We would like to thank you all for your great emails. We like to especially thank Shanti Kaur Khalsa, she is a true inspiration and her emails are truly uplifting and thought-provoking. As I mentioned in a previous blog (going back to Espanola, USA) here are some of phenji’s videos:
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Please do look up more of her videos on YouTube.
This morning we went to the Gurdwara, in a suburb of Melbourne called Blackburn. We arrived at 11am and hardly found anybody there, the sangat turned up and 12. I was thinking that if this was an white American Sikh Gurdwara they would have been there from the start…….the reason why American Sikhs are leading the way and showing us how it is done properly!!
Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha
(Blackburn Gurdwara)
127 Whitehouse Road
Blackburn 3130
Melbourne
Australia
T: +61 3 989 41800
E: [email protected]
W: www.gudwarablackburn.com.au
The Sabha (SGNSS) was set up in 1981 to carry on the religious affair of the sangat in Melbourne. Prior to that and beginning in 1977 families had met in private homes, then Rathdowne Primary School and later Box Hill Primary school as centres for the Sikh Sangat. In 1984, through the efforts of the pioneering families the Uniting Church in Fern Tree Gully was purchased and set up as the first Gurdwara in Melbourne. The move to the current premises at 127 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn -a postal warehouse refurbished and transformed to serve as a Gurdwara was made in late 1993.
Today, Gurdwara Sahib at Blackburn is well placed to meet the needs of an ever increasing sangat. An elected committee manages the day to day running of the Sabha affairs supported by a very large team of dedicated volunteers and a resident team of religious workers. The sangat is able to listen to kirtan from some of the best professional ragis who provide their services for programs both at the gurdwara and homes. Regular programs are held on Wednesdays evenings, Saturdays mornings and Sunday mornings. Additional kirtan programs and weddings are held at other times on Saturdays and Sundays. Special programs are held to celebrate Vaisakhi and Gurpurabs.
Based at the premises, the Khalsa Punjabi School hold classes for the teaching of Punjabi language each Sunday. Punjabi is offered at VCE subject and classes are held on Wednesday evenings. The first batch of students completed this course last year with excellent `results. The Gurbani Kirtan School offers classes for the Learning of Gurbani, Kirtan and tabla on Saturdays and Sundays. The upgrading of resources and refurbishment of Sri Guru Hargobind Libraryis progressing well and the library is very well attended.
The Kirtan was very nice. Afterwards Sangeet bought the CD for AUS$2, unfortunately the sound quality on the CD was poor.
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Kirtan
As I am looking for a SIM card so we have continuous internet coverage. We popped to a suburb called Boxhill.
Centro Box Hill
17-21 Market St,
Box Hill VIC
T: +61 3 9843 3900
The shopping centre looked small from the outside but was huge inside, like a tardis!
It would have cost us $50 for a 3gb limit so we decided against the idea.
Aferwards we popped to St Kilda, a seaside town with a big culture around drinking!
St Kilda was named after a schooner Lady of St Kilda (which moored at the main beach for much of 1841) by Charles La Trobe and the ship’s master and early settler Lieutenant James Ross Lawrence.
During the Edwardian and Victorian eras, St Kilda became a favoured suburb of Melbourne’s elite, and many palatial mansions were constructed along its hills and waterfront. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, St Kilda served a similar function for Melburnians as did Coney Island to the residents of New York City and its history draws an interesting parallel. Densely populated postwar St Kilda became Melbourne’s red-light district, home to low-cost rooming houses. Since the late 1960s, St Kilda became known for its culture of bohemianism as home to many prominent artists, musicians and subcultures, including punks[citation needed], LGBT and techno scene[citation needed]. While some of these groups still maintain a presence in St Kilda, in recent years the district has experienced rapid gentrification pushing many lower socio-economic groups out to other areas.
St Kilda is home to many of Melbourne’s famous visitor attractions including Luna Park, the Esplanade Hotel, Acland Street and Fitzroy Street. It is home to St Kilda Beach, Melbourne’s most famous beach, several renowned theatres and several of Melbourne’s big events and festivals.
