Mahabalipuram & Chennai, India (21st-24th July 2010) - II

Flight No: CX631/CX632 (HKG-MAA-HKG)
Date: 21st - 24th July 2010
Flying Hours: 5 hours 10 mins
(GMT +0530)

Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kancheepuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has an average elevation of 12 metres (39 feet).

Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The name Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favourite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The whole bunch of the Indian children waved their hands at me and greeted me, I felt very warmth-welcomed.Mr. IndiaI flew with my lovely classmate, Huan-Yin this time, thanks her for accompanying me to this amazing place.I have conquered another World Heritage Site, Well Done!!!People are not Useless, but they are USED LESS!
Strong waves on the Indian OceanGames stall on the beachThe Indian GOD!
The God and the GoddessThe hulk from IndiaWith my fans from India, this is the 4th picture that they requested to take together with me.To get more of life, Give more of yourselfArjuna's PenanceFive RathasThe Indian group from CalcuttaAnother group of Indian fansIndian Cuisince at Jaapar Restaurant

Cairns, Australia (14th-17th July 2010)

Flight: CX103/CX102 (HKG-CNS-HKG)
Date: 14th - 17th July 2010
Flying Hours: 7 hours 5 mins
(GMT +1000)

Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns (the Governor of Queensland). It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region.

The city is rapidly expanding, with a population of 122,731 at the 2006 census. Tourism is the largest income producer for the region, followed closely by the sugar industry. An intercensal estimate for the resident population the Local Government Area as of June 2008 was 158,700.

Cairns is located about 1,700 km (1,056 miles) from Brisbane, and about 2,420 km (1,504 miles) from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 km (81 miles) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It also serves as a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland.

Various parks and attractions take advantage of the city's natural surroundings. Among them are Rainforestation Nature Park, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 miles) over World Heritage rainforest.

A notable feature of the Cairns esplanade is a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here, as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so. A boardwalk allows pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore from the lagoon.

Charles and Kenny organised a BBQ dinner and invited all of us to join, so we went to Woolworth in the afternoon to buy foodstuff and the neccessary things. Each one of us contributed AUD20 and we bought fresh prawns, beef terderloin, lamb shank, chicken, pork, veal sausages, drinks, garlic & onion powder, vegetables, salad dressings, etc. We had too many things to carry and they're too heavy for us to carry back to our hotel, so we decided to steal the trolley to push all the way back to our hotel with all our foodstuff. Picture below are the evidence of stealing ... Shhhh!!!!!!
Rydges Esplanade Hotel, Cairns
Getting everything ready for BARBEQUE!
We have never failed to show our teamwork, even after flight.
Alicia from Korea, Kennis & Liana from HKG (from left to right) The Economy Class crew, lead by Mr CharlesAll the BCs ....Please enjoy the food, ladies and gentlemenThis is the view from my room #816 at 6am, see how fantastic the scenery is, purple skyat 7amItinerary of our tour to Fitzroy Island, we did not join the tour which costs us more than AUD150 each to the island with snorkelling, kayaking and a lunch box. We just purchased a ferry transfers at AUD58 each, then we will decide what to do on that island and rent for the equipments, this way we really saved a lot, at least more than half of the package price. With a sporty girl, Tin-Yan from Hong Kong, really thank her for joining me for the tour, as we've gotta wake up at 6am in the morning (HKG time 4am).
Fitzroy Island is a continental island out from Djujbirri (formally known as Cape Grafton), 29km south of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.Corals on the beachOur first activity on the island was hiking, since it was quite cloudy when we arrived, so we decided to hike to the top of the hill overlooking the island, while waiting for the sun to scatter before we go for water activities.View from the SummitCHEERSNext, KAYAKING ~the Beach HireLeaving Fitzroy Island With the family from SydneyPicture time inflight on the way back to Hong Kong, the Economy Class crew
The 5 BCs of CX103/CX102 in A33B
The luckiest man in the world
Click PLAY to view the video I've taken on our hiking & kayaking tour on Fitzroy Island: