&travels

Red Sea ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Electrical box, Eilat, Israel

It's been a busy, busy week, with a full-on Jewish tour of Istanbul courtesy of the excellent Linda Naon; an uber-opulent night at the Hotel Les Ottomans followed by a somewhat more chilled out night at Sumahan on the Water, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus; a lovely meal Carne, the meat-intensive kosher restaurant in the middle of Istanbul; and a warm, relatively easy Yom Kippur in the always stunning Jerusalem. Other incidental highlights have been Aleppan-pastry making with Naava's aunt Riza, wandering the traffic-free streets of Jerusalem (during the fast) and breaking the fast with plenty of food and family.

Corn on the cob, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey

Les Ottomans lobby, Istanbul, Turkey

Making cherry liquor on the windowsill, Istanbul Jewish Old Age Home, Galata, Istanbul

Kosher butcher Yusuf Nalbant, Galata, Istanbul

The little boat that took us to Sumahan on the Water, as seen from our room, Cengelkoy, Istanbul, Turkey

Now we're in Eilat, four hours of desert backdrop from the centre of Israel, and almost totally removed from all political, military and social context. The tiny, wedge-tail of land between Jordan and the Egyptian Sinai is all about fun in the sun, whether you have rocks and sand or water and coral underfoot, with all the chintzy Surfers Paradise glitz and glamour, and none of the fine, soft, inviting beaches.
Since it's Israel, if you want to avoid the bottle tops, broken glass, cigarette butts and the occasional nappy jellyfish, you have to part with some shekels and chill at a private beach. We spent an afternoon snorkelling and sunning ourselves at Coral Beach, where if you stay in the buoy-marked swimming pens (really) then you don't get yelled at by the dude with the megaphone watching from the tower. If you're drowning, by the way, he's not getting wet, such is the notice on said tower.
Anyway, the water's super tame and you're not going to get into trouble, and we saw lots of brightly coloured fish. Nice.
Tomorrow we're off across the border to Petra, a two-hour drive from Eilat, for a full-day tour. For all of you who know how debilitatingly anal we (Naava) are about planning our trips, this is, in fact, an incredible moment of spontenaiety!
And with that, we are off to search for falafel in town.

Coral beach jetty, Coral Beach, Eilat, Israel

From Israel to Jordan, Coral Beach, Eilat Israel

Watchtower for non-lifeguard yellers, Coral Beach, Eilat, Israel

Sunsmart Aussie chick in a sea of bronze Israelis, Coral Beach, Eilat, Israel

Staying awake in Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Wall early before people hit the streets, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul’s at a geographic crossroads, everyone knows that, but I didn’t expect to feel it so keenly, right from the moment you come to a sweaty halt at passport control. Parked in the non-Turkish citizens line, we hear arrival announcements wash over us: Beirut, Cairo, Tbilisi, Damascus, Bishkek; each followed some minutes later by a wave of additions to the clogged queue. We made it to the front as the Georgians made it to the back, but we were duly informed a visa was required, and ended up joining the Turkmen (and women) as they turned up. armloads of shopping bags packed with fresh produce; a pair of melons in netting among other things; all bright headscarves, patent crocodile leather jackets, and a strong need to push in front.

Eventually, we’re in a cab, with the meter on (having avoided the touts), speeding down the empty highway toward Sultanahmet, passing through a rough break in an ancient fortification, skirting the old city walls.

Only Day 1, so Naava's not sick of the camera yet, Istanbul, Turkey

Unable to check-in until early afternoon, we find ourselves out on the cobbled thoroughfare of Divan Yolu giddy with exhaustion, walking into the Bosphorus sunrise, or at least attempting to make it to the shore.

We saw the water from across the highway, at the entrance to the old city, and decided to turn back in search of an increasingly urgent breakfast, which we eventually found at the stunning rooftop of a small hotel. Despite the directions given to us to a better eating area by a chirpy German-sounding dude emptying a kettle into the gutter, who seemed about the only person out and about before eight, apart from the first of an endless parade of street cleaners, and the stirring vagrants dotting the park benches, we had top-notch views and a distinctly Eastern European breakfast of bread, pale cheese, sliced cucumber and tomato, with the added surprise of olives and salty fetta, and tea, instant coffee and reconstituted orange juice to wash it down. All of this tasted rather fine with the 270-degree views over rooftops to the wandering watercraft of the Bosphorus, and the amiable company of a couple from western Canada, Barry and Judy (who was born in Kalgoorlie).

