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He visited 19 countries including America, kicking off in
Brisbane Australia then Cairns in Northern Queensland,
and finally Sydney before heading to London via Bangkok.
Apart from this being a promotional tour, following the success
of his single "Countrycity Unity" which topped the
Worldwide Mainstream Charts for 10 consecutive weeks, the
talented and adventurous artist found time to enjoy the awesome
sites worldwide.
Kerrigan took in Paris, Venice, Dublin, Glasgow, London
Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, Tuscany, Monte Carlo, Buenos Aires,
Kingston and Acapulco.
Kerrigan also visited Canada and most of the United States
including Nashville, Memphis, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco,
Washington DC, New York, El Paso, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Dallas,
Tucson and Phoenix.
Below is the complete itinerary of Countries and further
down an impressive list of cities with Memorable Moments in
brackets. Pics and Video Clips will be uploaded soon.
Thailand, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland,
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Finland, Sweden,
Argentina, Chile, Jamaica, USA, Canada & Mexico.
Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney (Catching up with friends & Family
between gigs.)
Re-visiting Bangkok reminded Kerrigan of his trip there many years
prior, as the Winner of a Writing Award.
'Harrods' was exceptional. Kerrigan unpretentiously recalls
picking up a leather jacket and literally dropping it when he
noticed the price tag, laughing out loud.
"I highly recommend the Cappuccino's at Harrods," he smiles.
An unexpected moving experience happend downstairs when they
stumbled upon a shrine of Diana & Dodi, complete with engagement
rings and lip-stick stained champaign glasses, retrieved after
their final moments together at the Ritz in Paris just before
the fatal accident.
'Madame Tussauds' was particularly interesting.....
Kerrigan wanted to get himself on video beside a wax statue of
Jennifer Lopez.
However there was another lady taking photpgraphs of the
statue and every time Kerrigan stepped forward to stand beside
J Lo the tourist would click her camera and emit a flash.
After about 3 attempts of trying to be polite Kerrigan slapped
his forehead in laughter when he realised the person taking the
flash photography was ALSO a wax statue.
A clean, laid-back town way prettier than London with a
quaint charm about it.
The train ride through the picturesque country-side was
very relaxing.
It was Kerrigan's birthday. They had lunch at 'The Beatles Cafe'
and wandered through the streets surrounded by Beatles
Memorabilia.
It was still Kerrigan's birthday and a celebration dinner was
held here. This was one aspect he found particularly intriguing
about Europe - the fact you could have breakfast, lunch and dinner
in 3 different countries.
A visit to the David Livingstone Centre was quite enjoyable.
Nestled on the River Clyde in Blantyre it was amazing how somany
people were housed in such a small dwelling.
"And the painstaking time they spent on their attire," Kerrigan
shakes his head. "Unbelievable. We take so much for granted in
this day and age."
There was a little wodden box with a lock and key - one would
have guessed it was to put their jewels or other valuables like
money. But it wasn't so - well it actually was to protect
'valuables' but not what we would consider of much value these
days.
The box with the lock and key was to safeguard their 'Tea' which
apparently was a luxury in that era and hard to come by.
Travelling through the scenic beauty of Ireland was breath-taking.
The lush green country-side was a sight to behold.
With an Irish first name visiting the land of his Great-Grandmother
was of special significance to Kerrigan.
Kerrigan was interested in visiting places where Movies or some
of his favourite songs were named after. This was one of them.
The Irish Pubs and the vibrant night life were definite highlights,
not to mention the many Castles and stone-towers.
A night on the town was unforgettable.
They relished the flavour of a traditional Irish Stew; and a HUGE
pint of pitch black Guinness Irish Stout didn't go astray either.
Wow Wow Wow - unquestionably Kerrigan's FAVOURITE destination.
"Staying at a hotel with waking and nightly views of the dazzling
Eiffel Tower was spectacular," Kerrigan comments. "One night I
honestly thought it had caught on fire when it started to spark."
But apparently that was just some special effects.
Kerrigan and Crew were driven to the Moulin Rouge, along the same
route that Princess Diana took on that fateful night from the Ritz
Hotel, right through the Tunnel.
Kerrigan fell so in love with Paris that they changed the itinerary
to return to the romantic city for 3 extra days - which unfortunately
meant cancelling Greece and Hawaii.
It was in Paris that they hired a car and Kerrigan opted to drive through
most of Europe doing a dexterous job driving on the 'other' side of
the road.
