Weaving through Nine Mile. Pic from Dubdem

Robert Nesta Marley sure came from humble surrounds. There’s still no running water in the buildings around here, the locals all pile over to the reservoir with buckets and the dreadlocked one lies entombed in a mausoleum on his former back yard. There is pretty much nothing else here, but still pilgrims come to contemplate life – his and theirs – and smoke dope.

I was staying at Couples Sans Souci  in Ocho Rios for my brother’s wedding and no one could be bothered joining me the next day for the 3 hour round trip to Nine Mile, so I negotiated a rate of US$100 with a taxi driver and as Bob serenaded us I watched the manicured lawns of nearby resorts become overgrown shantys.

We drove through Fern Gully, a 5 km incline which once was a rushing river. Rickety huts nestled into the side of the road stocked with handcrafts including large and proud phallic sculptures that tourists stop at to photograph – for a tip of course. Whenever a cruise ship is in town, stalls and shops spring open and there are baskets, Rastafarian tea cosies, gigantic conch sells and freshly cooked jerk chicken and pork as far as the eye can see. But today it is just me and my singing driver, Mr Collins, weaving past the locals walking along the road in their Sunday best.

The drive is normally an hour and a half, but with next to no traffic over the rugged countryside, we pulled up at Bob’s guarded gates in an hour and beeped the horn – which apparently is the password for dreadlocked men to put down their joints and spring into action. The Rastafarian “holy herb” is sold by the plastic, shopping-sized bag.

Bob Marley's mausoleum, Nine Mile, Jamaica

A wooden building stuffed with souvenirs in red, green, yellow and black is the main entrance and where you buy your admission ticket to see the buildings beyond the gate. Posters, beach towels and t-shirts hang on racks and plastic Bob Marley ashtrays and knick knacks crowd a tressle table while Bob croons through the speakers.

I paid $10 for Benjy to show me round. “This is where Bob was born,” he said with a glazed look in his eyes pointing to a building behind a wall. “No we can’t go in there, it’s still the family home.” It turns out Bob’s mother, Ciddy was living there but she has since passed away.

We came across a bar where Mr Collins parked himself in front of a TV playing Bob’s life story. A man hanging over the wall offered us joints for $5. But I could just picture the outcome of sniffer dogs in Miami detecting traces of ganja in my carry-on luggage!

There are two tiny buildings where Bob actually lived. Three others have been built to feed tourists or sell knick-knacks. About 100 metres up a grass track is a tiny two-roomed cottage and the mausoleum.

We took our shoes off as Benjy repeatedly punctuated his spaced-out narration with “respect” and sang songs that Bob wrote about this place. The “Mt. Zion Rock” behind the cottage was his meditation spot and Benjy stretched himself out on the “Rock Pillow” from “Talking Blues” and gave us a rendition.

Bob Marley's ricketty bed. Pic Dubdem

We stepped inside the silent mausoleum filled with incense where devotees bring photographs and leave notes. A soccer ball on a table is surrounded by pictures and a guitar stands in the corner. Paintings and photos with famous people hang on the walls and his marble tomb is draped in fabric as the sun danced through lead-light windows depicting elements of several faiths.

In 1977 Bob found he had cancer in his big toe after an injury. Doctors recommended it be removed but he refused citing it was against his Rastafarian beliefs. It spread to his liver, stomach and eventually his brain. He died on 11 May 1981 at the age of 36 leaving a legacy of music that has more than put Jamaica on the map.

The picturesque Stoney Bay

Ahh the serenity

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Auckland is big on my list of things to do each summer – the further away the better.

My recent destination was Stoney Bay, about a 3 ½ to 4 hour drive by the time you allow for toilet, coffee and supply stops, but it is definitely worth the trip when you drive around the final bend and find you are in a truly isolated paradise.

After packing the camping gear, sending some final texts and emails we departed ‘civilisation’. The township of Thames is the last spot to offer any decent stores for last minute camping supplies, including Pak ‘n Save, The Warehouse (for those forgotten camera memory cards or mobile chargers) and Stirling Sports.