Very Old Baptism bath, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Naava’s plan was to head straight to the Topkapi Palace and the Harem, both of which are in walking distance of or breakfast and which didn’t open until nine, an hour after our breakfast. As it happens though, it pays to turn up early to the palace, when the tourist mass is at its nadir. It’s peaceful, relaxing and soulful when we follow the audio guide through the grounds, with an easy splendour reminiscent of the Alhambra in Grenada, but altogether more laid back.

Before the palace, we make a crucial stop – Andrew’s first Turkish coffee, at the outdoor cafe in front of the Blue Mosque. Look, it’s not the greatest coffee, and the one I had later near our hotel in Sultanahmet was better, but as the first, it will always remain dear to my caffeine-dependent heart.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, an army of groundsweepers keeps the place tidy, lending a soft, scratching heartbeat, while ever-louder strains of French, German, Italian, English, American, Australian, Arabic and Turkish melt into and eventually overwhelm the still, humid morning air.

Tiles, Tiles, Tiles, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

There’s no point in giving you a grand overview of the palace, but for me the highlights were the reliquary, containing what are said to be Moses’s staff, David’s sword and Abraham’s cooking pot, among fragments of Mohammed’s beard, his seal, mantle and the swords of his friends, and the display of royal costume, in which delicate, invaluable silk kaftans survive gleaming, much as they would have hundreds of years ago.

Post-palace, the Harem is a gloriously decorated series of gates, corridors, chambers and courtyards largely devoid of furniture and exhibition pieces, though still well worth the visit.

Studious Naava, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

By this stage completely non-functioning, we stroll back up to Divan Yolu, and stuff ourselves with Turkish pizza and salad. I take a gamble with Ayran, the national dairy drink, a twisted ottoman equivalent to lassi, which tastes something like thin, salty, liquid white cheese. No doubt an acquired taste, and the last one I’ll order.

Sheep Cheese Pizza and Ayran, Istanbul, Turkey

And now, as I write this, we’re checked into the Faros Hotel with a studio room overlooking the street and an alley offshoot, listening to the madness outside, trying with all our might not to fall asleep before we head out to find the nearest secret synagogue for Friday night action.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Hoiking it up in Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Naava booking Israeli buses on Skype a the transit lounge, Hong Kong international airport, Hong Kong

You know you're in China when there's enthusiastic phlegm-hoicking in the adjacent and opposite urinals. And a small man in a cleanly pressed uniform who you see picking up lint from the floor as you enter.

Or maybe that's not China, or Hong Kong, or anywhere in particular, just the diminutive green hallucination of a sleepless, never-ending transit through a major international hub. Whatever the case, it's been a long, long time since we woke up in Elsternwick at 4:15am, and I'm entering the seriously fuzzy-headed stage of the catatonic, while Naava nods off over a Marie Claire in another armchair.

The flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong was alright -- no worries -- and it was mercifully empty; we had seats at the front of economy, with all that delicious leg room, and notwithstanding a famine of a break between breakfast and lunch, with all the brilliant canned programming on the entertainment system (The Apprentice, Fight Quest, Man vs Wild, 21 Up: Born in the USSR), we were well sated, happy even.

Then came the boarding pass fiasco, in which we failed to make it to our day room at the Novotel Citygate, not far from the airport (to sleep away the seven or so hours we thought we'd have), and ended up getting special dispensation to enter the departures floor, shower and hang in the lounge, before slipping past security (yes, there seemed no other way) in a staff-only elevator, down to the X-ray machines, to again attempt a boarding-pass retrieval.

