I have to say I was rather unimpressed with the sort of accommodation that was on offer at their Newcastle and Gosford establishments and wanted to share my experiences with you all in the form of a review.

I have been aware of the budget Formule 1 chain for quite some time but I had no idea what I was in for as I’d never stayed in one before. Clearly, the price should have been an indication to me, but it wasn’t.

The first stay was at Formule 1 Newcastle, which is actually in a far-flung dull suburb called Wallsend on the west of the city. I have stayed in motel rooms in Tokyo and in all honesty, this was hardly any bigger. In fact, I suspect that many of New South Wales’ petty criminals would enjoy a similar level of amenity in the state’s low-security prisons, but without the various hanging points.

Here’s how my room presented itself as I stepped in.

It was exceedingly hot in the room, so I had to turn on a loud and rattly air-conditioner to cool it down. As can be seen here, there is a double and single bunk bed, a single chair, a basin, a towel, a television and a clock-radio; the latter two of which are bolted to a peculiar angled bracket on the wall. Clearly there’s been a spate of clock-radio thefts that I was unaware of.

The room was tiny. The space between the end of the bed and the wall would have been no more than 40cm.

When I turned around, I could see the bathroom:

When I stayed in Tokyo, the motel had a similar Portaloo-styled prefab bathroom arrangement, but in the Japanese case the basin was within proximity of the toilet /shower and not on the other side of the room. There was no shower curtain and the aqua green paint had come off in places:

Now I can live with basic amenities for a night on a short holiday, but this was barely on the threshold of acceptability.

There was no bath mat or shower curtain and the disgraceful shower-rose sprayed water absolutely everywhere which meant that water unavoidably ended-up all over the floor. Ironically, this fountain that masqueraded as a shower rose made rinsing shampoo from my hair nearly impossible. Unhelpfully, the basin was on the other side of the room so I had nowhere to rest my possessions whilst showering.

There was a creepy hole above the shower that was supposed to act as an exhaust fan. Now that wouldn’t be an issue in itself except for the stern notice on the bathroom door which informed me that my cubicle must be enclosed whilst I shower unless I wanted to make a donation to the Rural Fire Service.

After I had my shower, fearful of setting-off the fire alarm and with nowhere to hang my towel, I decided that a cup of tea was in order.

But I was wrong.

For whilst there was a modest basin and a small disposable plastic cup from which I could drink, there was no kettle and no sachets of tea or coffee. Even Wollongong’s Worst Motel in Australia could manage to provide an electric kettle for its guests. Come to think of it, the Worst Motel in Australia was also able to provide a refrigerator whilst Formule 1 couldn’t.

So there I was, in an overheated dog box where I couldn’t open the bathroom door, or make myself a cup of tea or even buy some food to eat in the morning. Pathetic.

The window to my room was miserably small, more like a portal really. Keen to have something to eat, I decided to leave. Outside was this rather long, hot and dingy corridor:

It felt like a prison block. Curiously, there was a P.A. system in the corridor that was playing rock music off one of the local Newcastle radio stations. Even when I was trying to sleep at 11pm, I could still hear its tunes wafting under my door, although it had been switched-off when I awoke at 7am.

As I proceeded downstairs, I saw a sign offering a $7 breakfast in the morning. When I enquired, the friendly manageress informed me that it was a “cold continental breakfast”. I had  no idea what that was, but decided that for $7 I could go to McDonald’s and have a breakfast that might have been just as nutritionally deficient but at least it would be hot.

Of course that was easier said than done because it seems that Wallsend is serviced by no-one except a Franklin’s supermarket and a “meat warehouse”. I had to drive more than 10 kilometres before I found a supermarket! I have no idea what Wallsend residents do with their lives, but supermarket shopping clearly isn’t part of the routine.

Tired and frustrated, I returned to my prison-like room and looked at the car park view out of my window, before retiring for the night knowing that despite it all, I had only parted with $75 for this substandard room.

