...And the adventure continues!

Hello world!

I must firstly apologize for the lack of updates on here. It would seem as though a combination of procrastination and utter laziness has had the better of me! Nonetheless I have returned with a mighty update of the adventure to date!

October 2012 - Upon my arrival back into Canada I found myself in the coming to terms with the departure of Summer and the arrival of Fall (Autumn for all of my Australian counterparts). The season turned out fine, it was still pretty reasonable to walk outside and grab a coffee without being too cold. It also turned out to be a month where I met my amazing girlfriend at the punk bar in Oshawa (classy much ha!). We've made a pretty good team her and I - running amok and having fun at the same time!

November 2012 - The weather started to turn colder and I became quite ill adjusting to the weather and getting used to the Canadian cooties. A few colds here and there really knocked me on my backside for a while, but for the most part it was a pretty quiet month. I started looking for work during this month and started on my Microsoft and Cisco studies to get my IT brain working again. 

December 2012 - December saw another quiet month and job hunting was in full swing. I managed to score a few interviews with some recruiting firms however nothing seemed to come through. However, being the persistent and stubborn bloke that I am I powered on and continued the search. Christmas away from home was fun, I spent it with Laura's family which was rather nice. Of course something had to happen and we had a blackout just as we were cooking. Fortunately everything turned out fine - we had the BBQ going and all was well.
I also experienced my first dumping of snow which was very cool!

January 2013 - The new year ushered in a change in which I was able to land a job with the Canadian Diabetes Association. It's quite a similar experience to working at DPW and the folks are real friendly here. Snowfall was pretty heavy during the month and it was quiet again up until I started working.

February 2013 - This month was quite boring. Back at work and there was not much else going on. We had a wild winter storm which came up during the month that shut down most of the Eastern part of the US but we just had large dumping's of snow. We also had Family Day in which Laura and I headed up to the Cottage and played Ice Golf! What an amazing game! The idea of walking around on a frozen lake, drinking beer and playing golf is hilarious. And fun!

March 2013 - Once again another quiet month as work takes up most of my time. Laura and I have started planning our combined adventures now - the first being a trip back to Australia in 2014. We'll be arriving in April and having a 3 week stint in New South Wales and Queensland. 

So that's about it for the last few months. Nothing overly exciting has been happening and there hasn't been too much adventuring happening. As much as winter is cold down here, it really can only be appreciated if you're out on the ice or out on the slopes.

I'll try and update this more frequently now as Spring is almost upon us in Toronto. That can only mean BBQ's, Beer and party time!

So until then - peace, love and understanding.

Cheers!

~Matty

An Adventure in England - Week 3

G'day again! Here's the final instalment of my awesome adventure in England! Let's get into the thick of things;

 Day 16 - Sunday 30th of September - Woke this morning feeling somewhat better than the day before. Had a bit of a lay in this morning no breakfast as we were heading off to The Halfway House east of Southend for an awesome carvery. I ended up going for a large portion again (who's going to say no to extra carvery?!). I also indulged in a nice pint of Guinness too. After the awesome feed we made our way back to Andy's for the afternoon indulged in a few more drinks and watched some TV and a film. A much needed break after the last trip into London.

Day 17 - 1st of October - Today was another very relaxed day. I had the opportunity to head into Leicester Square for a few drinks but to be quite honest, I was pretty exhausted from the trips into London. It just means next time I'm in the UK (T-Minus 8 months) I'll have a lot more to explore such as the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, West End etc. Anyway, I think I rolled out of bed at about one in the afternoon and pretty much did sweet bugger all. A good day just spent listening to music and chilling out. Isn't that what holidays are all about?

Day 18 - 2nd of October - Andy first day of vacation started today so we headed down to the Alex for a brilliant brunch that cost 4.50p! Massive breakfast too with a nice spot of tea on the side. We headed our

King of the World!

 way to Basildon for some rock climbing. I went up first and unfortunately had 

Buggered after Rock Climbing

my first experience of vertigo. I came down had a bottle of water and then went up on round 2 - made it to the top. Not sure why I had it - maybe it's because I hadn't done if for such a long time (I think that is going back 15 years now). Anyway so we were there for a good couple of hours trying our hand at the harder climbs. My forearms were absolutely drained by the end of this but hey - it was all good fun. Taking if up as part of my fitness routine when I'm back in Canada! After this we headed back down to Southend for a nice hot cup of tea and watched some TV. Tonight we cooked up an amazing vegetarian pasta dish and topped it off with a nice bottle of Merlot - tidy.

Day 19 - 3rd of October - Today we headed up to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford which is located 

At IWM Duxford

just to the south of Cambridge. The weather was reasonably cool today however I ventured out in just jeans and a tee shirt (I wonder why I kept getting strange looks). We stopped on the way north to grab a bite to eat before we made it into Duxford. The airbase is quite a massive complex with 7 hangers and a myriad of other buildings. We started our visit in the first hanger known as the AirSpace museum. Located in here is an introduction into the history of flight and also the history of British and Commonwealth aviation. There were a lot of exhibits for children and adults to play with that showed how surfaces on an aircraft work, the effect of lift and drag etc. While wandering around there was a cockpit of a Hawker Typhoon. It's amazing to see the engineering involved just for the pilot to control a plane. At the top of the hanger you can gaze over all the aircraft that are on static display in the hanger too. A few notable planes were the Avro Lancaster, the Concorde, Avro Vulcan, Spitfire and the 

Avro Lancaster

Tornado. We made our way around to the bottom of the hanger to get up close with the aircraft. We checked out a commercial aircraft from the 1950's - wow talk about leg room back then! We then made our way inside the Concorde. It really is an exceptional aircraft - the cockpit was rather small and the front window must have been pretty difficult to look out of especially when the plane was on the ground. There were stations for all the engineers, radio operators and navigator on the aircraft. Towards the back was the passenger's area and even then there was still a fair amount of leg room in the aircraft. We 

