While our Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise was stopped in Skagway we had the opportunity to hire a car at the local Avis and do some driving. The drive from Skagway across the Alaska/Canada border into the Yukon was absolutely stunning. I decided to start recording this Hyperlapse partway through the segment. I’m not 100% sure where we were when I started, but it gives you a bit of a feel for the raw, almost untamed beauty of the Southern end of the Yukon before arriving at Carcross where I’ve included some still photos from around the town. I loved it. If we have the opportunity to go there again, I won’t hesitate for a second!
Travel
Video: Ice Carving Demonstration On Dawn Princess
On board Dawn Princess in October 2015, cruising from Sydney to Hobart via Burnie and Port Arthur and back again we got to watch an ice carving demonstration by the ships resident ice carver.
Check it out as he carves a blue marlin out of a chunk of ice.
Video: Snorkelling at South West Rocks NSW
There aren’t a lot of places suitable for snorkelling near Kempsey. Under the footbridge across South West Rocks Creek from Buchanan Dr (also known as Back Creek Bridge) is one spot that is great for someone new to snorkelling though. See the map below the video for where this was taken. When the tide is in … Read more
Checking Your Pre-Paid Mobile Phone Balance with Our Telekom in the Solomon Islands
I spent ages hunting online for how to check my usage/remaining balanced with Our Telekom (Breeze) in the Solomon Islands, I couldn’t find anything anywhere though to tell me, and there wasn’t anything in the sim card pack I received either.
So for anyone else looking, I ended up calling their customer service number who told me how to check it.
Mobile Phone Data Settings For Our Telekom / Breeze Mobile in the Solomon Islands
In most of the countries I have been to, my iPhone has automatically detected the carrier settings and configured itself for me. The Solomon Islands is to date the one exception. It worked fine for voice calls and text messages, but when it came to data usage, no go.
Entering Banff National Park – Canada
As we are planning our road trip in Canada we are looking at what things we need to know and do before we go. One of the things that has come up in our research is the need for a National Park Pass while we are in Banff National Park. These can be ordered online … Read more
How long does it take to clear security on arrival domestically at LAX and transfer for an international departure?
That my friends is the question.
As we neared completion of planning the itinerary for our trip to the USA and Canada we needed to figure out how to get back. It seemed the cheapest and easiest route that didn’t involve lengthy stopovers anywhere that potentially required overnight accommodation was to fly from Seattle to Los Angeles and then depart our international flight home.
The cheapest option involved booking the flights together, so the booking was Seattle -> Los Angeles -> Sydney. The flights were with Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Los Angeles and then Qantas the rest of the way to Sydney. The stopover at LAX though was only 1 hour and 30 minutes and we had to get from Terminal 6 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. My gut instinct was that this time is tight for a transfer between domestic and international terminals at Sydney airport, even without checked baggage, let alone at LAX.
Cruising From White Bay Cruise Terminal Sydney (How To Get There)
So we’ve booked a 6-night cruise with Princess cruises in October from Sydney to Tasmania and back. A few days later we were looking at our itinerary and noticed that it departs from the , not Darling Harbour. Interesting, we didn’t know there was another cruise terminal, but that said we went to the Sydney … Read more
Review of Rydges Horizons Snowy Mountains Rise Buffet
The Rise Buffet Breakfast is Rydges’ new standardised healthy breakfast across their hotels and resorts. I’ve had it once before at Rydges Capital Hill in Canberra when it was fairly new. Coming to Jindabyne and staying at the Rydges Snowy Mountains Resort, I was not sure whether to expect it to be really matching a city buffet or whether it would be much simpler.
It is simpler, but I must say, I am very pleasantly surprised with how close it is. I should note though that we were there in Summer, and there is a large section of the restaurant that was closed off, so it may well be identical in Winter when the resort is busier.
Review of Rydges Horizons Snowy Mountains Deluxe Studio Apartment
I recently spent some time in Jindabyne and stayed at Rydges Horizons Snowy Mountains Resort. We were put in a lovely ground floor room with a gorgeous view of the lake, number 305. One thing I’ve noticed about Rydges previously is that their customer service is fantastic, and this stay was no different. Unfortunately, in the 9 days we were there, we had a number of issues, but a few staff did a great job at resolving them and making our stay as pleasant as possible regardless of the problems. If your bosses are reading this, Kyle, Danni and the night manager whose name I, unfortunately, can’t remember were all excellent!