Commonwealth of Nations

Today is the 5th of November which is Guy Fawkes night.  So Happy Bonfire night to all of my Commonwealth peeps.  

Here's a bit about the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations is a political association of 56 countries, most of which, 52 of them, were once part of the British Empire either as colonies or dependencies.

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II's passing, Charles III immediately succeeded his mother as monarch of the Commonwealth realm even though he has not yet be crowned king.

Once Charles III will be king, he will be both monarch and head of state, of the 15 countries of the Commonwealth realm.

These 15 countries are the United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

There are five countries that have other monarchs but are still a part of the Commonwealth.  These five are Brunei, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Tonga.

The remaining 36 members of the Commonwealth are all republics.  They include Bangladesh, Barbados,  Botswana, Cameroon, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia.

The Commonwealth consists of 31,5 million km² (12.2 million square miles) which is about 21% of the world's total land area.  The Commonwealth countries are home to 2,4 billion people which is about ⅓ of the world's population with 94% living in Asia and Africa.

There's no requirement that a member has to have been a British colony.  Mozambique, Rwanda, and Gabon never were.  The Commonwealth Charter states that members have shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The human rights thing is a bit funny to me.  The UK left a legacy of anti-homosexuality laws, particularly during the 19th century, at the height of the British Empire.  Being gay is still a criminal offence in more than 30 Commonwealth countries.  There's a direct link between anti-gay law and increased rates of HIV.  While the Commonwealth accounts for about a ⅓ of the world's population it has more than 60% of the world's HIV cases.    

Membership in the Commonwealth isn't forever.  Ireland was the first country to leave.  It left when the country became a republic.  Prior to India becoming a republic the rules were changed so that India could remain a member.  Zimbabwe left in 2003 but it is now trying to rejoin.  Other potential members currently include Somaliland, South Sudan, Suriname, and Burundi.

The three Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man aren't happy with only being represented by the UK.  All three want to have direct representation with the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years.  They began in 1930 as the Empire Games.  They contain the usual Summer Olympic events plus "British" sports like bowls, netball and rugby sevens.  The next games take place in 2026 in Victoria, Australia.

Update August 2023:  Looks like it's getting too expensive for cities to host the Commonwealth Games.  Two cities have withdrawn their bids for upcoming games.  Here's a BBC report about it.

©BBC News

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organisation.  It even has observer status as the United Nations.  It began in 1973 as a forum between the west and the east during the Cold War.  The OSCE focuses on arms control, promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and free and fair elections.  

Its headquarters are in Vienna and today the OSCE consists of 57 participating countries plus 11 observer/partner countries.  The six official languages are English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian. 

It's basically every country in Europe plus the USA and Canada.  The 11 partner countries are Afghanistan, Australia, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia. 

Each year a different country assumes the chairmanship for a calendar year and that country's minister of foreign affairs is the Chairperson-in-Office.  Czechoslovakia held the chairmanship in 1992.  An independent Czechland hasn't held the chairmanship yet but Slovakia held it in 2019.  

The chairmanship is with Poland this year.  North Macedonia has it next year followed by Estonia in 2024 and Finland in 2025.

Here's a short video I found out on YouTube about the OSCE.

©The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe

2022 Passport Power

The Henley Passport Index is out and once again, Japan has the world's most powerful passport.  Since 2018, it has held the #1 spot.  Having a Japanese passport allows one to travel to 193 countries either visa-free or visa on arrival.  Only 34 destinations require a visa or an e-visa.  Last year, a Japanese passport "only" got you to 191 countries and 35 countries required a visa.  

There's no such thing as an EU passport.  There are just passports issued by EU member countries and they tend to dominate the rankings.  22 EU countries rank amongst the 11 most powerful passports.  

1. Japan (193)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192)
3. Germany, Spain (190)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, UK (187)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, USA (186)
8. Australia, Canada, Czechia, Greece, Malta (185)
9. Hungary (183)
10. Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia (182)
11. Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia (181)

The three weakest EU member passports belong to the three most recent joiners.  Romania ranks at #16 with 174 countries while Bulgaria and Croatia both come in at #17 with 173 countries.

My American passport is still ranked in 7th place with only 41 countries requiring a visa to visit.  In 2006 and 2014, the U.S. passport was ranked #1.

A U.S. passport gets you in to Australia, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Mongolia, and Pakistan.  Czechs need a visa to visit these countries.  Americans are still eligible for a 3-year visa for Russia which isn't available to Czechs.

A Czech passport will still ranked in 8th place with only 42 countries requiring a visa to visit.  In 2006, a Czech passport was ranked #21.  In 2014, it cracked the top 10 and has stayed there since.  Czechs are able to visit Belarus, Iran, Turkey, Myanmar, and Venezuela while Americans need a visa to visit them.

