Australia

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Australia - from west coast to east coast

Sunday, 7th February Our flight to Perth was at 9am so we checked out of the hotel early in the morning. We can't get over how orderly everything is after South East Asia, especially the driving, and arrive at the airport in good time for our flight. Everything went like clockwork and by early afternoon we were touching down in Australia - the big Ozzie adventure had begun. Getting through customs was a bit of a pain as they re-scan and check every piece of luggage but eventually we were done and there was Sarah (my niece) and Jack, Matthew and Mollie (her three children) all waving and jumping up and down. It was brilliant to see a familiar face and there were lots of hugs before we all loaded into Sarah's people carrier and set off to Southern River where she lives. As you would expect in Australia, we had a delicious BBQ after admiring their new house and sorting ourselves out.

Monday, 8th February Today was a day for domesticity. We put Sarah's washing machine to good use and did loads of washing. We also went to a huge shopping mall to buy a couple of extra Tshirts etc and I had my hair cut and coloured - always a nerve wracking experience in a strange country but it actually turned out fine. We also spent quite a bit on time on the internet sorting out a hire car for later in the week and trying to find accommodation in Margaret River. Unfortunately everywhere seems to be booked so we have a bit of a problem. We are planning a circular trip of about 10 days to tour the South West corner of Western Australia.

Tuesday, 9th February This morning we went into Perth. Sarah dropped us off at the train station and we caught a train (quick and cheap) which took us into the centre. Perth is an attractive city but quite unusual to our eyes because it is all very new. They have a wonderful, free bus service which takes you anywhere in the city you want to go. First stop was the visitor information centre to find out what we should do. Everyone was extremely helpful and we were almost bombarded with information. We have also discovered that the reason we are having trouble booking Margaret River is because there is a big music festival this coming weekend. The solution is to go to Albany first and arrive at Margaret River well after the festival has finished. We rode around on the buses for quite a while just to get our bearings and then got off at the Museum of Western Australia. This was a very interesting museum, beautifully laid out, with a variety of galleries dealing with different aspects of the state - flora and fauna, rocks and minerals, native people, history of the settlers etc. Later we went down to the waterfront on the banks of the Swan River and had a very good but enormous plate of fish and chips and a beer at a bar/restaurant called 'The Lucky Shag' gazing out over the water and watching the boats.

Wednesday, 10th February Today was Freemantle day (or Freeo as its known locally). Sarah came with us and we had a good day out, a mixture of sightseeing and eating (probably one of our favourite combinations). There is a free bus service in Freemantle but it is a very walkable place and we explored on foot taking in coffee shops (huge servings of cake!) as we felt the need. We did a tour of Old Freemantle Prison which was built originally to house the convicts who were transported from England but has been used as a prison for offenders until fairly recently. It was a very interesting tour, a bit grim at times, but this is our third prison in three months so we're getting used to it. In fact is seemed a soft touch compared with what we'd seen in Vietnam and Cambodia. We also went down to the waterfront and looked at the Round Tower before returning home. Freemantle has a lovely, relaxed feel to it, lots of boutique shops, coffee shops and restaurants and you could certainly happily while away quite a bit of time watching the world go by.

Thursday, 11th February Sarah dropped us off at the international airport to pick up our hire car. When we went to the car hire desks they were all totally deserted, not a soul in sight. Terry eventually found someone who said that we were at the wrong airport, we should be at the domestic one. We found a taxi and $30 later arrived at the domestic airport. Yes, they did have a car for us but it was at the international airport and we must go back there. Terry was not impressed, stamped his foot and jumped up and down a bit and after quite a long wait they eventually found a car for us but then we had to wait while they washed it. We knew it was a long drive to Albany (about 400km) and we didn't actually manage to set off until lunch time. Driving is very strange as the roads are almost completely empty and there are huge expanses of nothingness so falling asleep at the wheel is the biggest problem. Terry drove, my job was to keep up a stream of witty conversation to keep him awake. I was also on kangaroo watch. We've been in Australia a whole four days and still haven't seen Skippy or any of his friends which is a poor do. I did see a dead one by the roadside but Terry insisted that this didn't count, it had to be actually bouncing along! After several pretty unexciting hours we arrived in Denmark, a small town a few miles West of Albany, where we had booked a cottage for three nights. It took a bit of finding but when we finally arrived we were delighted with our choice. The cottage is octagonal, made of wood, and stands on stilts in woodland overlooking the water of Wilson Inlet. It has a lovely balcony with a BBQ and a jacuzzi with a view. It also has a kitchen so we could make meals rather than eating out all the time which after three months of restaurant and cafe food is a bit of a treat. We spent the evening on the balcony watching the black swans on the water and listening to the Kookaburras laughing their heads off and strange rustlings from below from we knew not what. Number of kangaroos sighted to date: 0

