Friday 25 February 2011
Monday 21 February 2011
Western Australia
Margaret River and south to where the oceans collide
Time to get back on the road again - this time to the far south-western corner of Australia. We are lured by the promise of dazzling white-sand beaches and blue and emerald seas, which bottle-nose dolphins and massive stingrays call home.
Surfers are also attracted to the area by big wave action on the challenging and dangerous reefs offshore, while inland it is lush and green. There are great swathes of forests where some of the world's tallest trees branch out towards the heavens, while wineries - some of the best in Australia - are almost two a penny in the region.
Today we are travelling towards the little coastal village of Dunsborough, which we will call home for three nights. We will use it to explore the Cape Naturaliste peninsula, which boasts some magnificent beaches and stunning scenery.
From there to Margaret River - home to some of Australia's best wines - and then on to the south-western tip where two mighty oceans - the Indian and the Southern - collide.
Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough
Pick up rental car from Fremantle and probably set some sort of unwanted record. Not 10 minutes have passed when we stop outside our apartment to load up car with luggage. Nip in to collect bags and off to go. A couple of minutes down the road we notice some paper stuck underneath our winscreen wiper. Probably some flyer.
If only ..... no such luck. Instead a nasty surprise - a 50 dollar (£30) parking fine. Our fault. Guess we should have checked to see if there were parking restrictions. Still really peeved (can't say what we really felt, family blog and all that) because we had left car for such a short period of time.
After letting off steam (and John a few choice expletives) we move on, reflecting that one parking ticket isn't too bad considering all the miles we have got under our belts, not only in Oz, but in the States and New Zealand also.
On the way to Dunsborough stop off at Bunbury, which lies some 180 miles south of Perth. Once an industrial port, it is now becoming a major tourist attraction - the No. 1 drawcard being the pods of dolphins that regularly feed in the inner harbour, particularly between November and April.
Take a drive along the harbour and then out to breakwater which spilts the bay beyond. Walking along it we can't believe our luck when we spot half-a-dozen dolphins frolicking in the ocean some 20 feet away. Awesome sight. There is hardly anybody about, so we feel we have this free wild aquatic show to ourselves.
In all the excitement Chris trips on the rocky breakwater and takes a nasty tumble. No real harm done, but there will be some big bruises tomorrow - all part of the dolphin-watching experience.
We like it here in Bunbury and plan to return to see if we can spot more dophins before making our way back to Freemantle in about 12 days time.
Next stop Bussleton, a popular holiday destination on the shores of Geographe Bay. It's claim to fame is a 2km timber jetty - the longest one of its kind in the southern hemisphere. There is a small museum at the shore end and an underwater observatory at the other. You can either walk the entire length of it - or catch a minature train - there and back.
Being mid-afternoon and sweltering we do neither - just cool off with a coconut and choc chip ice cream each. Yummy. Chris is also feeling the effects of that tumble (her backside is feeling somewhat sore). Ouch.
Push on instead to Dunsborough and check into motel for three nights. Take a late evening stroll through the village along the waterfront. It's a sleepy little place, with a nice atmosphere. Cafes, bakeries, restaurants and fashion stores line the main streets, while galleries and craft shops cater for the art lover.
Cape Naturaliste
Chris is sporting a corker of a bruise on her posterior - her Bunbury (should be Bumbury) war wound.
No worries. No other damage - other than to her pride perhaps. Going to spend the next few days chilling out around the Cape and enjoying three of its magical beaches - Meelup, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay.
Time to kick off those thongs (it's what the Aussies call sandals, honest) and get some sand in our toes. There are some great coastal walks and lookouts around here, one of which is the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.
Meelup is glorious and Eagle Bay simply stunning. Walking along the latter's deserted white sand, lapped by a turquoise sea, feels like being on desert island.
But our favourite is secluded Bunker Bay - and we are back here every day for three days. It's perfect. Hidden in the bush just behind it is an upmarket beach cafe which does great flat white coffee and the best choc chip and berry muffins on the planet. Can't resist them.
The views from the cafe are nothing short of sublime. It sits out overlooking the Indian Ocean, with a gentle breeze blowing in from the sea. Paradise very definitely found.
Around the bay lies a little cove - normally home to a seal colony, but we don't spot any today.
We decide to take a stroll around the lighthouse (to walk off that coffee and cake) and then back to Bunker Bay for some swimming before watching a spectaculasr sunset over the nearby Sugerloaf Rock.
It's more of the same over the next two days. John takes a walk along the shore on day two and sees a black shadow just feet away in the ocean. It's a massive stingray - some four feet in diameter - and a spellbinding sight. Watching it swim slowly and gracefully just underneath the surface and so close makes for an unforgettable experience, John watching its every move until camouflaged it disappears into the reef beyond.
Next day (our third and last in the area) no stingray, just a simple and lovely wedding ceremony on the beach instead. The cafe (our cafe as we are no calling it) is closing a little earlier today. The reception is being held there. What an idyllic spot. Watch bride and groom taking their vows on a stunning day with a natural background second to none. For wow factor rating read 10 out of 10.
Margaret River
Top surfing and top wineries make Margrat River a huge attraction. If you're not riding on a crest of a wave off Smiths Beach near stunning Yallingupo, the chances are you will be sampling some of WA's finest whites and reds.
After a lovely drive along Caves Road - there are wineries flanking us both to the left and right and down virtually every dirt track road along the way - we check into a cosy riverside cabin for a couple of nights just outisde the village. Head for the coast and Surfers Point to watch the local dudes in action. The surf is up and there are some hot riders out there enjoying some of the best breaks in the world.
Explore Margaret River itself in the evening and enjoy a couple of sundowners at The Settlers Tavern - a lively pub with a large outdoor deck to watch the world go by.
The village is popular with tourists like ourselves - and not cheap. This is fine wine and top-quality dining country. We are happy instead to grab some food and a bottle of white from the local supermarket and head back to our cabin. We sit on the verandah watching dusk turn to night and the stars in the southern sky putting on a dazzling show for us in our riverside setting.
Next day we decide to visit one winery and have a picnic in its grounds. Head for the highly recommended independent Leeuwin Estate.
It's set in fabulous grounds with a beautiful lawned area. The estate is getting ready for the famous Leeuwin Open Air Concert and this year's star attraction is Roxy Music - the event having sold out months in advance.
John has volunteered to be 'skipper' for the day (meaning he is doing the driving and Chris the wine tasting. Makes a change!) After Chris samples a number of different labels (you are supposed to deposit some of into a spitoon after tasting, but can't see a lot of that going on) we decide on buying a couple of bottles - a shiraz and sav blanc labelled 'Siblings' It's a reminder of our girls, Hannah and Emma, back home and we will raise a glass to them tonight.
Afterwards enjoy a lovely picnic in the Leeuwin grounds looking out towards the stage where Bryan Ferry and his Roxy mates will strut their stuff in a week's time.
Head back via beach - John enjoys some body surfing here - and then give young couple lift back to Margaret River. Their 4x4 won't start, so we take them to their farm where the guy will pick up jump leads and sort from there. They are very grateful - and so are we, because they tip us off about a nice beach cafe near Surfers.
Augusta
Next day check out recommended cafe - another super setting - before driving south to quaint sleepy seaside village of Augusta. Main point of our visit is to see the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, which looks out at the point where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.
The cape is the most south-westerly point in Australia and we decide to take a tour of the lighthouse and climb to the top. Find tour highly informative, and there are great views out to sea south, west and east. Due south the next land mass is Antarctica, while somewhere out there east of us lies another huge continet - Africa.
Luckily, it's a calm day as we edge our way around the outside of the narrow summit of the historic lighthouse - the tallest on mainland Australia. This must be one wild place when the winds rip in from both oceans (and they do on a regular basis).
Had thought about driving on south-east to Denmark, but warned it is a long haul, so head inland to Pemberton, once a rough and tumble timber town that today sees money growing from the 'tourism tree' instead.
Southern Forests & Tree Top walk
This region of Western Australia boasts some of the tallest trees on the continent - towering gums and karris. The forests stretch for hundreds of kilometres, with lovely little towns like Bridgetown and Nannup dotted along the way.