Melbourne’s Luna Park is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It opened on 13 December 1912 and has been operating almost continuously ever since.
St Kilda
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St Kilda
The Palais Theatre is a former cinema, now functioning exclusively as a concert venue, located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. With a capacity of 2,896 people, it is the largest seated theatre in Australia.
The building, which retains many of its original features, is considered one of the finest examples of Art deco architecture in Australia and is on the Victorian Heritage Register. In 2006, the City of Port Phillip, which owns the site, called for tenders by private operators to restore the theatre, as part of the proposed redevelopment of the Triangle Site. However, the redevelopment failed to go ahead and the planned $20 million restoration of the Palais was also abandoned.
Lentil As Anything – St Kilda
Not-for-profit incorporated association, based on a ‘pay as you feel’ philosophy. Lentil As Anything features a global cuisine, e.g. Indian curry, udon noodles and lentil or tofu burgers. It has a cosy atmosphere and also provides seating outside.
In the evening we had a great meal at Loving Hut
Loving Hut
10/242 Victoria Street,
Richmond
T: +61 3 9427 8916
The menu was different to the one in Auckland which disappointed me. I wanted mock meats! For me the meal was okay nothing special, not a restaurant I would go back to.
As we had no accommodation for the night we decided to go back to YHA metro…..yes even though I did not like the place…..fortunately we got a double room with a shower.
Our flight from Christchurch to Melbourne departed at 6:30 am, the journey time is around 4 hours. It was with Air New Zealand. On landing in Melbourne (temperature was 13 degrees Celsius), we took the star bus into the city centre. As of writing this blog there are a few options:
1) book a hotel that offers a courtesy bus, advantage: free (well okay, not free as you
are indirectly paying for it) and it takes you straight to your destination
2) Sky Bus which at the time of writing is AUS$17.00, takes everybody to CBD so you have to make your own way from there.
3) check the information boards for any bus deals.
4) taxi, around AUS$40.
5) walk, a bit far especially after landing….but it may help your jet lag!
We chose number 3. There was an advert for Star Bus which said scan your phone here and receive US$2.00 per person discount……well every cent does count! The ticket was AUS$15.00 per person. Because the bus was full it took a while to get to our final destination. The plus side was that because people had booked hotels all over the city, we got a free sightseeing trip!
The hostel we booked is
Melbourne Metro YHA
78 Howard Street
North Melbourne 3051
New Zealand
T: +61 3 9329 8599
E: [email protected]
Reception: 24 hours
Kitchen
Common area
a huge hostel it sleeps 360 people!! This hostel has less atmosphere than many of the hostels we have stayed at previously on this trip…..it is not a place where you can walk into a common room and start chatting with total strangers. We really have been spoilt with the small, cosy and family feel hostels in New Zealand. Hopefully once we are out of the city things can on get better!
Our room comprises of a double bed and two bunk beds. I don’t like the place, luckily we are only here for two nights. I am very much a people person and love meeting like minded people from other countries, so this place is not for me.
After checking in, we wandered around North / Central Melbourne and then tried to find a vegan restaurant as we were very hungry, the address is 240 Victoria Street, we later found out it was in a different suburb! We then walked through a beautiful Park called Carlton Gardens and past the Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building. The museum had many students around it, we asked one what was going on, she said they were taking exams. We walked out the park and down Gertrude Street which is in the suburb of Fitzroy, Melbourne’s first suburb, it had a reputation for vice and squalor. Today, it is a rather gentrified version of its old self, a mix of housing commission towers, fancy restaurants, cafes and boutique shops. this was on the way to:
Las Vegan
22 Smith Street,
Collingwood
Melbourne
Australia
T: +61 3 9415 9001
Sangeet ordered ‘Lentil patty and salad’ with fries, I ordered ‘fish the dish’, both excellent dishes and the prices were very reasonable. Whilst eating I managed to update the blog with pictures as the wifi here has excellent speeds.
