Advertisement
Published: November 25th 2015
It was a leisurely 6am start (compared with my recent trip) with a good brekkie before my bus turned up to take me to the airport. Low and behold the driver's family was originally from Port Talbot and Neath area. Sometimes it's such a small World. ? It was a short journey to the Airport and I was all set for another flight. The Check-In desk hadn't opened when I arrived but there was already a small queue, which I joined. Looking forward to my next adventure and reminiscing on my recent ones, I was soon at the desk. Then came the question "Do you have any lighters or matches in your case?" and it suddenly dawned on me, I did!! In my 'Emergency Tin' of all places. Although I'm convinced, I've flown numerous times before with them in there. Anyway, I had to move to the side and retrieve them. Matches now safely in my hand luggage, I got my main bag checked in and my Boarding Card. Next stop Passport Control, which has never been an issue before! My Tablet and Phone removed from my bag, I watched as they were scanned. Here come my devices but my rucksack
needs rescanning, and again and again. Now it's needs to be searched. I couldn't rack my brains as to what was in there??? So half emptied, it was rescanned again. Further items removed and again and a third time, until finally they found my little gadget tool. Ooooops. Some terrorist I would make, that I don't even realise I'm harbouring a dangerous weapon!!! I couldn't believe it. Since the beginning of the year, this will be my 14th flight!! What a muppet I felt! I asked if I could I put the offending article in my main case but seeing the queue, I opted to bin it. Going back through the queue to have my bag scanned yet again the member of staff smiled and said I could have gone straight through. I suppose at this point he'd seen every fibre of it. Once I was through I was ready to go to the Gate. I turned around and now had to be swabbed. Seriously this tan must be making me look dodgy or something! ? Finally at my gate, although this Airport is very small, it wasn't long before I was boarding. As I got on I was greeted
with a "Good Morning" to which I reciprocated. Well here we go, the Welsh contingent is definitely out in force, the Air Stewardess was originally from Magor! Honestly N.T. had been infiltrated by the Welsh or so it felt like. ? Totally overwhelmed by these odd occurrences I took my seat. Only it wasn't! Right row, wrong window! Doh! It was definitely time for a lie down before meeting Carol in Adelaide. (Carol my friend's auntie, who kindly offered me to come stay with her, after reading my blog.) Now situated by the right window and enjoying the view. It was only then, I fully appreciated the name 'Red Centre' with the ground beneath, glowing a fiery red. Even though I had taken a flight, I was getting to see some of the land, I should have been travelling through by rail. ? There wasn't a cloud in the sky and my views crystal clear until we neared my destination; Adelaide! I arrived around lunchtime and again there was a time change. It was +1hr this time and definitely alot cooler, now 18°C and rocking my fleece I set about meeting Carol. It was lovely, I had a little welcome
party, Carol and her granddaughter. Carol lives in a southern suburb of Adelaide known as Reynella about half an hours drive away. Her home was really nice and welcoming and I was certainly in for the home from home experience. With that, the first place we visited, the bottle shop, for some well needed supplies. I know I'm in Oz, but I'm an Argentinian Malbec girl through and through, so with four bottles in tow I would be right for at least the first few nights! ? We stocked up on some GF food supplies, as I was going to cook for us whilst I stayed there as a small gesture of 'Thanks' for putting me up or should that be, for putting up with me! ? Chinese barbecue pork with rice followed by sticky date cake and a bottle of plonk each, saw my first night dissappear in a blur. Although technically this was an extra day as I still would have been on the Ghan at this point, if all had gone to plan! Carol had kindly given me a set of house keys for me to come and go whilst she was in work and showed me
the workings of the shower. The following day I enjoyed a lie in before meeting up with Micha and Hannah in Adelaide City Centre. I had met these two fab ladies when they had traveled with me from Darwin to Alice but had gone to Uluru a day earlier than my tour. Getting ready and about to shower, I realised the hot tap wasn't working so I had a very quick cold shower and about half an hour later I was ready to leave. That's what I'd intended anyway, until the discovery of the 'Dead Bolt' on the front door. I didn't have a key for that! Carol had gone to work and locked me in. I was in hysterics!!! ??? I messaged the girls and explained, I might be a bit late who kindly offered to come and break me out! Being Welsh there was only one thing I could do to ease the situation, put the kettle on and have a cuppa tea. Carol returned not long after, to let me out and dropped me in town. Here I was in South Australia meeting two friends from the Netherlands. The girls had chosen a little place to meet