I felt comforted because the next night, I would be staying in the Gosford version of Formule 1 and surely when I was paying $100 a night there, I could expect something better.

Alas, I was wrong.

The Gosford Formule 1 was almost a clone of the Newcastle/Wallsend one, except that the basin was thoughtfully placed into the bathroom this time. Unfortunately the shower curtain was merely decoration and had no effect on preventing a lot of  water from flooding the bathroom.

As you can see, the toilet is almost within the shower, so small is the bathroom. Just as was the case with the Newcastle Formule 1, threatening signs regarding the smoke detectors were placed on the walls.

Another distinction between Newcastle and Gosford’s Formule 1 motels was that in Newcastle, one could open the window to collect a breeze (or act as insurance against wayward steam from the shower). Clearly such conduct would not be tolerated in Gosford, where a cable lock had been applied to ensure that nothing more than a slither of the outside world could be experienced from within the cell room.

I can’t say that I was too impressed with the service at Gosford, either. When I arrived, I gave my name but the manager was adamant that he couldn’t find my booking, until he looked at me and said “I can only find one here that starts with ‘Doctor’”. When I replied by saying “That’s correct” he demanded to see a driver’s licence as he clearly didn’t believe that I could have earned the title. In fact, there was a generally condescending tone throughout his conversation with me.

Unfortunately service and hospitality were not features of my Formule 1 experience. For anyone wanting a bed and nothing else for the night then Formule 1 is probably the way to go. But if like me you may want to have a comfortable shower, make a cup of tea, use a cupboard, make a phone call, open a window, use a microwave or store food in a refrigerator whilst in your dormitory room, then perhaps other local options may be preferable.

To be fair, the Formule 1 website never said that such commonplace facilities were provided. Like a colour television, I had always just assumed that every Australian motel provided such basics in 2012.

Perhaps the final symbolic observation comes from this emergency evacuation plan on the back of my cell room door. As you can see, it wasn’t really of any help as they hadn’t even bothered to mark my room on the plan.

For a mere $10 more in Gosford, I could have stayed in a real motel and actually been comfortable. This will serve as a lesson for next time.

Google Maps Earth View requires the installation of a small plugin to enable it to function on individual computers. Once installed, a person can ‘fly’ around a city, looking at a landscape of buildings and hills that is rendered in 3D in varying degrees of accuracy.

^{Render of Sydney, NSW, Australia, showing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.}

So far, detailed CBD Earth renders been added to the maps of Brisbane (Qld.), Melbourne (Vic.) and Sydney (NSW). A small amount of 3D rendering has been applied to maps of Adelaide (SA), Cairns (Qld.), Canberra (ACT), Gold Coast City (Qld.), Hobart (Tas.), Launceston (Tas.), Perth (WA) and Wollongong (NSW).

Google Maps Earth View is a fun website to use, but the difficult directions control  panel makes navigation a challenge sometimes. In the window above, you can watch a 5-minute video presentation that I have created, demonstrating some of the features and problems.

Alternatively,  you can watch a high-resolution version of the video on YouTube.

^{Render of Brisbane, Qld., Australia.}

Because it is in its infancy, the amount of rendering is minimal, But in time, it will be possible to travel around Australia and the world, looking at the various sites.

On an international level, particular detail can be seen in the renders of Tokyo (Japan), Washington D.C. (USA), Paris (France) and London (UK). One of the funniest renders is  of the Kim Il-sung monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, which is very reminiscent of Flat Stanley!

^{Parliament House in Canberra, ACT, Australia.}

No doubt many people will enjoy this website as it grows and develops. You can access the website via http://maps.google.com.au and the plugin can be downloaded from http://earth.google.com/plugin/.

The Otway Fly consists of a 600 metre long, 25 metre high, elevated tree-top walk which passes through a stand of cool temperate rainforest dominated by Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) and Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans).