Friday, 12th February We took a short drive out to Ocean Beach, just along the road. It is a surfing beach rather than one for swimming and there were quite a few people out on boards. In fact the waves were quite manageable and we decided that it would be an ideal place for us to learn to surf. On reflection we decided, who were we kidding, we were carrying too much weight and too many years to leap on the board. Then we went into Denmark to see what it has to offer. It really is a charming little town, a bit like small American towns were portrayed in 1950's movies. Everyone seems very happy and relaxed, the houses are scattered amongst the trees and along the banks of the inlet, the shops and cafes are small and welcoming and it actually would be a super place to live. After a morning of soaking up all this homespun delightfulness we headed off east along the coast to Albany which is about 65km away. We still haven't got used to the fact that the roads are so empty and you might only see another vehicle about every five miles or so. Here the countryside is all forest with some areas cleared for grazing. There are some vineyards and farmsteads scattered around but the whole area is very sparsely populated. Albany is the main town in the region but still not very big. It is a former whaling town and the place where settlers first came to Western Australia. It is a mixture of old colonial buildings and small modern shopping malls. The visitors centre is excellent and gave us lots of ideas about what we could do. We walked the historic town trail down to the Amity, the ship that brought the first settlers from Sydney to claim Western Australia for the British. It is actually a replica of the original brig but has been built perfect in every detail. We went on board and, with the help of an audio guide, explored the small ship. It is amazing to think that 40 or 50 people lived in such a tiny space, let alone all the animals, stores, tools etc that they brought with them. After that we looked at the tiny school, stores, prison and residence for the magistrate that they established in the 1850's. We also took a walk through the town to 'Dog Rock' which is, yes, a rock shaped a bit like the head of a dog and not very exciting really. Everything closes up pretty early (4:30 to 5:00pm at the latest) so there wasn't time to do much more and we drove back to Denmark. I was on kangaroo watch on the homeward journey as I had been in the morning but still no skippies to be seen. Are we really in Australia? Another nice evening on the balcony with the BBQ and the kookaburras. We think the rustling is a possum. Number of kangaroos sighted to date: 0

Saturday, 13th February Today we headed in the west of Denmark towards Walpole and the wilderness area known as Valley of the Giants. This is an ancient forest of giant tingle trees, hundreds or years old and quite spectacular. A 600m ramp has been constructed which rises from the floor of the forest to the top of the tree canopy, 40m above. The ramp is an engineering feat in itself and the views from the top are stunning. The ramp is designed to sway gently in the breeze so that you feel as though you are part of the trees themselves. The trees have enormous trunks, some 16m in circumference and 50m tall. After braving the tree top walk we explored the forest floor on a walk that meanders through the base of the trees. Many of the trees are hollow at the base and you can stand right inside. The textures of the bark, the shapes of the branches and the variety of ground cover is pretty amazing too. It was also lovely and cool. After the forest adventure we decided to check out a couple of beaches as there are so many along this was a lovely stretch of coastline. Many of them are difficult to access as they are quite a few miles off the beaten track. We drove down to Peaceful Bay and here you could drive right down onto the sand if you wanted. There was a huge expanse of pure white sand and crystal clear water and only a few other people there. We paddled for a bit but decided it was a bit too cold to swim (what wimps we are) and headed back towards Denmark. Skippy watch again and, just when we'd decided there weren't any kangaroos in Australia, there they were in a field, a group of about 8 of them calmly grazing. Hurray! Our last stop of the day was at Greens Pond, an even more stunning stretch of beach. Greens Pond is small bay almost completely sheltered by a line of rocks out to sea so that it is more like a natural swimming pool that the sea. The water is incredibly clear, shines blue and green and is calm and inviting. It is all set off by the whitest of sand. We stayed on the beach for a while, put on our swimming things and went in the water. Very cold so not much actual swimming took place (well none actually!). Back to our balcony for another kookaburra evening. Number of kangaroos sighted to date: 8

Sunday, 14th February Up early this morning as we were leaving Denmark and making our way up the coast to Margaret River, about a 4-5 hour drive. We hadn't any accommodation booked so the plan was to get to the visitors' centre by early afternoon to arrange a place to stay for the next four nights. It's a beautiful drive through the karri and tingle tree forests, the sky is blue and there is hardly another car in sight. I'm on roo watch as usual and we spot several groups of about 20 in total
grazing the open areas. Some are actually bouncing along which is what you would expect from a kangaroo. We stopped the car so Terry can have a proper look and the kangaroos instantly froze, almost in mid hop. We sat for several minutes and they didn't so much as twitch let alone jump about. We drove on and I don't know if they immediately started hopping about again, having fooled those idiotic pommy tourists, or if they are still frozen in time. (Pause for existentialist contemplation!.) After a couple of hours of driving we realised that a) we were running a bit low on petrol, and b) we hadn't seen a petrol station since we left Denmark. We thought we had just about enough to get us to the next little town, Northcliffe. When we arrived there, horror of horrors, the petrol station was shut. Still a little left in the tank, just about enough to make the next place about 30km away. Off we set, and after driving for about 20km, realised we were heading in the wrong direction and had arrived at a deserted headland. With hearts in mouths we turned around and limped back to Northcliffe expecting at any moment to grind to a halt. Our only plan was to find a bed for the night and hope that the garage opened the following day. As we turned into the garage forecourt to double check that it really was closed, lo and behold, we spied another road and, joy of joys, another petrol station. This place was bigger that we had thought. With a full tank of fuel we were on our way again and finally reached Margaret River at about 2pm. The visitors' centre found us a very nice place to stay, a two bedroom cottage in a vinyard, which was reasonably priced and would suit us very well for a few days. We had a bit of a wander around Margaret River and found an internet cafe to upload some more blog and check on the outside world. Then we drove out to our accommodation and got ourselves sorted out. There was an absolutely spectacular sunset over the rows of vines which we enjoyed, drinking a complimentary bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to make it perfect.

Monday, 15th February We had booked a Bushtucker Wine Tour for today as we wanted to sample some of the much acclaimed local wines without having to drive. A minibus came to pick us up driven by our very own outback host, Garry. He was very funny and informative and took us to some great wineries. We sniffed, swirled and spat away the morning, tasting a wide variety of wines and enjoying most of them - well, all of them really. We even had one flavoured with chilli, a very strange experience! Some of the wine makers were real characters and it became a bit like wine and 'stand up' in some places. For lunch we had a tasting plate of all kinds of local produce including beef, olives, kangaroo and witchetty grubs, the last being truly horrible with a tough plastic outer and a soft squishy inside and looking like a giant caterpillar. The rest was much more palatable. In the afternoon we went to a place that made a whole range of flavoured liqueurs and had some very exotic concoctions followed by a brewery offering several types of different lagers and beers. By this time we were slightly unsteady and pretty sleepy so when the minibus got us back to our cottage we were fit for little more than collapsing straight into bed to sleep it all off.