up although unbeknown to all of us, it had shut sometime ago so we ended up in a cute little place called the 'Sad Cafe' which was aptly named as this would only be a quick catch up. The girls were leaving soon to fly to Melbourne and the following day I already had lunch plans. That evening though, I was in for a treat. Carol, me and Mary (Carol's friend) were off to see Linda McCarthy, a local singer performing in the Morphett Vale Function Centre. I thought the clock had rolled back 40 years with hits from the 70's and Australian couples merrily waltzing their way around the dance floor. It was a great laugh all washed down with some food and vino. Lunchtime the following day I caught up with an old Welsh friend who I had not had not seen in about twenty odd years! I met up with Christian Tedaldi. Christian has been out in Adelaide for about 18 months with his family, so it was great to have another local to show me the sites. We met in the centre where we headed towards the Grange beach resort for a spot of lunch, ice
cream and a few pints! It was wonderful catching up and very surreal that this was happening half way across the world from where we were both brought up! I enjoyed catching up about family and friends we knew and the location just highlighted the lovely coast Adelaide is surrounded by. Later on Christian kindly dropped me back in Adelaide where I strolled through the Botanical Gardens before catching my bus back to base. The following day I spent sometime planning my upcoming road trip between Adelaide and Melbourne whilst Carol went to work. On her return we took a jolly to an area called Glenelg. This is situated again on the coast about half way between Reynella and Adelaide. It was mid afternoon on a Sunday with the Sun still shining high in the sky as it wasn't going dark until at least 8pm. We strolled through the main street and out onto the jetty. The beach full of families and youngsters enjoying frolicking about in the sea without a care in the world. So far, this had not been a sight I had witnessed in Oz, so it was nice to see what I perceived to me a
normal beach scene. We continued to walk along the front, to the Harbour area where we watched the poor people with their small boats ? whilst enjoying some dinner. I love eating outside and the scenery here was just magical. I tucked into braised goat served with potatoes and peas in a casserole style dish. It was delicious! Then, if that wasn't enough we grabbed some 'Copenhagen' ice cream to finish off. We both waddled back to the car and made our way to the house. Time was getting on and the sun was turning in, on another day. We caught it setting at Hallett Cove which was truly magical. It was to be an early night as tomorrow we had a trip to the Barossa Valley. We got up first thing and was ready, for some wine tasting! ? There were 15 of us altogether on the trip, which included a visit to the World's Largest Rocking Horse that Carol and I climbed and have certificates to prove it! We then visited the 'Whispering Wall' which is a Dam and acoustic masterpiece. You could clearly have a conversation across it which sounded like the person was stood next to
you. I spoke to a lady from New Zealand. Five winery visits followed, encorporating lots of wine, port, mead and a fabulous lunch with antipasti to start, followed by a chicken and mango salad and chocolate orange cake for dessert. It was a great day and I confirmed I'm absolutely not a Shiraz/Syrah girl, even though that's what the Barossa is world famous for! Time as usual was flying by and my last few days with Carol were upon me. On Tuesday we took a run down to Victor Harbour where we had intended to walk over to Granite Island but unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse where the temperature had dropped and some light showers appeared. It was a lovely run in the car and when we arrived it was just fine enough, to eat our picnic lunch outside. The only problem...Seagulls and lots of them! I warded them off and they appeared to soon loose interest and flew away. I relaxed and went to enjoy my rice cake ham sandwich at which point the clever gull swooped in and stole it! Some expletives followed as sheer disbelief set in! ? How rude! That evening we