The walk commenced with a moderately steep decent into the cool forest, before I arrived at the treetop walk. As I proceeded along the walkway, I quickly found myself amongst the upper canopy of the trees. From this vantage point, I was able to study the epiphytic vegetation that grows on the trees (such as Kangaroo Ferns [Microsorum pustulatum] and various mosses), as well as appreciate the tree canopies and look down to the forest floor below. The view really was quite impressive!

One of the highlights of the Otway Fly is the 45 metre tower (1oo metres above ground), which affords a magnificent view of the forest from the very tops of the trees. I spent quite some time up there, taking in the view!

It must be stated that people who are anxious about heights should be careful. The walking structure is designed to take some sway, and therefore the vibrations of others on the walk can be felt throughout the structure. The tower is accessed by a very narrow spiral staircase which lacks resting points. However, the structure is entirely safe, having been constructed in 2003 and costing $6.5 million to build.

After the tree-top walk, the path took me to the forest floor, where I could explore the terrestrial vegetation including the magnificent tree ferns. There were also some interesting fungi growing when I visited.

The walk back up to the tourist centre was moderately steep, but taken at pace was still quite enjoyable. There is a coffee shop on site, which sells a selection of foods and has a nice outdoor eating area. Entry to the venue is $22.

Here are a few photos from my recent visit:

The Philippines is one of only two predominantly Christian countries in Asia (the other being East Timor). The faith was introduced by the Spaniards  when they colonised the country in 1565.

From the very beginning, church construction was a priority. As a result, the Philippines is fortunate to have many beautiful and historic churches across its various provinces and cities. Here are some of the highlights of my recent visit:

St William’s Cathedral, Laoag

My first stop from Manila was the city of Laoag (la-wag), in the province of Ilocos Norte. Ilocos is in the northern part of the country, approximately 400 km from Manila. The most famous historic building in Laoag is St. William’s Cathedral.

^{_{The exterior of St Williams Metropolitan Cathedral in Laoag.}}

The original church was constructed in around 1661, but following an earthquake and a fire, the church had to be restored in 1843. This church is notable for two reasons; it has a most unusual façade which features pots and pilasters, and it has a sinking bell tower located a massive 80 metres from the church (I had to cross the road and a car park to reach it).

^{The monolithic old bell tower in Laoag, Ilocos Norte}

The Philippines has historically been somewhat prone to earthquakes, and the Spanish quickly learnt that it was best to build belfries separate from the church to protect both structures.

As a result, the bell tower in Laoag is massive. And because of an earthquake in 1953, the tower has been sinking at a rate of 2.5cm a year. Folklore states that a man on horseback could once ride under the entrance arch, but now a man has to stoop in order to fit under the entrance arch. I happen to know this because I was lucky enough to gain special access to the bell tower.

Climbing the bell tower was quite an ordeal. The steps were uneven, the roof was very low and there was almost no light whatsoever. My tour guide disturbed a bat on our way up, which in a panicked state flew into his face!

We eventually made it to the top and the view was truly worth it . I was able to see across the entire city of Laoag. There were three giant bells in the tower, but I resisted the urge to ring one of them!

^{The view from the top of the bell tower, across the city of Laoag}

St Paul’s Cathedral, Vigan

From Laoag, I travelled south to the town of Vigan, in the province of Ilocos Sur. Vigan is the best surviving example of a planned Spanish town in Asia, and has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Register in recognition of its world heritage significance.

Unlike most Philippine cities, Vigan managed to escape the ravages of World War II and is just a sample of what most of the Philippines would once have looked like. Since this blog post is about heritage Philippine churches, I’ll save my description of the beautiful heritage city of Vigan for another post and just focus on St Paul’s Church in the heart of Vigan.

^{St Paul’s Cathedral and Bell Tower in Vigan, Ilocos Sur}

The first church was constructed in Vigan in 1574, but as was typical for the Philippines this, and several replacement churches, were destroyed by various earthquakes. The current church was constructed in 1790-1800 and is certainly one of the most picturesque that I saw in the Philippines. The bell tower stands on the other side of the road from the church. St Paul’s Cathedral is well-maintained and has a truly beautiful interior to match its grand façade.