After lunch we had a wander around the city, not as vibrant or clean as I was expecting. To be honest I will be happy as soon as we get out of the city. Most cities are the same, same fast food joints (here, Burger King is called Hungry Jacks). Stressed out people who are in a hurry, the only difference is the architecture. It is fascinating that people all over the world move to the city, many in search of a better life, though most people just look fed up. It was nice to see happier more relaxed people in the park. We saw some interesting architecture, including the RMIT (University) building.
As Hertz is open on Sunday, we decided to pick up the rental car on Sunday instead of Monday (for some reason when we first booked online it would not let us book for Sunday) so walked to Hertz and asked to change, they said they had no cars for Saturday or Sunday. We tried a few other places as a Sunday pick up is much better for us, we will have the car for the Gurdwara on Sunday and then can set off straight from there for the Great Ocean Road. Budget and Avis were quoting crazy prices for an Adelaide drop off. We decided to stick with a Monday pick up and walked towards the hostel to book our room for Sunday night before it got booked up. As we walked we found a Thrifty a bit out of the way, we decided to give them a go. The price they quoted was very good, cheaper than Hertz even with the extra day. The staff there were very helpful and told us online bookings were 10 to 15% cheaper so we popped next door to Gloria Jeans coffee shop to use the wifi:
Gloria Jeans Coffee
382 Elizabeth Street
The booking was cheaper online but was quoting a $100 drop off charge for dropping off the car in Adelaide, not payable if you book in the office. We checked Hertz online which now offered a Sunday pick up even cheaper than Thrifty! We cancelled the previous booking and went for that option. Good to get that sorted!
We sat on a bench in the corner of Elizabeth Street and Victoria Street, opposite Queen Victoria Market and people watched for a while. It was fun to do, especially as it was a busy spot and you could see the locals rushing around as they finished work, more relaxed people chatting on corners, trams rushing past and travellers like us stopping to look around the busy area.
Afterwards we went to another vegan restaurant:
The White Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant
185 Victoria Street
West Melbourne 3003
Australia
T: +61 3 9326 6040
Despite the name they are a vegan restaurant and do fake meats. Sangeet and I shared a soya chicken in black bean sauce dish, I did not enjoy the food as the fake meats let it down though Sangeet enjoyed it. The texture and and taste was very different. I have been spoilt with the fake meats I have had previously!
As it had been a long day we strolled back to the hostel for an early night.
Melbourne and Victoria quick facts:
Population 5,444,000
Area 227,500 sq km
Coastline 2000km
Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, is the states urban hub and nations artistic centre. Here culture junkies and culinary perfectionists feast on art, music, theatre, cinema and cuisine for every budget.
In the BBH hostel guide which shows the hostels that are members of BBH and gives them a rating, this hostel is rated at 83%. The ratings really do not make any sense, as Chester St Backpackers was not very clean, the bed sheets had strange stains and the showers looked like they had not been cleaned in a long time, the manager is not very friendly…we had vacated our room by 10am and she asked is to leave the hostel as it was 11am, there was a couple there from Singapore, she never said anything to them….O well……suppose she has some issues!
We left the hostel around 11:30 and walked to a restaurant called:
The Lotus Heart
Vegetarian Restaurant and Tea House
363 St Asaph Street
Christchurch
New Zealand
T: +64 3 377 2727
W: www.thelotusheart.co.nz
E: [email protected]
Shop within the restaurant
Sangeet had the bun-less burger which came with salad and fries, I had the sunflower burger with salad. Both dishes looked and tasted nice. By the way this restaurant also serves egg. I have found that if you say you are allergic to egg, the staff make sure the ingredients do not contain egg and are kept away from egg.
Afterwards, we had a wander around the city centre. We first came here 7 years ago, it was a very vibrant city with lots to do. Since the earthquake the city centre is very quiet, perhaps quiet is an understatement I should say dead. The only people around were tourists, the workmen and a few workers in the shops just a few hundred yards away from the ‘red zone’. The city looks like it has been hit by a bomb. It is very sad to see it this way, especially when we remember its vibrant past.
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Red Zone, Christchurch, New Zealand
After walking around the city centre we came across a small section of the city that was trading out of containers, it is quite amazing to see this, at last a bit of life in the city. We popped into a nice book store….it is amazing to see the shop owners taking charge, continuing with their business after a devasting earthquake.
