Fantastic FNQ photo Friday

Cairns Esplanade - Images by Paul Dymond

I thought for today's post I'd show you all the crowning glory on Cairns' foreshore - the Esplanade Lagoon. Now that the wet season is over this is how it will look for the next  7 or 8 months. There's nothing like being down here on a balmy night, watching your kids play and enjoying a BBQ with a couple of cold ones and good friends. There's a reason why people flock here - actually there's quite a few - but this is definitely one of them. Enjoy!

Where would a travel photographer take his kids on holiday?

A fair enough question I guess. With a little over 50 countries under my belt my most oft-heard question is - what's your favourite country? And I never have an answer because I really do love them all. Especially the one I'm headed to next.

But when it comes to where would you take the kids on holiday I think I've narrowed it down. Now keep in mind that I live in Australia and visit Japan at least once, sometimes twice, every year. So there's nothing new for my two boys there. They're both kinda home.

In fact my eldest remarked a couple of years back that he'd never been overseas - despite the fact that he'd been to Japan 5 or 6 times! He was honestly surprised to find out that Japan was 'overseas'.

So coming from that perspective I would say my definite recommendation is Nepal. I love the food, the culture, the people. I would start them off in Kathmandu. I'm sure they'd get templed out pretty quickly but I would take them to Swayambunath and Bodnath. Let them play with the local kids in the street.

Then take them down to Chitwan National Park to look for rhinos and tigers on elephant back. I don't know if I could keep them quiet enough to actually find any wildlife but I know they'd have the time of their lives.

Then for the piece de resistance I would take them trekking. Mt Everest style. I'm sure they're still too little to do giant treks but maybe I'd hire a local yak and driver to carry them! I've seen it done and it looks like a great way for the kids to travel. Mind you those things are a bit mean and nasty at times. I'd have to think that one through.

But if there's definitely one place I recommend you should take your kids if you can it is definitely Nepal. So why haven't I done it yet? Well my youngest has anaphylactic dairy allergies which he's just about grown out of but I'd feel a lot safer if he was clear of them before we headed off. So in the meantime they'll have to be content with 'domestic' destinations like Japan!