Humpback whale near Sydney

Best time for whale watching

The whale watching season is quite (May-November)  long in Sydney, but it is not always very busy.

Humpback whale sightings in Sydney 2009-2011

In this chart you can see humpback whale sightings during 2009-2011. It is clear visible two peeks in the season. Especially these peaks were distinct last year. In June/July humpback whales migrating North for breeding in the waters of the Coral Sea.  From end of September until December they  are going back South to the Antarctic feeding ground for the southern hemisphere summer. At this time of year females with new born calves usually are seen closer to the shore.

August looks like quite month in this chart, but is not because there are no whales. It is the middle of winter and sea can be rough and you won’t have much fun to be on the boat, so some whale watching tours were canceled because of weather.  Whales are still there, as not all whales migrating like humpback whales. The Southern Right Whales do not migrate North or South, they usually move along the coastline seeking places to mate and shelter with their newborn calfs.

There are more different kind of whales you can see in Sydney, but are much rare then Humpback whales or Southern Right Whale. Some people are lucky to see very rare Bryde’s whales, killer whales (or else known as Orcas), also False Killer whales, Minke whales. You most likely will see Pacific and Bottlenose dolphins too.

Dolphins in Sydney

Which time of the day is better for whale watching? By looking to whale sightings of past years it doesn’t matter when you go. It is the same in the morning or afternoon. I think it is because most whales are not staying around Sydney but migrating and you can see them when they passing by and time of day is not so important.

Best places for whale watching in Sydney

Should you take a boat tour for a whale watching? Not everybody can take boat ride, but it doesn’t mean you can do whale watching. During nice and calm days there are places where it is possible to see whales from the shore. Only thing you need – binoculars. Best and easy accessible places are North and South heads.

As there are high cliffs out there and it makes very good place for observation. South Head is my preference, as there is trail along the coast and you can walk almost all way down to Bondi Beach which Southern Right Whales like to visit from time to time.

North Head in Sydney/Manly is good place for coastal whale watching

Besides whale watching from the shore is more ecologically friendly as still there is unknown how boats are affecting whales migration. Marine Mammal Research Group at Macquarie University currently working on a project assess the current whale watching guidelines in Sydney. Actually they have some volunteering positions if somebody interested to join them.

Whale tail seen from South Head in Sydney

While on the coast you can fallow whale watching tour boats and it will be easier to spot whales.

Tours

Here is a list of whale watching tours in Sydney if you want to take one:

It is quite long list and prices are very similar. So which company to choose? It depends on you – do want only whale watching or to do something else too, like speed boat ride? Do you stay in the city or in Cronulla or Manly?

One of whale watching tour boats in Sydney

My personal choice was – Bass and Flinders Cruises. They are longest period in this business and also participate in whales research program with Macquarie University, has shore based whale spotters which helps them faster to spot whales. In the sea it looks like all other companies just follow their boats.

Whale watching from the boat, view from South Head in Sydney

One important thing – lower your expectation if you go on whale watching tour.  Sometimes whales are more active, sometimes they are not. I was reading some reviews there customers were complaining – they saw not enough whale breaches because ship went back to harbor as the tour time was out.  How you can complain about that? Some people won’t be lucky to see a breach even once and it is not the show where you command whales what they should do. So it is better to have law expectation and you definitely will enjoy whale watching – coastal or on boat tour.

Whale sightings numbers for above chart are taken from this page www.whalewatchingsydney.net/whale-sightings.  I just decided put numbers into more convenient form.

Whale watching in Sydney. Best time, places and tour prices is a post from: Travel Tips

Nuwara Eliya is small summer resort used by British to escape heat in other parts of country. Weather is very refreshing thought it can be a little be chilly at night so no surprise to see locals walking with jackets or sweaters on.
I didn’t spend much time in Nuwara Eliya except visiting small botanic garden. There are no so much to see there, but I need to kill some time till my train arrives.
Today’s plan changed after talking with our driver last night.  There are two ways to go South from Nuwara Eliya. You can go by car, but there is better way. You can take the train from Nanuoya to Ella.
Nanuoya railway station is located 10km (6 miles) from Nuwara Eliya. It seems there is no way to book 1st class ticket in observation car in advance, but our driver suggested to buy cheapest available tickets and latter upgrade it.  Total cost was 750LKR. It is not the cheapest train trip, but it is really worth it and is the one of the best train trips I ever done.

World`s End, Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka

Railway pass Horton Plains National Park with pictures mountains, waterfalls, tea plantations and view to World’s end, the key attraction of the park. The train goes somewhere on that hill in front of World’s End.
It takes about 3 hours to get from Nanuoya to Ella and then continue trip by car. Couple kilometers from Ella there is one of widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka – Rawana Ella.