had a meal with Carol's daughter and her family. I had met her once before back in Wales when she visited about 22 years previously. This again was a great evening reminiscing and chatting about what we were currently upto. My last day with Carol lent itself to some retail therapy and it felt odd seeing all the stores rammed full with Christmas stuff and even more bizarre was Christmas Cards with snow scenes!!! That afternoon I took a final stroll through the city of Adelaide, this time walking along the Torrent river before heading back to once again pack my bags. My week with Carol had been fabulous and the most normal since I'd arrived in Oz. It had given me a chance to recharge and time to plan my next trip, as the following day I had decided to hit the road, literally! I had ordered a manual transmission car for 6 days which I would collect in Adelaide and drop off in Melbourne. All the talk I had heard about the Great Ocean Road, I didn't want to miss out. A mini road trip would surely add to my adventure! Carol kindly dropped me in town to
collect my car along with my luggage (which appeared to be growing). The guy in the shop appeared to be most helpful when he said they'd given me a free upgrade. This was until, he told me he'd swapped it to an automatic!! I was furious and explained I didn't want the upgrade just the manual car I had ordered. Well it turned out, they don't own any manuals and hadn't updated the third party company I had used to make my booking. Given they could now only provide me with an automatic, I asked 'Tom' (the guy in the shop) if he could give me a new quote for a smaller automatic car. When Tom went to charge me more than I'd been quoted for my original car with the upgrade, I decided after a few short sharp exchanges that I'd take that and a Sat Nav. Oh and some tuition into how to drive an automatic!!! I left the shop with the car and headed to Mount Lofty for my final view of Adelaide CBD and it's surrounds. The first hour, my driving was iffy at best, but luckily I hadn't hit anything. ? Slowly I began to
get to grips with it and stopped trying to change gear ? and with that, I made my way to Victor Harbour driving through the beautiful countryside taking a slightly different route to the one, I had taken with Carol. I arrived just around Check In time, so dropped my things in my room with views over the bay and headed out to walk around Granite Island. Luckily today the weather was much improved compared with Tuesday, when I got mugged by the Seagull! The causeway was spectacular, with the ocean an array of colours from the shallow depth and the growth below. I was lucky enough to see a Stingray skirt the surface before hiding away again. The island had a short circular route providing breathtaking views from every angle. The granite rocks covered in rich orange algae, the lush greens and yellows from the foliage that led into the bright white spray of the water bolstered by the deep blue surround of the ocean. It truly was beautiful as well as, very, very windy! The following day the weather a little overcast, I visited Kangaroo Island with a day tour. I was hoping I could do it by
myself, but the cost to get me and the car on the island was £150 before any accommodation, so I decided against it. I was so pleased I had taken the trip though. ? The island is the third largest in Australia and seven times the size of Singapore!!! There was obviously a bit of travel involved, but they covered the highlights in a relaxed way and I didn't have to drive! ? Firstly, I got up close to some rare wildlife, namely the Australian Sea Lion at Seal Bay. This was definitely a highlight and then later spied some rather lazy Koalas in the trees when completing the Hanson Bay Koala walk. The lunch provided was nice with warm meats and salad including Honey and Mustard dressing created from Honey produced solely on the island from Italian Bees. The weather improved and the sun shone although the breeze was a little cold. I was so glad, it had picked up, as on the island they have some unique rock formations known aptly as the 'Remarkable Rocks'. These are a cluster of large granite boulders that have been sculpted by the weather perched on a large granite dome which rises
steeply from the ocean. They were definitely quite impressive in the sunshine. The other natural formation that was spectacular, was 'Admiral's Arch' which sits beneath the cliff, created from the pounding sea. Here we could see New Zealand Fur Seals and Sea Lions frolicking in the waves below. I did see a few Kangaroos on the island given its name, but it was lovely to see another form of wildlife. On the ferry back I witnessed the sun beginning to set, marking the end of another day. I was beginning to feel, if I closed my eyes for a second, a week would pass me by. Time felt, at warp speed on this section of my journey. The next day was the continuation of my road trip where I'd leave Victor Harbour and end in Robe. The drive in total would take about four hours so I decided to make a few stops along the way to take some photos and stretch my legs. I started with a drive onto Hindmarsh Island accessed from Goolwa to an area known as Pullen Spit to view, where the 'Murray River' meets the sea. It was being dredged at the time which apparently
