Birmingham to Broadstairs via the Southern Coast. Beaches Cafe Baby!

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Current Mood: Excited.

Panoramic images above. Me at Durdles Door and Casey at Seaford. look for car with towel hanging from it on left. 30 meters from beach.

Back in Australia Casey and I had been planning our trip for over a year. Juggling ideas of where to go seemed to be at the forefront of any discussions we had. We had 6 weeks in England but where could we go to give Casey a real taste of what England is about. We looked at the north, considered the east but then on one fine cloudy day in Cardiff after supping on a Brains, brown booze Pint we walked past a Greggs bakery and got stuck into a cheese and onion pasty. I said that the south west was where the best pasties come from so the decision was set. We would make a trip to Cornwall.

Unsure of where we would head to (in the holiday location of most British kids when I was growing up) we decided to make a full loop of the south coast heading from Birmingham down towards lands-end stopping in at a few spots along the way. We would then travel across the south coast with our end goal being a little pocket of Kent called Thanet. Broadstairs to be precise. Why would we venture to this little town in England you may ask? To visit the Great Heidi and the mighty Rosco. Can’t wait for the Beaches Breaky.

The next step was to make a plan. We would hire a car and set off on the Sunday after another great few days in Wales and a little side trip to Bath which is an amazing little town. Looking at the cost of our trip with Car hire and accommodation it was looking like after its completion we would probably have to head back to Australia to work again. Hiring a car in England is a pricey thing to do so on discussing it with Dad and Deb they decided to get us insured in the People Carrier and we would convert that bad boy into the ultimate passion wagon. A 20 quid blow up mattress and a thick quilt in the back should do it. Oh how I know my lady hahaha.

All set up with the IPod linked up to the stereo, Radio 1 tuned in and the Sat Nav set, Sunday arvo at around 2pm we set off in the direction of Westward Ho. This was a must for me to show Casey as it’s a little town where my Nan and all of my aunts and uncles would have spent heaps of holidays lazing in the sun amongst the rocks. On arriving after a three hour drive or so we pulled into a car park, jumped out to the finest smell of ocean, Vanilla ice cream and super tasty Fish and chips. We had a little Dabble on the 2p machines (pokies for those in OZ) Walked the sea wall but the time was ticking on and we needed to find somewhere to stay. Dad had lent us this really cool old style Atlas that had all sorts of info in it. Amongst its pages we found a really cheesy ‘Bude Holiday Park’, fully equipped with Shower blocks, Caravans, camping pitches, the Bar with a full English arcade attached, tuck shop, Disco Ball and a 21 year old, Gay event manager from Leeds with a crew of 5 performers. The Rocky Horror show was listed amongst its evening events. Though I forget his name, the event Manager and I got straight into talking about Birmingham’s Gay Pride. He Wasn’t happy that we had made it and he couldn’t due to the business of the park. (3 people onsite that night not including Casey and me) Fingers Crossed for London and Leeds Mate. After a few Budweiser’s and a cheeky charge of our phone on one of the terminals we got to our wagon for the night and slept like babies.

Monday

Waking around 8am we got into the showers and got ready for our first adventure of the road trip. We would be heading to a World Heritage site called Clovell.y As a Kid I remember going here and Mom making us catch the jeep back up to the top. Casey and I however have to get fit for this stupid Himalaya adventure we have planned later in our trip so we chose to take the walk.

Clovelly its self is a beautiful little place. Cobbled streets set into a steep cliff face that winds through the village. Every few meters along the way you can stop for a cuppa or a scone. I think we stopped for both not before buying heaps of Devonshire cream fudge. Mom wouldn’t let me have it as a kid but this big boy now has his own money and rules…. NOM NOM NOM xx (Casey did say to me though that she thinks I have enough?!?!!!!??!?!) yeah Right. Luckily for us we rocked up in the rain at opening time so there didn’t seem to be anybody around until we turned up at the top of the hill on the way out of the shops. It only rained for a few minutes so we had the entire place to ourselves. Here is a link for further reading on Clovelly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovelly).

