Betel Box – Backpacking Accommodation in Singapore

April 19, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Backpacking can be a relatively cheap way to travel the world. Over the years we have been able to travel though Malaysia, Vietnam, some parts of Europe and New Zealand with our children and our trusty backpacks. The main idea of doing this type of travelling was so that as a family of four, we could keep our expenses down and in doing so teaching our girls how to travel. Hopefully, these experiences would then help them in the future if they decided to venture out by themselves or with friends.

Singapore has been our stopover or transit city for a while now, and although we dearly love the country it will once again be a three-day stopover on our first leg to Europe. During our first stay in Singapore we found a cheap, friendly and clean backpacker in the Joo Chiat district called Betel Box Backpackers Hostel. We selected this hostel because it had some great reviews and had a family room which we could stay in.

View of street outside Betel Box — Looking down Joo Chiat Road towards the MRT station

It’s pretty easy to find so, hop onto Singapore’s easy and efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). If you’re travelling from the airport you will need to change trains at Tanah Merah by crossing the platform to the green line train. Take the green line train to Paya Lebar, then type the address into google maps and you will see it’s about a 10-minute walk. Take that quick walk down Joo Chiat road and look for the green door that leads into the Betel Box backpackers hostel.

Betel Box Singapore — The green door of the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

Make your way up the stairs to the first level which encompasses the reception area, kitchen and recreation room. There is always a friendly face in this room. You never know who you may meet, and which country they are from. The communal kitchen is fitted with all the essentials; toasters, kettles, cutlery and coffee supplies. Help yourself once you’ve settled in and introduce yourself to some of the residents.

Betel Box Hostel — The front reception counter of Betel Box

The Betel Box Backpackers Hostel offers a range of different 1 star accommodations for its visitors. They have four shared room options from a 6, 8 or 20-person mixed gender rooms to an 8 female only shared room. We usually stay in their family room which can accommodate a family of four. To be honest the rooms aren’t fabulous, but they are comfortable and clean. No bed bugs here!

The bathrooms and toilets are all communally shared, so you may have to time your bathroom and shower usage around other residents. The bathrooms are fairly clean and are located on each floor. They are tiled with small signs of wear and tear, but they aren’t disgusting. There’s no clutter or rubbish, but if you were looking for a 5-star bathroom, you probably wouldn’t have chosen a backpacker anyway. Don’t worry there is a decent lock on the door to ensure privacy.

From our experience, we’ve found out that the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel looks after their visitors. A laundry service is available at a reasonable price and they also provide incredible food tours that given you an excellent feed and plenty of information about Singaporean life.

Real Singapore tours at Betel Box — The tours and equipment available to try. I recommend the food walks.

In conclusion, the 1-star Betel Box Backpackers is a friendly, clean and safe place to stay. For families trying to extend their holidays, i would happily recommend their family room. The air conditioner alone is a lifesaver on those muggy nights. It’s not noisy and children are welcomed and looked after. Definitely do a food walk, they are fantastic. They do last 4-5 hours, and our children found it tiring but worthwhile when we done it. Enjoy your stay at the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

200 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427471
Ph: (65) 6274 7340
Website: www.betelbox.com

Book your stay at Betel Box Backpackers now with Booking.com

Accommodation ranges from SGD$20.00 – $80.00 and includes:

Continental Breakfast selection of fruits, toasts, jams / spreads and tea / coffee
Professionally sanitized thick and firm mattresses
Hot and Cold Showers
Use of bed linen and blanket

Use of a security locker and lock
Free usage of our Internet Terminals
Free 24 Hours WiFi with our 100mbps cable internet connection
Discounted scheduled tours and attraction tickets
Free use of Fitness Centre Facilities
50% discount for children age 12 & below

*Post contains affiliated links

Australia, Tours & Attractions

Money, Money, Money and Royal Australian Mint, Canberra

April 14, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered where Australia makes its unique coin currency? During our recent trip to Canberra, we decided that one of our “things for free” stops would be the Royal Australian Mint.

Before my visit to the Royal Australian Mint, I honestly thought “how interesting can this be?” We are basically going to the place where our coins are produced. Fortunately, I was misplaced in my original thoughts because I learnt the Royal Australian Mint produces more than just our everyday coinage.

Canberra Mint — Australia’s Coat of Arms on the Royal Australian Mint Building

The Royal Australian Mint is a relatively small building compared to other attractions in Canberra. Entry is via the ground floor with a reception desk, cafeteria and gift shop all located at this level. So, after your visit, sit and have a coffee or a quick bite to eat. Browse the merchandise from the gift shop and be amazed by what things they have available for purchase.

