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Ruby: On Monday we went to the City, my favourite is the museum because we had questions. I bought a stamp. Next morning Archie went to school. We went to the Cambria II, it is a boat, it is awesome. We wore the Captain’s hat. On Wednesday it was ANZAC day, we saw a parade in Avalon, it was great. I bought a gingerbread man, it was tasty. We had a picnic, then swam. We had fun. Next morning Mum & Dad went to Sydney, we were with Clare andLouis. We watched Louis’ swimming lessons then we just made ourselves at home, then we watched Archie’s soccer. On Friday we just played. I felt happy and normal. Daddy went to Pete’s office. On Saturday we went to the Storyteller, it is another boat, also known as Tusitala. We drove it a bit, we had a swim and a swing. Next morning we visited the Blue Mountains, we looked at the view, we saw the Three Sisters. It is amazing. The following day we made our own breakfast. We went in the Three Sisters, it was scary. We went in a Sky Car, we crossed a waterfall on the stepping stones.
Carla:Two days after arriving in Australia we decided to strike out on our own and visit the city from Bilgola Plateau. We invited Archie to join us. We got off the bus at Circular Quay and followed the advice of Clare and various wonderful Facebook friends who had told us to visit the Contemporary Art Museum and the Barracks at Hyde Park. It was a disappointingly rainy day so our first view of the iconic harbour and the Opera House were a little underwhelming as the wet had rendered the buildings grey and streaky. I was upset not to see the classic view of Sydney that you see on all the postcards but as we progressed round Circular Quay it was better than the initial glimpse had suggested. Still we had to wait until later in the week for the ‘postcard’ Sydney experience. We stopped at the Museum of Contemporary Art and had a well-earned hot chocolate on the wonderful roof top terrace with room for the kids to run around. Then they were really keen (and I am NOT joking here) to go and look at the galleries and so we explored a few of the weird and wacky
pieces of conceptual and modern art on display; being careful to avoid the works with parental advisory signs. Following a very expensive baguette lunch (everything is expensive in Australia mind you!), we reached the Hyde Park Barracks. This can only be described as the perfect museum for children. It’s not too big and is mostly ‘touchy-feely’ and interactive. It is the former home for transported convicts from the UK when they arrived in New South Wales. It wasn’t a prison but the convicts were not free to come and go as they pleased. (Sounds a bit like a prison to me!). They were set to work throughout the colony but went back to sleep there at night. They also were allowed to ‘take leave’ in the less salubrious parts of Sydney and to weave themselves palm-leaf hats (lucky old them). The children loved pretending to be convicts in the upstairs bunk-room crammed full of hammocks which meant that people slept barely an arm’s width away from each other. The other highlight was the mocked-up court room (which was done to represent the use of the barracks as a courthouse later in its history) where we prosecuted the children for
the crimes of ‘farting audibly’, ‘being annoying’ and ‘singing badly’. Lots of cries of “Objection!”, “Overruled!”, “Your witness”, “No further questions” and “I rest my case” were heard.
Tuesday was a day for Archie and Louis to return to their normal routine of school and nursery and so Clare invited us to look around a yacht called the Cambria II on which she and Pete used to work. They have both worked respectively as senior crew and Captain on a number of very classy and expensive yachts and this one was no exception. It was amazing to catch a glimpse of how the other half live. Cambria II is equipped to deal with all the challenges of cruising in Australian waters, so there are few exposed deck areas, there’s a massive freezer and walk-in fridge and a water-making machine to make fresh water from seawater. Clare gave us a tour and told us that to charter the boat for a day would be $5000US and for a week $35000. We considered it (ha ha). One of the more well-known charter customers when Pete had captained the Cambria II was Elton John who apparently loved the whole experience despite having
to have been strongly persuaded by David Furnish to even set foot on boat in the first place. And we could see why – luxury is not the word!
