Calm Waters And White Sand Beaches

Australia is blessed with so much great beaches and clean waters that it is often hard to choose which beach to go to. One thing that is common with the beaches here in Australia is the huge waves that a lot of surfers enjoy. Having a calm, quiet swim is something of a novelty with Australian beaches (as are those beaches that don’t have jellyfish – or stingers, as they call it here in Australia – or crocodiles) .

In saying that, I’m sure there are still a number of nice bays and lagoons that have calm waters where people can swim in, and it is something I would endeavour to look for. One such area that offers that is Port Stephens in New South Wales. Port Stephens is only a 3 hour drive north of Sydney along the Pacific Highway, and is close to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley region. One interesting fact that got me confused with Port Stephens was that I thought Port Stephens was a town. I soon discovered that Port Stephens is an area or region with a few towns and villages in it, the biggest one being Nelson Bay!

The myriad of bays and beaches in Port Stephens itself makes for a difficult decision on which one to go for. After surveying the area, a few beaches stood out for me. One particular beach was Shoal Bay. Shoal Bay is a 10-minute drive from Nelson Bay, and is one of those beaches that have calm waters where people can swim in them. What’s great about Shoal Bay is that it has a few restaurants, pub, cafes and shops, yet it is not a crowded and as busy as Nelson Bay. The beach on Shoal Bay is also fantastic, and definitely worth checking out.

Another great beach to check out is Salamander Bay. It has white sand beach and the waters are also calm enough to have a relaxing swim in the sea. Next to Salamander Bay is Soldier’s Point, where you will find a marina full of awesome boats and yachts. On the marina is a restaurant that offers reasonable food and a good view of the sea.

Stockton Sand Dunes

Tin City - stockton sand dunes

One highlight for me when going to Port Stephens is the sand dunes that stretches from Stockton to Anna Bay. The Stockton Sand Dunes stretches to 32 kms along the coast, and goes as far inland as 9km in certain parts. The sand dunes offer a desert-like environment, and is quite unique to this part of Australia. There are sand hills where you can do sandboarding and slide down the slopes of the sand hills. The Stockton Sand Dunes is also one of the film locations for the 1980s movie “Mad Max” starring Mel Gibson. One of the scenes from the movie features the small settlement in the area called Tin City, which was built by a small group of labourers during the Great Depression in the 1930s. The settlement is unique in that no one is allowed to buy any of the properties there or develop anything in the area. All the existing structures have been passed down from generation to generation.

Australian Shark and Ray Centre

On our trip to Port Stephens, we were unfortunate enough to have caught the wet weather. Instead of spending a lot of time by the beach as we initially intended, we merely skimmed and had a look at the beaches and then had to find alternative activities in the area to amuse ourselves. One great place to go, especially if you have kids is the Australian Shark and Ray Centre. At the Australian Shark and Ray Centre, you can hand-feed the sharks and ray inside the huge tanks where they keep them. The sharks and rays have been tamed in that the barbs of the sting rays have been cut off, and the sharks don’t have the huge sharp teeth to bite anyone. If you’re one of those people who are afraid of sharks, this will definitely challenge your fears. It certainly challenged me, and I didn’t think I was up for it, but I did feed those so-called monsters of the sea!

The Pelicans

pelicans

You will notice while going around the beaches that there are a number of pelicans around. They are such cool birds! I love their huge beaks and calm disposition. I thought it is worth noting this, although you will notice along the East Coast of Australia, there are pelicans around in some of the beaches as well.

If the weather were nice to us, we could have enjoyed more of the beach and the calm waters in the area. I would definitely recommend checking out the area especially during the summer when it’s nice and warm.

Here’s to more Fabulous Journeys ahead!

Stockton Dunes Sand Boarding

The Marvelous City

Rio de Janeiro – a city often referred to as “The Marvelous City” (Cidade Maravilhosa)! I was lucky enough to have visited the wonderful South American city and spent my 31st birthday there with my sister and a friend. I arrived in Rio with my 2 travelling companions via bus from Sao Paulo. It was a 6-hour journey from Sao Paulo on the bus. We caught a midnight bus that had seats which nearly reclined all the way down. It was a comfortable, and I was able to sleep nearly all the way through, and only woke up when the bus arrived in Rio.

