World Travel

Are you looking for fashion accessoriesfor your lifestyle? well i suggest you visit Alma Jewels, Alma Jewels is one of Bali Fashion Jewelry factory, Alma Jewels have unique and high quality designs of jewelry. based in Bali Indonesia, they have more than 9 outlet in Bali, Alma jewels have strict quality control measures to ensure excellent product quality.

You can browse Alma Jewels collection with visited Alma Jewels website, in website they have more than 400 collection about bracelet, necklace and earring jewelry. so found your accessories jewelry hire

Author: Gordon Warre

Every place on the planet has something of interest, but Peru is undoubtedly a privileged country for its great natural, historical and human legacy. Here, nature lovers will feel gratified by the diversity of environments and scenery.

They will be amazed by the sharp contrast between forests and deserts on the coast; deep ravines and towering snow-capped mountains in the Andean highlands; densely forested slopes and huge plains of thick vegetation in the Amazon jungle; and they will be surprised at the wide variety of animal and plant life, unique in the world, that is characteristic to each of these regions.

Those who admire the remains of the past will find magnificent testimonies to an ancient civilization that dates back six thousand years, with an unmistakable cultural identity that created wonders such as the Royal Tombs of Sipan, the Nazca Lines, Chan Chan and Machu Picchu. And they will be able to see the best examples -in painting, sculpture and architecture- of the fusion of Hispanic and American cultures.

Adventure travelers will be able to ride tall waves and go looking for underwater life along the long stretches of natural beaches; climb high mountain ranges, explore deep caves, run the longest and biggest rivers on the continent, trek along ancient paths that wind through different eco-systems; and observe endangered species up close in natural reserves of indescribable beauty.

Because it is a racial melting pot, Peru is home to a wide variety of expressions of its peoples through their ancient, creative and colorful folk art.

Visitors can join in age-old celebrations, each music and dance retelling its own history. They are welcome to share in the customs and tasks of villagers and witness how farmers have been able to master the difficult terrain of the coast, highlands and jungle. There also will be no lack of oppoortunities for the most demanding of palates to savor the variety and quality of Peruvian cuisine, which offers the visitor the best seasoning in the Americas.

This manual presents the most important tourist offers now available, and together with the activities manual will allow you to easily design and promote programs that will give travelers the opportunity to explore, discover and sense this mysterious and dynamic country called Peru.

Peru has a population of approximately 27 million people. The coast is home to 52% of the total population, while 36% live in the highlands and 12% in the jungle. The population is predominantly mestizo or racially mixed, and most speak Spanish, although there are two important minorities: the Quechua and Aymara, and the native population of Amazonia, which is subdivided into 14 linguistic families and 42 ethnic groups.

Peru is politically divided into 25 regions (Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Lima-Provinces, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes and Ucayali) as well as the capital, Metropolitan Lima, which has no regional status. Peru is a democracy whose public powers are the Executive, headed by the President of the Republic; the Legislature, which is a one-chamber congress; and the Judiciary. General elections, to elect a President of the Republic and the representatives to Congress, are held every five years.

Bali is one of the charming islands in world where the visitors can find supreme pleasure. What make the place beautiful are the natural exquisiteness and the splendid nearby attractions. Dazzling beaches, spectacular sunsets, splendid temples and breathtaking lakes are all on offer when you do take a visit to this magical island. Adventure mixed with beauty is an irresistible combination and that what reflects in the scenic tourist attractions in Bali. If you wish to have a complete experience of the exotic island, then do take a visit to the lakes of Bali. Lake Batur in Bali is worth a mention.

Lake Batur in Bali is one of the favorite hotspots for the travelers keen on going for Sightseeing in Bali and capturing the amazing beauty of Bali. To speak of the lakes in Bali, there are four spectacular lakes in Bali. The picturesque surroundings and the charming beauty of the lakes are adequate enough to mesmerize the travelers. Lake Batur in Bali in Indonesia has a magical backdrop and a perfect setting. Being the old crater of the Mount Batur, it is also the largest in the Bali Island. Travelers come here to see the natural wonder and the spectacular sight of the lake is simply stunning.

