Relaxing in Bintan

Bintan is a 55 minute fast ferry ride from Singapore. But once you arrive, you are in a completely different world. You are also in a different country…Indonesia. We came here for a few days to relax after four very stimulating days in Singapore. 30 years ago. Bintan was primarily jungle. Then a number of expansive luxury resorts and a Club Med were built along the northern shore of the island, with four designer golf courses: Baker Finch, Nicklaus, Greg Norman and the big one, Rua Bintan, designed by Gary Player. Last week, it was the venue for a stop on the Asian Tour.

Once again, we chose our accommodation through Wotif. There were four choices, but we chose Bintan Lagoon Resort, since it had the most stars at the lowest price. The value was quite unbelievable, especially after Singapore. A $S420 deluxe waterfront room, including breakfast cost $S134. That’s about $100 CDN, including taxes. While some portions of the facility needed upgrading, a major renovation program was underway. Overall, it was very comfortable, with a beautiful pool and beach, and just about everything else that we needed.

The buffet breakfasts were excellent with a choice of traditional English, Western, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Indonesian foods. While I must confess that some of the Asian breakfast items seem a bit strange to me, I can only imagine what streaky bacon and baked beans look like to someone who prefers rice and soup! Actually, the thought of baked beans for breakfast is a bit strange for me. But the Brits insist on it, and it has been a regular item on just about every breakfast buffet we have seen since arriving in Fiji three months ago.

I didn’t get to play all the golf courses, but I played enough. I used a golf cart, and as is the custom in this part of the world, played with a caddie. Unfortunately there were not many people golfing, and one afternoon, Sumatra my caddie and I had the entire course to ourselves. I’m sure it’s an experience Sumatra will try to forget!

My favourite part of each day was ‘Happy Hour’. I have never seen so many different coloured cocktails, so Sally and I tried a few. We had to start with Singapore Slings, followed by Bintan Illusions, and Flying Kangaroos. When Sally, and a lovely German couple we had encouraged to join us, found their drinks too sweet, we switched to Margaritas and Kamikazes.

Dinner was another opportunity to try foods we do not normally eat. Local dishes included a variety of spicy noodle dishes, small crabs, lamb, beef, unusual chicken dishes, prawns, and lots of curries. We tried them all, although Sally always had to leave room for that Indonesian favourite…bread and butter pudding. For some reason, wine was very expensive. Wines from nearby Australia that sell for $8 in Melbourne were over $60 in the restaurant. Average wines were over $80. We decided that we had had enough Australian wine for a while.

Throughout our stay we marveled at the happy disposition and good nature of the Indonesian staff who attended to us. We couldn’t help but think how different their lives are compared to those of the guests they serve on a daily basis. As I watched some construction workers in the hot sun chipping away at a concrete walkway with their bare hands, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty at our good fortune. But people keep telling me that one has to accept and ‘get used to’ the greater disparity between rich and poor in many parts of Asia, compared to what we generally see in North America.

The irony is that a few hours later, as I toured the vast Duty Free Shopping area in Singapore’s airport, I started to feel like the disadvantaged. I mean, how can so many people buy $300 bottles of whiskey, and even more expensive bottles of cognac? Will someone really buy the $11,400 gold Nikon Camera on sale? Who buys all the ridiculously expensive brand clothing, watches and jewelry that are on display throughout the airport? It’s certainly not us. For one thing, we don’t really want these things; and for another, we can’t carry them. As it is, we are now over our self imposed 20 kilo per person weight limit, although that should change when we plan to drop off the golf clubs in Bangkok. However, there’s a lot to see and do between now and then. We’re off to Malaysia.

Sensational Singapore: a sense of Pride

Sense of pride is something that is very evident around Singapore. While we often hear people ridicule the country for its rules and regulations: no chewing gum in public, no spitting, no littering, etc. the result is the cleanest and one of the safest countries in the world. During our stay, we did not see any litter on the streets, despite the daily handout of flyers, and many street vendors and fast food outlets. There is no graffiti; the streets are beautifully landscaped and maintained; and every street feels like Robson Street on a Friday night. It’s a country consumed with eating and shopping, and our impression is that despite the government control over daily life, most residents feel a genuine sense of pride in the attributes and accomplishments of their country.

To fully understand life in Singapore, one has to know what goes on behind the scenes. We were fortunate in having Warren and Rilla Buckley show us around. This is the same Warren Buckley who helped make the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre an international success. For the past 7 years, he has been CEO of Singapore’s privately owned Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the largest of its kind in the world. As we drove around, Warren spoke about traffic management and sense of order that takes place on the streets. In an effort to manage congestion, some cars have red license plates that signify they can only be used on weekends. The rest have a box on the dashboard that calculates tolls for using downtown roads at peak hours. If a car breaks down, the driver puts on his 4-way flashers, and people will drive around, without honking or swearing, as they would in most other places.