I need to get on the ball and submit my paperwork for Czech citizenship so that I can get my Czech passport.

Update:  Here's a 10½ minute video from Faultline that I found out on YouTube that talks about passports, visas, and travel.

©Faultline

Update: 2023 passport power rankings.

No More Registered Traveller

Two years ago I became a registered traveller for the UK and it has been awesome.  Year one cost me £70 ($92) but last year's renewal was on £50 ($62).  It's so worth it to be able to no longer fill out landing cards and to be able to us the ePassport gates.  No more filling up my passport with UK entry stamps.  Yeah!

As of yesterday I won't need to renew my registered traveller status anymore.  Now all Americans get to use the ePassport gates.  The gates have also been opened to travellers from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea.  So much for being in an exclusive club but at least I'll now save £50 a year.

As I understand it, if and when Brexit happens, EU citizens will still be able to use the gates.

Here's short video I found out on YouTube about how to use the gates.

©UK Home Office

Australia-New Zealand-Hong Kong Trip Summary

We finally made it to Australia.  About 20 hours of travel but finally arrived in Sydney.

There is so much to see and do in Australia.  Another trip or two or three is definitely in order.  If only it wasn't so dang far away.  Starting in Sydney was brilliant.  Sydney is a modern, very gay friendly, European-ish city with a hip Asian vibe.  Loved it!

I really enjoyed the Blue Mountains and, of course, no visit Down Under is complete without seeing a Koala.  Marcus is now working in Sydney so it was good to catch up with him over dinner.



Most people take photos the Sydney Opera House but few actually go inside.  We were lucky to have tickets to the premier performance of Spartacus.

The performance was absolutely brilliant.

Here's the commercial from the Australian Ballet that I found out on YouTube.

©The Australian Ballet

From Sydney, it's possible to do a day trip to Canberra to see the capital.  In a perfect world, I would have preferred one full day there but when cramped for time then the four or five hours there on tour is enough.

Then it was on to Queensland to visit Cairns.  Nice little town but I could have done without the bats.  The best parts though of visiting Cairns were going to the rainforest in Kuranda and seeing the Great Barrier Reef.

The final stop in Australia was Melbourne in Victoria.  Melbourne definitely has a European feel to it.  One of the coolest things was the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel and seeing kangaroos going full blast in the wild.

The Great Ocean Road is a must do activity in Melbourne.  The Miss Fischer's Tour was interesting but probably only for fans of the show.

Cristine moved to Adelaide almost two years ago.  Since I flew to Australia she flew to Melbourne for a weekend and it was fun to catch up.

Australia was awesome!  I can't wait for next time, well except for the long flight there.

Then it was off to Kiwiland.  Back in Wellington for a couple of days with Natalie and her family.  Fortunately there was no earthquake this time.

Then it was off to Hong Kong via Sydney.  Natalie was on her way back to Vanuatu and we happened to be on the same flight.  Yeah!

It was fun being back in Hong Kong even just for a couple of days. One of the biggest highlights was lunch at Tim Ho Wan.  I still have yet to see the Bruce Lee statue but I did have an interesting Thanksgiving dinner.

Another great adventure but I wasn't ready to give up the 24℃ (75℉) in Hong Kong for the 4℃ (39℉) in Brno.  Now to start getting ready for the 10th anniversary Czechsgiving fiesta.  How has it already been 10 years?

Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery Tour, Australia

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is an Australian television series that debuted in 2012.  It's about a glamorous female private detective who solves crimes in Melbourne in the 1920s and based on the novels of Kerry Greenwood.

Three seasons were produced and all 34 episodes are available on Netflix.  The show is popular and the show has been aired in more than 100 countries.

©Australian Broadcast Corporation

On Saturday, we took a walking tour of Melbourne that highlighted areas of the central business district where the series was filmed.

A lot of filming took place at Rippon Lea House and Gardens about 7 km (4,25 miles) which we didn't visit.  Following an afternoon tea, we covered about a six-block area of Melbourne.  Apparently the show was filmed on a shoestring budget.  Filming usually took place early on Sunday mornings when fewer people were out and about.  The National Trust allowed filming at the town hall, parliament buildings and the treasury, among other places.  As we walked around, we were shown video clips from the show.  

At the end of the tour we were treated to a Phryne Fisher inspired cocktail at the Gin Palace.  I'm not a gin drinker as I don't care for the taste of juniper.  The drink was made with a local gin, vermouth, apple liqueur and pear cider.  It was pretty tasty.

The tour was pretty interesting and not just for the references to the show.  We got the inside scoop on several of Melbourne's heritage buildings which blend with contemporary architecture.  