^{The interior of St Paul’s Cathedral in Vigan, Ilocos Sur}

San Agustin Church, Paoay

In between Vigan and Laoag are many more heritage Ilocano churches, but by far the most famous and indeed my favourite was the Church of San Agustin in Paoay (pa-why), better known as the Paoay Church.

^{The famous Paoay Church, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Register}

This amazing structure was constructed in 1699 and appears on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its design style is described as “Earthquake Baroque“; a reference to its Baroque architectural  influences, but with the addition of ultra-wide buttresses to protect the building from earthquakes.

It is those buttresses, with their scrolled motifs, that give the building its “fat” appearance. I was astounded at the sheer size of the buttresses which were more than 3 metres thick and extending a massive 4 metres from the walls, which themselves are 1.7 metres thick.

^{Giant buttresses support the walls of the Paoay Church}

Equally as interesting as those buttresses is the very material from which they are constructed. Rather than using stone, the Paoay Church builders chose to use coral blocks as the primary building material. Coral is strong, but much lighter than stone and therefore construction is much easier. The coral was quarried from the nearby South China Sea and is held together with mortar. A close inspection of the walls where the render has fallen away shows the intricate coral details on each chiselled block.

Whilst the Paoay Church is spectacular on the outside, it is not nearly so impressive on the inside. The ceiling was once painted with a scene similar to that of the Sistine Chapel in Italy, but owing to earthquake damage was long ago destroyed. Today the ceiling consists of rows of steel trusses with corrugated iron above. Nevertheless, this is a very special place to visit.

Bohol Churches

If it’s a church interior that one is interested in, then I highly recommend a visit to the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Luz (Our Lady of Light) in Loon (lo-on), Bohol.

Bohol is an island in the Visayas, an island group in the middle of the Philippines. Whilst Bohol is most recognised for its wildlife and beaches, it hosts several heritage churches, of which Nuestra Señora de la Luz is one. Constructed in 1862, this church is elegant on the outside. But inside, it’s nave is filled with beautiful detailed paintings on the ceiling.

^{Nuestra Señora de la Luz in Loon, Bohol}

Despite the beauty of Nuestra Señora de la Luz in Loon, my favourite church interior was that of the Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria (Immaculate Conception of Virgin Mary) church in Baclayon, also on Bohol Island.

^{Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria in Baclayon, Bohol.}

Built in 1595, Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. The relatively ordinary Romanesque exterior conceals  the beautifully-designed interior which features arched ceilings, Corinthian columns and a beautifully-sculptured altar in the rococo style. Most importantly, this church is skilfully illuminated from the inside to highlight the decorative elements of the interior. By far, this was my favourite Philippine church interior.

^{Interior of the Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria in Baclayon}

Basílica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebú

The last great Philippine church that I wish to mention is in fact a minor basilica. The Basílica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebú (Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu) was constructed in 1732 following the destruction by earthquake of the previous buildings. This church is significant because it effectively represents the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. Cebu was the first Spanish settlement on the islands and it was from here that evangelisation started. The church hosts Magellan’s Cross, a historic relic.

^{Interior of the Basílica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebú}

Ferdinand Magellan was the first European to come to the Philippines in 1521. When he and his crews landed on Cebu island, a native chief, Rajah Humabon, met and befriended him. Rajah Humabon, his wife and hundreds of his native warriors agreed to accept Christianity and were consequently baptised. Magellan planted a cross to signify the introduction of the Christian faith in Cebu.

^{Magellan’s Cross}

Aside from the historic cross, the church itself is an elegant building with a beautiful bell tower on its front and an attractive interior.

The Philippines is full of many beautiful, old and historic ecclesiastic buildings. As an Australian, I was fascinated to visit churches that were erected more than 200 years before my country was even settled!

The Church in Philippine Society

The method of construction using the “Earthquake Baroque” style or variants thereof, tell the story of a nation that seriously valued (and values) the presence of the local church. It is no coincidence that the churches have become the most enduring architectural structures in the Philippines, much as they have in Australia. What a society values the most, it will do the most to protect.

