Life in a year full of Saturdays

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Surfers Paradise (Australia) - The Endless Summer

Surfers Paradise (Australia)

20 March - 24 March 2024

Buckle up, folks, because this write up is going to take you from the back blocks of my immediate post toddler life and the associated memories I have managed to retrieve from the promenade of Croatia's sun kissed Adriatic coast city of Split to the sunny sands of Surfers Paradise, Australia! Picture it now. There I am, somewhere between the ages of 6 and 9, when life was as uncomplicated as a building a sandcastle on the beach and family bonds seemed to be as strong as the ocean's currents. During those years I was lucky enough to have spent a few Summers in the beautiful, tranquil Croatian coast fishing village of Stomorska. Back then, during the early 1980’s, Croatia was still relatively undiscovered. Of course Germans and Swedes were clued into the wonders of the Croatian coastline, and Yugoslavs made their way to there in abundance but the difference between those days and the mass tourism mecca of today is that ‘they’, i.e., Croatians, probably didn’t really recognise that what they had was world class, that it IS an exceptional piece of territory. For that matter, we probably didn’t know it either. The world was still a relatively small place back then and what you identified as idyllic could very well have been a pathetic backwater, or, it could have been a Dubrovnik in hiding, just waiting to be inundated. With that said, we all know about the Adriatic coastline now.

At the ages of 6-10 your perspective of the world is a certain way and your expectation is that sees it exactly the same. For example, half of my family lived on the other side of the world and I really assumed that everyone else was in the same situation and experienced exactly the same thing as me. As my cousin once said to me, ‘The fact that I had a cousin on the other side of the world was totally normal, I never thought of it as being unique or different’. We travelled to Yugoslavia on a yearly basis to visit my mum and dad’s family and of course, I assumed that everyone else travelled back home to meet with their families each year (maybe coming from Australia that’s partially true). I had cousins in Belgrade who doubled as my older brothers for short periods of time, so that when we were all on holiday together we had laughter that echoed like waves crashing against the shore, we had great company and we had the warmth and good nature of family coming together.

Fast forward to the present, and there I am, eagerly anticipating for the arrival of Inga's family from Europe. Time has whisked us from one continent to another, leaving behind my childhood memories of a small Croatian fishing village. Yet, amidst the chaos of my own schedules and obligations, the stars thankfully aligned and allowed for a nice chunk of time between my attendance to a team corporate coaching session in Surfers Paradise to coincide with their arrival, and for us to coordinate the logistics so that we could all be upon on the GC together for a wonderful 5 days.

View from our bedroom at the Hilton Hotel - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

View from my room at the Novotel Hotel - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Ah, Surfers Paradise, where the sun-kissed beaches stretch as far as the eye can see, and the only thing more abundant than the waves are the tourists. Sure, it may be a bit overhyped, like a surfer exaggerating the size of their last wave, but there's no denying the allure of this place. From the iconic Q1 building looming over the skyline to the golden sands that beckon beach bums and sun worshippers alike, there's a vibe here that can be infectious and its never beyond you to simply get taken away by the beauty of both the coastline and the Hinterland. It could almost be a great place….but I’ll leave that discussion for another time and place.

Hilton Hotel - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Our two-bedroom abode within the Hilton complex offered front-row seats to the GC’s main drawcard, its stunning coast. It's a view that could inspire even the most landlocked of souls to dream of a life spent riding the waves. And speaking of waves, you better believe that Davis convinced me to take chance to ride our first ones by starting off with our first surfing lesson! Imagine that, a Latvian convincing an Aussie to head out into the waves with a board, its like an Aussie convincing a Canadian to tie up a pair of skates and get out on the ice. So with surfboards in hand and a sense of adventure we paddled out into the great unknown, ready to conquer the waves and carve our names into surfing history….or a little more realistically, to actually just try and stand on the darn thing whilst it was moving.