Make sure you stock up on water – it does not pay to rely on the water at any campground which may not be safe for drinking. If you are taking along beer/meat for your trip, get plenty of ice for the chilly bin.

The Coromandel Smoking Company

Once you leave the Thames coastline, the next stop is the small township of Coromandel. Here you will find a multitude of cafés with great food and coffee. Coromandel is a quaint little town which is always buzzing with holiday makers on their way to favourite spots along the peninsula. You can pick up beautiful art and crafts here by some very talented local artists.

For something a little different, checkout The Coromandel Smoking Company (not what it sounds like!) where you can buy the most delicious smoked fish and mussels. Our purchases here were lucky to last the rest of the journey they were so yummy!

From Coromandel, take the main road to Colville – the coastal scenery is truly spectacular – and then head towards Port Charles. By now, the excitement in our small group is really building as our final destination is just a short distance further along the dirt road. Glimpses of the bay are seen through the coastline bush, but it is not until the last bend that Stoney Bay reveals itself to the wary traveler.

Split halfway by a freshwater creek, fed from native bush-covered hills that surround the bay, Stoney Bay is a DOC-run campground that offers the camper many beautiful locations for pitching a tent. Choose to camp beside the scenic creek surrounded by large pohutukawa or, if you are lucky, pitch your tent facing a coastline that would not look out of place on any postcard. The latter is our favoured option.

The trusty barby

The facilities in the bay (all maintained daily by the friendly rangers) include toilets, showers (cold), fireplaces for a bbq and a large rubbish skip located at the entrance.

If you own a kayak, definitely bring it. Just a short paddle north out of the bay is a dramatic rocky coastline that includes a series of caves you can paddle through. We were incredibly lucky one weekend to paddle with four large dolphins, an experience I will never forget.

As well as kayaking and swimming, there are several walks from Stoney Bay, including a coastal track that goes all the way to Fletcher Bay (allow up to 3 hours one way). This a wonderful experience – unforgettable scenery, native birds aplenty in the stunning forest backdrop. A gentle grade ensures that walkers of all fitness levels can manage easily.

Packing up and leaving paradise to head back to the city, cheer yourself up by stopping at Colville Café for a much deserved brunch. Friendly staff and a delicious menu, it’s a great way to end a long weekend camping.

While I confess to having taken the train to this ancient city 2400m up in the Andes (see previous blog) those who have hiked it are known to rave on for years. Firstly you do have the very able assistance of local Peruvian porters who run on ahead like gazelles and set up camp for when you arrive. But you’ll need to pack strategically as there is no mule or pack-horse to hoof all your shoes and sundresses.

You'll meet this lady on your hike

But on that final morning when you come over the mountain and see the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu stretched out in front of you, it’ll all be worth it.

Incredibly, Machu Picchu escaped the Spanish invasion and wasn’t even discovered until 1911 when American explorer, Hiram Bingham, who was skulking about these parts, met a local farmer who he paid 1 sol (45 cents) to lead him up for a look. At the time a Quechua family were still living here in the primitive city. I can only imagine the fright they must have had when the white man came crashing through the rainforest.

You’ll need a good level of fitness and be in good health, although altitude sickness strikes randomly (and didn’t strike me at all). You’ll see spectacular sights all along the way to Machu Picchu. It really is a beautiful trail. The ruins along the way are not as amazing as the famous hidden city but are still incredibly stunning. And although in essence you are ‘roughing it’ by camping, the food is super impressive. It’s amazing what they can come with on a small stove!

Here are some great tips for hiking the Inca Trail from Laura Barker, Adventure Specialist (wouldn’t you love her job?) at Harvey World Travel:

Don’t forget:

The city hides under clouds

• Book well in advance as numbers are limted – I met a backpacker in Cusco who hadn’t booked and was waiting for weeks for a cancellation.
• Good walking shoes/boots that are well worn in (blisters are no one’s friend).
• It’s a lot of up and down hills so if you have even slightly dodgy knees take (or buy when you’re there) walking poles. These can be purchased easily from the markets on the first morning at Ollantaytambo.
• Take ear plugs. The tent walls will not muffle the snorer next door. And yes, he will be there!
• Take a bladder water carrier (Camelback) to pop in your rucksack. It’s much easier than having to get your bottle out time you need a sip.
• Mornings and evenings can be chilly at certain times (I went in June) so take a good fleece/warm windproof jacket.
• Take water-free soap and wet wipes – there ain’t no sinks up there on the trail!
• Don’t worry about taking snacks/sweets from home. They have loads of things you can buy there – and probably cheaper!