is something, required quite often. It was quite cold today, and overcast with a threat of rain but still interesting to see this vast sandy shore where the river and sea mix. This area was part of the 'Coorang National Park' a wetland of international importance and a little further down the coast there was another wildlife warning sign. This time 'Puffa Fish'. Honestly, there appeared to be something new everyday that could kill us! ? The sun, desperate to make an appearance was well recieved as I stopped at 'Ferrymans Reserve' just before exiting the island for a photo of the harbour and connecting bridge. I had been advised, whilst in the vicinity to visit Goolwa Barrage located on the Sir Richard Penninsula, part of the Coastal reserve within the National Park, so I did! It was nice to stroll halfway across it and watch the different bird life going about their business. With the large Pelicans taking a nap in the warmth of the sun as well as keeping one beady eye on me!! Not wanting again, to be chased by one of them, I made a swift exit to the car. A short distance away was a
boardwalk path through the sand dunes that gave me a fantastic view of the ocean and the hidden expanse of Goolwa Beach. It was incredible the length of this coastline, that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was past lunchtime already, so I needed to make tracks to Robe. I caught the simple car ferry at Tailem Bend to cross the Murray River and continued my journey through the Coorang National Park, this time passing through wetlands and salt lakes with the ocean in the distance. Some of the journey was inland through bush areas but it was hard driving with the long monotonous straight roads. I was relieved when I glimpse the sign for Robe as I'd forgotten how tiring driving can make you feel. I had booked AirBnB accommodation here and my host was most welcoming. I was lucky, as I had the house to myself most of the evening so prepared some food, kicked back and researched where I was going to stop on the way to Warrnambool. There was an awful lot to see, so left early. Before leaving Robe completely, I took in some of its coastal path to blow away the
cobwebs and get prepared for a busy day of driving and sightseeing. I got views of the Robe Marina, Cape Dombey and Doorway Rock before heading off. My route took me past Mount Gambier, so I stopped quickly to view the 'Blue Lake' before leaving behind South Australia and entering Victoria which also took with it, half an hour! Can you believe it? Another bloody time zone! This, I lost mid morning as I passed by a huge Windfarm spanning the coastline of both territories. My first official stop in Victoria was 'Cape Bridgewater' a beautiful expanse of pristine beach encompassed by some of the highest cliffs in the state. Continuing forward with my journey, it was early afternoon when I reached 'Port Fairy', a very quaint coastal town with some rather fabulous properties aligning the Moyne River that runs through it. There was of course, another island just off it, named 'Griffiths Island'. This again had a well defined walking route so I took the opportunity, as today the sun shone gloriously in the sky. There was a solid path that connected the island and the tide on its way out, left a number of rockpools behind that you
could look into. 'Hawk Eye Williams' (which is another name I've been known by, as I seldom miss anything) spotted a Puffa Fish lurking. I couldn't believe it. I was like a child and thought it was so cool! ? Luckily for me I had seen the 'Danger Sign' only the previous day, so I could easily identify it! My wildlife experiences in Oz had given me memories I'd treasure forever. Again, this island coastal path didn't dissapoint with me passing by a picture perfect Lighthouse surrounded by vibrant coloured vegetation and the brightest of waters. There were a few people about, enjoying this picturesque place including a set of retired friends originally from Yorkshire, now living in Adelaide which I met briefly, when I offered to take a group photo. With all this driving, walking and chatting it was time for a treat. Coffee and Cake was the order of the day with 'Rebecca's Place' full of GF goodies, I just couldn't resist. Now full of calories, I needed another walk to try and work off at least some of it. A few kilometres inland, there was the 'Tower Hill' area which is a volcanic formation believed to have
erupted 30,000 years ago and has been transformed by a revegetation project that started in the 1950's. It made for a simply stunning environment to walk in, including Kangaroos bouncing around me. It was nice actually to take in some hills and the views that they presented. There were a number of short walks on offer with me choosing the one entitled 'Journey to the Last Volcano' which allowed me to walk a large portion of the area. My next stop would be my last for the day, Warrnambool and whilst researching this place, the previous night, I booked a Light Show attraction for my evenings entertainment. I arrived around 6pm to my accommodation where again I had chosen to use AirBnB. This one, was exceptional with me having the third floor of a townhouse all to myself. I even had a balcony that gave a wonderful view of the sea. It was great to have five minutes and a freshen up before making my way to Flagstaff Hill Museum. The light show was cleverly created by shining projections onto a spray of water. The story depicted the tragic sinking of the Loch Ard ship that had come from England
