Southern Ridges, Singapore

Southern Ridges, Singapore

If you have not been you have to try this place. I spotted a friend of ours had just done this on FB, and we were at a loose end today,and we have this work initiative to do steps to have the healthy office type thing (after just today's my personal effort leap-frogged my team by two places in the league), so yours truly dragged all the kids and Mary off to Southern Ridges, Singapore today. So very glad we did, it's absolutely stunning.

Before you depart through make sure you have in your rucksack the following;

- mosquito spray;

- suntan lotion;

- water and water bottles (you can fill up at fountains en route);

- Comfortable shoes as you'll walking a lot;

- Loose change for the various vending machines; and

- At times a lot of puff, yep it's a fair jaunt!!!

But also what is it? Well I didn't know that the Southern Ridges, Singapore are basically a series of hills in the South. Yeah when you think about it, it all sort if makes sense right. And around these hills are green belts, pockets of beauty if you will. So Singapore has sort of glued them all together, using roads, paths, building these amazing tree-top walking platforms, and undulating bridges between hill tops. Breathtaking at times, and I don't mean because of all the bloody walking.

You'll have about 10km ahead of you when you start. We began from Kent Ridge Park, at the suggestion of our taxi driver, walked through Hort Park etc.. and finished up at Mount Faber Park after crossing the extremely cool Henderson Waves Bridge. Even then you have not finished as you have to walk all the way down the winding road of Mount Faber to get back to 'civilization' near Keppel Marina area. Its truly stunning walking there, rain forest fauna, squirrels everywhere, lizards speeding off, lots of rustling in the tress - lots, but sadly this day we did not see the allusive wild monkeys that live in the forests. Mind you it was indeed a damned hot day.

I took some snaps along the way, and will share them with you now. Here comes Southern Ridges, Singapore, family Kennett stylee.

Right at the very start we're looking over this - it's beautiful. As you can see, the city life and hustle and bustle is miles away. So serene and peaceful here. 

Not an iPAD/POD in sight. The kids even took it turns to push the new buggy we got for Jude. We must do this again!!!

Beautiful trees and flowers all the way along the walk. I didn't snap too many, but this one stood out for me.

And now to the floor at the Gymnastics Olympics 2016, representing Japan/England is AMY KENNETT....

Mary was trying to convince Jude to use his new buggy, so I dragged me and the other two away for some R&R under a nice cool and shady tree. Amy decided otherwise.

Practice is indeed making perfect, she's getting really good as this cartwheel stuff!!!

Point toes, extend and perfect landing - apart from the pokey out tongue Amy... Ha Ha!!!

"I've got a loverly bunch of...." sings Jude.

We finally find the start of the aerial skyways that go up to 38 metres in to the tree canopies. You are up there at the treetops, with the birds and other fauna and flora (again sadly no monkeys).

My beautiful Amy showing off the walkways - if faint of heart for heights be warned. You are looking through a see-through floor as you walk along these things.

I let my gang walk on a bit to show you the scale - these go on and on and on and on...

Every so often there are escape exits, but are usually loads of flights of stairs to take you down the 38 metres. We just kept on going, we were determined to finish this walk!!!

They make these really cool looking shelters along the way, in case it rains or you get some lightening. But not like an average bus shelter, no, they have designed these so well I feel.

Mary and Baby Jude showing the curves off too now - no no no, not theirs the shelters!!!

Getting to the end now - here is Keppel Marina's condo block - like some from Star Trek.

And the final snap for today - thank gawd Jude finally fell in love with his new buggy, as 10Km carrying him would have been a nightmare - thanks Baby Jude - see we knew you'd love it. 111

There it is folks - we had a cracking day. No TV, no SmartPhones etc. We walked and chatted as a family. It was a great afternoon trip to Southern Heights, Singapore. One we totally recommend to you all. ENJOY!!!

Singapore Air Show 2016

Singapore Air Show  2016 

#SGAirshow I am going to start by complaining. I came on Sunday 21st and had such a bad experience of getting in and getting out, in fact on the getting out was an experience that scared my kids, including a two year old, angered me massively and caused many people with kids and pushchairs to have to go against 1,000's upon 1,000's of pushing, barging people. This is when fights nearly started. All caused by your complete inconsiderate and incompetent staff. Including one idiot who would not lift a small fence up to allow us to squeeze through where it was safe. We then fought against the crowd, LITERALLY, to get back to where the idiot was stationed, but now on the other side of the fence to find him letting people through the fence the other way - you can imagine the outcome of that action. He should be sacked!!!

So #SGAirshow it is with major disappointment that I write this, as the pilots that put on the show were truly amazing yet again and I will write about them with nothing but a positive light, incredible they were. But the public organisation and human trafficking, and crushings that you caused was not amazing. In fact my kids were scared, my kids were crying, my 2 year old was being barged squashed - and and I will never put them through that again, so I am boycotting the show for 2018 and beyond, and suggest any families with small kids do the same, it was shocking.

But to the pilots and the acrobatic air show they supplied us for entertainment this day - WOW!!! These guys and their support teams are just incredible. The show was breath-taking, with man and machine really pushing themselves to the limit. It was brilliant, and well worth the sun-burn and stiff neck from staring upwards in to a sunny sky ha ha!!! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, with a little commentary from yours truly. Yes for some I have applied a filter to be a tad artsy, but also to show off what these guys were doing, like the flares coming from the fighter plane, which was an OMG moment when the pilot performed that incredible piece of flying.

The first of the two flying spectacles. Look at these guys, and the perfect symmetry of the shape. It's beyond words...