We later walked through Hagley Park, a huge park, pretty amazing to see God’s creation that was able to withstand the earthquake, whilst man’s creation was destroyed. The park is amazing with a beautiful canal flowing through it. There is also a fantastic rosé garden,which we walked through. It was the perfect setting for a Bollywood film. So we decided to take the part!
Bollywood pose
On walking back to the hostel we passed the cathedral, it was very sad to see part of it crumbled.
Cathedral:
We passed a cafe where Sangeet had a hot chocolate and I had a vegan chocolate cake.
Beatstreet Cafe
324 Barbadoes St
Christchurch
New Zealand.
T: +64 3 666 324
Kundalini yoga advert
The restaurant does meat and vegetarian dishes.
On returning to the car we drove to the hotel near the airport:
Sudima Hotel
Car Memorial Ave & Orchard Rd
Christchurch
New Zealand
T: + 64 3 358 3139
This hotel is owned by Indians and there was a feint curry smell in the room. I could not bring myself to call reception and say there is a curry smell in our room. Especially when it was occupied by two Indians!!
We met a great friend in New York, this chap knows his food. Also he has just come back from China. Just had to share this awesome picture with everybody:
Hari Nam Singh Khalsa:
“That photo was from an evening workshop I gave in Shanghai on October 31st. I had previously taught in Beijing, Chengdu and the Ramadasa Center outside of Ningde, Fijian”
Today is our last day in Lake Tekapo, we have grown fond of this small town and will miss the peace and quiet. After seeing the partial solar eclipse (detailed in another post,) we relaxed around the hostel common room. Sangeet challenged me to another game of Jenga. I won, but I am not showing off! Later we had a wander around the hostel gardens which are nicely kept. They have a little herb garden too, guests are free to pick fresh herbs from there.
Afterwards, we had one last walk to the town centre. We also revisited The Church of the Good Shepherd so we could go inside. Situated on the shores of Lake Tekapo is the Church of the Good Shepherd, which, in 1935, was the first church built in the Mackenzie Basin. The church at Burkes Pass, St Patrick’s built in 1872 was the first church built by pioneers as a joint community effort, by Anglicans Presbyterian and Catholic settlers. Also a joint venture between Presbyterians and Anglicans, St Columba in Fairlie was built in 1879. The church at Lake Tekapo was designed by Christchurch architect R.S.D. Harman, based on sketches by a local artist, Esther Hope. The church is arguably one of the most photographed in New Zealand, and features an altar window that frames stunning views of the lake and mountains.
View from inside the church
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Church of the Good Shepherd
Afterwards we had a wander around the lake:
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Lake Tekapo
Can you believe this is a weed?!
As we are flying from Christchurch, early Friday morning, we decided to drive across today and spend a full day visiting the town. The drive takes around 3 hours and is across magnificent rolling hills.
We arrived in Christchurch and headed over to the airport so that we can book tomorrow’s accommodation. Then we headed to New World so we could buy some ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Afterwards we headed to the hostel, easier said then done, as a lot of the roads were closed due to restoration following the earthquake two years ago (can you believe they have had 10,000 tremors since?!!?). The hostel is
Chester St Backpackers
148 Chester St East
Christchurch
Email Hostel
T: +64 3 377 1897
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Sangeet made spicy potato which we had with tortilla, it was very nice. Later I popped out to grab some milk. At the supermarket called Countdown, I met a couple of Sikhs who said the gurdwara was badly damaged during the earthquake. One of the local sangat members has Guru Granth Sahib Ji at home, unfortunately they only perform a Sunday programme….suppose being his personal home he would not want visitors during the week.
Back at the common room we relaxed with the other backpackers….there is a television here so nobody talked, they just watched television! You usually find that when visiting family or friends…..usually they just switch on the television…..suppose their world revolves around television!!<
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around. Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep, I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die! Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
The countdown has begun…..!
It is finally here…..!
The Shop is now Live…..!!
I came to Thailand at 95 kg and leaving at…..
Weekend Getaway…..
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