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Secret Sydney Bars Walking Tour Guide #1

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Sake Tasting Vending Machines Niigata Train Station Ponshukan. Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture Japan

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Bar ReviewMelbournePub Review

Mont Plonk Opening Party. Your Après-Ski Fix, South Wharf, Melbourne in Winter!

Mont Plonk Opening Party. Your Après-Ski Fix, South Wharf, Melbourne in Winter! What an amazing night. Cheese fondue, crème brûlées, mulled wine and more, with fun people in winter gear, surrounded by burning fires in protected cases. This is a fantastic place to organise a party or other event, if you’re looking for a cool winter theme. It’s a pop-up area (winter period only) so get your ski-clothes on and head down to the Melbourne Public bar to book your next party before the 26th August! Find out more here: Mont Plonk Opening Party My partner and I got there…

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A Few Hours in Melbourne, Australia

A Few Hours in Melbourne, Australia As a Sydneysider of 44 years who finally moved to Melbourne, I’m frequently asked by my Sydney friends – WHY?!!! LOL. Of course, they’re outdoorsy people who love sunshine, beaches, heat, and being able to go out every day. I’m an indoorsy person who likes to avoid sunshine, beaches and heat, and much prefer to stay inside somewhere every day. Chalk and cheese, really. So, for me, with so much to do in Melbourne at night, (hiding from that ball of terminal radiation) I’m much happier here than I have ever been in Sydney.…

Wine ReviewWine Tasting

Tawny Galafrey Wines Wine Review. Wine Tasting Commentary Reviews #84

Tawny Galafrey Wines wine review. Wine Tasting Commentary Reviews #84 If you’re a fan of Doctor Who in Australia, it’s Doctor Who’s birthday month(!) (November 2017) and what better way to celebrate the 54th birthday of the series than with a glass of delicious Galafrey Wines Tawny Check out their website at: http://www.GalafreyWines.com.au I recorded these awhile ago with the intention to post in 2017 and blog in 2018 but, I got a bit caught up. Sorry about the delay!

Wine ReviewWine Tasting

Cabernet Franc Vintage 2013 Galafrey Wines Wine Review. Wine Tasting Commentary Reviews #83

Cabernet Franc Vintage 2013 Galafrey Wines wine review. Wine Tasting Commentary Reviews #83 If you’re a fan of Doctor Who in Australia, it’s Doctor Who’s birthday month(!) (well, in November!) and what better way to celebrate the 54th birthday of the series (2017) than with a glass of delicious Galafrey Wines Cabernet Franc. Check out their website at: http://www.GalafreyWines.com.au If you’re a Doctor Who Fan, check out http://www.SylvesterMcCoy.com , one of the oldest websites on the net. I recorded these Galafrey Wines reviews awhile ago. If you’ve already missed these vintages, I’m sure Galafrey will have new vintages out for…

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SlowTV. Riverina XPT Train Sydney to Yass Junction NSW Australia 1992. Tribute to SBS ‘The Ghan’. Slow TV. Great Rail Journeys.

Riverina XPT Train Sydney to Yass Junction NSW Australia Recently, thanks to the SBS channel’s TV show ‘The Ghan’ the SlowTV movement (Slow TV) has finally taken off in Australia. The Ghan trip is one of the great rail journeys of the world. But there are plenty of other smaller journeys you can take that can be almost as good! There aren’t enough videos out there of those, so I thought it was time to start uploading some of my attempts at Slow TV which I started recording about 25 years ago! Great Rail Journeys In 1992 I began recording a…

German WineWine ReviewWine Tasting

Muller Thurgau Galafrey Wines Vintage 2015 wine review. Wine Tasting Commentary Reviews #81

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who in Australia, it’s Doctor Who’s birthday month(!) and what better way to celebrate the 54th birthday of the series than with a glass of delicious Galafrey Wines Muller Thurgau Check out their website at: http://www.GalafreyWines.com.au If you’re a Doctor Who Fan, check out http://www.SylvesterMcCoy.com , one of the oldest websites on the net. Check out our ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sydney-Bars-Walking-Guide-ebook/dp/B00PEV8CLE/ I recorded these Galafrey Wines reviews awhile ago and have been saving them for November. So, hopefully they’re not too late. If you’ve already missed these vintages, I’m sure Galafrey will have new vintages out…

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Sake Tasting Vending Machines Niigata Train Station Ponshukan. Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture Japan