bound to Victoria in March 1878. It had a Captain, 37 crew members and 17 passengers on board and a highly prized piece of Minton Ceramic which was a life size decorated porcelain peacock handmade by the Italian artisan Paul Comolera. It was to be shown in an exhibition in Melbourne in 1880. The ship sank on May 31st when a thick mist obscured the view and it got caught up on the reef. The only survivors; 18 year old Eva Carmicheal and ship's apprentice Tom Pearce as well as the Peacock. Eva returned to Ireland and enjoyed a long life after all her immediate family died in the tragedy and Tom died in Britain from heart disease, who also reached a decent age and is buried in Southampton. The peacock is now owned by the Flagstaff Hill Museum and is worth $4.4 million. I really enjoyed the show and thought it was cleverly executed with a short film to set the scene, followed by the removal of the side of the building to reveal a body of water where a light show took over, along with props to give you the feeling you were on board on that frightful
Highlights from the Great Ocean Road
From Top to Bottom, Left to Right.
1. Bay of Islands
2&3. London Bridge and the beach that looks onto it.
4-7 Loch Ard Gorge and the Burial Plaque
8-9 The Apostles that are still standing
night. It had been a long day but I'd seen so much which just kept feeding my energy levels. In the morning I would finally take on the Great Ocean Road. Excited, it was again an early start. The beginning of the Great Ocean Road resides about 10km outside Warrnambool, so I jumped in the car and headed straight for it, only stopping to take a pic of the road sign. Initially, the road was a distance from the coast and you couldn't see the Ocean, so to view 'Bay of Islands' and 'London Bridge', I had to follow small detours. Both areas aptly named from what's been left of the eroding limestone coast with London Bridge, now down to one arch although still impressive to see. My next stop along the way was linked to the previous evenings entertainment aptly named Loch Ard Gorge as this is the location the ship met it's demise. There is a small cemetery situated there with a plaque to remember those who never made it. A few kilometres further on, was the iconic 12 Apostles although again from erosion there is now only 8. This coastline exudes extreme beauty and depicts the power
of the ocean and it's impact on it. The road now hugged the coast and the view was breathtaking at every corner. It was a gorgeous drive but one not to be under estimated with the road awash with sharp bends and thin lanes. It was time to view a different aspect to the coast and along this route tucked inland slightly was Mait's Rest Rainforest Walk. I loved it. Ferns are one of my favorite botanicals as I find them fascinating especially when their huge. It was unbelievable how quickly you could find yourself in such a different environment. It was like Jurrassic Park, the only thing missing; the dinosaurs! 😊 Loving the greenery and forested area I decided to continue onto Eskine Falls. A beautiful waterfall tucked away. I was just about to walk down to the bottom to take in the full beauty of the falls when low and behold there's Hannah and Micha my friends from the Netherlands, who I'd met for coffee in Adelaide, walking towards me. They had left Melbourne two days previously and were heading in the opposite direction to me. We couldn't have timed it better. It was just brilliant! After a
brief catch up we once again said our goodbyes and continued on with our journeys. Mine, down the pile of steps to enjoy the Waterfall before heading to 'Anglesea'. Obviously the Australian's can't spell, because we all know it should read 'Anglesey' but anyway, I had decided that I would stop here, to undertake the 'Mosaic Discovery Walk'. This turned out to be more like, the 'Mosaic Hunt' with them not located in obvious places but nevertheless it was worth it. They were intricate pieces of work created by a local artist Kate van Nooten and this has provided the 'Art' segment for the day. Torquay, my final stop was located about twenty minutes away and by now I was getting tired. Again I had opted for an AirBnB experience and was impressed with what I'd booked. My room, facilities and and hosts were great providing lots of information on this seaside resort. I mustered up some energy and took a walk to see the 'Sundial of Human Involvement' which allows you to tell the time from the shadow you create when stood on the correct spot for the time of year. It was an intricately decorated piece designed by