Avro Lancaster Tail Gun

finished off at the aft of the aircraft and was able to see the four massive power plants that sent this plane skywards. Simply amazing technology.
After the commercial aircraft I made my way to the tail gun position of the Lancaster. I've read a book called Tail-End Charlies which is about the experiences of being a tail gunner in world war II. It would have been a very cold and lonely experience out the back there, as most of the other positions on the aircraft were to the stern of the aircraft. We then made our way under the massive Avro Vulcan which was the British high altitude nuclear bomber. It saw service in the Falklands war in 1982 in which it dropped conventional bombs on Port Stanley Airfield. It is a massive aircraft with the bomb bay large enough to fit at least 2 cars. Simply massive. After this I checked out a 

Supermarine Spitfire

Spitfire and once again they are always an amazing plane to get up close and personal with. We made our way around past several other aircraft and came across the Rolls Royce engine used to power commercial aircraft such as the A380- It was massive. It was twice the height of me and was simply awe inspiring. I then had the opportunity to see the current strike fighter used by the RAF in Afghanistan the Tornado. Quite an impressive fighter / bomber with sweeping wings. It was a very cool sight to see. We made our way to the exit and 

A380 Engine

checked out Richard Branson's capsule that he used to fly across the Atlantic in a balloon. It was very cramped in there and once again an amazing example of brilliant technology can be used in adventuring.
We then made our way to the second hanger which housed the current flying aircraft that Duxford is famous for. On the way I had the childhood dream come true to have my photo taken next to the B-17 used in the Memphis Belle film. It was amazing to see the B-17. Such a beautiful and sleek bomber! One side is still painted in the livery of the film while the other side has the original nose art of the Sally B. The plane was actually converted from a 

Panivia Tornado

G to an F model for the film (the chin turret was removed and additional guns were placed next to the bombardier and navigators positions in the nose). We also say the Consolidated Catalina used for patrol missions in the pacific theatre and also the German Transporter - the Junkers J-55. Inside the hanger itself was a massive collection of Spitfires, a Grumman Hellcat, several Hawker Hurricanes, another Lancaster, a F-86 Sabre, an Me-109, a P-40 Kittyhawk, a couple of P-49 Mustangs and a Corsair. Unfortunately most of the hanger was closed off but it was still cool to see these aircraft in the flesh. 
Before we made our way to the Air and Sea hanger I treated myself to a four pound motion simulator (yes, I am still a big kid). The simulator contained combat footage of 2 Me-109's taking on 2 Spitfires. The sensation reminded me of my aerobatics flight I did on my birthday a few years ago. It lasted for a good 8 minutes with one Spitfire and the Me-109 being knocked out of action. It was very fun! 
We made our way into the Air and Sea hanger which had a few static displays of aircraft used in sea operations. They included the Hawker Sea Faerie, Swordfish (a Bi-plane that was used to inflict massive losses to the Italian Naval fleet at Taranto), the Hawker Sea Hawk, Hawker-Siddeley Buccaneer and a Vampire. We also checked out a piece of the iron curtain used to protect the German Battle cruiser "Tipetz" Which was sunk in Norway. There was a midget submarine also on display and a MTB 71 (PT Boat).
Next we made our way to the Battle of Britain Hanger which was home to a few Spitfires, Hurricanes and some German aircraft and remains. There was an Me-109 and the tail section of the Heinkel 111 that was found in farmland. The exhibitions also included information on what it was like during the Blitz, and what wartime London was like. Towards the back of the hanger there was a section dedicated to the Cold War which included a few static displays of SAM batteries, a F-4 Phantom, Gloster Meteor and another Vampire on display. 
The next hanger was the conservation hanger which housed the current restoration projects that are being 

SR-71 Blackbird

undertaken at IWM Duxford. There was the shell of a Japanese Zero with extensive battle damage and rust, a Hawker Harrier, a Swordfish, a Heinkel 111, the nose of a Lancaster and the tail gun from a Vickers Wellington. Everything was static and the planes which when restored would be housed in the other hangers.
We decided to skip the 1940 operations room exhibition as I have seen these in Dover before. We made our way to the American Air Museum. On the way was the static display of a F-15 Eagle! What an awesome sight! Upon entering the hanger you are instantly awe stuck with the sight of the B-52 Stratofortress! That thing is HUGE! It is the centrepiece of the museum and rightly so. We made our way down to the floor and checked out the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. I remember being a kid remembering how massive this thing would have been and actually it's not as big as you think it is! It was still a very cool sight to see. We made our way to 

Next to the B-52

the B-29 Superfortress that was on display and checked out the nose section. The Nordon Bombsight was still mounted in the aircraft which and it's an impressive aircraft to stand next too as well. We made our way under the wing of the B-52 and I had my photo taken next to the nose - it simply towers over you. We made our way around and checked out the other B-17 that was on display, however it was still undergoing some restoration work. I also had the opportunity to get up close with the Ball Turret used in the B-24 Liberator that

The Sperry Ball Turret

 was on display too! What a cramped location to fight a war. It definitely would have been a cool place to fight though - sitting under the aircraft you have a complete 180 degree view on the world! We checked out several other aircraft including the F-111 that has recently been retired in the RAAF and a few other aircraft that were hanging from the ceiling. Notable planes where the Curtiss and the U2 

Memphis Belle and I

Bomber. 
We made our way to the last hanger which was the land warfare hanger which housed the a collection of artillery pieces and tanks. I am not very big on land warfare however it was cool to see the following on static display - there was a German Panzer IV tank which was mainstay of the Panzer Battalions in World War II. There was also a Flak 88 artillery piece on the floor which was probably one of the best multi purpose weapons developed by the Germans. There was also a Tiger I on display which

Sally B / Memphis Belle

 was used in the film Saving Private Ryan. Also on display was a Russian T-34 which was used to destroy the Panzer Battalions at the Battle of Kirsk. Finally a Sherman M-4 was on display. A few other tanks were on display from the ages however their names escape me right now.
We made our way back towards the exit but not before stopping off to take a few more photos of the Memphis Belle on display. 
With everyone exhausted we made our way back to Southend where we went out to Cricketers for dinner. We all had an awesome Thai feed which was the best Thai I've ever tried. I had roasted duck which was just divine. Chris and Jen then joined us for a few beers before we called it a night! What an amazing day. 

