Family Travel and Exploring Blog - Explorer Gabor

Taking in the Bright Lights of Kuala Lumpur

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:44:00 +0000

Arriving at my hotel after 12 hours of travel, then waiting an hour to check-in, the last thing I wanted to hear was the hotel was overbooked.

I've visited KL many times on business and holidays, staying in some great hotels. On my last visit I was booked into the JW Marriott in downtown KL, surrounded by great places to shop and eat.

It was Chinese New Year and the hotel lobby was crowded with people waiting to check-in. The look of disbelief on my face when told the hotel was overbooked must have been obvious as the check-in staff quickly offered to see what they could do to ensure I had a room for the night.

And they delivered....by offering me a suite at their sister hotel the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur. I immediately accepted, though I probably would have taken any room at that stage. Arriving at my room I knew I scored a good deal. It was beautiful. A bedroom, lounge, study, dressing area and huge marble bathroom awaited me, along with plates of chocolate and fresh fruit. This was going to be a nice stay.

Suite at the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur

Everything about the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur discretely screams luxury. From the pool, spa and dining facilities, it was beautiful. Breakfast was a mix of buffet and a-la-carte, with both offering an outstanding selection of western and Asian cuisine. The only thing not to rave about was the view from my room, which was nice but nothing stunning.

View from the Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is one of the bright, modern sparks of South East Asia and a great place to visit if you love food and shopping. In many ways, KL reminds you of Singapore, with a different touch to it. The glitzy shopping centres have really taken off in recent years and in the heart of the city it's getting harder to find that old-style KL shopping experience that I once enjoyed.

Bright Lights of Kuala Lumpur

On this occasion, it was a business trip and my days were fully booked. Luckily the shops are open at night and I could still indulge in shopping and local food.

Exploring street food in Kuala Lumpur

A short walk from my hotel was the Pavilion, a glitzy shopping mall in Bukit Bintang offering over 500 mostly international stores mixed with a few local ones. It was decked out in bright lights and decorations for Chinese New Year and still crowded at 9pm on a week night.

Exploring the Pavilion Shopping Mall

Within a short walk, more brightly lit malls were calling me, such as Farenheit 88 and Starhill. I wandered over to one of my old shopping haunts, Sungei Wang Plaza. When I first visited KL, this was the place to shop with an extensive array of stores, good prices and fakes galore. It now pales in comparison to the other malls and, whilst still crowded with locals, it didn't hold the same appeal it once did. I'm sure within time, Sungei Wang will be replaced with a shinier version, just like the others that have sprung up around it.

Catching a glimpse of the Petronas Towers

The best bits: everything about the Ritz Carlton KL is wonderful - if you can afford it, make this your next hotel in KL.

The so-so bits: the proliferation of glitzy shopping malls has taken some of the charm away from this area of KL.

If you're planning a visit to Kuala Lumpur, it's worth taking some extra time to visit Penang and enjoy a walk down Gurney Drive.

Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next family vacation.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Treat the Family at the Solothurn Rural Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sun, 15 May 2016 06:15:00 +0000

After a busy week of school and work, it's nice to take a short break that's not too far away. Somewhere picturesque, cool, relaxing. with an animal or two.

My kids love animals. As zoo tragics we try to incorporate an animal experience into every holiday. Closer to home, we're fans of farm stays. Feeding the animals, milking cows and collecting eggs is not only fun, it's a great educational experience for kids from the city.

Our two bedroom cottage on the hillside

As we had already stayed at a farm in the Gold Coast hinterland, we decided it was time to check out farms in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. After researching farm stays in this part of the world, we finally settled on Solothurn Rural Resort, a 270 acre farm just 5 minutes from Maleny.

Set amongst rolling green hills, the Resort is home to a wide range of the usual and not so usual farm animals. There's also a mix of accommodation with 8 cottages, 4 chalets and a few motel rooms. We chose a two bedroom cottage only a few minutes walk from the main farmhouse. It was an older cottage, comfortable though could do with some refurbishment. Whilst the chalets are newer, they are located on another hill and too far to walk to the main farmhouse.

First time milking a cow

Each morning starts at the quite civilised time of 7.30am, when we met the farmer to milk the cows. My youngest son was not game to try milking, though the older one enthusiastically took hold of those udders and tried to squeeze out some milk...with little success.

After milking, it's time to feed the chickens, ducks, pigs, emus, sheep and horses. There are a lot of mouths to feed and despite having to walk up and down the hill, before you know it feeding time is over. One unusual addition to this farm stay were all the emus. Thankfully no-one was on the receiving end of a hard emu peck and it was considered another highlight of the farm stay.

Emu's are quite aggressive feeders

Once the morning feed is done and dusted, we returned to our cottage for morning tea. It's then back to the farmhouse at 10.30am for the tractor ride down to one of the bottom paddocks to feed the beef cattle. Not many other guests joined us on the first day due to the rain.

You don't actually ride on the tractor, but behind it in a covered trailer that seats around a dozen people. We used our umbrellas to shelter from the rain blowing in and by the time we made it to the bottom paddock, the rain had stopped. Joining us for the ride were the two farm dogs, who were clearly regular riders on this route.

Everyone enjoyed the tractor ride to the bottom paddock

Returning from the bottom paddock, the tractor traverses quite a few hills, exploring different parts of the farm. It's a relaxing and enjoyable ride, and the scenery is just beautiful.

For the remainder of the day guests are free to explore the farm, swim in the heated pool, play tennis or just relax. We walked down the hill to the visit the horses and explored the grounds around the farmhouse. The Resort includes a gorgeous stone chapel, which has been part of many picture perfect weddings as the Resort is a popular wedding venue.

Quaint wedding chapel at Solothurn Rural Resort

Each day we followed pretty much the same pattern, spending most afternoons relaxing at the cottage. The cows roam all over the resort and it wasn't unusual to see cows in front of our verandah. If you are planning to surf the net in your downtime, keep in mind there is no wifi at the Resort and the farm has limited mobile internet coverage.

Even though we visited Solothurn Rural Resort in the midst of summer, it was cold and rainy in the hills. Coats are a necessity, as are umbrellas and preferably gumboots. You can see why the cottages and chalets have fireplaces, they would get a good workout in winter.

Bottle feeding the calves at Maleny Dairies

As the Resort is only five minutes from Maleny, we made a visit to Maleny Dairies. A sprawling dairy, it was a great way to fill a few hours on a rainy day. Our tour included visiting the manufacturing plant, watching the cows milked by machine and feeding the calves from giant milk bottles. We also tasted various milks, yoghurts, custard and cream.