The main viewing area is located on the second level, so climb the stairs filled with money and make your way to the first displays. Their displays show how our coins were designed and the impressive artwork of how the designers envisioned the final product to look. Take a look at the now defunct one and two cent coins or the rare two-hundred-dollar coin.

Continue to make your way around the exhibit and enter the medal area. The Royal Australian Mint is tasked with creating numerous awards and medals. From military service medals to the medals you may have seen at the Sydney Olympic Games or the upcoming Commonwealth Games. They also create special edition coins and the Australia Day awards given to our most deserving.

Once through this area you can look at how the coins are made from the viewing platforms into the various workshops. From Royal Australian Mint employees checking each coin for flaws to the sorting and packaging machines. I must admit I was a little mesmerised by the automatic machine doing its little dance as it tipped a barrel of coins into the sorting hopper.

The Royal Australian Mint is an interesting place to visit and it is amazing what their coins commemorate. All coins are available for purchase from their shop or online, like this $1695 silver coin celebrating the Year of the Rooster for Chinese New Year.

As I mentioned earlier it’s not a huge place so young children shouldn’t get bored to quickly. We spent about an hour there and that included sitting down for coffee at the cafeteria. So, head to the Royal Australian Mint buy a souvenir coin and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview Sent you!

Additional Information for the Royal Australian Mint

Denison Street, Deakin ACT 2600
Ph. (02) 6202 6999
Website: www.ramint.gov.au

Opening Hours
Mon-Fri: 8.30 am to 5 pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 10 am to 4 pm

The Mint is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Entry is FREE

Public Tours
Free public tours are run seven days a week.

Mon-Fri: 10 am and 2 pm
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm

Accommodation is available in Canberra

www.booking.com

*Post contains affiliate links

Australia, Tours & Attractions

Inspired by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

April 4, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Australia’s capital, Canberra has so much to offer tourists. This well designed city stretches out over the lush landscape providing visitors and residents with a picturesque city. From the top of Mt. Ainslie one can see the major sites of Canberra from the Australian War Memorial down ANZAC Parade to Australia’s Parliament House. Canberra is the home to some great artistic and historical attractions. Personally, I don’t think you should visit Canberra without seeing the National Museum of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, the old and new Parliament Houses or the Australian War Memorial. Getting to these sites is relatively easy and the best thing of all is many of them are free.

Mt Ainslie from the war memorial to parliament house — Looking down from Mt Ainslie

On this trip Ourworldinreview came to Canberra to experience as many of these free attractions as possible starting with the National Gallery of Australia. The gallery is located in Parkes and houses some of the finest pieces of domestic and international art of our time.

Canberra art gallery — Fabulous art pieces spread out along corridors and rooms inside the National Art Gallery

Upon entry, this large building opens up exposing the main visitor area. To the right is the art galleries souvenir store and to the left is the entrance to their visiting exhibition. In this case their current exhibit is the Versailles collection: Treasures from the Palace running until the 17th April 2017.

The National Art Gallery contains masterpieces from some of history’s most well known artists. From international greats like Cezanne, Monet, Warhol and Pollock, to Australia’s own Sidney Nolan and Arthur Streeton.

Art Gallery Canberra — Sidney Nolan’s Burning at Glenrowan

Take your time walking down the corridors and through the rooms to see these magnificent works of yesteryear. Additionally, make sure to check out the ideas of today’s upcoming artists, because some of their pieces are fascinating.

Depending on how much you like art, you can easily spend a few hours investigating the corridors. Don’t worry if you’re hungry, as the National Gallery of Australia to gallery has two cafes so you can rest those weary legs. Their Street cafe is located outside the main entrance and the NGA cafe can be found on the lower ground floor.

Additional Information for the National Gallery of Australia

Parkes Place, Parkes ACT 2600
Ph. (02) 6240 6411
Website: www.nga.gov.au

Trading Hours

Daily 10:00am – 05:00pm (except Christmas Day)

Entry Fee

Free to main gallery

Visiting Exhibit – Versailles: Treasures from the Palace

Accommodation is available in Canberra

www.booking.com

*Post contains affiliate links

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Australia, Restaurants

Port Adelaide’s Pride in the Port Club

March 13, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again in Australia when the cricket season is winding down and the football season is starting to gain momentum. The city of Adelaide has two Australian Football League (AFL) teams, Port Adelaide Power and the Adelaide Crows. Both teams are vying for the ultimate season prize, the premiership cup. Training is well under way and the clubs are currently finishing the pre-seasons JLT series to finalise their game plans. Ourworldinreview decided to head into the Port Club to test the food they produce for their loyal supporters.

