Ubud in Bali, Indonesia, is a two hour car journey north of the tourist mecca of Seminyak. This hillside town is centred in one of the most scenic parts of the island. It is surrounded by vivid, green, terraced rice fields, stunning, mountain waterfalls and nearby Mt Kintamani. This is where tourists go to experience epic sunrises and discover another facet of Bali’s fascinating cultural landscape. However, as a major international destination for tourism Ubud has exploded with development.
Malaysia has never been on our ‘gay bucket list’ but due to our proximity to that corner of Asia while on a recent visit to Phuket, we decided to take time out for a special celebration and to explore Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s bustling tropical capital of around eight million people. Although Malaysia has some very conservative and strictly ‘anti-gay’ laws, we found the country’s capital to be safe and enjoyable. Overall, Malaysian people were extremely friendly to us and their English fluency was a major bonus.
When the owners of the Undara Experience created their remote tourist park, they were determined not to disrupt the unique, natural surroundings in the process of building and sharing their dream. Stunning, old-world railway carriages were just the ‘ticket’ to provide comfort, style and shelter without unnecessarily disturbing nature’s distinct footprint. Nestled amongst the tall gums, the railway relics gracefully regained their former charm and romantic allure.
Stanley, a tiny, historic seaside town right at the very top of Tasmania, has character and charm in abundance. The balcony of our room at the Stanley Sea View Inn provided unsurpassed panoramic vistas as well as the bucolic sounds of the local dairy just down the hill. ‘The Nut’, a mere kilometre away, dominates the landscape which borders the unforgiving Bass Strait. Armed with a local ‘must do’ list we were set for a full day of discovery. For this adventure across Bass Strait we brought our car on the overnight crossing aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.
We made it Gold Coast! The inaugural Pride Week Festival, hosted by the Gold Coast Rainbow Community Queensland Inc Events has come to an end, but it’s really only the beginning. Months in the planning brought us a feast of festive functions to tempt all, from the most reluctant to the most intrepid members of our colourful local community, to come out and play. “It’s a team effort and you are part of our team.” was the message group organiser Vince Siciliani was anxious to spread throughout this week of frolicking fun.
Carla from Get Away Garden Cafe on the outskirts of Agnes told us, “Only those prepared to get off the beaten track find Agnes Water and the Town of 1700”, which are located on the Capricornia Coast of central Queensland. Two tiny coastal hamlets featuring beautiful beaches, stunning sunsets and a good dose of laid back lifestyle are a short deviation from the main route north. We visited at the end of July which was just about perfect. The weather was around 23 degrees, there were few tourists and accommodation prices were surprisingly low.