The car Kerrigan chose was a 'Smart' car. When he signed the rental
agreement the girl asked him what he was going to do with their
luggage, to which Kerrigan replied,
"I'll put it in the boot."
To which she replied, in her beautiful strong french accent,
"But there is no boot."
The car was hired on Champs-Elysées and Kerrigan's first driving
experience through Europe was at the roundabout near the
Arc de Triomphe which had a staggering number of unmarked lanes,
possibly the most in the world.
"Hold on," he cautioned grim-faced, feeling like he was at a
Dodge 'Em Car Race Track. "Survival of the fittest here."
"And most embarrassing," Kerrigan smiles, "Was when they brought
the car to me and I attempted to get in from the passanger side,
momentarily forgetting that their drivers side was opposite to
Australia. Too funny."
Another hilarious episode was when Kerrigan unintentionally hogged
the fast lane doing a speed of 160 - the fastest the car would go
and they were intermittently interrupted by the sound of a blaring
horn as a bigger, faster vehicle tried to get past with a deafening
'HONK HONK'.
"Stuff this," Kerrigan said and beeped his horn in retaliation only
to wish he hadn't as the horn merely made an embarrassing and
squeaky little 'beep'. Since then he named the car 'Herbie' after the
'Love Bug' and you're right....the horn was never used again -
except in one other city further on.
And yeah, of course, the Anne Frank Building. Kerrigan smiles at
this for a reason - he met a friend in Amsterdam, Abba fan Duran,
who showed them around the city and was laughingly appalled to
learn Kerrigan considered the Red Light District more of an
attraction than the House of Anne Frank.
Another great thing about Amsterdam was that everyone spoke
English - particularly the younger generation.
Strolling through the narrow streets and alleys of Regensburg
overwhelmed Kerrigan with an appealing old-world sensation.
Dinner in the Old Town was sumptuous.
He remembers calling his Mum for her birthday from the corner
of a cobbled-stone street.
Yes this is where Kerrigan Bungy-jumped.
"I didn't do it in the buff," he puts the record straight,
"Despite what the video may look like."
But because he was in shorts and with the harness on, when
Kerrigan was dangling upside down in mid-air his T-Shirt flew over
his face and his shorts got caught in the harness, so to the
viewer below it did look like he was hanging naked.
When asked what was the scariest moment of his Bungy experience
he answers,
"The actual jump - leaping off the platform. 'Cos you have to
physically take the leap yourself - they are not allowed to push
you."
"But what a magnificient feeling. Standing there above the crowd
with the spectacular views of Vienna below me and the shining
lights, 'cos it was night-time."
"I recall asking myself 'what a ruddy idiot I was to even attempt
this', particularly considering I couldn't speak the official language
of Austria which is German and the Bungy guy couldn't speak
English."
"My nagging suspicion was that he might be telling me NOT to jump
and I might think he meant 'jump', or vice-versa. But once the
adrenalin kicked in and I plunged forward into a free-fall, wow,
what an indescribable feeling."
Kerrigan's next most favourite destination, 2nd only to Paris.
"Venice is extraordinary," he says. "A real eye-opener. When I
called ahead to book the accommodation I inquired whether they
had car parking facilities since some places in Europe charged
differently for car space."
"I was curious when the Receptionist informed me that I could not
bring my vehicle. It was only then I realised everything was done
by boat and that transportation was entirely on water."
Where we have cars parked outside our residences they have Boats.
"Fascinating."
Kerrigan had vowed not to drive in Rome, planning to park on the
outskirts of town. However he found himself off the Ring and
right in the heart of the city, laughingly saying...
"All roads lead to Rome and when in Rome do as the Romans do!"
which meant tooting the horn furiously - Oh No! Not the 'beep'
again.
"Climbing to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was hysterical,"
Kerrigan recalls. "The steps and passageway were at such a slant
that you felt you were intoxicated."
Lunch in Pisa was relaxing and tranqil.
"We were in a Restaurant at the Golden Square and I ordered half
a dozen. I barely got through them, counting down every single
one and just when I thought I'd eaten all, my manager and best
mate Allan pointed out another one."
"Would you believe the very time you didn't want an 'extra' one
they give it to you anyway." They had given me seven, how kind. Not!
"Tasted yum though, like gizzards."
A bit of trivia... Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán, a native of the Spanish
Guadalajara founded the Mexican City of the same name.