We're finally on the way to Istanbul. We have five nights in four different hotels; two of which are in the new city and two of which are in the old city. Post-Istanbul, we're off to Israel, during which we'll be spending time in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Eilat, Safed, and Ra'ananna, and I'll be doing a three-day ride through the north, from Haifa to Tiberias, via Nazareth. It's going to be a very solid three-and-a-half weeks!

The view from our balcony, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

The Land of Milk and Shawarma (but not together)

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Old City Sunset, Jerusalem, Israel

Al fresco, Jerusalem, Israel

Early last week I touched down from ten days in Jerusalem, with some hours in Tel Aviv. It was engaging, fattening and exhausting...

Traffic and golden stone, Jerusalem, Israel

The wall, Jerusalem, Israel

I ate a lot of fabulous food with the guidance of one very cluey local (hummus tour spanning the east and west of the city; the bakeries and delis of the ultra-orthodox Mea Sharim neighbourhood; interview with the editor of the country's premier food mag), met a horde of excellent people at the ROI conference (and did so much networking I might lock myself in a cupboard for a couple of weeks), stayed with and caught up with friends and family in between (always a treat and a pleasure).

Landner Bakery, Mea Sharim, Jerusalem, Israel

Chocolate rugelach, Machane Yehuda market, Jerusalem, Israel

I also met an excellent Brazilian with whom I'm discussing some sort of global Jewish cultural event in Melbourne, and I've returned full of ideas for a magazine with global Jewish content. So it's all good. There are plenty of pics to check out (there's a highlights gallery here), so I'll post a few more next time. Otherwise, it's great to be back; I hit the ground sprinting, with a whole bunch of things, about which I will keep you updated. There are also a bunch more PDFed articles to go on my website, and to be linked here. Ciao for now.

Waiting doggie, Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, Israel

Cat silhouette, Jerusalem, Israel

Taking to water, air and Jerusalem

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Tony's hands, Bennett's Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

In five weeks, I'm off to Jerusalem! I'm going for the ROI120 conference, which brings together young Jewish creative types from around the universe (40 from Israel, 40 from North America, 40 from elsewhere: Europe, South America, the former USSR, South Africa, Australasia) to share brain cells and come up with initiatives for the good of their communities. My personal project is to establish a Jewish magazine and accompanying publishing house in Melbourne, among other things.

I'm also hoping to write some travel stories about J-town and/or Israel in general while I'm there. I'll post what and for who when it's all happily confirmed. May involve anything from hummus to Judaeo-Iraqi musicians.

This weekend I'm off to Benalla, a couple of hours north-west of Melbourne, to go gliding, and the following week I'm going sea kayaking to a seal colony near Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road.

In other news, I've written rather extensively about beer for a crash-course in the stuff for Camper Trailer Australia magazine; I've published a photo story comparing Melbourne to Osaka in Jetstar Magazine; a Kuala Lumpur hotspots page in Tiger Tales magazine; features about audiovisual entertainment and homeschooling in Caravan World magazine; and travel stories on Bendigo in Motorhome World. I will link to PDFs, where relevant, when I can.

I'm also working on extracting commissions for a fabulous mountain biking trip through Bhutan, which is leaving early July.

In the meantime, enjoy a few shots of night-time Melbourne. It's Little Lonsdale Street, in the CBD.

Numbers, Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Car park, Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Disabled, Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Red streak, Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria

WOMADelaide and engineless planes

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:26:00 +0000

The Idan Raichel Project, WOMADelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

I've managed to leave a month between posts again, for no good reason. Anyway, here are a few shots from WOMADelaide, which blew me away at the beginning of March. I was photographing for the Australian Jewish News and Postcards.

If you click on the images you can check out photos of Taraf De Haidouks, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Toumani Diabate and the Symmetric Orchestra, among others.

In other news, I put together a photo essay on Melbourne for Jetstar magazine a couple of weeks ago. It should be out in the May issue. And in the next month or so I'll be touring the Mornington Peninsula's best golf courses, traipsing through north-western Tasmania, and I'll be going gliding in Benalla for Scoop Traveller.

On the Caravan World front, I'm going to get stuck into beers and homebrewing for a bubbly round-up of what's what and how to make it, a theme I'll be sticking to for a Postcards microbrewery feature in the coming weeks.

