Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

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Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands gives you a sense of space, of wilderness and of untamed nature, thanks largely to its many national parks and large stretches of uninhabited spaces.

In winter, it becomes a wonderland of ice and snow and people flock to its ski resorts or to see the extraordinarily creative snow and ice sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival that takes place in Hokkaido’s capital every February.

Autumn arrives earlier in Hokkaido than in the rest of Japan, so you are more likely to see the turning of the leaves here first. But it is also colder than the rest of Japan and can snow in autumn. Don’t be deterred, it’s a wonderful season to visit.

While most visitors arrive in Hokkaido by air, there is a land link to its near southern neighbour Honshu – the Seikan Tunnel which was dug under the Tsugaru Strait. A new Shinkansen or bullet train inaugurated in 2016, passes through this tunnel to link Hokkaido with Tokyo and significantly reduces the travel times.

Unlike the other densely settled parts of Japan, full control of the island by the Japanese central government was only completed after the Meiji Restoration in the mid-19th Century and in 1869 it was given the new name Hokkaido. This control was extended in order to meet a perceived threat of Russian expansion from mainland Vladivostok.

Known for many years by the name Ezo, Hokkaido is home to the indigenous Ainu people and many names on the island have their origins in indigenous languages including that of the capital Sapporo. We visited the Poroto Kotan Ainu village where tourists are given explanations of Ainu culture and can wander through the houses and structures. Less appealing are the few brown bears, significant in Ainu life and ceremonies, that are kept in the village in tiny cages.  A visit to the very informative and well laid out museum that presents the history of the Ainu people is worthwhile.

Of all the wonderful sights and attractions of Hokkaido, its volcanoes and natural hot springs, are the most impressive.

 

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Noboribetsu

Noboribetsu is famous for its hot springs. A small town in the south of Hokkaido, it is easily reached by train from Sapporo. Set in mountains that are volcanoes, it attracts those who seek the healing and relaxing waters of some of the best onsen in Japan.

When you arrive in Noboribetsu you see a huge statue of a blue demon bearing a black club, like a vision from hell. And indeed when you begin to walk around you seem to enter the underworld. Active ochre-mantled volcanoes spewing plumes of steam surround you. Nearby in craters there are cauldrons of bubbling, sulphurous liquid. Geysers periodically erupt in a shower of boiling water.

The association of this area with hell is understandable but inaccurate. Its stark yellow, pink and green-clad landscape is beautiful. You marvel at the remarkable volatility of the earth beneath your feet. Taking a walk in the light snow of late autumn along the many pathways through the Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, including the one to Jigoku-Dani (Hell Valley) a huge geothermal crater, is exhilarating. There are boardwalks to the geysers and at the Oyunuma Brook, a place where hikers can sit and bathe weary feet in a naturally hot stream.

Afterwards, you can relax in the luxurious onsens of the nearby hotels. Noboribetsu offers a wide variety of natural hot spring waters in which to bathe. The different minerals in the various onsen are said to relieve and cure health problems. The Dai-Ichi Takimotokan Hotel is enormous and may get no prizes for beautiful architecture, but it provides spacious and attractive rooms (especially the Japanese-style rooms), excellent and abundant choices of food, and a multitude of health spas – 35 large and small pools with 7 types of hot springs. There is also a 25 metre swimming pool and waterslide. Our favourite was the women’s open air spa – chill air meets hot bath, a match made in heaven.

Hakodate

The port city of Hakodate, the third largest city in Hokkaido, has attractions that reflect its colourful and turbulent past. It was the first city in Japan whose port was opened to foreign trade as a result of U.S. Commodore Mathew Perry’s expedition in 1854. The Tokugawa Shoguns who ruled Japan, had for two centuries pursued an isolationist policy that prevented foreign countries access to Japan. When Perry sailed into the Japanese harbour with five ships to force the re-opening of Japan, he overturned this policy. Surrender to Perry’s demands dealt a great blow to the authority of an already weakened Shogunate. One consequence was a war in 1869 when Hakodate became the site of the last stand of supporters of the Shogunate against the restoration of the new Meiji imperial authority. The focal point of this stand was the Goryokaku Fort.

Goryokaku Fort and Tower

 

Goryokaku Fort Hakodate

Don’t miss touring this area. Its chief attraction is the five-pointed star shaped Goryokaku Fort modelled on 16th Century European citadel towns and completed in 1864. Its thick stone walls are surrounded by a moat and the 1,600 cherry trees planted in its grounds make it an extraordinary sight in spring. It’s an impressive sight in any season and can be best appreciated from the observatory in the Goryokaku Tower nearby.

The new Goryokaku Tower was built in 2006 as an observatory in order to give visitors excellent perspectives onto the Fort from a height of almost 100 metres. It also has a very well-presented graphic exhibition of the dramatic events that shaped the history of Goryokaku from the arrival of the American fleet until the surrender of rebels to the forces of new Meiji central government in 1869. This narrative has all the excitement and adventure of hopeless causes with its larger-than-life characters and doomed heroes. Indeed a bronze statue commemorates the handsome and dashing young rebel leader who was shot and killed in a final assault by rebel forces.  The Tower also has a cafe and Observatory shop.

Well worth a visit is the reconstructed Hakodate Magistrate’s Office (Hakodate Bugyosho) in the Fort’s grounds.  The original office was the Edo Shogunate’s administrative centre for the Ezo (Hokkaido) region and was dismantled after its collapse. In 2010 after a four year effort, it was reconstructed just as it had been using the exact same materials and traditional Japanese techniques that had been employed in the original structure. Craftsmen skilled in traditional Japanese carpentry, plastering and roof tiling were brought in from all around Japan. You cannot help but admire the superb craftsmanship and attention to every tiny detail of this beautiful building. A fascinating video of the rebuilding process is part of the exhibition.

Foreign Quarter

 

View From Motomachi, Hakodate

Walk up the hillside from the port and you are in the Motomachi neighbourhood. The area provides a wonderful view over the port and bay, and is a snapshot of times past. Impressive Western-style houses set in beautiful gardens, churches – the Russian Orthodox Church and other historical missionary churches, including Anglican and Catholic – as well as public buildings such as the Old British Consulate were built here at the foot of Mount Hakodate by the foreigners from Russia, China, the UK and other Western countries who came to seek their fortune in the newly-opened Japan of the mid-19th Century. At night, the churches and buildings are illuminated. Of particular note is the Old Hakodate Public Hall. It’s worth going for a wander at dusk and then walking to the near-by Mount Hakodate Ropeway station to take the cable car up the mountain to see the spectacular night view of the city and peninsula.

