2010 adventure down under

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Travelblog OZ 2010

Jan 16th we left the Grange by taxi with John to Lancaster station.Weather slightly warmer than the 0c which we had endured for a snowy month! Train @ 2.30pm. When we finally found our 1st class seats we were given a lunch pack & coffees. (only £15 for both tickets!)

Manchester airport terminal 1 check-in was ok, but AB was shocked to find that bike Friday was costing him a huge amount. £175 for 1st leg only) Golf clubs, surf boards, skis, free but no other sports equipment. Emirates website gave no mention of this at the time of booking. Flew around 8.30/9pm. Best meal on board yet, pity I parted company with it after a few hours. Was it the dodgy prawn, the G&T, or most likely just overload. I slept fitfully after that. Flight was under 7 hours, not 2 bad .

Dubai airport arrival was approx 7am. Taxi to the Meridien was waiting for us. Splendid posh hotel only spitting distance from airport but across busy dual carriage way. Checked in ok but room available @ 2pm, maybe 12 noon, but, praise be, it was about 10am. We slept on sunloungers by one of the pools. Temp.?? 27c ,very hot for me in travel clothes! No more triple-wrapped legs & arms, no more balaclavas in bed, but AC & sheet only!!!

Room was good; but we were both pretty dozy for the rest of the day.
Plan to do a city bus tour had to begin with a taxi from hotel to start. A very persuasive taxi driver promised hours of sightseeing for 200d with him waiting for us. We agreed. We saw the Burj Dubai, the highest man-made building in the world, the most expensive hotel in the world.(we were not allowed into that) We drove to the Palm Tree area, the 8th wonder of the world.

By then AB was asleep most of the time, & myself not far behind. We requested being returned to the hotel early but he still wanted our 200d.

We had arranged to meet David Stapleton & his family in the evening. He drove us to a restaurant next to the ski centre where daughter Lauren was having a lesson. We met his wife Mandy & son Morgan. The full size ski slopes were amazing, all enclosed within the city centre. Altho’ we were still weary, we enjoyed an excellent supper. I last met David (Joyce & Allan’s son) when he was around 16, living in Croydon!

Monday, 18th, we were much more dynamic. Breakfast choices were lovely, almost as good as the Yak & Yeti in Kathmandu. We taxied to the Burj; because we had been unable to book by tel the previous day, we had to pay 400d each. (£64) Expensive but we are unlikely to go there again.

This Burj Dubai opened to the public in the last week is the World's tallest building which can be seen on a clear day 100kms away. It has a Height of 818 metres (2,683 ft) it has 54 lifts which rise and descend at 10 meters per second. more than160 storeys. Lift took us to 124!. Lift took 60 seconds but not sure how high we were, but way, way above any other building in Dubai.

A boat ride along the creek was pleasant except for a v. pushy boatman who took many photographs of us. I think he thought I was unable to use my camera; I began to wonder if he would ever give it back to me. He did, but gave us a sob story about how he had to sleep on the boat.

Evening was better, a guiness for AB @ the nearby Irish pub, & supper in the hotel, Chinese restaurant. AB had chicken, but my crispy fried duck was less acceptable.
It was 19th and departure for OZ our early am call for 6.15am never came, but we were down for early breakfast.

Checked out of the hotel & paid for our extras. Another shock for AB & bike F, this time cost was £230. 13 hour flight was so LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLONG! Food every few hours but I thought the night/day would last for ever. It didn’t. We arrived @ Brisbane 6.30am on 20th january, as predicted.

Our first home exchange hosts were at the airport to meet us. We found Phillipa wearing the pink dress as arranged. Wayne was circling the airport to avoid the exorbitant car park fees. He was not too shocked @ all our baggage, but bike Friday had to sit between us on the back seat. Tamarix Road was 9k from the airport; a beautiful split-level home in a quiet cul-de-sac. Cups of tea were welcome. After showing us the necessary house stuff, P & W drove off with their caravan & left us to get to know the house, car, district etc.

We found a shopping mall not far away, but v. hilly & certainly not for walking in the high temp. (32c?) Barramundi fish reminded us of Noosa & also Cape town. It was lovely.

It is Monday 25th Jan and the days are passing beautifully. We are loving this our first home exchange, (we have 8 over the next 10 weeks) the beautiful area & the heat; although that does take a little time for the body to adjust to. Nights are very little cooler than the days. Although we get up v. early, woken by the birds & thousands of cicadas in the trees. We do seem to be out in the midday sun, like the proverbial mad dogs & Englishmen.

Our first home exchange is in the western suburbs of Brisbane and 15 Kms from the city centre. So to avoid driving in, it is a short drive to pick up the ferry which runs every 15 minutes into the City centre and beyond. We have been by ferry into the city several times. Brisbane is the 3rd largest city in OZ, & is most attractive.

We have been loaned a ‘satnav’ by our hosts Wayne & Phillipa which is a whole new ball game for us. Mrs satnav is most patient with us & she needs to be! She has guided us thro’ city streets, flyovers, fast bypasses etc; which we would never have found. It takes 2 people two negotiate, but maybe we will catch up with all this technology. With no instruction book, we have to humour her, eg ,if we disconnect her too soon, she insists on us returning to base before we can recommence a trip. We are learning, but the neighbours are going to start giving us funny looks when we keep returning to base!

Today we walked along the south bank of the river, rode on the Ferris wheel, swam in a huge lagoon as warm as bathwater. The pavements were so hot we had to run across them; just felt like oven shelves. At the weekend ,we visited colourful markets along Stanley street; almost as good as the Cape town ones. I just had to buy a big black straw hat to keep the sun off me.

One day we walked thro’ the botanic gardens @ Mt. Coot-tha & visited the tropical house, ferns, bonsai, etc. An old disused goldmine was interesting, never the best quality gold & long since closed. Not far from here is a koala bear sanctuary by the river, really a proper zoo with all the usual smells, but excellent.. We petted kangaroos, koalas, etc.

We were invited to a Robbie Burns evening tonight, $70, 5 courses, bagpipes, haggis & all the trimmings but AB hadn’t packed his sporran, nor me my kilt. Sadly we had to decline the invite. I bet young Robbie never had his birthdays in this temperature!

Chinese New Year & Australia Day collided today & we managed to miss all the celebrations. We drove inland approx 105km to Toowoomba; a bit of a non-event. Streets were deserted, 90% shops & cafes were closed. Coffee Club did their best but were so very busy. On our way out we called @ a tourist information where 2 elderly retirees were doing an excellent job. One was the image of Foggie (last of the summer wine). They told us where a party was happening but without mrs Sat Nav we missed it! Never mind, they directed us home on a lovely scenic route via Esk & Wivanhoe Dam.

Locals are very envious of us having snow in the UK; they should try it for weeks on end; they would change their tune. I must say it’s a lot easier to warm up with extra layers than it is to cool down. You have probably forgotten those weary puffy swollen feet & sweaty little places. None of our clothes are cool enough for this heat intensity. Gardens look tinder dry & flowers are rare. Weeds are less of a problem & there are so many beautiful flowering trees & shrubs.


Update, week comm 1st Feb
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Forget the heat & the long hot days & sticky nights. Those are now history; the rainy, cyclone season arrived a few days ago. Dodging the downpours is the new ball game. Not quite like home; it’s still very warm. But the locals are happy, they need the rain.

We are now into our second home exchange with Peter & Annette who are due in Settle in September. Their beautiful home is 90 kms north of Brisbane and a few minutes drive from the sunshine coast. The house is split on 3 levels with our own swimming pool and is all built into the bush, trees so high I couldn’t guess the height, but the gusty winds are blowing off branches & buffeting the huge banana leaves. We have heard the possums scratching around on the roof & window area of our bedroom ’up top’ but have not yet seen them. We were told perhaps rats or snakes could be living under the roof… As long as they don’t come inside!..

In our garden, balcony area here we put bird food out & are amazed @ the variety & beauty of the lorikeets, king parrots, rosellas, cockatoos etc. The swimming pool is cooling slightly & has filled up a little with all the downpours we have had. It is still warm enough for a pre-breakfast swim.. Luxury!

On Tuesday we entertained Colin & Sandy from Noosa Heads whose home we used 3 years ago and were one of the first exchangers for AB back in 1996. They plan to visit us in July, gee this world gets smaller by the year.

The days are passing all too fast. Today we went into the ‘bush’; for a walk in the Glass House Mountains. These are some spectacular peaks, probably unclimbed, and all of 25 million years old! We walked less than 6km but in the heat it was more than enough. Gentle slopes which would have been easy in the Yorkshire Dales left me pouring with sweat, oops, sorry, persperation. Cicadas gave us a noisy, not very welcome background the whole time. Several lace monitors shot up the trees ahead of us. Ants & similar rather limited where we sat for our picnic, but we found steps by a dirty creek which sufficed. AB then missed his walking stick but couldn’t remember when he last had it. Its mate went down the river Lune into Morecambe Bay many years ago.