Tuesday, 16th February We decided to make today, cave day. There are caves along the stretch of coast between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste and you can access many of them by driving the aptly named, Caves Road. We stopped first at Lake cave and took the guided tour underground. To get to the cave you have to descend a couple of hundred steps down through a large crater-like opening in the ground. Inside it was very beautiful with hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites all reflected in the water of the lake which extends the whole length of the huge cavern. The guide was very enthusiastic and informative and we learned lots about the different kinds of formations and how they came to be. We decided we would also go to Jewel Cave which was about 50km down the coast. Again it was a guided tour and we got there just in time for the last tour of the day. We had been pretty impressed by Lake Cave but were completely blown away by Jewel Cave. Again it was a steep descent into the cave but then it extended vertically rather than horizontally and we went very deep underground. The formations were absolutely stunning. Some of them were so fine that they looked more like lace than rock and there were many different shapes and textures. The whole effect was quite breath taking.

Wednesday, 17th February Having gone south of Margaret River yesterday we decided to travel north today up to Cape Naturaliste and Geographe Bay. When we got to the Cape we intended to take a walk but were mobbed by huge numbers of flies the moment we climbed out of the car so jumped back in pretty quickly. We made our way along the coast to Bunker Bay, a delightful beach with a very stylish Beach Cafe. One of the many good things about Australia is the quality of their loos, particularly at the beach which almost always included an area to change and shower. Bunker Beach was no exception so we changed into our swimming things and headed straight for the water. It was a glorious swim in crystal clear water with waves just big enough to be interesting without knocking us over. The only drawback is that there isn't any shade on the beach and so after our swim we could only stand about 10 minutes in full sun before it was off to change and sample the delights of the Beach Cafe. Refreshed from our swim we drove along to Busselton to look at the famous jetty. Unfortunately the jetty was undergoing a major refurbishment so the underwater observatory was closed and there wasn't a lot to see.

Thursday, 18th FebruaryToday we packed up and left our little home amongst the vines and made our way up the coast to Bunbury stopping at several little towns and beaches on the way. With the help of the information centre we managed to find a pleasant motel to stay for a couple of nights and spent the afternoon exploring the town and then swimming in the hotel pool. In the evening we found a very nice Italian restaurant to eat in. The only problem we've had with food in Australia is that the portions are absolutely huge and this restaurant was no exception. We'll have to start asking for one meal and two plates soon or we'll be enormous by the time we leave.

Friday, 19th February One thing Bunbury is well known for is Dolphins so today was going to be 'dolphin day'. We had booked an 11am eco-cruise from the Dolphin Discovery Centre but were told that if we got down to the beach early the dolphins often came in very close to feed and that this was a good opportunity to see them. We were down at the beach by 8:30 but the dolphins decided to have a lie in and didn't arrive until about 9:30. They were quite a long way out but we could see them leaping about in the water. At 11am a catamaran arrived to take us out to sea. Our captain, Mike, told us that our chances of seeing lots of dolphins today was very good and he was certainly right. When we got about 2km out to sea they started appearing in large numbers, at a distance at first and then closer and closer until they were swimming right under the boat. The water was so clear that we could see that below us was a large shoal of fish and that the dolphins were diving right under us to feed. You could even hear them talking to one another. Mike said that a calf had been born about a week ago and that was why they were all congregating so that mum could show off the new baby (just like humans!). We had an absolutely fantastic time watching them leap and dive and were really sorry when it was time to leave and go back to shore. We were so lucky to see what we did as Mike said it was the best viewing trip he had ever done. We spent the afternoon exploring Bunbury which is a very nice place to have a wander and the evening eating at a Thai restaurant (we've started pining for the East again).

Saturday, 20th February As we were taking a leisurely drive back to Perth and Sarah's today we decided to leave the coast and the beaches behind and explore inland a little. We stopped at the small, forest-covered town of Dwellingup because we planned a ride on the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway, an old logging track. When we arrived in Dwellingup we could see that there was some kind of local event taking place and discovered that we had happened upon the annual Dwellingup Log Chop. It was rather like a local village fete except, instead of a dog show or little girls riding ponies, it was a large number of big beefy men chopping logs. The chopping went on for most of the day with various competitions to see who could chop a large log in half the fastest. Everyone sat around eating hotdogs, drinking beer and discussing the form of the various choppers. Great stuff! After watching for a considerable time we went and found the little railway and took the train about 10km out into the forest. When it stopped we followed a marked circular forest wailing trail for half an hour or so and then caught the train back to Dwellingup for more log chopping. We got back to Sarah's in the early evening and joined in the mass pizza making activity that is their Saturday night tradition.

Sunday, 21st February We returned the car this morning and then made for Kings Park in Perth with Sarah and the children. Perth has lots of lovely green wide open spaces but Kings Park is something a bit special. It is about 4 sq km of parkland and natural bush, high above the city, with a large number of native plant species, lakes, raised walkways and a fantastic view of the Swan River below. We had a good walk and the children enjoyed a good run around before we went to another park that had a cafe, for lunch, and lots of play equipment for the children. Australia is really family friendly and this was just one of many open spaces where they provide play equipment, BBQ areas and shaded picnic areas. It was full of family groups having parties, get togethers or just enjoying a Sunday in the sunshine.