The churches in the Philippines were not just places of worship during the Spanish colonial period. Nor were they mere symbols of the authority of the Spanish Crown or the Catholic clergy. They have also became much-loved symbols of Filipino cultural identity, which persists to this very day.

One of the interesting cultural aspects of the Philippine churches is the double-use of the bell towers. Their primary function was to host the bells, but they had an important secondary function as watch towers.

In the sixteenth century, there were two threats. On land, the Spanish faced opposition from some Filipinos who objected to Christianisation and colonial rule. At sea, there was a threat that other European powers might seize the Philippines. Therefore the bell tower doubled as a watch tower in many places, so the Spanish could prepare for any attacks.

It is ironic that the roles were reversed in the 1890′s when the Filipinos were fighting the Spanish for their freedom and independence. One of the many reasons the Filipinos wanted independence was to allow native-born Filipinos (as opposed to insulares, mestizos or Spaniards) to be ordained into the Catholic Church.

During the Spanish-Philippine war, the bell towers were utilised by the katipuneros to keep an eye out for the Spanish Army which sought to quell the rebellion. The same technique was used again when the Filipinos unsuccessfully tried to prevent the Philippines becoming a colony of the United States in 1901.

Given this colourful history, the historic churches in the Philippines are more than just significant architectural treasures, or places of contemporary worship. They are tangible and important symbols of Filipino culture and tell the story of a nation.

Visiting these places was fascinating on so many levels, and I am really pleased that I was able to see these amazing historical sites for myself.

New Norcia has a long history by Australian standards. Founded by Benedictine monks in 1846, the New Norcia settlement was designed to be a largely self-sufficient community, based on agriculture.

The foundation stone for the monastery was laid in 1847 and under the direction of founding bishop, Dom Rosendo Salvado, the community grew steadily in the following decades. Eventually New Norcia consisted of various churches, several Catholic schools, boarding houses, a winery, bakery, hotel, museum, petrol station, convenience store, art gallery and a vast area of farms, all run by the monks.

Today, New Norcia still stands as a visible expression of the Catholic faith in Western Australia, despite the closure of the schools. Yet the town  is also a major tourist draw card, notable as much for its beautiful architecture and history as its religiosity.

I made the drive from Perth to New Norcia a few weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

Visitors to the town are first greeted by the imposing Museum and Art Gallery building, which originally served as a boarding house, and stands right on the edge of the highway. It was from here that I booked one of the  tours that are available.

Taking one of the tours of New Norcia is a must. The tour lasted for two hours, and we were taken through the monastery as well as the various other sites in town. The real benefit was in having a tour guide explain the significance of the various sites, as well as gaining an insight into what monastic life is like.

Some of the architecture was amazing, as were the details of the lives of the monks! My favourite place was the Abbey Church, which was filled with beautiful paintings and featured a giant Spanish altar.

New Norcia has some truly fascinating stories to tell. In1847, a bushfire threatened New Norcia. In order to save the fledgling settlement, Dom Salvado produced a painting of the Virgin Mary and pointed it in the direction of the flames, then prayed. The wind promptly changed direction and the bushfire dissipated, saving the town.

In 1984, New Norcia was the target of organised crime, when two men bound and gagged the attendant at the monastery’s art gallery and made off with 26 paintings. Many of the paintings were hundreds of years old, but were damaged by the thieves who recklessly removed them from their frames and rolled them. They slashed other artworks too, causing thousands of dollars of damage. It only took a fortnight for the Western Australian Police to catch the thieves and recover the artworks, but more than 20 years to restore them. Most have now been returned to the New Norcia art gallery where they’re once again on display.

After discovering New Norcia’s rich history, I went to the New Norcia Hotel and ordered some spaghetti lunch. Not only was the food was absolutely delicious, and quite reasonably priced, but it was served amazingly fast too!