As we were driving past Australia Zoo, we felt we should visit. It was amazing, expensive but so well done. They normally have 2,500 visitors per day, but it’s now out of season. Staff abound & everything is so well kept & clean. It is obviously geared up for kids, far too many shopping malls & tourist ‘tat‘. But it is a great memorial to Steve Irwin ( owner & son of the founder) tragically killed in 2006 @ only 44 years years of age.

Conservation is a very important part of the zoo. Crocodiles up to 10ft long, elephants, tigers, cheetah, koalas, kangaroos, storks were memorable. The landscaping, trees & plants are ‘top notch’
,better than many public gardens.

Several nights we have had intruders in the kitchen, (thro’ the open window?) Half a banana was left, another night a half-eaten green apple. Why don’t they take the whole fruit?? Our puss, Meggy would never allow mice to come in. Is it the phantom possum ??

We close this section at the end of the second exchange on Saturday we go to Maroochydore on the Sunshine coast for exchange number 3

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The OZ adventure part 2

We are now in Maroochydore, only a few miles from our last exchange. This a very comfortable ground floor apartment, 2 bed, 2 bath, use of communal swimming pool & very close to beach and river. It has been a lovely week here.

One day we drove to Noosaville to visit old exchange friends, Colin & Sandy. They live in a huge bungalow where we stayed 3 years ago, prior to our adventure in New Zealand. We walked along the river with them & had supper outdoors to the sound of birds, cicadas, running water & tales of adventurous holidays, many of them home exchanges.

After an early breakfast next day, we drove to Hastings Road at Noosa Heads & parked in the National Park to walk up the path to Hell’s Gate. The sound of waves crashing below was spectacular.. Surfers passed us carrying their gear, usually barefoot & eager to go back for another ride out in the sea, letting the huge waves bring them back to shore. We loved the shady parts of the track but it was pretty hot. An iced coffee on our return went down very well.

Another day we drove up to the Glass House mountain area. At Landsborough, a very small village we noted that the station car park was full. Apparently that is so by 6.30am each day to ferry commuters into Brisbane. It is good that the public transport is working for them.

We then did a Rain Forest walk at the Mary Cairncross Reserve & sanctuary which was given to the region in 1941 by the Thynne family. The rain falling on us most of the time all added the atmosphere of damp, steamy growth. There were 107 different tree varieties; the ones which impressed us were the strangler fig, the rose gums, red cedar, black bean & so many more. We saw the odd wallaby, perhaps a kangaroo, brush turkeys etc. We used the nearby picnic tables for our sandwiches but had to run for cover when the rain pelted down.

AB had put his sandals back on and as we sat in the tearoom, I noticed a black shiny creature between his toes; yes, a leech. One had already attacked the sole of his other foot leaving blood . I stamped on them with my boot, result, lots of dark blood, but no, they still lived! When I saw one creeping up my leg above my sock, everyone in the tearoom heard me. Salt, salt, cigarette lighter, people advised, but none was to hand. It did not live!

We loved Maleney, a small town in the mountain area; this trendy little place was full of alternative clothes shops, second hand books, charity shops & the inevitable teashops. I cannot think of a similar town/village in the UK to compare with it.

Our next trip was to the town of Eumundi , just off the Bruce Highway where a huge market is held twice a week. It started 30 years ago with just 3 stalls & has grown & grown to hundreds. Craft stalls, therapy, massage, fruit, clothes, just everything you could think of & then some. Nothing was tacky or cheap, no bric a brac. As we had left home very early, we had breakfast there. AB had a reflexology session ; I knew by his face that it was painful. The guy noticed the holes which the leeches had left! I treated myself to a $ 10 haircut, not quite like Amy’s. No shampoo, but nevertheless a good 10 minute cut. As I am swimming most days my poor hair is suffering somewhat. The market was a real experience, all ages, so much good humour & no hard sell.

This morning, our last day in Maroochydore, we walked along the shoreline, cooling our feet as we walked. Salt water is so refreshing. The lifeguards mark out the safe swimming area & families do appear to observe them. Rip tides here are so dangerous. As we continued beyond the sea into the mouth of the river there was so much safe water, which shelved within feet to really deep warm water with no waves. It was a perfect spot by the caravan park for fishing and bathing. Lots of people were just standing or sitting in the river; so tempting. I was later told of the danger from sharks coming in close to the shores.

