Imagine seeing the real Australia that few ever have the chance to experience? To stop, explore and discover places reserved for the lucky few. As the Indian Pacific cruised towards Perth on the last stages of its 3 day transcontinental journey from Sydney, passengers sat in the lounge car reflecting on a unique experience.

For many, it was the journey of a lifetime. What makes this adventure so unique?

The Indian Pacific is not a high speed dash across Australia.

The train's itinerary is carefully designed with the appropriate balance of whistle stop tours, all planned to unlock the vast and diverse continent's richness and diversity.

Those magic moments impossible for you to arrange, if travelling on your own.

I was fortunate to travel on this unique journey and I share with you the highlights and experiences of fellow passengers.

Sydney.

Australia's largest city is the county's main port of entry for overseas visitors and the start of the 3796 km odyssey across Australia.

In the late afternoon we cruised through Sydney's outer suburbs and climbed through the majestic Blue Mountains with its deep ravines and amazing scenery.

Broken Hill.

The following morning we were greeted with a spectacular desert sunrise and an introduction to the Australian Outback. Overnight we travelled from heavily timbered mountains to flat, almost treeless plains.

Broken Hill is a large inland city built following the discovery of huge silver deposits. Australia's major industrial company BHP had its origins here and although mining is still a major industry, tourism also plays an important role in the region's economy.

We were given a number of tour options during our tour hour stop here. I chose the tour of the mines as well as the city highlights. Broken Hill was the location of the popular movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and also featured in the movie Mad Max.

Adelaide.

South Australia's capital was the end of the journey for some passengers. They were either stopping in Adelaide or spending a short time here before joining the Ghan train for its trip north to Darwin or The Overland for its daylight journey to Melbourne.

Adelaide has many attractions. The well planned city is nestled alongside the Torrens River and is the base for exploration to many popular tourist destinations including the famous Barossa Valley wine region, Flinders Ranges and Murray River.

Cook.

This isolated tiny town in the middle of the Nullabor Plain was a real eye opener and a totally new experience for everyone. This was the true Outback. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Cook's sole reason for existence was as a base for rail maintenance crews. It now has a population of 4.

Before our cabin attendant Nikki opened the doors for our 1 hour stopover, she warned us with a glorious piece of understatement: "It's pretty warm out there!"
She wasn't joking! When the furnace- like blast hit us we felt like retreating to the comfort of the train. Most of us braved the 47c ( 120f ) heat and we were rewarded with the discovery of a town that once boasted a school, hospital and general store.

Kalgoorlie.

In the gathering dusk, we returned to civilization. A myriad of lights from mine operations, welcomed us to our next whistle stop.

Kalgoorlie is a fascinating city. In the 1890s it was the centre of one of the biggest gold rushes in Australian history. By 1903, it had a population of 30 000, serviced by 93 hotels, 8 breweries and 25 brothels.

Two expedient ways to relieve the young single miners of their hard earned cash!

Today this vibrant inland city is the heart of a prosperous mining and tourist industry. Gold mining is still a major source of income and one open cut, called the Super Pit is so huge, it can be seen from space.

The train stops briefly at Kalgoorlie for a whistle stop tour and this is one that I recommend you take. You will learn of the raunchy and turbulent past of this outback city, spend time at the super pit and drive past one of the three remaining brothels.

In fact one of the brothels, Langtrees, is a quirky tourist venue, with daily guided tours of the "facilities". I took one of these tours a few years ago ( strictly as a visitor of course!) and was fascinated by what goes on behind the closed doors of these establishments.

There is so much to see and do in this region and a short tour does not do it justice.

If you want to explore the goldfields, why not leave the train at Kalgoorlie, hire a car and drive to Perth, a distance of less than 600km? Alternatively, stay a few days then travel to Perth on the fast and very comfortable day train called appropriately the "Prospector."

In the early hours, the svelte Indian Pacific slid smoothly away from Kalgoorlie and we were soon barrelling westwards towards our final destination on the Indian Ocean side of the continent.

As our train approached Perth past wheat fields, through the spectacular Avon Valley and alongside vineyards with the last of their leaves glowing golden in the sunshine, I was fascinated by the Australian-ness of it all.

