Convair flight to Fiji.

I was waiting for my flight out of Tuvalu, having a beer in the hotel bar.

I had just been talking to an engineer who was looking at resurfacing the runway. The coral underneath is collapsing under the weight of modern planes. It was only build to take lightweight US Army bombers, in 1944. A temporary wartime airfield that was still in use.

I was just digesting this slightly worrying information when my plane arrived. 

It was a late 1950s Convair.....

Had I seen it in an aircraft museum I would have admired its grace and beauty.  

Instead I was unwillingly pushed aboard by a hostess, and endured a flight back to Fiji in it. 

Skygardens cigar

Cigar in Skygardens.

After spending Easter 2012 in Sydney I flew up to Bali for a couple of weeks, on my way up to Jakarta.  

I stayed at the old Imperial at Seminyak, which had changed its name again. Now it’s the Royal Beach. That place changes names more often than a hooker changes undies.

It is still a quality hotel though, and in a quiet part of Bali. You can walk in 15 minutes down to the seedy fleshpots of Kuta if you want to risk the beach. I say risk because during the day the beach is full of hawkers trying to sell you crap, and at night its full of drunks and thieves who try to take the crap back off you.

Bali is an incredible place that engenders a real love-hate relationship. Touristy and tacky one minute, and serene and fascinating the next. You walk past bars full of drunken Aussies shouting and fighting, turn a corner and in front of you is a Buddhist temple with a ceremony taking place.  Bali people are calm and gentle, and put up with a lot of crap from tourists.

I was shocked to discover that the Double 6 club is gone, as too is Déjà vu. The two kingpins of entertainment on the Seminyak side of Kuta, both gone in a year. 

Double 6 was legendary around the world. It opened at 6pm and closed at 6am (hence the name) and the nightclub had a huge pool and a bungy tower in the middle of it.  An entry fee kept the riffraff out, and the drinks and fun flowed like water.  It first opened in 1987 and had a 15,000 watts sound system that you could hear halfway across Bali. They would even let you ride a motorbike off the bungy tower. The place was like that.

And now its gone. Vale Double 6.  I had a ball with you.

Déjà vu was just up the road and now it’s a fancy restaurant.  I last had a drink there a couple of years ago, and it was a zombi bar by then, dead but not buried yet. 

The action is now back in Kuta, near where the 2002 bombings took place.  Savvy marketers might wince at the idea of opening a nightclub within sight of a huge memorial to the 202 who died in a nightclub bombing, but not the Indonesians. They even named one bar after the one that got blown up.

The best by far is Skygarden, a huge complex of bars on multiple floors, each with a different flavour of music.  The place gets packed, and they let Westerners in for free but charge the locals to get in, unless they are accompanied by a westerner. This bizarre ruling results in a pool of local hotties hanging around the entrance trying to get a Westerner to escort them inside.

They have a number of performers in the clubs, including girls who look like pole dancers on steroids, and fire dancers  - with a half naked girl with a blazing hoola hoop.  I kid you not.

One of the fire dancers took a shine to me, and got real close during her performance, as she lit the cigar I had just pulled out of my pocket.   The result was a lot of singed hair and eyebrows, and a big grin on my face. The cigar however tasted of kerosene, and she dripped burning fuel all over my trousers. A kindly barmaid put me out with a wet tea towel. 

PASAI Governing Board 2012

In February 2012 I found myself in Auckland New Zealand, attending a Pacific Association of Supreme Auditing Institutions governing board. 

The Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI) is the official association of supreme audit institutions (government Audit Offices and similar organisations, known as SAIs) in the Pacific region. PASAI is one of the regional working groups belonging to the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

Tuvalu Lunchtime views

Tuvalu, which was called the Ellis islands,  became independent of the UK in 1978. It almost feels like a small UK town or village. Albeit a village that sits on sinking coral and rising oceans. Which is a bit of a worry as most of the atoll is actually below sea level.

Like so much of life, the real story of Tuvalu’s problems are not told. The Americans arrived here in 1943, and built an airfield. Rather than import rock to do so, they scrapped the island away, digging huge borrow pits, crushing to coral and using it to build the runway, which is raised to avoid the sea on what was already a low lying island. They then bulldozed the island even more, to create low sea walls, to protect the airfield. All of this lowered the middle of the island to below sea level. Not a top idea.

Now at high tide the water seeps up in the low lying areas, slipping under the sea walls. I have photos already to prove this. You can see the high sea walls, the raised runway, the lower areas around them and the big holes where the American engineers dug out the materials they needed to create concrete.

Now everyone photographs the water and yells global warming. I think they should yell “American Ceebees”.


Every day on Tuvalu I would walk over from the Government Offices where I was working to a little hotel (where Princess Ann once stayed) and have lunch on a platform over the beach. The views were spectacular.

The Government Office:

The Lunch Platform:

The view to the left:

And the view to the right:

Westminster, London Christmas Eve 2011

Whilst in the UK I took the train down to London for the day on Christmas Eve. 

I felt like Richard Hannay,  the John Buchanon  character from the book "The 39 Steps" who returns to London after many years as a colonial expat.