When we were using the lift in the apartment to the car park below us, to go off for a few days; I had a very nasty experience. AB got out of the lift & the door closed before I could follow him. 3 or 4 minutes later I was still inside, pressing buttons, getting flustered, hot & panicky, finally I pressed the emergency button for 5 seconds as recommended. Nothing happened. Inspiration, I pressed the lift to go back upstairs & , yes. I got out!

Gold Coast, We sadly packed up & left our comfortable home in Maroochydore; it had been a great week, thank- you Joan! currently visitng family in New Zealand

We collected our hire car for the day & travelled south, less than 200km. We saw all the toll road signs, but never actually came to a pay booth. We thought we had got away without paying ( less than $3 ) anyway, but apparently our number plate will be on camera, so pay up or get a fine! This saves a lot of hassle if one knows the system but is very confusing for visitors like us.

We are now living at the home of Harry & Maureen who were in Settle in September last year when we were in Canada. (this home exchange gets complicated but great fun) We are in a luxury block of over 150 apartments by the name of Magic Mountain at Nobby Beach; all very secure, plus a huge basement for cars . The view from our balcony is to die for, tower blocks galore in the distance around 9kms away at Surfer’s Paradise (what you might call the Blackpool of the Gold Coast.) but an amazing view along the beach for miles on end. Apparently the highest residential tower in the world is there. A viewing floor @ level 74!

The highway below us has coloured lights , traffic, brightly lit buildings & so much activity. We have a choice of 3 swimming pool here at Magic Mountain, open from 7am to 9pm, the lower one has sandy beaches for the little tots, the next one up the steps is shady & deep with a huge waterfall , & the ultimate one @ the highest level is an infinity pool with water flowing over the edge as though into the ocean. (plus a jacuzzi) The trees & landscaping here is so professional. We were told that this site used to be a theme park.

When we had returned our hire car this morning to Surfers Paradise and decided to take the 10km walk back to Nobby Beach along the coast. in the full heat of the day. It took ages, but the best parts were on the sands paddling along the edge of the water. That kept our feet cool & @ times the waves soaked our nether regions, uncomfortable but the sun & wind soon dried us out. To get facilities & coffee, we had to walk inland for some distances.

We have been so impressed with the excellent facilities for ‘beach’ life here, free car parking (usually), free BBQs , playgrounds for kids with awnings to provide shade, lifeguards @ regular intervals. Also free gym equipment along the tracks; we could learn so much from the OZ way of life. Families & friends seem to get together in big groups for weekend picnics & BBQs which is really nice. If rain should fall, there are plenty of sheltered tables.

Weather is mixed, mainly good but never cold. We are loving exploration of the coast & the Hinterland. Heavy downpour washed us out @ Helensvale. A huge car park was full, mainly families visiting a Theme Park. Even if it had been free (it was $30+) I would not have gone in. Great for little tots, maybe but plastic attractions cannot compare with the lovely natural countryside.

Further south along the Gold coast proved what a lovely area this is, unlike Surfers’ Paradise with all its tower blocks & bright lights, the coast is just so attractive. Numerous surfing & swimming beaches, groups of school kids all ‘at sea’. Elephant’s Rock looked an easy walk on the sands. I was tripping along barefoot, caught a small rock, jammed on my brakes & did myself a big mischief. Arising from which, putting a foot down was so painful; knee , hip & ankle all askew.. A chemist recommended gels & painkillers. I am now in the recovery room, out of intensive care. Only weeks away from a 74th birthday, perhaps I will have to slow down. (is that possible ? AB)

Today we drove to Springbrook, a huge mountainous area, waterfalls & viewpoints a plenty. It was a rare treat; making my local waterfalls look very small. The last viewpoint to visit was named “Best of all lookout “. By then, rain had set in & the short walk to the lookout was positively chilly. We have lost the habit of carrying a woolie, but it would have been very welcome.

When we reached the crucial lookout, what did we see ? Just a sea of mist. So the best turned out to be the worst. I had to laugh when we met a group of Japanese all wrapped head- to- foot in yellow plastic waterproofs. It would have been a pity to tell them there was no view; it must have been on their ‘schedule’!

