TRAVEL | Whitsunday Islands

Along the Queensland coast of Australia, dotted with hundreds of tropical islands lies the Great Barrier Reef, the world's greatest Coral Reef system. And in the heart of the reef are the 74 islands of the Whitsundays, the largest group of offshore islands in Australia. It is said that the sand found here is so pure (99% white sand), that NASA uses it to make lenses for its telescopes.

The majority of the Whitsunday islands are designated national park, leaving them uninhabited and in their purest natural state. The azure seas, the white sandy beaches and the amazing reef make it one of Australia's must go holiday destinations.

It would be a dream come true for me to be able to go scuba diving in the coral reefs, seeing the variety of wildlife that exist here, and then spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the white sandy beaches.

View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Niigata

Niigata is the place to be if you're in Japan. Why? because it is home to the Nature Aquarium Gallery.  Take a look at this website, you'll be blown away. I like, I like.

TRAVEL | Halong Bay

Often claimed by the Vietnamese as the world's eighth wonder, the Vinh Halong Bay (or The Bay of the Descending Dragon), is famous for its spectacular seascape of limestone pillars on its 1600 or so islands and islets. Because of the islands' precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and have been unaffected by human presence.

Together with Nha Trang Bay and Lang Co of Vietnam, Hạ Long Bay is recognized as one of the 33 most beautiful bays of the world.

View Larger Map

LIFE | Phnom Penh

Street seller Phar Sideth runs to meet a potential customer in front of the Royal Palace on Tuesday. The 14-year-old said he works every day selling three small bags of corn and beans for 500 riels (US$0.12) for feeding pigeons in the park. Photo by Sovan Philong. Source: The Phnom Penh Post Thursday 27 August 2009.

MUSIC | Vanda's Top 10 for August 2009

Download link (expires in 90 days):

http://rapidshare.com/files/272995625/Top_10_August_2009.zip

Tracklists:
1. Fljotavik - Sigur Rós
2. 放愛一條生路 - 那英
3. 心服口服 - 陳慧琳
4. 不管有多苦 - 那英
5. 夢一場 - 那英
6. Hiver Mile-End - Ariane Moffatt
7. Just My Imagination - The Cranberries
8. Something Worth Living For - Shayne Ward
9. Je Veux Tout - Ariane Moffatt
10. I Don't Know You Anymore - Savage Garden

MUSIC | Ace Of Base

I'm going to post a series of hits from the 90's. This is All That She Wants, released in 1993. It is one of the few songs I liked when I just got into New Zealand. There are officially 12 remix versions of this song. Britney Spears did a cover of this song but it was never released.

She leads a lonely life
She leads a lonely life

When she woke up late in the morning
Light and the day had just begun
She opened up her eyes and thought
O what a morning
Its not a day for work
Its a day for catching tan
Just laying on the beach and having fun
Shes going to get you

All that she wants is another baby
Shes gone tomorrow boy
All that she wants is another baby
All that she wants is another baby
Shes gone tomorrow boy
All that she wants is another baby

All that she wants - all that she wants

So if you are in sight and the day is right
Shes a hunter youre the fox
The gentle voice that talks to you
Wont talk forever
Its a night for passion
But the morning means goodbye
Beware of what is flashing in her eyes
Shes going to get you

All that she wants...

TRAVEL | Yonaguni Monument

Have you heard of pyramids in Japan?

Located off the coast of Yonaguni, the southern most of the Ryuku Islands in Japan, the Yonaguni monument is a huge underwater ruin, believed to be man-made, which is estimated to have been built 6000 years ago, during the last ice age. During the last ice age, the water level was much lower than it currently is, and the Ryuku Islands where actually connected to the mainland.

Stone carvings on the rocks have been found and sharp straight edges made it unlikely to have been formed naturally. People believe the structures found include the ruins of a castle, a triumphal arch, five temples, and at least one large stadium, all of which are connected by roads and water channels and are partly shielded by what could be huge retaining walls.

Excellent Scuba diving spot!!!

In the first picture you can see carvings found on one of the walls.

View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Preah Khan

This will be the last of the temples I will be introducing in the Angkor archeological park. Preah Khan (Sacred sword) is a Khmer temple built by the king Jayavarman VII in honour of his father, and is architecturally in harmony with Ta Prohm. Like Ta Prohm, the temple itself has been left largely unrestored, allowing nature to mix with man made structures. The temple was originally used as a Buddhist monastery and school, engaging over 1000 monks.

Today, the Buddha carvings/images in the temple have been vandalised or destroyed in the anti-Buddhist reaction under the proceeding King Jayavarman VIII.

MUSIC | Peter Andre

I found out yesterday that Peter Andre has a new single released, that was surprising to me because I have not heard of him since the 90's. The new single is called Behind Closed Door which I listened to and I don't like it so much. I prefer this one, I Feel You, released in 1996.

BUSINESS | Air New Zealand profits plunge 90pc

National carrier Air New Zealand has unveiled a big slump in full year, normalised earnings to $145m, with bottom line net profits sinking 90pc to just $21m.

Analysts were forecasting a profit within the range of $65m to $113m. Last year's profit was $218m.