It was like viewing a Frederick McCubbin landscape painting with its graphic images of the Australian bush.
Three days and 4352 kilometres after leaving Sydney, the Indian Pacific arrived at its western terminus, Perth the booming capital of Western Australia.

Reflections.

In many ways I was disappointed that this fascinating odyssey across my homeland had come to an end. There are few better ways to see and feel the magic of the Australian continent than on the Indian Pacific.

Which still begs the question: Why not fly from Sydney to Perth? It takes only 4 hours and it's much cheaper.

Granted, some have a fear of flying and are aware of its dangers.

Paul and Jessica from California, volunteered the answer as we enjoyed a drink in the lounge car.
"We came here to see Australia", said Paul. "If we flew, it would be just like a flight from New York to our home in San Diego. We would see nothing.
The Indian Pacific gave us a chance to meet many Aussies and learn about their country. We saw and experienced the outback and the inland mining towns as well as scenery very different to home. This to us was the only way to see the real Australia."

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Time was when many wedding favors consisted of miniature bottles of alcoholic spirit of some form or another, but in recent years these have been replaced with more contemporary favors consisting of cookies, candles or even mini trees!

Alcoholic wedding favors are a nice idea for a winter wedding where bottles of whiskey or brandy make a nice winter warmer for your guests. Whilst bottles of lighter spirits are nice for weddings in the warmer months. Here are a few ideas for alcoholic wedding favors for you to consider:

Wine: Wine themed weddings are very popular or even if your wedding is taking place in a vineyard, then wine is an excellent choice for your favors. However, you will need a good sized budget to afford some decent wine, even if you are having a small, intimate wedding. Try to find half bottles from a merchant or wholesalers where you can negotiate a good price for bulk quantity.

Spirits: As mentioned above, miniature bottles of spirits where once common place at weddings and are perhaps now considered slightly retro! However, retro is in at the moment so get with the trend and give your guests mini bottles of whiskey, brandy or rum.

Cocktail Mixes: Favors stores offer a choice of cocktail mixes in sachets which can be personalized. These are a great choice for beach or wine bar weddings or you could coordinate them with your signature cocktail which you will serve at the wedding.

Champagne: Now this is for those with very big budgets or for those with a minimal number of guests. Champagne is available in a variety of bottle sizes although for the purposes of wedding favors you will want to be looking a half bottles! Vintage champagne will cost the most whilst sparkling wines from the new world and Spanish Cava offer cheaper alternatives which don't compromise on taste!

Other Alcoholic Beverages: For a fall wedding give out bottles of spiced cider punch or for a festive wedding try bottles of mulled wine. As an alternative to giving out actual alcohol, why not give out boozy recipes instead? How about punch, tipsy cake, tiramisu or brandy sauce?

Alcoholic favors are great for adult only weddings, but if children are present then don't forget to get different favors for them too! If you feel that mini bottles are too little on their own they why not add a nice glass as well. Other accompaniments to any alcoholic favors include bottle stoppers, bottle openers, corkscrews, coasters, pourers and cocktail shakers.

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Waiter Corkscrew

This is probably the most ubiquitous wine opener in the world, and the ultimate in simplicity. This tool features a design that allows the entire tool to fit in your pocket, and as such has become the overwhelming favorite of wait staff and picnic goers. There are three essential parts that all fold out from the body of the tool: the corkscrew itself, a lever that acts as a fulcrum on the top of the bottle, and a small foilcutter to cut the foil from the top of the bottle. No wine cellar would be equipped without one at a minimum for backup. To use the opener simply remove the foil from the neck with the knife, twist the corkscrew fully into the cork, and then place the lever on the top of the bottle and pull the cork up and out. Some devices feature two shoulders on the lever in order to maximize leverage, in this case use the one halfway down the lever first, finally use the top shoulder to get the cork the rest of the way out.