local artists and consists of 120,000 glass tesserae. There were many themes captured from the depiction of Aboringinal dreaming, moon phases, star constellations, the ocean, sand dunes and aspects of coastal Torquay. It had been something interesting and different to take a look at. Before heading back I took a stroll across the sand and upto the viewing area at 'Rocky Point'. The landscape, a surfers paradise. I was getting quite hungary, but now and nearly on my knees, through exhaustion I really could not face sitting in a restaurant. Luck was on my side, as I spied a Pizzeria that did GF. So with a Gourmet Pizza topped with Pesto, Pulled Pork and Apple sauce I returned to my base for the night. After a long needed sleep, it was a very leisurely start, what with all the places I'd crammed in with my journey from Victor Harbour to Torquay. I enjoyed a wonderful homemade breakfast of granola and yoghurt followed by mini muffins accompainied by June and Richard who had been my hosts. On completing breakfast and reorganising my case, I left Torquay to head to Melbourne where I would be catching up with Wennie and her girls
Alzenna and Tracy, who I'd met on my Turkish exploits in July. The journey was only going to take around two hours to drive, so I made a detour enroute, to a place called Geelong, where I took in the Waterfront. Wooden bollards within this area had been painted and sculpted into different characters by a local artist. There was over 100 in total, but I only viewed a selection of them. Some had rabbits on, as they play a part in Geelong history. All wild rabbits now in Austrailia are decendants from the 10 pairs imported by Thomas Austin who arrived on Christmas Day 1859. They made a lovely addition to the area, aswell as the large floating, sparkling silver Christmas Tree, bearing the words 'Merry Christmas Geelong'. Back in the car I continued with my journey. Wennie's home is situated in the outer south east suburbs of Melbourne in an area known as Patterson Lakes. This meant I had to pass through the city to reach her. As I drove closer to the CBD, I started to wonder 'What the hell, had I been thinking?', as I tried desperately to navigate four and five lane roads without crashing
the car. Still the little saying 'what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger' remained at the forefront of my mind. ? Luckily, me and the car arrived unharmed and in one peice, even if slightly later than planned. I couldn't have asked for a more excited welcome from 'Wennie' who was whooping and cheering. It was fantastic to see her and the girls, with us picking up, where we'd left off. Wennie's home was beautiful and backed onto a lake. It was a little spot of paradise. Wennie kindly aided the task of me delivering the car back of which I'd driven 812 miles (1307km) over the past six days before we caught up over a glass of red. Later that evening we went to an area called 'Oakleigh' for dinner which has a rather large Greek contingent. The food was good and the atmosphere buzzing. It was a great opportunity to see multiculturism in Melbourne with this predominantly Greek haven. The next morning we headed into the 'City' for me to explore and take in the vibe. I couldn't get over how big it was and how busy, given it was a week day. I visited 'Chinatown', 'Southbank' and
'St Kilda' areas which were all different in their on right. We partook in some early morning coffee and cake in Brunetti's in the City followed by a shared seafood pizza for lunch, looking out over the beach at St Kilda. The weather was glorious and having viewed the CBD lit up in the sunlight followed by the beach, it was obvious to see why so many chose Melbourne as their favourite Australian destination. We had taken the train into the City and a tram out to St Kilda. Transport routes here, appeared to be cheap, well established and efficient. That evening I was off to Brighton for a meal with Wennie, Alzenna, Tracy and Christine, one of Wennie's long term friends. It was lovely to be able to eat outside, enjoy some good food and conversation. The next day we left early as Wennie, Alzenna and I were taking on Yarra Valley for some early morning Wine Tasting. It was lots of fun with some really gorgeous wineries giving fabulous views of the surrounding vines and hills. More importantly, there was a number of Dessert wines I was happy to quaff! ? To end our little jaunt, we stumbled