The trek operates 10 months of the year between March and January.

When the clouds clear

The 1 hour flight from Lima gave me plenty of time to become paranoid about the effects of the altitude that might befall me. It strikes randomly and your level of fitness seems to bear no significance (which I took as a comfort) but aside from feeling a little puffed after climbing a few stairs to my hotel room and a slight headache the next morning (which could just as easily have been caused by the delicious pisco sours), I didn’t notice any undue effects.

Tourists making the pilgrimmage to Machu Picchu spend on average 2 days in Cusco to acclimatise and to have a look around the Sacred Valley and fortress town of Ollantaytambo. The history is gob smacking and such cool adobe architecture makes you wish you brought extra memory cards. There are markets selling rugs (I’m still gutted I didn’t buy one) and knick knacks (I bought a chess set with Inca and Spanish pieces – llamas for horses), art and handcrafts. I bought woollen finger puppets from this little girl who asked for a dollar and postcards from a boy who, when he found out I was from New Zealand, shouted “capital city Wellington!” That impressed me so I forked out another dollar.

Just arriving at Cusco airport where men in national costume played the pan flute while we waited for our luggage was a highlight.

5 finger puppets for $2

Evidence of Spanish invasion is everywhere, even in the Cathedral of Cusco where there is a painting of the Last Supper by Marcos Zapata. Eleven of the disciples and Jesus are all depicted as lighter skinner Spaniards but Judas is darker and apparently Peruvian. There are other Peruvian and Spanish influences in the painting like the tableware and the view out the window, but my favourite was the meal they were all eating: roasted guinea pig – head, feet and all! In fact this is the national dish and is a delicacy. You’ll find it on the menu at many restaurants. I confess to not partaking, although probably would have if it wasn’t so expensive.

After a couple of days in Cusco you can start hiking the 4-day Inca Trail or take the train. I took the train. We left at 9am and rocked and rolled for an hour and a half from Ollyantaytambo, (the train had started in Cusco). It was the 4th that morning to Aguas Calientes, the town at the bottom of the mountain where hotels and markets thrive. Hotel porters met us and relieved us of our luggage right there on the tracks and we immediately boarded buses for the scary ride up the mountain road (several times having to back up 50m to let oncoming buses down).

Machu Picchu is breathtaking, and that’s not just due to the altitude. It was a typically misty day – this is rainforest after all. But every so often the clouds would clear and the sun would stream over this ancient city set on the side of the mountain. The stone work is incredible when you consider the size of these boulders and no machinery to split or lift them. I stayed the night in Aguas Calientas and came up again the next morning before the crowd just to stand in awe once more.

Buying wares from the train

About 1000 people per day clamber over these ruins which escaped the Spanish invasion. You’ll need to wear hiking boots – not the stilleto sling-backs a stupid blonde from Scandinavia was teetering around in, and I wouldn’t be surprised if sometime soon tourists have to be stopped as I was told these priceless ruins are slipping.

Kyle Bell from Concrete Playground! Congratulations!! What an amazing time you’re about to have.

*Kyle will update us every week on what he’s up to and you can follow the 5 bloggers from around the world on Tumblr as they embark on a 30-day bus trip around NSW being led by Tweets and locals recommendations.

Good luck mate!

_________________

It’s not often you get an opportunity as cool as this… Read on and see if you’ve got what it takes.

I’m looking for a blogger in the 18-30s age group who fancies spending 30 days on the road travelling through NSW Australia in March with other bloggers from around the world. You’ll have an all-expenses paid trip, including flights, accommodation, meals, crazy activities and we might even be able to eke out a little daily stipend.