Day 20 - 4th of October - Today I lacked any amount of energy. I was supposed to head up north to Colchester however I opted for a relaxing day in Southend. Ended up heading out for lunch at the Alex before sending off some postcards and then chilling at home. Not much else happened I ended up having an early night to recharge the batteries.

Carvery!

Day 21 - 5th of October - My last day in the UK... Today I made my way up north to Billericay on the train then Chris, Jen and myself headed off to the secret (well not so secret any more  Cold War bunker. The bunker itself was set on a farm which you could have blinked and missed if it you were not looking for it. The bunker itself was set 3 floors below ground, encased in lead and reinforced concrete. The audio tour took us around the facility which would have been used in the case of an Atom Bomb or Hydrogen Bomb being unleashed on London. It was quite scary to think that this facility was still in use up until 1994 and can be re used if necessary. The bunker itself can hold up to 300 people from memory for up to 3 months. There was all sorts of facilities in the bunker including medical rooms, radio rooms, accommodation and bathing facilities. The complex had continuous filtered air and the temperature and humidity was constantly kept level. The most scariest thing about the bunker was the laws that could be used by police and military if a bomb was to be unleashed - and they included being able to execute people due to radiation poisoning as a means to end suffering. To think that the English had this you can only imagine what other countries like the US have. We finished up the tour and made our way down to Billericay for a few pints at the White Hart before making our way to Basildon for a carvery dinner (yes another!). I opted for the King Size portion again and

 stuffed myself silly. We then went to the arcade for a drink, some pool and 2p machines before I headed back down to Southend to have a few drinks down at the Alex with Andy and Emma. Was not a very late night but all in all was a fun night out!

Day 22 - 6th of October - Headed out for breakfast this morning with Chris, Jen, Emma and Andy at the Alex. Indulged in the mega breakfast again and then we made our way to Heathrow. Said our goodbyes and reminded them that 8 months I'll be back for round two! Made my way through check-in and security with no problems before I made my way to the departure gate. My flight was pretty ordinary to say the least, a very rude family in front of us with a screaming child, but the couple next to me were nice enough. Ended up drinking red wine with them until we landed - very fun! Oh and I finished The Grey Knights omnibus! Awesome read. Unfortunately the rest of the adventure turned out to be pretty sour but I wont go into that. Let's just say I am already considering a move else where!
So there you have it! I had such an amazing experience in the UK and I can't wait until I go back. That is three weeks of my life that I'll never forget! Now it's back to reality to find a job and start saving for the next 4 months of travelling. I plan on heading down to the US in the coming weeks so stay tuned for another update.
Until next time - Hooroo!

~Matty

An Adventure in England - Week 2

G'day again from merry ol' England! It's been another amazing week over here in England. The weather has been getting cooler but at the same time it's been pretty amazing. Anyway let's get into the thick of this!

English Beer Garden

Day 8 - Saturday 22nd of September - Woke this morning to another chilled out day. After the epic carvery dinner we had the night before we pretty much decided that we would relax around the house. Watched a bit of TV before we decided to head up to Stock to check out Chris and Jen's favourite pub - the Bear. It's a neat little pub with a pond in which some cool ducks are just paddling around doing their thing. It was lush sitting out in the sun while we sunk a few beers. Headed back home and chilled out for the rest of the evening.

Day 9 - Sunday 23rd of September - Ahhh another lazy Sunday morning. I indulged in my normal morning cup of tea (note to self: must find some PG Tips when I get back to Canada...) before we started to get ready to watch the Manchester United v Liverpool game. Fortunately United one this time and it was a pretty good game. We then headed down to the Red Lion (weather was horrible) for a few pints before a few of Chris and Jen's friends turned up for a curry. I had myself an awesome mixed tandoori grill while everyone had the usual chicken tikka masala or korma's. After dinner we went back to the Red Lion to sink a few more beers before we all decided to call it a night. Made our way back home as it was an early start for me the next morning. All in all was a great night - good friends, good food and good drink! No need to say anything more!

Day 10 - Monday 24th of September - Today I made my way up to Birmingham! Caught the bus from Billericay and made our way very slowly up towards the west midlands. Allow me to say this - while I don't mind coach travel as it is sometimes a cheaper alternative to trains or flying... sometimes it's just quicker and easier to just pay the extra 20 quid and get there quicker. 6 hours on a coach with uncomfortable seats is not my idea of fun! Anyway enough of me indulging in having a moan! Made my way to Birmingham to meet up with an old Final Fantasy XI buddy. Made our way across town pass the bull ring and Queen Victoria Square before heading up to Weoley Castle. Met Mat's family, indulged in a few beers before we made our way down to his local for a few beers. Of course being a Monday evening it was University Student night and every pub had a quiz. We ended up going to the Goose and chilled about drinking and listened in on the quiz - funnily enough one of the questions was "Newcastle is located in which Australian State?" In which I promptly yelled out across the bar "Ask me I'm Australian!" I got a few laughs gave the answer away to the table near us! Fun times. After our beers we went back home, played some video games before we I decided it was high time I got some sleep!