While we briefly thought about staying at Raffles, at over $700 a night on Wotif, this was not in the cards. Warren suggested the Royal Plaza on Scotts, a recently renovated hotel in the Orchard Road district, owned by the Sultan of Brunei. “There should be a sign pointing to Mecca in your room” he told us. One night after dinner, Sally decided to find it, and she did. There it was, in a bedside table drawer, just under a copy of the Old Testament! Just joking…about the old testament. The sign was there.

I wanted to go to the hotel’s prayer room before we set off for golf at Warren’s club late Sunday morning. But Warren insisted we had to be there on time.“You must experience playing at 1.15 degrees off the equator at high noon”, and so we did. “What’s that?” I asked as a black animal crawled across the fairway. “It’s a lizard” he replied, adding that they’re quite fast. So was my swing.

There were no lizards at the Polo Club, at least not on the field. As we enjoyed cold drinks in the viewing area lounge, I thought this is truly an international place, unlike any other I have ever visited. It’s English, it’s Chinese, it’s ‘other Asian’, and you are constantly seeing and hearing people from every part of the world.

Singapore is an incubator for many urban ideas. Taxis are fitted with speed monitors. If a driver exceeds the limit, a sound goes off in the car, and a light flashes on the roof. Most transit riders have an easy to use pre-paid plastic card. It calculates fares based on the distance traveled, and can be topped up as required. Most people live in housing built by the government, although there is plenty of private housing for the rich.

And there are plenty of rich people. While we were here, a newspaper story reported that the salaries of government ministers and senior officials were falling behind those of the private sector. And so they would be increased, from $S1.2 million to $S2.2 million. Even with the exchange rate, it’s a lot of money (1$S=.76$Cdn.)

As for the price of housing, last week a new project in the Orchard Road district, near our hotel sold for a record $4,000 a square foot. (Thanks be to God)

Since I was here about 10 years ago, there have been many new developments. There is a new Concert Hall, the design of which is inspired by the durian fruit; and some very tall, and high density buildings in the financial district.

While many of the older neighbourhoods have been redeveloped, those that do remain are very interesting, and many are being renovated. I particularly liked the building at the end of this posting, with the coloured shutters.

In talking to Warren and Rilla, we agreed that there are many aspects of life in Singapore that should be transferred to Canada. At the same time, there is a level of government control that we can do without. “There has to be a middle ground” said Rilla, and we agreed. But at the moment, I would gladly accept many of Singapore’s edicts if it would help clean up Vancouver, and bring about the high level of safety, the reduced level of crime, and the overall sense of pride enjoyed by Rilla’s neighbours and the other residents of this sensational city state.

Melbourne…tied for No 1

…with Vancouver, as the most livable city in the world. At least, that’s what we’re told in Vancouver. But while most Melbourne residents are aware of their city’s status as the best city in the world in which to live, they aren’t aware of Vancouver’s place on the list. It’s interesting to compare the two cities.
One of the best ways to see Melbourne is from the river, and so we booked a river cruise that took us through the CBD, the port, and out towards some of the parks and gardens. It’s a very impressive city with a surprising number of grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings and arcades; some exceptionally striking new developments along the riverfront;

four different venues with retractable roofs; a major cultural complex in the city centre; and extensive shopping and park areas. While we were there, it was difficult to arrange accommodation in the city due to the number of events taking place, including an international swimming competition, and the Formula One Car Race. (We experienced the latter when we made a wrong turn trying to return the car to Avis Rentals, and ended up on the track!)

Although it is difficult to assess a city’s ‘livability’ from a brief visit, and despite our pride in Vancouver, we think the judges must have been smoking some pretty good Vancouver weed when they decided our two cities are equal!

We stayed at St. Kilda’s, a vibrant inner-city suburb on the water, a short tram ride from the downtown. Melbourne managed to keep most of its streetcar lines, and we had no difficulty getting around on transit. My only regret is that we didn’t take the dinner tram, which offers fine dining on heritage trams as they travel around the city. Instead, we ate along Fitzroy Street, which in places is a continuous parade of restaurants, mostly with a Mediterranean flavour. (Apparently Melbourne has the largest population of Greeks, outside of Greece!) The temperature was warm, although local residents told us the city can experience four seasons in one day. However, by the sound of things, none of them are similar to Vancouver in March 07!

We would like to have spent more time visiting the various neighbourhoods and the galleries, but we were eager to get to Singapore. So after a couple of hours of eating and drinking exceptional Australian wines in the Emirates lounge, we boarded the 7 ½ hour flight at 8:30 in the evening. I couldn’t understand why we were leaving so late, until I learned that most of the people on the flight were going to Dubai or London. But at 1:30 in the morning, we were happy to get off in Singapore, and into a waiting black Mercedes organized by Emirates, and headed off into the bright lights of the city. But we didn’t go too fast, since some Singapore taxis are fitted with a rooftop light that flashes if the vehicle is driving too quickly.

Happy Birthday, Jim

I hope these bronzed Aussies will help you celebrate this special day. I also hope you don't mind sharing your present with some of our friends.