If you’re ever in Perth, do make time to visit New Norcia, which is 1.5 hour’s drive along the Great Northern Highway. You won’t be disappointed!

The rumour went that you could see for kilometres whilst conducting your business. Intrigued, and with some time on my hands, I decided to scout these toilets out and see this apparent marvel for myself.

After researcing their location, I took a visit to the infamous bathroom yesterday and can affirm that the view really is something to behold!

The Loos With a View are located on the thirty-fifth floor of the Sofitel, and take in views of State Parliament, the Treasury and Fitzroy Gardens, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. On a clear day you can see as far as the Dandenong Ranges.

This grand vista is provided through floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows that span the breadth of the bathroom. As soon as you enter the bathroom, the view is there to greet you.

It probably goes without saying that most folks would not take too kindly to sharing the bathroom with a photographer. Luckily it was quiet when I visited, so I was able to take these photos before anyone entered. I’ve since discovered that the Ladies are just as impressive as the Gents!

The Loo With a View is well worth a visit, just to satisfy one’s curiosity. And believe it or not, the view is even better than the one at the Eureka tower!

How to get there: The ‘Loo With a View’ is located on Level 35 of the Sofitel Hotel at 25 Collins Street, Melbourne. The toilets are open to members of the public. You can enter from Collins Place (at the foot of the ANZ Towers) and proceed into the hotel foyer. From there, take the lift to Level 35 and then proceed into the Gents or Ladies as is appropriate.

According to the official press release, the scheme will work by:

1. Forcing all petrol stations to notify the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission of their next day’s prices by 2pm the day before;
2. Forcing petrol stations to maintain this advised price for a 24-hour period; and
3. Applying the scheme to unleaded petrol, premium unleaded petrol, LPG, diesel, 98 RON and biodiesel blends.

The scheme is designed to prevent the wild fluctuations in petrol prices that are commonplace across Australia.

Just yesterday I purchased unleaded petrol for $1.34 a litre and today it was selling for $1.52 a litre, representing an overnight price increase of 14%. Fuelwatch will effectively bring and end to this pricing absurdity.

Fuelwatch has been operating in WA for several years now under the auspices of the state’s Department of Consumer and Employment Protection. Whilst prices stability is a given, there remains considerable debate about the effectiveness of the scheme in bringing down petrol prices.

Western Australia’s Royal Automobile Club claims that Fuelwatch has had a negligible effect on overall petrol prices and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria agrees, stating that the scheme would deny motorists “the opportunity to purchase heavily discounted fuel on a weekly basis”. As many Victorians are aware, petrol is always cheaper on a Tuesday for some inexplicable reason. Yet the National Roads and Motorists’ Association in NSW was in favour, with NRMA president Alan Evans telling the ABC “The sooner we can get (Fuelwatch) into NSW, the better off NSW motorists are going to be”.

So, who’s right? According to the Western Australian Fuelwatch website, the mean petrol price in Perth today was 140.8 cents a litre, whilst the RACV unofficially calculated today’s mean price in Melbourne at 140.2 cents a litre.

For me, this all raises a number of interesting points.

Firstly, I accept the RACV’s argument that the Fuelwatch scheme would deny the opportunity to purchase discount fuel on Tuesdays. But then again, if petrol is cheaper overall, isn’t that better? I hate having a choice of either queuing up for lengthy periods on a Tuesday to get cheap petrol or paying through the nose on the following Thursday or Friday. Prices stability (or at least daily predictability) would be convenient, if nothing else. I cannot think of another consumer commodity that suffers hourly price fluctuations in such an absurd manner.

Secondly, I think a Fuelwatch scheme is worth trialling nationally. Whilst it is debatable whether the scheme will lower prices, no-one is suggesting that prices will rise. So what have we got to lose?

Thirdly, I don’t think this will have a detrimental effect on independent petrol sellers. They simply have to lower their prices sufficiently to undercut the majors. Sure, there’s risk that some days they’ll be overpriced, but it will also work in the reverse too. Regardless, I’ve never seen an independent retailer ever undercut a major by more than a tenth of a cent in all my years of driving. Competition is hard to find as it is, despite the protestations of the independents, so I don’t see that we have much to lose, again.