Monday, 22nd February Sarah dropped us off at the station this morning so that we could catch the train to Rockingham, another seaside town just a bit south of Perth. The TransPerth Transportation system is great and for only $8 you can travel all day by train or bus over a large area around Perth. Rockingham is a thriving seaside town with a wide variety of beaches. First we caught the bus to the very sheltered swimming beaches with lovely white sand and water with hardly a ripple. Behind the beach is a wide grassy area with lots of trees and sun shelters so we could enjoy a swim and then lounge under the trees. After lunch overlooking the sea we caught another bus over to the other side of the headland to the surfing beaches. There are huge houses in this area with magnificent sea views and it must be a great place to live (if you've got the money!). We found a stretch of water where there were loads of kite surfers and spent a very enjoyable hour or so watching them 'doing their thing'. Oh to be 40 years younger - it looked great fun.

Tuesday, 23rd February Today we caught up on washing etc and spent a lot of time combing the internet to find accommodation in Sydney. It was proving very difficult because our arrival on Saturday coincides with Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras weekend and the big parade is Saturday night. We eventually tracked down an apartment by the waterfront which sounds great and we'll be getting out the lycra and feathers to blend in with the crowd. In the evening we went to eat in a very nice Chinese place with Sarah and David

Wednesday, 24th February Our last day at Sarah's. After the children were all safely delivered to school we went, with Sarah, to Hilary's Boat Harbour, north of Perth. It is a very pleasant area with lots of shops and restaurants, a marina and a shallow swimming beach. We had a swim, a general lounge around, ate a very nice lunch, bought a few treats and arrived home mid afternoon. Terry was very happy because David had recorded the previous night's game between Man U and West Ham and he could sit and watch 'the lads' win on their huge television screen. A big thank you to Sarah, David, Jack, Matthew and Molly for having us to stay and particularly to Sarah who has driven us all over the place while managing numerous other activities at the same time.

Thursday, 25th February Off to the airport this morning for our flight to Ayers Rock. Although we were cutting it a bit fine for our flight because the traffic had been so heavy all went smoothly and we arrived in Uluru on time and with all our luggage. As we came into land you could see why this is called the Red Centre, the ground is bright orangey red and there, in the middle of flat bushland ,stands this big red rock! We have just two nights here staying at the Desert Gardens Hotel, which is part of Ayres Rock Resort and just outside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The first thing you realise it that you're sharing this place with about a million flies. They are everywhere, buzzing around your head, and so the first thing we did was purchase some very nifty, designer head nets. You feel pretty ridiculous in them until you realise that everyone else is wearing them too. There was something else we weren't expecting - rain. We only got the tail end of a storm that Alice Springs had really badly but it was cloudy and overcast. We explored the resort but there isn't a lot to see, a small shopping centre and a few other hotels make up the entire place with, of course, Uluru rising out of the bush. All the hotels are owned by the same company and you can use any of them so in the evening we went to the very posh 'Sails in the Desert' for drinks and a light supper. I say 'light supper' but the portions were huge and we have resolved to order one between two in future as our waistlines are rapidly expanding.

Friday, 26th February Up at 4:30am this morning to get the tour bus for sunrise over Uluru. We staggered, bleary eyed,onto a small touring coach to travel the 20km to the very well laid out viewing area. It was still very cloudy but as the sun rose we could see the colours and definition of the rock changing before our eyes. Once the sun was up we set off for the excellent cultural centre for breakfast before doing the Liru walk, led by our Anangu guide, Rita. She told us lots about the Anangu way of life and we stopped at various places along the route the use traditional tools and weapons. These are divided very rigidly into 'womens tools' and 'mens tools' - no women's lib for the Anangu ladies. Rita showed us how to make glue from a special plant and how to identify food from different trees. We even found the witchetty tree, the roots of which are the home of the notorious witchetty grub. Terry and the other men in the group learned how to throw a spear with a special spear thrower while the ladies practised balancing food baskets on our heads. (Why do they get all the fun!) We also found a Thorny Devil, a vicious looking creature, which was actually quite a gentle little thing. After tracking through the bush for the morning we returned to our hotel for an afternoon of R and R. It wasn't actually raining but it looked pretty dark overhead. In the evening we went to the 'Sounds of Silence Dinner'. Everyone dressed up for this and we were taken by coach quite a few miles into the bush. There we were greeted by champagne and kangaroo and crocodile canapes as the sun set over Uluru. Once it was dark we walked to another area where tables were laid out just like an upmarket restaurant, starched white cloths, sparkling glasses and silver cutlery. We were served a delicious meal and the wine flowed free. We shared our table with a very entertaining group of American ladies. There wasn't actually very much silence, more like raucous laughter. After the meal an astronomer was supposed to describe the night sky to us but unfortunately there was almost total cloud cover so there wasn't a star to be seen. He did a valiant job telling us about the stars that we couldn't see which was actually very funny. A very good evening and far too much to drink.

Saturday, 27th February Up at 4:30am again this morning for another tour. First we went to watch the sunrise again over Uluru but unfortunately visibility was even worse than yesterday. This morning we went to visit Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) a striking group of domed rocks that lie about 35km west of Uluru. We explored the rocks and took a walk along a steep sided gorge but unfortunately the rain came down. The tour returned us back to our hotel in time to catch the shuttle bus to the airport to continue our journey to Sidney. The flight was uneventful (we're getting very blasé about this now) and we arrived in Sydney in the late afternoon. We were very happy with our apartment on Woolloomooloo Bay and having unpacked, made our way to Oxford Street to join in the Gay Pride Mardi Gras party. What an experience. I think the whole world must have been there or at leaset the part of the world that wears pink tuille and wings. Everyone was having a great time and the outfits were outrageous - and that was just the crowd. The parade went on for hours and it was spectacular but difficult to see because of the enormous crowds. After a couple of hours of viewing we poor old souls retired to bed exhausted.