Queenscliff-where time has stood still

Queenscliff was established for the pilot boats that steered ships through treacherous Port Phillip Heads, one of the most dangerous seaways in the world. It’s known as ‘The Rip’ and the coast is littered with over 200 shipwrecks. In the 19^th century, it was a favoured holiday town for wealthy Melburnians with extravagant hotels and guesthouses. Some of these remain with their elegant lobbies and dining rooms. Unfortunately, they are not all open on a Tuesday night in March. We stayed at one of the old guesthouses on the Esplanade, overlooking the beach. The guests’ lounge was a very elegant room. In the corner was a table with a silver tray and three crystal decanters, full of whiskey, sherry, and port. I found that the Australian sherry was improved with a touch of whiskey, but the port was just fine on its own.

We had dinner in the dining room of the gracious Hotel Vue Grand. We then returned to our guesthouse, since everything else was closed. The next morning, we met a couple visiting from Sydney, and joined them on the ferry crossing to Sorrento. On our way to the ferry, we reluctantly drove by the entrance to the golf course. The course itself was on an island, part of a military reserve. To get to it, you had to go through security, and along two very long causeways, connecting the island to the mainland. We had investigated playing, but decided to wait until next time. And there will be a next time.

While we spent six days traveling from Adelaide to Melbourne, we really only got a small glimpse of this part of Australia. There is so much more to see. As we were leaving Kingston a few days ago, we chatted briefly to a fellow I noticed wearing a Seattle Mariners shirt. It turned out this was his 21^st visit to Australia. While we are too old for 19 more visits, we will definitely be back to revisit Queenscliff, and the coast outside Melbourne.

The Great Ocean Road

One of the main reasons we had flown to Adelaide was to drive the Great Ocean Road along the coast towards Melbourne. It is considered Australia’s most scenic coastal drive, and one of the top ten in the world. (I wonder if the Sea to Sky Highway is on the list. If so, it’s probably off now that it has been straightened.) The road was completed in 1932, and in many places is carved out of the limestone rock. In other places, it runs through forests and very barren landscapes. For a while, we thought we might not get through since the brush along the road was smoldering. But we subsequently learned this could have been the result of controlled fires. (The irony is that the smell of smoke remained in our car for days, and I was concerned I might be charged the $500 penalty for which renters are liable, if it is determined they were smoking in the car!)

Along the way are numerous viewing areas, but the most famous is the Twelve Apostles, referring to twelve giant rocks in the ocean. Unfortunately, one of the Apostles collapsed in 2005, so now there are only eleven left, but who’s counting. (It’s difficult to see them all at the same time, anyway.) To enhance the viewing experience, the State government has built a small information centre and underpass beneath the highway. It is really quite well done, with the centre’s metal roof a coloured patchwork to match the surrounding vegetation.

We arrived as the sun was setting, but didn’t want to stay for the sunset, since we still had an hour’s drive to Apollo Bay, our destination for the night. Sally doesn’t like driving at night in Australia. It’s because of the kangaroos and wambats. They come out in the evening and hang around the middle of the road. People who do a lot of night driving often have large ‘Roo Bars’ mounted on the front of their vehicles. But our new red Camry was not so equipped. So we missed more dramatic sunsets, but managed to make it to Apollo Bay before all of the rooms were booked, and before all the restaurants had closed. People tend to eat much earlier in this part of Australia.

We had planned to leave immediately after breakfast, so we would have plenty of time to explore the many sights along the road. But before setting off, I went to buy some postcards. I found one of the town…with a golf course featured prominently along the ocean. The course was off the main road, so we had missed it when we arrived. The newsagent told us it was only nine holes, and that was all we needed to hear. We joined Frances and Noelle from Melbourne. Noelle said she didn’t play golf, she just enjoyed the walk. Sally said she was the same. But when Noelle didn’t tee off, we realized she wasn’t joking. She really was along just for the walk.

Interestingly, as visitors we were not allowed to play the same tee boxes as the members. Frances explained that this is common on some courses in Australia with small tee boxes. Otherwise, too much wear and tear interferes with the members’ enjoyment of the course. While the layout didn’t compare with Port Fairy, it did have scenic views and was time well spent.

From Apollo Bay we drove to Lorne, which was very disappointing. Developers have ruined much of the waterfront. We then drove through other small communities, eventually arriving at our destination, the historic town of Queenscliff. As you will soon see, time has stood relatively still in Queenscliff.

Port Fairy Golf Club

To our few non-golfing readers, I’m sure it must seem rather sad that some people can get so excited about where and when they play golf. But we must tell you about the Port Fairy Golf Course. I was initially attracted by a description in a magazine. It said it was ‘consistently rated highly in the list of top public courses in Australia. But hit straight, or bring a snorkel!’ Many of the holes are set in the sand dunes overlooking the ocean.It’s not a fancy place; the green fees are $28 for 18 holes. But it is one of the most dramatic golfing experiences we have ever enjoyed. Some of the holes compare favourably to those found at the magnificent ocean courses in Hawaii, or, closer to home, the 14^th hole at Furry Creek. I am including a few photos, (although they don’t do the course justice) in the hope that you will check it out, if you are in the area.