Old Hakodate Public Hall

 

Night View from Top of Mt. Hakodate Ropeway

 

Morning Market

Hakodate is famed for excellent seafood. This bounty can be seen at the morning market (Asaichi) which is very near the JR Hakodate railway station. Some 300 stalls are spread across four city blocs selling the freshest and most abundant variety of seafood and other produce. Restaurants in the market tempt visitors to taste their specialties. The market is held daily from 5am to 2 pm.

Another interesting area where you can wander and dine in the evening is around the red brick warehouses next to the port. They have been re-developed into an attractive area of restaurants and shops.

Sapporo

 

Sapporo Beer Museum

Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital, is a thriving pleasant city of almost 2 million people set on a grid pattern that is easy to navigate. Below the city centre, there is a network of underground shopping malls, plazas and public transport that make it possible to live and go about business in the city without suffering the extremely cold winter. For this reason it has attracted many retirees from other parts of Japan despite the colder climate.

Sapporo is probably best known around the world as the original home of its eponymous brand of beer. Indeed, you can order a variety of beer available only in Sapporo at the Sapporo Beer Gardens, which is part of the Sapporo Garden Park where you can also visit the Sapporo Beer Museum.  All these refurbished red brick buildings are part of the former brewery.

Sapporo gained worldwide attention for hosting the Winter Olympic Games in 1972, the first in Asia. Winter is still an important season in Sapporo because of the annual Sapporo Snow Festival held in February and its astonishing mammoth ice sculptures.  Skiing is also an attraction because of the availability of ski jumps in the city and its proximity to the Niseko ski resort.

There are plans to extend the bullet train service from Tokyo that presently stops at Hakodate to Sapporo in the next few years. At present, most people arrive in Sapporo by air.

Related posts:

Onsen in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

Ryokans in Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

 

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

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TRANSPORT IN JAPAN

If you decide to travel in Japan using public transport you will be pleasantly surprised. It’s efficient, punctual, comfortable and clean. The train system, that includes Japan’s brilliant bullet train as well as its  regular  trains, is excellent. The subway is fast, frequent and user-friendly. Over short distances, taxis are reasonably priced and very clean. It’s worthwhile to have your destination written in Japanese to show the driver since many do not speak English.

TRAINS

Remarkably, Japanese trains have an annual average late arrival time of only 38 seconds! They reach most places you are likely to tour in Japan and can be supplemented by buses or taxis.

The bullet train or Shinkansen that connects major centres, is a marvel. Travelling at up to 300km per hour, this sleek, white, green or red serpent of a train is whisper quiet and provides a smooth ride when you are inside. Outside, it appears as a rush of wind if you’re lucky enough to catch it passing at full speed.

Reserve seats and use it as much as you can. Like most trains, platforms are marked to show where you are to wait to alight your reserved carriage. You will have 30 seconds to get on or off. Don’t worry, you can actually do it in time.

We travelled on the newest Shinkansen line, inaugurated as recently as March 2016.

This sleek, green bullet train travels from the port city of Hakodate in the northern island of Hokkaido to Tokyo, with stops on the way that include the city of Sendai on the main island of Honshu. More than 50km of the journey is in a tunnel at a depth of 100 metres under the ocean between the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. Our shiny new green train was connected at the rear to an equally shiny red bullet train, so it was actually 2 trains that together were hurtling above ground and under sea.

It’s worthwhile and saves money to buy a Japan Rail Pass (JR Rail Pass) if you intend to use the trains. This pass allows you to go on most trains and Shinkansen (but not trains privately operated) and other transport such as the JR Miyajima Ferry. For more information about obtaining the pass and a user guide see JR Pass.

 

SUBWAYS

Tokyo and Kyoto, the two cities in which you are most likely to use them, have excellent subway systems. On first descent into the stations, they may seem daunting with their myriad of lines and destinations and their banks of ticket machines, but help is at hand. Signs appear in English as well as in Japanese. There is often an information booth. A subway map in English is available at these booths. There are usually attendants on hand at all stations who will help you get your ticket at the machine and direct you to your train. They won’t necessarily speak English, but if you know your destination, they are remarkably helpful despite the language barrier. Again, if you plan to use the subways more than a very few times, it’s worthwhile getting an IC card for unlimited travel. See www.japan-guide.com for more information.

 

TRANSPORT FROM/TO TOKYO AIRPORTS

Of all the options – trains, taxis, buses and shuttles – the fastest and most economical to and from the airport is the train. Narita Airport (see http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2027.html for all transport options) is 60 kilometres from Tokyo and a taxi to central Tokyo is very, very expensive. You are much better off getting a train to central Tokyo and then if necessary, a taxi to your hotel.

The same is true of Haneda Airport. Although nearer central Tokyo, a taxi ride there from Haneda can cost over AUD$100. For your transport options from and to Haneda see http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2430.html.

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE ROAD

It would be remiss to talk about transport, especially trains in Japan, without mentioning that every train station or subway offers a choice of take-away food and drink. The larger stations have cafes, eat-in or take-away restaurants, bakeries and shops. Some even have department stores attached. They are in essence shopping arcades. Many of the restaurants are excellent and of good value. Even the most remote station will have a vending machine that offers hot and cold drinks.

Or if you rushed to hop on the Shinkansen without having time to buy a little something for the road, fear not. A hostess will appear in your carriage with a food and drink trolley from which you can make a purchase. You are never very far from food when travelling in Japan.

Related posts:

Onsen in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

Ryokans in Japan

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

 

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

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The pleasures of the Japanese toilet are gaining worldwide attention. The BBC in its news today, made an announcement about toilets in Japan. And recently the New York Times ran a feature story on Japanese toilets. Why toilets would qualify as news might puzzle many – but it would not surprise those who have been to Japan.

Japanese toilets are quite ingenious.

When you arrive in Japan and head for the first toilet you can find in the airport you find that it is impeccably clean, as are all toilets in Japan almost without exception. But you are stopped in your tracks by an electronic panel next to the loo with a dazzling array of symbols. There is so much to read! Do I need a user manual to go to the loo in Japan? Not really, but often you are stuck in the toilet because it’s hard to find the flush button in the dense display of options. Especially since often they are only in Japanese. Welcome to the Toto!

It is claimed that once you experience the Toto commode/washlet, you will never again be satisfied with a regular toilet. First, the seat is heated, a surprising comfort that never wanes. Then you have a varying number of functions depending on the model. The Japanese have combined in one what the French made separate – a toilet that is also a bidet with special features. You can choose a front or rear spray, the temperature of the water and length of cleanse. You can vary the water pressure. Some have an air-purifying system that deodorises during use. Many have air dryers to finish. While others also provide music or a sound button that plays warbling birdsong or gushing waterfalls to discretely cover your sound.