Finishing up here we jumped back into the car and got under way to our early afternoon adventure that would take us from Wadebridge to Padstow by Bicycle. This was a cracker of a ride. A very flat bitumen track that takes you along the river. At the beginning of the track in Wadebridge there are a handful of shops that will rent out bikes for around seven pounds per person. Simply rock up, park the car, fill out a form and off you go. Most of the bikes are little cruisers with Baskets on and a small saddle bag for your belongings. Really worth a few hours. The ride is not a challenge and as it was quite fresh that day we didn’t seem to get too hot along the way. Arriving in Padstow we got to see Steins Fish and chip stall. A massive gaff with all the fish you can get your hands on. Plodding just past here and on into the town we came up to the marina where all around us were shops selling ice creams and Pasties. I’m Telling you now this is going to be a filling trip to the UK. All Pastied up we sat swinging our legs from the Marina wall watching in amazement at the sheer size of the Seagulls attacking people for their bags of chips and goodies. Dinosaurs I tell you! After a little walk around the town we hopped back on the pushies and began our one hour ride back to Wadebridge. On route however we were tempted in buy from a dude selling hot drinks near a great little view point on the river. The round trip took no more than three and a half hours so we knew we had plenty of time for a few more activities later in the day.

Getting Back into the car, as funny as this sounds was always heaps of fun. As I don’t have a manual licence Casey was to do all the driving so I was the Navigator. This even with a SAT NAV is tricky in the UK. Setting the bearings for St Ives we jumped back onto the motorway and drove around in circles before getting to where we needed to be. One of our biggest expenses was parking up for a few hours. We were torn with waiting for the ‘after hours parking price’ to kick in to save the cash or getting into towns early to catch the shops. On this day neither mattered. The Car park was a rip off at all hour,s and the shops close early.

To fill out time from around 5.30pm we popped into a little Bar in St Ives Called the Hub. They were selling these boards of beer where you get to taste a range of drinks on what looked like a long cheese board. It was a Great experience I fully recommend it. After Beers we went for a mosey around the beaches, myself braving my feet to the water whilst Casey kept well clear. From here we had to find some accommodation, so out came the old Atlas, combined with a sat nav check to find a cool Caravan park (Higher Pentreath campsite just outside of Marazion) looking down over a bay that housed one of the coolest pubs ive ever been in. It’s called the SANDBAR and is located just down at the end of Pentreath Lane. Get the Burger with the lot. Oh my. Truly Stuffed we sat looking at wifi for a little while then decided we would get back up the hill before it got dark. The time was 9.30pm. It is truly amazing how much you can do in a day when you have daylight hours like this. You should see what we achieve tomorrow. Goodnight x

Tuesday

Good Morning. I don’t think I have ever done so much in a single day but I plan on beating it over the next few hours. Or match it at least.

After Waking at Higher Pentreath Campsite we found the view to be so nice we decided to have a little lie in. Out of the wagon by around 8am we got a super hot shower in the blocks said our goodbyes and drove a few miles back into a little town called Marazion. This place has heaps of history but me trying to recite it simply will not do. Here is a link for further reading (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marazion).

Arriving in this town you can instantly smell the sea air. This air also has an uncanny ability to make you hungry. Pulling into another costly car park we were informed that if we use the local hotel for food we could park for free. Without thinking we said Yes please. Walking across towards the hotel we began to realise that we had really done ourselves an injustice as this place looked way more expensive than a maccas sausage and egg. Either way we had made a promise to the very friendly carpark attendant so we went in and grabbed the menu. “take a seat” the waitress muttered “I will bring it over to you”. Sitting infront of this beautiful view we then realised we had lucked out. The breaky here cost nothing more than the normal English café. Better than a view of the number 11 bus stop that’s for sure.

Looking across the water, Marazion holds an island that during high tide is separated from the main land. Ontop of this island is where Michaels Mount castle is placed. This sight is really impressive and topped with poached eggs and muesli for my tummy I could have sat there all day. Casey however had other plans for me. All full and warm we said a big thank you for the food raced across the car park and got out of there before they changed their minds on the price. We could not believe it. Atlas out, Sat Nav set… Lizard point her we come.