Twice now fire alarms have gone off in our Magic Mountain apartment. The 1st one was @ midnight; a disturbing intrusion, particularly when we thought we had caused it. It was a problem in a neighbour’s place but went on until the fire-engine arrived. Nobody, as far we could see, thought it might be a real fire. I had not thought what I should grab along with purse & passport…

Sunday, Feb 21st, and we are into day 32 of our adventure (almost halfway for me) AB collected our hire car from Hertz & we packed up & said farewell to our lovely apartment overlooking Nobby Beach. An absolute downpour lasted for the first few moments but soon the sun dominated again. We shared the driving, nearly 400 km, good roads & not a lot of traffic, but it was a long day. Each time we opened the car door to get out the heat was nearly sufficient to knock us out! A tea stop by the river and Ferry Park was very welcome.

Deborah’s friend from Loughton had offered us b & b near Coffs Harbour. Catherine & Andrew (originally from South Africa) along with their 2 daughters only moved to OZ a few months ago. We were their first visitors, but wow, what a superb place they have found. I have seen some great houses in my travels, & some wonderful locations but, never before the two together. Words could not do justice to this heavenly place surrounded by trees, views, 5 acres of garden/ground, plus a swimming pool.
Stephanie had given us her room for the night & little Amy, Megan’s friend sent little gifts home for her friends @ Staples Rd school back home.

The next day’s travels were longer & I was even more saddle-sore, but having bought a map & set the satnav we made it to Ron & Val’s home in Soldiers’ Point.. A total of around 780 kms. How lucky can we get? Yet another lovely home exchange with views over the sea. We are almost at the end of an isthmus in Port Stephens. (see in google earth Soldiers point) Ron & Val emigrated to Oz some 30 years ago from Barnsley, Yorkshire. They are not tempted to return there. This is a completely unspoilt area with numerous bays such as Fingal Bay, Nelson Bay, Anna Bay, Salamander Bay. Boating seems to be the main attraction but swimming, bowling, snorkelling sand dune driving, etc are all popular.

We are only a short distance from Newcastle, Wallsend, Jesmond & Hexham, (Gosford is almost Gosport!)) whilst Gloucester & Stroud are down the road; not to mention Barnsley & Wakefield. If they are not Aboriginal names with lots of double oos ( as in Mooloobala) they take the English, Scottish or similar names. Obviously the early Settlers wanted to remember their homeland.

We saw a charity bin requesting clothing, shoes etc as we have @ home, but this one wanted ’manchester’. On asking, we discovered that referred to linen! Who would have guessed. We did see an aisle in a Woolies store selling manchester actually. They also sell ’family underwear’; does that mean communal, one-size , maybe?

This week, a once a year event, unwanted trash/furniture/ whatever, can be left out on the edge of the road to be collected, recycled or disposed of. An amazing number of mattresses are out. Our hosts put out a huge TV which had been struck by a lightning flash. It had gone by morning! This is a similar scheme to our recycle days in Bentham Town Hall.

Feeling energetic before the sun got too hot we climbed the local high hill/mountain, Tomaree headland. A red brick ( not yellow) path went half way up which was ideal for baby buggies, wheelchairs & similar. The next half was metal ramps & steps, without which it would have been almost impossible to reach the summit. It was well worth the effort. We saw the remains of 2 massive gun emplacements which were put there in 1942 to deter a possible Japanese attack. They were never fired in anger.

We treated ourselves with a bracing swim in the sea @ Shoal Bay. That was so lovely, particularly when we watched dolphins frolic quite near the shore. This area is noted for the resident bottle nose dolphins.

Our hosts Ron & Val promised us a day on their super duper yacht on Sunday. We were all togged up, food prepared for the day at sea when the tsunami/earthquake hit Chile very early in the morning. It was predicted to hit Sydney & this coast by breakfast. Sadly our day at sea had to be cancelled. Lifeguards did clear the local beaches & sirens sounded, but the predictions were wrong. Sadly for many it was a disaster.

Plan B for us was a day out in the country with our kind hosts. Morpeth is a small town in a complete time-warp, very touristy. Loads of gift shops, tea rooms & the like. Pleasant but very hot.
Our days at Soldiers Point are now numbered, as on 4th march we fly to Hobart in Tasmania for 9 days. So look out for the next instalment which will cover both.

Best wishes to all

Dorothy & Arthur


Final edition of the Blog down under from DWS & ARB to be published on or before 29th March



Update from Tasmania.