Fleurieu Peninsula and the Limestone Coast

When we were in Brisbane, we met a delightful couple on the river ferry. They were carrying umbrellas, and I had to tease them. “What are you doing with those? It hasn’t rained here for 500 days.” An hour later, it was raining! As we left the ferry together, we started to chat and it turned out that that they were Philip and Helen, visiting from just outside Adelaide. Philip had worked as a cardiologist in UK in the 70’s, and he and Sally started to reminisce about old friends. After five minutes, we were invited to stay at their beach house in Port Willunga outside of Adelaide. And so we did!

Port Willunga is a small community on the coast near the wine region of McLaren Vale. We had a wonderful evening meeting some of their friends and hearing about life in and around Adelaide. Philip was passionate about Australian wines, and like many people our age, they were searching for a new home. They had sold their large Adelaide property since it was ‘getting too big’, and the grass tennis court required too much maintenance. Early the next morning, I flipped through plans of homes they had bid on at auction, and wondered whether this sales approach will catch on in Vancouver. As we were leaving, we exchanged email addresses and planned to meet up in Vancouver next year.

After we left, Sally and I commented on our different attitude to ‘meeting strangers’ while traveling. Since leaving Vancouver, we have started talking to many people we would not normally chat to back in Vancouver. And everyone has a fascinating story. Late one evening in Adelaide, after attending the Fringe Festival, we started to chat to a couple as we were leaving a restaurant. It turned out he was a property developer who had built some apartments we had noticed that morning at Glenelg. Within no time, they were inviting us to a party at their Adelaide Hills home the next evening in their 10 acre Heritage Garden. Unfortunately, we had to decline, since we were off to see Helen and Philip. We hope that we can be more open to meeting people we don’t know when we return home.

From Port Willunga, we went into the quaint town of Willunga for a round of golf. Fortunately, the course was using reclaimed water, so teeing up wasn’t mandatory. That’s right. On some courses in South Australia and Victoria, the ground is now so dry you have to tee up every shot in order to help preserve the fairways.

We then drove a short distance to Victor Harbour, a lovely waterfront town, and decided to stay. We found accommodation at the McCracken Golf Resort, and at dusk set out along a long causeway (which during the day is traversed by a horse drawn cart) to find penguins. We learned why you must use red lights, not white lights or camera flashes (they disorient the penguins, and cause them to regurgitate the food they have been gathering for their young), but eventually we left for a roast dinner and entertainment at the local pub.

The next morning, I rose early to play in the regular Saturday Men’s ‘Comp’ while Sally went browsing in the town. She doesn’t actually shop, since she doesn’t want to carry the extra weight! I then went on a search for a suitably raunchy Australian birthday card for a specialfriend who will be turning 60 in Vancouver. Then it was off to the Limestone Coast, in search of fishing villages and fresh craws (lobsters).

We decided to stay at Kingston, since the northern entrance to the town is dominated by a 18 metre high lobster, fondly known as Larry. (If you have read Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country, you’ll know that Australians have a fascination with big things.)

The next morning, after a crayfish dinner, and a visit to the local fish market to buy one for the road, we were off. With no destination in mind we drove slowly along the Limestone Coast. If you want to know why it is called the Limestone Coast, it’s quite obvious as you drive along. We stopped at Mount Gambier’s Blue Lake, only to be told that it was a shame we weren’t there a few weeks ago, when the water was really blue. (It looked pretty blue to us!)

Around 7 pm we arrived in the old town of Port Fairy. If you want to know why it is called Port Fairy….well it’s not that obvious! It was named by Captain Wishart when he anchored his cutter “Fairy” in the early 1800’s.

We pulled into an ordinary looking motel to use the internet to book accommodation for the night, only to discover that it had some marvelous contemporary two level units with giant shower heads and plasma tv’s hidden in the back. So that’s where we stayed, especially since next door was the oldest licensed hotel in Australia. Remembering that we had had dinner at the oldest licensed hotel in New Zealand, it seemed fitting that we should eat and drink there too. But beforehand, we had to wander around the town to take photographs of a very amazing sunset!

Adelaide, the City of Churches

A number of people questioned why we planned to visit Adelaide, since it doesn’t have the buzz and vitality of a Sydney or Brisbane. After arriving at our downtown hotel around 10, and having difficulty finding a place open for dinner, we started to agree with them. (Even the Casino, that has moved into the upper levels of the Central Train Station had nowhere to eat!) But the next day after a tour of the city, we were glad we came.

There is no doubt that Adelaide is very different from the other major cities. Although a small river runs through it, it is not a waterfront city. But it is a planned city, and the original planner/surveyor, Colonel light is a very celebrated man. As I read a quotation on his statue, I couldn’t help thinking about some of our early planning decisions at UniverCity. But I’m not expecting our citizens to erect a statue in my honour!

Unfortunately, like many other cities around the world, Adelaide removed its streetcars decades ago. However, one line remains, and it goes out to the seaside suburb of Glenelg. We took the 25 minute ride early one morning to meet up for breakfast with Ann Darwin, a delightful former colleague of my sister Estelle, who did her Phd at UBC in the 90’s. She lives right at the terminus of the tram, in a grand new apartment hotel overlooking the town square and beach. Sitting on her balcony overlooking the waterfront, I tried to take pictures of pretty girls for my friend who claims there are too many pictures of buildings on this blog. But everyone was wearing too many clothes to be of much interest.