Arriving In Lizard point there is this fellow that has to be the most enthusiastic man I’ve ever met, Especially for a guy that sits handing out parking tickets. His work life consists of walking up and down the track when its quiet throwing his ball to his pet dog, handing out tickets in the busy times and eating ice cream while he waits for people to arrive. Top Job.

This National Trust walk which is one of many around the uk was a real experience. It honestly didn’t feel like I was in the UK. The Familiarity of the cities is all I really know at home so spending time in these parts of the country was something else for sure. Lizard Point is the southern most tip of England and over a 2 mile walk winding along the sheer cliff faces you quickly notice an abundance of wild flowers and animals that are unique to this part of the world. Undulating tracks and many gorse bushes later you find yourself at Kynance Cove which in summer is something like a tropical beach. This is where you can reward yourself with cream tea or hot apple pies so Casey and I went for the latter. Sat looking out over the cove with a hot cuppa laughing at some of the families struggling in with 7 kids was a great way to spend an hour. It takes around 2 hours one way so plan ahead. We smashed it in an hour and a half. Picture taking will slow you down. Link for this walk or the one in reverse can be found on the National trust website uk.org.

By 2pm we were back at the Car and ready to fill in the afternoon. Suitably fed we got into the usual routine of plotting our route and off we took in search of another little bike trail known as the Granite Way. Located in Okehampton this track moves through various slices of scenery all of which were dam near impossible to find with the Sat nav. The post code was pulling you up on the side of the motorway, the address itself wasn’t giving much away either but after a few detours of around 40 miles we eventually asked for directions and found that from out that out piece of kit in the car wasn’t as up to date as my Dad had believed. By 4.30pm however, we were parked up and paid up for a ride that would turn out to be very wet. Even though the heavens opened we had a great time and it took us around 3 hours to finish up. The granite way runs along side old rail way stations, a real cool dam, great countryside and nice little underpasses. As stated on Devon Cycle hires site:

‘The Granite Way Cycle Trail

"A fantastic family cycle route. The Granite Way is a beautiful purpose built cycle track running between Okehampton and Lydford. Itʼs part of the National Cycle Network route 27 Devon Coast to Coast and runs through Dartmoor National Park. There are spectacular views from Meldon Viaduct and Lake Viaduct, idyllic pubs offering an array of food and of course you can always treat yourself to a Devon cream tea on route.

The missing link section of the trail at Bridestowe Station is now open! So now there is 18miles of traffic free cycling available. Great news for getting to Lydford without the hills!

Unfortunately the heritage trains aren't currently running and sadly Meldon Buffet Carriage is also closed until further notice. This has come as a surprise to us and it is unknown at the moment whether services will be reinstalled. For more information visit www.dartmoor-railway-sa.org

Whether you are after a leisurely cycle to take in the views of both viaducts, or want to explore further, Devon Cycle Hire is the perfect place to start. It is a common misconception that starting at one end of the trail is better than starting in the middle! It makes absolutely no difference as you have to cycle back no matter where you start. We actually think that starting in the middle gives you greater flexibility and is ideal if you have children as it gives you the option of seeing both viaducts without too long a cycle. Take a look at our interactive map for further information on The Granite Way.

Along the trail there is a host of flora and fauna including bluebell wood, ponds - and birds of prey can often be seen hovering overhead.
The Granite Way changes quite dramatically with each season. In Spring the bluebells near Meldon are a sight to see - and smell! Beautiful dragonflies use the ponds during the Summer. The colour of the bracken on Dartmoor during Autumn is beautiful and once all the leaves have dropped in Winter the views become even more evident.

If heading down to Lydford why not visit Lydford Gorge,a National Trust property which offers cyclists a discounted entry fee.

Download the new Dartmoor iphone app and have all of the information you need about Dartmoor at a touch of a button. To download the app click http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dartmoor-national-park-official/id442671509?mt=8

“Best Activity on Dartmoor” - The Guardian’'

So as you can see this is a must do if you are in the area but maybe wait until you have great weather.