I welcome a nationwide Fuelwatch scheme and look forward to petrol prices stability, if not some cheaper petrol. I believe that the petrol industry as a whole (and petrol pricing in particular) requires better government regulation, but this scheme is a good start.

It all started in the Tokyo suburb of Yūrakuchō (有楽町) whereupon I came across a curious street display outside the Sony Building at the Sukiyabashi crossroad.

What is it? The Yurakucho Marui display photographed at night.

The display featured four vending machines, lined up in a row and elevated on a platform like poker machines. Positioned above them was an object that resembled a giant illuminated pill or capsule. Displayed in each vending machine were smaller versions of the red and white capsule, each of which was about 20 centimetres long. About five staff attended the display, and the phrase “Yurakucho Marui – Fashion Therapy” was painted in English on the front. All other signage was in Japanese.

Passers-by retrieve a capsule from the Yurakucho Marui machines. (Photo: avic.co.jp)

As I stood there, I tried to figure out what those capsules were, but I couldn’t.

Aside from the giant “pill” on the top of this display, my eye was drawn to the people queuing to participate. Each person would come up onto the platform and a member of staff would assist them in purchasing a capsule. The display would stay open for maybe 20 minutes, then be closed for 15 minutes before resuming again. I considered joining the queue, but decided that my lack of Japanese language skills and their probable lack of English skills could be a problem. And of course I didn’t know what I might be buying anyway.

Still curious at the sight before me, I took some photos and decided I’d investigate further when I returned to Australia, which turned out to be much trickier than I had anticipated.

Searching on the Internet didn’t really help answer any questions.

My first discovery was that Marui (丸井) is a department store with a logo consisting of the letters “OIOI” (based on some Japanese ). This logo was reproduced on the capsules.

After showing my close friends at work (who were equally confused and intrigued) it was suggested that I ask a Japanese colleague to translate the signs in the photos. Sadly, the translations didn’t assist us in figuring out the mystery. But he kindly did some “homework” and found a number of Japanese websites that discussed this very display. And whilst he was doing that, I did a search for “Yurakucho Marui” on Flickr.com, the photo-sharing website. We then simultaneously discovered what was in those capsules…

Underpants!

…and not just any underpants, free underpants! I really didn’t expect that.

The Yurakucho Marui underpants. (Photo by Jesse Wu).

It turned out that a number of Japanese-language blogs have documented their respective author’s amazement at the Yurakucho Marui free underpants dispensing machine.

Each blog author had queued to get a capsule, then gone home to inspect the contents whilst photographing the whole sequence of events. The photos showed that each pair of underpants had a slogan, which I have had translated for me. The male underpants read “僕はいつでも準備ＯＫです”, which I am informed translates as “I am always OK (ready) for it!”. Alternatively they read “Make people happy, but first yourself”. The women’s underpants only had one slogan which translated as “You can’t change others, only yourself”.

A pair of Yurakucho Marui underpants. (Photo: avic.co.jp)

As it turned out, the Yurakucho Marui was a brand new store scheduled to open a week after I had visited their unique display. The purpose of the display was to promote the store, by offering “fashion therapy” in the form of message-clad underwear packed into a giant plastic capsule, dispensed from a machine.

And with that, the mystery was solved.

People do say that Japan is full of odd surprises, and I reckon that a row of free underpants-dispensing machines at a major Tokyo intersection fits that description perfectly. How bizarre!

References (all Japanese language):
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/hanabi2007hanabi/23228433.html
http://www.avic.co.jp/blog/sonybuild/archives/2007/10/post_55.php
http://cocolo-pikan.jugem.jp/?eid=165

Translations kindly provided by Harumi Shinozuka.