On 4th March we bid farewell to our hosts Ron & Val who kindly drove us to the airport at Newcastle (New South Wales) for our flight with Virgin Blue to Hobart via Melbourne for our 9 day exchange/adventure in Tasmania. Stephen & Bev our exchange hosts were waiting at the airport with a placard bearing our names & wearing two big smiles.

They drove us to our 6th exchange house @ Clifton Beach ; a house they had built themselves. What a great achievement & this wasn’t the first they had built. Two minutes away, on the beach the surf-lifesaving championships were held this weekend. This is yet another lovely beach for swimming/surfing/sailing & all that other water stuff.

It did not take long to get to grips with this part of Tasmania, fondly known as Tassie. This is much cooler than the mainland, sea temperatures never as high. It is a large island, equal in size to Ireland so we can only explore a small part in the time we have.

Port Arthur was a memorable day, the huge convict settlement. in operation for 44 years from 1833. No fences or boundaries were necessary as the water provided a secure enclosure. Young boys from 7 years of age were sentenced here in a special area known as Point Puer. It must have been like a university of crime. The older boys probably taught the young ones even more than they already knew of criminal habits. Trades fitted some of the convicts for later life, such as boot making, carpentry, blacksmithing, stonecutting, gardening, woodworking & other useful trades. Goods were exported from the settlement. We tried on the leg irons which many prisoners had to wear for long stretches of time.

Work was all day, every day. Compulsory church on Sunday must have been a relief, but for the floggings which took place before the service. Meals, 3 a day, were gruel, vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage & Swedes, possibly a little meat added to the stews. The hospital on site tended to the operations necessary to keep them alive. No anasaethetics were used but a piece of wood to bite on may have helped. (not a lot.) Any faking illness to give them a rest ended with severe flogging or worse.

Repeated crimes or disobedience resulted in 23 hours a day in solitary confinement which must have sent them insane. A cruise around the site showed us the Isle of the Dead, where over 1000 are buried, many of them staff & families. Dysentery in the cramped dormitories accounted for many deaths, also industrial accidents & appalling work conditions. The men had to get up at first light, winter or summer & work as many hours as there were daylight. Between 1833 & 1877 convicts from all over the British Commonwealth were sent to Port Arthur. They were repeated crimes to have earned them this fate, for stealing just a chicken or something petty. Around 2000 people were resident at any one time , including staff. The museum gives a very true picture of the horrors of that place.

On a lighter note we visited some brilliant sights such as the Tasman Arch, the Blowhole and the Devil’s Kitchen. You need to see our photos to appreciate these natural phenomenons

Driving home from our historical Convict Day , time ran out, darkness fell & with it the danger of kangaroos on the road blinded by lights. (they only come out at sunrise and sunset.) As it was our first day in the area we felt we needed the ‘Sat- nav’ to get us home. We had put that in the boot out of sight. Next problem , we were unable to open the boot no matter how we tried. By putting the back seat down AB was able to reach the Sat nav but not before we were well & truly lost.

Hobart we found to be a perfect location city with lots of history. Saturday was market day, another huge affair, colourful & lively. We walked thro’ old streets with cottages built early 1930s. Some had cost only £20 each, now worth a mint.

Mount Wellington has an access road known as Pinnacle Road opened in 1937 and is 21 kilometres from the city all the way to the Pinnacle at 1000 metres above sea level. After a picnic we set off to walk the track known as the Organ Pipes, because of the rock formations, a good track except for several very rocky areas where avalanches had caused huge slides. Another look-out was Mount Nelson which was built as a signal station. Clear views over the city once more and a lovely tea room. In the afternoons they serve Devon teas just like home.

Buying fruit & flowers from roadside stalls is common. trust seems to work well & cash is put in a tin or box. One day we bought a box of red apples, the variety was ‘ladies in the snow’. Imagine asking for those in the local co-op! $5 provided us with a huge amount which we left with our hosts.

We drove around the peninsular south of Lauderdale, visiting lovely little bays, picking up oyster shells, sometimes bulrushes at the roadside. Agapanthus also grows wild, & so much finer than ours @ home.. A poor possum fell victim to our car wheels coming home from a meal out one evening. Water is in very short supply in Tasmania. Bev & Stephen have huge tanks to collect rain water. This has to be sufficient for washing, bathing, watering the garden & all. Lovely drinking water but one has to be careful not to waste any.

