NO DEAL IN MELBOURNE

I must be Australia's least successful game show contestant. Four shows and nothing to show for it.

It's hurting my fingers to type this but, as a Sydneysider and someone who has travelled a lot, it pains me to confess that I harbour a secret love for Melbourne - one of the most happening cities in the world.

Melbourne gets better every time I visit. Formerly derelict city laneways are revived; another huge, sparkling sporting venue opens; new bars and major public artworks pop up in the most unlikely places; and some wunderkind chef has (again) reinvented Australian cuisine.

I don't pretend it's perfect. I'm sure it has a heap of issues. It's just that, as a visitor, it seems so...self-assured. You can tell the locals are quietly proud of their city. They all seem to be out exploring it in detail, enjoying it almost as tourists do.

I never need much of an excuse to visit Melbourne. So when a mate called up and said, "Buddy, I need you to pop down and go on Deal or No Deal with me", I was there in a flash, equally excited about revisiting the southern city, and the prospect of winning oodles of cash on a game show that rates through the roof.

HONG KONG - TREASURE ISLAND

This is my latest guest-post on the Flight Centre (Australia) Blog.

So many things come together on this dramatic, rocky outcrop in the South China Sea, where a totally 21st-century city erupts from every bit of available space.

There’s a hand-hauled cart loaded impossibly high with goods going to market for every millionaire’s Ferrari. And there’s a knock-off Burberry bag for every real one under lights in the gleaming retail beacons that draw many visitors to this place.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Hong Kong more times than I can count on my fingers and toes. It’s a place that gets under your skin. It’s equal parts pulsating megalopolis and peaceful sanctuary. It’s go-go-go. Neon lit. Noisy. And always completely now.

Hong Kong is the kind of place that almost every visitor experiences differently. So, rather than get too prescriptive about what I think you should see and do, here are a couple of general tips to help you connect with this place, and make your visit to Asia’s Big Apple pretty special....Read More.