Rawana Ella waterfall, Sri Lanka

It was still long way to go to the tonight’s destination Tissamaharama (or Tissa for short) which is gateway to Yala national park, but we decided to go even longer way.
The shortest and fastest way would be by taking A2 highway (see the map). But alternative road B35 is much better. Why? B35 public road passes crosses western part of Yala national park and it is good place to see elephants and I saw more elephants today then on my safari to the Yala NP I took next day.
Kataragama is another stop on this road.  It is the most important religious piligrimage site in Sri Lanka and it is a holy place for Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus. It is quite village during day and is better to visit it at night when food offerings ceremonies start.

The same as on second day it was already dark on arrival to Tissa, but we need to go to bed earlier anyway as it was booked safari to Yala NP for next morning. Early morning.. Get up at 4:00.

Sri Lanka in five days. Day 3 is a post from: Travel Tips

Road to the Mount Augustus in Western Australia

I am in love with these colours out there – blue sky, red land and yellow bushes. This picture was taken on the way to my climb to Mount Augustus in the middle of Western Australia. Which literally means it is in the middle of nowhere. Mt. Augustus is less known rock in Australia and is overshadow by famous Uluru rock, thought Mt. Augustus is twice the size of Uluru and is much older.

If you want to participate in Travel Photo Monday – post some travel photo(s) on your blog with backlink to this page, insert your post link bellow, share about this post (use #TPMonday tag on twitter), leave comment and subscribe for new posts. Also check pictures of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby

Travel Photo Monday. Outback road in Western Australia is a post from: Travel Tips

Summer is almost here and what better way to celebrate than with the great American tradition known as the road trip? However, before the rubber hits the road, there are several things to consider. Read on to find out not only which areas of the country are the best for RV trekking, but also tips and tricks for planning your trip and getting the best fuel economy.

Before you go

While spontaneity may seem like fun idea, without a little advance planning your trip will derail before it’s even had a chance to begin. Before you go, ask yourself these questions:

• How many people are traveling and are any kids coming along?
• Are there any special needs? Does anyone going on the trip have any health issues that need addressing? If this is the case, you’ll want to be sure the RV has the proper accessibility and that your road trip stays within a reasonable distance from medical facilities.
• What types of activities you would like to do? If you’re planning on doing some type of activity that requires hauling toys such as bicycles or jet skis, be sure your RV is up to the challenge.
• What amenities will you need? The range of facilities available for RV camping is quite broad and includes everything from upscale resort environments to dry camping (no electric, water or sewer hookups).
• How many days will the trip take and how many miles are you willing to go? This will play a large role in determining your itinerary and destinations.
• What is your budget? The answers to the above questions will, in part, determine your budget – and vice versa. Also impacting your budget will be whether or not you’re renting an RV if you don’t own one already. Rental pricing can vary greatly; so it’s a good idea to shop around ahead of time.

Best areas for RV trekking

No matter if you’re planning a long weekend close to home or an epic cross country round trip, check out these must-see areas and itineraries:

• Route 66. Get your kicks from Los Angeles to Chicago on this iconic cross-country itinerary.
• Western States National Park Loop. Begin and end in San Francisco, taking in nearly a dozen National Parks from Yosemite to Bryce Canyon. Stops in Las Vegas and San Diego can also be easily incorporated.
• Northeastern States Loop. This loop begins and ends in New York City, with a scenic drive through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before heading back south through Massachusetts and Connecticut.
• South Florida Loop. Orlando is the city to begin and end this sunny itinerary, continuing to Miami, Key West, the Everglades, and Fort Myers. Take a side trip to Sanibel Island before heading back to Orlando, a major tourist destination on its own.

Fuel saving tips

Unfortunately, the cost of gas for an extended RV trip can be expensive. Luckily, there are several easy things you can do to improve your fuel economy.

• Make sure the engine is properly tuned. Some mechanics estimate that a properly tuned engine can use up to 50 percent less gas than a poorly tuned one.
• Make sure that your RV generator is working properly
• Make sure tires are inflated properly. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage up to 3.3 percent, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
• Use cruise control. Traveling at slower and more consistent speeds is a proven way to increase fuel economy, so set your cruise control for 55 mph on the interstate and enjoy the savings.
• Avoid filling the tank on a weekend. Prices generally are higher on weekends than on weekdays, so fill up during the week to get the most for your money.
• Reduce air drag. Anything sticking up from the roof of the RV can cause drag, which reduces fuel economy. Make sure any antennas are down and that the AC unit is covered.

Adventure beckons

As long as there’s a gas station along the way and some space to park your RV, anywhere you can reach by a nice, wide, paved road is a potentially great destination, as long as you’ve got the spirit of American adventure with you!