Panel of Japanese toilet

 

These toilets are ubiquitous throughout Japan, especially in hotels, restaurants and airports as well as private homes. They often exist in public conveniences as a Western-style choice alongside the traditional, squat toilets seen elsewhere in Asia.

It seems that the manufacturers of these hi-tech toilets have finally realised the difficulty the dizzying array of options presents to foreign tourists. So they have now jointly agreed to standardise and simplify the symbols on the toilet panels and reduce them to only eight new pictograms.

Press Conference of Manufacturers of Japanese toilets announcing new
toilet symbols- January 18th 2017

New symbols on Japanese toilets

Travellers to Japan, seduced by the temptations of the Toto, have been known to return home determined to find and install this triumph of toilet technology in their own homes. None of them seems to have regretted it.

Related posts:

Our Top Places in Japan

Ryokans in Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Onsen in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

 

 

Ryokans in Japan

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Western-style hotels or  Ryokans – traditional Japanese inns?

Ryokans in Japan have been described as national treasures. These traditional inns for travellers are located throughout the country. You can stay in Western-style hotels throughout Japan, but you would be missing out on very memorable and pleasurable experiences by not staying in a ryokan. Many hotels also offer you a choice of Western or Japanese-style rooms. The latter are similar to a room in a ryokan. These rooms tend to be larger than Western-style rooms which are often tiny.

What to expect in a Ryokan

When you enter the rooms in these ryokans, you remove your shoes in a small ante-room and put on the slippers provided. Tatami or densely woven straw mats cover the floors. The sliding doors (shoji screens) and windows are made of wood and paper.

The rooms are usually spacious and light with minimal furnishings. An atmosphere of serenity seems to emanate from them.

There is always a low wooden table with legless seats and cushions or just the  cushions for seating. Often rooms have an alcove attached in which stand comfortable low armchairs. When you first enter the room, there will be no bed or mattresses on the floor. It is only while you are having dinner in the dining room of the ryokan that staff come, move the table aside and set up futons with quilts on the floor. You can always ask for an extra futon if you want more cushioning between you and the floor. Pillows often have something in them that feels like small beans which adjust to the shape of your head, but are not particularly comfortable. All rooms have kettles or thermoses with hot water, a teapot and cups and supplies of Japanese green tea. Every implement is beautifully presented.

Most ryokans have en suite toilets and showers but it’s worthwhile to check before you book.

Kaiseki-style dinners

One of the most comfortable ryokan we stayed in was on Miyajima island, just across the strait from Hiroshima. The best rooms in the Miyarikyu Ryokan have views looking out to the sea and the sunset. You can watch the wild deer of the island wandering undisturbed on the street below. While the rooms in the ryokans are very clean and simple, the food can vary from quite basic to outstanding. The better ryokans provide breakfast buffets with a wide array of both Japanese and Western food. It’s worth trying the Kaiseki-style dinners at least once in the best ryokans. These are banquet-like meals in which a seemingly endless series of courses arrive of local delicacies and the best the chef can offer.

Yukatas

When staying in ryokans or hotels in Japan, you do not need to bring pyjamas. Sleepwear, usually a yukata – a unisex cotton kimono – is provided, as are toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoos and generally razors and hairbrushes too.

It is particularly pleasant to put on a yukata which often has attractive patterns and colours. A traditional jacket is also provided to wear over the yukata. The yukatas serve both as pyjamas and leisure wear. It is perfectly acceptable to wear the yukata to breakfast and dinner in the dining room, where everyone else will also be wearing the same yukata.

There is a very strict rule governing how you put on the yukata. You must always fold the right half against your body and then fold the left side over it so that it is on top and then tie it with an obi – a beautiful wide band. Folding the opposite way with the right on top is frowned upon as it is the way Japanese dress the dead.

Shukubo – Buddhist temple guest lodgings

Even less sophisticated ryokans provide a very good level of comfort. We spent one night in a shukubo, the guest lodging of Shojoshin-in, a Buddhist temple monastery in Koya-san. Koya-San is situated in forested mountains south of Kyoto. It is the world headquarters of the Shingon School of Buddhism whose founder in 816 was Kobo Daishi, one of the most important religious figures in Japan, who is said to be buried in Koya-san. The town has 110 temples and is a magnet for pilgrims. Which is probably why when we arrived at this remote spot after taking several trains and a funicular up the 650 metres to get there, we were stuck in a traffic jam in the town centre. There are many shukubo of varying degrees of comfort available in Koya-San for pilgrims and visitors. Many are listed on the Koyasan Shukubo Association website.

Shukubo lodging of a Buddhist temple monastery in Koya-san Japan – womangoingplaces.com.au

We assumed that the monastery would be quite austere, but were surprised to find the traditional style rooms comfortable, with heating, facilities for tea, wifi and a TV. Dinner was a strictly vegetarian meal with no meat, fish, garlic or onions according with their strictures – but sake was served with dinner on request. Although Western toilets were available, all toilet and bathroom facilities are shared and not en suite.

Most ryokans in Japan have onsen, varying from small and basic, as in the above shukubo, to elaborate and luxurious with a large choice of pools and optional features such as massage and treatments.

We highly recommend staying at least once in a ryokan as part of a memorable Japanese experience.

Related posts:

Our Top Places in Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Onsen in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

Onsen in Japan

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Japan’s ubiquitous volcanoes frequently cause land and sea to shudder. But they are also the source of the healing waters of the Onsen in Japan. These are the public bath houses all over Japan that are often supplied with mineral water drawn from hot springs in volcanic craters.

Onsen have been part of Japanese life for millennia.

One of the great delights of visiting Japan is staying in ryokans – traditional inns – with Onsen. Although most ryokans have public bathing areas, not all are built around hot springs.

The most memorable hot spring Onsen we visited was in Noboribetsu on the northern island of Hokkaido. It is an area called Hell Valley because it brings to mind a picture of the underworld. Rumbling, sulphurous clouds of smoke and vapour spew from numerous volcanic craters and caves. Pools of bubbling mud, geysers and streams of burning hot water cover the landscape. We stayed in the ryokan,  Dai-Ichi Takimotokan, on the site of the original Onsen set up here 150 years ago. The thermal waters here are said to have special healing properties. For this reason it is an area popular with not only Japanese, but also with South Korean and Chinese visitors. There are many ryokan and Onsen in the area.