From here we needed to find somewhere to sleep but not to far away we would find a great spot for 12 quid a night to pitch up called Bunda Caravan park. Located conveniently next to a great pub that serves up a phenomenal Gammon and eggs. Goodnight again x

Wednesday

So right now we are half way across the southern coast of England and you can clearly see the prices rising and the traffic increasing. Anywhere near London or any road for that matter that puts you on route to London turns to gridlock so doing our best we were trying to avoid this at all costs. Before crossing that Threshold from south west to south east however we had a few more trips up our sleeve.

First stop on the itinerary was to a little sea side town known as Lyme Reges. Sitting at home, back in Cairns I was watching some cooking show by where two chefs, Father and son make a trip along the south picking up local produce and filling their cheeks along the way. They were doing it by boat which was amusing but on one of the stops they pulled into Lyme Reges to buy Cheese off a Monger there. This little town was absolutely fantastic. Driving in we decide to stop up the top of the hillside and make our way down by foot. It was so nice to walk that the 10 minute patter took nearly an hour. We wondered around little lanes took in the sights and sounds of old mills and then finally came across the central town (could call it a square where the bakery, Cheese monger, Milk maker and iron sculptor all shared a really creative 50 square metres). Before filling our bellies though we decided to wobble down to the beach. I say Wobble as our legs were shagged from the three days of Bike riding and hikes. Arriving at the stone beach, once again this little town was surprising us by the minute. I’m surprised that on the show they never covered this area. Really stunning colours everywhere, cream tea stands by the dozen, ice cream vans (old school) and a really cool looking well worn harbour.

Breaky was calling so we sat at this really quaint little café which comprised of a hatch in the wall sporting a few tables and chairs that looked out to the ocean and also sat right next to 200m of beach shacks which really added to the atmosphere. After Cherry scones and tea we went for a peruse of the shops, Casey treated herself to some shoes then we popped up the road to draw more cash out for the arvo. It wasn’t two minutes before we broke a 20 with the sight of another bakery where we shared a Pasty and shot back to the cheese monger for tasters and a double cone of chocolate ice cream. Yep that is exactly where the gut is coming from hahaha. We needed to get out of here though before an explosion happened so up the hill we marched to plot our early afternoon adventure.

“Lyme Regis /ˌlaɪmˈriːdʒɪs/ is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles (40 km) west of Dorchester and 25 miles (40 km) east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset–Devon border. It is nicknamed "The Pearl of Dorset." The town is noted for the fossils found in the cliffs and beaches, which are part of the Heritage Coast—known commercially as the Jurassic Coast—a World Heritage Site.

The harbour wall, known as "The Cobb", features in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion, and in The French Lieutenant's Woman, a novel by British writer John Fowles, as well as the 1981 film of the same name, which was partly filmed in Lyme Regis.”

Copied from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_Regis) for further reading.



Never really Driving much more than an hour or two our next stop was for another Hike to see a spot known as Durdles Door. A rock formation out in the water that I guess is the English version of the twelve apostils in Victory Australia or Aphrodite’s rock in Cyprus.



The walk we embarked on began in a village called Lulworth. At the foot of the hill in Lulworth there is a real cool country laneway that leads you down to an absolutely beautiful cove. The water is as blue as anywhere tropical I have been and if you look back toward the land the different shades of green from the hills look incredible. The walk takes about an hour and differs greatly from that of lizard point. The cliffs are white instead of jagged black and things just look more picturesque. Climbing the first hill was a real feat. Heads down and bums up we marched up feeling like we were doing well right up until the point that two soldiers, fully burdened came running by. Go on lads. Summiting the hill immediately you get to see the sweeping slopes of the country. As sunny as it looked that day though the wind was piercing through our jackets. The English ocean wind has more bite than that of a dry season in cairns that’s for sure. Heading down the track for around half an hour you eventually get to see pindan looking soil similar to that in the Kimberly, Australia and finally you are met by Durdles Door. Hard to explain so just look at the pics, but this structure is really impressive. An hour all told we had made it but after a few snaps we had to head back to move on for our evening task of grabbing a meal and getting a pitch. Today was to be a little calmer. Again here is a link for further reading on the Durdles! (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durdle_Door)