The Port Adelaide Football Club is in Alberton situated in Adelaide’s Western Suburbs. The club was founded in 1870 and has been a dominant force in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) with 36 premierships, which happens to be a SANFL record. With the club’s entry into the national competition in 1997 Port Adelaide also known by their other moniker “The Power” have had some success, winning the 2004 premiership against the Brisbane Lions and competing in the 2007 Grand Final against Geelong.

An extremely proud sporting club, upon entry you are greeted by their 2004 AFL success, the premiership cup. Directly to the left after entering is the Port Club’s store. Here supporters can buy the clubs merchandise for the upcoming season. To the right of the premiership cup is the membership counter to obtain your season or game passes. Walking further into the Port Club it opens into a major dining area to the left and the clubs bar and poker machine area to the right.

Port Adelaide Football Club bar — The Port Club’s bar area

The club rooms are nicely decorated with club’s history and memorabilia on full display. So there is no doubt you are in the Port Adelaide Football Club.

The main dining area is nicely spaced and the service counter is well attended for that initial greeting and subsequent seating. The menu has a good range of dishes available at a fair price. As the hard working history of Port Adelaide being in the club’s mindset, it makes sure not to alienate its core supporters by overpricing their menu. The welcoming atmosphere and the friendly staff oozes pride in this football club.

Our main meal purchases consisted of the Cajun crusted chicken from the daily specials menu and their vegetarian lasagne. We also opted to try some of their available desserts and selected the banana nut sundae and the cookies and cream cheesecake. All food ordering is done at the main service counter and drinks are bought from the bar area. Any purchased main meals come with access to the Port Club’s well-stocked vegetable and salad bars.

As we arrived quite early during the meal service the main meals arrived in a satisfactory timeframe. The first meal to arrive was the Cajun crusted chicken. This spicy chicken is served on a bed of baby spinach and lettuce with fresh salsa and sour cream. The chicken was evenly flavoured and succulent and the combination with the sour cream and balsamic dressing made for a tasty dish.

Port Adelaide Football Club's Food — Cajun crusted chicken

Our next meal was the vegetarian lasagne, and it arrived as a large portion covered with cheese and a serving of chips. Unfortunately, the lasagne lacked flavour. Consisting of eggplant and zucchini layers with a thick layer of ricotta cheese, the lasagne just didn’t impress. The eggplant and zucchini was hard to cut through and the dense layer of ricotta was too much. Ideally other vegetables needs to be added to improve the dish or change the core vegetable groups. As a suggestion, by adding some grated carrot or layering it with some roasted butternut could give it more appeal. Additionally, if they add some herbs or chopped wilted spinach to the ricotta layer it would also change the outcome.

Once the main meals were cleared away we waited patiently for our desserts to arrive. After a little wait, with more and more patrons starting to roll into the club, the two desserts arrived. The banana nut sundae, was like any other store bought nut sundae, a serving of vanilla ice-cream covered with banana topping, a dollop of cream sprinkled with crusted nuts and a couple of wafers. Nothing to boast about, but it was sweet, tasty, a good size and value. These nut sundaes come in different flavours and would be a real hit with the kids.

The cookies and cream cheesecake was once again a nice portion served with vanilla cream and strawberry compote (topping). Although, I suspect it to be supplier made to guarantee a homogenous product, it was still worthwhile.

The Port Club is full of history and tradition, and the club provides honest food at a low-cost for the club and value for its patrons. The staff and service are good and the dining area is well maintained. You’d expect the atmosphere to be buzzing during the football season, therfore bookings will be essential. Although we found the vegetarian lasagne rather plain, the Cajun crusted chicken was excellent. The Port Club’s menu offers a good range of dishes, so patrons should be able to find the right meal for them. So, pop into the Port Club during the season, have a meal and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for the Port Club

9 Queen Street, Alberton SA 5014
Ph. (08) 8447 9902
Website: www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Club Memberships and supporter game package are available here, so don’t miss out.

Main Meal Price Range AUD$13.50 – $28.90

Trading Hours – Mon-Sun

Lunch 12 noon to 2pm
Dinner 6:00 to 8:30pm
Hours subject to change

The Port Club rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Décor =7
Atmosphere =7
Service =7
Price =8
Food =7

Overall = 7.0

Australia, Tours & Attractions

The South Australian Maritime Museum

March 10, 2017 OurWorldinReview 2 Comments

We recently visited Port Adelaide and experienced some of the fabulous things they have on offer. From dolphin cruises, ghost tours, and the museums, Port Adelaide’s history is available to be experienced by everyone. Actually, there is an interesting write up by our partner site Josie Wanders regarding “Things to do in Port Adelaide”. So, after reading this article, head over and find out what other things are on offer. One of those ideal places to visit is the South Australian Maritime Museum.