This post was written and contributed by Tim Simis. Tim has been RV’ing for several years and stresses the importance of checking over your RV before your trip. Tim gets his RV parts from RVpartssupplier.com

Discover America in your RV is a post from: Travel Tips

Facebook security check

I was looking to that phone number and for a second couldn’t understand that is this and why it sending something to it because I have totally different phone number. After some thought I remembered what is this. It did happen exactly a year ago and for some reason I entered my cell phone number I had at that moment because Facebook asked it for some reasons. Of course I could easy to skip that step, but I didn’t, as I didn’t think about circumstances.  The phone number was temporary. During my trips I often buy prepaid phone SIM card in the country I am staying for a week or longer as it much cheaper to make local phone calls or send messages. Some weeks later my trip was over I trough away my temporary SIM card as I didn’t need it any more and forgot I entered that number somewhere on the web. But that SIM card would be useless even if I would have it with me now because the phone number expires after awhile if account is not recharged.

What to do now? I found this form

Disabled Facebook profile

I filled this form and send it but got such answer:

Hi,

Unfortunately, we can’t assist you until you reply and attach identification that verifies the name submitted in your request.

Please attach a copy of one government-issued ID (ex: driver’s license or passport) or two documents from a respected institution or business. Together these documents must show your full name, photo, and date of birth.

Some examples of acceptable documents include:

- School or work ID
- Utility bill
- Marriage license
- Legal name change paperwork
- Credit card (with the number blacked out)
- Birth certificate

If possible, save this file as a JPEG and cover up any personal information that we don’t need to verify your identity (ex: address, license number). We also recommend sending your attachments over a secure connection. Find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=148993491850191

Note that we won’t be able to assist you until we receive the proper documents.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

It looks like everything should be ok, but… It is not in my case. I have a little paranoia about storing my personal information on internet. Thought it is against facebook rules, but I never provide my full personal details for such sites especially because they tend to change privacy rules quite often and you never know what will be available for public tomorrow.  Even in this case, because I didn’t provide my full name I can’t access my account and it means I have no access to any data I entered. I didn’t lose a lot because of my paranoia there are no personal data there. I can create another account and find all my friends again. It will take time, but it is not a big lost, as my primary communication is email and I can be totally offline during my travels as I commented on Lis’s travel blog.

But…if you are addicted to social networks like Facebook you should make sure all your contact information – cell phone numbers, emails are up to date in case you’ll get the message I got from Facebook about security check. Of course you can send all required information and get your account restored, but it works only if you have your full name provided to Facebook. For other people who are using their nick names instead of real name it can be nightmare. Especially if somebody is using FB as only communication way to reach friends and family. It is hard to image when you want contact somebody, but you can’t reach person because don’t have access to your account and can’t see contact details of that person.

It was interesting lesson for me and at the end I did lost something. The biggest lost of this story I can’t access my FB pages any more and need to create if from scratch. Here is my new page.  Please take a visit and like it.

How you can loose your Facebook account while traveling is a post from: Travel Tips

Cape Levenque, Dampier Peninsula, Broome, Western Australia

If you want to participate in Travel Photo Monday – post some travel photo(s) on your blog with backlink to this page, insert your post link bellow, share about this post (use #TPMonday tag on twitter), leave comment and subscribe for new posts. Also check pictures of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby

Travel Photo Monday. Dampier Peninsula is a post from: Travel Tips

By initial plan I supposed to visit Dambulla cave temple on the first day of my trip to Sri Lanka and spend night in Kandy, but because of slow traffic I need to adjust the plan.
I get up as early as possible for short climb to Dambulla Cave temple. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka and it should be on everybody’s “to do” list if the one is interested in such places.

Cave Temple, Dambulla, Sri Lanka

It is really short climb but it is better to go there in the early morning or late afternoon as the path is exposed to the sun and during day it can be quite hot. .
Temple is open 7:00- 19:00 (7am – 7pm). Cost 1300LKR

From Dambulla I was heading to Kandy.  On the way to Kandy there are numerous spice gardens to see many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for.

Spice Garden in Sri Lanka

You can see how vanilla, black pepper, coco beans, cardamom,  cinnamon and other  spices are grown and of course you can buy processed spices or cosmetic product if you want. There is no hard selling, so you can just take a look and drive away.
On the same road there are some  handcraft shops. Somebody will show you how souvenirs and furniture are crafted, how natural colors to paint goods is made .  It is also free and it is only up to you do you want to buy souvenirs or may be order some furniture.

Just before  Kandy in Matale there is largest hindu temple in Sri Lanka – Mariamman Kovil. Because of some hindu celebration it was closed for visitor when I was passing by.

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy, Sri Lanka

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the main attraction in the Kandy. It houses most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka – a tooth of the Buddha. You won’t be able to see tooth itself as it is kept in a gold casket, but you can see illustrations how the tooth arrived to Sri Lanka.
Temple is open 6:00-17:00 (6am – 5pm). Cost 1000LKR

I was short of time, so I just to a look to Kandy panorama and went further to Nuwara Eliya.