Getting into the car at around 3pm we decided to go to a little town called Christchurch that friends back at home had suggested. Unfortunately the traffic to get there was crazy so after nearly a three hour drive we did make it but was too spent to have a look around. We did manage to get our selves into a little balti house and grab a mean Curry. Now super smelly we jumped in the car and got on our way looking for a pitch. Crossing from the south west to the south east had other surprises for us ontop of the traffic and cost. We found that through all of the new forest it is illegal to sleep in the back of a car unless it is properly converted. Delirious’ poor Casey drove around until after Dark looking for a spot but thankfully to Sunny Dale Farm we found a resting spot, hunkered down and slept until 9am the next morning.

Thursday

Today we only had two items on the list. First we would head to Brighton for bit of breaky and planned to find a pitch early in the day so we could just chill and relax in what seemed to be great weather coming in. For the whole trip we dodged the rain (on most occasions that is) so to take the time to just sit and enjoy it was really needed.

We arrived in Brighton with two hopes. First to play on the pier at the arcades and then to eat a mammas café that featured on a Gordon Ramsey show. Arcade was a cinch but it turned out that mammas was gone. She had made the ‘BIG MONIES’ and moved to London. We settled for a fried breakfast up in the laneways that are really cool grabbed a cuppa from a vendor on the pier and got onto the pokies for a bit of a dabble. Penniless within an hour we shot back into town explored the laneways for a while then decided to move on before the real traffic began.

Doing a search on the Nav, we found that in the right direction there was a little town called Seaford that had pitches for our needs (Buckle holiday park). An hour or so later we arrived and found this place to be quite interesting. The pitch was 6m below sea level and was tucked in behind a really long sea wall. Popping over the top of it you were greeted by a really quiet stretch of stone beach that went on for miles. We opted to do a bit of laundry grab a chinese, watch an episode of suits and chill to the sunset in the back of the car with all doors open. It was one of the best places I had stayed on the entire trip. I hope the pictures do it justice.

Friday

Waking in the stunning little town named Seaford we rose slowly, grabbed a tasty little sponge cake for breakfast with a pot of tea and got on route to our final destination, Broadstairs to see Heidi and Ross. After a 3 hour drive we finally made it and was quickly grabbed and snogged by Heidi in the street. Casey got the same treatment before being dragged into her very tasteful home for a well earned cuppa. (Casey earned it. By now she was navigating too haha) After a cup of tea we shot down into Broadstairs to see what all this Café talk was about. I had always seen pics but being there outside of this little gem with Heidi herself made you really proud to know them. She has done an amazing job and if ever you are within 300 miles of it you should call in for a full English. It’s not called that but she will fill you in. opting to wait for the following morning for breakfast, we decided, as it was Heidi’s day off to go for a few afternoon pints and pizza at another great little spot on the shore front. After filling up (which is all we seemed to be doing here) Heidi took us on a tour, then for more beers where we met a companion for the evening Rebecca who was a hoot. Made me feel great actually as Casey and her were not drinking so I didn’t have to behave too much. After a good laugh we shot home, got changed and went back into town to meet the rest of the rabble. Some lass pulled her dress up at me, we spilled drinks and saw Ruth from Koh tao, pished as ever. Too funny a night. Can’t wait to visit again I really enjoyed meeting all of you. (Ross… we forgive you for not coming out.)

The following morning after sharing Heidi’s spare room with Casey sprawled out all over the bed and Heidi’s Cat doing the same we got up to get on top of this Beaches Café Feast. We sat relaxed whilst Heidi was on full alert (managers haha) and finally Ross came to see us. Food was amazing, setting is supreme. I better get my hoody soon you.

It was such a great way to end the trip I was fully sad to leave. Thank you for having us Heidi. Casey is wearing the Beaches merchandise daily. Miss you guys heaps. After a sad goodbye we raced back to Brum, through every traffic jam possible to a comfy bed at my dads. Tomorrow is Sunday and I have a Roast to eat. Goodnight.

I hope you enjoyed the read. Sorry for its length. I’m off out for some masala tea in Kathmandu. This catching up eats into an hour or two of my day hehe x

Love to you all.



Niki

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