Alex: Wednesday was ANZAC day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps which is the anniversary of the landing of troops from Australia and New Zealand on the Gallipoli Peninsula in World War I. It’s a public holiday in Australia. We all went down to see the parade in Avalon town centre. It is taken seriously here and it seemed most of the town had turned out for the event. Lots of medals were on display, and the town centre was closed off. All the children (and me) waved their flags as the ex-servicemen and school bands filed past.
Carla: On Thursday Clare kindly volunteered to mind George and Ruby whilst Al and I went into Sydney. What a treat. We took the ferry from Manly and at last we were rewarded with the classic view of Sydney Harbour. Beautiful. When we arrived at Circular Quay we walked up Macquarie Street, through Hyde Park and into Darlinghurst and Surry Hills passing Captain Cook and some Ancient Greeks (the Archibald Fountain)
on the way. These inner city areas of Sydney are reminiscent of places like Highgate, Crouch End, Brighton or Bristol – terraced houses, graphic designers, coffee shops, trendy boutiques and a thriving gay scene – brilliantly cosmopolitan and bloomin’ expensive too. We picnicked in Hyde Park on Maltese pastizzi from a little café (see tip from the previous blog!). Then we went on to browse and window shop in Sydney’s super-glam shopping malls – the best of which was QVB (Queen Victoria Building), a purpose-built 19
th century indoor market with lovely Victorian tiles and stained-glass windows. Feeling tired from our walk we ascended the Shangri-La Hotel for cocktails but were denied that treat as the top floor bar was closed for a corporate function but we ogled the view nonetheless and then went down through The Rocks (old colonial ‘slum’ houses) and back to the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay to find our ‘sundowner’. A fabulous day (thanks Clare!) which we rounded off with dinner in a pub on the bus route home, lovely job indeed.
Alex: On Friday I went in to Pete’s company ‘Launchpad6’ to talk to his team, and give them the benefit of my
‘insights’ into how they could improve the management of their IT projects. I’d talked a lot to Pete already about his business so it was very interesting to meet the team and see where they work. It was also interesting to see how they have been coping with similar issues as the company I work for have faced. They kindly invited me to the pub as well, and I could hardly refuse.
Carla: Lucky us, again. On Saturday we were invited to join Pete and Clare on their 60 ft yacht, the Tusitala. It was hand-built by Pete in Southampton as a commission for a former colleague. The friend was so pleased at the outcome that he gifted Pete part-ownership of the craft. It really is a lovely boat (if you’re allowed to call it that), all polished wood inside and spacious with two double-berths, a kitchen-living room area and a cockpit on deck with room for that all important ice bucket and nibbles. We sailed along an inlet called Pittwater from the mooring (properly sailing using only the wind at one point, which was great, if rather slow) to a beach in the Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park where
(after we’d swum the 100 metres ashore) we got up close and personal with some wild wallabies. (Sorry no pics as Al couldn’t carry the camera whilst swimming, although he did have to swim back carrying a shivering Ruby on his back). We returned to Palm Beach Jetty as the sun was setting over the entrance to Broken Bay. Another beautiful day in Sydney.
