Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas


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  • 365 World Tour

    So Intrepid Travel just released a 365 days around the world tour!!

    Obviously this would just be piecing together several, well many, of their different trips together but wow that’s crazy. You only need around $108,000 AUD ($75k USD) and an entire year off from work or study.

    I wonder what kind of relationship you would have with fellow travellers after a year on the road together?  The longest tour I’ve ever been with ‘strangers’ in the same tour group was around 56 days during my Mexico and Central America Tour (15/12/2012 to 10/2/2013). Personally I got on well with the 7 people who did the entire 4 tours combined but a year would be whole different matter. I’ve also seen people causing each other major grief after 14 days together, so much so that even a few extra days would have likely lead to emotional and physical breakdowns between these travellers!

    I have been also on longer trips with a family member (Andrew 66 days 2009-2010 world trip) and a friend (Jon 121 days 1999-2000 world trip). Again this went fine but there are definitely times when you need a time out from your travelling companion.

    I’m not even sure how many people would take up this around the world package, but what an experience, outback in Africa to cold of Antarctica to Asia. I also wonder how you’d be able to return to the ‘real’ world again. It can be a struggle to go back to work after my 4+ month trips.

    I guess it must be nice to even have this as a travel option.

  • Constant  evolution

    Forget the past. Tomorrow is a new day. New day, new hopes and new life.
    Lailah Gifty Akita

    Life is always in consistent motion.  Sometimes we don’t see that or don’t want to see that but it is true nonetheless.  My life is at a major turning point, I believe for the better but I guess change is really about how you tackle it and what you do with it.

    Some of the major changes and upheavals include;

    1. My sister Lana and brother-in-law Steve are likely to divorce.
    2. My nephew Andrew is engaged to his girlfriend the beautiful and amazing Danelle.
    3. A treasured friend has taken a sabbatical from her office job to start a small business selling healthy juice style drinks.
    4. I’m in the early stages of a new relationship with a lovely lady who lives in Adelaide.
    5. I’m changing jobs leaving a topic and division that I have specialised in for 12 years to take up a specialist marketing role.
    6. I’m selling my investment property in Queensland.

    These events have all happened very unexpectedly in the past 6-8 weeks.  Some good, some scary and some sad.

    I feel a since of optimism about the future, the unexplored country, the unexpected turns.  I sense real prolonged happiness is there for the taking if I’m willing to take some chances, some risks, if I’m willing to evolve with the situation.

     

    The uncertain and exciting path forward

     

  • Destination: Scotland


    Established: 9th Century
    Population: 5.3 million (as at 2013)
    Religion: Church of Scotland
    Language: English, Scottish Gaelic
    Capital: Edinburgh
    Order of Visit: Fourth
    First Visit: 9 February 2000
    Last Visit: 14 February 2000
    Duration: 6 Days
    Must Do: Walk to Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, Walk the Golden Mile
    Cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling

    (more…)

  • Destination: England

    Established: 5th-6th Century (Anglo-Saxon settlement)
    Population: 53 million (as at 2011)
    Religion: Anglican
    Capital: London
    Order of Visit: Third
    First Visit: 11 November 1999
    Last Visit: 21 January 2010
    Duration: 31 Days
    Must Do: Experience a Shakespeare play in his home country, Stonehenge, Parliament at Westminister, Old Royal College (Greenwich), Cambridge Universities and a West End show.
    Cities: Brighton, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Greenwich, Hampton, Lincoln, London, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, York, Wimbledon, Windsor.

    The mother country to my home in Australia, England has had a strong influence on the country of my birth.  My forebearers were likely sent to Australia has convicts or thrown out for being Catholics, it’s hard to be certain.

    Australians all know about England, how our Government system is based on the Westminister system of Parliament.  How up until late 1980s the English Privy Council sat higher than our High Court on legal matters and to this day English citizens who moved to Australia before a certain date get to vote in Australian elections without being Australia citizens.

    This is the country that stood up to Nazi Party and has a result London had to survive the air blitz.  You can feel the history by visiting the War Cabinet.  This is a country with a strong Upper class and an elite schooling system and with a counter struggling lower class.  The divide is breathtaking at times when you see the glamour and power of the elite next to the struggle of the common people.

    England is an amazing place that must be visited.  This is the home of Shakespeare and seeing one of his plays here is a must.  But if you don’t fancy old plays then try the new in the West End district, probably second only to New York for live performances.