Sunday, 28th February Here we are in Sydney and we love it. We spent some time this morning just thinking about what we wanted to do and working out how we were going to get about. We got the sightseeing bus and had a tour around the city to get our bearings before stopping off at Cockleshell Bay in Darling Harbour for the Dragon Boat races which were the finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations. This is a very chic area surrounded by upmarket bars and restaurants and very much part of the Sydneysiders life style. After lunch and the finish of the races it came on to rain and we made a dash for the Sydney Aquarium to commune with the fishes. The Aquarium is brilliant with a fantastic array of marine life in huge tanks that you can walk through in glass tunnels. We saw an enormous crocodile, all manner of weird and wonderful fish, dungongs, fairy penguins, huge rays and many sharks. A very enjoyable couple of hours.

Monday, 1st March Rain again today - not what you expect in Sydney - but it is still very warm. We were going to go to the Opera House and harbour bridge but decided to save this for a better day and walked to the Art Gallery of New South Wales which is just up the road from our apartment. What a brilliant gallery. We explored it ourselves for about an hour and then took a guided tour of the highlights of the gallery which was very informative and took us to paintings that we might otherwise have missed. We had only intended to spend a couple of hours there but ended up spending all day as it was so good. We've also discovered that it is very easy to get to the centre of the city by walking through the Botanical Gardens so will be doing that in future.


Tuesday, 2nd March The weather was a bit brighter today so we decided to make it 'Iconic Sydney Day'. We started with a very pleasant stroll through the Botanical gardens to see Sydney Opera House. What an amazing building it is - it quite blew us away. Of course we had seen lots of pictures of it before but the real thing is so much better than photographs can portray. It is absolutely huge and the more you look at it the more you realise what an amazing feat of design and engineering it is. We had a good look around the outside and took in a great view of the Harbour Bridge. Lots of photographs later we went and booked in for the Opera House tour. Inside it was all equally impressive and the tour was very good, interesting and informative with little bits of backstage gossip thrown in. We also visited the newly redesigned Sydney Opera House loos. Well! How chic were they? Every surface was curved and the whole thing kind of flowed. I want one like that. After lunch at the Opera House overlooking the harbour we walked along to Circular Quay where all the boats come in and out. We walked around an area called 'The Rocks' which is the site of Sydney's first European settlement. It is full of old colonial buildings, little alleyways and converted warehouses. From there we made our way to Sydney Harbour Bridge so that we could walk across it. When you're on the bridge you can really feel the vibrations of traffic thundering across it. We walked to the centre and stopped to take in the magnificent view. Sydney harbour itself is quite amazing, a vast body of protected water full of activity. There are beaches, rocky headlands, beautiful apartments overlooking the water, pleasure parks, chic marinas with elegant eateries, a large variety of different boats from ocean liners to tiny rowing boats and, of course, the Opera House.

Wednesday, 3rd March Today we had arranged to meet up with the lovely Leigh, who we had met on our travels in Indo China. We were really looking forward to seeing her. Leigh lives on the north shore and was going to show us around the northern beaches. We got the ferry to Cremorne Point and there was Leigh waving like mad from the shore. Leigh took us on the most marvelous tour of the whole of the north side. We visited many wonderful beaches, saw some lovely vistas and many fantastic houses with stunning views from their many balconies. It was absolutely great because Leigh knew exactly where to take us and could also give us all the local knowledge as well. We stopped at a very nice pub for lunch and then continued on our tour taking in Palm Beach (tres chic) and Manley Point which has both ocean and harbour views. After our whistle stop tour we went back to Leigh's apartment where she thoroughly spoilt us with a feast of Australian treats. Afternoon tea of Lamingtons (sponge covered with chocolate and then rolled in cocoanut) was followed by dinner of locally smoked salmon, lamb, roast pumpkin and pavlova. All was delicious particularly as it was accompanied by Australian champagne and Hunter Valley red wine. A really great day all round and so lovely to see her.

Thursday, 4th March Our last day in Sydney and we felt we really must do Bondi beach before we leave. We walked down to Circular Quay and bought a Day Tripper ticket which would take us on ferries and buses all day. We got the ferry to Watson's Bay, had a good walk along the headland to the lighthouse and then back to the beach front to the famous 'Doyles' for fish and chips. We ate them with our fingers on the beach and were greatly enjoying them when a seagull swooped down and snatched my fish right out of my hand. It obviously knew that I am eating too much and putting on weight and took immediate action to rectify the matter. After lunch and a paddle we found a bus which would take us to Bondi beach which is further round on east coast. When we got to Bondi it wasn't quite what we expected. It is a lovely big sweep of a bay but is surrounded by buildings, some of them looking a bit the worst for wear. However there were muscular men in very small trunks working out on some fitness equipment and the sea was full of surfers so our faith was restored. We sat on the beach and watched the surfers for a while and had a paddle so we can kind of say we've had the Bondi experience. We caught a bus back into Sydney and went to the Chinese Friendship Garden down near Darling Harbour. This is a beautiful little garden given to the people of Australia by the people of China and is perfect in every detail. We had a lovely time wandering amongst the willows and pergolas, watching the giant carp in the many pools and taking tea in the Chinese Teahouse. Although the weather hasn't been great, we have loved our time in Sydney and definitely plan to return some day. We've been really tempted to stay for longer but there's so much more of Australia for us to see so it's off on a new adventure tomorrow.