It had been over 20 years since I had last been there, and a lot of things had changed. London, always a cultural and racial melting pot, was now like a giant UN meeting.  

The place seemed cleaner, more colourful and vibrant than I remembered, but perhaps that is just old memories playing tricks.  A lot of things were still the same though. London double decker buses, black taxis, Harrods, the underground.  

And as I do every time I visit, I marvelled at the white portland stone buildings, each one seemingly holding a place in history.  

Tusker Beer, Vanuatu 2009 (New Hebrides

Enjoying a Tusker beer on Efate Island, Vanuatu (formerly known as the New Hebrides),  Christmas Eve 2009.

Fort Dennison, Sydney

Inside the gun room at Fort Dennison, the Martello Tower located in Sydney harbour.

This was the last Martello Tower ever built in the British Empire.  Fortification of Pinchgut island began in 1841 but was not completed. Construction resumed in 1855 because of fear of a Russian naval attack during the Crimean War, and was completed on 14 November 1857.  The guns were built in during construction of the 6.7 m thick walls of the fort, and cannot be removed.  

Tuvalu Dancers

Traditional male dancers on Tuvalu.

Australian Army

I served as an officer in the Australian Army, and in fact at one time, not being an Australian, I was technically a mercenary. 

On a course at the Army Logistics Centre, Bandiana.

After a Parade:

Before a parade:

Looking pensive in DPCU:

Mess Dress, before a Corps Dinner:

Charni Beach Bombay, Early 1980s.

Bombay, early 1980s.  This was taken from the Hanging Gardens, near the Tower of Silence on Malabar Hill, where the Parsi still left the bodies of the dead to be picked over by vultures.  

The beach is Charni Beach, and in the top right you can just see the famous Marine Drive. It curves behind the large beach in the foreground.

Marine Drive is now a high rise area.  Real estate prices along the esplanade are among the highest in India, and fourth in the world at US$2100 per square feet.


This is Marine Drive further round the beach:

Capelles Nauru

Capelles on Nauru.  The biggest and best store on Nauru, complete with bottle shop.  I lived in an apartment behind and above the supermarket. 

Japanese girl

Japanese girl

Tuvalu Drought

In late 2011 Tuvalu suffered from a terrible drought. Families were restricted to a few litres of water a day.  

By the time I arrived on the island it was swarming with specialists, all proffering theories.  global warming was a favorite. 

An old hand took me out and showed me the real reason when it rained. Poor maintenance on gutters and catchment tanks, on an island that was so low lying that you couldn't use bore water, meant disaster. 

I took the photo six months after the drought had ended.  Sections of gutter were still missing from this government building.  Downpipes didn't exist. Precious water flow into the ground. 

Nanta

Nanta are a Korean non verbal comedy show based around cooking.  The show involves acrobatics, magic tricks, comedy, pantomime and audience participation. The unifying element throughout the musical is the use of traditional Korean samul nori music, which in this case in performed with improvised instruments, such as cutting boards, water canisters and kitchen knives. Nanta is the longest-running show in Korean history.
Nanta is a series of roles played by different actors, the female (Hot Sauce) can be played by any of nine girls.  Here is Song Ha Mi playing the role.

Tarawa Atoll

This was the view from just outside my office on Tarawa Atoll, looking down the reef. Someone actually lived in that thatched hut on the beach.  

The sand was soft and warm, the lagoon turquoise and inviting. Sadly, it is highly polluted with fecal contamination and unsafe to swim in.

Korean girl

A Korean girl steels herself before a performance. 

Chateau 1771, El Pueblo, Mandaluyong City Manila

A rainy night in El Pueblo, Mandaluyong City Manila. The building is Chateau 1771, a famous restaurant.  The rain and the black and white photograph make it look like Paris, rather than Asia. 

I lived almost next door, and behind 1771 was the Sidebar.....

Some quotes of the internet about 1771:

"This famed restaurant is known for its "no borders" cuisine: mouthwatering innovations on well-loved Swiss, Italian, and French culinary concoctions that are simply divine on the taste buds".

"What I admire most about Chateau is that it has maintained itself as an edgy and elegant, tasteful and tasty restaurant. With food this good, I would follow this restaurant to L.A. (just like Posh has followed Beckham!). As long as they continue serving their Ivory Chocolate Ice Cream and Coffee Pie!"

"I have been eating, drinking coffee and lounging around Chateau 1771 since 1996. I have spent significant time in Chicago and New York and now live in Upstate New York. One of the things I miss most about home is this restaurant. Trust me! Try to dine on an evening where they have live musicians. Food, atmosphere and people are perfect. Feels exactly like home".

Korean Dancer

This was a Korean dancer in her traditional costume.  

yukata ice cream

Two Japanese girls, resplendent in colourful summer yukata, share an ice cream. 

I took this photograph years ago, but couldn't separate the girls from the background, so I used Photoshop to grey it out and blur it.....

Cafe Royal Bombay

India in the early 1980s was almost in a time warp. Although it was almost 40 years since the British left, much of the Raj remained. It was still just possible that former British colonial officers who decided to remain were still toiling away in some distance office.

