Sometimes things don’t pan out as one planned, particularly when traveling. One evening, during our short stay in Berlin, we visited a restaurant that had been recommended. The ambiance of the place was very friendly, the staff was helpful, but the portions were huge! There were four of us and we were unaware of the […]
HMT Dunera (B.1937) She is shown as a troop ship when visiting Malta, I think the photo was taken in the 1950’s. A couple of years ago Maureen and I completed a road trip around NSW, South Australia and Victoria. During the trip I planned to drive from Beechworth to Mildura; both towns are in […]
Perth mint, which until 1970 was part or the Royal Mint of Britain. In 1970 ownership passed to western Australia. On our recent visit to Perth we took a tour of the old mint. The ‘Mint’ in the city of Perth is now mainly a museum with the ability to sell and market coins etc. […]
The emblem of Kuwait Kuwait is about 277 miles north of Dammam, or a short seventeen hour voyage, but far enough away for the weather to have changed for the worse. We arrived off Kuwait at night during a wild storm with high winds and dashing rain that hammered on the bridge windows. The clear […]
Port Vila the capital of Vanuatu, which used to be called New Hebrides. The first Europeans to visit these islands were the Spanish, who arrived in 1606. They thought that they had found La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo or “The Southern Land of the Holy Spirit”. The largest island was named Espiritu Santo, which has […]
We arrived safely in Moji, and when off duty, I was free to walk around the town. It was 1967 and the lack of English language signs was noticeable, considering that all of the other Japanese ports (about five or six) that I’d visited, had some western symbols, even if it was only a neon […]
Sir Charles James Jessel. 1st Baronet (1860 – 1928) In 1899 the British North Borneo Company decided that the area, opposite Gaya island, on the main island of Borneo, was a good place to create a settlement. The area was developed and it was called Api-api (which means ‘fire’ in English) and later changed to […]
Christmas comes but once and year that is the only time my wife & I eat turkey. Over the years we have experienced different ways of cooking the turkey so that it doesn’t dry out. The ‘must have Christmas turkey’ is a hangover from our time in the UK, before we emigrated. Our Australian friends […]
What do people think of when they hear of a mutiny? Perhaps cinema’s effort to re-enact a mutiny helps us to think of – the mutiny on HMS Bounty, in April 1789 might come to mind. . or would it be the Indian Mutiny of 1857. . or a later mutiny aboard the Russian battleship […]
After the fall of France, in June of 1940 Benito Mussolini of Italy declared war on Great Britain. Benito Mussolini – 1883 – 1945 Mussolini ordered his general in N. Africa, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, to attack the British, which he did reluctantly in September 1940. Marshal Rodolfo Graziani 1882-1955 The British, supported by Commonwealth troops from […]
Savusavu is on the island Vanua Levu, which is on the smaller of the two larger Fijian islands, and I have marked the location. Savusavu is unspoiled & a place that is unhurried and free of most modern trappings and has managed to retain much of yesteryear. Savusavu was a popular trading port for sailing […]
Over the sea We put the house with a Real Estate agent this time and on the 20th March 1980 we sold it again, but this time to another family. The problem was that they would not sign the contract until they had sold their house – which was understandable when mortgage rates were at […]
While in Broome we took the opportunity to visit Willie Creek Pearl Farm, which was a fascinating time and very educational. It seems that ‘natural’ salt water pearls are no longer available, and all the pearls that we see are ‘cultured’ if they are the salt water variety. Fresh water pearls are imported mainly from China. […]
Sometimes things don’t pan out as one planned, particularly when traveling. One evening, during our short stay in Berlin, we visited a restaurant that had been recommended. The ambiance of the place was very friendly, the staff was helpful, but the portions were huge! There were four of us and we were unaware of the […]