Maleny Dairies products are divine and highly recommended if you're a fan of the quality dairy stuff. We left with bottles of Farmers Choice Gold Top milk, which is so creamy, as well as some yoghurt and custard. My son still talks about the milk and custard, and whenever we visit the Sunshine Coast he insists we buy some. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit.

Since our visit, the Solothurn Rural Resort has been listed for sale. If you have access to a few million it would be a great buy. Hopefully the new owners will continue to improve what's already on offer.

Solothurn Rural Resort, it's worth exploring if you are looking for a relaxing short break near Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast. Highly recommended for families.

The best bits: feeding the farm animals, as well as the scenery, fresh air and it's peaceful. Plus it's not expensive.
The so so bits: as it rains quite a bit in the hills around Maleny, it may be cool, wet and muddy at any time of the year; limited to no mobile internet coverage (this could be a positive for some).

Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next family vacation.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Exploring Amsterdam: a wonderful walking tour in winter

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 07:43:00 +0000

Arriving on an early winters morning after a 14hr flight, I was cold, tired and excited to make my first visit to this great city. To avoid jet lag I planned to stay awake all day and the best way to do that was outside in the chilly air...even if I wasn't dressed for it.

I've been to a lot of great cities and Amsterdam would have to be the most breathtakingly beautiful. The combination of canals and history is priceless. It is so clean and pretty, bicycles and cafes everywhere. A European paradise.

My hotel for this trip was the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre. Not exactly steeped in history or culture, but very conveniently located a few minutes walk from Dam Square and Central Station. A modern hotel with free wifi, a comfortable bed, tasty food and good heating...everything to make a short stop in Amsterdam all the more comfortable in winter.

Bicycles and trams share the roads in Amsterdam

It was early February, the coldest month of the year. The daytime temperature was around 2 degC, with the wind chill taking it well below zero. I live in a subtropical climate - the most I need in winter is jeans and a jumper. I picked up thermals and a beanie from Kathmandu at home and managed to find a pair of knitted gloves in Kuala Lumpur en-route to Amsterdam. How lucky was that!

If you are going somewhere really cold, do not wear knitted gloves, they won't keep you warm and you will spend the entire time with your hands under your armpits, which is very inconvenient when trying to take photos. Your thick woolen hands can't unlock your phone or let you operate the camera. No, you need to remove at least one glove to work the phone and camera, leaving you with at least one frozen hand most of the time. Spend a few extra bucks and buy a leather pair, which I eventually did.

Dam Square and the Royal Palace

I arrived in Dam Square dressed in jeans, joggers, useless knitted gloves, thermals, t-shirt, jumper, my work coat and a beanie pulled down over my ears. And I was cold. Really cold.

The free City Walking Tour departed from a coffee shop at Dam Square at 11am. The coffee shop was easier to find than expected so I grabbed a hot tea whilst waiting for the tour to begin. We were divided into two small groups - English speakers and Spanish speakers - before departing on our 2.5hr tour. The English group was a mix of British, Americans and Australians.

Exploring Amsterdam's Laneways

After a short overview on Dam Square and the Royal Palace, we set off on our tour. Walking along the picture postcard canals, we stopped for cheese tasting and admired the beauty and history of the gable-topped narrow homes fronting the canals and laneways.

Tranquility abounds in the Begijnhof

This tour is a great way to learn the history of Amsterdam, stretching back to the 12th century. We were lucky to enter the Begijnhof, a sanctuary of small homes surrounding a quiet garden and chapel that dates back to 1307. It's a very peaceful, tranquil oasis, not easily seen from the street and unless you were given directions, you probably wouldn't find it on your own.

Amsterdam is also home to some beautiful old churches. Completed in 1630, the tower on the West Church is the tallest in the city, making this a good landmark to get your bearings.

The Snake House or de Slang

Amsterdam showcases some great street art on building facades, with the most famous being the Snake House. Once occupied by squatters and now home to artists, it's a great example of the art that adorns buildings along Spuistraat.

Walking the city on a cold winters morning was actually relaxing, even after a long sleepless flight. Most of my walking companions were great, with the exception of three 40-something British guys who were rude, obnoxious and stupid. Stopping outside the Kumpkring Coffee Shop, a well known establishment where the menu includes over 50 varieties of marijuana, hashish and joints, they went inside to buy some product. For the remainder of the tour our British companions were more interested in getting stoned and giggling uncontrollably than listening to the guide.

Amsterdam's Red Light District - more picturesque than porn

The Red Light District has been transformed in recent years and is now a mix of trendy bars and cafes. During the day we saw no girls in the windows here, but we did see them in apartment windows in other parts of the city. Unexpectedly the girls we saw weren't doing anything sexy or alluring, most were reading books, smoking or having coffee.

The Red Light District is a popular destination for British guys to go for a boozy weekend or bucks night. It wasn't unusual to see a drunken Brit staggering down the street, shirtless on a cold night. Drunken Brits, stoned Brits...seeing a pattern here?

Wandering around the city we also visited a flower market, which was just divine, and walked past Anne Franks House, with its queue of waiting fans stretching for blocks. If you ever plan to visit this popular attraction, arrive early and be prepared for a long wait.

Amsterdam's Glorious Old Churches

My visit to Amsterdam was far too brief and I would have loved to visit many of the famous museums such as the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. I'm sure my kids would love to sample the gooey Nutella pancakes, which seemed to be sold in every laneway across the city.

The best bits: Amsterdam is a city made for walking and cycling - it's breathtakingly beautiful. The walking tour was free and the guide was excellent.

The so-so bits: It's a very cold city in winter. Food and accommodation is a little expensive.

Amsterdam...definitely worth exploring further. Next time I'm taking the family and staying longer.

Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next family vacation.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Enjoy a walk down Gurney Drive, Penang

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 21:00:00 +0000

Whilst I've been to Kuala Lumpur many times, until recently I'd never taken the 40 min flight to check out Penang. It doesn't have the flashiness of KL or the same amount of glitzy shopping malls and hotels, though it is an interesting place for a short break

Gurney Drive, also known as Persiaran Gurney, is a popular esplanade running along Penang's waterfront. Looking across the water you can see Butterworth and the port, whilst historic Georgetown is located at the end of Gurney Drive.

