https://stevedrice.net/ 2026-04-25T04:18:13+00:00 https://stevedrice.net/ https://stevedrice.net/_media/wiki/dokuwiki.svg text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day1 August 21, 1999 - Hong Kong, China The first full day in Hong Kong. Woke up first at 7 but passed out and woke up again just after 10:00 am. We decided to head out to Lantau Island to go to the Po Lin monastery. This is the most difficult thing to do, that is, it takes the most time and is the furthest away of any of the things we have time to do while here. Mother really wanted to see the area since it is far more cultural than the city itself. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day2 August 22, 1999 - Hong Kong, China Over all a disappointing day. Yesterday it had begun to rain fairly heavy and today it was far worse with the typhoon actually hitting Hong Kong (with warning level 8, 10 being the highest). Most stores and restaurants were closed as were the museums, art galleries, etc. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:35+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day3 August 23, 1999 - Hong Kong, China The last day in Hong Kong and it promised to be a depressing one from the very start with the rain continuing from the previous days. We got up, deciding to try a few things regardless of weather. We were able to leave our luggage in the foyer of the hotel to pick up later in the afternoon instead of taking it along with us. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day4 August 24, 1999 - Cowe, Victoria, Australia I woke up just before we began to pass over Australia. While we passed over the continent mother and I both looked out to see the seemingly barren wastes of the interior. Not a lot to see. We were both tired, it had been a long time since we had slept well but nonetheless after making it through customs (and commenting to ourselves about how very general the customs declaration was worded which would indicate that leather shoes would have to be de… text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day5 August 25, 1999 - Cowe, Victoria, Australia I started the day being very tired. It had been a long previous few days. We headed off down the street to a 'greesy spoon' we saw last night when walking around. It was a small snack shop that served various fast food. I had a breakfast of bacon, eggs, (on) toast, and sausage (which we think was made of lamb). Mother had a simple breakfast of raison toast and coffee (this coffee was very strong as most coffee she has had since we arrived text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day6 August 26, 1999 - Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia A very productive day, we covered a lot of ground, on our way to Sydney then, eventually, back to Melbourne. Cleaned up the hotel room after being there for two days. Packed up the car and started driving right away. We stopped in Newhaven, just before leaving Philip Island, at a flower shop that had an attached café. It was a very good meal, if a bit expensive, compared to Canada (all prices are good compared to England). text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day7 August 27, 1999 - Near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia The day started in Lakes Entrance with a small meal at the hotel (which came, for a change, with the room) and a doing a bit of laundry (which, for some reason, we were not charged for). The breakfast was quite good and after that was over, after we were waiting for the laundry we walked down the street, looking in various stores. Mother picked up a few more postcards which she has been sending almost every day. Think she is running o… text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:39+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day8 August 28, 1999 - Blakehurst, Near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia A very productive day after not so good a day yesterday (well, the end anyway). It started after getting up where we went in search of a hotel. The current motel was not very nice (in my opinion text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:39+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day9 August 29, 1999 - Blakehurst, Near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia We began the day by catching a taxi to the train station (the buses are operated by a private company and do not run on the weekend). Eventually, we arrived at Sydney Central and noticed that it had rained a bit but we had not noticed on the train. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:39+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day10 August 30, 1999 - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Another good day in Australia. We started the day by working our way out of Sydney (but not before having a quick breakfast at, of all places, McDonalds which includes a newspaper with their breakfast meals), travelling along a road directly west of the main area of the city, a very easy ride. It was interesting to see as the city was left behind, shops came fewer and fewer until we were on our way into the Blue Mountains Nat… text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:40+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day11 August 31, 1999 - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Another day full of exploring a new town, this time the capital city of Australia, complete with it's own state. Designed in a similar manner to Washington, DC the city is centred around the parliament (capital in Washington) building and has a specific pattern. In Canberra there is a circular sequence of roads around the parliament buildings and the close-by city centre. It is designed to be a park city, a showcase for the … text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:40+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day12 September 1, 1999 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Rather a dull day with a rather nice end. We spent the day travelling from Canberra to Melbourne. The day began relatively early when the breakfast we had ordered the night previously arrived at just before 8. I grumbled a lot, pulled myself out of bed, ate my eggs on toast with bacon and then returned to bed for another hour before we finally got under way. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:40+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day13 September 2, 1999 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia The first day of the convention here on the other side of the world. It looks to be a bit smaller than previous year's conventions in the US, but perhaps this is a good thing. The first thing we did was to go over to the Convention Centre, which is attached directly to the hotel, to register. They had set up the rather modest registration desk in the main foyer of the centre which was not yet crowded so we were quickly registered. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day14 September 3, 1999 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia The day started relatively early as mother got up early and walked to the Victoria Market, supposedly the largest market of it's kind in Australia. I slept in a bit later and had time to do a bit of laundry in the bathtub (though there did not seem to be any hot water, perhaps understandable considering the hotel is supposed to be completely booked text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day15 September 4, 1999 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Another morning of attempting to grab as much sleep as possible. I crawled out of bed in the morning to get to my first talk at 10 PM in the morning. The handy thing about staying in the convention hotel is that you are REALLY close to the area where the panels are held so you can sleep later text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day16 September 5, 1999 - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - THE LAST DAY Well, here we are, finally at the end of the journey (or the beginning of the LONG trip home). The Interstellar Precursor Probe After debating whether or not I would go to the first panel I eventually left mother to sleep in while I walked over to the convention centre. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:42+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/day17 Postscript - September 6, 1999 - Chek Lap Kok - Hong Kong International Airport I am sitting outside of gate 4 at the airport waiting for my flight to leave on my final stage of the trip back to London Heathrow. It is about 9:45 and the flight leaves at midnight. Quite a long wait and I have already been here for about an hour and a half. text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:34+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/introduction Hong Kong/Australia Journal [Me Relaxing in Sydney Harbour] Prelude - Trip of the Year 1999 - August 20, 1999 - Hong Kong, China Well, here I am, once again in Hong Kong, this time part of communist China which, in a way, makes me a bit leery. It does not seem to have changed much in what I have seen in the bus to Tsim Sha Tsui. Took me a bit to get here though text/html 2015-10-02T20:10:42+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://stevedrice.net/travel/australia/journal/sidebar * Hong Kong/Australia Journal * August 21, 1999 - Hong Kong, China * August 22, 1999 - Hong Kong, China * August 23, 1999 - Hong Kong, China * August 24, 1999 - Cowe, Victoria, Australia * August 25, 1999 - Cowe, Victoria, Australia * August 26, 1999 - Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia * August 27, 1999 - Near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia * August 28, 1999 - Blakehurst, Near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia * August 29, 1999 - Blakehurst, Near Sydney, New South Wale…