upon the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie which we just had to go in. It was a similar setup to the one in Margaret River, so after helping myself to a large spoonful of the milk and dark chocolate drops, we decided to go all out and grab some lunch aswell. It was a good decision with plenty of options. It's the first time ever, that I've scored a GF baguette. It was quite sizeable and really tasty stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and rocket. Whilst we were there, Alzenna got some great news that she'd been accepted into University. I am so pleased for her and felt chuffed I got to share in her good news. Feeling fed and watered we headed back, to take a much needed rest on Chelsea beach, making some tan improvements at the same time. It was another lovely long stretch of sand although the sea was still way too cold for me. ? That night, Wennie took me to a fab little restaurant located by the water, where we enjoyed a final meal together before I moved onto a different suburb of Melbourne namely 'Newport' to catch up with Sue. I'd had a
ball, staying in Patterson Lakes and it was truly lovely of Wennie to invite me to stay with her and the girls. It had been a blast. I left the following day and made my way to Sue's home in Newport by train which is in a south west suburb of the CBD. Luckily this is Newport, Victoria and not Newport, South Wales!? That evening, Sue cooked a fab Risotto and Parfait for me and her younger sister 'Nettie', who was loads of fun. It was great to pick up where we had left off. Sue was the lady I met on my Western Australia trip who had invited me to come stay with her, but only if Wales lost the Rugby, as England had been forced to exit the week we were touring together. Sue being originally from Stockport and all! Luckily all had gone to plan with unfortunately Wales not lasting much longer, so here I was. The next day, Sue took me into the City to show me some different areas of the CBD that I hadn't already covered. It was still awash with people. We started with a coffee in South Wharf before a spot of
retail therapy near to where Sue worked. A great little lunch then followed at the 'Boat Builders' overlooking the Yarra River. Next it was all aboard for the 'City Circle Tram' where you could hop on and off. We rode passed the Docklands and the Melbourne Star (smaller London Eye equivalent) in favour of getting off and taking a stroll around the 'Royal Exhibition Hall' which was a beautiful building. Back on the tram, Sue pointed out the Town Hall and the Treasury buildings before we took to the streets once more and walked through some of the Lane ways. These small hidden alleys were crammed with eateries and coffee bars squashed in between the large department stores and shopping malls that crowded the city. We just had to grab a coffee in one of them to appreciate the buzz of the surrounds. Back on the main streets we ducked into one of the malls for another quick look. This mall was unusual for the fact it encompassed an old brick Lead Pipe and Shot Factory. It was certainly a great way to fuse the modern with the traditional. We went back to Newport to freshen up in readiness for
a night out in the city. On our return we headed straight for South Bank and the Bare Brass Pub. There was five of us all together with Sue's friends, Julie and Ana and Ana's partner Paul. All of which were real characters and a pleasure to meet. Next, it was onto PJ's, an Irish Bar, which was located just behind. These were old haunts of theirs. Both were filled with a mixture of ages and played good music. The girls took to the dance floor but I had one special meeting I had to attend. My old work mates were meeting for a lunchtime catch up in Cardiff without me, or so they thought. I just had to pop up and have a quick catch up with them all before the wine and beer started flowing, their end! It felt strange not being with them but highlighted, I had gained more friends through travelling, and not lost any, by not being there. It had been a good night out and highlighted the vibrancy of Melbourne CBD compared with the sleepiness of Perth. Over the following two days Sue and I, took a trip to Mornington Peninsula, but not before
catching up with Sue's older sister Loretta and husband David, in a rather groovy little coffee bar called Tic Toc in Williamstown. Both had extensively travelled and lived in New Zealand previously so it was great to pick their brains on what to go visit and where to stay when I arrived there. We started our journey late morning and stopped off for lunch on the way at Mt Eliza in a small cafe aptly named 'Hot Toast'. It was a quirky little place with the walls covered in lots of different inspired quotes. There was one in particular I thought summed up what my journey is giving me. (See Pic). It wasn't long before we reached Mornington which is where we would stay overnight. We dropped our bags and headed to the southern most tip of the peninsula, Cape Schanck. This place was just sheer natural beauty where Basalt rock had been covered in a limestone film. There was a boardwalk that led you down onto the foreshore and from there you could walk around to Pulpit Rock. The wind was strong and the waves hypnotic and wild. The spray climbing higher and higher as it gathered momentum resulting