I was in Penang for the weekend on a business trip, staying at the Hotel G, a fairly new, trendy hotel at the top end of Gurney Drive. Guests were mostly wealthier families and business travelers, enjoying the hip decor and waterfront location. The hotel room was stylish and comfortable with all the usual amenities you would expect from a trendy hotel. Breakfast and lunch at Taste Cafe were the usual buffet-style mix of Western and Asian food, though they did have a pretty amazing chocolate fountain.

Gurney Drive

After checking in it was time to explore Gurney Drive further by walking the full length, which was around 2-3km each way. Whilst late afternoon, it was quite warm and humid but not insufferable. The first thing you notice walking the Drive is the smell. It's pretty bad and reminded me of raw sewage. The sidewalk was in fairly good condition making it overall, pretty good walking conditions.

Afternoon traffic on Gurney Drive

Like any popular esplanade, the Drive was bumper to bumper traffic. One side of the Drive is lined with bars, restaurants, hotels, apartments and the occasional colonial-era bungalow. The other side, a rocky shore with the occasion patch of grass and bench seats. Families gathered in spots along the Drive to take in the water and sea breeze, whilst young lovers met on park benches to discretely hold hands.

Looking across to Butterworth

One of the nicest aspects of walking down Gurvey Drive is the view. It's very relaxing looking across the water and you can see why families and young lovers enjoy this spot. Closer to Georgetown many small fishing boats were moored close to the shore making it even more picturesque.

When walking down the Drive I noticed quite a few people sitting at bars on the other side of the road, enjoying a drink, taking in the view and people-watching. It looked such a good idea, that on my return to the hotel I stopped at Mr Pot's for a beer. Even though I'm not much of a beer drinker, a nice, cold Asahi was just what I needed to cool down on a warm afternoon whilst watching the sun slowly set.

Nice cold beer at Mr Pot

There was such a buzz on the Drive that whilst it was getting late I wasn't ready to return to the hotel. Next stop was Gurney Plaza, a big shiny shopping centre featuring a mix of local and international brands. Starbucks and Swarovski rubbed shoulders with big fashion brands and local outlets like FOS. By this stage the sun had truly set and Gurney Drive was a hive of activity. The shopping centre was crowded with teenagers and twenty-somethings hanging out at what was clearly a place to be seen.

Before returning to the hotel I called into the Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, an outdoor market of vendors selling local cuisine. Stalls abound with dishes I couldn't pronounce, though I did recognise a variety of steamboats, char kway teow, laksa, curry and satay dishes. Whilst it looked tempting, I had a long business trip ahead of me and, not wanting to risk an upset tummy, took the easy way out and enjoyed dinner at the hotel.

Popular Gurney Drive Hawker Centre

The best bits: the view and people-watching from the bars along the waterfront
The so-so bits: the smell, it's pretty bad though you can ignore it after a while

If you are planning a trip to Malaysia for business or leisure, consider a short break at Gurney Drive in Penang. I would have loved more time so I could explore historic Georgetown. It's on my list to explore when I'm next in Penang.

Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next short break or family vacation.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Chilling out at Castaway Island with kids

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 04:16:00 +0000

Castaway Island...a slice of paradise.

The Fijian island used for Tom Hanks' movie became famous after Castaway was shot there. This isn't that island, though it is close by. This Castaway is my favourite tropical island getaway with kids.

Fiji is about 3hrs from Brisbane and Castaway Island another 1.5hrs by catamaran from Port Denarau in Nadi. Depending on when your flight arrives, you may need to spend the night at one of the gorgeous hotels at Denarau before taking a ferry the next day. The Radisson Blu and Sofitel Fiji Resort are both great choices for a short stay, very family-friendly and both have a water slide in their pool!

Our bure, with hand painted ceiling

Castaway Island is designed with families in mind. The traditional-style bures are air conditioned, have a sliding divider privacy screen between the main bedroom and the second bedroom and the showers are divine.

As a family-friendly resort, the kids club is free and offers daytime and night sessions. Our boys enjoyed the kids club each morning, preferring to spend afternoons with us at the pool. A couple of times they went to the evening session to go spotlighting for animals and build a bonfire on the beach. By the way, there are two pools to enjoy at Castaway Island. One for families, which is also home to the pool cafe and ice cream bar, and a deeper pool that's adults only and includes a swim-up bar.

There is also a great range of watersports to explore including snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding, The water surrounding Castaway Island is crystal clear - you can see small reef fish in the shallows and snorkel straight off the beach. Snorkeling gear, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are free to use, with scuba diving and snorkeling tours an additional cost.

Come on in, the water's great

It's not just the setting and accommodation that are five star. The food is excellent. The award-winning 1808 restaurant on the beach offers delectable meals which are a fusion of Fijian and Asian cuisine. There's nothing like eating beautiful food, with a gentle sea breeze and your feet in the sand.

If you include the meal package in your booking it allows you to dine at both restaurants, the pool cafe and the pizza bar, which is good value. And it's a la carte - apart from breakfast, not a buffet in sight. You can include the meal package when you book or just add it to your account when you arrive.

Magical Sunsets at Castaway Island

The great food on offer isn't just for the grown-ups. A separate dinner session is provided for kids before the evening kids club session. As a bonus, the kids dinner time coincides with cocktail happy hour. Lots of happy parents enjoying cocktails at sunset whilst the kids are munching down pizza, spaghetti and other kid-friendly food.

Castaway Island isn't for the budget conscious nor is it an exclusive luxury resort. It's for families who want to enjoy a bit of luxury with all the convenience of a family resort. It's also very popular. I made our booking twelve months in advance and secured one of the last bure's.

The best bits: the food, beach, pools, snorkeling, bures, kids club and cocktails. Most things really!
The so so bits: the cost and there's limited free wifi (though that could be a best bit for some).

Castaway Island....it's definitely worth exploring further if you're looking for a great family vacation.

Looking for ideas and inspiration for your next holiday adventure? Head over to read my Travel Tips then check out Travel Planning for tips on planning your next family vacation.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

A taste of the outdoors - camping at Neurum Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 02:05:00 +0000

Neurum Creek Bush Retreat

When friends suggested we all go camping, the kids were keen, even though we had hardly any camping gear. It was about time we explored camping as a family so we agreed to go...despite the poor weather forecast.

Growing up in North Queensland we loved the outdoors and were regular campers, content to sleep on camp beds under the stars and cook over an open fire. Camping in Southern Queensland has never had the same appeal. All the good campsites were really crowded or too far away. So we sold our 4WD and most of our camping gear, preferring to stay in more luxurious lodgings.