    If you want history than you can’t miss it here.  It feels like every street has a blue plague explaining something amazing.  Cathedrals seem to be everywhere and even the smallest village has this 500 year old+ churches.

    In London you can spent a month doing informative and usually fun Walking Tours of every type.  I strongly recommend these tours as you find back streets and quiet areas with fascinating histories.

    The English are generally polite, I recall lining up for a few hours to get into Wimbelon Tennis Championships and it was actually a fun experience with great characters in the lines, no pushing or cutting.  And when I got inside it was very proper indeed.

    England is also the home of cricket, one of my passions in life.  I couldn’t miss a visit to Lords to view the actual Ashes that despite Australia winning most of the time they won’t hand over.  My high school has some history with the Ashes Urn as well being the stated birthplace of the Ashes.  For me watching cricket was a must do but despite seeing local teams I still have to come back one day and view an actual Test Match preferable Australia beating England.

  • Movie Review – Spy (2015)

      
    Released: June 2015

    Seen: June 2015

    Cinema: Kino Cinemas (normal screen)

    Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law

    Gene: Comedy / Action

    Rating: 7.5 / 10

    Synopsis
    A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

    Review (warning spoilers)

    A great spy comedy from one of the better comedians in Melissa McCarthy this movie gets the balance right between a spy action movie and a comedy.  These days comedies are so over the top in action movies to actually just be weak parodies.

    Serious spy movies are really made for laughs, the hero gets caught and the villian just leaves him tied up after explaining the plan or the muscle bound hero scaling a moving 747 airplane!  You don’t need to go very crazy to make a good comedy of the action gene, just keep it a little grounded.

    This movie succeeds and it keeps you guessing who is double crossing who.  Melissa McCarthy’s character Susan Cooper has the skills to be a field operative but hasn’t made that step up instead being the unappreciated coordinator of the mission back at a head office that is falling apart while the field operative gets all the James Bond gadgets.  The apparent death of her agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) sets Susan out into the field with hilarious consequences.

    The over the top super serious good guy Rick Ford (Jason Statham) plays well with the unsure of herself Susan who keeps saving the day.

    Recommendation:If you like like spy movies with a bit of fun see this movie.

  • Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam Bound (2016) 

    So it’s time to start thinking more about my next trip as its now less than 12 months out.  I’m going to combine a bucket list item (no. 28 see Test Cricket in six countries) with a trip to Sri Lanka and then a tour covering more of South East Asia.

    I still don’t know the exact dates for the Australian Test tour other then it’s July to August.  For this reason I’m going with a more personalised tour company, On the Go Tours, which will commence the day I select.  I’m looking at their 9 day Go Sri Lanka tour which includes a visit to Dambulla Rock Temple, Udawalawe National Park, and an Elephant Orphanage.

    Then I’ll move onto a G Adventures tour the Indochina Explorer which commences in Thailand (Bangkok), goes onto Laos (Luang Prabang), than Vietnam (Hanoi) followed by Cambodia (Phnom Penh) with lots of other cities visited in between on this 18 day trip.  I’m probably most looking forward to visiting The Angkor Wat temple but experiencing Laos and Cambodia should be amazing.

    Dambulla Rock Temple, Sri Lanka

  • Professional Presenting

    One of the interesting changes of my professional life is the rather large role presenting to the superannuation industry now plays.

    I recall a time when I wasn’t trusted to present, not that I didn’t have the knowledge, but because I just answered questions without filters, in particular admitting mistakes and my organisations thought process in decisions.

      Now I’m authorised to speak at National Conferences and directly to journalists and regularly present at State level events with hundreds of attendees and write a substantial part of presentations for more senior leaders.  Times change, trust is built and speaking with honesty creates a positive reputation that makes you more in demand.

    Now I’m booked to speak at the Gold Coast for a Television Education Network event early September and a series of SMSF Adviser events on East Coast of Australia in November .  Both heavily promoted and costing reasonable amount of money to attend.  

    To think back of the frustrations on being trusted to communicate to lawyers and accountants to the fulfilling role I have today. Being patient and honest (with limits) pays off, in the end just be yourself and if you have value your skills will be used. 