Wing style

Here is another very popular type of wine opener. Using the mechanical advantage of a lever and gear, this device makes uncorking a bottle easier than a typical cork puller. While the price is a little higher than the waiter style, it is a great choice for the home user or anyone that does not wish to wrestle with a wine bottle. Simply rest the bottom of the opener on the top of the bottle, screw the corkscrew into the cork, and then push the levers down and they will lift the cork out. This could be the second most important accessory for the wine lover, second only to the wine glasses. These models come in a wide selection of metals including nickel-plated steel, or plastic. It is highly recommended to buy only heavy-duty metal types as they are more solid and will last for years.

Lever Pull

This type was made famous by the brand named "The Rabbit", and it does make very quick work of opening wine bottles. Featuring a clamp you hold around the neck of the bottle with one hand, and a lever that plunges then pulls the corkscrew with the other. This gizmo efficiently removes a cork in just seconds. If you have a lot of wine to open, you will certainly find this toll useful. But be aware that this premium product comes at a premium price. A quality lever pull wine opener will cost up to $100 or above.

Twist Corkscrews

A two piece corkscrew with no levers, clamps, or hinges makes this one of the easiest and our favorite corkscrew for every day use. Use the device by first placing the bottom "seat" on top of the wine bottle. The corkscrew piece then slides into a guide hole in the top and is automatically centered on the cork. Begin twisting and the screw first drives into the cork, than it stops against the shoulder of the seat and as you continue twisting it lifts the cork clear. Broken corks are pratically impossible when using this style, as are cork pieces floating in the wine when completed. And at prices less than $50.00, this is in the top 10 accessories for any wine buff.

Uncorking Machines

If you have an entire room reserved just for your wine collection, than you are likely ready for an uncorking machine. With the simple pull of a lever in one direction, you will be able to twist the corkscrew in, and then pull it out of the bottle. Reverse direction and the cork will spit out and you are ready to do it again. The entire process takes less than 10 seconds. The design of these machines makes opening wine not only efficient, but also impressive. But be sure these machines are not cheap in the least; expect to pay over $100 for the most basic model that clamps to a tabletop. And for advanced models you would expect to see on an Italian estate the price tag will exceed $500.00.

Pump Style

The last style opener we will mention is the pump style. These insert a long needle through the cork into the air space above the wine. Then using either a pump or a cylinder of compressed air, the cork is removed by building up pressure under the cork so it pops out, just like champagne. These tools are a little bit more gizmo than workhorse, but for the enthusiast who has it all, this might make a good gift just for the amazement factor when it is time to open the bottle.

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If you enjoy wine and your friends enjoy wine, a casual wine tasting can be a great way to enjoy wine together and test each other's palates. You can hold blind tastings if you really want to test your skills and the skills of your friends, or you can just get together and try out the different types of wines that you and your friends enjoy.

Many formal wine tastings do not allow you to swallow the wine. The tasting is simply to get the taste, smell the bouquet and enjoy the overall experience of the wine. At your casual tasting you can feel free to allow your guests to drink the wine, but there may be sobriety issues if you do this. It is also important to realize that you may not get the full flavor and effect of the wine as you get deeper into the tastings.

Either way that you perform your tasting you will want to have clean glasses for each person and each bottle. You will also need a clean white tablecloth. The white tablecloth will allow you to get a good view of the wine. The tablecloth allows you to see the wine's body and any sediment that may be in the glass from an aged wine. Candlelight will also allow you to see the wine clearly and any sediment that may be in the bottle or decanter. Clean glasses are extremely important, as any residue in the glass will cause your wine to have an impure taste.

To help keep the event easy, ask your guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. You may also need them to bring their own glasses if you do not have enough. You will also need some crackers or bread to help cleanse the palate as well as room temperature water. Cold water will shock your taste buds.

You will want to decant your red wines. If you cannot decant them all at once, you may want to pour a small amount in each glass and allow them to breathe a bit. The more air contact the wine has, the better they will taste. You may also choose to explore the difference that decanting makes. Taste the wine at ten and fifteen minute intervals. White and blush wine should be chilled slightly before serving.

When you taste your wines, it is a good idea to have a paper and pencil available so that your guests can take notes and rank their wines. You will also want to start with lighter and simpler wines and then move on to the drier and heavier wines. You will not taste your white wines as well as if you drink the heavier and dry wines first. If you must reuse a glass, swirl some water around in it and dry it with a clean cloth so that the water does not dilute the wine.