Alex: The following day we hired a car and set off for the Blue Mountains (another World Heritage Site done). The weather was somewhat overcast and looked to be getting darker in the direction we were heading. Luckily we had packed our jumpers and waterproof jackets. We stopped to get a picnic lunch in Glenbrook and then drove on to Wentworth Falls. Almost as soon as we got out of the car at Wentworth Falls the rain started. And it was heavy. Several people who had already started picnics hurriedly packed them away again, and everyone headed for the sheltered picnic area, where there was already a big family group round the barbeque. We were all slightly crammed together, as we ate our sandwiches looking out at the rain, wondering if it was getting lighter,
and feeling properly cold (for the first time in 2 months). Just like an English picnic really! When we finished our picnic, we went for a walk to view the waterfalls. The rain had eased off as we made our way to what was the first of many spectacular views in the Blue Mountains. The scale of the geology was amazing. Initial sediments were laid down horizontally then movements caused by rifting (that formed the Tasman Sea) uplifted blocks of land in some areas and strata were displaced causing older rocks to be found higher up than newer ones. Subsequent weathering and erosion have carved out great river valleys exposing older strata and completely removing or reducing the thickness of some strata. Basalt rocks from the rift formed bubble shapes and columns in different areas. (Sorry to be a geology bore – but to my amazement the children appeared to be interested!) We then went on to Katoomba, where we booked into a lovely YHA. The building was a beautiful art deco style; the lounge room was originally a ballroom and had fantastic ceiling decorations and wooden floor. That evening we walked to Echo Point to see the Three Sisters
rock formation (a ridge carved into 3 peaks) as the sun set. Next morning we returned for a second look. We found a walk down the ‘Giant’s stairway’ on to the ‘Three Sisters’. The view was amazing, but looking down is not recommended! We then took a cable car across another section of the valley; enabling us to see the rainforest below. As you go across the frosted glass floor you stand on goes clear, it’s quite disturbing. There’s also the steepest railway in the world and a cable car down into the valley floor, but it was all quite expensive and we had to start our journey back. The road was very scenic, driving through mostly uninhabited mountain terrain. For lunch we stopped for a view of the Australian ‘Grand Canyon’, it’ll be interesting to see how the children compare it when they see the Colorado version. The botanical gardens at Mount Tomah were impressive. Huge ferns dominated parts of the park; they looked like the ones that you find in the UK only 20 feet tall – a bit like plants from a Jules Verne story. On the way back we went through what seemed to
be the apple centre of Australia. Miles of orchards on either side and we bought homemade pie made from local apples at a roadside shop. We stopped at a viewpoint on the edge of the Blue Mountains, in Kurrajong Heights. On the horizon you could make out the skyscrapers of the financial district of Sydney, 80km away. On the Hawkesbury plain down below, we made a final stop in Windsor, the third-oldest place of British settlement in Australia. Here we found, what claims to be, the oldest pub in Australia, the Macquarie Arms Hotel, and stopped for a quick drink as the sun went down. It was a great end to a brilliant trip.
So now it’s one more day in Bilgola, just time to catch up with Gilly, Oscar & Hugo who are old friends of Julia’s and then off to New Zealand on Wednesday. We’ve had a fantastic time in Australia. Staying with Clare and Pete has been so relaxing after the quick fire stops around Indochina. They have been fantastic hosts and the children have so enjoyed having Archie and Louis to play with. I think they’ll be upset to be saying goodbye tomorrow. Mucking
about in boats and seeing Sydney and the Blue Mountains – it’s been great, but I would love to come back to see more of Australia sometime. I know we’ve not even scratched the surface, but too much to do and too little time.
George: On Monday Mum, Dad, Archie and me go to the city. First we go to the Sydney Opera House, I am astonished to finally be seeing it. Afterwards we go to the barracks. The barracks are where European criminals were sent. We do a kids’ trail where we have to answer all the questions in the booklet. On Tuesday we go down to Palm Beach Harbour and Clare shows us the Cambria II ferry (Yacht! Ed). The Cambria I was a sailing boat and Pete built Cambria II. The next couple of days are just a chill out days. It feels a lot more relaxing to be hanging out in the house than it did when we were moving to different countries all the time in Asia. On Saturday we go on another boat that Pete built and actually owns. On the boat there is a swing that hangs off the side of it
called a ‘halliard’ – you swing outwards and then bounce back off the side of the boat. Its so fun. We all have to swim to shore and the first time I swim 100 metres with the life jacket and on the way back I swim without one. Wallabies! The following day we go up into the Blue Mountains, we stop off for lunch at Wentworth Falls and we see an amazing view of the Blue Mountains and the falls. We stay in a youth hostel in Katoomba, a village in the Blue Mountains. On Sunday we go back to Archie & Louis’ house, on the way we stop off at the Skyway Cable Car with a disappearing glass floor. Then we stop and have lunch at the Australian Grand Canyon. Then we go to the Botanical Gardens and get lost trying to find the Venus Flytraps. We get back at about 9 o’ clock – I am very tired.
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Trisha
non-member comment
happy and normal
Glad to hear it Ruby!