      

  • Review – Ant-Man

     

    Released: July 2015
    Seen: 19 July 2015
    Cinema: Hoyts Extreme Screen
    Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly
    Gene: Sci-fi / Comedy
    Rating: 8.5 / 10

    Synopsis
    Forced out of his own company by former protégé Darren Cross, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) recruits the talents of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a master thief just released from prison. Lang becomes Ant-Man, trained by Pym and armed with a suit that allows him to shrink in size, possess superhuman strength and control an army of ants. The miniature hero must use his new skills to prevent Cross, also known as Yellowjacket, from perfecting the same technology and using it as a weapon for evil.

    Review (warning spoilers)
    The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universal takes the smallest super hero who while very important in the original comics hasn’t previously been mentioned.  This movie is the end of phase 2 of the movies.

    Scott Lang is a smart guy who’s ethics has seen him end up in jail after hacking his former employer’s computer system to right a wrong Scott now faces the consequences of his actions as we join the film with Scott in a prison ‘fight’. His ex-girlfriend has left him and is now engaged to a policeman which limits access to his young daughter.  Scott is down on his luck and can’t catch a break or keep a job due to his criminal record.

    Hank Pym has his own problems kicked out of his own company in a board revote lead by his protege Darren Cross with the casting vote from his estranged daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly).  This film is very big on the father – daughter dynamics and what you would do to repair and rebuild those relationships.  Hank was the original Ant-Man and lost the most important part of his life playing that role.

    The MCU is at its best when it goes the less serious route (although I loved Captain America Winter Soldier) and here we get great comedy between the different characters.  Michael Peña steals his limited appearances with laugh out loud moments.  The movie also pulls off the logic of why other super heroes aren’t involved, not an easy feat in a world full of them, even though Falcon (Anthony Mackie) makes an extended appearance.

    I saw this movie with my nephew Andrew and we both loved it.  Earlier in the day I watch the live action musical West Side Story and moved on to a big Hollywood movie and they both used there respective mediums well.  I would put this up near the top MCU movies, maybe I’m a sucker for redemption stories or comedies with a little heart.

    Recommendation: A must for all MCU fans I think even non comic book fans will enjoy, a movie for all ages, male and female.

    PS Remember to stay for the credits that have two important scenes for future movies.

  • Review – West Side Story

    Westsidestory650x370WSSSeen: 19 July 2015
    Theatre: State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne
    Cast: Anna O’Byrne, Gareth Keegan, Deone Zanotto, Adam Fiorentino, Sean Mulligan, Neil Melville, Tony Rickards, Glaston Toft, Rob Tripoline, Dean Vince
    Gene: Musical
    Rating: 9 / 10

    Synopsis
    Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is set on New York’s Upper West Side in the mid-1950s where racial and social tensions run high. A poignant, provocative and emotionally powerful piece of theatre, its score features many of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein’s most famous compositions – Maria, America, Somewhere and Tonight.

    Review (warning spoilers)
    An amazing show, with a great story and strong fun songs (there are 19 songs over the 2.5 hour performance) with a sad tragic end that I got to experience with my sister Kara as part of her birthday present.

    The story starts with the Jets looking to protect their turf from the Sharks recent immigrants from Puerto Rico.  The Jets have been running the West Side of New York for years and were founded by Riff (Sean Mulligan) and Tony (Gareth Keegan).  Tony has drifted away from the gang and feels something major is awaiting for him.  That turns out to be Maria (Anna O’Byrne) the sister of Bernardo the leader of the Sharks.

    The young couple meet without realising their links to the different gangs and obviously both sides don’t want the romance to go ahead without the possible exception of Anita (Deone Zanotto – Bernardo’s girlfriend).  Both Maria and Tony damn the consequences and pursue a relationship as the two gangs intensify their struggle for dominance.  Tony is caught between his gang and the love he has for Maria who doesn’t want these fights.  This leads to tragic outcomes for everyone involved.  The show demonstrates how things can get out of control and conflict easily escalates.

    I loved the performance, Anna O’Byrne (Maria) and Deone Zanotto (Anita) have amazing voices that moves your soul.  The dancing by all the 32 performers (well the 4 adults don’t dance) has well choreographed.  Orchestra Victoria is incredible and at times steal the show.  My sister was surprised with the tragic outcomes and deaths  but hey being based on Romeo and Juliet I wasn’t surprised except in the differences of who survives.  I guess with some much fun with the music and dancing deaths of characters might seem out of place.

    Recommendation: A great story for people of all ages, fun and tragic.

  • Birdman (2014) ★★★★★

    Birdman (2014) ★★★★★

    Great movie. Highly recommend to everyone.