A beautiful blue sky background, almost like it was 'green-screened' for a block-buster film. WOW!

I have applied a black & white filter to this one as the sky for once went a little overcast, but I really didn't want to lose this picture as the shape and the smoke plumes just look so beautiful. 

Back to blue skies and another straight flight of the plumes. Mesmerising. The crowd was ooohing and aaahhing almost like watching fireworks. We were all clapping too, like the pilots could hear ha ha. But so well deserved.

I might get this one made in to a canvas - I just love this snap. It is just beautiful.

Then at the bottom of that arching maneuver, they spread out and shoot at high speed all over the sky.

The comes the next death defying stunt. Two of the jets flying head to head at break-neck speed, and rolling at what looks like the last second to avoid a collision. Everyone around me literally held their breath, I am not joking!!!

But as the two jets pass, I then see in my view finder another jet fast approaching from the right. WTF...

Yes folks - not one head to head stunt, but a second two jets come in fast, and...

Yep they seemingly miss by millimetres as well. Look at this. They are so so close, I wonder if they wink at each other, or flick the bird for fun?

Of they go now, almost braiding. Rolling over each other in a barrel roll x2 jets, under and over the three in the middle. Notice as well that they are going upside down as they do this. Loved this one.

Here come now a couple more just stunning shots of the smoke plumes and arching rolls, high up in the clouds...

And with no zoom you can see how far they fly this formation from the top of the arch. Again so so close to each other.

Light shining of the jets as they zoom past the crowing crowd.

Love it, I just love this shot...

Memories of the Red Arrows come flooding back when I see this. Watching those guys as a kid many years again now, but never forgotten. I alway remember this formation that they pulled off. To be honest watching this today, makes you go back to being a kid, you just cannot not be so so impressed and in awe.

OK that was then over. More crushing experiences ensued as we tried to get in to the Exhibition Centre. But once in we found the Changi Airport booth and had some great fun. Amazing bit of tech actually. The kids colour a template as you can see above by Jude, it then gets scanned, and they then apply the design digitally to an animation of the A380 flying over Changi Airport - damned good. There is a photo below as well which I'll explain more later - but look at Jude's colouring in.

Amy's turn next. Really good fun this - well done Changi Airport.

Here we all are on screen too doing the colouring in. Even yours truly with camera taking this picture.

Now this is my snap of us having now scanned Jude's colouring. See the plane on the runway now livered up with Jude's colouring in. Seriously how cool is this!!! It's brilliant.

And here is his plane in his colours flying over and around Changi Airport. Amazing!!! 

Next up is Amy's colourings on her plane. Love the tail markings, and the flowers.

This is a classic. Love the plane shot, but it is also flying over a new development at the airport called JEWEL. See the blue donut looking thing. Funny thing is that I meet the on Monday for work ha ha - I'll be using this picture as an ice-breaker.

Outside now in to the sunny sunny day, phew. We're in shorts and t-shirts. All the pilots are in fatigues or flight suits. Impressive guys. Loved these guys as they were informative and loved posing for photos. Here's my Mary with her fly boy next to his jet. Show off ha ha.

It's so hot now, Mary has disappeared under some shade. But my little Jude is asking; 'Daddy, plane..." So off we go to explore more, and had a lovely walk all the way round all the planes.

He then started to pluck up courage in a big way, and wanted photos with all the pilots. Pilots of all nations too. Here we are in America with the Marines and Navy fliers. One of Baby Jude's new best mates.

He was so funny; "Dad plane, Dad Uncle.."
"OK so does Jude want to go and have a picture with Uncle at the plane?"
"Yep!"
And off he would wander on his own and pose. So so funny and so so cute.

I like this one. It looks like the plane was designed for him, well actually it's a drone, but it's his size ha ha.

Final one of Jude and his new buddies - this time with our Singaporean boys. Great photo. One day Ollie and Jude may be standing there doing the same at the show???

In comes a B52 - this thing is MASSIVE. It had been flying for 8 hours already, and arrived on cue to perform a fly past. 

Single jet flying again now, again this one amazes me. Beautiful snap of this jet, sun shining on it, and the air foils rolling off its wing tips - again back to mesmerising.

A new one for me now, never seen this before. A head to head with a fighter jet and an attack helicopter. I tell you this got some gasps from the crowd. Whoever thought this idea up is a genius. Again look at how close they are. WOW. 

Yep here is again where I have gone a little crazy with the filters. Rationale is that the fighter jet flies super fast at a 45 degree angle, up to heavens and deploys his flairs as he climbs. It was just beautiful. So I have darkened the skies so you can see them. Like fireworks, but with a sinister background as these are usually deployed in a dig-fight when the pilot has a heat-seeker locked on. 

And then down he goes at a steeper angle, again deploying the flairs. Double wow!!!

Last two snaps now. These are actually from Changi Airport again. We're in front of the screen, and the colouring is done. It then applies the colouring to the animation of the aeroplane, and asks you all to face the camera. Check it out, here is Amy's livered A380, how cool is that. Ha Ha. Love it.

And then we have Baby Jude's. Wow Baby Jude that is incredible. I want to fly on that all the time please.

So folks there you have it - a great wonderful and disappointing day all in one.

Singapore Air Show you need to buck your ideas up if I am ever to come back.

Which really is such a shame, as you can see from the shots, I love watching the amazing talent of the pilots. What a show they put on, unlike the rest of the experience.

Pilots - you get a MASSIVE GOLD STAR from my family and friends!!!