With this in mind, I was a little hesitant when friends suggested camping. As it was at a campground near Woodford, with designated camp sites, fire pits, toilets and showers, we agreed it was worth exploring. It also helped that our friends had boys the same age as ours and they were all experienced campers.

Neurum Creek is about an hour north of Brisbane, just past the sleepy town of Woodford. It's part of the D'Aguilar National Park, a beautiful forest that is picturesque and serene. The Neurum Creek Bush Retreat borders the National Park, offering over 50 camp sites, some with power. Each site is quite large, with most nestled amongst the bush to give you some privacy. We were a short walk to the main office, so the road past our campsite was fairly busy, though not annoying.

Our modest camp site

Of our remaining camping gear, we had a small tent with mattress for the boys, with hubby and I to sleep on camp beds. We forgot to pack a sheet and blanket for the boys, resulting in them sharing one of the sleeping bags and hubby using the picnic rug from the car. The weather was warm and cloudy, with rain predicted and we were glad we brought a large tarp to sleep under. As you can see, our camp site was modest though not exactly waterproof.

After setting up we headed to Wallaby Waterhole, the only spot open for swimming due to the lack of rain. The Waterhole was a tranquil oasis, despite the water looking brown due to the muddy bottom. It was a refreshing dip as most of the Waterhole is in the shade.

Wallaby Waterhole

With five hungry boys we started to think about dinner, making a campfire with wood bought for $11 a bag at the shop. One bag was plenty for an evening fire. Sausages cooked over an open campfire were delicious, washed down with a cup of tea brewed in the billy.

It was nice to have a hot shower before bed. The showers were clean and had plenty of hooks to hang your clothes. As the Retreat uses creek and tank water, you have to bring your own drinking water or boil their water. This made it a little tricky cleaning your teeth, so we cleaned sans water.

Campfire Cooking

Settled into our sleeping bags, or picnic blanket, by 10pm it was quite relaxing, until noise started rising from a nearby campsite. Our camping neighbours decided to drink and talk very loudly till the early hours, infringing on our precious shut-eye time. Around midnight it started to rain lightly. Even light rain is noisy on a plastic tarp, which meant very little sleep.

By morning it was still raining lightly and most of our gear under the tarp was wet and muddy. As the boys tent was quite old, it had perished in some parts allowing water to seep in, wetting underneath their mattress and some of our gear. Yes, almost everything we had was wet or muddy.

Despite the frequent showers, we were able to get the campfire going again to boil the billy and cook some damper. The damper was great, crisp on the outside, soft and scone-like on the inside. It was another first for the boys and I'm sure they'll be back for more in the future.

Camping at a non-powered site at Neurum Creek Bush Retreat is $12 per adult and $6 per child per night. Rates are slightly higher on long weekends and school holidays.

Beautiful spot for a bush walk

The best bits: not too far from Brisbane, the toilets and hot showers make it quite a civilised camping experience, it's not expensive.

The so so bits: if there hasn't been much rain, swimming options are limited; the Neurum Creek Bush Retreat is a large campground and gets quite busy - if you are looking for isolation, you won't get it here.

So did we enjoy our camping road test? Despite the rain, wet gear, lack of camping gear and lack of sleep we enjoyed ourselves. Not sure when we'll have a chance to explore camping again, but when we do we'll buy a large tent (think 9-man size) to keep us dry and get a good night sleep.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

March Spotlight: Exploring 3 popular cafes in the heart of Brisbane

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 10:26:00 +0000

There's one hour for lunch with friends, sandwiched between back-to-back meetings. It needs to be somewhere quick with good food and not too expensive or noisy, as you have a lot to catch up on...

I really enjoy catching up with friends for lunch and in March some good friends joined me to explore 3 popular cafes in the Brisbane CBD. Two were great, one has lost its sheen.

1. Jimmy's on the Mall

Jimmy's is a Brisbane institution, it's been in the Queen Street Mall forever. The relocation and make-over in 2014 makes it a prominent feature near the centre of the mall - a fantastic spot for people watching.

Despite its location, I rarely eat here. That made it a great spot to explore for a Friday lunch with a friend. This place is usually buzzing at lunchtime, though not too busy when we arrived at 1pm. The menu is an eclectic mix of Turkish, Moroccan, Asian & Australian, with prices ranging from $18 to $42.

Turkish Grilled Lamb Salad

I chose the Turkish Grilled Lamb Salad and my friend the Pulled Pork Roll. Meals were delivered in no time, fresh, hot and nicely presented.

The Turkish Grilled Lamb Salad included iceberg lettuce, capsicum and freekah with a sprinkling of chopped dates and pistachios. A nice mix of substance, sweetness and crunch. Very tasty and would order it again. Our two meals came to around $50.

The best bits: great for people watching, food is quick, it's not too noisy.

The so-so bits: not the cheapest place around, though you do get value for money.

Jimmy's on the Mall.....I'll be back to explore the menu further.

2. Chow Down

Chow Down opened in Brisbane Square about a year ago after all the cafe's in the Square were refurbished. It's an Asian Fusion cafe, though it's more Asian than fusion. Brisbane Square is a great spot to explore for lunch and on the day I visited, a hundred or so Taoists were practicing tai chi in the square. So peaceful and serene, they kept going even when it started to rain.

I've eaten at Chow Down a few times for lunch and took the family there for dinner a few months ago. This time it was lunch with two old friends, foodies from way back, and we were looking forward to a good meal and a gossip.

The cafe was packed by 12.15 on Friday and the waiter quickly seated me at one end of a high bench table and delivered some water. Disappointingly, the menu was very different to my last visit and a couple of items that looked good were not available today.

Orders were taken promptly then we chatted while waiting for the meal. And waited. And waited. It was after 1pm when our meals arrived and by that time the cafe was fairly empty.

Beef Bulgogi

One friend and I chose the Beef Bulgogi, which the waitress said was similar to beef and black bean, without the black beans. Our other friend ordered the spicy chicken and rice. The beef bulgogi's were pretty tasty, a generous serving and hot, though the semolina noodles were a bit on the chewy side. As you can see, it bore no resemblance to beef and black bean. It could also have done with a few more veggies.

My friend was disappointed with her spicy chicken, telling the waitress it tasted like chicken coated in paprika and quite dry. It was a small serve with steamed rice and a few veggies, which overall didn't look very appetising.

Three meals were around $55, though it actually cost less as the waitress didn't charge for the spicy chicken and rice.

