The healthiest fruits

I feel the healthiest fruits are the mango, the pomegranate, the kiwi and the blueberry. I eat these fruits joyously. I don’thave to force myself to consume them like I do with broccoli. I have seen statistics that these 4 fruits have some of the highest levels of anti-oxidants. They not only taste great they are great for you !

I love the pomegranate because they are delicious and my Mother always used to get them around the Christmas holiday. She had a Lebanese father, and the pomegranate is common in Arab recipes.

I love the kiwi for the beautiful taste, the vivid color, and all the nutrients. I once met a gal from New Zealand while staying at a youth hostel in California. At breakfast she showed me how some folks from New Zealand eat their kiwi: with the skin on! I peel mine, thanks very much.

I love the mango because the minute I see, smell, or eat one it feels like I have been transported to the Caribbean. That vivid yellow color, that sweet taste, oh heaven !

The blueberry reminds me of summers as a child. Umm, a bowl of blueberries and milk what a treat. They have many nutrients and are easy to carry about as a snack to boot.

Summer is enhanced by a visit to the farmer’s market to get lush produce.!

Apples: Perfect at any time of day

ADAM’S APPLE

Did Eve give Adam an apple in paradise? The bible doesnt mention one, only the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the 5th century AD people began to become interested in the kind of fruit she gave him, considering the flora and geographical conditions of Asia Minor where the Garden of Eden was supposed to be they thought it could have been a fig, a grape or a citron, monks in Northern Italy, however, were convinced that the fruit was an apple. The reason for this may have been a wordplay, the Latin word malus means apple and evil and the saying was coined “ex malo malum” – evil comes from the apple.

Convincing as it sounds apples dont grow in Asia Minor, not even evil ones, its too warm there. Botanists assume that apple trees originated in the area between the Caspian and the Black Sea, they grow best in temperate countries with a cool climate and plenty of rain during the winter. Central Europe and North America are the main regions for the production of apples, but theyre now also grown in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America – in the months when weve got winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

Internationally, apples are the most widely cultivated tree fruit, several hundred varieties for eating, cooking and cider making are grown; charred remains of apples found in prehistoric dwellings prove that humankind has been eating apples for at least 750,000 years and they are deeply embedded in our folklore, remember Snow White? Lets have a look at what makes this fruit so outstanding and what one can do besides just biting into it.

Many people are content with just biting into a fresh apple provided it doesnt come from an orchard where pesticides are used, its a crunchy, refreshing and healthy snack. Depending on the kind of apple youve got the taste varies between honey sweet and spicy tart. Theyre high in fibre, vitamin C and potassium, low in sodium and almost fat free. The ancients who coined the phrase An apple a day keeps the doctor away only observed what good eating apples did, thanks to modern scientific methods we now know precisely what good it does.

Ive learnt from my research on the net that the soluble and the insoluble fibres can decrease the cholesterol level, reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries, heart disease and stroke, they help to keep blood sugar levels stable. They are cancer-protective since they relieve constipation and send potentially toxic substances out with

Travel Trend Research Using Google Trends – Part 2

In Part 1, you learned about Google Trends and how to research the interests of vacation and holiday travelers. We used the tool to compare different travel types, and to determine their relative popularity and seasonal trends over multiple years.

In Part 2, we’ll analyze searches for different types of destinations such as parks, beaches, museums and golf courses. Remember, our research assumes that Google searches indicate travel behavior. The information we discover will help us understand the interests of travelers around the world.

So what types of destinations do travelers want to visit? To start finding the answer, go to Google Trends (see the address at the end of this article) and submit this search: “national park, state park, county park, regional park” (with the commas but without the quotes). When the page reloads, you’ll see a line graph of the search phrases over multiple years. The relative heights of the lines show that national and state parks are more popular than county and regional parks. The peaks and valleys of the lines show that interest is seasonal, with interest highest in June and July (meaning summer in the northern hemisphere) and lowest in December.

The lower half of the page shows the regions and cities where the searches originated. For example, interest in national parks is high in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Now let’s look at search results for other destination types. Because the y-axis on the graph is relative, we will use “national park” as a constant in the comparisons. That way we can compare, for example, beaches vs. theme parks without having to submit them in the same search. This is necessary because Google Trends only allows the comparison of five phrases at a time.