New Birmingham Library

Victoria Square - Council Chambers

Day 11 - Tuesday 25th of September - Unfortunately today's weather really didn't permit us to do anything all too dramatic or exciting. We started off with an awesome breakfast before we decided to head back into Birmingham to check out the city. Our first stop was obviously a pub in which we indulged in a pint before we made our way into town. We checked out some cool architecture around the place, the war memorial was a cool sight and we went back to Queen Victoria Square. There is some cool architecture there and the the alleys are cool - very Victorian era. We went back to the bull ring again and checked out some of the shops and grabbed a bite to eat before heading back out for another pint on the way home because the weather was ordinary. We made it home and stopped off at the off license for another 10 pack of Carlsburg. The rest of the afternoon / evening was video games and beer like proper nerds! All in all was a great time which we topped it off by watching Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete. Fun times!
Day 12 - Wednesday 26th of September - Today it was time to say goodbye to Mat and his family and make my way back to Billericay. Was awesome seeing him and spending time up there. Next time I'm over we'll need to arrange an epic gathering of all the fellas to celebrate the good times of old. Made our way back down to the bus stop and said hooroo before making the 6 hour trip back to Billericay. It was interesting to note on the way back through this time we saw a lot more of Cambridge this time. It's a very nice city and I could only imagine what it would be like to go to University there. It's definitely a place I'd like to check out again on my next adventure north.
We made our way back to Billericay where I was met by Chris and Jen. Headed back home and then I grabbed a chippy (Haddock and Chips) and watched the football - United had a win in the League Cup over Newcastle which was all good. Night ended with some more TV before going to bed.

Day 13 - Thursday 27th of September - Today we made our way back to Southend-on-the-Sea so I could stay with another mate Andy for the rest of my adventure. I got to indulge my gambling addiction to the 2p machines (yes they are addictive.... in the fun sense!). We had Wimpey's for lunch before we checked out the beach, went for a drive to Leigh-on-sea and then headed off to a little pub and had a beer before Andy got back from Portsmouth. We met up with Andy and then headed off to Emma's before making our way to the Alex for some pub food and a few pints. Quiet night but fun at the same time!

Day 14 - Friday 28th of September - London again today! Had a chat with Andy's housemate Dan in the morning and had one of his awesome cups of coffee. I bought my all day travel card for London - it came in at a ridiculous 20 pound 70p. Anyway made my way to Fenchurch Street then caught the tube up to Liverpool Street to meet Neil. Ended up finding a cool pub around Liverpool Street and just sat around and chatted. Walked to another pub with the wonderful rainy weather of London and indulged in a bite to eat - I had myself an awesome steak with chips, mushroom and salad. Yum! I had to make my way back to Southend as we were heading out to the Alex again for another drinking session. Had an awesome vegetable lasagna before we headed down to the Alex to meet some more of Andy and Emma's friends. Had myself even more beers before last drinks were called and made my way home. What a great night!

Canary Wharf

Inside O2 Arena

Outside of O2 Arena

Day 15 - Saturday 29th of September - Not the greatest morning in the world - woke up feeling pretty ordinary after last nights drinks. Andy and Emma were in about the same state as well. We ended up making our way back to London again. We caught the train the Limehouse then walked to Canary Wharf. Caught the river cat to O2 Arena and checked out the inside - it's pretty neat! After that we were going to take a cable car across the Thames however the line up was ridiculous so we legged it to the underground and caught the tube north to Camden Town. It's a really cool alternative part of London - lot's of markets and food stalls. It's where a lot of the punks hang out and all sorts of cultures. I had a cool time looking around. One shop caught my eye was Cyberdog which was all cyber-pubk styled clothing - very neat! Almost bought a shirt but at 27 pounds it was a bit rich for just a shirt. We had some lunch (I had my Japanese fix) before we kept looking around. We ended up making our way back to Southend and cooked up a delicious Mexican dinner which we were going to indulge in board games, drinks and dvd's however everyone was too wrecked to do anything! The night ended quietly and all in all it was another awesome day in London. 

Cyberdog in Camden

Camden Town art

So there you have it! Week 2 completed and only 1 week left in this amazing country. This coming week sees us head to Stonehenge, Duxford and probably London again to do the Eye and also check out St. Pauls Cathedral. Possibly some other random adventures in the mix too. That's it until next time! Stay tuned for week 3!

~Matty

An Adventure in England - Week 1

Greetings from England! I figured it would be easier to write about my three week adventure in three different posts. Doesn't that make me a an awesome guy?! Ha! Anyway so let's get into the thick of this!

Day 1 - Saturday the 15th of September - I awoke to a 4am start this morning as I had to make my way out to Pearson International Airport for the flight to London. I made it to the airport on time, however, the issue with the airport in general is that there is no real indication where you are supposed to check in. After wasting a good 30 minutes trying to print out my bag tags and tickets and standing in the International / Domestic queue (yes for flights to USA) I made my way to the right area and got sorted. Security was as just as stringent, I think either my necklace or shorts kept beeping so I had to go through the full body scanner. I didn't really care to be honest I just wanted to get through. Anyway, after that I made my way down towards the gate, checked out the Duty free shopping... very pro North American products. Anyway I didn't need to grab anything on the way over so I walked down to a cafe and had breakfast whilst watching the AFL Collingwood vs West Coast game. Lasted until the 4th Quarter before I had to go wait by the gate to board. The flight was full, but fortunately for me I was at the back of the plane on the 2nd last row in the middle with an isle seat. It was perfect for me and I had the USB charger on there too so I ended up just plugging the phone in and started to read. The in-flight films were not too bad too - I ended up watching The Avengers (again) and a bit of Tropic Thunder in between reading my book. The flight was only 7 hours and the food wasn't that bad. Upon arrival into the UK, the border security took well over 1 hour and 30 minutes.... Lucky I had a fully charged phone! Music was on the cards all the way. Anyway I finally made it through boarder security, collected my bag and was greeted by Chris and Jen with a sign! We made our way from the airport to Billericay, had some McDonalds on the way and when we got home I met Mary, the puppies and we ended up crashing for the night!

Hadleigh Castle

Fosters!