The best bits: nice spot in the Square, it's not too noisy and the wait staff are attentive.

The so-so bits: the menu is not as good as the old one, the time to serve our meals was too long for a lunch session, prices have increased and it's no longer great value for money.

Chow Down...if you improve your menu and kitchen service, I'll explore your menu further.

3. Noritor

Noritor is a large cafe on busy George Street in the heart of the government precinct. Always bustling for lunch, their Korean & Japanese menu has never failed to disappoint. I've eaten there a few times over the years, though haven't explored the menu too much in the past year.

For my friend and I, this is quickly becoming our usual place for lunch. On this Friday, the place was almost empty when we arrived at 12pm. The waitress quickly delivered menus and water before disappearing to attend to other arriving customers. We pressed the table bell when ready to order and the waitress was back in a flash.

Teriyaki Bento Box

I ordered my favourite, teriyaki chicken bento, and my friend ordered the salmon bento with vegetarian sides. Both meals came with hot bowls of miso soup quickly delivered to our table. At this stage the cafe was nearly full and, with the music and crowd, it was getting a little hard to have a conversation without raising our voices.

Once again, the teriyaki chicken did not disappoint. With tasty morsels of teriyaki chicken, vegetable fried rice, spring roll, tofu, noodles, salad and inari it was a filling meal that kept me going until dinner. My friend enjoyed the salmon, which was fresh and light.

The teriyaki chicken bento was good value at $13.50 and the salmon bento $15.50.

The best bits: quick, friendly service, tasty meals and value for money.

The so so bits: with a full house it can be a little noisy and difficult to have a conversation.

Noritor....once again, I'll be back to explore your menu further.

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You can have great fun with kids at Auskick

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 06:37:00 +0000

My son loves kicking the ball high in the sky. Despite growing up with a father who's a rugby league tragic, we're exploring Auskick. And he's taken to it like a duck to water.

When I'm not off exploring new places, I'm often exploring new things my kids can try. Things that exercise their mind or body, without costing a fortune or taking up my entire weekend. Friends noticed how much my son loves kicking a footy and suggested he try Auskick. Despite a lack of interest in 'aerial ping pong', my husband agreed it was worth exploring further.

Auskick introduces young kids to AFL, with most of the kids in our program about 5 to 9 years old. They learn the basic skills - kicking, marking, handball, bouncing and how to play a modified version of the game. It's taught by qualified AFL coaches and our Auskick program is held first thing on a Saturday morning at the local AFL club.

We arrived at the first session nice and early to collect our free football. Kids also receive a cap, team t-shirt, shoe bag, AFL cards and a family pass to an AFL game at the Gabba so we can cheer on the Brisbane Lions. Just what his father needs!

Little Auskickers getting a workout

Like the 50 or so other kids arriving on the first day, my son was keen to start kicking his footy, which all kids did for the first 20 minutes. It was more like dodgeball than football.

Auskick isn't just about the kids, it's designed to get parents involved. No sitting on the sidelines checking Facebook or Sportsbet on your phone. Parents and kids team up to kick and pass the ball to each other and I'm pleased to say I now know the correct way to kick a football. To make things interesting, parents line up and kids can score 1,000 points if they kick the ball and hit their parent. Needless to say, no points were handed out that day.

Learning the basic skills at Auskick

If you think AFL is just for boys, think again. Around 30% of all AFL players in Queensland are female and it was great to see girls made up about one third of the Auskickers. They can go on to play in mixed teams until turning 14 before joining the youth and women's competition.

Based on my son's enthusiasm and his love of kicking a footy, I expect we'll spend many Saturdays at AFL in the future. His rugby-league loving father may need to brush up on his AFL and become a Brisbane Lions supporter. Aerial ping pong here we come.

If you have kids, you may also be interested in reading my Simple Guide to Minecraft for Bewildered Parents.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box on the right hand side of this page and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

How to enjoy an African safari in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 10:25:00 +0000

Fancy breakfast in a lions den?

Want to hand feed carrots to zebra or chicken to a tiger? Maybe pat a lion cub, macaw or orangutan? You don't have to go all the way to Kruger or the Serengeti.

My kids are animal lovers and zoo tragics. Nearly every holiday includes a visit to a zoo, the more interactive the better. As they loved the Kula EcoPark in Fiji, where they could get cosy with snakes, iguanas and birds, I sought out another close-up animal experience for our family vacation in Bali.

Who would have thought you could enjoy an African safari in tropical Bali and sleep in the middle of a safari park. At the Mara River Safari Lodge you can do just that as the Lodge is nestled within the Bali Safari and Marine Park. From your room you can hear lions roar and a lot of other indistinguishable and sometimes unsettling noises that you would rather not think about.

Staying at the lodge is all about staying with the animals. Our two bedroom Kifaru Family Room, whilst a long walk from the reception and restaurants, was near the pool overlooking a grassy area where the zebra and rhino roam. A bowl of fresh carrots is left in your room each day so you can throw them to the animals, hopefully landing near them and not in the stream, which is where many of them seem to end up when thrown by the kids.

Fresh carrots for the Zebra & Rhino

You can also dine with lions at the Tsavo restaurant. It's within the lion den, though the lions are often resting at breakfast time so we didn't see too much action. I felt sorry for the lion enclosed in a separate space near the toilets as he roared a lot, clearly unhappy with not being able to roam as far and wide as his friends.

During the day, jump on a shuttle bus and tour the park or walk to the various animal enclosures, which are pretty generous and somewhat reminiscent of their native surroundings. Animal experiences are everywhere and a small orangutan sat on my lap, though he weighed more than my eldest son and had hands bigger than my hubby. The boys were able to touch a tiger cub, a lion cub and some elephants.

Zebra & Rhino hanging by the pool

A highlight of staying at the Safari Lodge is interacting with smaller animals in the lobby each night. The kids were happy to hold macaws and parrots, though weren't brave enough to be wrapped in a python. We all passed on that one. Being wrapped in a big, heavy python was not my idea of an after-dinner delight.

The night safari is pretty cool. Standing in a cage in the back of a truck, you visit various animals in almost total darkness, feeding them from the cage. We hand-fed carrots to zebras, long-horn cattle and elephants, which was met with squeals of delight from the kids and many of the adults. The big one though is feeding tigers by poking raw chicken onto the top of the cage, with the tigers jumping on to eat the tasty treats. One tiger was so close to my face I could feel his breath. Gorgeous animal, though I was glad there was a cage between us.

