Slept much better and had another good breakfast checked out the logistics of a venture to Portobello Road Markets for Don to check out antiques we decided to walk up the road as it wasn’t far …. Had a nice walk through the streets , found Portobello Road and the antique part downstairs wasn’t open on a Friday so that was annoying !!! Had a look through the market and reached the end of the street …. We were both a bit hot and bothered and it was only mid day and decided to head back to the hotel …. Caught the tube back and cooled off had a drink then got our bags ready for take off tomorrow… it wasn’t till 3 pm I remembered I was keen to do the Thames river cruise up ... read more

Had a shocking sleep and up early 6am … Down to breakfast in the Hotel, a comprehensive spread and ate far too much (but it did see me right through to dinner !!!). Got our day packs and TUBE Map and set off … found the Underground and tried to get the hang of it … everybody so helpful here and just come up to see if you need help … you don’t have to ask !!! We got through to the station near Buckingham Palace and lined up along the gates to watch the changing of the guard lots of marching shouting and a brass band demo of James Bond tunes… the incoming troops complete with horses and music too … will have to do some research on what we were witnessing exactly ….wandered around ... read more

Had a slow start this morning a coffee and a bar for breakfast…. Overcast again today so not quite as hot …. Wandered up the river away from town to riverside point… very quiet but once again would come alive again later in the day …. Got inside another big mall and enjoyed some cool air conditioning …. Had a barista coffee and muffin and felt a little normal again ….spent a good hour in the Daiso Japanese Store ,a bit like a 2 dollar shop interesting seeing different stuff , all prices in all the shops across the board the same prices as ours and the average hourly wage 23.50 first home buyers can get an apartment for around 300,000.00$ … looked around more shops a bag and electronics … chemist and stationers … lots ... read more

Woke early still on NZ time but had a pretty good sleep…..Got out and about at 8.30 and found a breakfast bar and coffee to start with as most malls etc don’t open till 10 am on a Saturday ???? …. Wandered around and across the river into the boat Quay area …. Very historical part of Singapore and lots of bars and eateries … meandered around the riverside and was really pleasant … temperature pretty manageable at 29 with a lot of cloud cover and breezes, every now and then the sun would come out and just be so intense. Got around to the Dragon Fountain Merlion Park and found a few postcards to send to the oldies ….. kept walking right around the Marina Bay and along to Marina Sands Plaza a huge shopping ... read more

Left Goulburn heading out to the Southern Highlands and through some back country .... very green and much like the Waikato except for more contour, a big dairy farming district the Southern Highlands ... Gourmet Meat Pies everywhere and has become our breakfast/lunch go to with a good coffee mid day. The historic towns became very Scottish Bundanoon Exeter, Mossvale and Bowral, didn't get out to Berrima popular for cherries. Stopped at Bundanoon for the Pie Shop and Coffee, drove around ... looks like these places are popular with the Sydney'ites for their cycling walking holidays and properties getting pricey. Made a detour from Mossvale out to Fitzroy Falls and took the short walk to have a look, did the round trip about 60 kms and saw the Fitzroy Water Reservoir ... nice drive back to ... read more