As we try different destination types, we’ll see that some destinations are less popular than national parks. For example, search for “national park, theme park, water park, scuba diving, ecotourism”. Some of the destination types reach their highest popularity in July, such as the strong peak for water parks and the weaker peak for theme parks.

Now try “national park, shopping mall, shopping center, ski area, ski resort”. These last four destination types have peaks of varying height in December.

To drill down into more detail, you can pick specific destinations such as this search: “national park, Disneyland , Disney World, Six Flags, Sea World”. Note the relatively continuous popularity of the Disney parks and Sea World throughout the year, while Six Flags gets the most interest in July.

Camping and campgrounds are seasonal, of course, with strongest interest in July. More interesting is the fact that “camping” (meaning the activity or perhaps the type of equipment) is much more popular than “campground” (the place). Try it yourself: “national park, camping, campground”.

Golf courses and golf clubs have similar popularity and seasonal trends (with strong peaks in July) to national parks. To see for yourself, search for “national park, golf course, golf club”.

Other destinations are much popular than national parks, such as in this search: “national park, beach, mountain, museum”. Beaches have a wide range of seasonal interest, with a peak in July and lowest interest in December, though beaches remain more popular than any other destination type. The seasonal trend of mountains and museums is mostly flat, except mountains have a wide peak from December to February (ski season?) and museums have a sharp peak at the end of December (school break?).

Looking deeper into the seasonal popularity of beaches, we can see it depends on the beach’s distance and direction to the equator. For example, where summers are hot and winters are cold, beaches tend to be more popular during summer—such as the USA in August or Australia in December. Where temperatures are more constant (such as in Hawaii), beaches remain popular throughout the year. Try it yourself: “Sydney beach, Mexico beach, Hawaii beach, Texas beach, France beach”.

Using these research techniques, you will better understand the interests of travelers around the world.

Christmas traditions and celebrations in Australia

Christmas in Australia is much different than the way western countries celebrate Christmas. For Australia, December is in the summer months and their weather can get up to 100 degrees F. A lot of Australians spend their Christmas’s at a beach, camping, or outdoors period. With the heat, blue skies, and sun, the beach is a perfect place for them to celebrate Christmas with their families. They can also enjoy more time together since school’s are out for summer breaks.

Unlike other’s customs with decorations, Australia decorates the inside of their homes not only with Christmas trees but flowers as well. They hang lights on the outside of their homes for their neighbors view and most neighborhoods hold contests for “who’s house and street is decorated the best.”

Every Christmas Eve the public will gather at the Myer Music in Melbourne, Australia for their annual carol service. They light candles and sit on blankets under the night sky and all sing Christmas carols together. They sing the traditional carols but many of their own, as well.

Australians’ Christmas dinner is just as traditional as everywhere else. They serve turkey and ham with all of the fixings. Because of the hotter weather they usually make their meals earlier in the days and eat them cold and eat tropical fruits. Mangoes, pawpaws, and rockmelons are their favorites. It is also traditional for them to also eat plum pudding with ice cream for dessert.

If you look at your calendar you will notice that the day after Christmas says “Boxing Day in Australia.” No, this is not referring to the boxing matches that generally only men will compete in or fighting. Every year, the day after Christmas is known to Australians as boxing day. Boxing day is a competition between men and women all over Australia to compete in boxing gifts for their workers. The Australian cricket team will take one of it’s components each year (England, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, West Indies, or South Africa to a test match. Most Australians not competing in the test match spend the day watching it while others are getting ready to leave for their summer vacations.

Savor the Irresistible Delights of a Sensational Vacation Destination

Whether inspired by nature or aroused by adventure and excitement, New Zealand has something in store to appease whims and fancies of its varied visitors. Comprised of North and South Islands, New Zealand offers its visitors an assortment of alluring attractions rich with mesmerizing views and cultural heritage. Each attraction distinguishes from one another and generates a novel experience filled with fun and adventure.