The thing that really stands out to me is that the city is home to many funky buildings.  There's nothing "cookie cutter" about the local architecture.  

Great Ocean Road Tour, Australia

On Saturday, we did a tour of the Great Ocean Road.  It's a must do trip when in Melbourne and it's Australia's version of Route 66.  The route is 540 km (336 miles) which is about eight hours worth of driving.

We booked Melbourne Small Group Tours and I'm so glad that we did.  I'm not a big fan of big motor coach tours so a small van with only seven passengers was perfect.  Our guide Travis was fantastic!  Highly recommended.

The two-lane road is 243 km (151 miles) runs between Torquay and Allansford.  It was built from 1919 to 1932 by servicemen and it is dedicated to the soldiers who died in WWI.  The Great Ocean Road is the world's largest war memorial.

Our first stop was about 1,5 hours southwest of Melbourne at a popular surf beach where we had tea and cake.  Then it was on to take some photos at the Memorial Arch.




A stop at Teddy's Lookout gave awesome views of the coastline and the Southern Ocean.

At another stop we spotted some koalas in the trees.  The were doing what koalas do best...sleep.

At Apollo Bay we had an hour to walk around and grab a quick lunch.  Then it was back in the van as we continued our trip.  

Our next stop was at the Great Otway National Park where we had a 45-minute rainforest walk. 

 At Port Campbell National Park we got to see the Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks.  Although it is called the Twelve Apostles,  there were only ever eight.  Now seven as one collapsed back in 2005.

Another rock stack is the Razorback.  It used to extend further out in to the ocean but erosion has taken its toll.

About 3,5 km (2 miles) northwest of the Twelve Apostles is the Loch Ard Gorge.

On our way back to Melbourne we stopped in a small town called Colac where we had dinner at an Aussie pub.  It was well after 10 pm by the time we made it back to Melbourne but what an awesome day.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is the located in the southeastern part of Australia.  It is 465 km (289 miles) from Canberra and 713 km (443 miles) from Sydney.

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria and the great metro area is home to 5 million people making it the second largest city in both Australia and Oceania.

Melbourne was founded in 1835 and in 1847 Queen Victoria declared it a city.  It became one of the world's wealthiest cities due to the 1850s gold rush in Victoria.  In 1901 it became the interim capital of Australia until Canberra became the permanent capital in 1927.

Melbourne Town Hall was completed in 1887.

St. Paul's Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral.  It was completed in 1891.

The Old Melbourne Gaol opened in 1845 and closed in 1924.  The former prison is now a museum.

The Eight Hour Day Monument was erected in 1903.  It champions workers' rights by supporting 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, and 8 hours of recreation and education.

The Victoria State Library opened in 1854.  It is the country's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in the world.



The Scots' Church was founded in 1838.  It was the first Presbyterian church built in Victoria.


The Melbourne City Synagogue was consecrated in 1877 making it the oldest in the city.

The Royal Society of Victoria was formed in 1854.

The Queen Victoria Market is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere.  

The City Baths were built in 1903.  The purpose was to get people to stop bathing in the Yarra River.

St. James Old Cathedral is an Anglican church and it is the city's oldest church.  It was dedicated in 1847 and it is one of only three buildings in the city that predates the 1851 gold rush.

The Royal Exhibition Building was completed in 1880.  In 2004 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Regent Theatre opened in 1929.  It closed in 1970 but finally reopened in 1996.

Melbourne Museum opened in 2000 and it is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere.  It is home to the world's largest IMAX theatre screen.

Chinatown is in the CBD.  It came about during the gold rush and it is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western World.

The Museum of Chinese Australian History was established in 1985.  It was refurbished in 2010 and since then it also acts as the local visitor centre.

Parliament House opened in 1856 but wasn't completed until 1929.  It serves as parliament for Victoria but it was the country's parliament from 1901 to 1927.




Princess Bridge opened in 1888 and crosses the Yarra River.

The Block Arcade opened in 1892.  It is one of the most popular shopping arcades in the city.

Great Petition was unveiled in 2008 to commemorate 100 years of women's suffrage in Victoria.



The Lutheran Trinity Church was built in 1874.  Surprisingly most of the church services here are in German.



Marvel Stadium opened in 2000.  It is home to The Australian Football League.






St. Patrick's Cathedral is the Catholic cathedral and it was consecrated in 1897. In 1986 it was made a Minor Basilica.  It is the largest church building in Australia.



Melbourne is a great city.  It has a very European feel to it which I guess makes sense as it has a large Italian community as well as the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Greece.

Melbourne has the world's largest urban tram network and it is often ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world.  For me it's the architecture that stands out.  Every modern building is unique and intersects with more historic buildings.

And no visit to Melbourne is complete without doing the Great Ocean Road.