Friday, 5th March This morning we packed everything up and walked to the car hire place, about 10 minutes away, to pick up a car for the next stage of our journey. The plan is to spend the next couple of weeks on the East coast working our way up from Sydney to Brisbane. Originally we were going to stop off in the Blue Mountains and the Hunter Valley before heading for the beaches but the forecast says the weather inland won't be great so we've decided to make for the beaches straight away so our first stop will be Port Macquarie. When we got to the car hire place we had a pleasant surprise because they had up graded our car from the modest Toyota Corolla we had booked to a flashy Ford Falcon XR6 because they wanted it returned to Brisbane. We went back to our Sydney apartment and collected our luggage and then set off for the 500km drive to Port Macquarie. The journey took longer than we had anticipated because we got stuck in a massive traffic jam caused by an accident so we didn't arrive until late afternoon. We were delighted with the apartment we had booked, a huge open plan design with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two balconies and every appliance you could possibly wish for. It is always a bit of a lottery with accommodation as we book it all up online with quite a tight budget and are never quite sure what we're going to get. Prices vary so much from place to place and day to day, weekends sometimes being double the weekday rate so what we get varies considerably but we've certainly struck gold this time. We picked up some supplies, dropped them off at the apartment and then walked into the town to check it out. We found a good bar and enjoyed a couple of glasses of fizz with the local Salsa Club. They meet there every Friday night and although we couldn't really remember how to Salsa (those classes last Spring were just a distant memory) we joined in as best we could. All Salsa'd out we went to look for a meal only to discover that everyone eats really early here so all the restaurants were closing. We returned to our swishy apartment for the night and a piece of toast.

Saturday, 6th March There is a super walk along the coast through a national park which is right on our doorstep so we did a section of it this morning. There are terrific views and beautiful bays of spectacular rocks or golden sand all along the way. We stopped at Shelley beach for a while, had coffee and raisin toast at the beach cafe and watched the surfers. They were all young and fit, of course, but this wasn't a posing beach and there were also plenty of normal people just enjoying the beach and lots of families body boarding. We walked back to our apartment and went for a swim on the nearby beach. The sun was shining and the water was warm so what more could you want. It was great fun, lots of surf so it was more of a wallow and a body surf than a swim but very good. We decided to eat in tonight (a bit more exciting than last nights' toast) and enjoyed a pleasant evening on our balcony.

Sunday, 7th March This morning was cloudy so we decided to head for Timbertown, a recreation of a timber settlement of 150 years ago. We were afraid that it might have been a bit Disneyish but it was all very low key and genuine. Original buildings from the local area had been gathered together in a clearing in the forest by a timber mill. Homesteads, a tiny school, a church, shops, workshops etc as well as the mill itself all showed what it must have been like for those early pioneers. There was also a display of bullock driving from a genuine woodsman who was in possession a magnificent team of 10 bullocks as well as an equally magnificent beard. The bullocks were used to haul the timber as well as to plough the fields etc and do all the heavy work. What we don't know about bullock driving now isn't worth knowing. We spent a very happy few hours looking at all the exhibits before returning to Port Macquarie and an evening at the Thai restaurant.

Monday, 8th March We decided today would be Australia flora and fauna day as, apart from our kangaroo spotting exploits in the west, our trip was painfully short on such things. With this in mind we headed for the Billabong Koala and Wildlife park a few miles inland. As we paid our money to get in we were told we were just in time for dingo patting so it was rapidly off to the dingo enclosure to pat! Wild dingos look remarkably like domestic dogs so it wasn't exactly living life on the edge, especially when the dingo in question was called Ernie, but the handler assured us that Ernie could 'turn' at any time so we were suitably impressed. We then took our time to see all sorts of other things Australian, emus (we kept an eagle eye out for Rod Hull but he wasn't around), wombats, possums, wallabies (which we hand fed), snakes and crocodiles (which we didn't) to name but a few. ,The highlight of the visit was koala patting after lunch. They really are remarkably cute animals which spend 20 hours a day just sleeping in a tree and the rest of the time just nibbling the tree they've been sleeping in. We had a lovely time stroking one, they are incredibly soft and cuddly. Having accomplished the fauna part of the day we set off to Sea Acres Rainforest Centre to take care of the flora. Sea Acres is a protected piece of the original rainforest to be found on this coast and there is a visitors' centre with an excellent board walk through the forest. It was really like being in the jungle with giant creepers dripping from the trees, tree ferns, strange bird calls, the lot. You expected Tarzan to come swinging through at any moment. The boardwalk was above the ground, ranging from about 1 metre to 6 metres above so it was like being in a textbook diagram of a rainforest with all the layers clearly shown. We returned to the cafe for tea and double chocolate cheesecake which was on special offer so just had to be eaten. No wonder we can't fit in our clothes any more. We returned to Port Macquarie and a dip in the pool to work off some of the cheesecake but I think you'd have to do a heck of a lot of lengths to compensate that number of calories. A very good day, Australian flora and fauna mission successfully accomplished.

Tuesday, 9th March Today we said goodbye to our wonderful apartment and Port Macquarie and set off for Byron Bay, 400km up the coast. The 'Lonely Planet' guide says, “Byron Bay's reputation precedes it like no other place in Australia: it is a gorgeous town where the trademark laid-back, New Age populace lives an escapist, organic lifestyle against a backdrop of evergreen hinterland and never-ending surfable coastline.” This must be the place for us, a chance to grow the dreadlocks (a bit of a challenge for Tel) and hang out with the surfing dudes and the beautiful people. Well this might be a bit of a steep learning curve for two old souls well past the first and second flush of youth but we'll give it a try! The drive up was pleasant but uneventful and we arrived at our new apartment about 4pm. It is slightly out of town and perfectly fine but a bit dark and a slight a let down after the last one (which ironically cost the same). After unpacking we set out looking for action and beautiful people via the supermarket for food. This seems to be backpacker heaven and very few people are over 25 unless they have long beards or sport the leather like skin the perpetual surfer. On the beach at sunset people are playing drums and guitars, singing and dancing or hanging out with fish and chips. In the bars much beer is being downed to the sound of live bands and everyone has at least one tattoo and lots of beads. There is also a strange herby smell in the air - hmm, I wonder what it can be? Is this really the place for us. We scuttle back to the safety of our apartment and food.