You’ll be required to write a blog post each day of between 300-500 words and take great photos to go with your stories.

If this sounds like you, email me megan@bloggeratlarge.com with a brief bio about yourself and send me a link to a couple of examples of your writing that I can forward on to the relevant people.

Good luck!

Are you following Megan on Facebook?

Stopping in outback towns to meet the locals

When it comes to Australia, ours is a bit of a divided family; my mother loves the Kimberley, Broome (probably for the pearls) and has traversed the Great Ocean Road. My sister lived and worked in the outback of Western Australia for a couple of years and I, well – I’ve just never been that excited by it. Prior to this year, I’ve been to Sydney, Brisbane and up to the Sunshine Coast. However, if there was going to be one trip that could change my mind – fair dinkum – I think this might be the one!

Waking up to the sun streaming across the remnants of New South Wales through the picture window of my sleeper cabin, I figure I’ve got my train legs on, if train legs are anything like sea legs! The landscape is breathtaking, through shrubs and trees that look more blue than green, to big, wide skies that stretch on forever. I might be waxing poetic, but seeing such a massive landscape in front of me really does awaken the imagination.

"Our hospital needs you. Get sick!"

All along the railway, there are towns and communities that support the line – and you start to get a feel for just how vast Australia is. Stopping at Broken Hill was all too brief, although usually passengers can disembark for aptly named ‘Whistlestop Tours’. Due to trackwork, we were slightly behind schedule so it was just enough to see the tip of the mine that Broken Hill is built around (and named after), the slightly rusted facade of the main street and the flurry of locals hoping for a glimpse of Jessica Mauboy, our resident singer on board.

She didn’t disappoint, briefly hopping off the the train, which includes motorail carriages used to transport cars across country spilled out both ends of the platform. She sang, they laughed, we clapped, some danced. Then we were off again, onto the next stop. (If you needing a memory jog, here is Jessica Mauboy singing Galaxy with kiwi Stan Walker)

This iconic journey includes the larger towns of Broken Hill and Adelaide – where I could’ve made use of a day or three to tour the local vineyards and walk around the beautiful city centre. But the really captivating magic happens in places like Rawlinna, Watson and Cook. The stop at Watson is nothing more than the end of a dirt road. How the driver managed to see it, I’ve no idea but I’m assuming it must have been some sort of useful GPS! There were 100 or so locals gathered to see Jessica sing. Jessica, who is part Aborigine and from Darwin, was an instant hit with the crowd, who gathered in close. Almost as much of a hit was Santa, who had caps, backpacks and lollies for all the kids. Then, it was time to go and the crowd dispersed, 4WDs disappearing into the dust with not a house or township in sight for miles and miles around. It’s something to behold.

Jessica Mauboy entertains

I’ve heard people talk about Uluru – the magical silence of the desert. But it’s not really silent. There’s a total absence of vehicles, cellphones and city noise but the sound of the wind in the shrubs is almost overwhelming. As far out to the left and right of the train as I could see – there was absolutely nothing, and that’s fine with me. It’s peaceful, relaxing and completely breathtaking.

Everyone loves Santa!

Cook is another iconic stop – for comic value if nothing else. The train stops for water where there used to be a bustling township. Now there’s a souvenir shop making the most of the train’s passengers and the desperation with which people clung on to life out here. You can walk through the deserted town, the grassed over swimming pool, the abandoned school and guesthouses. Rusted out 4WDs and painted advertisements make you chuckle with proclamations like “Get Sick! Our hospital needs you!”. The teatowels and postcards make great take home gifts!

And if all that isn’t enough wild Australian outback – as we bustled towards Perth, dinner was kangaroo loin. Delicious!

Details
Tash McGill travelled as a guest of the Great Southern Railway. The Indian Pacific departs twice weekly in either direction during peak season (Sydney – Adelaide – Perth).

Tips for the tracks
- Bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes for stops, especially as you never know what creepy crawlies you might discover on your walking adventures.
- Catch a cab into central Adelaide and soak up the cafes & wine available on this stop. There are some great picture opportunities.