Adelaide is known as the city of churches. While we were told this is no longer the case, and that many of the churches have been converted to other uses, I was disappointed to find that the synagogue on downtown’s Synagogue Place had been converted into a… church. Perhaps Adelaide’s most distinctive features are its numerous green parks, and the green belt which surrounds the city. Unfortunately, as a result of the severe drought the City has been experiencing, the parks are not as green, and the trees look very stressed. We were told that it did rain for a day in January, but other than that, it hasn’t really rained for well over a year! During our tour of the city, the guide talked a lot about stormwater management and water recycling. I told Sally it was like being at a meeting of the GVRD's Sustainability Committee. Significantly, the city's main fountain in the central square celebrates the three rivers that provide water to the city. Let’s hope it too doesn’t dry out.

The vehicle license plates proclaim that South Australia is the Festival State. And as its capital, Adelaide is at the centre of it all. While we were in town, the Fringe Festival was happening, and we managed to take in a production of ‘Over the Hill’, a one man show celebrating the life of Benny Hill. It was very good. I particularly enjoyed the routine in which he reads out a letter written on an old manual typewriter, that unfortunately has sticky keys, and the ‘p’s come out as ‘f’s and vice versa. You may remember it.

As we were leaving town, the World Police and Fire Games were about to begin. It was very exciting seeing the banners and different teams from all over the world, especially since Burnaby will be the next host in 2009. I must confess, I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. Now I understand why MLA Harry Bloy was coming to town. I'm surprised I didn't bump into Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan.

We didn’t stay long in Adelaide, since we were eager to get to the coast, and begin our drive to Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. But we gained a feel for the city, with its interesting shopping streets and neighbourhoods , and some very nice older established areas. I do look forward to returning, especially once it starts raining, so all the parks and trees don’t look so sad.

Cairns to Port Douglas to Adelaide

We initially planned to drive from Brisbane to Cairns, since I thought it was just up the road. But in fact, it’s a couple of hours in a plane. As soon as we landed, we knew we were in the tropics. Most Australians don’t come here at this time of the year. “Too hot, too much humidity and rain” they say. They come during their winter. As a result, we got a very good rate at the Shangri La Hotel, which occupies the prime location on the waterfront. I mention this since we discovered that although the chain is building a hotel in Vancouver, it has not yet discovered Canada. As we were leaving, we were asked to fill in a personalized guest questionnaire. When it came to ‘place of residence’ there were about 20 different boxes to check…UK, other Europe; Hong Kong, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, other Asia. The list was so comprehensive there wasn’t even a box for ‘other’. But when it came to North America: USA. Period. With some national pride, I complained to the front desk clerk who graciously offered to review my concern with the Hotel Manager. She thought he would be interested since he came from….Canada!

We came to Cairns to visit the Great Barrier Reef. There were a lot of tour options, but we chose Reef Magic since it offered everything: a cruise out to an ocean platform with a glass bottom, a semi-submersible boat, snorkeling, diving, a helicopter ride, and most importantly, a seafood buffet lunch. They also offered, for an additional fee, red lycra wet suits that they strongly recommended because we’re in stinger season. We did not hesitate to buy them even though, as you can see, they are not that flattering!

While we didn’t dive, we went snorkeling on the reef. It was outstanding, and we now understand why it is considered one of the wonders of the world. But you don’t need to bother with the helicopter ride.

We went up in the air again on the Skyrail, a 7.5 kilometre cableway above the Wet Tropics World Heritage Rainforest. Normally you take the cable car one way and the train the other. But the train track had been washed out, which wasn’t that surprising when we learned the region can get a metre of rain… a day! Up to 4 metres in a week!

We almost had our own excitement on the way back when a thunderstorm approached while we were up in the air. Fortunately they got us down to an intermediate platform where we waited for the storm to pass over. All I could think of was what a ridiculous way it would have
been to die; “Did you hear about the Gellers? They were killed by lightening while suspended in a cable car over a rainforest!”

From Cairns, we traveled to the tropical community of Port Douglas. As we toured around, we came across this photo in a restaurant window of a sunburned Bill Clinton who happened to be here having dinner and partying on September 11, 2001, before learning about the planes hitting the World Trade Centre. I’m sure he remembers Port Douglas.

This morning, while I was working on the computer, Sally returned from the gym quite excitedly. She met an English lady who was exercising while her husband also sat in his hotel room on the computer. They are both lawyers who sold their home and left their practices to take a year off and travel around the world. But while I struggle with this blog and stories for the Vancouver Sun Homes Section, he’s using his time to write an entire novel…about quantum physics! Sally arranged for us to explore the local beach together, and we heard their story. While many of their friends questioned why they would want to leave a wonderful life in UK, they too are enjoying the daily adventures of world travel. We both agreed that more people should start organizing their affairs so that they can take a year off. After all, when you ask people what they would do if they learned they only had a year to live, they often say they would take a trip around the world!

