Showing posts with label Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Island. Show all posts

28 October 2013

Photo Tour: Miyajama, Japan

For a change of pace from my Italy/Greece posts, i thought I'd swap Europe for Asia and take you all back to Japan this week. 

During my trip to Japan last year i visited the island of Miyajama which is most famous for its "Floating" Torii Gates. As part of my day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima, i did a small extension to this picturesque island. Its not far from Hiroshima, the tram and train lines will take you right next to the ferry port and there are frequent services to the island.

I hope you enjoy this little photo tour. Let me know if you do!

Views of Miyajama Island and Torii Gates










Miyajama Deer

The deer here are "wild" dear that have the run of the island but they are so used to having people around that they have no qualms approaching adults and kids alike in search of food - at one point i even saw a man chasing one that had nicked the luggage tag off his suitcase and was chewing it happily.









The Miyajama Torii Gates at Sunset


It really is worth staying till sunset at Miyajama. There is a certain stillness and peace that descends on the island. Just be sure not to miss the last ferry back to the mainland. There are hotels where you can stay the night and have the island to yourself after all the tourists and day trippers have gone if you fancy it.









Miyajama Temple

Its hard to miss the temple. When i was there the tide was low enough you could walk out between the buildings. When the tide is in, i can imagine that the look of the temple will be very different, almost as if it was floating of its own accord. I simply loved the reddish orange of the temple and how it seemed to frame its surroundings.






























I do recommend making the effort to visit Miyajama. It is an easy trip from Hiroshima and i managed to do both Hiroshima and Miyajama on a day trip from Kyoto. Granted it was a bit of a full day but it is worth it if you are limited on time.

Read More

03 May 2006

Hamilton Island, Queensland - Australia

Hearing: Birdcalls


Day 1

We arrived at HTI in the late afternoon. During the flight i had a nice chat with the Jetstar crew, turns out they know a guy who is in my company now so they asked me to say hello to him for them.

This place is beautiful. We arrived at the airport located on the seaside and were picked up and taken to check in, an open airy room with comfy sofas.

The room i booked was a palm bungalow set alongside palm trees and other self contained bungalows with a small patio out front - very resort like.Me and my family took a look around the resort and the marina and stocked up on a bit of groceries and snacks. We indulged in the great ol' fish n chips wharfside for dinner before heading back to the bungalow.


Day 2

Breakfast at Toucan Tango
Imagine a buffet breakfast with cane furniture and colourful cushions, an inside and outside seating area all overlooking a pool and the beach stretching away from shore. Then imagine rosellas, cockatoos a few seagulls and a one-eyed magpie hovering around waiting for the minute you leave your table to attack whatever food is on your plate. Then again some of the rosellas don't even bother waiting and fly down to help themselves the cheeky buggers! One tried to take a drink of apple juice from my brothers glass and got all huffy with me cuz i covered it with my hand!! It was a very amusing breakfast.


A dip in the pool
There are 5 pools at this resort, pick one and take a dip...i had a relaxing lie down in the sun just soaking it all in and almost fell asleep!! But i got my lazy butt up and into the pool for a swim - mmmm i love swimming, being both weightless and cool...




Paddle Boats!!
Ok i admit, it was my first time and i was terrified of turning over but i managed to stay upright the whole time but it wasn't easy. My brother and i took a long trip out away from the shore, around a small rock island and back. So much fun and i definitely recommend it if you get the chance.




Day 3

My bro hired out one of these golf buggies they use to travel around the island since there are no cars here. The max speed limit is 20kms/hr and i don't think they can even got that fast! We drove around the island and took heaps of photos. I also booked a 3hr trip for Saturday. It starts with a boat ride to Chalkies beach to go snorkeling and then onto the famous Whitehaven Beach.







Making myself a snack, I managed to get quite close to a cockatoo outside the bungalow - he must have smelt my food and flew down to perch on the railing. Your not supposed to feed the wildlife and so far I've been good but i just couldn't resist this guy. He was so curious and i wanted to take photos so i bribed him with the crust from my sandwich.


Day 4

After another lovely breakfast at Toucan Tango my brother tried out the Wireflyer they have here. Its like hang-gliding only safer and you don't need any experience. He also gave the shooting range a go and to my surprise so did my mum! Shes not a bad shot either. The rest of the day was spent swimming and snorkeling. Can i just say i love snorkeling! Its the best thing to see all this life and colour going on underneath the surface, made me wish i had an underwater camera so i could show you guys what I'm talking about. The best part was this little yellow fish that kept became quite attached to my brother and swam with him everywhere, so cute!




Day 5

OMG! Whitehaven Beach! WOW! White, very, very white and the sand is so fine, the water so clear and blue, i was in heaven. After snorkeling at Chalkies (saw a stingray swim past) we headed over to WB. While there this plane came in and landed right next to us - just a lunch break apparently, sheesh, rich people are so lucky. Its such a beautiful beach and so well taken care of. Tomorrow morning its buh-bye HTI and beautiful blue water as we fly back to Sydney.






VP
Read More