Pemberton lies deep in one of these immense karri forests. Check into motel. Restaurant packed with Valentine Day diners.
At 60 dollars a head for dinner, don't fancy joining them (they probably don't fancy us joining them, either), so opt for simple meal of fish 'n' chips on balcony of room and toast our girls and family back home with one of the bottles of Siblings wine we bought from the Leeuwin estate back in Margaret River. (Hope Mr Ferry gets to taste and enjoy some when he visits, otherwise he might be a Jealous Guy).
Up early next day and drive the well-marked Karri Forest Explorer trails. One popular attraction is the Gloucester Tree laddered with a metal spiral stairway around it with a 60m climb to the top. It has been - and is still today - used as a fire-watch.
Chris, in fairness, makes a good job of a partial ascent. But it's hot and coming down that stairway backwards is a daunting task. John sits it out - citing not a fear of heights, but the heat as too exhausting. Lame excuse.
With Chris back on terra firma we tackle a circular walk in forest instead, and are joined by several colourful and extremely tame king parrots along the way.
This is we decide a 'tree day'. Check out another giant called the Bicentennial Tree which is eight metres higher than the Gloucester and this too can be climbed. Thanks, but no thanks.
Continue our drive south-east and pull into lay-by in deep forest for picnic lunch. A lone cyclist pulling a trailer has beaten us to it and is resting up. He is an American from Indiana who has lived in Oz for years. He tells us he has sold his house and is 'living his dream'
He turns out to be a real cool cat, with his bike and bandana. Supply him with bottle of water (he gets through gallons on his rides), which he is extremely grateful for. On reflection, perhaps we should have offered him some of our sarnies too. Oh well, next time. He is ready to get on his way. Pass hime some 20 minuts later. He is going well. Give him a toot and he responds with friendly wave. Good luck and keep living your dream. You seem to be doing a good job of it.
Now heading next for Walpole area - home of majestic forests of giant red tingle trees (they are massive towering gum trees whose top branches 'tingle' in high winds) and the famous Tree Top Walk.
Here at the Valley of the Giants a 600m long ramp rises from the forest floor allowing visitors like us access high into the canopy of the forest where you are at eye level with the very tops of the trees.
At its highest point the ramp (a series of bridges linked between viewing platforms) is 40 metres above the ground offering stunning bird's-eye views of the forest below.. The ramp itself also sways in the breeze as you walk along it. It's a tad disconcerting and Chris admits to feeling a little queasy afterwards - a sort of sea-sickness motion - but happy she completed the circuit.
Back on the forest floor it's time to tackle the Ancient Empire boardwalk which paves around the giant red tingles. You can see why the place is named Valley of the Giants. Very apt. These ancient forest dwellers are huge and majestic.
Push on to Denmark and receive lovely welome from b & b owner Maria - she is from Sicily originaly - her husband Trevor and their friendly pooch Mina.
Denmark
Laid-back Denmark sits on the Wilson Inlet with the wild Southern Ocean beyond. After a lovely cooked breakafast courtesy of Maria - our first bacon and eggs in an age - we set about exlporing the coastline.
Lonely Planet rated this region of the top 10 in the world in 2010 and we can see why. This is a region where the sea pounds against dramatic cliffs and rocks, interspered by long and remote stretches of sandy beaches and little coves.
First stop is raw and rugged Ocean Beach. It's a great place to blow any cobwebs away and walk off Maria's sumptuous brekkie. It's a wild and windy coast here - great for whale-watching in the winter - with squeakly white sand under your feet.
Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool are two local attractions nearby. The Rocks are enormous formations that indeed look like elephants nestling in a group alongside a lovely little sandy cove, while Greens Pool is aptly named.
The sea is a stunning transparent green here. The bay is in a sheltered lagoon, with the ocean beyond a deep blue. The crystal-clear water makes it a snorkeller's paradise, though it's some degrees cooler than on the west coast. John tests it out. Fresh is the verdict.
After swimming and subathing on the smooth rocks head back to Denmark via scenic Scottsdale Road - home to wineries, cheese farms, quirky and quaint cafes and art and craft galleries.
Bid fond farewell to Maria (a lovely lady and real character) after another fab (cooked) brekkie.
Heading back to Fremantle via Bunbury next, but must drop into Albany on the way.
Albany
Beats Perth to it as oldest European settlement in WA, but his port city lacks the capital's high-rise sophistication. However, it oozes character with some lovely old historic buildings, particularly down near the foreshore.
This was once a rugged whaling town, and there is a rather faded air to the place. It's top attractions lie in its natural surroundings just outside.
Close by sits the Tordirrup National Park with dramatic features like Natural Bridge - a rock formation sculpted into a bridge shape by wind and high seas -and the fearsome Gap - a 24-metre sheer drop where the ocean rushes into a large cavern in the rocks.
The Blowholes makle for an impressive sight too when the wind and waves relentlessly pound in, while beautiful and lonely Misery Beach belies its name and the white-powder sand of lovely Frenchman's Bay just cries out to be seen.
Bunbury
We promised ourselves we'd take time out here on our way back to Fremantle - and are we glad we did.
Three days dolphin spotting - and a result each time. The Dolphin Discovery Centre is a gem. Run entirely by volunteers, this is the place to see those friendlyFlippers in their own natural environment.
This is no slick Disney dolphin extravaganza. Quite the opposite. Three pods of around 100 bottlenose dolphins regularly feed, mate and give birth in the inner harbour - their playground.
As we are line up waist deep in the water each day, they come in nearly within touching of distance of us. the inter-action with people is fantastic to watch . And all this for 10 dollars over three days (the money going to the upkeep of the centre and its research into dolphin behaviour). Money well spent.
These gentle and delightful creatures also regularymake for the breakwater where we enjoyed swimming off and we would ooften catch glimpses of them heading out to open water after paying us humans on the shore a playful visit.
The DDC is a magical place to visit (thanks Sean and co for all your wonderful insight into dolphin behaviour) and well deserving of anyone's support. Hope it goes from strength to strength. It treats dolphins as they should be - as wild mammals and long may it, and the creatures it supports so passionately, continue.
Getting up close to the dolphins in their natural habitat like this was a mahor highlight of of our WA experience.
Fremantle revisited
Back to Freo for a couple of nights before flying out to Perth for Singapore on next stage of our tour - and so glad we did as we managed to catch up with Ed and Tranda and enjoy time with them again over dinner. Top nosh and top company, with Tranda giving us some great tips on how best to enjoy Singapore.
Goodbye Australia
Time to say farewell to Australia then. Three months have flown by. In that time we have watched floods ravage Queensland, Cyclone Yasi do its utmost to cause even more misery and bush fires rage in the hills outside Perth.
This is a harsh and unforgiving continent in many ways - and it takes a tough breed to live here. It is also one of the most extraordinary, elemental and beautiful places on Planet Earth, and we have met and made many new friends along the way.
We leave this immense land much the richer for having travelled through it.
Time to get back on the road again - this time to the far south-western corner of Australia. We are lured by the promise of dazzling white-sand beaches and blue and emerald seas, which bottle-nose dolphins and massive stingrays call home.
Surfers are also attracted to the area by big wave action on the challenging and dangerous reefs offshore, while inland it is lush and green. There are great swathes of forests where some of the world's tallest trees branch out towards the heavens, while wineries - some of the best in Australia - are almost two a penny in the region.
Today we are travelling towards the little coastal village of Dunsborough, which we will call home for three nights. We will use it to explore the Cape Naturaliste peninsula, which boasts some magnificent beaches and stunning scenery.
From there to Margaret River - home to some of Australia's best wines - and then on to the south-western tip where two mighty oceans - the Indian and the Southern - collide.
Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough
Pick up rental car from Fremantle and probably set some sort of unwanted record. Not 10 minutes have passed when we stop outside our apartment to load up car with luggage. Nip in to collect bags and off to go. A couple of minutes down the road we notice some paper stuck underneath our winscreen wiper. Probably some flyer.
If only ..... no such luck. Instead a nasty surprise - a 50 dollar (£30) parking fine. Our fault. Guess we should have checked to see if there were parking restrictions. Still really peeved (can't say what we really felt, family blog and all that) because we had left car for such a short period of time.