And Naava and I are confirmed and paid for an October-long trip to Israel with a five-day stop-off in Istanbul. We are very, very excited.

The Idan Raichel Project, WOMADelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Thaipusam Photo Essay & Melbourne Armenians

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:53:00 +0000

Egyptophile tattoo, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

On Sunday, Naava, Ronichka and I went off to eat sweet pastries and and learn about Melbourne's Armenian community. What we learnt was that they make yummy sweet pastries, play an interesting blend of Turkish-Arab-Persian music and love a good barbecue.

I love Melbourne.

And in other news, I have a downloadable PDF of a photo essay of mine, published in this month's The Expat magazine, which is based in Singapore. They're all photos taken at the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur, about a month ago.

Download the PDF here, and enjoy!

Armenian baklava, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Painter at work, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Armenian meats, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Armenian sweets, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Armenian three-piece, Mulgrave, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

And here, for good measure, is a photo of my grandmother with some of her heavenly freshly baked tea cakes. Food for thought.

Jill's tea cakes, South Caulfield, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Biking Buller

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:37:00 +0000

In the rearview, Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria, Australia

Last week, my trans-Swiss Alps-riding friend Janushka and I had the opportunity to check out the first completed section of the planned 60km of cross-country mountain-bike trails. They'll be progressively finished and opened over three years. Summer 2008 is going to be the official opening, after the snow and skiers of winter have compacted what is currently nearly as soft as beach sand into something hard and fast.

We started our trip in Benalla, at the excellent Benalla Regional Gallery, which has an expansive Sidney Nolan tapestry (made in Portugal), among other things, and a gallery director who's well in touch with the public. We spent the night at the cosy Rotherlea Lodge, a self-contained luxury villa overlooking a grazing pasture, and then I drove to Buller while Janushka rode 115km right up to the mountain's summit. As you do.

After a guided ride on the new trails we spent an afternoon and evening chillaxing and Jan drove to the spanking new Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park while I rode down the mountain. A forty-minute descent is more my style than his three-hour climb.

By the way, Janushka is training for a 2000km+ ride across the Swiss Alps in June/July, starting in Graz, Austria. He's opted for off-road, and is fairly loony, but nonetheless inspiring.

And in other news, WOMADelaide is less than two weeks away!

Biking Buller II

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Cruising down the summit, Mt Buller, Victoria, Australia

XC trails, Mt Buller, Victoria, Australia

No Admittance, Nagambie, Victoria, Australia

Biking Buller III

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:10:00 +0000

Windscreen mercury, Nagambie, Victoria, Australia

Armoured vehicle, near Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia

Military driver, near Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia

Malay days

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:52:00 +0000

Taxi at the base of the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

My week in Malaysia at the end of January was full, flavoursome and rather luxurious. Staying at the Ritz-Carlton and Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands Resort and the private-Island Pangkor Laut Resort, a small, fortunate group of us freeloading writers was cocktailed, dined, entertained and toured into happy submission.

A hearty terima kasih goes out to Tourism Malaysia, Jetstar, our escorts Lyn and Simon and our grinning guide Dahman, who was never short of a circuitous joke.

I am publishing a hotspots page in the May/June issue of Tiger Tales, a write-up of Jetstar's premium cabin-service in StarClass in TravelTalk, a day spa feature in Spa Life and a photo essay of the Thaipusam festival in the Singapore-based The Expat.

I came back with almost 1500 images. The ones I've posted are part of a highlights collection, which you can view here.

In other news, in a couple of weeks I'm off to Mt Buller with my mate Janushka to go cross-country mountain-biking, and a couple of weeks after that me and Naava are going to Adelaide with a couple of friends for WOMADelaide, after which I'll be driving through the Barossa Valley and to Mclaren Vale and Victor Harbor.

Anyway, enjoy the photos!