Located in a historic building in Port Adelaide the South Australian Maritime Museum is three levels of displays and interactive education. Entry via the main entrance leads into the museums shop with fun and exciting things for those people who are awestruck by the prospect of maritime life and history.

South Australia’s colourful maritime history is completely on display as you investigate the various areas within the museum. As soon as you walk through the two big sliding doors you are greeted with a full-sized ketch. Active II is a replica of the original working vessel the Active. The museum gives it visitors a chance to climb on-board and investigate the areas around a ketch. Climb into the hold and get a feel for the cargo space and how the stevedores would have had to manoeuvre around the hold to discharge and load the goods. Then check out the forecastle for crew accommodation and compare it with the Captain’s cabin. Also, see if you can fit in the ship’s galley where the meals were prepared.

Maritime Museum's Ketch — Climb aboard the Active II and check out what a working ketch looks like.

You will notice on some walls the various figureheads that used to be mounted on the bow of vessel to ward off evil spirits or to ram and scare rival vessels. It is amazing how much work goes into the carving of these figureheads and sculpting that perfect showcase.

Moving through the doors the next exhibit is about the importance of the Australian Navy in our maritime history. The models of naval ships, the uniforms and some of the equipment used to measure distance, time, location and direction are all on display.

If you work your way downstairs the museum has an area dedicated to the migration of people into South Australia. They have some computers set up if you wish to discover if any of your relatives migrated to South Australia by ship. This area also gives the visitors an idea about what it was like on those vessels from the early 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. Climb into an old sleeping bunk to see how comfortable it is…..or isn’t!

Now head on up to the top floor, here you will find exhibits about life on the LeFevre Peninsula. Check out the old surfboards, jump on the spring-loaded surfboard and test your balance, but be careful. Look at the old carnival sideshow clowns, or the range of old fishing rods.

Keep on moving and you will discover the shipwreck area of items found from various shipwrecks around South Australia. Finally walk around and discover the ships and families that serviced Port Adelaide and some memorabilia donated by these proud family members.

Another unique thing about the South Australian Maritime Museum is that once you leave, the Port has other exhibits associated with the museum. Your entry ticket also gives you the opportunity to visit the lighthouse on fisherman’s wharf and look at the retired tugboat the Yelta moored alongside.

Maritime Musuem — A tugboat called Yelta moored alongside the lighthouse

Overall the South Australian Maritime Museum is the most known museum in the Port. And although it is not huge, it offers a good few hours of discovery. I really like the museum, but that may be due to my family’s maritime background. I’ve always been drawn to the Maritime Museum, so hopefully you and your family will be too. Once again I recommend incorporating the South Australian Maritime Museum with another fun activity like the Railway or Aviation Museums. So, enjoy your day, enjoy the museums and tell them, Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for the South Australian Maritime Museum

126 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015
Ph. (08) 82407 6255
Website: www.maritime.history.sa.gov.au

Trading Hours

Daily 10:00am – 05:00pm

Entry Fee

Adult: $12.50
Concession: $8
Child: $6
Family $29.50

Accommodation is available around the Port Adelaide area

Book now with Booking.com

*Post contains affiliate links

Australia, Australia, Places to Go, Restaurants

Poddy Dodger’s- Wilpena Pound Resort – Flinders Ranges

March 6, 2017 OurWorldinReview 2 Comments

The Wilpena Pound Resort offers an incredible amount of natural beauty. The National Parks amphitheatre and the possibility of having interactions with kangaroos and emus in their natural habitat is heart-warming. Visitors who stay at one of the available accommodations has use of the resorts facilities. During our time, we make sure we fill the car with fuel, shop at the resort store and test the resorts bar and bistro, Poddy Dodger’s.

Wilpena Pound Resort's Poddy Dodger's — The dining and bar of Poddy Dodger’s

With a well-maintained bar and dining area, Poddy Dodger’s has a good range of South Australian wine and beers available. The staff is friendly respectful and helpful in choosing that right drink for you. The bar area is comfortable with a lounge area overlooking the swimming pool and a dining area looking out into the front gardens.

Resort Swimming Pool – All visitors welcome

The garden area is where the resort performs its welcome to country presentation nightly. Our recommendation is to make sure you visit the bar between 5pm and 6pm for the resorts happy hour. The resort also has a restaurant called Captain Starlight which is adjacent to Poddy Dodger’s. During our stay the majority of visitors we saw ate at the bistro. A bonus while eating or drinking at the bar is that if you wait long enough you just never know what kinds of animals may visit the garden.

Garden area at Wilpena Pound Resort — A very thirsty kangaroo drinking from a sprinkler

We initially sit on the lounge and take advantage of the AUD$5 glasses of wine. Honestly, you can’t go wrong. We also grab some menus to see what types of food they have on offer. After some glasses of wine, we move to a table and prepare to order dinner. The bar doesn’t have full table service, so ordering of your meals is done at the main counter.