Aiden on the beach - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Surt time - Davis & H - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Aiden on the beach - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Davis gets up and riding! Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

But amidst the thrill of catching waves and soaking up the sun, what was cool was to be able to just share the experience with someone that you like. Even better was the fact that I think we were both into it, so the 2hr session literally flew by. What an absolute blast. It’s taken me nearly 50 years to jump on a surfboard, and I can’t figure out for the life of me what prevented that from ever having happened in those years preceding. I’ve been snowboarding since I was 18 and certainly the logistics of getting to the snow in Australia is by far much more excessive than cruising to the beach (although a 1hr drive from Seven Hills in traffic was never my idea of fun). I know that there are many Europeans, including Latvians, who believe that Aussies are given a surfboard at birth (which now I think of it, really should be the modus) …and hey, when I was out there it felt as though it should have been some I acquired as a birthright. There sun, surf and salt, there’s a lot to be said not just for the sport but the process. Here’s to having a 2^nd lesson way before my 100^th birthday.

Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

A big day out = an early night - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

Aiden, Inga & Zaiga on their Quack'R'Duck experience - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

The view north from the Q1 - Surfers Paradise - Gold Coast - Queensland - Australia

The rest of our stay on the GC was more just taking in the environment, and for myself and Inga, reminiscing to some extent, the lives that we had left here some 3 yrs earlier. The GC was a good time. Certainly the weather is impeccable and living a 60 second walk from the beach was such a pleasure.

Byron Bay - New South Wales - Australia

Kirra Beach Hotel - Queensland - Australia

On our final day we took a cruise down to Byron Bay to catch up with our mates, Hoges and Hemsworth. Byron is a cool spot. It has its capitalistic hippy vibe, which whilst a contradiction, is rather accurate. But still there’s a relaxed vibe that seems to be imbued within the fabric of those Northern NSW coastal towns. It’s just relaxed, laid back and time slows down for you. I guess that’s the charm that we look for from places like that.

Thursday, January 4, 2024

The Grampians (Australia) - Tiny stay, tiny house

The Grampians (Australia)

04 JAN - 07 JAN 2024

The benefits from a having a short break allows all of us to slow down a little and take a breather from the pace of the daily routines to which we’ve come accustomed. You tend to forget how the pace of everyday life and the regiment of routine becomes so ingrained in your psyche until you step into the first moment that you’re truly away from it. Also, considering Aiden’s newly acquired understanding of what it means to leave home, and the excitement that he exudes in anticipation of discovering a new place or ‘going to another hotel’, or identifying a play opportunity, travelling and the anticipation of it has become far more enjoyable once again. Not that it was ever not enjoyable but those travelling with infants & toddlers know all about the challenges encountered on the way to those temporary periods of ‘freedom’.

Only on reflection do you notice that time operates at a speed to which we never truly become accustomed. Inga & I have in Melbourne now for nearly the past 6 years, where the hell did that go? In that time the destinations that have quite often lured us in their direction and away from the comforts of our abode have been the Yarra Valley, the Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road. Certainly other places have been on our radar, such as Rutherglen, Mildura, Gippsland and the Snowy Mountains but we haven’t quite made it to those place as yet. As for the Grampians, certainly there was one occasion prior to Aiden being born that Inga and I did make our way to their for what was only aa long afternoon stay but admittedly it the idea was very well constructed only really an afterthought, a haphazardly bolted on addition to another cruisey drive along the southern coastline.

On this occasion our escape was planned and we had orientated our Grampians discovery around the booking we had made for a tiny house, accommodation which was situated in the little locale of Dadswell Bridge, about 35kms north of Halls Gap, a quaint little town nestled in the heart of the Grampians.

The idea of tiny houses doesn’t seem to be too dissimilar to the concept of caravans or motor homes but somehow their concept has been elevated to incorporate a new way of living rather than just occupying the space of having a mobile conveyor of the comforts of home. Having watched countless shows on the ‘tiny house movement’ for several years now, the both of us have been fascinated by the designs and concepts that makes its way into the overarching premise of downsizing and embracing minimalist living within compact spaces. The movement itself advocates for a lifestyle choice underpinned by financial freedom, sustainability and a movement away from excess consumption, although sometimes the house you see are really just miniature mansions. In any case, what we identified in the Grampians was just the tonic we needed for our short time away.