Kerrigan wanted to do the 'running with the bulls' but fortunately,
(or otherwise,) they were a week or so too early.
As it turned out soon after, (during the event) an Australian was
gored by a bull and when the news hit the TV screens many
concerned folk back in Australia, who were aware of Kerrigan's
intention, hoped to God it wasn't him.
"The Bull Fight was spectacular," Kerrigan says with mixed emotions.
"But I had no idea the bull was actually killed; I thought once the
Matador claimed victory the bull was chased away - no such luck."
"I guess it was the manner in which it was killed that was rather
disturbing."
They watched the bullfight at the Plaza Monumental de Toros - the
largest Bullfighting Arena in the world.
Kerrigan's fundamental reason to visit this part of the world was
predominantly Abba. He met up with Abba Fans Linda and friends
and they went to a club to watch Benny's daughter perform.
The next day while taking in the city someone thrust a brochure
in his hands. He recognised the name Linda Ulvaeus & Kristina.
"That's Agnetha's daughter," he said excitedly. "That's her name."
The lady who had handed out the brochure pointed to a blonde girl
doing a promotional stint on horseback and said....
"That's her - that's Linda Ulvaeus."
Kerrigan headed straight to Linda and the first thing he said
was "I adored your Mum."
Naturally Linda (who was there to promote herself) didn't quite
seem to appreciate the attention bestowed elsewhere.
Another eventful situation arose when a tourist approached
Kerrigan, map in hand, asking for directions.
"Blind leading the blind here," Kerrigan laughed and proceeded
to assist the man. In a flash two plain-clothes policemen
surrounded them and asked to see their passports and other
travel documents.
The cops questioned the different foreign currency Kerrigan had
on him, immediately seeking an explaination.
"Knowing we had nothing to hide I was unperturbed, almost
amused," Kerrigan recalls. "I explained that we were on a
world tour and the different currency were souvenirs. The cops next
action took me by surprise......he sniffed my hay-fever tablets."
"That did it, I burst out laughing. Bad move."
"The cops stared at me and said, 'Not funny.' However when
they realised our innocence they befriended us and explained
their sudden intrusion."
"Apparently the tourist who had asked for directions was a drug
trafficker, being tailed by the police. When he had approached
us the police had mistakenly presumed we were part of the
operation."
"They apologised profusely and we continued with our sight-seeing.
The supposedly 'lost' tourist was apprehended, wads of money
withdrawn from his pockets."
"I'm still convinced if I was arrested Agnetha from Abba would
have bailed me out? You reckon?????. Lol.
Kerrigan's plane was grounded here for several hours due to a
thick fog. They weren't allowed to leave the plane. But the
passengers mingled and it was a bonding experience.
Food was brought on board and everyone walked about and made
friends. Other flights were gounded as well.
Finally the fog lifted and other aircrafts started to take off
but Kerrigan's flight remained grounded because the crew had
exceeded their flight time limitations.
"We had to wait till another crew was sent over by bus to take
over our flight."
When the plane eventually did take off everyone applauded,
althought Kerrigan would much rather applaud when a plane
touched 'down' as opposed to it taking 'off', given his fear
of flying.
The birthplace of the Tango and known as the 'Paris' of the
'South' this place was heaps of fun.
Kerrigan who is often mistaken for South American fitted in
really well, as he did in most places around the world,
including France, Italy & Spain.
Kerrigan nearly fell into danger en-route to La Boca but
escaped being robbed with crucial timing thanks to being
alert and watchful.
Once they reached the tiny settlement of La Boca, it was
out of this world with its corrugated iron houses painted
in vibrant colours.
A night out on the town of Buenos Aires, dining at an exclusive
restaurant and entertained by the seductive movements of
Tango dancers was fabulous, until Kerrigan and Crew realised
they had missed the last train back to where they were staying.
A taxi was hailed but communication was a total disaster.
The driver in total amusement told Kerrigan,
"I do not speaka the English,"
and an equally amused Kerrigan responded,
"And I do not speaka the Spanish."
Eventually Kerrigan managed to express the 'Subway Roma',
referring to the Roma Train Station which was where their
accommodation was, and finally the driver seemed to comprehend.
Another memorable moment was Kerrigan feeding the pigeons in the
city center - when the birds all landed on him at once he flung
the seed into the air, covering his face and shouting...
"Feed yourselves."
He bought his leather jacket here for a far better deal than at
'Harrods' - and he didn't even drop it when he saw the price.