Day 2 - Sunday the 16th of September - This day was started with a nice hot cup of tea before we made our way around Billericay to get some odds and ends. We checked out Billericay's latest shop on High Street called Poundland where yes everything is only a pound. For example, you can get 3 cans of Dr. Pepper for 1 Pound! It's pretty crazy. After that we made our way to ASDA which is an offshoot of Walmart back in North America. After we had checked out the shops we were on our way for some lunch. We headed over to the Quays to enjoy my first English pub fayre! I had a foster - yes fosters and it wasn't a bad drop truth be told and I also had Toad in the Hole (sausages, mash potato in a Yorkshire pudding with HP sauce). It was massive! I managed to get about half way through the feast before I was completely stuffed silly. We rolled our way down towards the lake outside of the pub to watch some crazy people go wake boarding on a raised pulley system. Talk about crazy - it was pretty cool that day and they were in the water. Anyway, after this we made our way down to Southend-on-the-sea. We checked out Adventure Land which is an amusement park before we went into the arcades and tried out go on the 2p machines. They are seriously addictive but so much fun in the process. We walked up and down the "beach" before making our way to my first castle experience! We made our way to Hadleigh Castle in the afternoon which is  now only ruins. The castle would have been very impressive back in its day, however all that is left is the north wall and the south tower. We took plenty of photo's and took in the scenery before we made our way home to chill out with some TV before going to bed.

Cliffs of Dover

 Day 3 - Monday the 17th of September - Today we made way to Dover Castle! The drive to Dover took about an hour. We found a park and made our way to the admission booth and bought our tickets. Entrance to the castle was 16 quid which was pretty good considering we were there for well over 5 hours! Anyway, we made our way firstly up to the oldest structure on the site which was the Roman Castle that dates back to the 1st century AD. We took some photos of it before we then checked out the Church of St. Mary in Castro. It's an awesome church with old heraldry that has served the castle and community for centuries. There is a board at the back of the castle which dates back to the 12th century. After this we made our way into the castle to check out Arthur's Hall which gave an interesting insight into the construction of the castle and the Kings that ruled during the time of its construction. We then checked out the Queens Royal Regiment on site and checked some awesome memorabilia from ages past. There was some very interesting World War II collections in the building too. After this we made our way inside the Castle Keep. It was a massive structure. We started out in the kitchen after the main entrance before we made our way up the spiral staircase towards the Feasting Hall of the King. After this we entered a resting chamber probably for Princes or servants of the King. After this we continued to climb to the top of the tower to take in some breathtaking scenery of Dover and the castle itself. Simply amazing. After this we checked out the Kings bed chamber before making our way back outside again. It's architecture is amazing. How they built this all those years ago still blows my mind away. Once we checked out the keep we made our way outside the keep walls and checked out the medieval tunnels towards the front of the keep. It was very cool going underground and checking out some of the underground tunnels. To think that people would have had to protect the castle there is crazy.

Dover Castle

 We also checked out some sally ports which are defences for the front of the keep. After this we went down to grab a bite to eat before doing the two World War 2 tunnel tours. The first tour took us to into the tunnels where Operation Dynamo was orchestrated which is the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk. The casemates were massive and constructed by the Royal Engineers all by pick axe. Its interesting to note that Hitler said that the castle was never to be hit. He knew the tunnels were there and he would have liked to use it as a forward base once Operation Sealion (invasion of England from Nazi Germany) was in effect. After this tour we made our way to the hospital tour which was a sight and sound tour. The smells of the tunnel was crazy. It was realistic and the tour gave an insight into how those doctors and nurses lived underground for all those days and nights and operating in conditions that by today's standards would have been considered medieval. We then made our way around the rest of the castle, checking out the battlement walks, taking photos of the white cliffs of Dover before making our way home.
On the way home we stopped in at Bluewater which is a massive shopping centre in Kent, one shop wanted to charge me 17 pound for a US to UK power converted. We settled with M&S and I scored one for 6 pounds. We made our way home, sore, tired and weary and ended up crashing.

Day 4 - Tuesday the 18th of September - A well deserved break!! Today we didn't get out of bed until very late! We made our way to Wimpey's for burgers and chips for lunch which was well lush. We checked out the Billericay museum which gave an insight into Billiercay and its surroundings. It was a very quiet day to be honest which ended with a few pints at the White Hart to watch Real Madrid beat Manchester City in the Champions League.

Royal Guard

Day 5 - Wednesday the 19th of September - Today we made our way into London! We walked down High Street to the Billericay Railway station and caught the train to Liverpool Street. I then had my first experience of the tube and we made our way from Liverpool street to Tower Hill. As soon as you exit the station you are greeted by the mighty Tower of London! It's simply amazing - inside a massive city you have this huge medieval fortress! Simply awesome. We made our way around the tower and got a tickets and entered the site. The start of our adventure took us inside one of the smaller towers which gave us an insight into the living quarters of the King. There was some interesting exhibits about how people lived, what the bedding and linen was like back in the 1100's. The next tower took us to a throne and also there was a slab where King Henry VI died. We checked out some other interesting articles of plates, coins and other day to day utensils used during the time of the Tudors and Stuarts. After this we made our way up into a battalion tower in which we tried on a medieval pikeman's helmet, checked out the standard issue heavy crossbow and bolt before making our way through to one of the last towers which housed some of the old crown's of kings. It's interesting to note that most of the jewels were cannibalised by the successor in order to make a new crown.
Once we made our way back down to the ground floor we checked out the exhibition of the Crown Jewels. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed in the last two places, however it was still amazing to see them with your eyes. The crowns, sceptres, orbs and relics were so intricate and amazing. We checked out everything that survived the England Civil War and once the Monarchy was re-established with Charles II. Queen Elizabeth's coronation was shown on big screen TV's and her crown and jewels were awesome. Simply amazing.
Once we finished this we entered the museum of the Royal Fusiliers. I got a few souvenir coins and checked out the WW2 memorabilia. I also tried on a combat helmet (with the dreadlocks I don't really thin I'll be making the cut for the army!) and also the combat pack which was about 60-80 pounds. Checked out the medals received by the British Army and the men who have received the Victoria Cross.

