Travel and General Wanderings

I had my first overseas trip a little over 40 years ago, and ever since, I have been totally hooked, having visited over 40 countries and even lived in a few over the decades.

So yes, this puts me well and truly in the seasoned traveller category, and if it really needs to be said, travelling is one of my favourite things to do, so yes, expect lots of updates here. Never know what I have learnt over the decades of travelling may help others, or at the very least entertain 😁

Since the end of the whole COVID mess, I have been able to visit Hong Kong, Singapore, mainland China and more recently a long overdue revisit to Malaysia.

And yes, if I could arrange it, I would spend the way too cold for me Sydney winter, in Hong Kong or Singapore. Never know; one day, it could happen, being a digital nomad, or as they say in the US, a snowbird, sounds like the perfect life for me.

Destinations

Hong Kong was home back in the day, so I have many good friends and memories of my time there; hence, it's equal first with Singapore for my favourite places to visit, and if I could, I would spend the Sydney winter there as a digital nomad. Since moving back to Sydney, I have managed to visit many times, and while the finances allow, this will continue. [read]

Singapore is in equal first place with Hong Kong for my favourite destinations, and somewhere I have been visiting for decades, and just like Hong Kong, I have many good friends and memories from my time there. As for why I like it there, put simply, the environment, the laid-back atmosphere, and the very close to ideal climate. [read]

Shenzhen, the technology shopping mecca just over the border from Hong Kong, and the destination for my first trip into the mainland in many years. Yes, this time, it may have been only a day trip, but it was still very enlightening, with many things learned, including some very positive interactions with the locals and my first ever encounter with the metro network. [read]

Malaysia is another country I have not been to in many years, and somewhere I really wanted to return to. So in 2024, it actually happened, initially with a visit to Kuala Lumpur, followed by a longer trip to Penang Island in 2025. The plan was to visit the Butterfly Park, KL Bird Park, Botanical Gardens in addition to the iconic Petronas Towers and anything else that looks interesting. [read]

Writings

Travelling with a Drone is something I have been thinking about for a while now, but before investing in a new shiny drone, I did some research into the legal restrictions in various countries. It took some serious research, but I managed to get a high-level overview of the rules for most of the countries I would normally visit. It makes interesting reading, and no, do not take this as the source of truth; always do your own research. [read].

Technology Shopping, is one of my big weaknesses, and having spent lots of time visiting Hong Kong. I decided to be brave and release the inner geek and visit some of the many specialist shopping centres and check out the offerings, prices, and what's changed over the many years of visiting these places, and yes, changes turn out to be the understatement of the century. [read]

Camera Shopping. During my visit to Singapore in 2024, one of the things planned was to add to my camera lens, specifically a replacement for my not economical to repair Nikon 60mm macro, with the Nikon 105mm macro. The problem being I use the older F mount lens and not the newer Z mount ones. The result is the new lens and a better understanding of the second-hand market. [read]

Christmas in Singapore. I have wanted to do this for many years: spend the Christmas holidays in tropical Singapore and experience how different it is compared to Sydney; in 2023, the finances and leave aligned, so it finally happened, even though it was wetter than I would have liked. And maybe I will do the same for Hong Kong in the next few years. [read].