VLOG 2015

This is our final part of the assignment! It is a video blog describing things to do in Sydney and how technology has come so far in helping us travel and see the world.
We hope you enjoyed it, as we had a lot of fun making it!

Much love,
Merita, Nick and Austine

Here is our link if you are interested in watching the video:
https://youtu.be/526_AkUrOFw

Conclusion by Nick, Merita and Austine

As a group, we would like to thank you for your time and hope you enjoyed our blog.

Here are the final remarks from the authors.

Austine:

Hopefully our posts were interesting to you and that you've learned more about us and about the places we like to travel to.

I hope to see you soon on our upcoming video blog! Which will be released very soon.

Merita:

I hope that you all enjoyed my posts and that my blog posts provided you with valuable information when visiting these countries. These blog posts have been fun to write and I also learned a lot about new places that I want to visit.

Nick:

It was great to make these blog posts, and perhaps you've learned a thing or two about certain places that you want to travel, or maybe even found out about a place that you may want to visit. Either way, I hope this blog has been entertaining and educational for you.

Hong Kong by Nick

This will be my last individual post on this blog for our ISYS100 group assignment, and I'd like to thank you all for reading the posts we've made. Anyway, for no good reason that I can think of (that's not a bad thing), I've always thought it'd be nice to visit somewhere in Asia, and Hong Kong is the place I'll be dicsussing in this post. Hong Kong is a small territory which is part of China, connected to the mainland on the north side. 'Hong Kong' means 'Fragrant Harbour', and so you can naturally assume it is renowned for its harbour views.

The Peak

As I said before, Hong Kong has a wonderful skyline and harbour view. The Peak is Hong Kong's equivalent of Sydney's Centrepoint Tower or Toronto's CN tower, and is located on Victoria Peak, a mountain in Hong Kong. Here, you get to see the entire city with the uniqueness of not actually being within the city, amongst other skyscrapers. The Peak is considered to be the #1 attraction in Hong Kong (it goes without saying that this is a subjective opinion).

Disneyland

Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world where there is a Disneyland, so if you're in Hong Kong, is there much of a reason not to go visit? I don't think much needs to be said about Disneyland, although I will mention that because this one is located in Hong Kong, the food may be different. Other than that, however, it's exactly what you'd expect it to be. But I will point out-- the Disneyland at night is truly spectacular.

Disneyland at night

Chinese New Year

If you're in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, you can experience the greatest cultural festival in Hong Kong. The city is filled with parades, markets, fireworks, great food, and many more festivities during the New Year season, as everything is bustling with energy. No matter where you are in Hong Kong, you can witness the celebrations.

A parade during Chinese New Year

Image sources and information:
The Peak:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/highlight-attractions/top-10/the-peak.jsp
Disneyland:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/highlight-attractions/top-10/hong-kong-disneyland.jsp
New Year:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/events-festivals/highlight-events/chinese-new-year-celebrations.jsp

England by Nick

Hello everyone. England, and more spceifically, London, is a city renowned for its old Victorian style buildings and the bustling vibe that it has like New York, as well as being the capital of England, is a place I've always been somewhat interested in visiting. Here are three of some of the many attractions available:

Stonehenge

While the Stonehenge is not in London, it think it is definitely a site to see when in England. It is a famously bizarre and mysterious stone structure that isolated out in the countryside of Wiltshire, and has been around for presumably 3,500 years. What its purpose is, we do not know, but it is theorised to be an ancient burial site.
I believe that it is a must-see when in England due to how iconic it is.

Warner Brothers Studio tour

The tour of 'The MAking of Harry Potter' in the Warner Brother Studio, London, is considered to be one of the biggest attractions, and it's not hard to see why. The tour is filled with interactive displays, up to scale props, and replicas of the sets, including a 1:24 scale Hogwarts used in the first film. For me personally as a child, I was a big Harry Potter fan, and so this would be a very nostalgic and magical (pun 100% intended) experience.

Part of a set used in a film

Walking tours

London itself is a great city filled with fantastic architecture and buildings, such as the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Trafalgar Square, just to name a few. London is one of the most famous cities in the world, and so simply touring through it is a great experience in its own right. There are plenty of companies you can book a tour with, or, if you're feeling independent, you can explore the city on your own. Seeing as there is no language barrier, it shouldn't be terribly difficult.

Trafalgar Square

Sources (images and information):
Stonehenge:
http://www.viator.com/London-attractions/Stonehenge/d737-a113
Warner Brothers Studio tour:
http://www.viator.com/London-tourism/Warner-Bros-Studio-Tour-London-The-Making-of-Harry-Potter/d737-t12654
Trafalgar Square:
http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/trafalgar-square-redevelopment/

New Zealand by Merita

Hi everyone! This will be my final post for the ISYS100 assignment and its about travelling to New Zealand. If you are living in Australia, its a good country to visit as its close and cheaper to visit. These are the top 3 places that I would visit while there.

1. Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford sound contains a deep, narrow sea between high cliffs, located in the south west of New Zealand within Fiordland National Park. Things that you can do while there include hiking and boat cruises. In the past it has been stated to be one of the top travel destination in the world.

Sources of information and images:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford_Sound

http://www.fiordland.org.nz/about-fiordland/milford-sound/

2. Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands

If you are visiting Bay of Islands there are a range of activities which you can do while there. These include finishing, sailing or taking scenic flights around the the area. Furthermore, you can take a boat trip to discover the islands in the Bay.

Sources:

http://www.bay-of-islands.co.nz/activities.htm

http://www.newzealand.com/int/bay-of-islands/

3. Skye tower Auckland

Skye tower Auckland

Something less geographical based to visit while in New Zealand is the Sky Tower in Auckland. This tower gives a great view of the city and you can also bunny jump off the top if you like.

Source of text and image:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g255106-d256867-Reviews-Sky_Tower-Auckland_North_Island.html



Watch the following video for more places to visit while in New Zealand:

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qys0R5YZvN8





I hope you liked my last post and thank you for reading. Merita

Things to do in Sydney continuation (part 2) by Nick

I don't think I need to put much of an introduction here, but I'll briefly mention that living is Sydney all my life has given me experiences with many of the things you can do here.

Beaches

Australia is famous for its beaches, with many different beaches in Sydney that are all worth visiting at least once, and this is coming from someone who doesn't really like beaches. The reason why I didn't name a specific beach is because there are so many in Sydney that you can visit, such as Bondi, Manly and Dee Why beach. Each location has restaurants and stores nearby, and there is great weather almost all year round for the beach. The only problems are of course safety at the beach--general beach and swim safety applies--, and getting to the beaches themselves, which can be somewhat confusing for some people.

 

Bondi Beach

Taronga Zoo

Located near the harbour, in the suburb of Mosman, Taronga Zoo is the main and most popular zoo in Sydney. Taronga Zoo is very large and has a great range of animals, including native Australian animals such as koalas, which makes for a great trip to any non-Australians who would liek to see them. A zoo is also in general just a great place to spend the day, especially if you're travelling with children. Many different shows are held during the day in different parts of the zoo if you want a more structed visit, or you can just roam around and do whatever for a more relaxed time. There is over 4,000 different animals at the zoo and over 20 shows a day, so there's plenty to do.

 

Bird show at Taronga Zoo

 

Vivid Sydney

Vivid is a light festival that ran for 3 weeks from May 22nd to June 8th this year, and runs every year. Sydney Harbour is decorated with light displays made by various artists and designers, and spans all the way to the Rocks (as far as I'm aware). Some of the displays are interactive and the event is free, and there are even displays on the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Crowds, however may be an issue, and many roads are closed during the event. It should also go without saying that this event cant only be observed to its fullest at night.

 

The Opera House during Vivid, 2015

 

Image sources:

Bondi Beach: http://sydneycitytour.com.au/blog/entry/the-world-famous-bondi-beach.html

Taronga Zoo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taronga-Zoo-before-bird-show-pano.jpg

Vivid: http://hhhhappy.com/6-events-to-check-out-at-this-years-vivid/

Dubai by Merita

Hi everyone this next post will be about Dubai. Dubai is one of the most popular and visited city in the United Arab Emirates. It is well known for its luxurious style and contemporary buildings. These are the top 3 places which I would visit while there.

1. Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arab

This well known building has become the most iconic image of Dubai. This building is a hotel which has been referred to as the worlds most luxurious hotel. Even if you do not plan to stay at the hotel you could simply go to any of the restaurants inside or even just look at it from the outside.

Source of information and image:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Arab#/media/File:Burj_Al_Arab,_Dubai,_by_Joi_Ito_Dec2007.jpg

2. Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall

Dubai is well know for this shopping centre as it is the largest shopping centre in the world. Not only is it a place to shop, but it also contains a range of other attractions inside including Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo.

Source of information and image:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dubai_Mall

3. Dubai Dessert Conservation Reserve

Dubai Dessert Conservation Reserve

Something more traditional and part of the 'Old Dubai' is the Dubai Dessert Conservation Reserve. Visiting such place gives you an opportunity to look at the sand dunes, Gazelle and the wild life Orek. A must do activity there is to have dinner at the desert.

Source of information and image:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g295424-d811036-Reviews-Dubai_Desert_Conservation_Reserve-Dubai_Emirate_of_Dubai.html

For a more detailed information about places you can visit in Dubai, watch the following video:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPOO1Coe2DI

Hope you everyone enjoyed this post and look forward to reading you comments. Merita