One of the more intriguing pieces of art in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct is Cow Up a Tree, a sculpture by artist John Kelly. The cow was originally created for a sculpture exhibition in Paris on the iconic Champs-Élysées to celebrate the millennium in 2000. In 2003, the Cow Up a Tree sculpture was installed overlooking Victoria Harbour, where it has since become a much-loved icon of Melbourne’s thriving Docklands precinct. Read the rest of this entry »
Catalina is a small island off the coast of Long Beach, California, and its most famous landmark is the magnificent Art Deco Casino that overlooks Avalon Harbor. Built in May 1929 by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., who owned much of the island, the casino was a visionary project designed to showcase the glamour and innovation of its time. Contrary to the name, it was never intended as a gambling venue. Instead, it served as a state-of-the-art theatre for the first “talking movies,” alongside a grand ballroom for lavish social gatherings. Read the rest of this entry »
A bit of a follow-up on the Prora Resort story we covered back in 2008. To recap, the Prora resort was built by the Nazis under Hitler’s Kraft durch Freude (Strength Through Joy) program, designed to provide affordable holidays for 20,000 workers at a time. As part of his propaganda efforts, Hitler used grandiose projects like Prora to rally public support for his regime, showcasing the supposed benefits of his leadership. Read the rest of this entry »
The Petronas Towers in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur held the title of the world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, until Taipei 101 in Taiwan claimed the crown. Measuring 451.9 metres including their antennas, these iconic twin skyscrapers remain among the most recognisable landmarks in the world. Read the rest of this entry »
The Friedrichstadt-Palast is one of Berlin’s most iconic revue theatres, located in the heart of the Mitte district. Originally opened in 1867, the theatre has undergone numerous transformations and rebuilds over the years, reflecting the evolving tastes and demands of entertainment. The current building, completed in 1984, is a modern marvel and a testament to Berlin’s post-war cultural revival. Read the rest of this entry »
The Singapore Zoo is renowned as one of the world’s finest zoos, set within a lush rainforest environment that enhances its reputation as one of Singapore’s top tourist attractions. Known for its innovative open-concept enclosures, the zoo allows visitors to experience wildlife in surroundings that closely mimic natural habitats. Read the rest of this entry »
Motat is a fascinating museum of transport and technology located in Western Springs, a suburb of Auckland. It has an amazing collection of historic vehicles of all types and plenty of heritage and history which will entertain delight and fascinate visitors for hours. The large property is beautifully themed with many heritage style buildings and artefacts to give you a real feeling of what New Zealand was like years ago. There are some incredible vehicles on display from cars, trucks, planes, trains and trams, in-fact the tram is a working exhibit offering trips around the complex and to the nearby annex exhibition which houses many of the aircraft exhibitions. The site was once home to a huge pump which serviced Auckland’s water supply, today this incredible piece of Victorian machinery has been restored and is housed in a beautiful brick building looking more like artwork than a piece of machinery, it is really an incredible sight. Motat also features a historic village with many small cottages all decked out with their heritage fittings and furnishings, they are very interesting and give you a real feel of how people lived years ago.
Well New Zealand is known for its sheep and there’s no better way to get up close to these woolly critters than a visit to Sheepworld. Sheepworld is located about a 40-minute drive through the scenic countryside to the north of Auckland and offers a truly New Zealand farm experience. Not only does Sheepworld have plenty of sheep, they give visitors a wonderful insight into the importance of the New Zealand wool industry, its production, and uses. There are sheep shearing demonstrations, sheepdog shows and plenty of farm animals including sheep, donkeys, goats, calves, pigs to see. There’s even a few emu and pesky possums from Australia on show. The expansive farmland is also a great place to explore and have a picnic, making a real day of it. Don’t forget to bring a few dollars for the great gift shop either, there are some really cool things to buy.
The Auckland Skytower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and stands high above what is a fairly low rise city in comparison to Asia and even Australia. The concrete tower is a pretty impressive structure and can be seen miles before you see the skyline of the city. Standing at 328 metres or 1076 feet in the old scale, the tower offers spectacular views of up to 80 kilometres from the observation decks on a good day. There are several floors, the highest viewing floor is at 200 metres, there’s a restaurant at 194 metres, and another at 190 metres, while the second observation deck is at 186 metres with a sky lounge a floor below. For thrill seekers, the tower offers a heat stopping sky jump where you can leap off the tower and fall at 85 kilometres an hour to the ground. Also for the not so faint-hearted, there is an exterior walk around the tower, this give visitors the chance to walk around a 1.2 metre walkway 192 metres up in the air you would have to be mad, think I will stick with the tasty buffet!
We are celebrating May as New Zealand month. Today we are kicking the festivities off with one of New Zealand’s more unique tourist attractions. It’s grey and bubbly, and it sure does stink. These geo-thermal mud pools are found just outside of Rotorua which is in the centre of the North Island. The area is rich in volcanic activity and there are quite a few of these mud pools, hot springs and spectacular geysers. The boiling mud bubbles away and puts on a pretty interesting show with slops of mud shooting into the sky giving off a very smelly sulphur like smell. Believe it or not the mud is meant to have some pretty good properties for the skin, now don’t touch the mud in the open, as it is likely to be very hot, look out for mud packs and soaps in the tourist shops around Rotorua- you won’t miss it. There are quite a few tourist parks which feature the mud shows, but we have found a free attraction within about half an hour’s drive of the Rotorua CBD. It’s a magnificent drive along the Thermal Explorer Highway to a small township called Waiotapa. There are some mud baths not far from the pub and service station, near Waikite Valley Road. Read more to see map.
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