After a walk in the surrounding National Park through the unearthly landscape, it is a treat to then step into an Onsen and sink into the mineral rich sulphur baths for as long as you can stand the temperature of  38-40 degrees celsius. You can also relax in the steaming outdoor bath, surrounded in autumn by snow-covered trees.

 

Hell Valley Noboribetsu Hokkaido Japan – womangoingplaces.com.au

 

Even in a smaller and simpler ryokan in Hakone, south-west of Tokyo on Honshu, the Onsen was the highlight of our stay at the Yajikitano Yu Ryokan.

If your hotel or ryokan does not have an Onsen, there may be Onsen available at a general public facility, for example, in Matsuyama on Shikoku, the famous Dogo Onsen, thought to be the first Onsen in Japan. Or you can go to a neighbouring hotel wherever you are staying and use the Onsen there for a fee.

Onsen vary from luxurious to basic, but they are well worth the experience.

 

Etiquette in an Onsen

There is a particular procedure that governs correct behaviour in the Onsen.

Some Onsen are mixed, but we were only in those in which men and women are divided into separate areas. You take off all your clothes and place them in a basket or locker, and enter a large room with rows of stools, individual shower hoses, mirrors, soaps and shampoos. You are given a small white towel/washcloth with which you scrub yourself and rinse off until you are thoroughly clean.

 

Noboribetsu-Onsen Dai-ichi Takimotokan, Hokkaido Japan

 

Then you walk naked into the adjoining area where there are pools of different sizes and temperatures. These pools are strictly for relaxation, not for washing. In the beginning you may feel awkward without clothes or a swimsuit, but you quickly get over it. You take with you the small towel which you used to wash yourself. It is considered unhygienic and therefore offensive to allow this washcloth to touch the water of the relaxation pools. So some fold it and balance it on their heads, while others tie it stylishly into a kerchief around their heads.

Many Onsen have saunas and also provide hair dryers, skin lotions and other beauty products. If the Onsen has an outside pool, try it, possibly after you have sampled the inside pools. They are usually set in a secluded area made to appear as natural as possible with rocks and greenery.

Even though rooms in most ryokans have an ensuite toilet and shower, bathing in the Onsen is quite a different and more blissful experience. It is certainly an essential experience of Japan.

 

Related posts:

Our Top Places in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

Ryokans in Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

 

Fabian Dattner – My Top 5 Places in Australia

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” You have to have a beard to be a leader in Antarctica.” It was this statement that sparked the indignation and the imagination of Fabian Dattner and led to an unprecedented expedition of 75 women scientists to Antarctica in December 2016.

Women and Leadership

Fabian, a partner in consulting firm Dattner Grant has had 30 years experience in leadership training, both internationally and with Australian government, corporate  and not-for-profit organisations. She has authored 3 books on leadership and is one of Australian’s best-known entrepreneurs, speakers and executive instructors.

So she was well placed to notice first-hand the paucity of women in executive positions. This prompted her seven years ago to set up Compass, a training program specifically designed to equip women with leadership skills. And it was during one of these Compass courses in Tasmania, that women scientists, many of them working in polar science, expressed their distress at repeatedly being passed over for leadership in favour of men.

Women in STEM

Indeed, only 9% of leadership roles in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the world are held by women. This is remarkable given that women constitute the majority of undergraduates, graduates and Ph.D students in science.

What Fabian heard from the women working in polar science made such an impression on her, she had a vivid dream that same evening in which she was taking a group of them on a ship to Antarctica. The next morning she consulted with Dr. Jess Melbourne Thomas, an Antarctic Marine Ecological Modeler, who agreed that such a project would be feasible. From that point on they both began planning and within 6 weeks the project received the endorsement of the CEO of the Australian Antarctic Division who described it as a “ brilliant idea.”  And Homeward Bound was born.

2016 Homeward Bound expedition of women scientists in Antarctica

Homeward Bound

Support from global figures streamed in, including that of Dr Jane Goodall, primatologist and environmental campaigner; Dr Sylvia Earle, global leading Marine Biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer; and Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The project went viral with thousands of women in science applying for the 75 places on the first Homeward Bound 19-day expedition to Antarctica in December 2016.

These scientists all strongly identified with the twin goals of Homeward Bound as stated by Fabian. The first: to promote women with a science background into leadership and decision-making positions. The second: to increase the impact of these women on climate change and the sustainability of the planet.

The 10-year objective of Homeward Bound is to build a world-wide collaboration between 1000 women in science. Fabian believes that these women, acting together, can be a more powerful force of global leadership on these vital issues.  “Our individual brilliance is not as powerful as our collective cleverness, “ she says.

The 75 scientists who took part in the first expedition came from countries around the world. They represented a wide range of fields –  marine science, climate change ecology, biodiversity conservation, astronomy, geology, zoology and neuroscience – to name just a few. They represented a wide range of expertise – from Ph.D students to professors. And they represented a wide range of ages – from women in their twenties to women in their seventies.

Homeward Bound journey on Ushuaia – photo Ute Hohn-Bowen

Prior to sailing, the participants took part in 12 months of building connections and teams. Once on board, part of the day was devoted to training led by Fabian, in leadership and strategic skills. There was a major science symposium at sea, with each of the scientists presenting her field of expertise, and there were group discussions of the most up-to-date climate change research and other key issues facing the planet.

Up to five hours each day were spent exploring the extraordinary beauty of Antarctica in 16 different landings and in meeting Antarctic experts. A film crew was present on Homeward Bound and recorded the entire expedition.

Antarctica- photo Fabian Dattner 2016 Homeward Bound

Why Antarctica?

Why was Antarctica chosen as the context for this project?

“ Because Antarctica is the engine of the planet, “ says Fabian. In Antarctica you can see some of the fastest and most breathtaking results of climate change to be seen anywhere on the planet, she said. It provides a dramatically visual early warning system of where we are headed.

The next Homeward Bound expedition, due to leave on February 2018,  has been flooded with applicants.

“ We are looking for women who are worried about what is happening to the planet and who think they can make a difference, “ says Fabian.

Homeward Bound funded the first expedition largely though global crowd-funding projects. Now they are seeking to provide scholarships for women in science who cannot afford to fund their own participation in the expedition.

WomanGoingPlaces supports the objectives of Homeward Bound in strengthening the collaborative participation of women scientists at the highest levels of decision-making. And we encourage our followers to support these scholarships. For further information see the Homeward Bound website.

Fabian’s Top 5 Places

Antarctica

 

Antarctica – photo Fabian Dattner 2016 Homeward Bound

Antarctica is not a place I felt at home, Antarctica was a place I was in awe.