This afternoon, we visited nearby Mossman that has some of the most amazing street trees we have ever seen, and the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary. It was an opportunity to get up close and personal with a wide variety of birds and animals. Almost all were native to the area, and very tame. Except for the crocodiles, from which we kept our distance. My favourite was this ‘toad bird’ which reminds me of someone I used to work with, but I can’t remember who!

We are now on the plane to Adelaide. It’s just over a three hour flight. We had a small problem checking in on Jetstar, Quantas’ discount carrier, since they insisted on weighing our golf clubs, and charging an excess baggage fee. When I complained that their competitor Virgin Blue didn’t charge us for golf clubs, they responded that by carefully watching their weight load, they can charge lower fares. I wanted to ask if they had considered charging thin people a lower fare than fat people. But I didn’t; although it might be an interesting concept for an airline. After all, she was quite right. In the airline business, costs are related to weight. Perhaps Jazz could start a new service. Fly from Vancouver to Toronto for a dollar a pound! That would be a good incentive to give up desserts.

Brisbane: no nudes, more buildings

One of the regular readers of this blog has complained that there are too many pictures of buildings, and not enough pictures of naked women on the beach. He's probably right, but once again, this report on Brisbane is a lot of boring real estate talk. But coming soon will be a lovely picture of Sally in a red lycra body suit, and before we leave Australia, I promise some special pictures from the beach.

When Sally and I came to Australia two years ago we never made it to Brisbane; so this was our first visit. I had a positive impression of Australia’s third city from architects, planners and others who had visited me at UniverCity, and from magazine and web stories. But I still wasn’t prepared for such a lively and attractive city. Brisbane was founded as a penal colony in 1824, and remained as such until 1842. Since then it has grown to a population of around 1.5 million, and is increasing by 1000 people a week. It is not on the ocean, but is a waterfront city by virtue of a large river that snakes its way through the centre.

Perhaps our positive impression was influenced in part by our fortuitous decision to stay at McArthur’s Chambers. When we booked, we had no idea where this apartment/hotel was located. We were attracted by its heritage status and accompanying website photos; but it couldn’t have been more central. It was at the equivalent of Granville and Georgia. Although we booked a one bedroom suite, they put us into an elegant 1400 sq ft two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, with a separate study. We had too much space so we invited Gordon Price, who was on a lecture tour nearby, to stay with us. We heartily recommend McArthurs’ Chambers to anyone visiting Brisbane. Brisbane’s urban success is attributed in part to Expo 88, which was held on a large former industrial site on the waterfront. Sound familiar? As a result of the world’s fair, new parks, housing, and restaurants were built, and the downtown became a much more attractive place to live, attracting people from around the world. Sound familiar? In recent years, a large ‘cultural precinct’ has grown up along the waterfront, including a major new Contemporary Art Gallery. Maybe this too will one day sound familiar! Like Sydney, Brisbane has an integrated public transit system with ferries and ‘City Cats’ (instead of ‘River Cats’) connecting communities up and down the river. The University of Queensland is located at one end, and it was interesting to see students, many with bikes, riding the ferry to ‘Uni’.

The bus system has dedicated roadways, tunnels, and bridges to help move through the city. While we found the service to be quite good, I was told that I would not likely use it as a regular commuter. But if I lived there, I certainly would like to take the ferry to work.

Fortunately, we were able to learn about the city from some locals. We had a wonderful evening with Bob and Geri Stimson at the Cricket Club, where we dined on fresh mud crabs (they taste much better than the name implies!) I first met Bob through PRCUD, (Pacific Rim Council on Urban Development) more than 10 years ago. He is at the University of Queensland, when he’s not traveling the world with other academics including SFU’s Warren Gill!

I also toured the university with John Abbott, who splits his time between academia and the State Office of Urban Management where he’s working on regional infrastructure strategies. In glancing through his latest documents, you could substitute Vancouver for Brisbane, and the documents would be equally relevant to both cities! I also met with Brian Stewart, Executive Director of the state chapter of the Urban Development Institute-Australia. One might say he’s the Maureen Enser of Queensland. He’s certainly as dedicated and passionate. There are many similarities between the two organizations, with a lot of work being devoted to housing affordability, smart growth strategies, green buildings and Awards. But at the national level, UDI Australia is a much more impressive organization than UDI Canada. Brian was getting ready to attend the National Congress in Perth next week.

While I briefly considered changing our flight plans to attend, I was somewhat discouraged by the need to buy clothes to comply with the various dress requirements! Brian and UDI are doing some interesting work in the area of Green Building Standards. Rather than adopt LEED or one of the other international certification systems, they have developed ‘enviroDEVELOPMENT’ (www.envirodevelopment.com.au) It’s a rating system similar to LEED, which awards up to six leaves, rather than a gold, silver or bronze rating. It is administered by UDI and a panel of industry experts. As Brian talked about his efforts to convince the state and local governments to support more environmentally responsible housing, I just had to show him Vancouver’s new EcoDensity website. As he glanced at it, I could see his eyes light up! It was like Dr Stanley meeting Dr. Livingstone in the midst of the African jungle. Well almost.

