Bali Ha'i

Lorraine with Hindu God, Bali

Dear Family and Friends,

Bali Ha'i. South Pacific. That exotic and romantic story, play, and movie of interracial love popularized an unattainable place of innocence and happiness, the island of Bali Ha'i somewhere in the South Pacific. In the movie the song Bali Ha'i, as sung by Bloody Mary, was a haunting, enticing call of enchantment, but it was also a tantalizing call to anyone who had travel thoughts. As did I, in 1958, when the movie was released.

Bali Ha'i May Call You,
any Night, Any Day,
in Your Heart, You'll Hear It Call You:
"Come Away...Come Away."

No Worries

Dear Family and Friends, 

“Jelena’s Dream Over” screamed the front page headline of the Melbourne Herald Sun. Jelena Dokic, ex Serbian now Australian, had just lost her match in the round of sixteen at the Australian Open Tennis Championship, and with it Australia lost its hope for a ‘home grown’ champ in this year’s event. Jelena bowed out to Russian Diana Safina, who in turn, lost in the final to Serena-does-my-ass-look-big-in-this-outfit Williams. Oops.

Australia is the only place I know where the prime space in newspapers is reserved for sporting news. Not just some days, but pretty much every day The Australian, The Age, and other national newspapers reserve space on their first page for sports, whether it be ‘footy’, Australian rules, cricket, golf or any other sport followed by sports mad Australians. News of lesser import, turmoil in the mid-East, the global economic meltdown, domestic woes, and national politics etc. find space on inside pages.

Well, g'day folks, I'm traveling again. 

England Swings

Merv and Lorraine visited the UK in December 2007 to visit Jeff, Adele and the Wee Ones who were living near Warwick at the time. They also toured around and tracked down the towns Lorraine's ancestors had come from before moving to Canada. Although Merv didn't send out a travel report, here are some notes, thoughts and photos from this trip.

Castles and Family with Rosy Cheeked Children

What the devil is happening in Tasmania?

Dear Family and Friends,

What the devil is happening in Tasmania you asked? Well, to begin with, Errol Flynn, Hollywood Idol of thirties, forties, and fifties is still commemorated in a small restaurant in Hobart where he was born. And Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, also born in Hobart, is revered. In a country that has sought to throw off the vestiges of the British Crown, Mary, their home grown Royal, has captivated them. Somehow Princess Mary came up in a conversation we had with a local young lady (I think because Mary just gave birth to an heir to the Danish throne). When we asked who she was, the woman was honestly flabbergasted. She truly thought we were kidding her, having her on.

Bridestove Estate Lavender Farm

Upside Down in New Zealand - Travels 2005

February 2005

Hello everyone,

“Horse Poop, $1.50”, read the sign by the side of the road.  

A Sign That Says It All

Lorraine and I had just arrived in Kerikeri, in the heart of one of New Zealand’s principal tourist areas, the beautiful Bay of Islands, near the northern tip of the North Island, but this was a sign that could hardly escape our notice. We were to stay for five days in Kerikeri, at the Linton B&B. Tourism is unquestionably a very important industry in New Zealand, the second most important, I am sure. In 1960 only 36,000 tourists came to New Zealand. Last year, New Zealand, about one-fourth the size of British Columbia but with equivalent population at just under four million persons, played host to over two million tourists.  

But if one has any doubts as to what is their most important industry, that sign says it all. New Zealand is one big farm. Everywhere I have been since I arrived three weeks ago, it has been one continuous vista of farms, some with sheep, or cattle, or horses, sometimes deer, ostriches, or alpacas; others have hay or corn fields, while others are orchards or vineyards. Some of the farms are on rolling hills, others are more open range, but always they are pictures of pastoral beauty, unblighted by industrial plants anywhere, belching smoke or otherwise. Our hosts at the Linton B&B were Lynn and Tony, a retired ‘dry stock farmer’. (We would call a ‘dry stock’ farmer a rancher, whereas a ‘wet stock’ farm we call a dairy.)

Around the World in a 60s Daze. Chapter VII - The Nam

March 24, 2002.



Dear Family and Friends,

Swarms of motorcycles, straw woven conical hats, very narrow buildings, rice paddies so green they seem to glow, fresh baguettes, Hill Peoples in traditional dress, remnants from decades of war, all will be my enduring memory of Vietnam. These letters may be getting boring to many of you, but I am going to persist anyway, and hope there is something of interest for you.

Lorraine, Carole and I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) nearly three weeks ago and we have had a whirlwind tour of the country, south to north. With a population of 80 million, Vietnam is the 9th most populous country in the world, and, or course, it dominated world news for most of the sixties, seventies, and even eighties. Today these determined, hardworking people have put that struggle behind them and are now looking towards a prosperous future. They seem to be a country of entrepreneurs and there is really little evidence of Communism save large billboards urging workers on. Vietnam is full of tourists, Australians, French, German, Dutch, Scandinavians, and lots of Canadians. In fact, we met two pairs of Newfoundlanders in one hotel. I can't recall ever meeting someone from Newfoundland on any of my previous trips.

Around the World in a 60s Daze. Chapter VI - Bangkok & Cambodia

March 27, 2002


Dear Family and Friends,

It is almost as big of a culture shock arriving in Bangkok as it is arriving in India. This is my first visit to Thailand after years of hearing of it and all its enticements. The soaring skyscrapers, the ultra modern Light Rail Transit, the obvious wealth in Bangkok, all are in stark contrast to what I have seen. I suspect that the advantage Thailand enjoys over other South East Asian countries is the fact that it was never colonized by any European power. I am glad I made the stop in Sri Lanka; otherwise I'm sure I would have been totally overwhelmed.

Strangely though, as busy and interesting as it is, I do not find myself taking photos at every turn as I did in India and Sri Lanka, and my first days in Bangkok were spent getting my Vietnamese visa and booking the flights in and out of Cambodia and Viet Nam. I checked into the Maxim Inn (a recommendation of John McClurg's) on Suhkumvit Road between Soi 7 and Soi 9. It is modest, but quite comfortable and inexpensive. I checked out the hotel recommended by Glenn and Lorraine, the Royal Benja, but they travel on a much larger budget than I do, so I took a pass.

Carole (Holmes) arrived as scheduled at 11:59PM on February 19th; it is great to see someone from home. We talked until about 3:00AM, as I caught up somewhat on news from Canada, and Carole got more details than I'm sure she wanted to hear about India and Sri Lanka. (Now that Carole has arrived I will have to actually write the truth and stop making this stuff up. Just kidding. I'm still going to make it up.)