Tower Bridge

We had a bite to eat inside the cafe - I had Salmon and chips - my god it was delicious! After this we made our way off to the main keep which the exhibition stored the amour of the kings! We checked out King Henry VIII's amour before and after he gained weight. We then proceeded through and checked out the armour of the houses of the Tudor's and Stuarts. We also checked out some current armour of the House of Windsor (current royal family). Making our way up stairs we checked out some gifts to the Kings of old from other nations including an awesome suit of Samurai amour from Japan. The tour continued up stairs which showed more suits of amour including the worlds smallest and tallest suits of armour. We finished off the tour down stairs and made our way outside for some photo's along the river Thames and then we made our way to Tower Bridge.
We walked both sides of the Bridge before we proceeded to do the Bridge tour which takes you to the top of the structure that provides some amazing photo opportunities of London. We made our way down stairs in time to view the raising of the Bridge. It was one of the highlights of the trip - London is generally very busy and noisy however when the bridge raised the whole city went silent. It was really eerie but it was cool see. We made our way down into the massive pump rooms that uses hydraulics and steam to move the bridge up and down in the old days. Now it's all performed by electricity. Once we finished the tour I shot through a video post card to the old folks before we made our way back up to the tube towards Westminster. We checked out the London Eye 

Big Ben

and House of Lords and Big Ben - we got to hear Big Ben chime at 5pm too! Another highlight! After this we made our way down to Westminster Abbey before we decided it was high time for a break at a pub. We had a pint and kicked up our heels for a good 30 minutes before we made our way to Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace

 The palace itself looks smaller than it does on the TV but it's still a huge structure. We took some photo's but we missed the change of the guard. We then made our way back to tower hill to check out Tower of London and the Tower Bridge light up at night. That provided another amazing opportunity for some photos. Tired, sore and very weary we made our way back to Liverpool street before heading back to Billericay in which we stopped for a beer at the White Hart to watch one of Chris's friends play in a band. Two pints later and I was dead to the world. This was such an awesome day - I can see myself living in England now!

Tower Bridge at Night

Day 6 - Thursday the 20th of September - Another well deserved break today! Today we made our way to Hainault Forest where there was a free farm to check out. Really good idea for kids as there are lot's of normal farm animals there for kids to check out. Horses, chickens, geese, donkeys, cows, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and of course sheep. We had lunch at the cafe down the road before we headed off to Chris's sisters place for pizza, beer and Buzz! We finished up the night by chilling out at home before going to bed.

Day 7 - Friday the 21st of September - Today we headed off to Tilbury Fort. This old fort was first constructed when King Henry the VIII was alive in order to protect the Thames and London. It is a formidable structure that when it was first constructed was built right on the river. Now it is quite desolate but there are still some structures that remain. The main gate called the Water Gate was upgraded by Charles the II and since then it has been upgraded over the years. We checked out the bastion and the swamp to the rear of the fort before making our way to the casemates where the gunpowder would have been stored. We also checked out the living quarters of the Officers. Inside here was an exhibition of WW1 and WW2 memorabilia. I got to finally see a Sten 9mm Sub Machine Gun which was pretty cool. After we finished with the fort we made our way Wat Tyler Parklands. This the site of a few traditional cottages and an exhibition hall. We had more fun playing on the play park - trying to hurt ourselves doing stupid stuff on the flying fox, the hamster wheel, some spinning wheel thing and of course the massive slide! We were completely worn out after this as we are so unfit! But hell it was fun to be a kid again!
We made our way home and then we headed out for proper English feed - a Carvery! We stopped in at Toby Carvery and I had myself a King Sized portion of the following; Roast Gammon, Pork, Beef and Turkey, Yorkshire Pudding, Stuffing, Cauliflower Cheese, Peas, Potatoes and Gravy. It was absolutely amazing! I demolished the whole plate and ended up having a Honeycomb Sundae for desert - talk about food coma after it! We came home to chill out before heading to bed.

So there you have my first week in the UK. It's been a full on week. Next week takes us north to Birmingham and south to Southend-on-the-Sea. Stay tuned for next weeks post! Hope you have enjoyed the adventure so far because I sure have!
Until next time!

~Matty

A well overdue update!

Hi there folks! Well allow me to apologize for starters I've been somewhat slack in the blogging department now for the last few months I don't really have an excuse to be quite honest - I've just been on the chill out holiday mode. I haven't really done any other exploration or trips since my last update however, I do have some information which is news worthy and worth the effort to blog about!
So anyway before I get into this, close your eyes for a moment and picture this. I'm sitting out the back on hard wood deck, there is a cool breeze lingering in the air. Its 5:30 in the afternoon, the sun is still shining brightly and I have tree that is beaming warm light in and out as the breeze strengthens then wanes. It's sitting roughly at about 25C and I have some amazing post-rock playing through the speakers and to top it off, I have fresh cold beer by my side. Now with that out of the way (yes sorry but it just well lush not lap it up) let's get into the thick of things.
As I've said earlier I haven't done any further exploration as I'm saving that for the UK. I leave on Saturday to catch up Chris and Jen and some other friends over the course of 3 weeks. So be prepared for a massive blog when I'm either over there or when I get back from the UK.
So as for other adventures, I caught up with Peter Loh from DPW while he was on his latest walkabout adventured through North America. We met up down at Union station and proceeded to do an old fashioned pub crawl around Toronto. We started the afternoon at the Irish Embassy on Yonge street in which I indulged in some very delicious Guinness while Pete got stuck into some of the local brews (Steam Whistle was one I believe).
After a few pints here we made our way through the Financial District to Jack Astors on Universty Ave. We stayed for another pint and had a few photos and just talked about work and just the usual small talk and experiences we have both been having.
We made our way to the last bar of the evening called "Crocodile Rock". We went up stairs to the patio and indulged in a few more beers before Pete had to take off. Was awesome being able to see a familiar face when you're on the other side of the world. So I'm really looking forward to seeing Chris and Jen in 2 days time!
In other news I went and saw one of my favourite bands - Mono. For those that don't know they are a 4 piece Japanese Post-Rock band. I've been listening to their music for quite a while and having missed seeing them play twice (in New Zealand with JAKOB and in Brisbane) I got the opportunity to see them at one Toronto's most famous music bars - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. It was a very intimate show, at a guess I would say there would have been probably 80 people in attendance so it was really cool. The set list was awesome too - focusing on their new album "For my Parents" and their previous offering "Hymn to the Immortal Wind". If you have the opportunity to see them the next time they are down in Australia - please do yourself a favour and watch them. It is purely instrumental but the sounds they produce is simply amazing for two guitars, a bass and a drum.
That's really about it from me. Other than the UK adventure there are a few spot trips lined up while I'm hunting for work up here. So until next time - peace, love and understanding.
~Matty