South Island comprises of many exciting attractions, the most desired being the International Antarctic Center which was acclaimed twice as the best attraction in New Zealand. A sensational experience awaits at this exhilarating venue which is the ultimate getaway to Antarctica comprising a pragmatic indoor experience and an outdoor Antarctic Hagglund Ride. Also available at Christchurch are compelling Gondola rides, Tram rides, Wildlife cruises and Akaroa Harbor Cruises. In Kaikoura, relish thrilling encounters with one of the most fascinating mammals in the planet, the Giant Sperm Whale and you can also witness other marine species as fur seals, dusky dolphins and sea birds mingling with these amazing creatures. Close by are Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa allowing visitors to savor a relaxing and unhindered time. At South Islands you can also go on a helicopter ride to the dazzling Aoraki Mount Cook and be enchanted by the panoramic views of the range of glaciers. Also within South Island are a diverse cluster of attractions located at West Coast, Queenstown and Lower South Island and Milford Sound/Te Anau.
The exhilarating North Island activities include a range of cruise rides at Fullers Bay of Islands including the popular Cape Brett ‘Hole in the Rock’ cruise and many other award winning cruises. The Kauri Museum narrates a captivating story about the initial settlers intermingling with the second largest tree in the world. Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World is Auckland’s key marine attraction offering interactive sessions with penguins, sharks, stingrays and many other species. A must see attraction in Auckland is the dashing Sky Tower which is renowned as the tallest tower in the Southern hemisphere and it is also equipped with a gift shop as well as Sky Jump and Vertigo climb activities. Wellington, Waitomo, Rotorua/Central North Island is also home to a multitude of attractions worth exploring.
All these amazing attractions are located within short driving expanses which has made exploring New Zealand more special and convenient. New Zealand also offers its visitors an Array of accommodation facilities; Millennium Hotels has a large collection of hotels in New Zealand which promises modern luxuries amidst charming landmarks, and local hospitality. All these amazing amenities have made New Zealand an ideal travel, leisure and vacation destination.

Destination guides: South Island, New Zealand – Part 2

The South Island is one of the two major island of New Zealand and it is the larger one of the two islands. It is also called as The Mainland. Though it is larger than the North Island, only a quarter of the New Zealand population live there.

Travel destinations

The major tourism destinations of the South Island are

Marlborough

Marlborough is located in the northeast region of the South Island. The climate here is dry and it is famous for it’s scenery and also for the Sauvignon blanc wine. The peaks of the Kaikoura Ranges, the long straight valley of the Wairau River, and the long straight valley of the Wairau River are the most famous and most beautiful destinations here.

Kaikoura

It is a town situated on the east coast of the South Island. Seaward Kaikoura Range, whale watching tour in Kaikoura, beach at Kaikoura, fur seal colony on Kaikoura’s peninsula, and the Seaward Kaikouras are the most famous tourist spots here.

Hanmer Springs

It is a small village in the Canterbury region of the South Island is famous for it’s ski fields. It is one of the popular travel destinations. The scenic show off of alpine surroundings and the variety of adventurous activities make it very popular with the tourists.

Dunedin

Being one of the largest cities of the South Island, Dunedin is famous for historical and cultural reasons. The city is also well known for it’s location as it is surrounded by the hills and valleys. These harbour and hills are the remainings of an exploded volcano which is extinct now.

Fiordland

Fiordland, situated on the south west corner of the South Island is famous for the largest national park in New Zealand. The park extends to an area of around 12000 sq.km. making it the largest part of Fiordland.

Nelson and Tasman District, West Coast, Christchurch and Canterbury, Southland Region and Stewart Island, and Queenstown, Wanaka and Central Otago are the other major traveling destinations.

Resorts and ski areas

Skiing is one of the famous attractions of the South Island. The different regions where one can go for skiing are Nelson Lakes, Canterbury, and Otago.

National Parks of the South Island

The national parks of the South Island are other major attractions and the major national parks are

* Westland National Park

* Nelson Lakes National Park

* Paparoa National Park

* Rakiura National Park

* Kahurangi National Park

* Mount Aspiring National Park

* Fiordland National Park

* Abel Tasman National Park

* Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Museums and Art Galleries

Museums

* Southland museum and art gallery

* World of Wearable Art

* Canterbury Museum

* Otago Settlers Museum

* Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum

* Ferrymead Heritage Park

* Nelson Provincial Museum

* Otago Museum

Art Galleries

* Dunedin Public Art Gallery

* Center of Contemporary Art

* Christchurch Arts Center

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S outh_Island

Bird facts: Blue duck

The extremely rare and endangered blue duck is one of New Zealand’s rarest birds, being confined to remote mountainous white-water streams in the west of South Island and central parts of North Island. Known as “Whio” after the whistling call of the male, the blue duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) is unique to New Zealand and has no close relatives, being the only species in its genus. It is a small bird around 53 cm (22 in) long.