Hand feeding tigers during night safari

The Mara River Safari Lodge is about 30 mins from Sanur. Tour buses start landing at the Safari Park after breakfast as it's a popular day trip. From about 5pm the park starts to empty and apart from the night safari around 7pm, the place is pretty quiet except for the noise of the animals.

The best bits: seeing the animals up close. The experience would be quite different if you visited for the day as you wouldn't be able to enjoy lions at breakfast, see animals passing through the resort during the day or the animal experiences in the lobby at night. Much better to stay for a night or two.

The so so bits: it's a bit expensive to stay at Mara River Lodge, though if you bundle the night safari, day safari, animal experiences and some meals, it's a little more economical.

If you are looking for an animal experience or a taste of Africa as part of your tropical holiday, consider the Mara River Safari Lodge.....it's worth exploring further when you holiday in Bali.

Planning a holiday to Bali and looking for something different? Read about my family's experience Getting Muddy in a Bali Buggy.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

A Simple Guide to Minecraft for Bewildered Parents

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 07:02:00 +0000

My son complained loudly that an Enderman had teleported in front of him then exchanged tips with his brother on how to kill a creeper. What is this other world and do you need to be part of it?

Over 70 million copies of Minecraft have been sold, making it one of the most popular games around. Whilst I insist my boys play in Creative mode, having a lovely time making buildings and nurturing farms, they often sneak into Survival mode to fight monsters and complain about creepers blowing up their buildings.

I've always thought of Minecraft as online lego, but apparently it's more than just building stuff. My boys are helping write this post to explain Minecraft to people, especially parents, who really don't have a clue what it's all about. Over to you B1 and B2.

Minecraft books - beginner, combat, construction

We have Minecraft on our tablets and on mums phone, just in case we get bored when we're out shopping or at a coffee shop (again!).

In the beginning, you need to make wooden planks from trees, then build a crafting table so you can make sticks to craft a pick axe. You're ready to start mining, which is when the fun begins.

We don't just make buildings, we also make potions, monsters, animals, gardens, grow crops and bake food. Yes, food is important in Minecraft and you need a full hunger bar in case you die a bit, as it helps your lives go up. You might die a bit if you get attacked by a monster, fall from somewhere high, hit a cacti, drown under water or fall in lava.

It's really important to build a shelter so you have somewhere to go when it gets dark. In your shelter you need a bed, crafting table, a furnace to cook food and either windows or a clock so you know when it's daytime.

Minecraft Steve - very resourceful

The main players in Minecraft are Steve and Alex, though there are heaps of other characters and lots of skins you can choose. At the moment B1 is playing as a Tiki and B2 playing as Christmas Steve.

It's important to make armour so you don't die as often. There are different types of armour. The best is diamond armour as you can't get killed when you're wearing it. The next best is iron because it's really strong and it's hard to get killed. There's also gold, leather and chain mail armour, with each type not as strong.

You definitely need good armour as there are lots of bad guys out there that can kill you. It's worth knowing who they are and how you can kill them.

Minecraft bad guys - skeleton, creeper, zombie, spider

Creepers don't actually creep. They run towards you and explode, which may kill you or destroy what you've made. You can kill a creeper by making it walk through lava or if you have cats and cheetahs they scare creepers away.

Skeletons can kill you with their bow & arrow, though you can also kill them with a bow and arrow. Or, like creepers, get them to walk through lava and they'll die.

Zombies can hurt you if you touch one. You can kill them with a bow and arrow, weapons or lava.

Lava - great for killing bad guys

You need to look out for Spiders when it's dark or if you're in a dark cave. They make a hissing sound, can climb walls and jump a long way. You can kill them in the same way as Zombie's, Skeletons and Creepers.

And don't forget the Enderman. If you leave an Enderman alone they are harmless. But if you annoy one, they can attack. They can also teleport in front of you which makes it really hard to get away. They can be killed with lava, water, cacti or with your sword.

There are other bad guys too, like Silverfish, Witches and Slime.

Exploring a Minecraft cave

The best part about playing Minecraft is mining and finding villages. You could find a chest house (blacksmith) in a village that might have iron armour, iron swords, apples, bread or wheat. You can use these things to survive. It's also fun to find a desert temple, an abandoned mine or a dungeon. You might even find a witch hut that could have a cauldron with a potion in it, although sometimes there's a witch, which you really don't want to find.

Hand over the money - figurines for sale

Like all popular games, you can also buy Minecraft toys - soft ones and figurines. There is so much stuff you can buy you'll need a lot of pocket money as they aren't cheap. Or ask mum to buy it for you as I'm sure she has heaps of money.

Minecraft...worth exploring further so you know what your kids are talking about and don't feel like an old fogy when they are complaining about the Enderman or Creepers.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Want to get muddy in a Bali buggy?

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 07:17:00 +0000

Holidaying in Bali - you love it or hate it. It's either full of Aussie bogans, terrorists-in-waiting and pickpockets, or is a shopping, spa and relaxation haven. I'm the latter with a family twist.

Bali is a great place to holiday with young kids, providing just the right mix of cultural difference to open the kids eyes to the new whilst still having some sense of comfort and familiarity. It's also a place that caters to the adventurous, which is what I was looking for.

My kids are young, so we can't do anything extremely adventurous, that requires too much coordination or has height restrictions. After trawling the web, I stumbled upon quad bike and buggy riding in the mountains. Buggy riding in the mountains sounded ideal for a family adventure.

Buggy riding with the kids! Hubby was not as enthusiastic. The tracks would be dangerous, there won't be any safety equipment and the buggies probably never get a service. To ease his concerns about safety, I did some research before settling on Bali Quad Discovery Tours. Their buggies and quad bikes are of a high standard, fairly new, have seatbelts and include helmets. Plus there were good reviews on TripAdvisor from other families.

Whilst not the cheapest ride around, about US$300 for the four of us, it was great fun and everything was provided, including transfers and lunch. Picked up from our hotel in a private car (with seatbelts!) around 7.30, we were test driving our buggies by 10am, just outside the town of Payangan in Bali's highlands. Picturesque, cool, not too sunny, it was the perfect spot to explore.

Prepare to get muddy...

Be prepared to get wet and muddy as the buggies don't have a solid floor or a roof. We ended up really muddy, especially our pants that were wet, sticky and black, which was from mud, not fear! Showers are available at HQ so you can clean up & change into dry clothes before lunch.