Lounge Area at Wilpena Pound Resort — Resting in the lounge area overlooking the swimming pool

Since we are hungry from a long day of adventuring the Ikara-Flinders National Park we decide to order some garlic bread as a starter. Our mains consist of a Mediterranean salad for MacKenzie, a fish and chips for myself and a chicken schnitzel with pepper sauce for Josie. For dessert, we selected two Pavlova with mixed berries and a Cherry-ripe cheesecake.

Is isn’t too long before the garlic bread is served which disappears from the plate just as quickly. Soon the main meals come out. First to arrive is the chicken schnitzel with pepper sauce. The lightly panko crumbed chicken fillet is a good size, it doesn’t encompass the whole plate and is served with chips and salad. The pepper sauce comes in a small pot and is quite nice. Overall the whole meal is evenly cooked and meets our expectation.

Wilpena Pound Resort — Lightly panko crumbed chicken schnitzel with pepper sauce.

The next meal to arrive is the fish and chips. This mouth-watering beer battered Flathead fillets are golden brown and served once again with chips and salad. The Flathead fillets are small but as the serving comes with three fillets it is enough to satisfy my appetite.

Finally, the third dish to be served is the Mediterranean salad. Mac’s Mediterranean salad consists of mixed salad leaves, Spanish onion, feta, artichokes, olives, caper berries, cherry tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, cucumber and bell peppers dressed with a bush tomato balsamic. A chicken addition option is also available, but as Mac’s a vegetarian she eagerly consumes her fresh and tasty salad.

Once we finish our main meals, the staff efficiently clear the table and commence bringing out the three desserts. The girls both selected the Pavlova with mixed berries, cream and toffee crumb. The Pavlova was an interesting combination of ingredients with the large dollop of cream and the toffee crumb. Unfortunately, the girls were a little disappointed as the meringue base didn’t have that meringue crunch that you expect from a Pavlova.

The Cherry-ripe cheesecake was served with ice cream, a passionfruit sauce and biscuit crumb. Rich and strongly flavoured the large cheesecake slice was a little sickly. It had a creamy smooth texture and looked nice with a bright pink colouring, but it was very sweet.

Overall Wilpena Pound Resort’s Poddy Dodger’s was a nice bar and bistro. There is a good selection of dishes on the main and specials menus. The room is clean, the food is good and the adventurous wildlife is a bonus. So, visit the Flinders Ranges, head into Wilpena Pound Resort, have a meal at Poddy Dodger’s and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for Poddy Dodger’s

Poddy Dodger’s – Wilpena Pound Resort
Ph: (08) 8648 0004
Website: www.wilpenapound.com.au

Main Meal Price Range AUD$23.00 – $40.00

Trading Hours

Lunch 12 noon to 2pm
Dinner 5:30pm to 9pm (last orders)
Happy Hour 5 ~ 6 pm daily
Daily Specials board

Poddy Dodger’s rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Decor =8
Atmosphere =7
Service =8
Price =7
Food =8

Overall = 7.5

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Australia, Hotels and Accommodation, Places to Go, Tours & Attractions

Travelling to Wilpena Pound Resort

March 3, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

As we get closer to our international departure date, we are trying to fit as much in as we can in our remaining weeks in Australia. Therefore on this trip, we excitedly hop into the car and drive towards the Flinders Ranges. The Flinders Ranges holds a special place in our hearts as Josie’s parents owns a farm in the township of Wilmington. So with this in mind we decide to head to Wilpena Pound for a night book-ended by a couple of nights on the farm.

Snowtown's town sign — Every town has their own town sign to show who they are. This was Snowtown’s town sign.

Once again, time is on our side and we take advantage of it to get to our destination. We stop at various small towns along the way to stretch our legs, have a coffee, a toilet break or just to take a look around. We stop at the country towns of Port Wakefield, the unfortunately infamous Snowtown, Crystal Brook, Laura, Melrose and finally to Wilmington.

Flinders Ranges — Crystal Brooks feature rotunda in a well maintained park.

A catch up with family, a walk around the farm and some time with the dogs all goes past relatively quickly. Then it’s a few drinks, a BBQ, some light conversation and finally a comfortable bed. I know Josie’s got me back in a tent when we reach Wilpena Pound.

A working dogs life — Farm dogs Bob and Tim relaxing after a hard day’s work.

Early next morning we head off towards Wilpena Pound and after a night of discussing our travel plans we heed Josie’s father’s advice and head towards Parachilna Gorge, Blinman and then back around to Wilpena Pound.

