Round the bottom bend! Melbourne to Sydney

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On our travels we have met so many fantastic people - some travellers like ourselves away from home for some time others taking just a few days break. We met Adis and Suze in Tasmania, not in one hostel, but 3 in total! They were from Melbourne enjoying some walking over a long weekend. After parting, we went on to spend some time in their home city and they tracked us down to our hostel and invited us to join them for breakfast - we met at 7.15 in the morning along with the breakfast society of Melbourne and enjoyed freshly baked bread and pastries, eggs done whatever way you fancied and frothy coffee which could have been flat white, cuppaccino or latte (they all taste the same to me) at a packed out cafe. Thank you Adis and Suze!


So as our new found friends headed off to work we set the car (yet another one) in the direction of Phillip Island. About half the size of the Isle of Wight with a Cowes as their main town and a Ventor sitting right beside that's where the similarity ended. The beaches were amazing and as we strolled along one shown in the photo for about 1.5 hrs we saw half a dozen surfers and two fishermen, otherwise completely deserted. The aim of the walk was to check out the 'Colonnades' rocks that had worn to look like columns in an arcade. Very interesting.


The following day was to be an introduction to some of the island's wildlife. As we wandered along forest tracks, wallabies dashed from side to side all around us - it's lovely to see these creatures in their natural habitat. They are quite small compared to kangeroos with their young being tiny. They would stand and watch you and just as you got close enough to get a decent photo off they would go - blast - failed again!


Phillip Island is famous for it's Fairy Penguins with a huge colony safely guarded in it's own reserve which is open for viewing at dusk each evening. We're not keen on these 'shows', but felt it would be the only opportunity we would have to see these little things. They are incredible creatures standing only a foot in height (the smallest penguin in the world) they gather together out at sea in large groups (this group is called a 'raft'), once night falls small groups break off to begin their journey ashore. Regroup at the watersedge and once they were sure it was safe the first penguin would begin the dangerous trek across the open expanse of sand to the safety of the undergrowth. It was fascinating to watch, you could almost sense the air of anticipation as they waddled across the sand, their little white tummies bright white against the darkness of the sea and the sand. Once ashore, they headed for their burrows (where their young would be waiting for them during the breeding season). This time of the year they are finding mates - the noise was amazing as they called to each other. There are between 800 and over 1000 that make this journey each evening at this particular reserve. Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos - quite right really!


We came across a group of Pelicans being fed on our way off Phillip Island - these birds are huge and from here on we seem to come across them all over the place.


Next stop - Wilson's Promentary National Park. Wow! Time to dust off the walking boots, get the sandwiches stowed in the backpacks and find those tracks! Chilly, but sunny we began at Tidal River visiting Squeaky Beach (the sand actually squeaks when you walk on it!), Picnic Bay and Whisky Bay, then the Lilly Pilly Gully through more temperate rainforest. Lots of 'erratics' - rocks left behind in the ice age by glaciers as the moved through the area picking up and dropping off debris on their way. We spent two days here, but really could have done with longer (I think I may have said that before!)


The drive from Lakes Entrance (further along the coast) to Canberra, via Coomba, was amazing. The autumn colours of the landscape as the sun shone were a feast for the eyes - it was breathtaking. We had planned to go via the Snowy Mountains, but snow was expected and some of the roads are unsealed, so we were advised against it (and I think maybe our car hire company wouldn't have been too happy either), but the alternative route was excellent.


From the natural elements of the countryside to the sterility of Canberra. A city designed by Walter Burley Griffin after a heated battle between Sydney and Melbourne as to where the new goverment was to be located (the rivilary between these two cities still exists today). The foundations were laid in 1913 around a huge lake with the government offices all very central We visited the new Parliament building (at the same time as the Greek PM), the old Parliament building (very cosy) and the War Memorial - with huge exhibits from all the wars Australia have been involved in - we spent a good few hours here and only scratched the surface. We climbed Mount Ainsley behind the War Memorial which gave us a 360 degree view of Canberra with its suburban clusters spread out around it, then nothing for as far as the eye could see. A city 'placed' in the outback.


Wollongong was a two day break between Canberra and Sydney to enable us to gather ourselves together for the Sydney visit. We stayed on the Wollongong University campus - lovely ensuite room - all part of the Australia YHA system.


The Nan Tien Temple was a detour - the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere and we were interested to see what it was like. Unfortuantely due to number of visitors it didn't give the feeling of peace and calm that we had expected. But nonetheless it was an interesting visit.


Sydney!! We had five days of sunshine as we 'experienced' Sydney. To stand infront of the Opera House with the Harbour bridge on our left hand side was a real sense of achievement - we made it!!


We began our visit with a tour of the Opera House. Designed by a Dane, Jorn Utzon, who won the competition for a concert hall to be built on this site. Construction began in 1959 - it was built of concrete blocks (which can be seen quite plainly from the inside of the building) covered in 1,056,006 off white and cream tiles. In 1966 Utzon left the program after arguements over costs and the building was left as a shell for some time before Australian Architects desigend the interior. The building eventually was completed in 1973 and its first performance was 'War and Peace'! The two halls, first the Opera House is too small to hold the large scale operas and ballets and the concert hall is not suitable for opera and ballet, but designed for symphony and choir, oh and ofcourse pop! So although iconic on the outside, not ideal for what it was actually designed for - but all the same - the venue is in such demand there is no time when it is not in use. Designed to look like wings of a bird, sails of a ship, crest of the waves - it looks as beautiful from the river as it does from the land and we felt honoured to be shown round it.


We walked across the Harbour Bridge twice, and watched the brave souls walking over it! We visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales, twice, because we wanted to join a tour about the aboriginal painting - there was just so much to see. We took the ferry to Manley and did the 10km Manley Coastal Walkway to Spit Point. We took another ferry in the opposite direction to the Sydney Olympic Park where the arenas were spookily empty, but a sense of the enormity of the event of 2000 was definitely there. (We didn't get to run round the track - shame). We visited Millers Point, Dawes Wharf, the Rocks (brilliant pancakes at 'Pancakes on the Rock'), the Botanical Gardens, Mrs Macquries Chair, the wonderfully restored 'Strand Arcade' and the Queen Victoria Building Shopping Centre, the fun fair of Luna Park and we couldn't miss out the oldest pub in Sydney, The Fortune of War. We jumped on and off ferries, buses and even double decker trains. We thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant city and at night (5pm) it came alive in full technicolour.


We stayed at Glebe YHA during our Sydney visit, a leafy bohemian suburb of the city with lots of pavement cafes and a laid back atmosphere, also quite a large student population.


Oh and the ice cream? Well, it's pretty good!!!


We still can't believe how lucky we are, we have been given the opportunity to experience so many different places, met so many lovely people and we've still got a long way to go. Thank you to all of you who have emailed us or sent us messages through the blog, it's great to hear from you.


So take care you all and we'll be in touch again soon.


Mike and Jenny

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