in lots of Ooohs and Arhhhs from me and Sue. The sky slightly darkened with some grey cloud, set the tone of this place that amongst it's sheer beauty there was danger lurking. The sea slightly out, leaving pools of life behind, exposing seaweeds, fish and crabs. I was in my element. The beautiful salt filled atmosphere creating that intoxicating ocean scent. It simply was a landscape not to be missed. Slightly further up the coast we stopped at Gunnamatta beach known as a high energy beach for surfers given its south westerly location and it was easy to see why, with the waves continually forming and breaking. Next we stopped at St Andrews Beach located above Gunnamatta. Surfers were strutting their stuff and making full use of the large extensive waves. Even the seagulls were happily playing on the air currents created and were gliding above our heads. The day was disappearing in front of us so we headed back to Mornington where we grabbed a drink at 'The Rock' restaurant and bar. Whoop! Whoop! It had GF Beer! ? It was also, in a superb location overlooking the harbour and bay. From this area, Sue pointed out, Melbourne
CBD on the horizon like someone had painted it on. This place was a real gem so we decided we should return at some point. That evening we were going to try somewhere in the main street. We ended up in an 'Afghan' inspired restaurant, which for me was great, as most of the dishes on offer were Gluten Free. The style of dishes were very much a fusion of Turkish and Indian cuisine. It was very nice as I went with a traditional Afghan dish of rice, sultanas, lamb, aubergine, yoghurt and paprika. A traditional custard followed with spun icing sugar. Very unusual, but good to try. There was a Wine Bar just next to it, so we called in. This place was so unusual. It was set up like a stately home with velvet covered chairs and settees in an edwardian style. The quirkiness of this place made it fun to stay for a good few glasses with me quaffing a sweet New Zealand white, would you believe??? Our last day in Mornington we had breakfast and visited the Peninsula Hot Springs for some rest and relaxation. There was an adults only section which we headed straight for.
? There were six thermal pools all using water from a natural spring located 600m below and set to varying temperatures with the aid of the addition of some cold water. It was a lovely setting and a great way to unwind. We decided 'The Rock' is where we'd have lunch before undertaking some retail therapy and heading back to Melbourne. Just before we arrived at the restaurant, Sue made a quick stop at Mt Martha as Loretta had told us about the wonderful beachscape inclusive of coloured beach huts. She was not wrong. It was a picture perfect beach setting. We arrived around 2pm for lunch and was lucky to score a table with a view. The food did not dissapoint either with me ordering a whole grilled squid with tomatoes and a oil and balsamic dressing. It was delicious and perfect for the surroundings I feasted my eyes on. Sue took the coastal route back to Melbourne which allowed me a glimpse of all the beautiful glass fronted bespoke properties that lined the road that hugged the sea. Some were absolutely breathtaking and filled with natural light as the glass ran floor to ceiling. To finish off, we
went for a final drink in 'Sirens', Williamstown. A great little place next to a small bay. We sat outside although the temperature was pretty cool as the sun sank in the sky. I had, had, an amazing time with Sue meeting her friends and family. With me especially enjoying our little jaunt to Mornington Peninsula. I had been so lucky to have met these two fab ladies on my travels who then hosted me when visiting their home turf. I was also chuffed that Carol had invited me to stay where I'd had the incredible welsh welcome. Hopefully I will catch up with them in New Zealand while I'm there or one day return the favour when I've got a home for them to come stay with me. I had seen so much more of Adelaide and Melbourne and their surrounds thanks to them and could understand why they loved these areas so much. I had two final nights left in Melbourne where I stayed in Glenroy located North of the CBD and close to the airport. Here I took time out, to recharge and prepare for my final destination in Oz; Brisbane. Reflecting on the last 20 days,
I couldn't quite grasp how much I had covered and the amount of old and new friends I'd caught up with. It had been amazing, exhausting and a section of my adventure I would never forget. It highlighted these two states had had the most similarities to home, with vast build up areas, better food with lots of choice and some sunshine into the evening with an unsettled weather system to boot. It was obvious now why more settled on the East side rather than the West or the North. They certainly all had brought something different to the table and I was very much looking forward to seeing what Queensland would offer.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.252s; Tpl: 0.027s; cc: 9; qc: 41; dbt: 0.1046s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