The icebergs are not what anyone imagines an iceberg is about, they’re huge, they’re like a city building. They are behemoths and from then on in you’re in a spellbinding environment

Antarctica has the lowest biodiversity on the planet.

There are two things on the surface, tiny little bits of green – an Antarctic grass and a tiny bit of moss. And this vast ice scape. And you’ll be walking through snow and ice and there is a rock, and it’s not like you see it everywhere by the way, you need a biologist to point it out to you. There’ll be tiny beads of water and in that there is a teensy weensy bit of gloop and in there are the larval stages of this wingless fly. And that’s it.

But in summer, in the water and under the water, is a majesty and a magic that is incomprehensible. The largest biomass in the world is there. Krill, and on the back of the krill come the whales and we saw humpbacks. And there are times where you’ll see the whales working as teams to move the krill into a circle and then they move in and eat. We saw Minke Whales dancing with the boat. We saw Leopard seals. We saw Weddell seals, we saw Chinstraps and Adelie penguins. You see lots of ocean-going birds, birds that have traveled obscene distances to breed because the water is so rich.

[Under the Antarctic Treaty system Australia maintains sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory.]

South Coast Walk, Tasmania

It’s a fly-in-walk-out walk. You fly out of Hobart on a 4 seater for an hour and you land on a little airstrip in the middle of nowhere in some wilderness. The plane flies off and you begin a walk. And you’re walking along the South West coast, for about a 100 kilometres. You’re walking through forest that is largely untouched on such a narrow path and you have a heavy pack on your back.  Light filters through the grand trees onto the green landscape and it is so beautiful you can’t talk. If you’ve loved Lord of the Rings, it’s like Lothlorien where the elves live.

It was one of the hardest walks I’ve done and one of the most beautiful. It is right up there with one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

Coral off Lord Howe Island – photo Lord Howe Island Tourism Association www.lordhoweisland.info

Lord Howe Island would definitely be one of my favourite places. With the bleaching of the Barrier Reef it is actually probably one of the most southern ends of diverse coral that you’re going to see. There hasn’t been any bleaching there. And diving there was just stunning. It’s this tiny little isolated island in the Pacific Ocean and you have to go quite a long way to get there. If the weather throws you a kilter, you can’t land. There are only 300 people that live there and there’s quite a restricted tourist population. You can only get around on bicycles. I love the beautiful wilderness and the places that human beings haven’t desecrated. There is pristine water to dive in. Just pristine water.

Kakadu, Northern Territory

Kakadu escarpment Northern Territory – photo auswalk.com.au

There’s this walk, not a complex walk anyone can do it, but you go up past an extensive area of Aboriginal rock banding which is in itself haunting. It’s 50, 60 thousand years old. But the most memorable part is getting to an escarpment where you have a 360 degree panoramic view of the best of Australian outback with not a single building as far as the eye can see in any direction. And I remember the epic part about that was coming to the top and a big Texan came up behind us and he’s standing next to me in his stetson hat and he says “ I don’t know why people rave about the Aboriginals –  I can’t see that they’ve left anything here” (in Texan accent).  And I said, “ No, they’ve left us this beautiful, beautiful space.”

Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Flinders Ranges South Australia – photo australia.com

We went to quite a remote area in the Finders Ranges. It was during the drought. So it was a very desolate dry hard space. But in a way that parts of Australia can be so epically beautiful. We saw rock wallabies and it’s very rare that you see rock wallabies in the wild. They move across the rock scape in the way foxes move at night in your backyards – in a ghostly, almost don’t touch the ground way. And we were in a very remote spot walking and I suddenly looked up at a desiccated dry mountain top of rocks and something moved and there they were. So that was one of the heart stopping moments of wilderness for me.

 

 

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Janette Jeffrey – My Top 5 Places in Australia

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Jan Jeffrey

Jan Jeffrey

Janette Jeffrey has broken 7 World Records as a Masters Swimmer from 2015 -2016.

She also holds 9 National records in freestyle and breaststroke in her age group 65-69 years. That’s just in the swimming pool.

In ocean swims she was the female wInner of the Cousins Travel Open Water ‘Ocean’ swim series 2016/17 in 60-69 age group. She has won her age group of the prestigious Lorne Pier to Pub race nine times.

But her picture made no front pages, and you have probably never heard of her.

If young sportswomen have great difficulty getting any coverage in mainstream media, it is almost impossible for older women competing in Masters events to do so.

Jan competed in the 16th FINA World Masters Swimming Championships 2015 in Kazan, Russia in August. She won 4 gold medals in the Women’s 65-69 years category for 50 metre, 100 metre and 200 metre breaststroke, as well as the 400 metre freestyle competitions.  Not many people get to break their own world records, but that is exactly what Jan did in Russia.

The FINA World Masters Games are the Olympics of Masters Swimming, and this makes Jan the fastest in the world by many seconds. She competes against ex-Olympians who now swim Masters and she is able to beat them. “To have been able to swim the 200m breaststroke better than anyone else in the world at my age, is hard to believe”.

Jan swims with the Malvern Marlins, a very enthusiastic and committed local Masters Swimming Club that trains at the Harold Holt Swim Centre in Glen Iris in Melbourne. She has been President of the Marlins and was made a life member in 2014 for her on-going contribution as a swimming coach.

 

Jan with the gold medals she won at the 16th FINA World Masters Swimming Championships 2015 in Kazan Russia

She joined the Marlins at the age of 43, initially just to manage her kidney disease. But she came to love not only the fitness, but also the fun and friendship she found in the group. Jan developed a drive to keep shaving the time off her laps. Her determination kept her going even when faced with life threatening illness and injuries. Extraordinarily, she achieved her 4 world record swims after undergoing a major operation on her heart.

 

 

She combines her love of swimming with her love of travelling around Australia in a caravan with partner and fellow Marlin, Gerry Tucker, who is also an accomplished Masters swimmer. Jan enjoys painting the natural beauty of the places she travels through. She also finds the local “swimming geeks” and joins them in swims and competitions.

Jan will be going to compete in Budapest at the Fina Masters World Swimming Championships in August this year.

Before she retired, Jan spent many years as a teacher at Caulfield Grammar School’s Malvern Campus in Melbourne.

Jan’s Top 5 Places:

 

Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Sunshine Coast, Queensland: For the thrill of Relaxation

We just love heading north to escape the Melbourne winter. (That’s what retirees can do.)

Our favourite destination is the Sunshine Coast.

It’s hard to pick my favourite place but Golden Beach, Caloundra suits us fine, and it is here where we have made a base for ourselves. The Glasshouse Mountains welcome us as we travel along the Bruce highway into town. The spectacular sight of the glassy waters of the Pumicestone Passage reminds us that it is time to relax and enjoy life.