The blue duck is unusual in that the male guards the ducklings, whereas in many duck species only the female raises the young. The blue duck is strongly territorial and a pair remain together for life. Their territory is quite large, being a length of around 1km of the stream.

While the blue duck has no close relatives it does share the characteristics of two other ducks in South America and New Guinea, since all three species live all year on fast-flowing streams, and these are the only species to do this. The blue duck’s habitat is now confined to remote, fast-flowing mountain streams. It dives into rapids, and is able to cling to submerged rocks and boulders in even the most swift-flowing water, which gives rise to another nickname: the torrent duck.

The blue duck is an unusual duck in that it mostly eats aquatic insects and their larvae, but it will also eat small crustaceans and algae. It has specialised projections on the tip of the bill to help them collect their food in fast flowing water.

The blue duck is active only at dawn and dusk. During the day it rests against the slate blue-grey rocks in its environment, its colouration acting as an effective camouflage against these rocks. It is entirely blue-grey apart from dark chestnut-coloured speckles on its breast. Its bill is pale pink, and the eyes are bright yellow.

Even though the blue duck is camouflaged and difficult to spot, its existence is threatened by illegal duck shooting, by predators such as the stoat and feral cat, and by its inability to fly well. Once so tame they could be caught by hand, blue ducks are now nervous and shy. The blue duck also has stiff competition for food from the introduced trout population. The greatest threat, however, is loss of habitat through deforestation and human encroachment.

The breeding season for the blue duck is between August and October (the New Zealand winter), with the female laying four to nine eggs in a nest in a cave or log jam, or hidden under thick flax bushes. Ducklings appear a month later, and they have unusually large webbed feet to help them cope with the swift-flowing waters. After eight to ten weeks the young are independent enough to seek out new territories for themselves, usually close to their parents’ territory.

Numbers of blue ducks are thought to be slowly declining as small, isolated populations become extinct. It is now extremely endangered.

References include:

Bird life International fact sheet: blue duck

New Zealand biodiversity website: http://www.biodiversity.govt.n z/land/nzbs/conservationland/s pecies/duck.html

New Zealand Department of Conservation fact sheet, available from: http://www.doc.govt.nz/templat es/page.aspx?id=33064

http://www.bdg.co.nz/blue_duck .0.html

Te Anau and Milford Sound

Fly into Queenstown and hire a bus or hire a car and drive to Te Anau. Unlike Europe a holiday in New Zealand won’t break the bank and you will be impressed.

Te Anau sits on a beautiful lake. To get the most out of a visit to this town take a helicopter tour. For what you get the prices are reasonable. You can take a helicopter tour to view the magnificent fiords. As part of the journey your pilot will land you on the top of a snow capped peak where you can stretch your legs and marvel at the fact that five minutes earlier you were basking in the sun and now you are throwing snowballs at your friends.

From Te Anau you can book a tour of Milford Sound. There are 2 main companies that run the tours. Both are well organised and their boats are modern and well equiped – you can’t go wrong!The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound takes about 2 hours and it is magnificent. There is so much to see and do along the way. Make sure you allow at least 3 hours for the drive so that you can take your time and stop along the way.

One of the more active things to do along the way is to walk to Lake Marian. The hike up to Lake Marian at first seems pretty easy , of course that only lasts for about the first 200m in and then…yup you guessed it, uphill all the way baby.  Once you reach the top it is definitely worth it.  After 1 ½ hrs you emerge from the bush to a most spectacular view – Lake Marian a striking sight situated in the middle of surrounding snow capped mountains with a beautiful little waterfall.  What makes it even more special is tthe isolation, way up in the middle of nowhere. If you feel like doing this hike allow 3 hours.

When you get to Milford Sound, hop on the tour you booked and relax and enjoy the view. What a view! The snow capped mountains encompassing this fiord are incredible, the water is a beautiful deep emerald blue and every so often you pass beautifully cascading waterfalls.  The air is crisp and the wind fast. Along the way you will see seals, bird life and the occasional dolphin.