The architecture remained the same, there was virtually no high rise in bombay at that time, and the traffic was very quiet.

I took this one afternoon from the Regal Cinema at Colaba, Bombay, just near the Wellington Fountain. Across the road stands the famous Bombay Cafe Royal, established in 1919.

The Cafe Royal still exists:  "Cafe Royal has been serving hungry patrons since 1919, which makes it one of Mumbai's oldest restaurants. Interestingly, the land on which Cafe Royal stands today was once used as a shed to park horse carriages for the Maharaja of Mourvi. What started back then as an Irani tea and samosa place gradually grew into one of the most famed fine dining restaurants with a live orchestra. Today Cafe Royal is once again bringing back the magic of the past and operates essentially as an all day cafe, specializing in Sizzlers and a variety of continental delicacies."

Bombay workshop, early 1980s

In the early 1980s I found myself in Bombay - when it was still called Bombay.  I would wander the streets taking photographs. Sadly most of them have gone, but I still have some.

Here an enterprising machinist has set up a little workshop in a tent at the aside of the road. He is actually on the pavement, and the ditch at the back is an open sewer/drain running though the tent.

Inside the tent was a very old electric powered lath You can see how he has made an illegal tap into the power pole.

The owner lived and worked in this tent, oblivious to passing traffic and people.

Sportsmans Bar and Grill, Jakarta 2007

Sadly now closed and abandoned, the upstairs bar at the Sportsmans Bar and Grill in Jakarta used to be a favorite of mine.  The food was good, you could watch sport, and the barmaids were always friendly. This photo was taken about 2007. 

Merry, trying to get me to try a vodka martini.....

And here is the Sportsmans in mid 2012...

Tuvalu hammock

Relaxing on Tuvalu.  The hammock is in the hotel garden and that is the airfield on the other side of the fence......

Nauru Coast Road

The coast road at Nauru runs all the way around the island, and all of the villages are on it. There is no road running across the island.

Tarawa Causeway

The Japanese built causeway links the small islands that encircle the Tarawa atoll. Unfortunately they also trap the water inside the atoll, leading to high levels of pollution and contamination in the water and in the fish caught inside the atoll.

Marcus Stephen, President of Nauru

Mr with the President of Nauru, Marcus Stephen. He was a former Olympic weightlifter,  and won seven Commonwealth Gold Medals. He resigned the day after this photo was taken, but is still a Cabinet Minister. 

Albion Hotel Auckland

All over Auckland are remnants of the very prosperous era when New Zealand shipped lamb back to Britain in refrigerated ships. This is the Albion Hotel. 

Green Nauru

Although often described as a sort of post apocalyptic lunar landscape, Nauru is actually very green and lush.   This is down near the coast, just behind the power station.  

further round the Coast Road near the boat harbour is dense green foliage:

And up on the top of this island, there is a  tropical rain forest:

1885 Bar, Auckland

Me at one of my favourite Auckland Bars, the 1885 in the Britomart area.  The bar is named after the year the former warehouse complex was built. 

From the internet:

Taking its name from the foundation year of historic Stanbeth House, 1885 Britomart is a sophisticated multi-level bar accessed off a private laneway behind Customs Street East.

Superbly designed, the interior is a clever blend of restored heritage features with rich contemporary styling. A high-ceilinged main bar with massive wooden beams and white stone bar gives way to the Martini Bar, a mezzanine lounge area full of deep velvet couches.

Opposite, the original warehouse doors open out onto a long covered verandah: the perfect vantage point for watching the Britomart nightlife go by.

Basement bar and live music

Hidden away downstairs is a luxurious underground cocktail bar, leather-upholstered and staffed by dedicated hosts. Here you can choose from an extensive cellar wine list or cocktails created by some of New Zealand’s best bartenders.

As well as a great place to drink, 1885 Britomart is a buzzing live music venue. Evening performances from some of New Zealand’s leading jazz, soul, blues and funk musicians are followed by a line-up of late-night DJs.

Close to Vector Arena, 1885 is ideally located for a drink before or after a show. A small, elegant bar food menu is also available at all times.

Discovery Apartments

Me outside "home" in Manila, the Discovery Apartments.....

From the internet:

Combining the warm comforts of home and the modern conveniences of a luxury serviced residence, Discovery Suites is the preferred address of business travelers, expatriates and long-staying guests in the Ortigas Business District. Situated right at the center of a smorgasbord of shopping and dining destinations , this 220-suite property offers easy, efficient access to both business and pleasure.

Bali Sunset on Tannah Lot

This is the sunset from the cliff top near Tannah Lot, on Bali. 

Two pretty girls in the crowd photograph it:

James Bond Island

This is the famous James Bond Island landmark in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

Its fame came through its starring role in the 1974 James Bond movie 'The Man with the Golden Gun'.

Boats are no longer allowed to come into the bay, and we had to land on the opposite side and take a short walk across to view the pinnacle. Phang Nga Bay covers an area of 400sqkm and is home to some 100 islands, and is now a National Park.