A day trip to Niagara Falls

Cows at the Dominion Centre

Hi there folks! Time for another update on my adventures in Canada. So this post takes us on a day trip to the amazing Niagara Falls. I started my morning rather early, as I had to head down into Toronto to meet the bus. Taking a backpack, I packed a trusty book and some headphones to keep me somewhat entertained for the hour long commute to the city. I had 45 minutes to spare in Toronto, so I ended up checking out one of the many subways in the city. Simply awesome. I chilled out in the Dominion Centre and found some cool cows just chilling on the grass. Next time I'm down town I really want to check out more of the city and see more cool art like that. So I met the tour guide on York Street and he called me over shouting "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!". What sort of Aussie could refuse such a call so of course I replied with "OI! OI! OI!". Upon boarding the bus I got straight into cracking jokes with the driver and was instantly branded as the "character / comedian". We collected everyone and made our way west of Toronto. The bus was almost full with a good mix of nationalities, a few Aussies, lots of Brits, a few Americans and some Israeli's. Our trip along the 401 took us up and over the Niagara River, past Hamilton (known as the Armpit of Southern Ontario - it's very much like Port Kembla or Newcastle back home - coal and steel works pretty much. The smell was pretty horrid.

George Shaw and I posing for photos

Brock Monument

Anyway the start of our actual day trip was a private wine tasting at Pilliteri Wines. We sampled their reisling and their red called Straight Up. Both were nice and available for sale at the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario - aka bottle-o). For $2 I tasted the fantastic Ice Wine. This wine is made during the winter from a special process where the grapes are frozen - they extract the juice and make this amazingly awesome sweet desert wine. One small bottle of Ice Wine sets you back $20 minimum. For one bottle of Ice Wine you could have made 12 bottles of normal wine. The wine itself though is extremely sweet - so you would only want a drop for desert.

Niagara Whirlpool

After this we made our way to the little village of Niagara on the Lake. This town is very much like Beechworth for those Victorians out there or Montville for the Queenslanders. Ma and Pa stores, all art and craft stuff which didn't really interest me, but the coffee shop made an insane Kahlua infused cafe Mocha. Let's just say it was interesting to say the least. The town is known for the Royal George Theatre. It is named after George Bernard Shaw who was a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. I had a photo with the guy - he didn't say much though. Once we finished up here we headed off to Niagara Falls. The trip took us along the picturesque Niagara Park way. The architecture is heavily influenced by British Colonialism and was simply amazing. On our way through here we also passed Fort George which is the historic battle field of the war with America in 1812. The British won the war and thus Niagara was a British Colony, followed 50 years later with the founding of Canada as a country (if my memory serves me well!). We drove up the statue where the Major-General Isaac Brock is interned underneath the statue. His imposing figure is set atop of the statue pointing at the across the Niagara River to America as a warning never to invade again. After this brief stop we headed to the Niagara Whirlpool. What makes this whirlpool unique is that is the worlds largest natural whirlpool. We had the opportunity to take some photos however didn't have the chance to ride the cable car over the whirlpool.

On the Maid of Mist - Canadian Falls

It was now time to head to Niagara Falls and ride the famous Maid of Mist. We donned on our awesome blue ponchos and jumped aboard the ferry. I headed up the front of the boat where one was guaranteed to get the most wet from the falls - in fact my shoes where soaked by the end of the ride! First stop was the American Falls which are not as impressive as the Canadian Falls, but still, very cool at the same time. After a good five minutes here of catching the mist off the fall we made our way over to the horseshoe falls which was simply amazing. The amount of water that goes over the falls just blows your mind away. The noise is intense too, and the mist is much crazier than the American Falls. I captured some good shots and in the process had to take off my sunglasses as not only where they fogging up but also covered in a crazy amount of mist. I would definitely recommend anyone to do this. It's a must do while on the east side of Canada!

Me with the American Falls

After this we had some free time to explore the city of Niagara Falls or to walk some more of the Niagara Parkway to get a closer view of the Canadian Falls. We walked about half way up before we decided to check out the city.... which was far from impressive, in fact it was like walking into side-show alley. It was an instant put off walking up Clifton Hill. It was like everything was an amusement park, and it just seemed dirty and grimy. I ended up finding the "Outback" steak house and grill and once for an Aussie going to and Australian themed bar... it was pretty pathetic. Nothing but burgers for lunch... I mean come on - I can go to any pub in Australia and get a steak, salad and chips but this was just boring. Anyway the football was on and I watched a the first half of the Spain / Portugal game.
A few more photos down by the falls and it was time to head back into Toronto. All in all it was an awesome day and I'd recommend the company I toured with to anyone. The driver was hilarious and he definitely made this a tour I wont forget any time soon. You can find their details at the bottom of this blog.
Well that's really about it for now - it's Canada Day this weekend so we're heading into Toronto on Sunday to check out more of the city and to catch a Blue Jays game! Hope you all have an awesome weekend and I'll update you again real soon!
~Matty

Niagara and Toronto Day Tours
http://www.niagaratorontotours.com/

Panorama of both falls - American on the left, Canadian on the right

Another panorama of the falls.

