Next door to modern Rotterdam is Schiedam, a picture postcard version of Holland. Schiedam is a separate city to Rotterdam, though it is practically a suburb and is part of the Rotterdam metro system.
In Schiedam you will find everything you thought a Holland town should have: windmills, canals, old world homes and warehouses, and a classic old Stadhuis (town hall).
View of the Stadhuis, Schiedam - Netherlands
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The Netherlands is famous for being a liberal country, but this public art in Rotterdam could be the most offensive in Europe.
Santa Claus - Rotterdam
The statue is of a giant Santa Claus holding a butt plug. It was created by the American installation-artist Paul McCarthy and it represents a symbol of modern consumerism.
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I never would have thought that a coffee from an airport Starbucks would make it as coffee of the day, but I didn’t want to leave the UK without mentioning the current exchange rate.
Coffee of the day: London Stansted Airport - UK
At the moment 1 AUD is around 53 pence. In my 10 years of coming to the UK the Australian dollar has never been so strong. At one point 1 AUD got just 33 pence. So this £2 coffee in 2009 is a bargain at $3.77 . In the darkest days of the weak Australian dollar this £2 coffee would have cost me $6.06 AUD.
I never thought that I would be saying that I came to London and had a cheap holiday.
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Ahh London, it’s good to be back. This city feels like my second home, and for a while it was my home.
2009 marks 10 years since I first came to London. I arrived in 1999 on a 2 year working holiday visa, unaware at the time that I had the travel bug. I couldn’t have known then that I would be back to London at least once a year every year since.
I was here in 1999, 2000 and 2001 on the UK work visa, 2002 and 2003 passing through on the Irish work visa, then every year on the way to European destinations to create content for online travel articles.
I use London as the entry point for Europe as the cheapest fares from Australia are usually into London, though this might change with the increase in Air Passenger Duty.
I’m staying in Victoria, which is a handy transport hub if you are in London for a short time. I get the bus to Stansted Airport from here to my next destination.
London Victoria Station
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The Kangaroo Route from Australia to the UK is a tedious 24 hour trip if you can’t sleep on planes (which would be me). One benefit of such a long flight is that the ticket will usually permit a stop-over for no extra cost. It is with this option that I find myself in Hong Kong for two days.
Nathan Rd, Kowloon - Hong Kong
I’ve been to Hong Kong a few times now using this option. it’s a great place to stretch your legs between flights. I have now got a few favourite restaurants and cafes, and can – for the most part – get around without a map.
My flight to London is with Qantas, which use Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok as the stop-over city. Singapore is good for a one day stop because it is so easy to get in and around. Bangkok is my favourite city for longer stops as this gives me the chance to explore some more of Thailand.
I have previously been able to do a stop-over in Tokyo and Shanghai, but fares to those cities are always more than the traditional hubs of Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Airlines from the Middle East are now prominent on the Kangaroo Route, so Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are now viable stop-over cities as well. I got a great deal one year with Emirates which took me to Dubai, a city I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to visit, but a worthy city for a stop-over. If Etihad and Qatar offer a good deal in the future I’m sure I’ll one day find myself in Abu Dhabi and Doha as well.
India is the missing link on the Kangaroo Route. Qantas has a flight from Sydney to Mumbai and that’s it. There are no airlines from India that fly to Australia (though there is talk of Air India returning, and Kingfisher Airlines are looking into starting flights).
For me Mumbai or Delhi would make a great stop-over city. There are so many places I want to see in India that having a few weeks there on the way back from Europe would be a good way to do it. Visas, terrible airports and extreme culture shock would discourage any Australian airline from using an Indian city as a stop-over hub, so I don’t think that will happen any time soon.
What is your favourite stop-over city on the Kangaroo Route?
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China Express Mural by drewfunk.com, corner Little Lonsdale and Swanston St Melbourne.
China Express Mural
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It’s not just in the bush that you can see Australian birdlife. I see the occasional exotic parrot species in the inner city, such as these corella’s in Albert Park, Melbourne.
Corella's in Melbourne
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In an age when cities around the world are preserving Art Deco buildings, The City of Melbourne has given the go ahead to demolish one of the cities best examples.
Lonsdale House is set to be demolished and replaced with a glass box shop. Visit Save Lonsdale House to find out more.
Lonsdale House
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Getting the train in Australia is not the quickest way to get around, but it is an enjoyable way to travel. The Overland runs between Adelaide and Melbourne and takes about 10 hours to cover the 828 kms.
I got the train mostly because I wanted to try it out. The ticket price was as cheap as any airfare on offer, and I could spend the day doing laptop work in the cafe carriage.
The Overland service was re-launched in 2007, which included a logo update. I would have to say that The Overland probably has the best train logo in the world.
The Overland Emu Logo
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Adelaide is not only famous for being the only place where iced coffee outsells Coca-Cola, it is also known for the pie floater.
A pie floater is a meat pie in a plate of pea soup or mushy peas. It’s very English in its origin and apparently used to be popular across Australia, but has now found its spiritual home in Adelaide.
Adelaide's 'Pie Floater'
A native Adelaidean told me about the iconic status of this dish so I had to try it for myself. It was already 11 at night, but Adelaide is blessed with a few 24 hour bakeries that serve this dish.
My pie was submerged rather than floating, and the flourish of tomato sauce adds to the comical presentation of this meal. Despite the visual it’s actually not bad. If you like meat pies and peas you will like the pie floater.
24 hour bakery
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