The first thing you notice when heading north towards the townships of Quorn and Hawker is that there is not much traffic. We drove along the straight highway without really seeing anyone except….cyclists. It was unusual seeing a group of around 20 cyclists riding along a highway in the middle of nowhere, but cyclists seem to be everywhere. Since we were the only car for miles we stopped to take some photos of the landscape and surroundings.

Sheep Jump to nowhere — Our young MacKenzie performing a sheep jump.

Handstand on the road — Those ten years of gymnastics has paid off!

It wasn’t too long before we started ticking off the kilometres. We travelled through Quorn, Hawker, and a closed Parachilna. The whole town was shut for the summer… too hot. Then we went through Parachilna gorge where we met some of the local wildlife. Once out of the gorge we immediately came across the small yet beautifully maintained township of Blinman.

Wilpena pound — A friendly kangaroo on the side of the road in Parachilna gorge

Emus crossing the dry river bed at Parachilna Gorge

Blinman has the honour of being near the end of a few walking trails. The Heysen Trail is a massive 1200km trek which ends at Parachilna Gorge and the 900km Mawson trail ends at the Blinman Township. We stopped here to have lunch, a coffee and to stretch our legs. I meet a lovely lady in the town’s cafe who told me the population of this incredible town was only 12 people. There was 14 but the owners of the towns pub shut the doors and left. I have noticed the trend of country pubs shutting down. I recommend visiting them if you are staying overnight in a township and showing your support for country pubs.

Blinman South Australia — Blinman also offers tours of their old mines.

After lunch we travel the remaining distance to Wilpena Pound. Surprisingly we once again come across the cyclists at the turn-off, this time with their support vehicles. As a bit of history, Wilpena Pound is a naturally formed amphitheatre approximately 430km’s from Adelaide’s city centre in Adnyamathanha Country. Wilpena Pound is a part of the Ikara-Flinders National Park and visitors can stay within the Wilpena Pound Resort as a base for their National Park Adventures. With various walking tracks and the Aboriginal culture on show, the Wilpena Pound Resort is a good place to learn and be at one with nature.

Wilpena Pound resort has a variety of accommodation options available for visitors. We stayed within the caravan park this time with non-powered and powered sites starting from AUD$25 and AUD$10 for additional people. The public facilities are quite clean and the water pressure is excellent. If you prefer not to camp then the resort has comfortable rooms starting from AUD$193 per night. Also, if you are looking for a little luxury, their Glamping (or glamorous camping) safari huts are available from AUD$320 per night. And to make your stay memorable the resort offers other activities for its visitors which can be booked through the visitors centre or online. Scenic Flights, 4WD tours, bush walks, mountain biking and Aboriginal Cultural Tours are some of the activities available to visitors.

Entrance to the Wilpena Pound Resort Visitors Centre

All camping and overnight visitors have access to the resorts pool, bar and restaurant. If you forgot something, supplies can be purchased from the resort store. In addition, if your vehicle is low on fuel, don’t worry because the resort also has on-site petrol bowsers.

Wilpena Pound Resort is a perfect base for any stay in the Ikara-Flinders National Park. If you are going to be doing some of the longer hiking trails like the St Mary’s Peak hike. Make sure you are wearing proper enclosed shoes; take plenty of water and food. Log your time of departure in the book provided or at the visitor centre. You know, just in case! Safety First! So enjoy yourself, breathe in the fresh air and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information Wilpena Pound Resort

Resort Reservations: 1800 805 802
Email: reservations@wilpenapound.com.au
Resort Reception: 08 8648 0004
Campground Bookings: 08 8648 0048
Website: www.wilpenapound.com.au

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Australia, Australia, Places to Go, Restaurants

Making our way to the Marion Bay Tavern – South Australia

March 1, 2017 OurWorldinReview 4 Comments

South Australia has a lot of things for visitors or tourists to do. The problem is most of it is a couple of hundred kilometres away. Sure the city of Adelaide has plenty to do around this time of year as the festival season is upon us and the city comes alive. Yet, South Australia offers much, much more. With a few days to spare we pack some gear into the trusty car and just decide to drive and see where the road takes us. We drive out of the city and make our way onto the Yorke Peninsula and head right down to the foot of the peninsula to Marion Bay. Once there we try out the Marion Bay Tavern.

Welcome to Marion Bay — Hello from Marion Bay

Marion Bay is a popular stopover for fisherman and surfers. This is due to some of the beaches providing great surfing conditions and long jetties stretching out into the Great Australian Bight.

As South Australian’s we have been to the Yorke Peninsula before, usually just rushing to the place we need to go. But this time we know, time isn’t an issue and take our time visiting some of the small towns along the way.