Wednesday, 10th March This morning we ventured down to the beach near where we are staying. You can only get there by walking and the route goes through a wide stretch of national parkland which leads you to the most amazing beach. Miles of white sand, crashing waves and fizzing surf. This is Tallow beach and only used by very experienced surfers as there are dangerous rips and a wide expanse of nothingness. It is stunningly beautiful. There were a few surfers riding the waves and we sat and watched for some time. I could watch them for hours. We walked back to our apartment, picked up the car and drove into town for another look around. In the daylight it all looks much more manageable. There are some super shops with lovely things, art galleries and lots of places offering all kinds of alternative therapies We drove round Cape Byron and climbed up to the lighthouse which is Australia's most easterly point. We've now been as far west and as far east as you can go in Australia. Wow! The view from the lighthouse was spectacular with all of Tallow Beach on one side of the headland and Byron bay on the other. Views don't get much better than this. After all this viewing we returned to our complex for a swim in the pool. The water, although unheated, is deliciously warm and we had a lovely, leisurely swim and lounge about.

Thursday, 11th March One of the things we did in town yesterday was book a snorkeling trip for this morning so we were up with the lark and down to the dive centre first thing. Mike, the guy we had booked it with, suggested that it would be a good idea to try out the equipment in their pool before we went out on the boat. I think this might have been a ploy on his part to see if the poor old codgers could actually swim. We put on wet suits etc and swam and duck dived for about 10 minutes which proved that there was life in the old dogs yet and so our gear was duly loaded on to the dive boat. There was then a lot of waiting around while the rest of the people turned up which took about an hour. To make up for the wait we were given a free underwater camera to use which we thought was pretty generous of them. Eventually everyone was assembled and we got into 4Xwheel drives to tow the dive boat to the beach. We were going out to the Julian Rocks which lie out in the sea beyond Byron Lighthouse where we were yesterday. Getting the boat into the water was quite an experience as the surf was up and the rollers coming on to the beach were very powerful but eventually it was accomplished and we were off. The ride out was pretty exciting as our dingy crashed through the waves at an alarming speed and we all clung on for dear life. After a few minutes we reached the rocks and came to a halt. This whole area is a protected marine park and so we were hopeful that there would be lots to see. After a short briefing about what we might see and where the designated area were, it was on with the gear and into the water. There was a fair swell on the water but it was warm and clear and we set off snorkelling right away. We had an amazing time. Within a couple of minutes of peering down into the water we realised that we were swimming with sharks - yes, sharks. They were huge, about 2 metres long and there were lots of them and they were right below us. I would like to build this story into our fight with the jaws of death but I have to be honest and say that they were leopard sharks which are perfectly harmless - still pretty impressive. Though. Just as we were getting to grips with the sharks a huge manta ray came swimming by. Again it was absolutely enormous and we were very excited. After that we saw lots of smaller, brightly coloured fish; yellow and black stripes, bright blue, silver with a white stripe, all sorts. We stayed in the water for almost an hour watching the sharks and other things until we were called back to the boat. Just as we were clambering aboard someone saw a turtle but we were just too late to be able to swim back to it before it disappeared again. When we were all back on the boat crashed back through the waves to the beach. We'd had a great trip.

Friday, 12th March Today we drove up the coast to Surfer's Paradise to visit Vanessa, a friend we had made on our Rajastan tour. Surfer's is on the Gold Coast, a kind of mini Las Vegas, and is just over an hour away from Byron Bay. We had a super day catching up with her on what had been happening to each of us since our trip back in December. Vanessa is back in Australia to do a course in physical fitness and living with her parents at present. They have the most magnificent apartment overlooking the coast and the inland lagoons, with a view to die for. Vanessa took us on a whistle stop tour of Surfer's Paradise and the surrounding area. It is mainly all very high rise and glam and we could see how the life style could be quite addictive - sun, sea and beautiful people . It was lovely to see Vanessa again and relive some of the Rajastan adventures with her. The weather wasn't fantastic and driving home we hit some torrential rain but we had a good day out.

Saturday, 13th March Weather wasn't great so we had a bit of a mooching about day today. We looked at some shops, spent a bit of time on the beach and had a swim in the pool whenever the sun came out. We had decided that this evening we would get fish and chips from Fisheads Restaurant and sit and eat them on the beach along with the 'hip people' which is what you do in Byron Bay. Unfortunately it was pouring with rain and all the hip people were huddled in their campervans so we had to go to plan B which was to eat fish and chips inside the restaurant as the rain pounded the plastic sheeting at the windows.

Sunday, 14th March Off on the road again today, leaving Byron Bay to drive to Noosa up on the Sunshine Coast, a couple of hours north of Brisbane. Our accommodation this time is great, a two bedroomed townhouse at the Ivory Palms Resort. I managed to get a great deal on the internet which includes free DVDs and a bottle of Champagne so I think we are well set up for the next few days. Noosa is surrounded by waters, not only the sea but lakes and river inlets so just about everywhere you look you have a view of water. It is very upmarket but also a very popular surfing place. We didn't realise that there is a festival of surfing taking place this week and so Main Beach at Noosa heads is heaving with surfing dudes. This is also a very popular weekend retreat for people from Brisbane and so there is no where at all to park. We decided it would be better to retire to one of our three swimming pools back at the resort for the rest of the day which is what we did. It's a hard life.

Monday, 15th March As the weekend was over we thought that things would be a little quieter today so we set off to explore more of Noosa without the car. We walked along from our place to the Marina which took about ten minutes and had coffee at a very nice little cafe overlooking the water. After that we caught the bus to Noosa Heads and strolled along Hastings Street which is full of very chic shops and is where the 'action' is before going to the beach to watch the surfing. Some of these guys are very good and do some spectacular stuff while others seem to spend an awful lot of time just bobbing about in the water waiting for the right wave. We retired to a bar in Hastings Street to have a beer and do a bit of serious people watching. We observed that, in fact, just about everyone was carrying a board and had no shoes on. We considered buying a board and just wandering about in order to 'get with the vibe' but we're not convinced people would be fooled. So we'll stick with the watching for now. There were bush turkeys wandering the streets and parrots in the trees so it all felt very exotic. It has rained on and off today although it is still very warm. When it does rain it absolutely crashes down which is a bit of a shame. This evening we dodged the downpours to go back to the marina to a very nice restaurant which had a beautiful view of the water if only we could have seen it through the lashing rain. Never mind the food made up of it.