After letting off steam (and John a few choice expletives) we move on, reflecting that one parking ticket isn't too bad considering all the miles we have got under our belts, not only in Oz, but in the States and New Zealand also.
On the way to Dunsborough stop off at Bunbury, which lies some 180 miles south of Perth. Once an industrial port, it is now becoming a major tourist attraction - the No. 1 drawcard being the pods of dolphins that regularly feed in the inner harbour, particularly between November and April.
Take a drive along the harbour and then out to breakwater which spilts the bay beyond. Walking along it we can't believe our luck when we spot half-a-dozen dolphins frolicking in the ocean some 20 feet away. Awesome sight. There is hardly anybody about, so we feel we have this free wild aquatic show to ourselves.
In all the excitement Chris trips on the rocky breakwater and takes a nasty tumble. No real harm done, but there will be some big bruises tomorrow - all part of the dolphin-watching experience.
We like it here in Bunbury and plan to return to see if we can spot more dophins before making our way back to Freemantle in about 12 days time.
Next stop Bussleton, a popular holiday destination on the shores of Geographe Bay. It's claim to fame is a 2km timber jetty - the longest one of its kind in the southern hemisphere. There is a small museum at the shore end and an underwater observatory at the other. You can either walk the entire length of it - or catch a minature train - there and back.
Being mid-afternoon and sweltering we do neither - just cool off with a coconut and choc chip ice cream each. Yummy. Chris is also feeling the effects of that tumble (her backside is feeling somewhat sore). Ouch.
Push on instead to Dunsborough and check into motel for three nights. Take a late evening stroll through the village along the waterfront. It's a sleepy little place, with a nice atmosphere. Cafes, bakeries, restaurants and fashion stores line the main streets, while galleries and craft shops cater for the art lover.
Cape Naturaliste
Chris is sporting a corker of a bruise on her posterior - her Bunbury (should be Bumbury) war wound.
No worries. No other damage - other than to her pride perhaps. Going to spend the next few days chilling out around the Cape and enjoying three of its magical beaches - Meelup, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay.
Time to kick off those thongs (it's what the Aussies call sandals, honest) and get some sand in our toes. There are some great coastal walks and lookouts around here, one of which is the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.
Meelup is glorious and Eagle Bay simply stunning. Walking along the latter's deserted white sand, lapped by a turquoise sea, feels like being on desert island.
But our favourite is secluded Bunker Bay - and we are back here every day for three days. It's perfect. Hidden in the bush just behind it is an upmarket beach cafe which does great flat white coffee and the best choc chip and berry muffins on the planet. Can't resist them.
The views from the cafe are nothing short of sublime. It sits out overlooking the Indian Ocean, with a gentle breeze blowing in from the sea. Paradise very definitely found.
Around the bay lies a little cove - normally home to a seal colony, but we don't spot any today.
We decide to take a stroll around the lighthouse (to walk off that coffee and cake) and then back to Bunker Bay for some swimming before watching a spectaculasr sunset over the nearby Sugerloaf Rock.
It's more of the same over the next two days. John takes a walk along the shore on day two and sees a black shadow just feet away in the ocean. It's a massive stingray - some four feet in diameter - and a spellbinding sight. Watching it swim slowly and gracefully just underneath the surface and so close makes for an unforgettable experience, John watching its every move until camouflaged it disappears into the reef beyond.
Next day (our third and last in the area) no stingray, just a simple and lovely wedding ceremony on the beach instead. The cafe (our cafe as we are no calling it) is closing a little earlier today. The reception is being held there. What an idyllic spot. Watch bride and groom taking their vows on a stunning day with a natural background second to none. For wow factor rating read 10 out of 10.
Margaret River
Top surfing and top wineries make Margrat River a huge attraction. If you're not riding on a crest of a wave off Smiths Beach near stunning Yallingupo, the chances are you will be sampling some of WA's finest whites and reds.
After a lovely drive along Caves Road - there are wineries flanking us both to the left and right and down virtually every dirt track road along the way - we check into a cosy riverside cabin for a couple of nights just outisde the village. Head for the coast and Surfers Point to watch the local dudes in action. The surf is up and there are some hot riders out there enjoying some of the best breaks in the world.
Explore Margaret River itself in the evening and enjoy a couple of sundowners at The Settlers Tavern - a lively pub with a large outdoor deck to watch the world go by.
The village is popular with tourists like ourselves - and not cheap. This is fine wine and top-quality dining country. We are happy instead to grab some food and a bottle of white from the local supermarket and head back to our cabin. We sit on the verandah watching dusk turn to night and the stars in the southern sky putting on a dazzling show for us in our riverside setting.
Next day we decide to visit one winery and have a picnic in its grounds. Head for the highly recommended independent Leeuwin Estate.
It's set in fabulous grounds with a beautiful lawned area. The estate is getting ready for the famous Leeuwin Open Air Concert and this year's star attraction is Roxy Music - the event having sold out months in advance.
John has volunteered to be 'skipper' for the day (meaning he is doing the driving and Chris the wine tasting. Makes a change!) After Chris samples a number of different labels (you are supposed to deposit some of into a spitoon after tasting, but can't see a lot of that going on) we decide on buying a couple of bottles - a shiraz and sav blanc labelled 'Siblings' It's a reminder of our girls, Hannah and Emma, back home and we will raise a glass to them tonight.
Afterwards enjoy a lovely picnic in the Leeuwin grounds looking out towards the stage where Bryan Ferry and his Roxy mates will strut their stuff in a week's time.
Head back via beach - John enjoys some body surfing here - and then give young couple lift back to Margaret River. Their 4x4 won't start, so we take them to their farm where the guy will pick up jump leads and sort from there. They are very grateful - and so are we, because they tip us off about a nice beach cafe near Surfers.
Augusta
Next day check out recommended cafe - another super setting - before driving south to quaint sleepy seaside village of Augusta. Main point of our visit is to see the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, which looks out at the point where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.
The cape is the most south-westerly point in Australia and we decide to take a tour of the lighthouse and climb to the top. Find tour highly informative, and there are great views out to sea south, west and east. Due south the next land mass is Antarctica, while somewhere out there east of us lies another huge continet - Africa.
Luckily, it's a calm day as we edge our way around the outside of the narrow summit of the historic lighthouse - the tallest on mainland Australia. This must be one wild place when the winds rip in from both oceans (and they do on a regular basis).
Had thought about driving on south-east to Denmark, but warned it is a long haul, so head inland to Pemberton, once a rough and tumble timber town that today sees money growing from the 'tourism tree' instead.
Southern Forests & Tree Top walk
This region of Western Australia boasts some of the tallest trees on the continent - towering gums and karris. The forests stretch for hundreds of kilometres, with lovely little towns like Bridgetown and Nannup dotted along the way.
Pemberton lies deep in one of these immense karri forests. Check into motel. Restaurant packed with Valentine Day diners.
At 60 dollars a head for dinner, don't fancy joining them (they probably don't fancy us joining them, either), so opt for simple meal of fish 'n' chips on balcony of room and toast our girls and family back home with one of the bottles of Siblings wine we bought from the Leeuwin estate back in Margaret River. (Hope Mr Ferry gets to taste and enjoy some when he visits, otherwise he might be a Jealous Guy).
Up early next day and drive the well-marked Karri Forest Explorer trails. One popular attraction is the Gloucester Tree laddered with a metal spiral stairway around it with a 60m climb to the top. It has been - and is still today - used as a fire-watch.
Chris, in fairness, makes a good job of a partial ascent. But it's hot and coming down that stairway backwards is a daunting task. John sits it out - citing not a fear of heights, but the heat as too exhausting. Lame excuse.
With Chris back on terra firma we tackle a circular walk in forest instead, and are joined by several colourful and extremely tame king parrots along the way.
This is we decide a 'tree day'. Check out another giant called the Bicentennial Tree which is eight metres higher than the Gloucester and this too can be climbed. Thanks, but no thanks.