Faces of Malaysia III - Thaipusam

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:42:00 +0000

Pot-carrier, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Feather-seller, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Worn out, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pink Sari, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Faces of Malaysia II -- Cameron Highlands & Thaipusam

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:41:00 +0000

Captain Mokh, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Crowded, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Watershed, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Entranced, Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Faces of Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:37:00 +0000

News vendor, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mamak restaurant owner, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Begging at the temple, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Behind Petaling Street, Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mantises and Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:49:00 +0000

Daven posing, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

The other morning, this happy mantis found its way into our bed. I took that as a signal to combine it with a pickle jar, some soil and foliage and turn it into a carnivorous addition to my desk. Some might call it cruel, but I called him Daven.

I've been catching flies and moths and aphids and watching Daven eye them, snap them up, and eat their heads. I think he moved onto the rest when I wasn't looking.

Daven feasts, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

Then, today, his plaintive paws-together stare cut right through the Glad Wrap top of his enclosure and I had to consider letting him go. I found him one more fat, juicy housefly, and after a lengthy hunt, he caught it and munched its head. The fly freaked out, justifiably, and laid a foul string of squirming white maggots, which then rendered my desk addition an immediate addition to the flowerbed.

So, Daven, I had decided to set you free, and that self-sacrificing fly sealed your freedom -- adieu!

Daven feasts again, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

In other news, Naava found some sad, blackening bananas in the fridge and magically mixed them into an incredible banana cake.

Making banana cake I, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

Making banana cake II, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

Making banana cake III, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

Eating banana cake, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

And next week, I'm off to Malaysia to check out Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands, Pangkor Kaut Island, and the famously intense Thaipusam festival! I've never been there before and by all accounts, it should be an awesome trip.

I'm writing about the trip for a few different mags, and I'll post details of forthcoming articles as they're confirmed.

And if Daven wanders your way, let me know. I miss his leaf-like swaying and wide-set puppy-dog eyes...

Summer on the Peninsula, and Tiger Tales

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 01:35:00 +0000

Cheesery, Red Hill, Victoria, Australia

Ah, summer. The Mornington Peninsula is a fabulous place to enjoy the spoils of actual heat and pleasant weather during a Victorian summer, and it's also a fine place to eat. Naava and I happened upon Red Hill Cheese and its spectacular $5 tasting plates a couple of days before Christmas.

Boathouse detail , Point Leo, Victoria, Australia

We've been in and around Mornington, down to Cape Schanck, and I've been mountain biking at Arthurs Seat and Red Hill.

On the line, Cape Schanck, Victoria, Australia

In other news, my Tiger Tales article on books and Melbourne is online. Check it out here. And I'm going to Malaysia in January to write for Tiger Tales and hopefully a couple of other mags.

Rosella, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

I hope everyone's having a chilled, rejuvenating summer. Happy New Year, and I'll see you on the other side!

Seagull sunset, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

[By the way, if you click on any of these photos, you can check out some more Peninsula snaps.]

Convents and Jpost online

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:07:00 +0000

Lentil as Anything, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

My article about the Jews of Carlton is now on the Jpost website, here. If you haven't read it in PDF format, then have a gander and let me know what you think.

Went mountain biking this morning at Lysterfield Lake Park and spent the afternoon at Abbotsford Convent for Postcards. We had yummy curry, cake and pasta from Lentil as Anything, though not all on the same plate. The cake got a good photographing, as is my wont, and one of the waiters said he'd never seen someone so interested in cake. Fair enough.

I'm testing two bike racks from Saris for the next couple of weeks, the Bones and Bones RS. They turn my Barina into the workhorse it's always wanted to be. The idea is that they're great for between a car and caravan, so I'm doing a product piece for Caravan World. No, I don't intend to tow anything with my 1.4L dusty black go-kart.

I'm also testing four DSLRs for Caravan World and/or Motorhome World. I have a Canon EOS 40D and a Nikon D80 on my desk at the moment, and I've already had a decent play with the Canon. If anyone has any opinions on the Canon vs Nikon issue, please express them. A Sony Alpha 700 and Pentax K10D are on the way next week.

Jews of Carlton in the Jerusalem Post Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:33:00 +0000

Shopfronts in Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A month or so ago I went on a historical tour of what was Jewish Carlton, and shortly thereafter I had a chat with novelist Arnold Zable for an article on literary culture in Melbourne for Tiger Tales magazine. We ended up talking about Jewish Carlton, and an article which will be appearing in tomorrow's Jerusalem Post Magazine was the lovechild of these experiences.