I must comment on Brisbane’s architecture. While many of the new downtown developments are very impressive, I was astonished at the variety of contemporary design evident in new single and multi family developments around the city. While there may be some fake stylistic housing similar to what we find around Vancouver, I didn’t see it. I’m including some photos of a new single family subdivision, townhouses, and apartments that are typical of what I saw. Obviously the good climate and lack of snow load and earthquake design requirements help Australian designers. (However, I can’t believe the attractive exterior wood detailing will hold up for many years, even in Queensland, without a lot of maintenance.) As I write on the plane flying out of Brisbane, I know we will return before too long. Our two cities have a lot in common, and there’s much we can each learn from one another. While touring Brisbane’s waterfront housing, I saw one development that I plan to copy once I get back to Vancouver. It’s a very clever concept for street row housing! All being well, the profits will cover the cost of this around-the- world trip!

The Gold Coast and Sanctuary Cove

The Gold Coast stretches along 70 kilometres of beaches on the eastern coast of Australia, south of Brisbane. I first heard about the area in the early 1980’s from Mike Gore, a larger than life Australian and member of the ‘white shoes brigade’, who made a lot of money selling a lot of pleasure boats to a lot of wealthy Australians. He visited Vancouver to meet local architects and planners, and get ideas for a major resort community he was planning near the northern end of the Gold Coast. I was introduced to him by Ian Thomas, and spent the weekend riding around in a helicopter that I rented on his behalf. Gore wanted to be the pilot, but the company wouldn’t let him, and I was quite relieved, since the rental contract was on my credit card. The deductible was very high!

Gore took back visions of False Creek, Granville Island and Whistler, and the people who had helped create these special places. Norm Hotson, lead architect for Granville Island, was asked to design the village centre and marina; Rick Hulbert was commissioned to design the flagship Hyatt Regency Hotel; Ian Thomas provided the market advice, and Neil Griggs, with whom I had worked on the development of the South Shore of False Creek, and who subsequently worked with Jim Moodie at Whistler, was hired on as the Project Manager. Neil ended up spending five years in Australia successfully overseeing the transformation of thousands of acres of swamp lands into Sanctuary Cove, today one of the country’s best known resort communities.

Although I never got directly involved with Sanctuary Cove, I received regular updates from Neil, with whom I shared offices at the time. Perhaps I should put it another way. I stored Neil’s files while he worked in Australia, and pretended that he wasn’t really away. I remember vividly taking calls from some of his clients, including Coopers & Lybrand. “I’m sorry. Neil is not in the office at the moment. Can I have him give you a call?” I would then try and track down Neil in Australia, assuming it wasn’t the middle of the night, and leave it to him to respond accordingly!
Over the past 20 years, Sanctuary Cove has gone through many changes. Unfortunately, Gore’s heart could not keep up with his fast paced lifestyle, and he died a number of years ago. The resort has had different owners, although Greg Norman missed out on being one of them when his offer fell short by a few million dollars.

Unfortunately, we could only spend one night at Sanctuary Cove, since we wanted to get up to Brisbane. I spoke to Neil before we went, and thanks to his generosity, we spent our time there in style. As we drank champagne and enjoyed the privileges of the Regency Club lounge, it dawned on me that we were living the lifestyle that had killed Mike Gore!

Walking around the village centre and marina, I could see the False Creek and Granville Island influences in the street layout and waterfront walkway; the shapes of the buildings, the extensive use of corrugated siding, and the yellow painted pipes and railing details. There is a similar mix of restaurants, marine facilities, retail and office uses. While I kept looking for a Public Market to buy fresh prawns and Queensland bugs, unfortunately it isn’t there. However like Granville Island, the village is undergoing renovations to keep up with the times, and maybe a market will be added one day

In addition to the village centre and hotel, there are two Palmer designed golf courses; the Palms and Pines. The Pines is the members’ course, but as a guest of the hotel, we could play there. But when I saw that one of the Par 3’s had a 185 metre carry over water, I decided we should play the Palms. A few thousand residents now live and play at Sanctuary Cove. While some of Hotson’s early townhouses are amongst the most attractive homes, they are by no means the most expensive. Many of the properties now sell in the $2 to $4 million range, and are owned by Australians and people from around the world who can keep their yachts in the nearby marina.

In order to fully appreciate developments such as Sanctuary Cove, it is helpful to look at the context in which they were built. While development of the Gold Coast began in the thirties, many of the buildings were constructed in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. For a while, there was a 24 storey height restriction, but no restriction on architectural styles. As a result, much of the Coast looks like a mixture of Miami Beach, the Mediterranean, and Vancouver’s West End. In the 80’s, the buildings started to get taller and fatter, but the designs did not really change. I remember Neil saying there were 15 years behind Vancouver in terms of building design and sophistication. More recently, however, the towers have been getting much larger, and fortunately the designs have improved.