Ardrossan's coastline — The small town of Ardrossan’s coastline

We have a quick lunch at a local tuck shop in Ardrossan, and stop for coffee and hot donuts in Port Vincent before arriving at our final destination of Marion Bay.

Port Vincent foreshore — Having coffee and donuts at Port Vincent

As we haven’t booked anywhere to stay we locate the Marion Bay Caravan Park and pay for a non powered site for AUD$25. Now I must admit I’m not the best camper around, preferring 5-star camping in big fancy hotels. My wife is the camper in our family, so in the name of being a good sport we quickly erect our two man tent before heading into the town for a meal.

The Marion Bay caravan park is a large spacious family park with playground equipment and an impressive kangaroo jumper (jumping pillow) for the children.

Marion Bay’s caravan park has a range of accommodation options with powered and non powered camping sites available. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a tent or caravan, because the park also has a variety of cabins available.

After my impressive display of erecting the tent (see above) and subsequent victory lap, we took a walk around the township to watch the sunset, take a stroll along the foreshore and find a place to have dinner.

Making our way past the popular fishing jetty we find the Marion Bay Tavern and head in for a meal. Uniquely, it has a pizza shop at the front for takeaway pizzas with a more casual dining area and front bar if you prefer to dine in.

Marion Bay Tavern dining area — Casual dining area with friendly staff and locals

The tavern has a good sized menu with a variety of dishes available from their popular pizzas to your more traditional pub fare. The wine menu was also impressive with an excellent selection of South Australian and New Zealand wines.

We decided to have a serving of their crusty bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Marion Bay’s local dukkah. The warm crusty bread was fresh and the Marion Bay dukkah was spicy and full of flavour. Unfortunately we ran out of bread and olive oil both before the dukkah was finished.

Beautiful warm crusty bread with Marion Bay Dukkah

Since we were in a fishing town we once again opted for a Seafood Basket. I mean unless you are allergic to shellfish, how can you resist fresh local seafood. The seafood was nicely cooked, but the scallops were tiny.

Seafood Basket Picture — Marion Bay Tavern’s Seafood Basket, unfortunately the scallops were tiny.

Finally our last food selection was a roasted field mushroom stuffed with baby spinach, caramelised onion and sweet potato. This was served with a dressed rocket and citrus salad. The dish was a perfectly constructed success, full of flavour and wonderfully cooked.

Marion Bay Tavern food picture — Roasted Field Mushrooms stuffed with spinach, served with a rocket and citrus salad.

For a country pub, the Marion Bay Tavern is a great place to have a meal. The friendly staff and local atmosphere is inviting, I could see myself spending the evening there and watching a band and getting to know the locals better.

Once dinner was over we took a leisurely stroll along the foreshore to the bluff (Penguin Point) to catch the spectacular sunset.

Sunset photo — A spectacular sunset from the bluff lookout at Marion Bay (click the photo for the full effect).

After watching the sun fade away, we headed back to the caravan park to settle in for an early night, ready for our early morning trip into the Innes National Park. Visit Josie Wanders for our experience in Innes National Park.

Additional Information Marion Bay Caravan Park

17 Willyama Drive, Marion Bay SA 5575
Ph: (08) 8854 4094
Website: www.marionbaycp.com.au

For other accommodation options on the Yorke Peninsula click here.

Additional Information Marion Bay Tavern

5 Stenhouse Bay Road, Marion Bay SA 5575
Ph: (08) 8854 4141
Website: www.marionbaytavern.com.au

Main Meal Price Range AUD$18.00 – $36.00

Marion Bay Tavern rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Decor =8
Atmosphere =8
Service =8
Price =8
Food =8

Overall = 8

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Australia, Tours & Attractions

Come fly with us to the Aviation Museum, Adelaide

February 8, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Over the years, Port Adelaide has had a thriving transport history, from cargo ships, to the busy road and rail networks. So in my opinion it would be fairly obvious that the Maritime and Railway museums would be located in Port Adelaide. Yet surprisingly there is another museum in Port Adelaide that is just as impressive. Ourworldinreview recently made our way into Port Adelaide to visit this incredible place. Welcome to the South Australian Aviation Museum.

Located right next door to the National Railway Museum the South Australian Aviation Museum is tucked away in a hidden aircraft hangar. Make sure you take care, as the entry into the museum grounds is easily missed.

From the outside, the museum looks like a vacant shed with the only indicator being a small sign above the front door.

Once you enter the hangar you are greeted by the friendly volunteers who man the service desk. The front office also acts as a shop and has various model airplane kits stocked on the shelves. This is quite fitting for those adults and children inspired by the aircraft they are about to discover.