Sake Tasting Vending Machines Niigata Train Station Ponshukan. Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture Japan One of the most amazing experiences that I had in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan was at the sake tasting bar near Niigata train station! Hidden away in a nondescript Japanese local supermarket was a tiny alcove at the back featuring row upon row of sake tasting vending machines. Over 100 sake types to choose from, and I only had enough time (and the constitution) to purchase a set of five tastes. (A sake flight?) Each of the machines were numbered and had descriptions of type, flavour,…

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Puffing Billy Railway Tickets PuffingBilly Puffy Thomas Steam Train Melbourne Belgrave

Puffing Billy Railway Tickets PuffingBilly Puffy Thomas Steam Train Melbourne Belgrave The Puffing Billy Railway is a fun tourist attraction between Belgrave and Gembrook in the Dandenong Ranges. Contrary to belief there is not actually an individual locomotive called Puffing Billy. Rather, there are about 12 steam trains at the site, and you may see a few of them on the day of your visit. Sometimes Thomas the Tank Engine makes an appearance too! The entire site is run by volunteers of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, so please be kind and understanding with them as they’re all working for…

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On a Budget? Don’t Buy Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tickets Until You’ve Read This!

On a Budget? Don’t Buy Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tickets Until You’ve Read This! Phillip Island Penguin Parade Tickets can be expensive for students, backpackers and those travelers on a budget. In this article I reveal where you can see little penguins, otherwise known as blue penguins or fairy penguins, without needing to go to the Phillip Island Wildlife Nature Park. Of course, if you’re looking for a march of the penguins style trip, then Phillip Island is still highly recommended. Where Can Little Penguins be found in Melbourne? Little penguins can be found at various places along the southern…

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Galafrey Wines Dry Grown Shiraz Vintage 2009 Video Wine Tasting Commentary Review #80

Galafrey Wines Dry Grown Shiraz Vintage 2009 Video Wine Tasting Commentary Review #80 Have you heard of a TV series called Doctor Who? In homage to this show, Ian Tyrer set up Galafrey Wines in the 70s. Galafrey (similar sounding to the home planet of the main character of the TV series Gallifrey) even had an entrance in the 90s painted TARDIS blue. Unfortunately, Ian passed on in 2003, but his legacy lives on, maintained by his family in Mount Barker, Western Australia. You can find out more at their website: Galafrey Wines I first heard about the winery in…

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Melbourne Fireworks 2017 From Flagstaff Gardens Melbourne Victoria Australia Video Happy New Year 2017

Melbourne Fireworks 2017 Happy New Year From Flagstaff Gardens Melbourne Victoria Australia Melbourne Fireworks 2017 was a breath of fresh air! The whole world has finally made it through the hellish 2016 (hottest year on record and a massive amount of celebrities, relatives and friends passing) and out the other end into the bright and shiny new 2017, full of promise. My new year’s resolution is to write more and live more in the now and to stop thinking about the past. Set some long term goals, divide them into incremental, daily steps and focus on things hour to hour.…

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Quiet Cafes in Melbourne CBD. Where are they?

Quiet Cafes in Melbourne CBD. Where are they? Quiet cafes in Melbourne CBD are difficult to find. The main problem I have with many cafes in Melbourne is the propensity to play loud music like nightclubs. I want to have a coffee and write a story. I need silence, or at the very least low ambient music without human singing. Humans are programmed to always be distracted by a human voice, and decades of struggling against this conditioning has had me simply giving up and spending countless weeks searching for cafes that don’t have music. Quiet Cafes for Writing What…

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Fairview Western Cape Town Wine Cheese and Goats South Africa

Fairview Western Cape Town Wine Cheese and Goats South Africa’s Western Cape is home to the country’s best winelands and many famous wine farms dating back to colonial times, when the Dutch and French settlers planted the first vineyards. One of these historic wine farms is Fairview – founded back in 1693 – which today continues to produce some truly outstanding wines and cheeses in the Paarl area of the Western Cape. A visit to Fairview is an absolute must if you’re on vacation in Cape Town! Part of the novelty and charm are the resident goats that live in…

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Outside In Boldly Goes Book. 117 Authors Write About The Original Star Trek Series for Charity.