Bribie Island resting in the background shelters us from the surf coast.  It is truly worth getting up early to watch the sunrise in the east, and just as rewarding, the sunset at night over the Glasshouse Mountains. What a view!

Our favourite pastime believe it or not, is to swim in the morning. We have met up with a great group of swim geeks who train at the 50m Pelican Waters Swim Centre. At the weekend, their passion is to swim in the ocean from Moffat beach around the point to Dickey beach, and back. On Sundays, they may choose another beach depending on the weather conditions. (Shark sightings nil so far, wetsuits allowed for us Melbournites, goggles & fins are optional.)

Kayaking over to Bribie Island with friends is a highlight of our time in Caloundra. Long walks along this pristine coastline (we are usually the only ones there), and a surf in the Pacific Ocean is a must, of course.  A picnic of fresh prawns from the local fish shop, mango, avocado and salad with fresh bread of course, topped off with a glass of bubbly under the pandanus trees, usually follows our swim.

Best places to visit:

Emu on Bribie island

Emu on Bribie island

  • Golden Beach for great bike paths that lead to all the sunny beaches. You must try stand-up paddle boarding on the Passage.
  • Mooloolaba for shopping, coffee, and people watching, and the Mooloolaba Spit to tuck into a bucket of fresh prawns for lunch.
  • Monteville, Maleny and Eumundi – take the time to enjoy a drive up into the hinterland for great markets, shops, art galleries and restaurants.
  • Kings beach for a surf and swim in the salt water pool beachside.
  • Cottontree for another pool swim, and the great Boat Shed restaurant for a sunset meal.
  • Sunshine Beach SLSC for a hearty lunch and afternoon drinks.
  • Alexander Headland for lazy walks on the long sandy coast line.
  • Buderim for a great life drawing class – a must each week when I am there.

 

Moree thermal baths, NSW - photo Nicole Steinke

Moree thermal baths, NSW – photo Nicole Steinke

Moree, Northern NSW: For the thrill of Rejuvenation

A tradition for the last four years since we purchased our caravan has been to call into the township of Moree in northern NSW. Why? Because we heard that it has hot thermal pools in which to relax and undergo some serious rejuvenation therapy. It was like a scene out of film director Ron Howard’s science fiction movie “Cocoon”. In this case, this huge pool was filled to the brim with older people wallowing in hot water, with steam rising into the damp night air. Yes, at night! They are in the pools from early morning to late at night, resting their bones and rejuvenating their souls with stories, old and new. My first conversation went like this: “Have you been around the block yet?”  Translated this means “Have you caravanned right around Australia yet? ” In these waters, you don’t need a travel agent or Trip Advisor to tell you where to go, what to do, and when to do it. Everybody here over 60 appears to be computer savvy possessing mobile phones, iPads, Kindles, etc. They Skype with family all the time. No need to go home!

I forgot to mention Moree has a new aquatic centre with a fantastic 50 m pool in which to do a training session. No rest for us poolies. After our workout of 3km or more, our bodies need rejuvenating!

Moree does have lots more to offer

  • Art galleries
  • Boutique shops
  • Heritage museums
  • Walking tours
  • Wineries
  • Market gardens galore – featuring olives, nuts

 

High Country Victoria horse riding

High Country Victoria horse riding

High country Merrijig, Victoria: For the thrill of Adventure

Simply go up to the high country in Merrijig, Victoria and do a mountain trail safari ride with the Man from Snowy River.

My first ride of many, was for one week. What was I thinking as a novice horse rider? As it turned out it probably changed my life around. Within an hour, I was trotting and cantering through the most beautiful countryside I had ever seen. Forget the aching muscles and saddle soreness I developed in those first few days, the whole experience was worth it. The fear of sitting on top of such a large animal had disappeared, and I was in awe of the bush environment. Starting from the Merrijig area we rode through such areas as Sheepyard Flat, where I did my first ever jump over a log (it was a big log!); along the Howqua River; Craig’s hut; Bindaree Falls; The Bluff; Mt Lovick; King Billy Tree; Hells Window; Mt Howitt; the Devils Staircase and many river crossings. Mustering cattle was another experience. Talk about moving back in time! I must tell you that the rides cater for all ages and ability levels. The rides are great for families. As darkness falls, many bush stories are told around the campfire and you can sleep in swag under the stars, if you dare.

You may be lucky enough to book into a ride with the original Man from Snowy River, Tom Burlinson, who makes a regular trip back each year to reunite with the “Lovick” Cattlemen family and renew his friendships.

These rides have been a life experience that I will never forget.

 

Lorne Pier to Pub swim

Lorne Pier to Pub swim

Lorne, Great Ocean Road, Victoria: For the thrill of Excitement

Head to Lorne between Airley’s Inlet and Wye River in summer.

As you drive down the Great Ocean Road in January, you realise that summer is here. Your breath is taken away by the panoramic views and wide expanse of water as you wind around the cliff tops into Lorne.

Tourists pour into this seaside town for a weekend of exciting competition. Thousands of competitors will compete in the Mountain to Surf Run, followed the next day by the iconic Pier to Pub Open Water swim. The atmosphere is electric.  Some of us diehard competitors have actually been here for the week, rehearsing the swim each day.

We spend the summer competing in the Cousins Travel Open Water Swim Series, and this weekend is the most prestigious swim, attracting up to 5000 swimmers.

I have swum this event about twenty-two times now, and won my age group nine times. Each year it gets harder and harder to swim this event. What a challenge!

If swimming in the ocean with a pack of swimmers, feeling like you are in a washing machine, isn’t your cup of tea, then believe it or not, there are other things to do:

  • Great Otway National Park

    Great Otway National Park

    Restaurants and cafes galore.

  • People watching whilst drinking coffee.
  • Walks in the Great Otway National Park.
  • Visit Erskine Falls.
  • Art Galleries.
  • Shopping, shopping, shopping.
  • Lying around on the beach reading.
  • Nippers programs for the kids.
  • Surfing.
  • A local Cinema.
  • Playgrounds for kids.
  • Yoga classes.
  • Massage.
  • Swimming pool.

 

Katherine Gorge National Park

Katherine Gorge National Park

Darwin, Northern Territory: For the thrill of Exploration

Head to the top end and visit Darwin for some unforgettable experiences.

Darwin is the gateway to Kakadu, Litchfield National Parks and Katherine Gorge.