Lake Batur in Bali in Indonesia is a stunner and a real eye candy. It efficiently borders the Bali Aga people in Trunyan. Lake Bratan is the second largest lake in Bali. It is near the town of Bedugul. Lake Buyan and Lake Temblingan are also other beautiful lakes in Bali. If you are keen on capturing the stunning beauty of Lake Batur in Bali in your lenses then you can do so from the town of Kintamani, which offers a brilliant panoramic view of the lake.

by: Helen Palmer

We think that Cape Town has some of the best beaches in the world.

You can choose beaches which are on the Indian Ocean, with warm water, or those on the colder Atlantic Ocean. Neither coast is very distant from the other, so travelling between the two is easy by road or rail.

Most of the beaches, which stretch around the coastline are long with white sand. On some of the beaches like Muizenberg you’ll find lifeguards, so they are safe to surf from.

Other beaches, like Boulders Beach, you’ll find plenty of animals. On Boulders beach it’s the African Penguins that live there. Beware, they can be rather smelly and they do bite if you get too close to them, but don’t let that stop you diving into the water to swim with them. The penguins appear very tolerant of their fellow human sunbathers and are quite happy to live harmoniously with us! Let’s face it, where else can you get an experience like this?

Seals and fish life abound, which in turn brings the bird life. Whilst sitting on the back verandah of the house we constantly see the more common birds such as Turns, Black-Backed Seagulls, Cormorants, but great excitement happens when the African Pelicans come to visit. Huge jumbo jets of birds, serenely floating along like the QE2 in full sail!

The African Pelicans seem to like to come to visit during the evening time at dusk, staying all night on the sand bank just across the water. It’s almost as if they come for an overnight or weekend stay. Obviously like the Hilton to them.

Other visitors that we love to see on our lagoon are the Egrets, Herons and Oyster Catchers. Wonderful wading birds, all with their own characteristics, which you could sit and watch all day long, just wading up and down, dancing their flirty dances to attract the fish, or at least confuse the fish sufficiently for the bird to suddenly dip its head and peck the fish straight out of the water and into it’s gullet.

Beaches with facilities, life and people, beaches without anything except for the birdlife. The choice is yours. Often you can find beaches not far away from the hubbub and find not one soul upon it, real desert island stuff.

Spectacular scenery is also the norm for Cape Town beaches. Just think of the bay of Cape Town with it’s flat-topped mountain in the background. The whole of the bay is infact, one long sandy beach, stetching for miles around Table Bay.

Next time you’re thinking about taking a beach holiday, take a look at Cape Town - you’ll not be disappointed.

By Sharon Francis

Often when you are looking to take a vacation you probably want to have the most stress free experience you can find, in this case you can’t go wrong if you consider going to a spa resort. Spa resorts include facilities that are totally specialised towards attending to and assisting you to de-stress that little bit more…and it can all be included in a package deal if you choose.

Spa resorts can be found globally and depending on the part of the world that you chose might depend on the type of experience you have. Many are geared towards a particular treatment or experiences and the experience or treatment may exist around what natural resources are available in the immediate surrounding area where they are situated. You might like to visit a spa resort in a cooler climate, for example in Alaska or Colorado, or perhaps somewhere warm in a locale such as Hawaii or California? Or for a more spiritual experience somewhere further afield, perhaps in the Far East. Choices are wide when it comes to visiting a spa resort so it would be beneficial to start some research.

Researching Through Travel Agents

The Travel Agent in you local area would be a good place to begin if you don’t have much idea about which spa resort to choose. They will be able to make bookings and spa appointments for yourself and a number of guests to visit the spa resort of your choice. The travel agent should also help you arrange transportation to get to and from, as well as any transportation you may need when you get there. The travel agent will do all the work for you, which will help ease even more stress from your life. Frequently many people consider to do bookings such as this face to face especially if they are unsure about or unfamiliar with the internet.

