Blogs from Oceania - page 7264

Last few days in Oz so it’s time to hire the first car of our trip. Pick up our tiny Hyundai Getz, head off on the Gympie Road, then the Bruce Highway (Yep, it’s really called that), finally the Sunshine Motorway. 80 minutes after setting off we find ourselves at the Beachside apartments in Mooloolaba. They’re not quite beachside, but they’re definitely apartments, separate bedroom, lounge and bathroom. Good(ish) cooking facilities which I almost immediately put to use as I had been gagging for spaghetti ailio, olio e peperoncino, I had seen it on many menus while in Oz, but always with the unnecessary addition of bacon (always) and chicken (frequently). Just not traditional, and not in the title either. First time I’d cooked in weeks, and it was delicious. The apartment was really nice, balcony ... read more

From Warrnambool to Geelong For our last cycle ride we took the train out to Warrnambool from Melbourne and cycled east. This was decided upon as the prevailing winds are from the west and would speed us along back towards Melbourne. Yes, you guessed. The wind was strong and in our face all the first day. This was the only time we have had difficult winds. A marvel considering the amount of cycling we have done. At the end of this ride we have done nearly 3,000 km from Tahiti to Melbourne. The Great Ocean Road was built by ex-servicemen after the 1914-18 War. And a great credit to them it is as it wanders beside the sea as much as possible. We managed a couple of swims on deserted beaches in a bit of wind. ... read more

Wedneday 22nd March. and Thursday 23rd March. We are having two “sea days” now, so are starting to get into the swing of this cruising life. The seas have had a slight swell, just a nice gentle rocking. Looking at the pool today though, looked like it was a bit more than just a gentle swell; it looked more like a washing machine. No one was swimming, and I haven’t seen anyone in the spas today. There has been a bit of rain, hasn’t bothered us at all, but maybe some of the sun worshippers have been a bit disappointed. For the last two mornings we have gone to the Restaurant for breakfast, its bit quieter and not as crowded as the Veranda Cafe. The food is always fantastic. Visited the library again and got the ... read more

Since I last wrote about Merve, the enormous Queensland Grouper fish, we have had a number of other encounters with big wildlife here. The first was a few days ago in Coral Bay. We did the manta ray trip where they send a spotter plane up and lead the boat to the mantas, and then you get to jump in and snorkel with them. The day we booked for the trip turned out to have a few minuses against it. First, there had been a coral spawning a couple of days before and the ocean's surface was a think gloopy red colour. It looked as if Jaws had had a field day! It was great for photos, until you tried to jump in to snorkel - visibility was reduced to about 2 feet!!! Second, it was ... read more

Those Kiwis sure do have a weird way of saying things... here's a beginner lesson in some Kiwi vernacular so you don't get lost in the shuffle: Kiwis "tick" their boxes, not check them. They "click" their fingers instead of snapping them. "Sweet as" is the most common replacement for "awesome", "cool", or "sounds good". "It's my shout" = "it's my treat" You don't go to a barbeque, but a "barbie". Of course you don't eat french fries or candy, but rather "chips" and "lollies". Your friend is your "mate" or "matey". You where jumpers instead of sweaters, sweatshirts, or hoodies. If talking about a website, you say "dub dub dub" instead of "www". When you go to the beach, you bring your sunnies, jandals, and togs (sunglasses, flip-flops, and swimsuit). In New Zealand, you tramp ... read more