Given it was a weekday and outside Australian school holidays, we scored a private tour with just our two buggies and guides on quad bikes taking up the lead and rear.

Initially we drove through small villages and fields before heading into jungle-like territory with steep muddy tracks and great views.

Exploring a Bali village enroute to the jungle track

It rains a lot in the mountains and the tracks are not only muddy but slippery. The lead guide bogged his quad in a big muddy puddle, which resulted in the rear guide bogged in the same spot when trying to get him out! It was like watching a comedy and our buggies cruised through the mud easily.

My buggy almost rolled over going up a steep hill when it became stuck in a deep crevasse in the track. The guides pulled me out and the kids showed no fear, squealing with delight.

Quad bike bogged and muddy

Despite complaining about the early morning rise, we were glad to have chosen the morning tour as it started raining at lunchtime, just as the afternoon tour left HQ.

The best bits: opportunity to see another side of Bali and it's great fun. If the kids were older, we would have chosen a quad bike each, though they do tend to get bogged more than the buggies.

The so so bits: the drive from the coast to the mountains can be a bit long for little kids and if you're a fussy eater you might not like lunch as it's local food, which is actually very nice.

Buggy riding in Bali...it's fun, wet, muddy and worth exploring further.

Planning a holiday to Bali and looking for something different? Read about my family's experience enjoying an African Safari in Bali.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

I Quit a little bit of Sugar

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:28:00 +0000

I could have called this post "My greek yoghurt addiction" or "I'm a bit of a JERF". I've been on the road to quitting sugar. It's harder than you might expect, that stuff is hidden in everything.

About a year ago, thinking I should eat more healthy, I bought Sarah Wilson's e-book "I Quit Sugar" as well as David Gillespie's "Sweet Poison". Both convinced me sugar, mainly fructose, is bad and I need to take the life-saving step and quit sugar. I thought about it for a while, then work became really busy, stress and tiredness crept in. For most of the year I happily ate chocolate and other sweet treats, completely forgetting about the evils of sugar.

Until the end of the year. I'd been following I Quit Sugar on Facebook for a couple of months, looking at a few of the articles, and figured it couldn't really be that hard. So after reading the main principles behind quitting sugar, I took the plunge last month....after we finished all the Christmas chocolates, as they were too good to go to waste!

Sugar hidden in everyday foods

Luckily I don't add sugar to my tea or breakfast cereal and I'm not a fan of lollies or fruit juice. But I do love chocolate, teriyaki chicken, fruit yoghurt, dried fruit, chilli jam and smokey BBQ sauce....all of which contain a lot of sugar. So I had to look for alternatives. Instead of fruit yoghurt, I've switched to plain full fat greek yoghurt with no added sugar. Careful with the low-fat stuff - in sucking out the fat they often add sugar to make it look and taste better - though I have found Jalna offers a low fat version without added sugar, it just doesn't taste as good.

Plain greek yoghurt is plain, tart and not exactly dessert material. To make it tastier, it's suggested you add toasted flaked almonds, toasted coconut shavings and cacao nibs. This is divine. I'm eating two serves a day and could eat more but I limit how much I take to work. If you haven't heard of cacao nibs, they look like tiny bits of dried chocolate and don't taste very nice. Unless you add them to greek yoghurt, then they add a nice crunch and slight cocoa flavour.

Yum: Greek yoghurt with almonds, coconut & cacao nibs

Within a month, I've given up my chilli jam, fruit yoghurt, dried fruit, high-sugar sauces and, the hardest of all, chocolate. Still haven't given up teriyaki chicken and don't think I will as it's my weekly lunchtime treat. The I Quit Sugar plan also recommends you give up fruit. I continue to enjoy fresh berries on my weetbix and have cut out other fruit, though I wasn't one to eat heaps of fruit anyway.

I'm quite enjoying having less sugar in my diet, it feels good. In fact, I wouldn't mind taking the next step and being a full-on JERF, but don't think I have the time or perseverance to Just Eat Real Food all the time, with nothing coming from a packet, bottle or can. It's very time consuming preparing every meal or snack from raw ingredients and at this stage of my life, it's just not going to happen. For now, I'll settle for a low sugar, kinda JERFy eating regime.

The I Quit Sugar website features people espousing how quitting sugar changed their life, cleared their skin and they lost so much weight without really trying. Whilst I haven't followed the plan precisely, it certainly hasn't been life changing and my skin looks the same. I lost about 0.5kg in a month and feel really good.

I also gained a greek yoghurt addiction that shows no sign of easing up.

If you want to get on the I Quit Sugar bandwagon or just reduce the amount of sugar you're eating, it's worth exploring quitting sugar further. Who knows, you might end up a bit of a JERF.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Uncover hidden gems at the Lifeline Bookfest

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 07:47:00 +0000

Does anyone need a Steve Waugh autobiography?

There's an opportunity each year to buy more books than you could imagine for less money than dinner and a movie. After hearing about it for years, I made it to the holy grail of book sales.

What can I say but...OMG...it's a book lovers heaven. I've never seen such a variety of books in one place than at the Lifeline Bookfest. There were lots of popular titles, stacks of autobiographies and fiction, more children's books than you could imagine, as well as classics and rare books.

Split into three sections, we first checked out the $1 section - all books at a dollar with kids books just 50 cents. Apart from being placed on long tables grouped by classification (children's, fiction etc), the books are in no particular order and you just roam the rows looking at the sea of titles. Most of these were older titles and popular authors included Wilbur Smith, Barbara Taylor-Bradford, Jackie Collins, Stephen King and John Grisham. There must have been at least 50 copies of the Da Vinci Code.

Next we moved into the marked price section where books are individually priced. It was like stepping up from a Crazy Clark's discount store to Target. This was by far the largest section of Bookfest, the majority of books were in good condition and it was the place to find more recent releases. Still arranged by classification and in no particular order, most of the books we looked at - autobiographies, fiction and children's books - were $4 - $6 each. Excellent value for books in such good condition.

Inside Brisbane's Lifeline Bookfest

By this stage, the kids really needed a break and our arms were aching under the weight of our book selection. Luckily, this section includes a cafe and we took the opportunity to take a break and review our intended purchases. This allowed us to whittle down our hefty load to something we could actually carry.

The last section of the Bookfest offers books for $2. By this stage, we weren't able to carry any more and didn't feel like walking to the car to unload our purchases. Next time I think I'll try the $2 section first as the $1 books didn't quite cut it with my brood.