Research and Booking on the Internet

Today it is very easy search for a resort or vacation alone via the internet, the only problem that might arise is that the choice will be endless. You can however browse at your leisure so you will have more time on your hands to make a decision, it would help if you have some idea before searching of the type of spa experience you might like. Simply go online and start searching for spa resorts in any state or city you’d like. There are many companies online that exist solely to help you find the destination and treatments you would like. Searching on the internet helps to find the best deals and search through what a number of top travel agents are offering. Online customer reviews also will assist in heping you to make a decision as reviews from personal experiences certainly are valuable. There is no trailing around the high street visiting each agent one by one to find the best deal. Depending on how many people are going and what time of year it is you should be able to find great offers on resorts. You won’t be disappointed, however, no matter where you go because spa resorts specialize in taking care of you and pampering you completely.

What You Can Expect

Visiting a spa resort gives you the well deserved chance to relax, unwind and rejuvenate over a period of time. By staying there for an extended period of time you will have the chance to follow specific treatments that might require more than one session or maybe a tailored weight loss program under the correct guidance. You will be attended to from the moment you arrive, and pampered and spoiled much like a celebrity.

If you have booked as part of a package deal then everything that you require should be ready for you. Like so many things that are good for you visiting a spa resort can become and addiction and for those who live a stressed schedule a spa resort may just be the destination for you. If you become a regular visitor you may be able to get a discount for repeat visits. It might not be too long before you return again and again.

By Florin Costache

Sometimes just standing on the beach or going for a nice quiet walk in the mountains is not enough; if your job has you sitting behind a desk 8 or more hours a day on vacation you might want to be doing something else than standing around, no matter how beautiful the surroundings are.

Some people are naturally adventurous, but in case you aren’t maybe an extreme vacation will be the experience of a life time! Let’s see how you can spice up your life the next time you go on vacation:

1. Shark diving - I don’t know about you, but shark diving is as extreme as you could get! Yes, you are in a cage (sometimes, if you prefer) and yes, you get detailed instructions on what to do and what not to do. But let’s face it, it wouldn’t be extreme if those sharks could be controlled and that danger is what is exciting.

And how much are you going to pay to risk life and limb? Well, dig around for a few details and you will probably see packages for around $2500 per person.

2. Cross country bicycle touring - although it may not be as risky as shark diving, cross country touring is not exactly a piece of cake! There are 2 ways to do this: on your own or with a touring company; I recommend the last option.

The touring company will take care of all the details: bikes, overnight accommodation (I suggest avoiding camping), mechanics in the bike team, support staff that takes care of snacks and possible injured team mates and luggage transportation from hotel to hotel.

All you have to do is ride that bike which may sound easy, but when you find out that you’ll be riding 70 or 80 miles per day (or even more) you realize why cross country qualifies as an extreme vacation.

Cross country tours are mostly based in Europe and the United States and the cost starts at around $1500 per person but can go up a lot more depending on the length of the trip and the type of bike you choose.

3. US Special Forces training - if you have always dreamed of being part of a Special Forces team but don’t exactly want to be on the first line of combat this is the vacation for you!

Special Forces veterans and local guides will take you through a series of tests and challenges alternating with classes on wilderness survival.

Of course, at request, there are other options that are available to you such as horse riding, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, wind surfing and rappelling techniques.

The price to be transformed into a “weekend warrior” starts at around $350 per day and depends on the location and trip options you select.

4. Cosmonaut for a day - what kid didn’t wish to be an astronaut? Now you have the chance to experience most of an astronauts life at Star City military facility near Moscow, Russia. This is one of the most exclusive things you can ever do, considering that when the Russian Space Program most Russians didn’t even know that this facility existed.

Unfortunately you won’t get to ride a spaceship to the International Space Station (ISS), but you will get to explore MIR and ISS simulators, learn to navigate by the stars in the navigational simulator and view the Hydrolab from a special observation deck.

