Beijing (about $1200-$1300), the sampler price also included an internal flight from Beijing to Shanghai, accommodation in “five star hotels”, about three quarters of the meals, tour guide support, and entry to lots of major tourist attractions.
That it was previously advertised at close to $3000, and was now being offered (through Living Social) at a much lower price, made it sound even more extraordinary. After consideration of the uncertainties we decided we would go ahead and book anyway, deciding to pay an extra $400 for single accommodation instead of the twin-share. Right up until the last couple of weeks before travelling, we still couldn’t quite believe the generousness of the deal.
The last time I was in China (I mean, the first time I was in China, which was in 2010), I visited my friend Kate who was living here pretty much permanently. She was working at an art gallery there, and had an apartment in a building a very non-western part of Beijing. She invited me to come to visit and so of course I said yes.
Being with someone who had spent a bit of time there, and who had developed a network of contacts and friends (mostly among expats) meant that I was able to go a little deeper more quickly into life in Beijing than the average tourist on a package deal, which is what I did on the China Sampler. I got to do some amazing things and really treasure the memories of that trip in 2010.
It’s one of those holidays where I can pretty much recall everything that happened on every day, and the way I felt about my experiences. But this time around, being on a tour group and the experience was different. Not better, not worse. Just different.
On the positive, I probably received a little more of the “educational backgrounder” than I’d enjoyed previously. On the negative, there were moments when I wished for something a little less “touristy”.
Flights with China Eastern
I was pleasantly surprised with the flights, since I’d read some pretty average reviews of China Eastern. People who write things like “the worst airline ever” without an explanation are wasting their time and mine. And those who fly budget but expect first class are just dreamin’. But having applied those filters I still want expecting much. China Eastern surprised me. We flew from Sydney to Shanghai on an A330: modern aircraft, good but not great entertainment system and plenty of leg room. The leg room was further enhanced by having scored four seats in the centre row between only two of us.
Our trip also covered an internal flight from Beijing to Shanghai, though noting the early morning flight was hell in the transport line.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Shanghai : The accommodation was excellent. It was genuinely in the range of four to five star throughout, with large rooms and good facilities. The only negative from my perspective was the accommodation in Beijing was quite some distance away, some thirty to forty-five minutes from the centre of town, which meant by the end of the day, we were much pretty much stranded. In all the other cities, however, we were close to town.
Tour Guides
Throughout the tour we had a “national guide” and a local guide in each of the cities we visited (Beijing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou and Shanghai). They were all knowledgeable, friendly, and all spoke reasonably good English, and often with an unexpected sophistication.
Tourist Attractions
We visited all of the “key” tourist attractions including Tiananmen Square, The Imperial Palace, The Summer Palace and The Great Wall of China, as well as lots of smaller attractions including The Lingering Garden which I’d never heard of before. Of all the attractions, the only one which disappointed my slightly was our visit to The Great Wall. I’d visited what I thought was a more attractive, more interesting part of the wall when I visited in 2010, whereas our visit on this occasion was to a very touristy, very busy part of the wall. Everyone else enjoyed it, though.
Temple of HeavenMei Jia Wu Tea Village/梅家坞Sue points to a sleeping panda at Beijing Zoo
Shopping Excursions
An important part of the tour is a number of “shopping expeditions” which, I’m sure, go some way to subsidising the overall costs. These expeditions included visits to a Chinese medicine facility, a tea factory, jade factory, a silk factory, and a copper art factory.
Chinese Medicine
As I don’t have the “shopping gene” these were the parts of the trip which I found least interesting. These were the parts of the tour most likely to divide the men and the women of our group. Even if the blokes weren’t all that interested in the finished product, there was still something about manufacturing which was enough to keep the men interested. There were times when I (and others) thought too much was allowed for these shopping adventures.
Others, however, really enjoyed these parts of the trip, and many people spent a lot of money. One couple, for example, bought $7000 worth of Chinese medicine products. A few other members of the tour group later seemed to suffer “shoppers regret”, as soon after they made their purchases, they realised they’d incorrectly calculated the exchange rate.
Optional Extras
Throughout the tour there were quite a few optional extras to the program, which included light shows, an acrobatics show, a hot pot dinner, a visit to the hutongs, and yum cha lunch to name but a few. While many people had paid for all of the optional extras, Sue and I took them on a case by case basis.
Food
About two-thirds to three quarters of all meals were included in the price, including breakfast every day and usually one or two further meals. I’m a little more adventurous in my taste in food than were most of the other people on the tour, and so I was sometimes a little disappointed with the food. That said, other people on the tour found it all a little more challenging than they were used to. There was a general agreement, however, food servings were very, very generous.
Toilets
Although squat toilets are the norm in China, they posed a few “challenges” for the female members of our tour group, particularly the older ones. Most of the time, however, our tour guides provided good advice about which toilets were more “western” in style. To overcome our uneasiness about squat toilets, Sue and I adopted a routine of going to the bathroom for a number two each morning at the hotel.
Overall Experience
Tour Group in Tiananmen Square, Beijing
Going on a tour group is, by its very nature, about individual compromise. Our group ranged in age from late 20s to late 70s, with most of the group aged 50-65, so there was room for a lot of different interests based on age alone. You need to go on a tour accepting there will some things you will enjoy, some things you won’t, some people you will like, some people you won’t. Life is about compromise. Sue and I were discussing this on the bus at one point, noting we would have found it difficult to have done so many of the things we had if we had travelled by ourselves. “We could have hired a driver and guide”, I said to Sue, but balanced that by noting it would have been more expensive to have done so, and then on top of that, there would have been all of the additional costs (including entry prices, accommodation and flights) which are all covered as part of this tour. Overall, I thought the trip was excellent value and would highly recommend it to others if the offer comes up again.
If you want more detail on what happened day by day, have a look at some of my China Posts
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Elaine Lee, second from the left in your Number 96 photograph, plays bridge at the club I play at and is still a fiery character in real life.
In my humble, the only things that can stop Obama winning are electoral fraud or a bullet. Sadly, given US history, neither is completely out of the question…
Gosh your parents were very avant-garde letting you watch! I remember living with my grandparents in East Maitland in 1975 while my parents were north rebuilding Darwin and watching it through a crack in my bedroom door. I’m fairly sure my nanna knew I was there! A really bizarre memory.
I remember the “shock” when Arnie came home to find his wife murdered! Wow! And there was a bomb wasn’t there?? With Aldo involved??
I rememebr seeing Elaine Lee in something about 10 years ago where she played a very believable chronic alcoholic. Good to hear she is still around and fighting fit!
Elaine Lee, second from the left in your Number 96 photograph, plays bridge at the club I play at and is still a fiery character in real life.
In my humble, the only things that can stop Obama winning are electoral fraud or a bullet. Sadly, given US history, neither is completely out of the question…
but I’m confident neither will happen. Go-Bama!
Gosh your parents were very avant-garde letting you watch! I remember living with my grandparents in East Maitland in 1975 while my parents were north rebuilding Darwin and watching it through a crack in my bedroom door. I’m fairly sure my nanna knew I was there! A really bizarre memory.
I remember the “shock” when Arnie came home to find his wife murdered! Wow! And there was a bomb wasn’t there?? With Aldo involved??
I rememebr seeing Elaine Lee in something about 10 years ago where she played a very believable chronic alcoholic. Good to hear she is still around and fighting fit!