Continue our drive south-east and pull into lay-by in deep forest for picnic lunch. A lone cyclist pulling a trailer has beaten us to it and is resting up. He is an American from Indiana who has lived in Oz for years. He tells us he has sold his house and is 'living his dream'
He turns out to be a real cool cat, with his bike and bandana. Supply him with bottle of water (he gets through gallons on his rides), which he is extremely grateful for. On reflection, perhaps we should have offered him some of our sarnies too. Oh well, next time. He is ready to get on his way. Pass hime some 20 minuts later. He is going well. Give him a toot and he responds with friendly wave. Good luck and keep living your dream. You seem to be doing a good job of it.
Now heading next for Walpole area - home of majestic forests of giant red tingle trees (they are massive towering gum trees whose top branches 'tingle' in high winds) and the famous Tree Top Walk.
Here at the Valley of the Giants a 600m long ramp rises from the forest floor allowing visitors like us access high into the canopy of the forest where you are at eye level with the very tops of the trees.
At its highest point the ramp (a series of bridges linked between viewing platforms) is 40 metres above the ground offering stunning bird's-eye views of the forest below.. The ramp itself also sways in the breeze as you walk along it. It's a tad disconcerting and Chris admits to feeling a little queasy afterwards - a sort of sea-sickness motion - but happy she completed the circuit.
Back on the forest floor it's time to tackle the Ancient Empire boardwalk which paves around the giant red tingles. You can see why the place is named Valley of the Giants. Very apt. These ancient forest dwellers are huge and majestic.
Push on to Denmark and receive lovely welome from b & b owner Maria - she is from Sicily originaly - her husband Trevor and their friendly pooch Mina.
Denmark
Laid-back Denmark sits on the Wilson Inlet with the wild Southern Ocean beyond. After a lovely cooked breakafast courtesy of Maria - our first bacon and eggs in an age - we set about exlporing the coastline.
Lonely Planet rated this region of the top 10 in the world in 2010 and we can see why. This is a region where the sea pounds against dramatic cliffs and rocks, interspered by long and remote stretches of sandy beaches and little coves.
First stop is raw and rugged Ocean Beach. It's a great place to blow any cobwebs away and walk off Maria's sumptuous brekkie. It's a wild and windy coast here - great for whale-watching in the winter - with squeakly white sand under your feet.
Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool are two local attractions nearby. The Rocks are enormous formations that indeed look like elephants nestling in a group alongside a lovely little sandy cove, while Greens Pool is aptly named.
The sea is a stunning transparent green here. The bay is in a sheltered lagoon, with the ocean beyond a deep blue. The crystal-clear water makes it a snorkeller's paradise, though it's some degrees cooler than on the west coast. John tests it out. Fresh is the verdict.
After swimming and subathing on the smooth rocks head back to Denmark via scenic Scottsdale Road - home to wineries, cheese farms, quirky and quaint cafes and art and craft galleries.
Bid fond farewell to Maria (a lovely lady and real character) after another fab (cooked) brekkie.
Heading back to Fremantle via Bunbury next, but must drop into Albany on the way.
Albany
Beats Perth to it as oldest European settlement in WA, but his port city lacks the capital's high-rise sophistication. However, it oozes character with some lovely old historic buildings, particularly down near the foreshore.
This was once a rugged whaling town, and there is a rather faded air to the place. It's top attractions lie in its natural surroundings just outside.
Close by sits the Tordirrup National Park with dramatic features like Natural Bridge - a rock formation sculpted into a bridge shape by wind and high seas -and the fearsome Gap - a 24-metre sheer drop where the ocean rushes into a large cavern in the rocks.
The Blowholes makle for an impressive sight too when the wind and waves relentlessly pound in, while beautiful and lonely Misery Beach belies its name and the white-powder sand of lovely Frenchman's Bay just cries out to be seen.
Bunbury
We promised ourselves we'd take time out here on our way back to Fremantle - and are we glad we did.
Three days dolphin spotting - and a result each time. The Dolphin Discovery Centre is a gem. Run entirely by volunteers, this is the place to see those friendlyFlippers in their own natural environment.
This is no slick Disney dolphin extravaganza. Quite the opposite. Three pods of around 100 bottlenose dolphins regularly feed, mate and give birth in the inner harbour - their playground.
As we are line up waist deep in the water each day, they come in nearly within touching of distance of us. the inter-action with people is fantastic to watch . And all this for 10 dollars over three days (the money going to the upkeep of the centre and its research into dolphin behaviour). Money well spent.
These gentle and delightful creatures also regularymake for the breakwater where we enjoyed swimming off and we would ooften catch glimpses of them heading out to open water after paying us humans on the shore a playful visit.
The DDC is a magical place to visit (thanks Sean and co for all your wonderful insight into dolphin behaviour) and well deserving of anyone's support. Hope it goes from strength to strength. It treats dolphins as they should be - as wild mammals and long may it, and the creatures it supports so passionately, continue.
Getting up close to the dolphins in their natural habitat like this was a mahor highlight of of our WA experience.
Fremantle revisited
Back to Freo for a couple of nights before flying out to Perth for Singapore on next stage of our tour - and so glad we did as we managed to catch up with Ed and Tranda and enjoy time with them again over dinner. Top nosh and top company, with Tranda giving us some great tips on how best to enjoy Singapore.
Goodbye Australia
Time to say farewell to Australia then. Three months have flown by. In that time we have watched floods ravage Queensland, Cyclone Yasi do its utmost to cause even more misery and bush fires rage in the hills outside Perth.
This is a harsh and unforgiving continent in many ways - and it takes a tough breed to live here. It is also one of the most extraordinary, elemental and beautiful places on Planet Earth, and we have met and made many new friends along the way.
We leave this immense land much the richer for having travelled through it.
Sunday 20 February 2011
Saturday 19 February 2011
Perth and Fremantle
Fremantle
Arrive at Perth Airport having both managed some nap time during the flight from Adelaide. Our taxi had duly arrived at 4.30am (yawn) for the 6am flight - and we land at Western Australia's capital city as dawn breaks, having gained two-and-a-half hours.
Catch the shuttle bus to Fremantle some 20k south and book into modern apartment in converted warehouse for a week. It's very hot (mid to late 30s) and, exhausted after early start (body clocks not ticking properly perhaps) we crash out for a few hours mid-afternoon.
Early evening sees us take a stroll around Freo, which sits at the mouth of the Swan River - its port looking out towards the Indian Ocean.
The town itself is a melting pot of cafes, bars and restaurants. It's home to poets and painters, musos and hippies. It looks like the kind of place someone may have rolled into by accident back in the 60s and just stayed there. Think we're going to like it here.
A walk to the waterfront simply reinforces our initial 'good vibes.' Freo is still a working port - home to big cargo ships, cruise liners and fishing boats - while its marina boasts a plethora of good looking eateries and pubs.
We check out one. Little Creatures is a big barn of a place - an old boatshed now brewing its own beers and serving up fish dishes and woodfired pizzas.
It overlooks Freo's harbour and we watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon while sampling a couple of their brews.
Perth
Over breakfast watch TV coverage as Cyclone Yasi does its best to heap even more misery on the poor people of Queensland. Head to the port mid-morning and jump on Captain Cook Cruise for a two-hour river cruise up the Swan River to Perth.
To the left and right of us luxury homes, marinas, yachts - and yachties - galore - a case of how the other half live. (Not like this in Swonzee, just on the Swan). The highlight of the cruise, however, turns out not to be man-made.
Chris startles other fellow passengers up on deck. She has spotted a pod of dolphins close by and excitedly points them out. Just for good measure she spots a couple more (no need to go to Specsavers, girl).
Dolphins aside, the approach to the world's most remote capital is a fine one and doing it by river certainly the best way to appreciate its spectacular skyline and neat waterfront.
Behind lies a modern, vibrant and sophisticated city. A walking tour leads us to some interesting streets and attractions and the green area of Kings Park set in the middle of natural bushland.
The free buses you can hop on and off are an added bonus, as is the TigerTiger cafe we find down a little mews. It's all brightly coloured communal tables - and the food ain't half bad to0.
The heat of the afternoon has us beat, though, and we head back to Freo on the train (30 minutes and great value). Have an early drink, grabs some groceries and it's a quiet night in. Chris very happy to switch on TV and find that new series of Brothers and Sisters is about to start. John pleased to see that re-run of The Sopranos follows immediately. Told you we were going to like Freo - and that's just staying in.