There is also a choice between training in the manual docking simulator, training in Sokol-KV (for inflight operations) or Orlan-DMA (for space walks) Space Suits.

These are 4 of the most special and exclusive vacations you could take in your life, and the memories will stay with you forever. What are you waiting for?

by: AVEL ON LINE

Located in southern Central America, Costa Rica is surrounded by three different bodies of water including the Panama Canal on the southeast, the Pacific Ocean on the southwest and west and the Caribbean Ocean on the east. Because of Costa Rica’s close proximity to several bodies of water, the country is an ideal stopping point for various cruise ships carrying throngs of adventurous vacationers. Depending on the area of Costa Rica you are in, the climate can differ dramatically. There are cool wet mountain ranges, rain forests, dry tropical forests, cloud forests, the very dry Pacific coast and the damp Caribbean coast. Because of Costa Rica’s diverse climate, the country is home to 850 species of birds, 205 species of mammals, 9,000 species of flowering plants, 1,200 species of orchids and 376 species of reptiles and amphibians. For a country that only measures 51,060 square kilometers, this is a wide variety of natural wildlife. Costa Rica strives to maintain the land’s natural beauty and wildlife by designating one sixth of the country to national parks and wildlife refuges. Costa Rica is also home to several active volcanoes. Arenal erupts daily every fifteen minutes or so. The locals welcome foreigners with open arms making Costa Rica one of the most desirable vacation and retirement spots in the world. It is for these and other reasons that a Costa Rica vacation cruise should be booked today. The memories will last a lifetime.

An Abundance of Outdoor Recreation: Costa Rica is big on water related activities. Wave riders travel from all over the world to test out their expertise in Costa Rica’s waters. Both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts offer up some notorious surfing. On the Atlantic Coast, Puerto Viejo’s Salsa Brava gets some great breaks during the winter months although this area is often crowded. On the Pacific side, Playa Hermosa is the most consistent place to catch some waves. If these areas are flat, no need to worry, snorkeling and kayaking are always an option. Wind surfers have nothing but praise for Lake Arenal. It is considered one of the world’s best wind surfing spots and on good days you can cruise over 25 miles across the lake. There might not be anything more romantic when you’re on vacation with the one you love than enjoying a horseback ride. Whether its on the beach or through a National Park, the experience is sure to be memorable. Other popular outdoor activities to be enjoyed while in Costa Rica include hiking, mountain biking, deep sea fishing, bungee jumping, sailing, bird watching and ballooning. More adventurous activities include repelling down through the center of waterfalls, canopy tours through the tropical trees and white water rafting.

A Mecca for Nature Lovers: Nature lovers should take advantage of Costa Rica’s numerous National Parks and refuges. Crocovado is both a rain forest and black sand beach. The Tabacon Hot Springs is nature’s equivalent to the Jacuzzi. Unwind near cascading waterfalls in the various pools and hot springs. A trip to the Monteverde Cloud Forest will almost guarantee a sighting of Costa Rica’s most famous bird, the Quetzal. The Rain Forest Aerial Tram is located out of San Jose, the country’s capital, and offers a guided canopy tour of the rain forest. Manuel Antonio Park is teeming with monkeys and other wildlife. The Tortuguera is Costa Rica’s most famous protected nesting area. If you are not a fan of outdoor activities, don’t worry, there is plenty else to do and see. The National Museum traces Costa Rica’s colorful history and culture. The museum was founded in 1887 and is located in San Jose. Patrons of the arts should try and catch one of the numerous performance put on at the National Theater. The National Theater offers classical music and opera performances in addition to others. Sarchi is located outside of San Jose and is a great place to visit and admire the country’s handicraft.

By: Jason Gluckman

Underwater digital cameras are fun and easy to use under the water and great above the water as well. Use your underwater digital camera in all kinds of weather, for many activities and in a variety of locations that could be either wet or wild.

