The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is an institution on the Australian sporting calendar. The first Boxing Day test was in 1950, and it has been played every year since 1980.
[Australia v India - MCG]
Air spray on flights to Australia
Aircraft entering Australia are sprayed with pesticide as part of quarantine arrangements.
[Air Spray]
Flight Review: Viva Macau – Macau to Sydney
Flight: Viva Macau ZG 9501
Date: 8 Dec 2007
Viva Macau is a low cost airline based in Macau. They currently fly 3 times a week to Sydney.
Viva Macau offer a no frills long haul service so you need to come prepared before you fly, as you will not be fed and entertained like you would on a full service airline.
What they do offer is one of the cheapest flights you will find from Sydney to East Asia. I picked up a sale seat for $199 (one-way) plus taxes, bringing the total to $320 Australian Dollars. I bought this online about one month before flying.
Aircraft
Viva Macau use a Boeing 767 for this route. The seating arrangement is 2-3-2 across.
[Viva Macau seats]
Entertainment
Viva Macau show movies on a projector screen. There are no personal screens. They show an English and Hong Kong film during the flight. Bring your own headphones, otherwise you will need to purchase a set.
Food and Drink
There is no inflight meal service so make sure you have a big meal at the airport or bring enough food. The only hot meal available to purchase was pot noodles. Drinks have to be bought as well.
Currencies accepted include Macau Pataca, Hong Kong, US and Austalian Dollars.
Here is a list of items available for purchase onboard, in Hong Kong Dollars
Blanket 40 HKD
Neck Pillow 20 HKD
Headphones 20 HKD
Coffee 10 HKD
Coke (can) 20 HKD
Heineken (can) 30 HKD
Pot Noodles 30 HKD
Casinos of Macau
Macau has become the biggest gambling centre in the world, recently overtaking Las Vegas in terms of gaming revenues. Mind you there is not as many entertainment options in Macau compared to Las Vegas (like the shows and theme parks), and I can’t see Macau becoming Rat Pack cool like Vegas anytime soon.
The thing with Macau though is it has only just begun. Much of the place is a construction site, and as the only place in China where casinos are legal it is only going to get bigger.
Grand Lisboa
The Grand Lisboa is close to the Macau Old Town and at 258 metres it is the dominant landmark on the Macau skyline. It seems to look down upon you wherever you go.
[Grand Lisboa - Macau]
Wynn Casino
Wynn, a big name of Las Vegas has opened a casino in Macau.
[Wynn Casino - Macau]
The Venetian
From the people that brought you The Venetian Las Vegas, now there is The Venetian Macau, the world’s largest casino.
The front entrance is dominated by replicas of the Ponte di Rialto, Campanile and Palazzo Ducale, but without all the pigeons.
[The Venetian - Macau]
[Venetian Gondola - Macau]
[Palazzo Ducale - Macau]
Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf is the first theme park of Macao. Like much of Macau it looks like they are still building onto it. It’s a shopping and entertainment centre with casinos (of course). It has sections representing different seaports of the world like Amsterdam and Venice.
[Vulcania]
[Roman Amphitheatre]
[Venice Building]
[New Amsterdam]
Breakfast in Macau
A street vendor in Macau serving breakfast.
[Breakfast in Macau]
One Sim, Two Numbers for One Country, Two Systems
This is a great idea from a phone company in Macau. They are offering one sim card with two phone numbers (A Hong Kong and a Macau number). I don’t know if it is a fair tariff but the idea is good as it would save carrying two phones or doing the sim card change every time you cross the border.
[Smartone one sim two numbers]
Hong Kong and Macau used to be two separate countries before they became Special Administrative Regions of China, but they still have their own country codes.
I hope that the phone companies in Europe introduce something like this. With the open borders with the EU people have become so much more mobile between countries but you are charged exorbitant rates when you leave the country your phone plan is from.
Ferry from Hong Kong to Macau
Macau was a Portuguese colony that was handed over to China in 1999. Like Hong Kong it is now a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
Macau is only one hour ferry ride from Hong Kong so it makes for a popular day trip if you are doing a stop-over in Hong Kong. There are ferries up to every half an hour during the day.
[Ferry Departures to Macau]
I was only in Macau last year, and I did not think I would be back here so soon. I thought I might like to come back in 20 years and see how many casinos have sprouted.
I am back so soon because Viva Macau fly from here to Sydney. The combined cost of flying Oasis Hong Kong from london to Hong Kong then Macau to Sydney was about half the price of a ticket on offer with any other scheduled airline.
Avenue of Stars – Hong Kong
Usually these Avenue of Stars that are modelled off Hollywood come off looking cheesy. Hong Kong has one of the biggest film industries in the world though so they at least have enough local stars to fill their walk.
[Avenue of Stars]
[Bruce Lee - Victoria Harbour]
[Jackie Chan Hand Print]
The digitally enhanced skyline of Hong Kong
The booming Chinese economy is having a visible effect on the Hong Kong skyline, and it’s not just the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island. Air pollution is becoming an ever present part of the view in Hong Kong.
The number of days that Air pollution has decreased visibility has increased in the last decade. While it might take some time for the government to show some political will in cleaning the skies, some photographers have taken matters into their own hands.
There are photographers at Victoria Peak and on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour that are offering digitally enhanced photos. They have laptops setup ready to photoshop a perfectly clear picture of the background you just had your picture taken in front of. They even have day and night options, even if you weren’t there at night.
[Fake Harbour Views]
I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand it is disappointing to get to the top of Victoria Peak then not be able to see the Harbour through all the smog. On the other hand if they can just make a picture like this then do you need to go at all. Where do you draw the line with photoshopped photos?
Chungking and Mirador Mansions – Budget accommodation in Hong Kong
When booking Hong Kong budget accommodation online you will notice a number of “Mansions” listed in the search results. These mansions are actually two great apartment blocks on Nathan Rd, the main road in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
[Mirador Mansion]
If you are staying at one of these mansions (Chunking Mansion or Mirador Mansion) you might be taken aback by its outside appearance. The blocks are old and shabby, with air-con units and washing lines hanging from just about every window. It looks like something out of Blade Runner. The blocks are a mix of residential apartments, small businesses and guest houses.
[Chunking Mansions]
The quality of your budget accommodation guest house will vary widely once you are inside though as there are so many of them. I have stayed in guest houses in both mansions and they have been clean and presentable, but as space is at a premium my rooms have only been slightly larger than the bed itself.
[Mansion room]