Market day in Freo
The weekend starts on Friday when the markets come to town and with them come street musicians, acrobats and anyone and everyone out to grab your attention for a couple of minutes.
Crowds line the streets and pavements hunting for bargain souvenirs, fresh produce or that long lost hard to trace CD to add to the collection back home.
We sit outside Gino's, Freo's most famous cafe, for coffee and cake (our waistlines are taking a battering, but you've got to get some shade - and we can't think of a better way of finding it and doing some people-watching at the same time).
Have been in touch with Ed and Tranda Devereux. Ed and Tranda are great friends of our buddies Phil and Sian in Guildford and, although we have never met the Perth-based couple before, they have very kindly invited us to their home.
Ed picks us up at around 4pm and we stop off a super little beach bar he knows just outside Freo. It has a great setting - a gorgeous place for a cold one. We are obviously not the only ones who think so, as a wedding party rolls up to make hay before the sun goes down.
Head on to Ed and Tranda's home at Cottesloe some 15 minutes north of Freo. Meet Tranda and the couple's lovely children, Georgie and Patrick, who all make us feel so welcome.
Over a quick drink and some nibbles we get to speak to Sian and Phil on Skype, then it's onto a local restaurant that's a favourite of Ed and Tranda's - and we can see why. Fabulous food and a real chilled ambience. It's been a lovely evening and a pleasure getting to know the Devereux family.
Cottesloe
The next day we are back on the beach at Cottesloe after boarding a train. It - the train, not the beach - is packed to the rafters with youngsters heading for The Big Day Out rock festival in Perth which features, among others, Iggy Pop and The Stooges.
Despite Iggy, the beach is a good idea. Perth will be heaving, hot and sweaty. Train pulls in to local station and there is a free shuttle bus running to the beach every 10 minutes. Top-class service.
Find plenty of space on lovely stretch of coastline which seems to stretch for miles. Plenty of swim time to cool off and those almost obligatory coffees and cakes.
While taking in the rays and splashing about in the warm Indian Ocean, the sky behind us darkens and we can pick up the faint smell of smoke. Don't think too much about it at the time, but when we eventually arrive home we do.
News reports on TV confirm that homes are burning in a raging bush fire in the hills above Perth. Floods, cyclones and now bush fires. Australia is having one helluva year.
Find out the next day that more than 70 homes have been destroyed in Swan Valley, but, thankfully, there has been no loss of life.
Back in Freo we have just one day left before we hire a car for a two-week journey south to some of the more remote regions of Western Australia.
Spend the day checking out the Shipwreck Museum (name speaks for itself) and interesting Round House (once a local prison and scene of the grisly hanging of a young boy). Built in 1831, it's the oldest public building in WA.
Moving on tomorrow, but we did love our time in free and easy Freo and are planning on returning for a couple of days before flying first to Singapore and then Bangkok on the next leg of our journey.
Before we do, however, there's a lot more of WA to see - and we are starting at the little coastal town of Dunsborough, a good base to explore the magnificent Cape Naturaliste and its hidden secrets.
Arrive at Perth Airport having both managed some nap time during the flight from Adelaide. Our taxi had duly arrived at 4.30am (yawn) for the 6am flight - and we land at Western Australia's capital city as dawn breaks, having gained two-and-a-half hours.
Catch the shuttle bus to Fremantle some 20k south and book into modern apartment in converted warehouse for a week. It's very hot (mid to late 30s) and, exhausted after early start (body clocks not ticking properly perhaps) we crash out for a few hours mid-afternoon.
Early evening sees us take a stroll around Freo, which sits at the mouth of the Swan River - its port looking out towards the Indian Ocean.
The town itself is a melting pot of cafes, bars and restaurants. It's home to poets and painters, musos and hippies. It looks like the kind of place someone may have rolled into by accident back in the 60s and just stayed there. Think we're going to like it here.
A walk to the waterfront simply reinforces our initial 'good vibes.' Freo is still a working port - home to big cargo ships, cruise liners and fishing boats - while its marina boasts a plethora of good looking eateries and pubs.
We check out one. Little Creatures is a big barn of a place - an old boatshed now brewing its own beers and serving up fish dishes and woodfired pizzas.
It overlooks Freo's harbour and we watch the sun disappear beyond the horizon while sampling a couple of their brews.
Perth
Over breakfast watch TV coverage as Cyclone Yasi does its best to heap even more misery on the poor people of Queensland. Head to the port mid-morning and jump on Captain Cook Cruise for a two-hour river cruise up the Swan River to Perth.
To the left and right of us luxury homes, marinas, yachts - and yachties - galore - a case of how the other half live. (Not like this in Swonzee, just on the Swan). The highlight of the cruise, however, turns out not to be man-made.
Chris startles other fellow passengers up on deck. She has spotted a pod of dolphins close by and excitedly points them out. Just for good measure she spots a couple more (no need to go to Specsavers, girl).
Dolphins aside, the approach to the world's most remote capital is a fine one and doing it by river certainly the best way to appreciate its spectacular skyline and neat waterfront.
Behind lies a modern, vibrant and sophisticated city. A walking tour leads us to some interesting streets and attractions and the green area of Kings Park set in the middle of natural bushland.
The free buses you can hop on and off are an added bonus, as is the TigerTiger cafe we find down a little mews. It's all brightly coloured communal tables - and the food ain't half bad to0.
The heat of the afternoon has us beat, though, and we head back to Freo on the train (30 minutes and great value). Have an early drink, grabs some groceries and it's a quiet night in. Chris very happy to switch on TV and find that new series of Brothers and Sisters is about to start. John pleased to see that re-run of The Sopranos follows immediately. Told you we were going to like Freo - and that's just staying in.
Market day in Freo
The weekend starts on Friday when the markets come to town and with them come street musicians, acrobats and anyone and everyone out to grab your attention for a couple of minutes.
Crowds line the streets and pavements hunting for bargain souvenirs, fresh produce or that long lost hard to trace CD to add to the collection back home.
We sit outside Gino's, Freo's most famous cafe, for coffee and cake (our waistlines are taking a battering, but you've got to get some shade - and we can't think of a better way of finding it and doing some people-watching at the same time).
Have been in touch with Ed and Tranda Devereux. Ed and Tranda are great friends of our buddies Phil and Sian in Guildford and, although we have never met the Perth-based couple before, they have very kindly invited us to their home.
Ed picks us up at around 4pm and we stop off a super little beach bar he knows just outside Freo. It has a great setting - a gorgeous place for a cold one. We are obviously not the only ones who think so, as a wedding party rolls up to make hay before the sun goes down.
Head on to Ed and Tranda's home at Cottesloe some 15 minutes north of Freo. Meet Tranda and the couple's lovely children, Georgie and Patrick, who all make us feel so welcome.
Over a quick drink and some nibbles we get to speak to Sian and Phil on Skype, then it's onto a local restaurant that's a favourite of Ed and Tranda's - and we can see why. Fabulous food and a real chilled ambience. It's been a lovely evening and a pleasure getting to know the Devereux family.
Cottesloe
The next day we are back on the beach at Cottesloe after boarding a train. It - the train, not the beach - is packed to the rafters with youngsters heading for The Big Day Out rock festival in Perth which features, among others, Iggy Pop and The Stooges.
Despite Iggy, the beach is a good idea. Perth will be heaving, hot and sweaty. Train pulls in to local station and there is a free shuttle bus running to the beach every 10 minutes. Top-class service.
Find plenty of space on lovely stretch of coastline which seems to stretch for miles. Plenty of swim time to cool off and those almost obligatory coffees and cakes.
While taking in the rays and splashing about in the warm Indian Ocean, the sky behind us darkens and we can pick up the faint smell of smoke. Don't think too much about it at the time, but when we eventually arrive home we do.
News reports on TV confirm that homes are burning in a raging bush fire in the hills above Perth. Floods, cyclones and now bush fires. Australia is having one helluva year.
Find out the next day that more than 70 homes have been destroyed in Swan Valley, but, thankfully, there has been no loss of life.
Back in Freo we have just one day left before we hire a car for a two-week journey south to some of the more remote regions of Western Australia.