One morning we were lucky enough to be shown around the Tasmanian parliament building. Bev & Stephen’s daughter Alison is the guide there; she was actually the very first female guide in that building. Because the House was not sitting we were able to see all the chambers, dining areas etc. For a small Tasmanian parliament it is a most impressive building with much history. On that same day, Bev took us to visit a shot tower where lead shot has been manufactured since around 1870. started by a Scotsman. We climbed 259 steps in a circular tower to see amazing views of Hobart & district. We all received a badge when we came down the steps, saying ‘I made it to the top’

All too soon, we had to pack up & move on to our next exchange in Melbourne (2nd largest City in Oz). We had not been able to weigh our baggage and unfortunately we had exceeded our 23kg limit. Virgin Blue charged us an extra $30 They would have had a shock if they had checked the hand baggage with a laptop each + all the solid stuff we cart around! One hour later saw us in Melbourne and getting on the Sky bus from the airport to city centre.

Our exchange host Barbara here owns a spacious apartment in the splendid Grand Hotel. Built 150 years ago and refurbished 15 years ago with 250 apartments split between hotel and private apartments. Wow, what a palatial place, thick carpets, grand staircases, swimming pool & sauna, etc on the ground floor. The weekend before we arrived, Melbourne was hit by a massive storm.. Out of the 250 apartments, only 3 were damaged , and ours was one of the worst. No carpets, no television but a new mattress was bought in time for us. (thanks Barbara)

This is the most convenient city location ever, so much on the doorstep. Melbourne has a mixture of lovely old alleys, lanes & history all cheek by jowl with brand new glass structures. The old original and new trams chug around the city reputed to be the largest network of trams in the world . One central route is free & the others only a nominal price. We are loving following the walk tracks & reading the history of the city centre.

The Immigration Museum was most interesting. Hundreds of school kids made it quite lively, but they were all working on their answer sheets. Photographs of the ships carrying immigrants particularly from the UK were poignant. So many of our generation went to Australia as ‘£10 POMS’

One day we went by train to Geelong area on the coast & had a picnic with Shirley, Ron and friends who plan to come to Settle later this year. They were all 4 shipped out of England when they were teenagers. One from St Annes, others from London; none wanted to come, but none would now return. It has been a good life out here in a pleasant climate.

The Eureka Tower opened just 4 years ago was a spectacular view point over the city and is the highest residential building in the World. The river Yarra is a huge attraction, walks on both sides, barges, water buses etc. On the hour each evening after dusk the casino puts on a huge flame show. It only lasts 2 or 3 minutes but the flames shoot up in the air & one can feel the heat as well enjoy the spectacle..

On our first day in the city we were held up by a huge fun run for kids and adults, 35,000 took part; as big as the London marathon. ? Problem was, we needed to cross the road to buy tram tickets for the Sunday saver. As the road was blocked for 2 hours, we had to make other arrangements. The huge Victorian Sunday market was yet another excellent & tempting place. With my birthday so nearly imminent, I was very lucky

Lunchtime workers in the city are much like the ones in the UK ;ciggie breaks common as at home. Many girls wear cool cotton frocks & look so good but some prefer suits, black tights or jeans.. Why, when the temperature is 30c + ? In the evenings there seems to be some competition between who has the shortest hemline & the highest heels.

In one of Melbourne’s green parks, we visited an old stone cottage which had been lived in by Captain Cook (born in 1728) with his parents in Great Ayton, Yorkshire. This building had been sold off, reassembled in its original state in Melbourne: a herb garden planted up as it would have been. Open latrines at the end of the garden. Furniture was simple but solid. The beds were made with a criss-crossed rope support for the frame which needed tightening after time. Thus the expression we use, “sleep tight”

On our last morning, we tended to laundry & cleaning up. After the Immigration Museum, we had a very short interval. AB felt like a swim. .I agreed to come down with him & bring my book. Guess what, we locked ourselves out of the room, no keys, no cash, no addresses, zilch! AB asked at the hotel desk. No master keys as Barbara’s is privately owned. A maintenance guy Mario on the 6th floor was at home and came down. He had a big bunch of keys but none fitted. He rang Barbara on her mobile at her school. Yes, she was at work, but would catch the next train back into the city. Were we glad to see her & so, so lucky ! A very quick pack & we were off to catch the Skybus to the airport. This is a great service which runs every 15 minutes & takes all the heavy bags along a rack inside the bus. Taxi drivers probably hate it!