We got a taxi from the bus terminal in Niteroi to the Sheraton hotel, which was in Leblon, by the beach. Along the way, I began to see how spectacular the city is! The driver went through the Lagoa, which had a great view of the Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue, and drove along the coastline with views of the outlying islands just off the city.. It was amazing to look at, and I immediately fell in love with the city itself!

In Search for The Girl From Ipanema…

I spent the next 3 days exploring the city. I started out with going to the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, just checking out on the whole beach scene. Before getting to Rio, I had this impression of Rio as having a sea of gorgeous looking women strolling down the beach, partly due to the song “The Girl From Ipanema” … I must have arrived during their quiet period, as I hardly saw any eye-candy there.. There were some, but not as I anticipated it would be.. (and there are the “did-not-pass-the-mark” ones which I shall leave at that..) I think the girls would have had more eye-candy than I did..

The beach itself though was nice and long and very clean.. There were a few people renting out parasols and beach mats for sunbathing, and there were also a few stalls along the beach that sells snacks and drinks.. It was very relaxing just chilling out and basking in the sun, and watching the locals play beach soccer (the Brazilians absolutely love their soccer – a.k.a. football), and then watch people go by and enjoying the beach.

Sugar Loaf

One of the highlights for me was a trip to Sugar Loaf mountain (known as Pao de Açucar in Portuguese). We took the cable car from the bottom carpark to the top. The views were just spectacular! You can see the beaches of Botafogo, Copacabana, and on the other side of the harbour, Niteroi. You can see the very long Niteroi bridge, and on the other end, Christ the Redeemer statue. You can also see the domestic airport, which has quite a short runway, and is surprisingly really close to the city (unlike in most major cities around the world).. The one thing that makes Rio interesting is the amount of fog that can cover up the mountains around city from time to time.. When we got to the top of Sugar Loaf, it was perfectly clear. But, 20 minutes later, we started seeing the clouds and the fog creeping in, blanketing the fabulous vista from the top… Lucky we made our way there when the sky was clear! You really have to seize the moment to get a perfect view.. Which leads me to our next destination in the fabulous city, ….

Christ The Redeemer statue, one of the 7 New Wonders

The icon of Rio de Janeiro -  this statue appears nearly in every postcard and every photo of Rio de Janeiro. The Christ the Redeemer statue sits on top of the Corcovado mountain, in the midst of the Tijuca National Park, and overlooks the city of Rio. To get there from Copacabana or downtown Rio, you can take the cog train from Cosme Velho, or the easiest way I reckon, is to hire a taxi all the way to the bottom carpark of the National Park and make him wait for you to finish at the top and take you back down to the city. From the bottom carpark, there are frequent buses that would take you to the statue itself.

The first time we decided to go there, it was a sunny afternoon in the city, and it didn’t look very cloudy. As our taxi made its way to the top, we noticed that the clouds were creeping in. We got to the Doña Marta viewpoint, and it looked clear at that stage. When we arrived at the top, that’s when the full extent of the fog happened! We could not even see the Christ the Redeemer statue itself, even if we’re already right there!

We went back the next day, this time we made sure that it was clear enough, and we could see the statue. This time, we went up in the morning instead of the afternoon, as I think there seems to be better chances of the fog clearing up around mid-day, and coming back in the afternoon. We finally got to see the statue itself in its full form, and views of the city was spectacular! You can see the Sugar Loaf mountain, Ipanema, The Lagoa, the Maracana football stadium (where the best football matches in the continent are played).. Just simply awesome!

A Birthday treat like no other…

The best thing I did in Rio was to take a helicopter flight over the city and see it in its full glory! I decided to do this on my birthday, which happen to fall on the time we were doing our South America tour. It was my first time to be on a helicopter, so it was so exciting for me to be on it! What an unbelievable sight to see! The pilot hovered over the Christ the Redeemer statue, and the scene was just mind-blowing! If you’re into photography, you have to fly above the city to fully relish the spectacular nature of Rio de Janeiro. It’s probably the best birthday treat I’ve given myself in years!

Rio de Janeiro is a fabulous city, despite all you hear about the poverty and crime around it. Yes it is obvious, but there is also the bright part of the city, the magic that attracts people from all over the world to this magnificent setting that is called “The Marvelous City”.

Til the next journey…