Our Lifeline Bookfest Bonanza: 18 books for $80

Our final haul was 18 books for $80, which is pretty good value. Some of the books were like new and the rest in excellent or good condition.

Bookfest is held in Brisbane every January and in various cities across Queensland throughout the year. It's also for a good cause - funds are used to support a number of important Lifeline support programs across the state.

The best bits - so many books to choose from and you can pick up good quality books for a bargain.

The so so bits - with books grouped only by category, it can take a while to find a specific book.

Put aside plenty of time to explore Bookfest. Before we knew it, we'd been there two hours and I could have easily stayed longer...if I had someone else to carry the books for me!

The Lifeline Bookfest....whether you love books or just like them a little, it's worth exploring further.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Relax and Explore Beautiful Bondi Beach with Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 11:14:00 +0000

Australia's Famous Bondi Beach

Big city, lots of people, been there before - what could possibly be new about Sydney? I knew it would be hard to convince my husband a short break in Sydney would be relaxing and fun.

He didn't agree that just because the kids wanted to go to Taronga Zoo, we should take a mini break in Sydney. To make it more palatable, I suggested we stay at Bondi Beach as we've always stayed in the city and I know how much he loves the beach. So we winged our way from Brisbane to Sydney, via Townsville (that's another story), to have a short break exploring and relaxing at Bondi Beach.

I booked an apartment on Campbell Parade and opposite the beach. Despite the high price, it was pretty basic with a balcony overlooking some dingy back terraces. The building was also being renovated and we had to navigate workmen and their tools to get to our apartment. The location was worth it though, smack bang in the middle of shops, cafe's and a bus stop was just across the road.

Bondi Beach

Before we could relax and explore the beach, we had to go to Taronga Zoo. My kids love zoos and it's a must-see at every place we visit. We've explored zoos in Bali, Fiji, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Brisbane, just to name a few. After busing it to the city and taking the ferry from Circular Quay, we were soon enjoying the view from the cable car going up to Taronga Zoo.

This zoo would have to have the best view of any zoo in the world, overlooking Sydney harbour and the city. Just breathtaking. And it's a really good large zoo, featuring all the usual and some unusual zoo residents. And great exercise - my fitbit did over 20,000 steps that day. I won't give you a full review of Taronga Zoo, there are thousands of reviews on the web. Take my word - it's a great zoo with a great view.

Giraffes enjoy the habour view at Taronga Zoo

Apart from going to the beach and cafe's, there isn't much more to do at Bondi Beach. We had planned to do one of the popular walks to Bronte or Coogee, but really couldn't be bothered. I was exhausted from a busy year at work and the thought of doing anything requiring much exertion just didn't appeal to me. I much preferred to laze around reading or watching movies on my tablet whilst the boys were at the beach.

That doesn't mean I spent all my time lazing around. We regularly enjoyed the surf and sand with a thousand or so other visitors each day. The crowds certainly prove it's Australia's most famous beach. Coming from Queensland, home to some of the best beaches in the world, I found Bondi to be really nice but not the best beach I've visited. The beach and surf is comparable to beaches at the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, and the sand is not a patch on the soft white stuff you can bury your toes in at Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays. I know, as a Queenslander I'm spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches. And snorkeling. I've snorkeled in many places across the world and still haven't found anything to compete with our beautiful Great Barrier Reef.

Back to Bondi. Each day, buses full of Japanese tourists arrived at Bondi Beach to go for a walk and stand in the shallows. Many were attracted to the sight of my boys digging in the sand and making sandcastles. Our Japanese visitors would edge closer and closer to the kids until they were close enough to be photographed with them. The boys were blissfully unaware, digging away and only occasionally looking at the camera. I'm sure our international visitors have happily shown their friends at home the little Aussie boys they met at Bondi Beach.

Enjoying the surf at Bondi Beach

The best bits - if you stay on or near Campbell Parade, you can walk everywhere or take the bus and you won't need to hire a car. The weather, and the water, is cooler than beaches at the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

The so so bits - accommodation is expensive if you want to be close the beach and it can be hard to get a table at one of the many cafe's in Bondi.

Whether you have kids, are a couple or travelling alone, it's worth exploring a short break at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.

Who is Explorer Gabor?

noreply@blogger.com (Explorer Gabor) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 03:55:00 +0000

I'm Gayle, the explorer behind Explorer Gabor. This blog shares my passion for travel and exploring, be it new places, ideas or issues. I've travelled and explored most of my life, starting with my first overseas trip when I was about seven.

My passion for travel continued and I've visited many countries, exploring lots of out of the way places, especially in Asia. My love of travel and all things international led to a career in international business. This enabled me to see places from the business traveller perspective and gave me an opportunity to live and work in India.

I'm now sharing this passion with my two young sons, who have been lucky enough to start collecting passport stamps before starting school. And I'm sharing with you all the great places I've explored, including the well known and some hidden gems.

My travel destinations vary from popular cities in western countries to less well known places in developing countries. These days I try to stay in places with a touch of luxury, though I'm always exploring places or experiences that may be off the beaten track, a little adventurous or a bit quirky. With young kids, animal experiences are also on the agenda wherever possible.

Explorer Gabor isn't just a travel blog. It also looks at exploring new places to visit in and around my home town of Brisbane, Australia, and exploring trends and issues related to pretty much anything that takes my fancy, especially if it appeals to kids or families.

Exploring and being a mum are just part of the story. I have a full time job as a senior executive and after devoting several years to working hard and raising kids, I've decided 2016 is the year I reclaim part of my life for me.

As someone who is not a fan of new year resolutions, I set a short list of Somewhat Realistic Intentions for 2016.

The first one is to participate in a 365 day photo challenge, taking a photo a day to post on Instagram and Facebook. I've joined Fat Mum Slim's challenge and loving it. Some of the photos in my instagram feed are from the challenge and you can follow the challenge through #fms_photoaday

My second somewhat realistic intention is to read at least 4 novels this year. Doesn't exactly sound ambitious does it? I was an avid reader BC and 2015 was my best year since with three books finished. I'd like to read six, but that would just not be realistic at the moment.

The third, and most ambitious, of my intentions is to create an online blog. As you can see, this has moved from a somewhat realistic intention to a reality. Woo Hoo.

And finally, I want to have more fun and enjoy myself. At work, with family and with friends. Definitely somewhat realistic and is already in full swing.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy exploring as much as I do.

I'd love you to continue following my explorations - just drop your email into the 'follow me by email' box and you can receive all new posts straight to your inbox. No spam, I promise.