**sheepish grin**

I'm really sorry for the general lack of posts for the last few months. There's no excuse, other then that I've been really lazy...

I'm still pretty lazy, but hopefully as the warmer months approach my motivation will pick up - I work much better in the heat compared to the cold.

However to tide you over please feel free to have a look through over 400 hundred photos that I took while on holiday in Japan during July.

http://photobucket.com/JapanJuly

Golden Pavillion - Kyoto, Japan

I'll be adding many more photos as I go through them, but in the mean time please enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment, so I know you're having a look!

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Posted in: golden pavillion,holiday,holiday pictures,japan,kyoto,photobucket,photography

Cover-More Essense of Travel

OK, here's a sneaky plug/request for help!

I entered the below photo in the covermore essense of travel photo competition.

If you think it deserves it, please vote for me at this link

http://woobox.com/6kx94i/vote/for/28975

Cheers!

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Posted in: competition,cover-more,fushimi inari,heat,japan,kyoto,shrine,steps,summer,travel

Japan Here We Come!

With Qantas' sale at the moment we have jumped on flights from Sydney to Tokyo for under $1000 each!

Two months from today we'll be on our way over. I have so much planning to do! Not the least of it getting time off work... Really should have organised that first...

We're planning on spending just over a week in Tokyo, including a few days at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, and then a week in either Osaka or Kyoto, we haven't worked out the nitty gritty yet, but that's the basis of our trip.

We're very excited!

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Posted in: cheap flights,flights,holiday,japan,qantas,sale

How do people do it!?!

Just a quick note to apologise for not updating this blog as often as I've like to.

I am so flat out with everything at the moment, that I barely have time to stop and breath, let alone post something worth while reading.

I really look in amazement at the people who are able to keep their blog fresh with new in depth posts every day. Every day! I don't know where they find the time!

Here's hoping I can get back into it sooner rather then later!

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Posted in: apologise,flat out,no time,quick note

Tamworth Country Music Festival - $30,000 banners

Tamworth residents are up in arms, after being made aware of how much the local council is paying simply to hang Country Music Festival flags on power poles throughout town.

Every year during the Tamworth Country Music Festival the Essential Energy power poles located along Peel Street, Kable Avenue, Brisbane Street, and Goonoo Goonoo Road of Tamworth NSW are decorated with banners, which measure approximately 3m x 1m, promoting several high profile Country Music Singers. Usually this practice costs the local council around $10,000 a year. However this year that price will escalate to close to $30,000, which rate payers have been informed they will be paying the bill.

The rate hike came about after Essential Energy necessitated that new load bearing and safety bench-marks be implemented. Under the new guidelines employed; no banners will be hung on any power poles that have sustained damaged from car accidents or other incidents that have caused dents or possible structural damage due to safety concerns. Essential Energy regional manager Matt Patterson expressed that the price hike was not a capital expense from which Essential Energy would derive any financial benefit.

Nevertheless many local residents fail to see what else the cost could be for. “I can’t understand why it’s costing so much,” said one local resident “either the poles are safe and the town can hang flags on them, or they’re not and the flags shouldn’t go up. Why should jacking the price up so much solve the problem?”

Another local commented “How about we spend $30,000 on a survey to see how many tourists would turn around and go home just because the banners are not up?”

Other council areas are reportedly either using smaller banners, which don’t cause as much risk, or have installed their own flag poles as a cheaper alternative. Many residents are hoping that this is an alternative that will be put into place for next year, to ensure that their rates don’t continue to climb for no apparent benefit.

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Posted in: $30,$30000,$30000.00,000,banners,country music,essential energy,flags,power poles,rate payers,tamworth,tamworth country music festival,tourism