If you do the Milford Sound cruise and the Lake Marian hike in one day you will be hungry when you get back to Te Anau. No problem, there are some great restaurants in Te Anau. Most are reasonably priced, even for a minibus hire guy like myself.

Last tip – when visting New Zealand, try some of their Pinot Noir.

Why you should visit Canada

Canada is a Country of such extremes that everybody who likes to travel should visit at least two different extremes of her ecological variations. It is sort of like Mark Messier and those Lays Potato chips commercials; you just can’t visit once. You should visit Canada because her citizens are a very friendly, humorous and fun loving people. We have more lakes and rivers that are just chock full of fish for the sporting enthusiasts, mountains with 16 feet of virgin snow, back-country camping and 5-star spas and resorts.

We are just so darned fan-tittelly-astic that three of our cities makes UNESCO’s World Heritage Places To Visit list every year, in Halifax, N.S., Quebec City, Q.C., and Victoria, B.C. The eco-tourist does not have to go to the other side of the World to Australia or New Zealand, Africa or Switzerland. Just forget about seeing dried-up deserts (well, you could imagine the Oil Sands Projects in the Prairies as a form of a desert), and with a little imagination, Canada has the facilities for everything that anyone would want to do.

Take a look at a topographical map of Canada. Now, if you will focus on Northern Quebec and Central to Northern Ontario, there are more lakes and rivers than most Countries can boast, and that is just 2 of 12 Provinces and Territories. We have more fresh water than some Continents do. Including Glacial and Polar Ice, we have about 22% of the Planets’ fresh water. Animals are free to roam in the vast wilderness, bear, deer, moose and big-foot hunting are bountiful here. Just take a bit of advice from a Canadian who has lived in Toronto for about 10 years.

Stay away from Toronto! There, it had to be stated and it was. Might want to avoid Montreal and Winnipeg too. That is not what Canada is about, that is more of a greed-driven society, people with no time for strangers and eyes on the floor. Lots of crime, gangs running rampant, criminals getting slaps on the wrist for crimes Americans would spend the rest of their lives in jail for. We don’t have the three strikes and your out rule here, and we never will. We have a love-hate relationship with violence – we love to watch it, hate to be victimized by it.

You should visit Canada because, since 9/11, Americans kind of have a bulls-eye on their backs when they travel to foreign Countries. But in Canada, Americans are simply considered as simply North Americans. Most of Canada’s residents wished we had an “open border” with you, our Southern neighbours. We dream of

Travel experiences: Exploring our need for out of the ordinary places

The Travel Bug – a (pretend) disease which strikes you after you return from traveling. Something which anyone who has done anything out of the ordinary in a different country will probably have. I am not aware of a way of getting rid of the bug, no tablets or cream. Infact a visit to the doctors will not help at all. My first experience of traveling came when I was just 18years old and decided to go away for eight months visiting Mexico, Peru and Australia and volunteering in Mexico and Peru. My need to experience different countries and cultures came from being a child and being surrounded my different languages through an organization which my mam supported the Eisteddfod. I was encouraged to learn new languages and experience different ways of living.

My Grand Gap Year as I called it was defiantly the best experience of my life and I would encourage anyone of any age to go and travel, it does not have to be for a long time – a week, two weeks, a months is enough it just needs to be something which you would not normally do during a holiday.

I was lucky enough to work in an Orphanage, learn Spanish, teach English, work in a school, travel throughout Mexico and Peru, volunteer at a turtle camp, visit Bolivia and New Zealand, live in a hostel and make some brilliant friends.

My need to explore, learn and discover new experiences has not stopped. I have visited many places on holiday and only last month I visited China for one month to teach English. That was an interested experience also.

For those people who have traveled or have the travel bug after coming home from traveling what I have said will make perfect sense.

For those who have never traveled, are considering traveling or will never go traveling – I urge you to try it at least once. Of course everyone is different but I believe the world is so vast, there are many, many countries with many, many different activities to do, sights to see that there is something for everyone no matter where you go.

So rather than book that same holiday to Spain, you know, the same place you have been twelve times or more book a trip to Greece or Germany, experience Paris or Rome. Visit Machu Picchu in Peru, the rain forest in Brazil, the pyramids in Egypt or a walking holiday in Ireland. Experience life because you really do not know if you will be here tomorrow.

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