We had the best experiences up here after competing in the Masters Swimming National Championships in Darwin. We swam in a chlorinated pool not a waterway! It was very scary swimming in the waterholes for us southerners, but signs deemed the area to be safe and free of crocs.

I often think I need to return and re-experience the Top End again. There is so much to see.

Places to visit:

Kata Tjuta, The Olgas, Northern Territory

Kata Tjuta, The Olgas, Northern Territory

  • Take a tour to Alice Springs.
  • Hear stories about the art, history, and cultures that will give you an insight into Uluru’s deep significance to the local Indigenous people.
  • Watch the spectacular Uluru (Ayers Rock) sunset with a glass of bubbly.
  • Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are just as spectacular.
  • Do a Kings Canyon tour and complete the iconic rim walk.
  • Bed down outside and marvel at the outback sky.
  • Travel in style on the Ghan train from Adelaide to the Top End, and in luxury, marvel at the outback.
  • Explore Crocodile Dundee country at Kakadu National Park.
  • Visit Mindil Beach sunset market.
  • The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory is superb with carvings from the Tiwi Islands, bark paintings from Arnhem Land, and dot paintings from the desert. See the fantastic display of the Cyclone Tracy tragedy graphically illustrating life before and after the disaster. You can stand in a darkened room and listen to the whirring sound of Tracy at full throttle − a sound you won’t forget in a hurry.
  • A trip to the Western MacDonnell Ranges is not to be missed and the incredible Ormiston Gorge is a must.
  • Litchfield National Park was awesome and the waterfalls and pools were absolutely beautiful.

Travel tips:

*  Travel insurance is a must. If you can’t afford it then you shouldn’t be travelling.

*  Scan all important documents and send to self and family back home.

*  Travel light. If you are moving around, no-one will notice that you have worn something again and again.

*  Take snacks with you. You never know when you are going to get caught out with food.

*  Looking forward to using citymaps2go (offline Maps and travel APP) next time I travel overseas.

Read More Top 5 Places

 

 

 

 

Renata Singer – My Top 5 Places in Australia

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“ There are no signposts for women as they get older, “ says Renata Singer, author of the newly published book ‘Older and Bolder Life after 60 ’.

Throughout their lives, women have followed all the usual signposts – going to school, university, entering a profession, having a job, getting married, having children, often going back to work. But when they hit their 60s, this generation of women enters unknown territory. Retirement, isolation, and babysitting the grandchildren, are not attractive signposts for them.

For the first time in history there are millions of women now in their 60s, who are highly educated, have professions and expertise, and have spent years in the workforce. And for the first time in history, these women can expect to live to their 90s.

So the question arises – how do women want to spend the next 30 years?

Renata saw fabulous women in their 90s and 100s, working, performing, competing and taking on new challenges, and having a great time.  It drove her to write her book in which she looks to the ‘elders’  for guidance and inspiration. In it, she interviews 28 women aged 85 to 100. Each woman has her own, very individual way of living her life – but each of them is audacious and courageous. They are all women who won’t allow themselves to be defined by their age, by stereotypes or by society’s expectations.

Renata’s other books include True Stories from the Land of Divorce, Goodbye and Hello, and a novel, The Front of the Family.  With her husband, the philosopher Peter Singer, she co-edited The Moral of the Story: Ethics Through Literature.

Renata is also an educator and community activist. She co-founded Fitted for Work in Australia, a non-profit organisation that in the 10 years since it was founded, has assisted 20,000 women experiencing disadvantage to get work and keep it by providing free business clothing, interview training, mentoring and transition to work programs.

She lives and works both in New York and Melbourne.

‘Older and Bolder Life after 60 ’ is published by Melbourne University Press https://www.mup.com.au/items/159545

 

Renata’s Top 5 Places:

Writing this from New York makes me immediately homesick.  Yes of course I love high-pitched sirens going day and night, sticky people-packed pavements, cheek-to jowl galleries, and more theatre than all Australian capital cities put together.  But my favourite place in the world is:

 

Mt Buffalo_View to the Valley

Mt. Buffalo – View to the Valley

Mt Buffalo National Park, Victoria

I first visited Mt Buffalo National Park on my honeymoon.  My husband’s family had been regulars at Mt Buffalo Chalet since he was a child and I fell for the place immediately.

Every Easter holiday, it was a mad rush to pick up the kids the minute school ended and up the Hume Highway to beat the traffic, so much excitement percolating in that back seat that they were almost well behaved.   And always a cheer as we passed the exit to Glenrowan and saw the mountain for the first time – not looking that much like a Buffalo despite its name.

Mt.Buffalo - Lake Catani

Mt.Buffalo – Lake Catani

Sadly the Chalet is no longer open but you can still camp (from Melbourne Cup Day in November until April each year). The camping ground is right on stunning Lake Catani.  You can easily spend a week exploring what Mt Buffalo has to offer.  But it’s also worth driving up from the bottom of the mountain for the day to hike or stroll, rock climb, picnic, hang glide, and to see the lyrebirds and wallabies, swim or kayak in the lake and – best of all – enjoy the fantastic views.

 

 

Lamington National Park O'Reilly's Husband Peter Singer & daughter Esther

O’Reilly’s at the Lamington National Park- 
Husband Peter Singer & daughter Esther

Lamington National Park, Queensland

The park is a two hour drive from Brisbane and I’ve been there many times staying either at O’Reilly’s or Binna Burra, both perfect places from which to explore the area.

Once in the Park, you’re surrounded by cool damp rain forests, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.  Forests like this once covered all of Australia and many of the trees and plants – like the Antartic beech tree – are unique  and date back to prehistoric times.  Imagine, they have outlived the dinosaurs and three-quarters of the other species they once co-existed with.

Lamington Plateau - O'Reilly's

Lamington Plateau – O’Reilly’s

You’re sure to come across a bower bird nest and may even be lucky enough to see the male performing its crazy dance trying to attract a mate.   Our most scary animal experience in the Park was our youngest daughter screaming blue murder when she almost stepped on a blue mountain crayfish.

Don’t miss the Tree Top Walk at O’Reilly’s.  You climb high up and up and from this exhilarating vantage point get the chance to observe life in the rainforest canopy at close range.  Many of the lookout points on the walks have panoramic views over the Gold Coast, south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales.

 

Great Ocean Rd -Eastern Beach Renata with granddaughter Amalia, & daughters Ruth and Esther

Great Ocean Rd – Eastern Beach
Renata with granddaughter Amalia, & daughters Ruth and Esther

Great Ocean Road, Victoria

For ten years we’ve had a holiday house in this area.  Big enough for our extended family of children and grandchildren, it’s a rare weekend that our house is empty.  We love other friends and family to use it when we can’t.  There’s nothing wreckable in the place and it’s only five minutes walk from a very safe – by surf beach standards – beach.