For those that are unaware, the Grampians is rugged mountain range located approximately 250kms west of Melbourne, offering stunning scenery and some exceptional wine regions. Also known for its exceptional hiking, the challenge we faced was how invested would we be in getting Aiden to walk up rugged trails for a view as opposed to sitting inside a comfortable winery watching ‘anything he could think of’ on a phone and accompanying his parents through their ‘wine knowledge and discovery tour’. Whilst time would tell the winner of that option its not a stretch to identify at this early juncture where we landed.

After picking up Inga from work on a Thursday evening we did a short drive to Ballarat and stayed at the lovely Oscars Hotel & Café Bar in the centre of town. A very pleasant stop, we found the staff to be extremely friendly, the rooms lovely and spacious and the common areas to be equally as inviting. I’m not sure why but of all the options for a one-night stay in Ballarat at this time appeared to be excessively priced and Oscars by comparison offered the most value by fair margin. So, well done Oscars all-round.

Oscars Hotel & Cafe - Ballarat - Victoria - Australia

The next day we found ourselves on the road to Dadwells Bridge, which was only an additional 150kms west of Ballarat. Passing through the towns of Beaufort, Buangor and Ararat, we made our first planned and ‘civilised’ stop at the wonderful Grampians estate winery near Great Western.

In our own continued self-discovery of wines, both international and domestic, neither of us had really at any point encountered wines that had originated in the Grampians. It was only after the fact that we have now become acquainted with the much-celebrated Great Western wine region, characterised by its unique terroir, cool to moderate climate, rich soil and distinctive wines. It certainly came as a surprise to us during our first tasting that both the Shiraz and the sparkling Shiraz were standouts. Both of us more commonly associate Shiraz options as being bold, peppery and high in tannin but the first option at Grampians Estate (and all those that followed), were softer, velvety and slightly fruitier that what we were used to.

A lovely Shiraz - Grampians Estate - Great Western - Victoria - Australia

Grampians Estate - Great Western - Victoria - Australia

Our time at Grampians Estate was lovely and if an additional drive down the road wasn’t a necessity our long lunch would have become an extended afternoon. The sun was out, it was a beautiful day, and like many wineries that we attended in the region, they were thoughtful enough to supply options to keep children occupied whilst parents were undertaking ‘future reconnaissance’. Whilst Aiden took to the challenge of colouring-in, Inga and I continued to ‘develop our palates’

Approximately 45 mins away from Grampians Estate heading west, we arrived in Dadswells Bridge we made our way to ‘Tiny House 11’ at Grampians Edge. From what was obviously once a camping and caravan park, the complex had been converted into a tiny house park, which for our small family was the perfect option to be able to stay in a quaint and cozy retreat set amidst the picturesque Grampian landscape. Whilst the tiny houses are purposefully minimalist, I have to say that what you do get within each space is quite the surprise. It’s more than surprising to see how the needs of a kitchen, bathroom, lounging space and bed are craftily fitted within what is quite a confined space. For us it was perfect.

The rest of the day we spent utilising the facilities, which was mostly orientated about the swimming pool and the lovely recreational room, which had a huge TV, games, pool table and cooking facilities.

Tiny Away - Dadswells Bridge - The Grampians - Victoria - Australia

Our second day in the Grampians proved to be both the litmus test and the true challenge to our ‘steely resolve’ to do a little bit of hiking and check out a view or two in the area. I have to say, both Inga & I had our thoughts aligned to be doing a walk to the ‘the Balcony’ lookout at some point in the but when Aiden & I, ‘come a gutser’ whilst trying to cross a local creek in the centre of Halls Gap, our drenched clothes put pay to idea that we’d be doing any walking, which admittedly we more than adapted to by putting our ‘plan B’ option into effect which was to investigate more of those pesky local wineries.

Through the course of the afternoon, we made two distinct steps into the world of the Grampians wine region, the first being at Pomonal Estate & the second at Fallen Giants Vineyard.