Read Tash’s first blog setting off from Sydney on the Indian Pacific and a look around her cabin All Aboard the Christmas Train >>>

The Indian Pacific snakes through the desert

I can’t count the number of times I’ve leapt off a long-haul flight to take a short train trip into the city I’ve just arrived in – but I’ve never taken a short flight to board a long-haul train trip.

The Indian Pacific is an iconic train journey that will stretch 4 days and some 4300kms across Australia’s iconic Nullabor Plain from Sydney to Perth. It’s counted as one of the world’s great train journeys and since I was raised on novels that made trains seem the most romantic, adventurous and timeless ways to travel, I was all abuzz as I arrived at Central Station in Sydney. It was early December and the station was decked out in full Christmas splendor, replete with carols, musicians and Australian songbird Jessica Mauboy, who will be joining us, performing on the platform for a flock of school kids waiting for Santa to emerge from the train.

It’s really a brilliant concept – the Indian Pacific stretches across some of the most deserted and wild landscape in Australia, so for the last ten years or so each Christmas an Australian musician or two has boarded the train to perform Christmas shows (with Santa in tow) across the route, stopping in some of the smallest, yet crucial stops along the journey. All along the way, local kids come out to see the show, to sing supporting carols and to see Santa (of course). I was feeling extremely lucky to be along for my first real epic train adventure!

The Outback Explorer Lounge

The Indian Pacific was launched in 1970, and stepping aboard feels like time-warping to a simpler, but somehow more opulent era. Out with minimalism, the Queen Adelaide restaurant car where we shared all our meals held comfy booths alongside big picture windows, ornate furnishings and filigree embellishments. The Outback Explorer lounge is a little more casual but full of sofas and club chairs positioned for enjoying the landscape. The bar has a good selection of Australian beers and wines, plus coffee and snacks. We spent most of our first day here, getting to know the other guests and sharing a few laughs. In many ways it reminded me of a glamorous school camp for grownups, without the awkward icebreakers!

Pulling out of the station at Sydney, headed for Perth via Adelaide we enjoyed an fantastic meal (there are two chefs on board for each restaurant car) featuring unique Australian cuisine, great cheeses and quality Aussie wines (suck it up NZ, they do a great drop over here). The gentle rocking of the carriages was pleasant and not a drop of wine or coffee splashed on the white tablecloths as we bustled along the tracks.

The comfy cabin

It’s amazing where conversations with strangers will lead you – but in this instance, bathrooms and toilet facilities were a matter of fascination with those onboard, especially as for many of us, it was our first long-haul train journey. I was also curious and pleasantly surprised by just how comfortable the Gold Sleeper cabins were. A long sofa by day, with a small table and ample nooks to hideaway reading material and the small bits and pieces, was converted by staff into a made-up bed while we dined. Complete with chocolate on the pillow, the bed was absolutely comfortable and cosy. The wardrobe is just big enough for a few days clothes to be hung or stowed (you can check larger luggage too) and behind the door with full length mirror – there it was! I was lucky enough to be in one of the recently renovated carriages and my bathroom (really a toilet/shower cubicle) was sparkling white, well-lit and appointed with stainless steel fittings, plenty of white towels and delicious smelling toiletries. (No airline toilet this one!) The shower curtain simply pulled around and over the vanity while bathing and the water was always hot and had great pressure. As it turns out, bathrooms really are a big deal and mine became quite the tourist destination for some of the other journalists on board over the week.

Come back tomrorow for more about Tash’s Christmas Train adventure …

Details
Tash McGill travelled as a guest of the Great Southern Railway (www.gsr.com.au). The Indian Pacific departs twice weekly in either direction during peak season (Sydney – Adelaide – Perth).

Top 3 Tips for travelling on the Indian Pacific:
- Flying into Sydney International Airport, take the airport train to Central Station directly from the Terminal. About 15min & $15 one way.
- Pack light, with a warm layer for cooler night stops along the way. The train is air-conditioned so very comfortable during the day.
- You can travel by seat, Red Sleeper (single berth cabin), Gold or Platinum class depending on the level of service you require. The train is a functional passenger/commuter train with a wide range of services available onboard.