The hometown of Bob Marley and a place where everyone was so
friendly and welcoming - a great place to visit. And the Jamaican
command of the English language was a refreshing change.
This is arguably Kerrigan's 3rd Favourite destination.
An eventful coach ride from Kingston with rhythmic Jamaican
music booming in their ears, they finally reached Robins Bay -
or so they thought.
Someone approached them claiming to be from the Tourist
Information Center but Kerrigan had his suspicions, which turned
out to be well founded when a lady came to their rescue and gestured
that they do not go with the man.
Kerrigan spoke into his mobile phone (which was not even working,
given it had a dead battery), pretending to make contact with
their Resort, then firmly but politely told their self-proclaimed
Tour Guide that his help was not necessary.
"Are you calling me a robber?" the man accused.
"All I'm saying is we don't need your help at this stage," Kerrigan
stood his ground firmly but politely, their vulnerability not
totally eluding him.
A taxi-ride later, with 5 adults and 4 kids packed into a Fiat
not much larger than 'Herbie' the 'Smart' car, brought them to
picturesque Robins Bay.
The spot was so idyllic and tranquil that Kerrigan nearly went
into a state of hallucination, mistaking wild goats for dogs.
Possibly Kerrigan's 4th favourite destination.
Another bit of trivia.......
Kerrigan was surprised to learn that Nashville received it's biggest
revenue not from Country Music but from the sale of Bibles.
This city was particularly memorable to Kerrigan who reminisced
years earlier when he nearly clinched a recording contract with
Marty Robbins Enterprises.
Being at the Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Hall of Fame
were nostalgic moments for the young performer and probably most
rewarding was the Ryman Auditorium experience.
"The Graceland Tour is the most organised one I've ever been on,"
Kerrigan admits. "But don't be fooled by their 'you can take
photographs but don't use your flash' philosophy as those 'flashless
photos' never develop."
This was one leg of the tour which nearly didn't materialise.
They were to fly from Memphis to Washington via Chicago. However
a tornado warning resulted in the Chicago airport being closed
indifinitely.
After hours of waiting at the Memphis airport and concerned that
the remaining tour schedule would go kaput, Kerrigan approached
the desk and advised the representative that while they had to
get to Washington, they didn't really care via which route they
got there.
"I don't need to go through Chicago; I don't care where I
have to go to get there but I have to get to Washington tonight."
"I can send you via Kentucky," the guy said. "You can travel on
that plane right there on the tarmac."
Kerrigan stared in horror at the small 22-seater plane but there
was no time to relent to phobia's.
"I'll take it," he said. "But there's more than one of us and our
luggage is already on the flight to Chicago."
The helpful employee ran down, retrieved their luggage and booked
them on the flight via Kentucky.
For once Kerrigan saw the others looked more frightened than him
when he informed them of the change of plan and pointed to the
plane on the tarmac.
"That was one flight where I felt every rut in the sky," Kerrigan
now laughs. "We were separated on board and if, God forbid, anything
happened, nobody would have even realised we were on that flight
since it wasn't on the itinerary we left behind with friends and
family back home."
Probably the most exciting experience in New York was watching
The Musical Mama Mia on Broadway & by the same token perhaps the
most poignant was Ground Zero.
What were the chances of getting tickets for Mama Mia on Broadway
at such short notice. The rest of the Kez Crew weren't keen on
Mama Mia and opted for something else but Kerrigan and Allan
favoured the Abba Spectacular.
He was told there were 5 tickets available, 3 scattered and
2 together on the front row of the balcony. "Do you want them?"
Kerrigan was like, "Hello - is the Pope a Catholic?"
It was a dream come true.
Ground Zero was real heart-rending. There wasn't a dry eye at the
site. Kerrigan wrote on the wall, a few heartfelt words, a tribute
from Australia.
Stepping off the boat after visiting The Statue of Liberty on Ellis
Island, Kerrigan was summoned by a snake handler who yelled out
to him,
"Hey Ricky Martin, (a comparism made quite often) come on, have
a go."
And Kerrigan did, with the huge python soon wrapped around his
neck.
"The Niagara Falls were awesome and waiting to watch the
fireworks at night was a bonus, despite cuz Ven's subtle dissuasion."
Coming off the Maid of the Mist drenched to the bone was a hoot.
Kerrigan tried desperately to save the video-camera from getting
wet.