Tuesday, 16th March The weather forecast said that there is a cyclone off the coast of Australia which is responsible for all this rain and that it will continue for several days at least. I thought this was supposed to the the sunshine coast! This morning the rain was crashing down so we used the time to catch up on internetting etc. It stopped for a little while so we went out to get a bite to eat before dashing back home. Thank goodness for the 3 free DVDs and the champagne.

Wednesday, 17th March This morning we were leaving Noosa to drive to Brisbane, our last stop in Australia, to stay with Charmian and Geof (from the Indo China trip). We packed up the car and drove to the marina for breakfast in a very nice cafe overlooking the water. Having breakfast out seems to be a very Australian thing and there was an excellent selection of all kinds of yummy sounding things to chose from. We spent a very leisurely hour or so enjoying our meal before setting off for Eumundi, a small town in the hinterland. The main reason we were going there was that the lady at the information centre in Noosa said that there was a very good market and, as the weather still wasn't brilliant, we thought it would be a good place to spend an hour or so. We were so glad we went as Eumundi is a great place. The main street looks as if it has been built as a film set for the perfect little town. All the shops, the post office, the library, the museum, the hotel and the houses were all beautiful wooden buildings painted in pastel colours with verandas, flowers etc. The shops, cafes and galleries all looked delightful and the market was absolutely fantastic. Many of the stalls sold local arts and crafts, locally made clothes and jewellery and local produce. It would be absolutely the most perfect place to live if only it wasn't on the other side of the world. After a couple of hours exploring we headed off to Brisbane to find Charmian and Geof's home which is in a suburb called Windsor. It was only when we were on the way that we realised that we didn't really know where they lived. After pouring over maps and trying to 'google' it on the slowest internet connection in the world we eventually found it. It was great to see Charmian and Geoff again. They have a typical Queenslander type house with a lovely big deck where we enjoyed a very pleasant evening catching up on events since we parted in Cambodia.

Thursday, 18th March This morning we dropped the hire car off and then went to explore Brisbane. What a great city it is. We walked all along the river on a boardwalk / cycle track to the botanical gardens. All along the route were smart and inviting restaurants, cafes and chic apartment blocks. We crossed the river on the Friendship Footbridge, very modern and attractive, to the South Bank. What a great place that was. There was the most beautiful arbor walk of huge metal structures covered in purple bougainvillea which led to a man made beach area and swimming lagoon. Beside this was the most wonderful water area with fountains, cascades and shallow pools for children to play in. All this was surrounded by gardens, sitting areas, BBQ and picnic areas and walkways. We were bowled over by this place - what a fabulous area for people to enjoy and all for free. Later we continued on to the cultural centre where we went to the Art Gallery of Queensland. Lots of interesting paintings and sculptures to enjoy so we spent quite a long time there. Afterwards we went next door to the museum and spent another hour or so looking at a whole host of different exhibits - all very interesting and beautifully presented. Exhausted after all this walking and culture we returned to Windsor for some r and r.

Friday, 19th March Today Charmian wasn't working so she volunteered to take us out for the day. We decided it would be good to go inland to the Glass House Mountains and explore the Brisbane hinterland. The Glass House Mountains are volcanic cones and plugs and and stand out starkly on the skyline. The landscape is stunning and there are magnificent views whereever you look. We stopped at several viewpoints and could see for miles and miles. We went to an area of preserved rainforest and had a very interesting walk seeing many huge and wonderful trees, lots of different birds and a padimelon which is a kind of small wallaby. After our walk we visited a couple of delightful little towns which had great restaurants and coffee shops (we had an excellent lunch in one) and lots of smart little shops and galleries which we explored. We drove home via the coast and visited the very nice seaside town of Caboolture where we walked along the coastal path and watched the surfers. To finish the day we met up with Geof and went in to Brisbane to have dinner. Our last day in Australia and what a great day it had been. We've seen so much and had so many fantastic experiences during our six weeks in Australia and yet we feel we've hardly scratched the surface. There is so much more we want to see that we're just going to have to come back. We would love to spend some more time in Sydney and also see more of the Fraser Coast and then there is still Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide... It has also been brilliant to meet up with family and friends and learn a bit more about what it is like to live 'down under'.

Saturday, 20th March Charmian and Geof very kindly got up at crack of dawn and took us to the airport for our flight to New Zealand.

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Comments

[Rosie]

Fantastic!
Hello, well Australia sounds great, very envious of your trip to see the dolphins, something I would love to see. Well its Saturday 13th March, 3.00pm a still dry day and boiling 10 degrees!!! Things are looking up! Danny has just returned from football after a bit of a defeat (just the 8-2)! and now he and Katie are now both playing(!) with much shouting basketball in the garden.... Most probably end in tears! Col has gone to Stamford Bridge.... can't remember whom they are playing (what kind of wife am I?) and its mothers day tomorrow, good I can really pampered! Just to make you both laugh we had Ofsted in over the past couple of days! Don't you both miss that???! I am very worried as I have a horrible feeling you two will not want to come home.....It will be very dull after this most amazing adventure perhaps we can re-design the garden to reflect every experience you have had!!! Should I start with feeding rats milk? or building a temple or two? Oh not forgetting Skippy! Think on it! Well better go, off to Sainsbury's now... something else I expect you miss! Take care you two and no need to say have fun!! Love all of us xxxxxxxx