Image credits:
First image: © Adam Dimech, 2007. All rights reserved.
Second and fourth images: Reproduced under a Creative Commons Licence from avic.co.jp
Third image: © Jesse Wu, 2007. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Yet for all the touristy places I wanted to visit, there was one lesser-known Philippine attraction that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to witness. I speak of the famous “Fertility Tree”.

You will never find reference to the Fertility Tree in your Lonely Planet guides, nor on the Wow Philippines website, nor in your glossy holiday brochures. It is only something that the locals know about.

The infamous Fertility Tree (and corillon) at the
University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB).

I learnt of the existence of this tree when I was socialising with Filipino friends here in Melbourne and it came up in conversation somehow. Everyone had a cheeky grin on their face as it was discussed in Tagalog and I was left confused until with repressed laughter, the story was explained to me in English.

The Fertility Tree is located at the University of The Philippines in the town of Los Baños, which lies 63 kilometres south-east of Manila. The Fertility Tree grows on the edge of what we’d call an oval (large field) and during the day is the favourite place of joggers, sports players and students looking for some sunshine whilst studying.

But at night, I am told the story is very different.

When the sun has set and most students are asleep, the Fertility Tree is a favourite spot for student couples to meet up for private romance under the protective darkness of its large canopy.

The story goes that many children have been born as a result of this magnificent tree. Such is its reputation that students and alumni from across the seven-campus University of the Philippines system are aware of the magic powers of the Fertility Tree.

With almost universal recognition amongst the Pinoys that I have met, I decided I had to make time to see the Fertility Tree whilst in the Philippines.

I arranged to be driven from Manila to the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) one afternoon and was shown where the tree was. The tree is known scientifically as Samanea saman and has a grand canopy.

Being a foreigner at UPLB doesn’t go unnoticed and it is not uncommon for Filipino students to greet overseas visitors with a friendly “Hey Joe!”. Given the purpose of my visit, I was trying to blend in as best as a pale Australian can when walking purposefully to the university’s most infamous tree with a large camera. Needless to say, I took photos of the tree at some distance but resisted the temptation to walk under its canopy. I therefore cannot comment on the rumour that prophylactics are occasionally found there!

After viewing the tree and the surrounds for a little while, I then took a tour of the rest of the UPLB campus before leaving Los Baños for the return trip to Manila before dark.

Having seen the Fertility Tree for myself, the question remains about whether the story of the Fertility Tree is even true? Who knows. Some doubt the likelihood that anyone could do ‘that’ unnoticed at night beneath the tree.

Regardless of the veracity of the story, the Fertility Tree is as much a product of the Filipino sense of humour and psyche as anything else and I am glad that I had the opportunity to see it for myself and experience this small piece of Philippine culture.

Even now that I am back in Australia, the thought of the Fertility Tree brings a smile to my face!

Most of the Hume Highway has been ‘duplicated’ into a freeway that bypasses all the towns and regional centres between Melbourne and Sydney. However there are some sections that have not been completed yet, and Tarcutta is located on one of these stretches.

The Hume Highway just south of Tarcutta

What has caught my eye in this town is the lack of anything really. As The Age Travel Guide poignantly puts it; “It is hard to see Tarcutta as anything more than a stopover place on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne”. So true, even Australia Post says so. Tarcutta is not much more than a petrol station, a small number of houses and a pub.

However, it is the pub that is of most interest. It is called the Tarcutta Hotel and is the most prosperous-looking establishment in this town of 263 people. Out there in the middle of nowhere is this rather bold-looking, well-maintained pub. I have even found some people who have visited it! Having seen the inside, they say it has a “… fireplace and bar on the first floor and the price is reasonable”. I myself didn’t visit… you know what they say about drinking and driving. But I just had to take a photo of this place.

The Tarcutta Hotel

Still, it has to be said for Tarcutta, that it is not quite devoid of attractions (aside from the Hotel). There is apparently a Truck Drivers’ Memorial in town, and also a speed camera. There was a historic railway station, until that burnt down in 2001. I am not sure there is much else I can say about Tarcutta, really.