Spend the day checking out the Shipwreck Museum (name speaks for itself) and interesting Round House (once a local prison and scene of the grisly hanging of a young boy). Built in 1831, it's the oldest public building in WA.
Moving on tomorrow, but we did love our time in free and easy Freo and are planning on returning for a couple of days before flying first to Singapore and then Bangkok on the next leg of our journey.
Before we do, however, there's a lot more of WA to see - and we are starting at the little coastal town of Dunsborough, a good base to explore the magnificent Cape Naturaliste and its hidden secrets.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Adelaide
Robe to Adelaide
On the road early after taking a quick peek around Robe first thing. It's a tiny and quaint seaside village. The back of our hotel opens out onto a gorgeous strip of white sand and blue sea. We would have liked to have stayed another day, but need to press on and get some miles under our belts as Adelaide awaits.
First stop Kingston Southeast where crayfish (rock lobster) is top dog (or seafood). The town is home to Larry The Giant Lobster - a huge art creation celebrating Kingston's claim to fame.
A quick picture with Larry and then onwards across the rugged and desolate south-east.
A large section of our journey takes us through the remarkable Coorong National Park on a lonely road which cuts its way alongside massive sand dunes, saltwater lagoons and freshwater lakes. It's is a wild and isolated region of South Australia, but beautiful too and home to all manner of birdlife, including pelicans, ducks, waders and black swans.
This sparse and salty internationally acclaimed wetland area was used as the location for the evocative and haunting movie Storm Boy, about a young boy's friendship with a pelican (a sort of Australian version of Kes).
After a long journey on this lost highway with not a community in sight for some 100 miles - and it seems to be getting hotter and hotter (air con is on full blast) - we pull into the little town of Meningie for a picnic on the shores of Lake Albert - a peaceful inlet sheltered from the ocean beyond by white-capped dunes.
Fed and watered (and we drink lots of it ice cold) we head for Adelaide crossing up and over outlying pastoral hills before dropping down into the city itself. We have decided to base ourselves at the busy and bustling seaside resort of Glenelg. Check into smart little motel off the main drag. It's modern and neat, and will do us fine for a few nights.
Glenelg & city
Air con in motel working a treat. Just as well. Heatwave warnings blasting out on TV and radio. It's going to peak at 43C today. Locals are complaining about the heat. We know Perth can get up to around 44C, but this is rare for South Australia's capital and we certainly hadn''t bargained for it.
Unlike Cairns in north Queensland, it's not humid. But dry or not, hot is hot - and, oh boy, is it hot here - so much so, in fact, that's it's impossible to sit on the beach, even less take a stroll on the pier stretching out into the Southern Ocean.
The city is nearby, so decide to ditch car. We are not going to need it. Return it to rental firm at airport and get full three-day refund. Impressed how easy it is to do this in Oz. No fuss or questions - a result.
Take bus into city. We are baking. Head to food court with air con for coffee (iced) and cake. Bliss. A slow stroll along some of the city's main sights (Lonely Planet suggests a walking tour and Chris has umbrella up, not for the rain but to protect us from the sun). We complete about a quarter, but are too pooped to go any further. Walking not such a good idea after all.
Back to Glenleg on bus (seems to take forever. Our mistake. Tram is way quicker we learn later). Arrive at 5.30pm. Hit the beach (it's cooled a little) and take refreshing dip in sea.
Later we watch red-sun turning to gold on horizon from the pier and on the way back to motel stop off at lively Jetty Hotel pub for cooling drink(s). Medicinal purposes, of course, after rigours of heatwave.
Summer in the city, part two
Switch TV on to hear that Cyclone Yasi is about to tear into Queensland. Another kick in the teeth for this huge state from Mother Nature after the devastating floods of a couple of weeks ago.
Here in Adelaide better news. The temperatures are coming down to a much more manageable 33/34C. Left a lot unseen in the city, so back in - by tram this time. A doddle. Should have done this yesterday. Still better late than never.
Broad tree-lined streets, gorgeous architecture and a swathe of lush green gardens and parks makes for a much more pleasant experinece - as does the drop in heat.
Head down to the River Torrens (Chris still needs that umbrella to keep off the rays, though) and cross into north Adelaide.
Catch glimpse of cathedral from park. Setting is quintessentialy English. It could be Canterbury or Salisbury Cathedrals we are gazing at. But this is St Peter's, the first Anglican church in South Australia (1860s). It is imposing and beautiful - and we spend an hour taking in its serenity.
Serene in a different way - and just across the park - from St Peter's is the graceful statue of cricket legend and all-time Aussie sporting icon Sir Donald Bradman. John reckons it's too good a photo opportunity to pass up, so duly plonks himself in front of the world's greatest batsman The Don for a snap.
He also manages to take a quick gander inside the tree-lined Adelaide Oval (the main gates are open). The MCG in Melbourne may be state of the art, but this Oval is elegance personified. It's a more traditional ground - cosy, yet regal.
Cultural and sporting passions satisfied, it's back to Glenelg. Swimmers on - another late dip and another glorious sunset.
Tomorrow it's an early start. We are catching the 6am flight to Perth, gateway to Western Australia, and jumping on shuttle bus to arty Fremantle, or Freo, as its laidback (so laidback, in fact that some are almost horizontal) locals call it.
We are going to hang out here for a week before embarking on a two-week trip to the Great South-West, home of vast forests, some of the tallest trees in the world, wild, elemental white-sand beaches, blue and greens oceans, both churning and calm, which bottlenose dolphins and massive stingrays call home.
We can't wait, but first for some chill out time in Freo before the next phase of our Oz adventure.
On the road early after taking a quick peek around Robe first thing. It's a tiny and quaint seaside village. The back of our hotel opens out onto a gorgeous strip of white sand and blue sea. We would have liked to have stayed another day, but need to press on and get some miles under our belts as Adelaide awaits.
First stop Kingston Southeast where crayfish (rock lobster) is top dog (or seafood). The town is home to Larry The Giant Lobster - a huge art creation celebrating Kingston's claim to fame.
A quick picture with Larry and then onwards across the rugged and desolate south-east.
A large section of our journey takes us through the remarkable Coorong National Park on a lonely road which cuts its way alongside massive sand dunes, saltwater lagoons and freshwater lakes. It's is a wild and isolated region of South Australia, but beautiful too and home to all manner of birdlife, including pelicans, ducks, waders and black swans.
This sparse and salty internationally acclaimed wetland area was used as the location for the evocative and haunting movie Storm Boy, about a young boy's friendship with a pelican (a sort of Australian version of Kes).
After a long journey on this lost highway with not a community in sight for some 100 miles - and it seems to be getting hotter and hotter (air con is on full blast) - we pull into the little town of Meningie for a picnic on the shores of Lake Albert - a peaceful inlet sheltered from the ocean beyond by white-capped dunes.
Fed and watered (and we drink lots of it ice cold) we head for Adelaide crossing up and over outlying pastoral hills before dropping down into the city itself. We have decided to base ourselves at the busy and bustling seaside resort of Glenelg. Check into smart little motel off the main drag. It's modern and neat, and will do us fine for a few nights.
Glenelg & city
Air con in motel working a treat. Just as well. Heatwave warnings blasting out on TV and radio. It's going to peak at 43C today. Locals are complaining about the heat. We know Perth can get up to around 44C, but this is rare for South Australia's capital and we certainly hadn''t bargained for it.
Unlike Cairns in north Queensland, it's not humid. But dry or not, hot is hot - and, oh boy, is it hot here - so much so, in fact, that's it's impossible to sit on the beach, even less take a stroll on the pier stretching out into the Southern Ocean.
The city is nearby, so decide to ditch car. We are not going to need it. Return it to rental firm at airport and get full three-day refund. Impressed how easy it is to do this in Oz. No fuss or questions - a result.
Take bus into city. We are baking. Head to food court with air con for coffee (iced) and cake. Bliss. A slow stroll along some of the city's main sights (Lonely Planet suggests a walking tour and Chris has umbrella up, not for the rain but to protect us from the sun). We complete about a quarter, but are too pooped to go any further. Walking not such a good idea after all.