I must admit I was unsure what to expect in the museum. Would there be a couple of small planes or some scale models with information plaques? Hence, when you enter the main hangar you can’t help but be impressed with the full sized aircraft available for your viewing.

The first thing you notice is the hangar is spotless. There is a good variety of planes on display, from the F-111 fighter jet to the World War II Spitfire. The museum also has a helicopter used in the Vietnam War and other incredible aircraft’s that have done some extraordinary flights around the world.

South Australia’s Aviation Museum provides some good educational information for its visitors about the aircraft and other aviation matters. Visitors also have the ability to climb aboard a few aircraft to check out the cockpits and the flight controls. So many buttons and levers!

In conclusion the South Australian Aviation Museum is a good way to spend a couple of hours. I would recommend combining a visit to both the National Railway Museum and the Aviation Museum in a day trip. Therefore, grab the children and head down to the Aviation Museum and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for the Aviation Museum

66 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015
Ph: (08) 8240 1230
Website: www.saam.org.au

Trading Hours

Daily 10:30am – 04:30pm except Christmas

Accommodation is available around the Port Adelaide area

Book now with Booking.com

Entry Fee

Adults $10, Concession cards $8

Children (under16) $5

Family (2 adults, 3 children) $25

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Australia, Restaurants

Pumped to be at the Aldgate Pump Hotel – Adelaide

February 5, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

If you head up the South Eastern Free-way away from Adelaide and exit at the Stirling off ramp, then drive another five minutes you will find the peaceful town of Aldgate. During the recent stage 2 of the Santos Tour Down Under, riders rode a lapped course around Stirling and Aldgate. This has been a popular stage as the hills locals are quick to embrace the spirit of the event. After meeting up with some friends we decided to eat at the nicely positioned Aldgate Pump Hotel.

The Aldgate Pump Hotel is located in a prime position to watch the race. Riders fly through the roundabout at the front as they make their way around the course. This historic hotel has two stories and offers reasonable fare for its customers. With a sports bar at the front, a dining area at the back and a gaming room, its patrons have a choice of where they would like to spend their time.

Outdoor Drinking Area — Front outdoor drinking and dining area

Because it had been a while since seeing our friends we organised to have lunch with them to catch up on the good old days. The dining room is situated at the back of the hotel, which I found a bit dark and gloomy. There is a selection of seating options, from the comfortable booths, standard table settings or the al fresco dining area through the back doors. Since it was a bit breezy outside we took up a comfortable booth seat.

Dining Area — These booths are quite comfortable, even though the room is a bit gloomy

Al fresco dining area — The al fresco area would be my pick if the day was a little better.

The Aldgate Pump Hotel provides a seasonal menu on top of their standard and specials menus. Additionally, since they are a bar they also have a good range of drinks to accompany your meals. Our choices for the day were the, salt and pepper calamari, a chicken breast schnitzel with Diane sauce, the caramelised tomato, shallot and feta tart and finally the crumbed seafood platter.

The salt and pepper calamari was well cooked, not oily or dry and flavoured evenly.

Additionally, the chicken breast schnitzel is standard pub food and the Aldgate do a good one.

Furthermore, my seafood platter was also good. I did find that the Moreton bay bug parcels had a strong flavour, yet I still enjoyed them.

And possible the pick of the meals was the caramelised tomato, shallot and feta tart.

After a good afternoon, we found the Aldgate Pump Hotel to be quite cosy. The food is good without being exceptional, and the beer is cold. In addition, if you are around the Aldgate area, pop into the Aldgate Pump Hotel and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information

1 Strathalbyn Road, Aldgate SA 5154
Ph: (08) 8339 2015
Website: www.aldgatepumphotel.com.au

Main Meal Price Range AUD$18.00 – $32.00

Trading Hours

Weekdays: 10am – 8pm
Saturdays: 9am – 8pm & Sundays 11am – 8pm

Book your accommodation around Aldgate here

Aldgate Pump Hotel rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Decor =7
Atmosphere =7
Service =7
Price =7
Food =7

Overall = 7

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Additional Information for Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

Additional Information for the Royal Australian Mint

Additional Information for the National Gallery of Australia

Trading Hours

Additional Information for the Port Club

Trading Hours – Mon-Sun

The Port Club rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Additional Information for the South Australian Maritime Museum

Trading Hours

Additional Information for Poddy Dodger’s

Trading Hours

Poddy Dodger’s rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Additional Information Wilpena Pound Resort

Additional Information Marion Bay Caravan Park

Additional Information Marion Bay Tavern

Marion Bay Tavern rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Additional Information for the Aviation Museum

Trading Hours

Additional Information

Trading Hours

Aldgate Pump Hotel rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Our world is an amazing place, so go out there and enjoy it!