BHAKTAPUR

A Nepalese child watches from windows built hundreds of years ago.

Located 13kms from Kathmandu, in Nepal, Bhaktapur is a world heritage site. It was built between the 13th and the 17th centuries. The city contains a mixture of ancient Nepalese and Indian architecture. Wandering around the streets you get glimpses of what life was like hundreds of years ago. The architecture, the temples, the paved street even the old well, all must have amazing stories to tell.

Cars are banned from the cobbled streets.

The city lies on an ancient caravan trade route between Tibet and India, and because of this became wealthy and prosperous. The numerous temples, artworks and old buildings built centuries ago attract tourists and the devout to Bhaktapur every day. The temples are mainly Hindu. The wood, metal and stone artworks adorn buildings and line streets, and the architecture is a mixture of Nepalese and Indian culture. To help preserve the site cars are banned from the cobbled, overhanging streets. Bhaktapur is known for its pottery and for its yoghurt or curd Ju-Ju Dhau, which is sold in small clay bowls.

Religious building contribute to the artworks of the city.

The ancient name for Bhaktapur is 'Khwopinggram'. The name Bhaktapur comes from Sandkrit Nepali and means "the town of devotees'. At times it is also referred to in the Kathmandu Valley as Khwopa, Bhadgaon or the 'Ancient Newari town'.

One of the most exciting annual events in Bhaktapur is the festival of Bisket Jatra. This festival lasts for several days and its end signifies the beginning of the Nepali New Year. As part of the festival villages hauling a symbolic chariot through the city. The chariot is huge and ponderous, swaying from side to side and creaking as it lumbers along the cobbled streets. It carries the images of the god Bhairab. At one point it stops and there is a fiercely contested tug-of-war over the chariot by villagers from the west side of town against villagers from the east side of town. It is considered that the god will bestow a blessing for the coming year on the side of town which is victorious in the tug-of-war.

After the chariot is dragged into the centre of the town there is a huge, 25 metre, phallic symbol erected. This is eventually pulled down, again in a tug-of-war, to symbolise the start of the New Year. The festival takes place from the 12-15th April each year.

Some of the ancient building are in need of repair.

In Nepal ancient cultures and new have blended together.

Spectator sit on the steps of this temple.

The phallic symbol is pulled down to start the New Year

My grand-daughter, Eve was a hit with locals

The crowd dragging the chariot

Youths climb to the front of the chariot urging the crowd on.

Large ropes are used to drag the chariot, while other villagers push the wheels and the rear .

The chariot is slowly moved into the centre of the town.

WOOLGOOLGA

Local school children take an excursion to the beach.

Woolgoolga has been called "the missing piece of paradise". Located on the north coast of New South Wales, 25kms from Coff Harbour, Woolgoolga is a popular holiday village with magnificent beaches, whale watching from the headlands, kayaking, bush walking, playing golf, horse riding, bowling, mountain biking and all the while turtles still come ashore to lay their eggs. There are numerous coffee shops, restaurants and fresh seafood outlets. The local council takes pride in providing facilities for the traveller or the holiday maker with free covered barbeques, playgrounds and the best maintained (and sweetest smelling) toilets. The local population is full of characters and are very friendly and welcoming. Woolgoolga is the centre of the bannana growing industry in New South Wales.

Prior to European settlement Woolgoolga was home to the Gumbaingirr people. The name of the town comes from the Aboriginal word "Weelgoolga" used to describe the area and the lilly-pilly trees which grew there. According to the 2006 census 159 of the inhabitants still identify themselves as indigenous.

The first European settlers were timber cutters. Although it was never one of the major centres, a mill was built there in 1883 and a long jetty for loading timber was constructed in 1892. The town was also linked to the Jesse Simpson forrest by a light railway. The jetty and the railway have both disappeared. The town was officially gazetted in 1888 as Woogoolga, but changed to Woolgoolga in 1966. There were some early attempts to grow sugar cane but these proved unsuccessful. There were also early attempts to grow banana but it wasn't until the 1930s that this industry in Woolgoolga took off.

The remains of the Buster sticking through the sand. Sometimes storms and shifting sands will reveal more of the wreck.

In 1893 the 319 ton, 39m long timber ship, the Buster arrived at Woolgoolga to take on a load of timber for shipping to New Zealand. The Buster was at anchor near the Woolgoolga jetty when a storm struck and snapped both her anchor cables. The ship was set adrift and battered by "a wall of water" for nine hours before being pushed up onto the beach stern first. The ship was never removed from the beach and its skeletal remains can still be seen jutting from the sand.

Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

In 1900 a number of Indian migrants were attracted to the area to work on the banana farms. Although most were single males who came to Australia to make money and then return home to their families many found they liked the Australian climate and countryside and they became permanent settlers. Other Indian Sikhs hearing of the community growing in Woolgoolga were attracted to the area. Today the Sikhs represent over a quarter of the population. The 2006 census lists the population of Woolgoolga at 4,356people. 421 (9.7%) speak Punjabi at home, 423 practice Sikhism and 221(5.1%) were born in India. There are two Gurdwas(temples) in Woolgoolga, the Sikh Temple Woolgoolga and the Guru Nanak Gurdwara (the Temple on the Hill). Today nearly 90% of the banana plantations in the area are owned by Sikh families. One of the biggest event in the area is the annual Curry Festival held in April. The event attracts over 10,000 people to the area.

Woolgoolga beach.