Back to Glenleg on bus (seems to take forever. Our mistake. Tram is way quicker we learn later). Arrive at 5.30pm. Hit the beach (it's cooled a little) and take refreshing dip in sea.
Later we watch red-sun turning to gold on horizon from the pier and on the way back to motel stop off at lively Jetty Hotel pub for cooling drink(s). Medicinal purposes, of course, after rigours of heatwave.
Summer in the city, part two
Switch TV on to hear that Cyclone Yasi is about to tear into Queensland. Another kick in the teeth for this huge state from Mother Nature after the devastating floods of a couple of weeks ago.
Here in Adelaide better news. The temperatures are coming down to a much more manageable 33/34C. Left a lot unseen in the city, so back in - by tram this time. A doddle. Should have done this yesterday. Still better late than never.
Broad tree-lined streets, gorgeous architecture and a swathe of lush green gardens and parks makes for a much more pleasant experinece - as does the drop in heat.
Head down to the River Torrens (Chris still needs that umbrella to keep off the rays, though) and cross into north Adelaide.
Catch glimpse of cathedral from park. Setting is quintessentialy English. It could be Canterbury or Salisbury Cathedrals we are gazing at. But this is St Peter's, the first Anglican church in South Australia (1860s). It is imposing and beautiful - and we spend an hour taking in its serenity.
Serene in a different way - and just across the park - from St Peter's is the graceful statue of cricket legend and all-time Aussie sporting icon Sir Donald Bradman. John reckons it's too good a photo opportunity to pass up, so duly plonks himself in front of the world's greatest batsman The Don for a snap.
He also manages to take a quick gander inside the tree-lined Adelaide Oval (the main gates are open). The MCG in Melbourne may be state of the art, but this Oval is elegance personified. It's a more traditional ground - cosy, yet regal.
Cultural and sporting passions satisfied, it's back to Glenelg. Swimmers on - another late dip and another glorious sunset.
Tomorrow it's an early start. We are catching the 6am flight to Perth, gateway to Western Australia, and jumping on shuttle bus to arty Fremantle, or Freo, as its laidback (so laidback, in fact that some are almost horizontal) locals call it.
We are going to hang out here for a week before embarking on a two-week trip to the Great South-West, home of vast forests, some of the tallest trees in the world, wild, elemental white-sand beaches, blue and greens oceans, both churning and calm, which bottlenose dolphins and massive stingrays call home.
We can't wait, but first for some chill out time in Freo before the next phase of our Oz adventure.
Friday 11 February 2011
Great Ocean Road
Hitting the road again - and what a road it is. The Great Ocean Road snakes from Torquay (no not the English Riviera one) in the east to Warrnambool in the west, but we are travelling way beyond it's official end - all the way to Adelaide some 750k away.
It's one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world - twisting and turning serpent-like for mile after mile alongside desolate beaches and windswept capes and headlands, affording magnificent vistas all the way.
We have said our farewells to Susan, Peter and family at Ballarat and picked up a rental car to take us from Victoria to South Australia. But we are in no real hurry. This road is deserving of everyone's time, so we plan on taking a week to do it justice.
Susan has been a star, arming us with a massive slab of her fruit cake and raspberry drops to keep us going on our latest Oz road trip. Good girl.
Torquay
This is surfie heaven, Victoria's top resort if you enjoy riding on a crest of a wave and where even the seats outside the town's shops are surfboard shaped. It's a mecca for the young bronzed wave-lovers but, more importantly for us, where our journey on the Great Ocean Road starts.
After a coffee break in the town we head out towards Bells Beach. This is an iconic surf beach - one of the most famous in Australia and legendary among the world's top wave riders.
One look at it confirms why. Bells, which hosts a world-championship contest every Easter, is pumping when we arrive after a 5k walk along the cliffs. We view some top guys in action from a viewing platform above the beach as they take on the 12ft-15ft glassy rollers which are steaming into shore. Wow. These riders are hot stuff. This is no beach to mess with and no place for the 'amateur' - it's wild, with piercing ledges and reefs jutting out below.
After a picnic on the clifftop, we return along the headlands for the next stage of our journey to Lorne where we are staying for a couple of nights.
Lorne
After passing through the seaside village of Anglesea and stopping off at Point Addis - scene of many a shipwreck over the years - we arrive in pretty Lorne.
Have managed to find a fully self-contained flat called Rivendell run by a lovely couple who make us feel so welcome. Our new home is high up off the road and beyond the small town, looking out over the bush and eucalyptus trees to the sea below. It's an idyllic setting.
The morning brings great excitement. Rivendell owner Elizabeth - her house sits above our flat - has come down to tell us that we have a new resident - a koala.
And what a beauty he is. Out on our verandah we watch the large male (he's grey with a beautiful white chest) sitting just yards away from us in one of the eucalyptus trees, munching on the leaves. He looks a little concerned at the screeching cockatoos buzzing him from above, but sticks his ground (or tree).
We just spend the morning knocked out that we have been able to get so close to a wild koala, who appears to be not at all bothered by our presence. He's more worried by those pesky birds.
Spend lazy afternoon on the coast and, when we return, find our new friend still in his tree - and he has been joined by another. The pair are having quite a 'conversation' judging by their grunts and roars. We just watch spellbound from our verandah as they climb, eat and sleep. Their dexterity amazes us - the wind has picked up, but their agility on the branches is astonishing.
Day two at Rivendell brings more of the same - and our two new pals (the other is quite a bit smaller) are still with us and continuing to enjoy their eucalyptus munchies. What a veg fest. Seventh heaven for them - and for us koala-watchers. Sadly, we will have to say goodbye to them tomorrow.
Apollo Bay
Next stop is this lovely little coastal village, once a fishing town but now a tourist haven set against rolling green hills that's more Carmarthenshire than Australia.
Book into a motel for two nights (the owner tell us us he once rented a flat on Gower Road in Sketty and used to enjoy a few beers in the Vivs). Here we are on the other side of the planet in little Apollo Bay and we meet David, who knows Swansea well. Small world a cliche? We don't think so.
Enjoy a bracing walk to Mariners Lookout for a spectacular view of the coast and village way below us. Weather is glorious and we can see coastline stretching for miles and miles.
Head out to Shelly Beach. Not easy to find, but so rewarding when we do via rough track road. Leave car for long walk into bushland which eventually brings us out to sandy cove surrounded by rocky ledges.
Had planned to do circular walk, but not sure of the tides here and the sea is ripping across the ledges, so we head back the way we came. We are startled by a noise and sudden movement in the bush - it's a kangaroo just a couple of metres away. Not sure who is the more startled - us or the 'roo.
Just a couple of minutes later in the car park deep in the bush and a tad exhausted after the steep climb back up from the cove we stop for a break and spot another koala high up a tree and, despite the branches swaying in the wind, in the land of nod. We leave him to his noon slumber and spend the afternoon doing much the same on the local beach.
Twelve Apostles
Next up Port Fairy - and on the way the world-renowned Twelve Apostles. This stretch of the GOR, which encompasses the Port Campbell National Park, is one of the most photographed in Australia and it's easy to see why.
Here sheer cliffs give way to the most ferocious ocean imaginable. Huge crashing waves have eroded the sandstone and limestone cliffs over thousands of years to leave a stunning seascape of massive stacks, arches and blowholes.
Take a walk down to and along wild Gibson Beach. It's almost deserted. The wind is blowing, the sea is immense. Elemental describes it best - and this on a sunny summer's day in Victoria. What must it be like in the winter when storms whip up a boiling ocean. Hundreds of vessels have been consigned to watery graves along this unforgiving stretch known as the Shipwreck Coast.
The Twelve Apostles nearby can be seen only from viewing platforms - but they are no less majestic for all that. They are towering stacks that have been sculpted out of the cliffs by relentlesss wave erosion - a magical sight.
Just a few further miles along the road is the stunning Loch Ard Gorge - one of the most notorious areas where the Loch Ard clipper came to grief in dense fog on the final night of its long voyage from Gateshead in the 1870s. Of the 55 people on board, only two survived.
The rest perished as the sailing vessel was pounded by heavy seas into the gorge where it broke up on the hidden shard-like reefs below.