Are underwater digital cameras better than the film underwater cameras? It’s up to you to decide. The digital camera cannot run out of film. It has the ability to delete bad shots or change to a lower resolution if you need extra shots.

They have better (up to 4 times) depth of field. This is also great for wide-angle photography in low light conditions. Shooting with film at f4 would typically produce fuzzy backgrounds and edges. The same scene shot in digital will give you sharp photos

When using a strobe, most film cameras are limited to shutter speeds of 1/60th - 1/250th of a second. The new consumer digital cameras don’t have mechanical shutters and will sync at speeds up to 1/800th of a second. Therefore, you can shoot in bright shallow water where high f-stops would make strobes ineffective. Higher shutter speed options allow you to keep your f-stop at a better setting. These high shutter speeds are also great for freezing light rays and fast action.

35mm zoom lenses don’t do well underwater. They are bad at close-focus. The built-in lens in the new digital systems offer a large zoom range with minimum focus ability to 8 inches or less. So if you had a new digital camera and a high quality aspheric housing port, you could take a 100degree wide-angle shot and zoom into 1:3 macro shot without changing lenses. Who likes to change lenses all the time?

Underwater digital cameras are small and lightweight, and the quality is comparable to film if you go for the higher resolution shots. Scans and digital camera images require a small amount of sharpening in Adobe PhotoShop®. Just apply the “unsharp mask” filter for an instant improvement.

Underwater digital cameras are not perfect, however and like video, the cameras have a tough time with high contrast scenes. Also, it’s fairly expensive to transfer your digital files to slides if you are interested in having your images presented in slide shows. However, most digital cameras allow you to plug directly into a television for image display. And there are digital projectors on the market that produce brilliant images and even professional presentations complete with audio tracks.

Unfortunately the underwater digital camera has not fixed the one worst digital camera problem: when you press the shutter release, the camera will not immediately take the picture. This shutter delay could be a problem–fish swim fast.

If you’re just starting with underwater photography, it would probably be best to purchase a digital underwater camera instead of a film underwater camera. The instant feedback of digital imaging will take years off your learning curve. With the 5 megapixel cameras, print qualities are great.

Regardless of your photo experience, think about your goals with underwater imaging. Shooters looking for instant results, quick web posts and prints of 11 in. x 14 in. and smaller will be thrilled with digital. Digital is probably the best solution for all new shooters that are comfortable with computers. Instant feedback is always great.

If you are still not sure, however, try out the equipment before you buy it. Take a class with demo gear and instruction. Then buy something wonderful and go out and have a great time with your new digital underwater camera.

by: Keith Palmer

Bunbury and the South West area of Western Australia (or WA) is one of the world’s great places to live, with a Mediterranean climate, sandy-white beaches, beautiful native forests and all the infrastructure expected of a modern western society.

Bunbury is the major city in WA’s South West region, that is also home to other centres such as Busselton, Margaret River, Donnybrook, Manjimup, Augusta, Pemberton, Collie, Harvey and Bridgetown.

Located 175km south of Perth, the city and its neighboring suburbs have a population of 52,000 and Bunbury is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities. Bunbury is the commercial hub to WA’s “South West”, an area that is home to the Margaret River wine region and major coal, alumina and mineral sands industries; a region that boasts around 8,000 businesses and a GDP of over $5 billion. Presently it is about a 2 hour drive from Perth to Bunbury, but this will be reduced by 30 minutes on the completion of the recently announced Bunbury Highway or Peel Deviation.

Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, comprising about one-third of Australia’s land mass and occupying over 2.5 million square kilometres in area. WA is divided into 10 regional areas - the South West, Mid West, North West, Peel, Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance, Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley.

Outside Perth, Bunbury is Western Australia’s next largest city. It boasts a thriving CBD shopping and business area that is these days more famous for its many restaurants and cafés, or as it is referred to locally - The Cappuccino Strip, and more recently the fast developing Marlston waterfront area that already includes the upmarket Vat 2 restaurant, Taffy’s “live” confectionary outlet, Barbados tavern and nightclub, Jiving J’s waterfront bar and eatery and “Surprise Chef” Aristos’s own seafood boardwalk.