First impressions of Toronto & Parry Sound Cottage Getaway

Hi there folks, well its right about time that I get talking about my adventures to date! My first adventure into downtown Toronto started on Friday afternoon. I decided to take a walk to the train station – note to self, next time catch the Durham Region Transit. That 4km walk was just a bit longer than I had anticipated. Anyway, I caught the GO Train from Whitby Station through to Union Station (Central Toronto). First impressions always go a long way when it comes to the little things in life – and one such thing is a clean and well presented mass transit system. And Toronto’s system does not let you down. The carriages are expansive and there is plenty of leg room. They are graffiti free and very clean! The doors are automatic, and there is ample seating as they are double Decker carriages. I found as well that instead of having multiple smaller stations, Toronto’s system opts for larger stops at major centres along the line. This makes your ride feel nowhere near as long as one would expect.

Upon my arrival into Union Station, there are renovations occurring at the moment, which is fine, however there was no real indication on where the exit was. I eventually just followed my nose and ended up on the north side of Front Street (directly across from Union Station). After climbing the stairs I was struck by just how massive the station is, and the old sandstone architecture of the building was impressive to say the very least. The next awe inspiring sight directly to the west of Union Station is the CN Tower. Wow. That thing is massive! Next time I head down town I’ll be definitely going down there to check that out! After a few photos were taken I made my way along Front Street. I found the Hockey Hall of Fame which is another must see museum however I was lacking time on this first trip. I made my way to a bar and enjoyed a nice Stella while watching the first half of the Russia v Czech Republic UEFA Euro 2012 match. After that I made my way through the Financial District which is only one or two blocks from Union Station. I was simply amazed by the size of some of the buildings downtown. Australia really lacks this kind of architecture that’s for sure. There are some tall buildings in Sydney, but nothing like this. Also, in comparison to Brisbane... Well let`s just say Brisbane is very tiny compared to Toronto.

After my little adventure downtown, I ventured back towards Union Station. Feeling somewhat peckish I decided I`d try a Canadian Big Mac! Well they are almost similar – I would say that the meat tastes a bit different but all in all it wasn`t that bad. I waited for the next train to take me north of Toronto to Richmond Hill, near where my housemate Marco works. Once again the train was fine, this was a peak service however, and there were still ample seats on the train. Also those chairs are very comfortable. After that we made our way up to Parry Sound in the Lakes Region of Ontario!

The drive up on Highway 400 was fine, there’s something about having 6 lane highways which is just impressive. What’s more impressive is the amount of traffic on the road! It`s as if one was driving up the Bruce Highway on a Friday afternoon at 5pm... However the traffic was smooth! Very impressed! We made our way along the highway, and on the way I noticed that there was a sign that indicated we were being welcomed into the region by the Native American tribe of the Iroquois. All along the highway there are sections of rock that have been blown away to make the highway. However there are a heap of little rocks that are piled up on the sides of the road. Marco explained that they are a symbol to show safe travels. There are hundreds of these little structures along the sides of the highway. People stop all the time to make these. We didn`t take the time to stop and take photo`s as we were late as it was. The LCBO / Beer Store close at 9pm sharp all across Ontario and we still had to pop into Sobeys and grab food for the weekend. After we grabbed all that stuff from Parry Sound we made our way to the lake (the name of the actual lake escapes me right now... and not even Google maps is giving me a clue). The area is known for having over 30,000 islands located in the district.

We arrived at the lake at about 9:30PM, which instantly meant it was time to catch up on the beers. It was good company, we had a good bonfire going as well, and we also had fireworks! We let off two Roman Candles before calling it quits as we didn’t really want to wake the neighbours with our shenanigans. Well, more and more beers were drunk and it ended up being a rather interesting night – passed out on the couch! The following day started with an awesome breakfast as we were all feeling somewhat under the weather. Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast were the meal of the morning. We followed that off by going down to the dock and began to try our luck at fishing. One thing to note – Canadians use fishing reels on the opposite side to Australia. Weird little thing but you get used to it pretty quick. We forgot to get bait in town so we decided to try the lures. We had a few bites but no one caught anything. By 3PM people were ready to start napping, which by this time, I was ready for my first beer. I gathered up a few stubbies and headed back to the dock to take the kayak out onto the lake and try my hand at fishing further out. The lake was like glass until the random powered boat would be on the water. All in all it was a fun experience, but I still didn’t have any luck with the lure I was using.

Later that afternoon we all sat around and started shooting the BB gun that Matt had brought up. It was a replica Colt .45, wasn’t a bad little gun to mess around with. We just shot at random targets and it was pretty fun. It’s also scary to note how accurate and to scale they make these toys. It was starting to get late in the evening, so we tried to stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs between LA and New Jersey however for the most part the game was buffering however New Jersey made another upset on LA. One more win will see the cup go down to a game 7 play off! That should be interesting. Anyway, we fired up the barbeque and cooked up a delicious meal and then continued on with the beers and an awesome board game called “Apples to Apples”. I recommend this game for anyone who wants a few drinks and has a brilliant or sick sense of humor. Some of the responses and answers you can make are hilarious. Note to self – AIDS, Adolf Hitler or Saddam Hussein cards always win ha-ha. We finished off the night messy once again so it was time to sleep on the couch again. The next morning was not pretty at all – that’s what happens when you mix beer and rum!

Sunday we packed up and cleaned the cottage and made our way back to Whitby. You could not ask for much more of a picture perfect day. The sun was out; it was a beautiful 27C and just fantastic. I got burnt coming back from the lake, however, it was worth it for the experience that I had. Definitely a wonderful place to visit and more than likely I’ll be up there again real soon.

So that sums up my first big adventure of the trip so far. This week will see me hitting the turps at 5:00AM on Wednesday to watch the State of Origin. Hopefully the Blues can finally make something of themselves and get us a win. It’s my birthday this Sunday – the big 29! Marco and I were originally going to head into the city for the day to suss it out and check it out however we may have new plans. But until then that will just have to wait for the next blog. Until then, take it easy, keep it real and I’ll update you all again real soon.
~Matty