It was at about the mid-point of our first tasting at Pomonal that it started to dawn on us as to how special the Shiraz was in this region. You know when you feel as though you’ve made an astonishing ‘discovery’ on your own accord and gain that sense of internal pride that you’ve managed to figure out a clue all to yourself (only for it to be pointed out that the whole world had already beaten you to the punch), well yeah, that’s how our discovery of Grampians Shiraz played out. I’d equate it to something akin to that one time when I ‘discovered’ the extraordinary quality and ubiquity of Malbec & Steak in Buenos Aires (whoa, speed racer alert to Captain Obvious).

Still, no matter how far back in the pack we’ve been with regards to the knowledge we’ve had for this region, which effectively has been nothing, on this day we were more than charmed by the sophistication and elegance of the wines we’d been offered. Perhaps the Grampians isn’t exactly the hidden gem of Australian wine regions, which was certainly the narrative we were started to create in our minds, but the fact that it was unknown to us is what made this little excursion such the welcome treat. Additionally, the bonus that we found at the wineries we attended was their thoughtfulness as to thinking about the ‘little companions’ the get dragged along to these boring places. Pomonal Estate had sporting equipment on their lawn for any visitor to use, which Aiden & I certainly did, playing cricket to Inga’s eternal abhorrence, and Fall Giants had both indoor and outdoor options, which we all made use of. Once again, to all Grampians wineries that we visited, well done! You should be congratulated!

Pomonal Estate - Halls Gap - The Grampians - Victoria - Australia

Fallen Giants Winery - Halls Gap - The Grampians - Victoria - Australia

After another lovely afternoon in the Grampians, we headed back to our tiny abode, had ourselves a great BBQ feast, accompanied by some fantastic liquid support, and even managed to get an evening fire going which allowed us to introduce Aiden to the ‘fire toasted’ marshmallow concept. Surprisingly not a hit on the first occasion but I think he’ll have time to warm up to the idea.

Tiny Away - Dadswells Bridge - The Grampians - Victoria - Australia

On our final day we headed out of Dadswells Bridge just after 10am at started the 250km journey back home, doing a short drive to Great Western and stopping in at the renowned Seppelt Winery. Boasting a rich viticulture history dating back to 1851, we once again learned what this region is famous for, producing some premium cool-climate wines, highlighted by a few glorious Shiraz and Sparking Shiraz bottles. Once again, a fabulous place, that has a couple of additional surprising experience in terms of their underground tunnel tours (which we unfortunately didn’t have time to do). The tunnels below Seppelt were initially created in about 1868, having been hand-dug by local gold miners to store their wines in what they considered to be optimal conditions. Over the proceeding 60+ years, successive owners expanded the maze-like tunnels to an impressive 3kms, which established an enormous underground cellaring system, the largest in Australia, having the capacity to store in the vicinity of 3 million bottles of wine at a constant temperature of 16 degrees.

Seppelt Winery - Great Western - Victoria - Australia

After a great tasting session and a bit of a kick around of the footy with Aiden on Seppelt’s vineyard lawn, we drove only a short distance to the Great Western hotel for some lunch and a last glass of Shiraz before heading for home.

Whilst we didn’t spend a long time away, this short vacation was effectively for us the expresso shot of travelling …compact, intense and guaranteed to leave us both energised and buzzing for more equally enjoyable experiences, hopefully in the very near future.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Da Nang (Vietnam) - memories fade into the distant night of time's embrace

Da Nang (Vietnam)

08 - 10 October 2023

In 1965, the shores of Da Nang bore witness to an indelible moment etched in history—the landing of American troops, their footprints mingling with the grains of sand on those golden beaches. Yet, as the relentless passage of time marches forward, those echoes have gradually dissipated into the sea breeze. The once-significant presence, a pivotal chapter in the annals of war, now wanes into obscurity. These sands, once imprinted by the weight of valour and conflict, now cradle the foundations of towering hotels, standing as sentinels to a forgotten past. The whispers of those who once walked this shore have been swept away by the tides, leaving behind a landscape where memories lie dormant, buried beneath layers of progress and tranquillity.