Outside In Boldly Goes Celebrates Star Trek 117 Authors Write About The Original Star Trek Series for Charity. If you have ever been interested in travelling off Earth, then you probably know about Star Trek. Well, I recently had the honor of being asked to write a short story for a new unofficial fan publication celebrating 50 years of the Original Star Trek. It is called Outside In Boldly Goes and is published by ATB Publishing. It was released on the official Star Trek anniversary date of the 8th September, and it’s totally awesome! 117 authors have contributed, many of which have…

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Pokemon Go Sydney. A Look At Some Images Around Sydney, Australia With Pokémon!

Pokemon Go Sydney Well, with worldwide interest in Pokemon Go quickly waning, (actual peak interest was in late July) it’s time to take a final look at this gaming craze that had many generations interested, and increased activity in young gamers for the first time, with a focus on Pokemon Go Sydney players. I haven’t enjoyed a game this so much since Pacman, which was probably how long ago I was actually interested in playing a digital game. I grew up with friend’s handheld Octopus, Donkey Kong and Oil Panic Nintendo games before playing the 20c slot games like Pacman…

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The Rhine Valley and Germany’s Wine. Rheintal Deutschland Wein.

The Rhine Valley and Germany’s Wine. Rheintal Deutschland Wein. Did you know that European wine is commonly referred to by geographical region as well as by varietal? France has Beaujolais and Champagne, Italy has Chianti, and Germany has the Rhine Valley (Rheintal) as its very own famous wine region. Germany (Deutschland) is best known for its aromatic white wines and sweet dessert wines (and much less so for its red wines, due to the cool climate). Summer wine-tasting (weinprobe) in Germany is a unique and enjoyable activity for grape-loving visitors! If you’re planning a trip through Germany and looking for an…

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Manchester Press Cafe Melbourne. MP Review on WeekendNotes

Manchester Press Cafe Melbourne One of the things I love about Melbourne is the absolutely huge amount of coffee shops. There are literally blocks of coffee shops, all offering something a bit different, and all able to survive in the industry as everyone loves trying a new cafe every now and then. Manchester Press Cafe Melbourne is hidden away in a side alley but usually has a queue and so has generated quite a buzz in Melbourne for its coffee and vegetarian food. I wrote a short article for WeekendNotes about it recently. You can read more here: Manchester Press…

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The Laira McLaren Vale Shiraz Vintage 2013 Wine Tasting Commentary Review #79

McLaren Vale Shiraz McLaren Vale Shiraz is my favourite red wine from Australia. McLaren Vale is the area that the shiraz is grown, so it is up to the producers to then bring out the best flavour. Does it mean that McLaren Vale Shiraz is best because of the vineyards, the producers or the weather? The best combination of all three, I would guess. Of the shiraz I have tasted from around Australia, from Heathcote to Margaret River, Barossa to Hunter Valley, I keep coming back to the thicker, juicier, higher alcohol content of shiraz from McLaren Vale. Of course, each…

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Izakaya Masuya. Japanese Seafood Restaurant Sydney.

Izakaya Masuya Masuya International’s Izakaya Masuya is a surprising Japanese restaurant in the heart of Sydney city on O’Connell Street. Serving a variety of dishes and drinks not available anywhere else, including a sake tasting set of five, this is a must visit for anyone looking to do something a bit different with this kind of cuisine. We went there early during the week and found it to be quite busy. Bookings are essential and, as we didn’t have one, we were put on a large table with about six other diners. If you prefer some privacy, I recommend you book…

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New York Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Immigration History

New York Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Immigration History Where New York Began: The Immigration Center’s Striking Historical Exhibits Nearly half of Americans today can trace their ancestry back to the immigrant families that pushed though the port of New York in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Those migrants were coming from somewhere, bringing the world in tow, most hailing from Europe in numbers that would overwhelm modern immigration systems. It may not look like it now, but New York City’s Lower East Side neighbourhood on the lively island of Manhattan was once replete with such families coming to start…

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Chains of St Peter San Pietro in Vincoli Rome City of Churches Italy Europe

The Chains of St Peter Rome is a city of churches – you can hardly wander around the streets without happening upon a basilica, chapel, or cathedral. You’ll find them whether you intend to or not! And that’s part of the beauty of the City of Churches – all the hidden gems waiting to be found. In addition to the impressive and opulent Vatican City with St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rome is also home to over 900 churches, most (but not all) of which are Roman Catholic. Some of the most famous Catholic churches in Rome contain precious relics retrieved from…