Download, read and enjoy here or visit my website, www.andharris.com

Red Bull Air Race, Echuca, Swan Hill stories for download

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:44:00 +0000

KEA camper six-berth, Goulburn Valley, Victoria, Australia (photo: Andrew Smith)

I'm sure there has been excessive breath-holding, but exhale away -- long-awaited travel stories about Swan Hill, Echuca and Perth are suddenly downloadable via my website, http://www.andharris.com/, or from the following links. All stories appeared in Caravan World and Motorhome World magazines.

Perth Red Bull Air Race
Swan Hill + Riverside Caravan Park
Echuca + Echuca Caravan Park
Laundry on the road (the crowd favourite)

Comments, criticisms and crustaceans are warmly encouraged.

Perth and everything in between VII

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:09:00 +0000

Walkway down to the beach at Cowaramup Bay, Cowaramup, Western Australia, Australia

Some weeks ago now, I came back from a marvellously productive trip to Western Australia. I spent two nights in Margaret River, where I took a morning helicopter winery tour with Eco Star helicopters to Voyager Estate and Watershed Premium Wines, followed by an afternoon microbrewery tour with Taste the South to the Cowaramup Brewing Company and the Colonial Brewing Co. This was for two articles for Scoop Traveller WA.

I also dropped by Beckett's Flat winery, and sent home a box of kosher wine, and checked out Olio Bello olive grove for Motorhome World. This The next five nights I was in Perth, three of which I spent with my cousins, one of whom has a kosher bakery in Perth, Golden West. I thought fresh bagels were good, but I've never before had the pleasure of taking one right after it's cooled from the over, straight from the rack. Beautiful.

I also spent some much overdue time with my great aunt and uncle.

On the Sunday, I went to the Red Bull Air Race, the main reason I came to Perth in the first place. In short, it's awesome fun: loud, packed, fast and dangerous-looking. I was there with a friend from Sydney and his Perth-resident girlfriend. Much like my cousin's bagels, we ourselves baked, and after four or so hours in the sun by the Swan River, we went our separate ways to watch the rest on TV.

Since I've been back I've finished an article for Tiger Airways' inflight magazine, Tiger Tales, about literary culture in Melbourne. I had the great pleasure of interviewing Arnold Zable and Alicia sometimes, as well as Kris Hemensley of the extraordinary Collected Works bookshop, Jill Bartholemeusz of the Melbourne Athenaeum Library, and Zoe Dattner and Louise Swinn of Sleepers Publishing. It should be out in January, so if anyone's flying Tiger Airways, check it out.

I also wrote about one of my favourite cafes, Animal Orchestra near Melbourne Uni, for Postcards, as well as the seriously demented Il Duce Si Diventa.

I've also done a historical bus and walking tour of what was once Orthodox Jewish Carlton, in Melbourne; written a round-up of caravan and motorhome laundry products; and assembled a feature on solar power in RVs.

I've been a busy boy, and a slack blogger!

I compensate with many images, some of which I hope you will enjoy.

Perth and everything in between VI

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:08:00 +0000

Animal Orchestra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

At the oldest synagogue building in town, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation II, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Perth and everything in between V

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:05:00 +0000

Hesselson fridge art, Dianella, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Perth Hebrew Congregation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Perth and everything in between IV

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:05:00 +0000

Leon Hesselson the Bagel Baker, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Red Bull Air Race, South Perth, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Golden West bagels I, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Golden West bagels II, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Perth and everything in between III

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:02:00 +0000

Colonial Brewery, Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia

Olio Bello olive grove, Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia

Karrinyup Waters, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

The Moon, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Perth and everything in between II

noreply@blogger.com (andharris) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:01:00 +0000

Eco Star Helicopter Tour I, Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia

Eco Star Helicopter Tour II (Corey Isherwood), Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia

Eco Star Helicopter Tour III, Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia

Eco Star Helicopter Tour IV, Margaret River,Western Australia, Australia