Key highlights

• Normalised earnings* before taxation of $145 million
• Normalised earnings* after taxation of $118 million
• Operating revenue down 1.2 per cent to $4.6 billion
• Passenger demand down 7.6 per cent
• Net cash position $1.6 billion, up 22 per cent
• Final dividend of 3.5 cents

----
New Zealand Herald Thursday 27 August 2009

TRAVEL | Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm (Ancestor Brahma) is a Khmer temple approximately 1km east of the old Angkorian capitol Angkor Thom. Founded by the King Javaraman VII in the late 12th century, the temple was built as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university dedicated to the mother of King. The beauty of this temple lies in the fact that it has been left in the same condition as it was found, showing the dynamic interaction between nature and man made art.

Because of its natural state, visitors are able to experience the wonders of discovering a real ruin like early explorers did in the nineteenth century. The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.

This was the site where the first Tomb Raider movie was filmed.

TRAVEL | Angkor Wat

Situated in Angkor, the Angkor Wat is a grand temple complex built for the king Suryavarman II as his state temple, in the early years of 12th century. The Angkor Wat is unusual in Khmer temples in that it faces the west, instead of the east, leading many to speculate that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple. Based on the decorations and structures found there, scholars believe that the temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu, a supreme god in Hindu religion.


Angkor Wat, which means city temple in Khmer, demonstrates the epitome of high classical style of Khmer architecture. The temple itself was designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology. The quincux of towers in Angkor Wat represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, while the surrounding walls and moat represent the surrounding mountain ranges and seas. This style of temple design was the dominant scheme for the construction of state temples in the Angkorian period, and was known as temple mountain.

View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Angkor - The Bayon Temple

From today, I'll be introducing a series of sites located in the Angkor Archaeological Park, one of the most important archaeological site in South-East Asia. It contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th - 15th century. The ruins of Angkor are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and are long since decayed and gone.

The Bayon temple is a Khmer Temple situated at the absolute centre of the ancient city Angkor Thom. Built in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon temple is one of the most distinct temples in Siam Reap because of the many serene and massive stone faces that are decorated on the towers of the temple. There are a total of 54 towers each with 4 stone faces, making a total of 216 faces. The person depicted on the towers remain a mystery. Some say it's the King himself, some say it's the Buddha.

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha.






View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Petra

One of the new seven wonders of the world, Petra is renowned for its rock-cut architecture. Sitting on the slope of Mount Hor, Jordan, Petra was believed to be the capital of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, and the centre of their camel caravan trade. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

Petra was famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" by John William Burgon







View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Temple of Preah Vihear

The Preah Vihear temple (meaning sacred temple in Khmer) is situated on the edge of a plateau, on a 525-metre cliff that dominates the plain of Cambodia. Dated back to the 11th century AD, the temple is composed of a series of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases over a 800 metre long axis, showcasing outstanding Khmer architecture. The site is very well preserved, being in a remote location, on the Dangrek Mountains, border between Cambodia and its neighbor Thailand. It is unusual among Khmer temples in being constructed along a long north-south axis, rather than having the conventional rectangular plan with orientation toward the east.

In July 2008, the Preah Vihear was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.





View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Jiuzhaigou Valley (九寨溝)

Situated in the north of the Sichuan province of China, Jiuzhaigou valley is a nature reserve known for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. A UNESCO world heritage site, Jiuzhaigou's best-known feature is its dozens of blue, green and turquoise-colored lakes caused by different residues formed in processes of Carbonate deposition.

Legend has it; that long, long ago the deity of mountain named Dago had a crush on the goddess Semo, and he gave a mirror that was made from wind and cloud to the goddess. However, the devil appeared and made trouble to Semo. Inadvertently, Semo broke the mirror into 108 pieces, which fell down to the earth and then turned to 108 colorful lakes in the area.

Jiuzhaigou Valley is a great masterpiece of nature, having dreamlike scenery and abundant natural resources. It combines crystal clear lakes, waterfalls, verdant forests, snow-covered mountains, and the folk customs of the Tibetan and Qiang peoples.






View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Santorini

Santorini, also known as Thēra, is a circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea. Santorini is essentially the remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. Central lagoon, around 400m deep, is used as a harbour for all sorts of shipping to the island. This is the site to the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history (the Minoan eruption) which caused the collapse on the Minoan civilization. The capital is Fira.




View Larger Map

TRAVEL | Sydney Opera House

Built by the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most well known multi-venue performing arts centre in the world and definitely one the most distinctive 20th century buildings architecturally. It was made a UNESCO world heritage site on 28 June, 2007.

The opera house houses two main venues, the Opera Theatre and the Concert Hall, together being defined by the two larger shells.

The designer, Jorn Utzon, received the Pritzker Price in 2003, architecture's highest honour.

View Larger Map

TRAVEL | The Great Ocean Drive

The Great Ocean Drive begins near Torquay, about 100 km. west of Melbourne, where it follows the coastline for several hundred kilometres to Warrnambool and rejoins the Princes Highway.

The total length of the drive is 247 Km and follows the coast all the way, with some of the most spectacular coastal scenery including rugged cliffs, sandy coves and spectacular rock formations.

The highlight is undoubtedly the Twelve Apostles, a unique group of 12 limestone stacks in the Port Campbell National Park that jut out of the sea.

View Larger Map