Our front entrance - Villa 31

There are two Club Med resorts in Mauritius, this tiny dot of an island east of Madagascar. One is this 5-trident (star) and the other is more family focused and 4-trident. (More about that in another blog).

We were picked up by a Club Med rep who drove us about an hour across the island to our resort. It was dark when we landed, but the streets were busy with people cycling along, chatting on corners, sugar cane growing in the fields.

This Albion property has three classes of rooms – Club, Deluxe and Suites, in the main grounds set amongst 27 hectares of gardens and lakes edged by the white sands of the Indian Ocean.

The main resort pool from the bar...

If you don’t already know this, Club Med resorts are all-inclusive, so guests in the entire resort – including us posh villa girls – get to dine at the extensive daily buffet or book in at the a la carte restaurant (Le Phare) for dinner, watch the evening shows (the Michael Jackson tribute and clouds of dry ice with about 25 staff was great fun), get as sporty as you like with tennis, golf (including lessons with the pro), archery, even trapeze. On the water there are catamarans, snorkeling and swimming.

Shhhh - the Zen pool

You can pay extra and go scuba diving. There is also a spa, but treatments are extra. There’s a main pool surrounded by deck chairs in front of the main lobby/bar area and also a quiet adults’ only infinity Zen Pool area with a restaurant and bar where no cell phones or yelling is allowed.

The master bath with outdoor and indoor showers

And the kids clubs. Don’t forget the kids’ activities. I’ve heard it said that some parents hardly see their kids because they love the activities so much they just want to hang out there each day. And the problem is…?

Oh and did I say that free bubbles from 6-8pm tends to be our evening kick-off drink of choice. That’s after we’ve had a few cheeky afternoon mojitos – all part of the all-inclusive deal.

But back to the villas. So here at Albion Villas, you get to be as involved in the crazy fun Club Med scene as much or as little as you like. We chose a modicum of involvement – usually around lunchtime, happy hour and dinner. The reason being? We had our own pool and our own butler, Raj. We also had a pool villa (or summer house, I liked to call it) with a swinging day bed that had a habit of lulling one off on an afternoon siesta.

Breakfast in the summer house

It’s also where Raj served our breakfast each morning – hot pastries, eggs which ever way we liked them and by the end of our days we’d realized we only needed to ask and anything was at our service. Pancakes with maple syrup and bananas, with bacon on the side please, was breakfast on our final morning.

The villas are privately owned (got a cool €1 million?) and managed by Club Med. Owners get 6 weeks a year to spend either here, or at other Club Med properties around the world (there are about 80). They come in 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms. We had 3 rooms for 4 of us. Two of the rooms are masters with four-poster super king beds, a bathtub with garden views, an outdoor shower for coming in from the pool – and of course an indoor shower for any other time. French doors open from both suites onto the pool area and in the middle is the enormous living/dining room with a 2-story ceiling.

Our living room with bedrooms on each side

The 3^rd bedroom has twin beds that can be joined into a king, its own ensuite bathroom with a shower and a loo. There’s also a third mattress so if the kids are coming, they can all bunk in here.

Then there’s the kitchen with an espresso maker than even I could master but which is taken over by Raj from about 6am till 11 and then again from about 4.30pm till 8. Plus a laundry which we utilized after buying powder from the boutique in the main resort.

And here’s another reason to book your 60th birthday shenanigans here – free daily access to the 18-hole Tamarina golf course nearby.

It’s a hike to get here from New Zealand, but the 11-hour direct flight from Melbourne on Air Mauritius makes it not unrealistic.

For more info about the Villas and Club Med resort, click here >>>

Capital city Port Louis

Where is Mauritius?

I had no idea either but Mauritius is a tiny volcanic dot of an island in the Indian Ocean about 850km east of Madagascar. Ok, that probably doesn’t help either. Madagascar is a bigger dot also in the Indian Ocean to the east of Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania. Is that any better? If not and you really care that much, click here for a world map, then we can proceed.