A good 4 hour flight to Perth. Yet again bags overweight‘; I didn’t believe it as we had checked them but who would dare argue? Not even a drink of water is free on Virgin Blue. We gained 3 hours travelling west, just a little way nearer home and now only 8 hours ahead of UK time. Perth airport had the usual signs asking for fruit, nuts or similar to be binned, although we had only travelled within the same continent. Fortunately the sniffer dog had gone off duty, so my lovely ripe mango stayed with me.

Exchange Home no 8 is yet another lovely place. A modern 12 year old house on 2 levels, 3 bedrooms, and just a few minutes walk from the station where the seniors fare into Perth (another 10 minutes) cost all of 90 cents. Driving into Perth was NOT a pleasure plus the cost of parking. We also have ‘wi fi’ we will now be able to finish off our travel blog & catch up on mail…Karen & Mike our hosts were married in Settle last September. They made us a BBQ supper together & then they were off to Donnybrook whilst we are here. When we found our whereabouts on day two, we visited Scarborough beach; not quite like ours in Yorkshire. Huge waves for the surfing, acres of golden sands & above all, it was warm.

Kings Park on the edge of the city has grass like a bowling green; not kidding. Big lawns were so perfect; no ‘keep off the grass’ signs, not at all. Two brides & all their attendants were being photographed , looking gorgeous. It was warm but not hot, perfect place for a wedding picture. Queen Victoria looked down on them, approvingly, ?

There were amazing views down over the city, which I have yet to visit…The botanic gardens were another treasure store…very different to Hobart’s, both lovely. The raised tree level walk was impressive.

We used the train to go into Perth more than once and on one trip, after a long, hot walk down Hay Street we visited the Mint, now a museum, a most interesting tour. Before this was established in OZ all gold had to shipped to the Royal Mint in London & returned. This was a lengthy procedure. We saw samples of the biggest gold nuggets ever found, one over 25kg! We saw gold being poured into a bar shape, which was cooled quickly. A sample gold mining site showed the appalling conditions in which the prospectors worked, most of them without any success.

Today we have driven to the south coast over 400 km to Albany en route to the South Pole; yes still a long way to go. Once out of Perth and its suburbs, the Albany highway was excellent, although tedious & long. Even worse was the dead kangaroos on the verges, and the number of crosses with fresh flowers where fatal accidents had taken place, They were in clusters of 3 and 4 together representing so many tragic deaths. Towns, petrol, coffee stops were few & far between. By the time we reached Albany the weather had cooled & showers had set in.

We did not have time do justice to this historic city of Albany discovered around 1826 which became the first European settlement and was the capital of Western Australia before Perth was established. This was a 3 day and 2 night trip which took us along the rugged Southern coast to the town of Augusta the most south westerly point of OZ where the next land mass is Antarctica.

Our first night we used a motel in the town and shire of Denmark and the second night was at the beautiful and popular location of Margaret River. We returned to Milton Street our final home exchange with less than two days to catch up on laundry and packing before I will depart for home on 29th and AB will head for New Zealand on 30th.

So ends another adventure, where on earth is AB going to take me next time ??

We both feel so blessed to be able to travel , enjoy good health (most of the time) & have sufficient funds to make it comfortable. We realise that some folks our age are not so lucky (or healthy) and only have special days @ intervals of every week, month or even every year. We are so grateful that almost every day has been very memorable and special. We do not take that for granted

After almost 10 week’s hospitality we are so very grateful to all our Homelink exchange hosts. Every home has been comfortable, some luxurious. It has been such a pleasure to get to know so many interesting people. Thank you all for your generous spirit, relaxed, sharing of your homes, cars, food stores & everything else. I hope the Yorkshire & Settle hospitality will be, (or has been) as impressive… Long may you keep the exchanges going!

We now look forward to catching up with family & friends at home.
Best wishes to all from Dorothy & Arthur

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Photos

Meridien Hotel pool
Meridien Hotel pool

view from the highest building in the world
view from Burj opened Jan 2010

Dubai skyline
Dubai Skyline

Burj Dubai visible from 100 KMs
Burj Dubai visible from 100 Kms

Dubai Hotel Atlantis
Hotel Atlantis Dubai

Lone Pine Sanctuary OZ
Lone Pine Sanctuary OZ

Koala bear relaxing
Koala Bear relaxing

Brisbane old & new
Brisbane old & new