Getting so close to the roaring falls on the boat was a fabulous
feeling but going a step further, Kerrigan and Crew experienced
the Falls from Behind.
This was just as exciting and even more thunderous.
Another place Kerrigan had visited before when he lived and
worked in Chula Vista, San Diego and travelled through to
Nashville.
Kerrigan's main desire to take in El Paso was - you guessed it -
the Song by Marty Robbins.
"It was Hot and Western, just as I had imagined it, although the
River was barely a stream. But on tour in New Zealand, friend
and Promoter Robert Dew had warned me about this so I wasn't
totally disappointed."
Minutes before leaving El Paso theye ran into a couple who offered
to take them to Rose's Cantina (in the song El Paso) but they
didn't have enough time.
A short walk across the bridge and you enter Mexico. The change
in surroundings was evident - almost a sense of insecurity,
nevertheless a tremendous experience.
Later that day, back in El Paso on a taxi-ride back to their hotel,
the taxi driver advised them not to venture into Juarez
unaccompanied and was clearly shocked when he was informed
him that they had done just that.
This was spectacular. Something you have to see to appreciate.
Unfortunately a helicopter ride across the Canyon was not in
operation due to a security factor at the time.
The Sunset over the Canyon was brilliant and the Sunrise at the
crack of dawn in the company of a young fawn looking for a drink
of water was a sight to behold.
Kerrigan is convinced that, "Nobody who sets their eyes on such
majectic beauty could even remotely deny the presence of God."
A win at Caesars Palace was hugely appreciated.
Staying on Sunset Boulevard was a buzz. Sitting on the seats
of the Kodak Theatre and imagining winning an Acadamy Award was
just as invigorating.
The Santa Monica Beach was beautiful. Window Shopping on Rodeo
Drive, thrilling!!! Note 'key' word 'window'.
Cruising the streets of Bel Air and Beverley Hills.....everything
about L.A. was unique.
Disneyland, Wow! Kerrigan probably went on every ride, at least
once, including "It's a Small World & Winnie-The-Pooh", perjaps
only opting out of Alice in Wonderland and The Tea Cup Ride.
He captured everything on video, including the Walt Disney Parade,
to share his experiences with his nieces and nephews back home.
Universal Studio's was a treat.
This was somewhat daunting given the emphasis placed on security.
They were advised to hire taxi's directly through either the airport
or the Hotel personnel - and some even reported that even the cops
were corrupt.
But it was adventurous and Kerrigan is drawn to adventure like a
duck to water.
A night out in Mexico City was pretty ruddy special.
This was the ONLY place where Kerrigan booked accommodation over
the Internet - accommodation which did not exist!!
They walked for miles trying to find the Resort which even Taxi
drivers hadn't heard of. Then ultimately they booked into a place
where the balconies overlooked the Beach.
Even the presence of armed guards along the shore could not
spoil the exhilaration that Acapulco offered.
You guessed it, Kerrigan reason for visiting...the Elvis film
'Fun In Acapulco'.
Visiting Alcatraz was magic, albeit a little eerie.
Walking on the Golden Gate Bridge - another awesome experience.
This was the last leg of the tour & Kerrigan suggested sending even
their hand luggage unaccompanied in order to feel totally free &
unrestrained on what was almost their last flight.
Lo and behold the luggage went astray - JUST Kerrigan's bag which
had apparently gone to Nashville by mistake.
"What on earth is she doing in Nashville," Kerrigan asked, jokingly.
"We've already been there, silly thang."
When the bag arrived the next day Kerrigan smacked it in jest,
accusing it of 'flirting' around, and accidentally broke an Acapulco
souvenir.
Ironically there was also a misunderstanding with the hotel
accommodation.
They had booked into the Best Western but on arrival they were
told that they had no reservation. Any wonder! There were two
'Best Westerns' in San Francisco, minutes apart.
Mind you this caused a further mix-up with the lost baggage being
sent to the wrong Best Western, the address Kerrigan had initially
given the airport authorities.
On the final night before flying home Kerrigan downed an Alcatraz
Slammer on Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf. (Kerrigan doesn't drink,
except socially and that too maybe just one.) He stood up to leave the
table only to sit down hastily (and not by choice) uttering a rather slurred,
"Let's stay a little bit longer."
That pretty much sums up the entire tour - where ever they went -
both, the Kez Crew and their hosts, wished they could stay that little
bit longer.
This page is under construction so keep returning for future
updates and photo's and video's of the tour.