It is surrounded by coral reefs (protecting it from tsunamis) and jagged peaks rise up out of the lush green that makes up the centre of this 2000 sq km island, home to 1.2 million people. It sounds big but the coastline is in fact only 177km around. It’s not hard to get around, but traffic jams are common – unhelped by the bus then truck break downs and a fire taking hold on the side of the road due to a cigarette butt, said our taxi driver as we made our way up the coast one morning. The airport is in the lower south east and in less than an hour we had driven across the island to Albion, in the north west, past fields of sugar cane and plowed ground for potatoes and onions, swerving around cyclists threading their way along the narrow roads with steep ditches on either side to cope with the rainy season.

A little beach at Grand Bay

How do you get to Mauritius?

I’m glad you asked. From New Zealand, you fly to Melbourne or Sydney and take Air Mauritius direct. Bring a big book of sudokus and a couple of trashy novels because the flight is a cool 11.5 hours and the inflight entertainment is rather lacking. A few movies play on rotation, most in French and none that I’d heard of. Fortunately for us, the back of the plane was not very full so I was grateful for the 3 lime green seats to sprawl out on and the complimentary and colour coordinated eye mask and bed socks.

What about money?

They use the Mauritian rupee, but like all travel to exotic places like this, I wait until I arrive to draw out my currency from an ATM either at the airport, in town or from the resort if there is one. But to be honest, from what I’ve seen of the shopping, there’s not a lot outside of the touristy souvenirs that’ll grab you, apart from summer dresses and if you’re a shoe addict you’ll slow down past a few windows.

A typical day in Mauritius

A little history lesson

The local Mauritian people speak French and Creole and English is also widely spoken. Indians have settled here, as well as Africans and with a tug-o-war history between Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and French until the Brits captured it in 1810 and used it as a military base. The main tourist group (behind South Africans who can fly here in 3 hours) are the French. Although I might be biased as I’m staying at Club Med Albion Villas*, which is a French resort. (More about that in the next post). Mauritius became independent from the UK in 1968.

Mauritius’ main claim to fame as far I am concerned is it was home to the flightless dodo – made extinct when the Dutch polished the last one off in the 17th century. So I now have a little wooden dodo in my possession.

The shops at Grand Bay

Other interesting Mauritian facts

Power points are the 2-prong round ones that are used in Asia. (Wiki says 3-prong UK plugs, but I have not seen that kind of socket. However, disclaimer: I have not visited every property in Mauritius). There is a winter and summer, or rainy and dry season. It’s typically hot and dry from May to November and humid and rainy from November back around to May. They make their fortune out of sugar, tourism and textiles, but as with the rest of the world right now, it’s tough out there and sugar prices have dropped considerably. Much of the future of Mauritius probably lies in tourism.

* means posh

Read my review here of the Club Med Albion Villas >>>

Pic from Dirk Groeger

This post is for those who have a bit of recessionary dosh left over to throw into the air and who can think of nothing more dreamy than skiing on unadulterated, virgin fluff where no teenager has dared to blaze a zig-zag. According to The New Zealand Adventure Guide, you can expect to get 5 to 9 runs in per day and probably with lunch included.

Here’s who to try for the ultimate skiing adventure on South Island slopes:

Harris Mountains Heli-Ski – exclusive access to slopes stretching from Queenstown to Aoraki/Mt Cook, these guys will find the terrain to suit your ability. Start with a scenic flight, then choose 3, 4 or 7-runs plus lunch. www.heliski.co.nz

Heli-Ski Queenstown + Over the Top have joined forces to offer ski tours away from the school holiday throng. Book a 3 or 5-run package including gourmet lunch. www.flynz.co.nz

Methven Heliski offers multi-day trips to 3 mountain ranges and over 250 runs for intermediate to advanced skiers. www.methvenheli.co.nz

Southern Lakes Heliski has been flying keen skiers to the top of the world for 20 years. They have exclusive rights to to some mountains as well as the other ranges available. Gourmet lunch is included. (They also do heli-weddings… now that would be novel!) www.heliworks.co.nz

Wilderness Heliski is the only company offering heli-skiing and heli-boarding in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and some terrain runs can be 1000m vertical! Lunch and transfers are included.  www.wildernessheli.co.nz