I was very impressed with some newer developments. At 1057 feet, Q1 in Surfer’s Paradise is the tallest residential building in the world. With 78 storeys, it has a public observation platform near the top, and a striking architectural form that is as yet unrivalled in Vancouver. The $850 million Soul development will be the second tallest building in Australia when it is completed in about four years. The 77^th floor penthouse sold last October for an Australian record $16.85 AUS million (about $16 million CDN.)

While I should have been trying out the surf at Surfers Paradise, there was a cyclone warning, and we were cautioned about large waves. Instead, I decided to take a look at The Wave, another of Australia’s most beautiful residential buildings in nearby Broadbeach. With its curvilinear balconies, the building takes on a different appearance from every angle, and is a photographer’s dream.

I spent some time at two other developments in Broadbeach. The Oracle is a twin tower 40 and 50 storey development under construction near the Gold Coast Convention Centre and Jupiter Casino. Some of its features include Zen Gardens and a Tai Chi Lawn, four swimming pools, private wine lockers, a Teppanyaki grill, and access to an executive lounge where residents can socialize with their neighbours. The kitchen and bathrooms are very refined and sophisticated.

I was also impressed with Freshwater Point, a recently completed mid-rise development where we stayed. Again, we found it on Wotif, and we felt privileged to be there. The development is very contemporary in its design, with extensive trellises to block the sun, and add architectural interest. Like many of the new developments, it caters to both end users and investors who rent their suites for short or long term stay. However, in this development, the different users are separated into different buildings, each with its own swimming pool and amenities. Consequently, the owner-occupiers did not have to mingle with holiday makers like us. Interestingly, there is a 50% cap on the number of foreigners who can buy into any new multi-family building in Australia.

While we were exploring the Gold Coast, Gordon Price was speaking at the Convention Centre at a conference on Transit Oriented Development, and Livable Communities. I thought about sitting in since I would love to have heard Gord’s take on the place, and what he thought can be learned from Vancouver’s experiences. But we were heading north, while he was heading south, and we didn’t connect. But there are lessons which we can learn from one another, and I have set out a few thoughts in an upcoming Vancouver Sun story.

So to all my friends and colleagues in the design and development business, I would urge you to visit the Gold Coast. It’s definitely not 15 years behind us anymore!

Coff’s Harbour and Byron Bay

We made it to Bonville without getting lost. But we were surprised to find a fairly modest restaurant and clubhouse, with a string of motel style units along the first fairway as the only accommodation. We had dinner on the terrace overlooking the 18^th fairway, where large floodlights lit up the trees. The result was a very beautiful and romantic spot. But once again, we were surprised that it was not very busy. We subsequently learned that this is a relatively quiet time for travel in Australia. Although it seems like the middle of summer to us, this period is equivalent to early September, with the kids just back at school. The hotels consider it ‘low season’.

The next morning, we returned to our table on the terrace for breakfast. At 10 we teed off, and after hitting two relatively good tee shots that both ended up in a creek, we realized it was going to be a challenging round. It was, but the course was very beautiful with a variety of plants and trees that we hadn’t seen before. But it’s not Augusta.

Nearby Coff’s Harbour is a larger town which was of interest since it won the international ‘cities in bloom’ award. I have always been impressed with this program which encourages towns and cities around the world to try and beautify themselves with civic and individual planting initiatives. (The planting along Gilbert Road and Number 2 Road in Richmond BC is an example of then Mayor Greg Halsey Brandt’s desire for his city to be selected as Canada’s entry a few years ago.) But we didn’t really stay around long enough to discover what made Coff’s Harbour a winner. Instead, after a night in a bure at an ocean resort listening to the rain, (and we thought there was supposed to be a drought!), we set off for Byron Bay.

We were curious to see Byron Bay since it was Claire’s favourite place in Australia when we were here two years ago. And as soon as we arrived and saw throngs of backpackers hanging around the beach, local parks, and downtown jewelry stands, we understood why. What I didn’t expect was the ‘high end’ side of the place. There were elegant galleries, jewelry stores and restaurants. And $1,000,000 didn’t buy very much. So as not to disappoint Claire, rather than stay at one of the many rather ordinary motels, we ended up at the Byron Bay Beach Resort with its rustic cabins and nine-hole golf course, on 225 acres at the northern edge of town. One day, it will probably be redeveloped as a very fancy place, but its truly rustic character was just fine for us.

When we first arrived in town, we noticed The Balcony restaurant, and that is where we ended up eating dinner. Well, where we ended up eating a small portion of our dinner, since the main course took so long to arrive; by the time it came we were no longer hungry. Moreover, after the Mediterranean sharing plate, paella for two was more like paella for four. But the scene from the balcony was fun to watch, and we marveled at the fact that a number of the people we had met during our time in Byron Bay had arrived from places around the world, and stayed. That night we again listened to the rain banging on the roof.

After an early morning round of golf on a course significantly less challenging than Bonville, we were off to discover The Gold Coast. Unlike Suva in Fiji, where I had no idea what to expect, I thought I knew exactly what to expect as we entered Queensland, the Sunshine State. And I wasn’t disappointed. Although, I was a bit surprised.