19 years is a long life for a ‘theme restaurant’ – especially for a place as transient as Las Vegas. So the closure in 2016 of the Harley Davidson Cafe on the Las Vegas strip shouldn’t be surprising – especially after the NY version of the cafe shut down a few years earlier – reportedly…
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes can’t resist taking a break while driving, just to snap some random shots in a town or place I am passing. Tenterfield, in Northern NSW, was one such place. We had been at a conference in Tamworth and were driving home to Brisbane. As the half-way point…
In the past couple of weeks I’ve been lucky enough to observe a couple of great webinars and presentations on using video to deliver messages – especially as that medium relates to training. One was from my friend and former ABC colleague Julian Mather (who runs GetVideoSmart at julianmather.com), while the other was a webinar at…
There’s a proverb that goes back as far as the ancient Greeks which suggests that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” (*) – and that is particularly true of architecture. Buildings that some of us see as stunning, others see as a waste of space – or worse, a blight on the…
A few days ago, there was some discussion on a Cruise Ship forum I participate in, and the question was asked “When our ship docks in Wellington, what things should we do?” The most consistent answers were the Te Papa museum, and the Wellington Cable Car. Strictly speaking, however, Wellington doesn’t have a cable car…
This week, I am seeking your help, fellow trainers: I have no answers – only questions. One of the world’s premiere communications and leadership training organisations is Toastmasters – and it’s no secret that I am a member of (and often a cheerleader for) that organisation. It was, for many years, primarily about making better…
A monster that causes earthquakes across Asia, a bridge the snaps the back of the mythical creature, a temple to say sorry, and a covered walkway to bring together two cultures – Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge has it all! Hoi An is in the centre of Vietnam – in the Quang Nam province – it was, for…
Over the past couple of weeks we have been looking at Trainer’s Toolkits and what’s in them – and I asked some of my Toastmasters colleagues what tools they consider essential. Here’s a suggestion from one member, based in Mexico. For ice-breaker exercises, divide participants up into three or four groups, using something like “preferred…
The Margaret River – Augusta region of Western Australia is home to some of the country’s best wineries, some of the most rugged coastlines (including Cape Leeuwin with its century-old lighthouse), some of the most amazing trees (Karri pines – mighty eucalyptus that can grow up to 90 metres tall) – and some of the…
There’s little doubt that travelling for pleasure on cruise ships is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourist market both in Australia and overseas. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, more than 1 in 20 Aussies have taken a cruise – and 1.3 million cruises were taken by Australians in 2017, according…