But if you have time it is good idea to stay in Kandy and at night watch performance of famed Kandyan dancers and in the morning go to Royal Botanic Gardens  (working hours 7:30-16:30) – the largest and very beautiful botanic garden in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for it either.

Tea plantation, Sri Lanka

From Kandy road to Nuwara Eliya winds up to the mountains the most of tea plantations are located. There are couple tea factories on the road – Blue Field Tea Gardens and Labookellie Tea Factory – you want to visit at least one to see how tea is processed, to tasted it and may be buy some.
There are some waterfalls on this road, but in dry season they can be short of water and you won’t see anything spectacular.

It was long day and I arrived to Nuwara Eliya only after sunset.

Sri Lanka in five days. Day 2 is a post from: Travel Tips

Sails, Vivid Sydney 2009

If you love photography you must visit Head On Photo Festival. Events this year are spread across Sydney from the CBD extending, north, south, east and west. Aside from traditional venues such as art galleries and museums, exhibitions and events were set in less formal venues such as cafes, pubs and Centennial Park. Festival stars on4th of May.

13-14 of May Open Weekend celebrates redesigned Australian galleries with a festival of free events. Over 60 events including performances, workshops, films, family activities and talks reveal the astonishing diversity of art born from our distinctive Australian culture and landscape.

On 20th of May Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon is held. It is Australia’s largest and most prestigious half marathon and you still have time to join it. This year introduced one lap course.

At the end of May will start one of most colorful festivals in Sydney – Vivid Sydney 2012. It starts on 25th of May and for two weeks you can enjoy impressive light projections, performances from local and international musicians as part of Vivid LIVE and a free outdoor exhibition of interactive light sculptures.

What’s on in Sydney in May, 2012 is a post from: Travel Tips

Church of Curon Venosta, lake Resia, Italy

If you want to participate in Travel Photo Monday – post some travel photo(s) on your blog with backlink to this page, insert your post link bellow, share about this post (use #TPMonday tag on twitter), leave comment and subscribe for new posts. Also check pictures of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby

Travel Photo Monday. Church of Curon Venosta is a post from: Travel Tips

As summer approaches, many people are thinking about where they want to spend their holiday this year. Battling with everybody else for a piece of beach, or pushing through crowds to see a city’s top attractions can turn what should have been a relaxing holiday into an experience you’ll need another break to recover from.

If you’re tired of going where everyone else is, there’s a multitude of other less well known but just as fascinating holiday destinations you could visit.

Calgary, Canada

Many people simply use Calgary as a base to reach other, more popular destinations like Jasper or Banff, but this city has a lot to offer in itself. Downtown you’ll find a plethora of bustling restaurants, cafes and bars as well as museums and other cultural centres. You can visit Calgary Zoo or relax in Devonian Gardens, which is one of the world’s biggest urban indoor gardens. Heading west of the city you’ll find the Heritage Historical Village and great shopping areas.

Canberra, Australia

Overshadowed by the popularity of Sydney, which is often also mistaken as Australia’s capital, Canberra is rich in culture and history. It’s home to some of the country’s best museums and galleries, including the National Gallery of Australia and the National Portrait Gallery, and is dotted with national monuments. It hosts a number of major festivals, like Stonefest and the National Folk Festival. It’s also a great place for those who love the outdoors, with fantastic parks, nature reserves and bushwalks.

Formentera, Spain

Many people think of holidays Majorca when they want to enjoy the sun, sand and sea. This island does have it all, but so does the less well-known Formentera. The last of the Pine islands, Formentera is a small island south of Ibiza. It’s composed of stunning white sand beaches and ideal for water sports or a hike around the cliffs. Many regions are managed as national parkland and boardwalks through the sand dunes are an ideal way to observe the different species of flora and fauna.  For a little history there are a number of intriguing cultural attractions including megalithic sites, 18^th century watchtowers and castles.

Gdańsk, Poland

Rebuilt during the 50s and 60s after its heavy destruction during World War II, Gdańsk is an up-and-coming tourist destination. Walking around its streets you can admire some beautiful architecture, monuments and fountains. The Old Town is particularly interesting and contains the old city hall, Artus Court and the Golden and Green gates. It has all the charms of a coastal town and you can go sailing, take a canoe tour or simply have a dip in the sea.

Siena, Italy

Italy is a major tourist destination and many people come to float on a gondola in Venice or visit the Vatican in Rome. Siena is one of the more overlooked cities. However, its historic centre is particularly fascinating and has even been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It has a number of notable landmarks that include its 12^th century cathedral, and the Palazzo Pubblico, housed within the Piazza del Campo. The city is also renowned for its art, museums and delicious cuisine.

Top 5 underrated destinations you should visit this year is a post from: Travel Tips