Many restaurants are open early and close late, with the remainder open in the evenings from around 6pm and for lunch around 12-2pm. There’s a bevy of fast-food options both within the city area and in the Bunbury suburbs, and Bunbury is well known for its family-owned pizza stores in the city area.

Enjoying a mild Mediterranean climate, the city is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault inlet and naturally enough water sports, port and harbour facilities as well as a growing seafoods industry, feature highly in the local lifestyle and economy. Bunbury’s port is Australia’s ninth largest port by volume and by 2020 should be rated within the nation’s top five.

Thousands of years ago Bunbury was subject to lava flows which resulted in both the unique basalt rock formations on the city beach as well as the present Marlston Hill and Boulters Heights, where today some of Bunbury’s most exclusive residential real estate is located. Bunbury is also home to Australia’s southernmost mangroves and the world’s last native Tuart forest is just south of Bunbury.

The first recorded mapping of what is now Koombana Bay and the eventual City of Bunbury, was in 1803 by the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Louis de Freycinet, from their ships the Geographe and Casuarina. In 1831 there was a temporary English military settlement with the first settlers moving to the area named after Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury in 1838. A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed.

The area is the traditional land of the Noongar Aboriginal people with many Noongar names and travel routes still widely used today. The Noongar (which means “man”) people have occupied the south west area of Western Australia for around 38,000 years and their traditional stories tell of the Waagle (or Rainbow Serpent) giving life and sustenance to their people who in return were the caretakers of the land.

Bunbury is truly a water-lifestyle city being bordered by the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault Inlet and fed by the Collie and Preston Rivers; making watersports such as sailing, water skiing, fishing, wind surfing, diving and snorkelling, boating, rowing, swimming, surfing and jet skiing extremely popular.

Bunbury is a great place to live, and especially so for families. There’s plenty to do and there’s a wide range of education options, with government and independent pre-primary, primary and secondary schools as well as a TAFE College and a campus of Edith Cowan University.

There are numerous property choices in the Bunbury area ranging from trendy cosmopolitan apartments to traditional suburban family homes and from beach retreats to rural or semi-rural properties.

There is a wide variety of attractions, with Bunbury the home of the Dolphin Discovery Centre where you can learn about and interact with wild dolphins, whilst in 2005 the city hopes to host a round of the Formula Nippon motor racing circuit. There is an indoor skate centre, ten pin bowling, cinema within the CBD area with the Bunbury Entertainment Centre alongside. Bunbury boasts a major aquatic and fitness centre with a smaller indoor pool located at Australind. You can get a good view of Bunbury and the surrounding areas from the Apex Lookout Tower at Marlston Hill or at Boulters Heights, right alongside the city centre.

Bunbury is home to up to 90 bottlenose dolphins and visitors can wade in Koombana Bay while dolphins swim amongst you or you can take one of the Dolphin Discovery Centre’s “Swim with the Dolphins” cruises. Bunbury is one of the few places where wild dolphins freely visit the beach and interract with humans.

There are 9 secondary schools in the central Bunbury area, a campus of Edith Cowan University, TAFE College, several shopping centres, sporting grounds and major private and public hospitals.

Shops are normally open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am-5.00pm Saturdays with late night shopping until 9pm on Thursday. The Eaton Fair Shopping Centre in Bunbury’s north-eastern suburbs has extended trading hours 7 days a week. Banks only operate 10am - 4pm Monday through Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays, although credit and building societies normally also open on Saturday mornings. There are a host of automatic teller machines and bank agencies dotted in and around Bunbury.

To get around Bunbury there are ample modern taxis, a public bus transport service and more recently a tourist “tram” that will carry you about the city areas and give you an explanation of the local sites as you go. The Bunbury Visitor Centre in Carmody Street near Centrepoint Shopping Centre will also assist with additional maps and local knowledge.