American troops - My Khe Beach - Da Nang - Vietnam 1965

Who knows how many faces in that photo are just memories in someone's mind, who knows how many of them made it back home, and how many were unfortunate enough to have their lives cruelly cut short so far from home.

It's nearly 60 yrs since those soldiers set foot on My Khe beach, and certainly for me standing there, looking at the surrounding plumes of tourist-driven capitalism with some knowledge of the events that have occurred here, it seems to be a strange dichotomy. The weight and gravity of war simply washed away with the passing of time, without considering its impact, without a concern. I understand that's probably not entirely the case but it does feel peculiar and a little challenging to simply accept Da Nang (My Khe Beach) for what it now stands for, which is a beautiful and burgeoning tourist destination.

Tourane Hotel - My Khe Beach - Da Nang - Vietnam (2007)

It had been 16 years since the last time I had stay in Da Nang, which was at the Tourane Hotel on My Khe beach. Now when I had booked in our two night stay at the Sala Da Nang hotel, just off My Khe beach, I really had no idea at the location of my previous stay all those years prior. But as is the case with me, which Inga can certainly attest to, the moment we arrived at our accommodation I was overwhelmed by a sense of the familiar - I even said to Inga, 'I think I've stayed very near to here previously' and pointed at the Tourane Hotel (the back of the hotel being directly across the street from our current location). It's odd how some specific locations have the ability to will you back.

Our stay in Da Nang on this occasion was to just allow us to fully immerse ourselves in 'holiday mode', soak up the lovely beach atmosphere and commit to not doing much else other than relaxing, drinking the odd cocktail and admiring the wonderful views.

Sala Da Nang Beach Hotel - My Khe Beach - Da Nang - Vietnam

The whole coastline from Da Nang down to Hoi An is being overrun and occupied by every hotel chain you can imagine. Mega resort after mega resort for 10's of kilometres. Certainly the invasion had already commenced prior to my first experience of Da Nang in 2007, and even at that time you were more than aware that the explosion of hotels on this pristine coastline was going to have an incredible impact on the landscape, as well as the economy. What was once an untouched stretch of coastline now stands adorned with a multitude of accommodations, ranging from boutique retreats to towering luxury resorts. The allure of this coastal haven has beckoned developers and tourists alike, resulting in an evolving skyline where each hotel competes for a panoramic view of the cerulean sea. I wonder, if I come back here in another 16 years what exactly will I see? I replica of the Gold Coast, or even Dubai perhaps.

Dragon Bridge (Rong Bridge) - Han River - Da Nang - Vietnam

Dragon Bridge (Rong Bridge) - Han River - Da Nang - Vietnam

The most we managed to do outside of lazing around the hotel pool or going to the beach to walk the 2kms was to the famous Dragon Bridge which stretches 665mtrs across the Han River in downtown Da Nang. The bridge is shaped like an undulating golden dragon and on weeknights it comes to life in quite an unusual way: the bridge is closed to traffic, and the massive dragon head on the east end of the bridge releases bursts of flames and water in a spectacular nightly show. I have to say, we were fully expectant of the flames but the bursts of water were a 'refreshing' surprise, and it quickly turned every person standing in its path into a young child once again. It was terrific.

Dragon Bridge (Rong Bridge) - Han River - Da Nang - Vietnam

View of Da Nang from the Sala Da Nang Beach Hotel - My Khe Beach - Vietnam

Esco Beach Lounge - My Khe Beach - Da Nang - Vietnam

On the way home - Vietnam Airlines - Da Nang > Hanoi > Ho Chi Minh > Melbourne

And that my friends was the final brush stroke of our Vietnamese holiday. What a beautiful, well earned, and what I anticipate to be 'a well remembered' holiday it was for all of us. I was slightly concerned at the start that Vietnam might be a little difficult, even arduous for a four-year old, but it was nothing of the sort. Our travels were easy and our experiences were exciting, fun and very enjoyable. I've always found Vietnam to be a very special country for the many things it has to offer, it's people, food, landscapes, history, etc., and now I'd be more than happy to recommend it has a family holiday destination. A truly wonderful experience and hopefully a place that we'll all get to experience together again at some point in the future.