For four weeks in January everything along this coast is packed out, with crowds on the beaches and in the supermarket.  Traffic jams are typical especially when the Fall’s Festival over New Year is on at Lorne.  It’s like that on long weekends and over Easter but otherwise – for most of the year – the beautiful beaches are amazingly empty.

The drive is one of the most scenic in the world and there are not to be missed sights like the Twelve Apostles at Port Campbell and the whale watching at Warnambool.  Or like me, if you’re not in the water at the beach, the best way to see this and any country is to walk.  Take one of the long walks like the Great Ocean Walk from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell, or one of the short to medium strolls in the rainforests behind Lorne.  Maybe I’ll see you there next summer.

 

Cape Leveque - photo kooljaman.com.au

Cape Leveque – photo kooljaman.com.au

Cape Leveque, Western Australia

You’ll definitely need a 4 –wheel drive car for the 200 kilometre drive from Broome – the soft dirt road is really rugged.  Or you can fly.  Either way you’ll arrive in everyone’s idea of paradise, as long as you go in the dry season from June to September.

Cape Leveque lies on the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.  The resort is 100 per cent indigenous owned by the two neighbouring communities of this area, the Djarindjin and the Ardyaloon communities.  They’ve been running the place for over 20 years.

It’s one of my most recent discoveries.  We stayed in a safari-style tent with its own bathroom and kitchen, overlooking the white sands, red cliffs and sparkling blue sea.  We enjoyed a glass bottom boat tour, and one of the bush tucker guided walks that opened our eyes to all the food around us that was eaten by indigenous people.

Although there are many many things to do, best of all is doing nothing but soaking up the sheer tranquillity and beauty of this magical place.

Be sure to be on the beach for the spectacular sunsets when the rays light up those red cliffs like a magic lantern show.  If you like a drop of alcohol, you’ll need to bring your own as there is none, not even in the excellent restaurant.  BYO is fine.

 

Tidal River Wilson's Promontory

Tidal River Wilson’s Promontory

Wilson’s Promontory National Park, Victoria

The Prom is so beloved by the people of Victoria that in 1996 hundreds of people lined the beaches forming ‘Hands off the Prom’ signs with their bodies and towels and stopped then Premier Jeff Kennett’s plans for a large tourist development.

After a pleasant three hour drive from Melbourne, you’ll find plenty of accommodation options at Tidal River.  You can camp, caravan or stay in huts, cabins, and lodges of various sizes and at different levels of comfort.  Again it’s almost impossible to get the peak holiday times.

At the southernmost tip of mainland Australia, really the Prom has everything – huge granite mountains, open forest, rainforest, and sweeping beaches. The ocean around the Prom is a marine national park and great for snorkeling and diving. It’s at the Prom that I first saw mangroves: those stunted resilient trees with their tangle of roots above water.

You are absolutely assured of seeing kangaroos, emus, echidnas and older wild life at dawn and dusk and that’s the time to watch out for them on the road.  They are not road safety conscious.

If you’ve got small children they’ll love Squeaky Beach and the warm shallows of Tidal River  – yes the white sand does squeak.

Wilson's Prom - Lighthouse

Wilson’s Prom – Lighthouse

Again it’s a paradise for walkers with walks to suit everyone. Most recently we did the hike to the Lighthouse – you can stay there overnight – probably my absolute limit at just over 20km each way.  One never forgotten family moment is when we camped at Refuge Cove and heard strange scratchings outside our tent. There was a possum busily pulling down the zip on one of our back packs to get at the dried fruit.  Now that’s an evolved species for you.

 

Travel Tips:

*  I never  travel without my own sun block – most brands make my eyes puff up and water like crazy.

 *  Always try to smile at airport staff – people working at the airline counters and in security could do with   some cheer.

*  I like an aisle seat as I hate climbing over people to get to the toilet.

Read More Top 5 Places

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn in Japan

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When is the best time to go to Japan?

 

Autumn

WomanGoingPlaces chose to go to Japan in autumn in order to see the beauty of the autumn leaves.  The autumn in Japan  came later than expected this year. But we did see spectacular foliage in November. This continues into early December, although the weather is increasingly cold. The leaves turn earlier in Hokkaido, the colder northern island, than in the southern islands.

Spring

Spring in Japan is a very popular time to visit because of the beauty of the cherry blossoms.  Japanese and tourists flock to the parks and gardens at this time in particular to see the magnificent display of delicate pink, rose and white blooms massed along the avenues. However, the actual blooming is unpredictable and can occur sooner or later than expected depending on weather patterns. It is also very brief. So it is hard to time your trip with any certainly of seeing blossom.

You will have better luck with autumn foliage.

Summer

Summer in Japan can be uncomfortable for touring. June to the end of September is rainy, hot, and humid. In addition, this is the worst part of typhoon season.

Winter

In winter, Japan’s ski resorts come to the fore. They are increasingly popular for those wanting to go in winter. In Hokkaido, there is the added attraction of the snow and ice sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival that takes place in Hokkaido’s capital every February.

 

View our video below to see the spectacular, blazing colours of autumn leaves in Japan.

 

Related posts:

Our Top Places in Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Onsen in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Autumn in Japan

Notes on Japan

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

 

 

 

Notes on Japan

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WomanGoingPlaces visited Japan for the first time this year. As did 20 million other visitors. And with the summer Olympic Games scheduled  for Tokyo in 2020, travel to Japan is expected to soar with many more going to see the marvellous sights and rich experiences that Japan can offer.

We went during the northern autumn to the four main islands – Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku – and several smaller islands including Miyajima.

In an ongoing series of posts, we will share with you some of the extraordinary  places we visited and the uniquely Japanese experiences we had.

Japan is a country where people are unfailingly polite, helpful and frequently warm in their welcome of foreigners, especially those who take the trouble to learn even a few words of Japanese. Although English is not widely spoken, language is not the insuperable barrier that you might imagine. Goodwill and making sure you have your destinations and accommodations written in Japanese as well as English, are invaluable when you need directions or use transport.

We hope you enjoy our Notes on Japan beginning with the video below, and that you too will be inspired to visit this fascinating country.

 

 

Related posts:

Our Top Places in Japan

Ryokans in Japan

Onsen in Japan

Autumn in Japan

Geisha in Kyoto, Japan

Hokkaido – the Northern Island of Japan

Japan’s Brilliant Bullet Train

Notes on Japan

The Pleasures of a Japanese Toilet