There are a number of Post Offices in the Bunbury area and postage stamps can also be purchased at local newsagencies. Postage for a standard letter, anywhere in Australia, is 50c.

Free to Air TV channels in Bunbury are the ABC, GWN, WIN and SBS but many homes also receive the Perth networks 7, 9 and 10. Foxtel pay TV is also available in Bunbury. The electricity supply in Bunbury, like the rest of Australia, is 240v. While you are travelling you can be updated on Bunbury and the South West region by turning to Western Tourist Radio. In the Bunbury region turn to 98.4 FM.

City and suburban locations in the Bunbury area include Australind, Eaton, Dalyellup, Vittoria Heights, Marlston Hill, Clifton Park, Gelorup, Mangles, Leschenault, Crosslands, Sandridge Park, Glen Padden, South Bunbury, Withers, College Grove, Carey Park, Picton, Davenport and East Bunbury. There is a full listing of Bunbury real estate in the Bunbury Online real estate guide.

The Bunbury region of Western Australia includes the areas of Harvey, Capel, Dardanup, Binningup, Myalup, Burekup, Boyanup, Peppermint Grove Beach, Stratham, Yarloop, Wokalup, Benger, Brunswick, Roelands, Leschenault and the Ferguson Valley.

Bunbury is now also home to a substantial expat community from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, however, the original human inhabitants of the South West area of WA are the Noongar Aboriginal people.

Today, as locals try to make sense of the established Western seasons, it is worthwhile examining the traditional Noongar seasons that divided the south west’s climate into 6 rather than 4 separate seasons.

In Noongar Aboriginal culture, Boojar (or land) is of the utmost importance. Each tribal group had their own kaleep or favoured camping locality, which held a special significence to them. The culture has a complex relationship to the land and pays respect to the seasons and the bountiful supply of food.

The Noongar year has six seasons, the first being from December to January. This season is called Birak where hot, easterly winds blow during the day and Noongar people used to burn sections of scrubland to force animals into the open to hunt.

>From February to March, during Bunuru, the dry weather conditions meant Noongars moved to estuaries where fish constituted a large proportion of the seasonal diet.

During Djeran, in April to May, the weather was becoming cooler with winds from the south west. Fishing continued and bulbs and seeds were collected for food.

During the coldest season, Makuru (june to July), Noongars moved inland to hunt areas once rains had replenished inland water resources.

In Djilba, as the weather was becoming warmer from August to September, roots were collected and emus, possums and kangaroo were hunted.

In Kambarang, when rain was decreasing during October to November, families moved towards the coast where frogs, totoises and freshwater crayfish were caught.

You can learn more about Bunbury Western Australia by visiting ‘– http://www.bunburyonline.com part of the WA Online network ‘– “Building information bridges for Western Australian communities”.

by : Keith Mcgregor

Now in their second year Thames speed boat hire is no longer a new fad, but a proven exciting way to view the wonderful sights of London. Generally more popular in the spring, summer and autumn RIB speed boat charters on the Thames have grown in popularity.

Developing from the RIB speed boat rides and other general boat hire in London, earlier this summer London saw the arrival of an exciting new craft, a custom built Jet Boat.

A jet boat experience is like no other speed Thames boat hire available on the water with high speed twists, turns, spins and phenomenal acceleration the Jet Boat Experience provides passengers of all ages with a unique and exciting way to enjoy the river Thames in London.

The boat is on a design used by the Special Boat Squadron and the Royal Marines and has been custom built for operation as a passenger carrying speed boat on the Thames.

With an Aluminium hull, hard cell core foam collar and mid engine twin diesel 250 Steyr on twin Rolls Royce Kamewa jets, this is a rapid and highly manoeuvrable speed boat.

The large RIB’s are still offering the traditional speed boat rides and themed adventure games such as James Bond style blasts down the river. The jet boat experience simply takes this concept of speed and manoeuvrability to a new level of raw adrenaline thrill rides.