Begin by looking at the wine and observing its clarity and color. A wine is judged on its color, aroma and taste. Hold the wine up to a light and note the color of the wine. The wine should also appear to be clear and cloudy. Next, tip the glass slightly and swirl it gently. The wine flows around the glass and if the wine clings and dribbles down the side in "legs" or stripes, this mean that the wine is a medium bodied wine. If the wine forms a sheet, it is a full-bodied wine.

Next, tip the glass and swirl the wine around while holding it a little bit away from your nose. This helps to increase the amount of scent that is available for your nose to smell. Inhale the wine deeply and then move it away, this will keep you from becoming overwhelmed by the aroma. You may be able to smell fruit, yeast, grass, or earth in the wine.

The last step is to taste the wine. Take a small sip and push it up in front of your mouth and then inhale through your teeth. Slosh the wine around in your mouth and cover your tongue with it. You are going to want to taste the predominant tastes at first and then the secondary tastes that appear. Is the wine's taste complex? Does it have a wood-taste?

Take a moment between wines to rinse your mouth and take a bite of unsalted crackers or bread. This will help to clear the taste from the previous wines. If you hold a blind tasting, place the bottles in brown bags or remove the labels. Have your guests make notes and guess what the varietals and brands are.

Wine tastings don't have to be formal affairs. They can be very casual and you can have a lot of fun with it. There are even wine tasting kits that you can buy to supply you with the necessary bags, tags and other wine information that you may need.

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Retiring is a point in life that a lot of people look forward to, although most find that they are not really prepared for it. It is not so much the financial or security aspects of retiring that people today struggle with; instead, it is realizing just how much time they have on their hands once work is no longer a part of the weekly equation! Of course, many retirees will fill this extra time with travel or with "work that isn't really work" (volunteering, babysitting, even part time jobs in totally unrelated fields to what the retiree was doing before), but many find that hobbies are also an essential part of staying vital after retirement.

For many, retirement hobbies are something that were enjoyed during working life but that retirement allows them to focus on even more. Retirees should keep in mind that no matter how much they love any one activity, the opportunity to concentrate on that hobby consistently may mean that they grow tired of it. It is important, therefore, to have a range of hobbies during the retirement years. Here is a list of some of the most popular activities pursued by people after they retire.

Bird Watching

Although the title is still contested by gardening and amateur photography, bird watching has been demonstrated to be the most popular hobby in America today. The retired community is no exception, and bird watching combines both a great hobby and an opportunity to travel. Like any good hobby, bird watching can be as involved or as casual as the participant wishes, with high quality equipment available as well as hundreds of different resources. Clubs are available all over the United States, and of course anywhere a person travels there is opportunity to watch a new species.

Gardening

Gardening remains a steady favorite among retirees. It is a way to get outside, get exercise, create something through hard work, and add to your pantry or your home décor alike. Gardeners in locations that are not temperate, of course, will have to deal with four or five months of the year being unsuitable to their past time (unless of course they are also enthusiasts of indoor gardens and greenhouses). Still, the opportunities during the growing months are staggering; planting, tending, fertilizing and finally harvesting gardens can mean hours and hours of peace. Opportunities to enter produce and floral arrangements in fall fairs or other county celebrations also allow people to show off their craft.

Wine

Nothing has exploded world wide in the last few years in a bigger way than wine. No longer just a beverage, wine is now a commodity. For many, this hobby does not just involve redoing their basements into cellars, but also making sure that they have all the best accessories and display cases for their collections. Like bird watching, it is also a hobby that can be taken all over the world; there are many popular vacation spots that also offer dozens of wineries to be toured and tasted at. Wine enthusiasts never have a shortage of opportunity as just a trip to a local restaurant is an occasion to indulge the past time!

There are dozens of other hobbies that retirees find are a great way to invest their well earned leisure time. Photography, golf, various table games, fishing, collecting, and crafts all remain popular among retirees. A strong combination of several different hobbies will mean a very busy retirement!

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