We leave, feeling the Shipwreck Coast to be aptly named after discovering that it claimed some 80 vessels in 40 years.
Port Fairy
Whalers and sealers were the first arrivals here. Today Port Fairy is a sedate seaside town. Fishing boats line the harbour and the little town behind it buzzes with tourists and locals where the cafes and wine bars do a roaring trade.
We check in at the quaintly named Merrijig Inn - Victoria's oldest. It's very twee and very British. It would not be out of place in the Cotswolds. Our room is a tiny attic one - but quite lovely too.
The restaurant is classy and looks expensive. We decide instead on fish 'n' chips from the shop on the harbour front and eat them in the car watching the sun set over the local beach at PF. Bliss. Treat ourselves to a cracking breakfast the next day in Rebecca's Cafe in the town before heading towards Robe, our last stop before Adelaide. When we get there we will have travelled some 400k.
Robe
Push on from Port Fairy towards Portland, the only deep water port between Melbourne and Adelaide and the site of Victoria's first European settlement.
Drive to the white-washed lighthouse at windswept Cape Nelson and then out to the white sandy arc of Bridgewater Bay backed by high dunes and fronted by a little beachside cafe that reminds us very much of Surfside at Langland.
We can't tarry too long here, however, as there are many miles still to do. The road turns inland for a time and we stop at Mount Gambier. The town sits below a volcanic blue crater lake - a smaller version of Oregon's famous Kodak-blue and world famous Crater Lake.
Mt Gambier's is smaller for sure, but quite stunning in its own right - a gorgeous sapphire stretch of serene water.
Push on to Robe and check into the Caledonian Inn which has bags of character. It's dusk by the time we get there. Just as well that we booked ahead - the village is chocfull, as is the pub.
It's the last weekend before the kids are back at school and families are making the most of it, judging by how full the beer garden is.
We've a long wait for food - bog-standard kebabs, fries and salad (but very tasty). Head for the outdoor balcony with what is left of the nice bottle of red to gaze at the stars in the southern sky before turning in. Adelaide next - and still 300k to go. But we are planning on doing it in one go from here, so time to hit the snooze button.
It's one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world - twisting and turning serpent-like for mile after mile alongside desolate beaches and windswept capes and headlands, affording magnificent vistas all the way.
We have said our farewells to Susan, Peter and family at Ballarat and picked up a rental car to take us from Victoria to South Australia. But we are in no real hurry. This road is deserving of everyone's time, so we plan on taking a week to do it justice.
Susan has been a star, arming us with a massive slab of her fruit cake and raspberry drops to keep us going on our latest Oz road trip. Good girl.
Torquay
This is surfie heaven, Victoria's top resort if you enjoy riding on a crest of a wave and where even the seats outside the town's shops are surfboard shaped. It's a mecca for the young bronzed wave-lovers but, more importantly for us, where our journey on the Great Ocean Road starts.
After a coffee break in the town we head out towards Bells Beach. This is an iconic surf beach - one of the most famous in Australia and legendary among the world's top wave riders.
One look at it confirms why. Bells, which hosts a world-championship contest every Easter, is pumping when we arrive after a 5k walk along the cliffs. We view some top guys in action from a viewing platform above the beach as they take on the 12ft-15ft glassy rollers which are steaming into shore. Wow. These riders are hot stuff. This is no beach to mess with and no place for the 'amateur' - it's wild, with piercing ledges and reefs jutting out below.
After a picnic on the clifftop, we return along the headlands for the next stage of our journey to Lorne where we are staying for a couple of nights.
Lorne
After passing through the seaside village of Anglesea and stopping off at Point Addis - scene of many a shipwreck over the years - we arrive in pretty Lorne.
Have managed to find a fully self-contained flat called Rivendell run by a lovely couple who make us feel so welcome. Our new home is high up off the road and beyond the small town, looking out over the bush and eucalyptus trees to the sea below. It's an idyllic setting.
The morning brings great excitement. Rivendell owner Elizabeth - her house sits above our flat - has come down to tell us that we have a new resident - a koala.
And what a beauty he is. Out on our verandah we watch the large male (he's grey with a beautiful white chest) sitting just yards away from us in one of the eucalyptus trees, munching on the leaves. He looks a little concerned at the screeching cockatoos buzzing him from above, but sticks his ground (or tree).
We just spend the morning knocked out that we have been able to get so close to a wild koala, who appears to be not at all bothered by our presence. He's more worried by those pesky birds.
Spend lazy afternoon on the coast and, when we return, find our new friend still in his tree - and he has been joined by another. The pair are having quite a 'conversation' judging by their grunts and roars. We just watch spellbound from our verandah as they climb, eat and sleep. Their dexterity amazes us - the wind has picked up, but their agility on the branches is astonishing.
Day two at Rivendell brings more of the same - and our two new pals (the other is quite a bit smaller) are still with us and continuing to enjoy their eucalyptus munchies. What a veg fest. Seventh heaven for them - and for us koala-watchers. Sadly, we will have to say goodbye to them tomorrow.
Apollo Bay
Next stop is this lovely little coastal village, once a fishing town but now a tourist haven set against rolling green hills that's more Carmarthenshire than Australia.
Book into a motel for two nights (the owner tell us us he once rented a flat on Gower Road in Sketty and used to enjoy a few beers in the Vivs). Here we are on the other side of the planet in little Apollo Bay and we meet David, who knows Swansea well. Small world a cliche? We don't think so.
Enjoy a bracing walk to Mariners Lookout for a spectacular view of the coast and village way below us. Weather is glorious and we can see coastline stretching for miles and miles.
Head out to Shelly Beach. Not easy to find, but so rewarding when we do via rough track road. Leave car for long walk into bushland which eventually brings us out to sandy cove surrounded by rocky ledges.
Had planned to do circular walk, but not sure of the tides here and the sea is ripping across the ledges, so we head back the way we came. We are startled by a noise and sudden movement in the bush - it's a kangaroo just a couple of metres away. Not sure who is the more startled - us or the 'roo.
Just a couple of minutes later in the car park deep in the bush and a tad exhausted after the steep climb back up from the cove we stop for a break and spot another koala high up a tree and, despite the branches swaying in the wind, in the land of nod. We leave him to his noon slumber and spend the afternoon doing much the same on the local beach.
Twelve Apostles
Next up Port Fairy - and on the way the world-renowned Twelve Apostles. This stretch of the GOR, which encompasses the Port Campbell National Park, is one of the most photographed in Australia and it's easy to see why.
Here sheer cliffs give way to the most ferocious ocean imaginable. Huge crashing waves have eroded the sandstone and limestone cliffs over thousands of years to leave a stunning seascape of massive stacks, arches and blowholes.
Take a walk down to and along wild Gibson Beach. It's almost deserted. The wind is blowing, the sea is immense. Elemental describes it best - and this on a sunny summer's day in Victoria. What must it be like in the winter when storms whip up a boiling ocean. Hundreds of vessels have been consigned to watery graves along this unforgiving stretch known as the Shipwreck Coast.
The Twelve Apostles nearby can be seen only from viewing platforms - but they are no less majestic for all that. They are towering stacks that have been sculpted out of the cliffs by relentlesss wave erosion - a magical sight.
Just a few further miles along the road is the stunning Loch Ard Gorge - one of the most notorious areas where the Loch Ard clipper came to grief in dense fog on the final night of its long voyage from Gateshead in the 1870s. Of the 55 people on board, only two survived.
The rest perished as the sailing vessel was pounded by heavy seas into the gorge where it broke up on the hidden shard-like reefs below.
We leave, feeling the Shipwreck Coast to be aptly named after discovering that it claimed some 80 vessels in 40 years.
Port Fairy
Whalers and sealers were the first arrivals here. Today Port Fairy is a sedate seaside town. Fishing boats line the harbour and the little town behind it buzzes with tourists and locals where the cafes and wine bars do a roaring trade.
We check in at the quaintly named Merrijig Inn - Victoria's oldest. It's very twee and very British. It would not be out of place in the Cotswolds. Our room is a tiny attic one - but quite lovely too.
The restaurant is classy and looks expensive. We decide instead on fish 'n' chips from the shop on the harbour front and eat them in the car watching the sun set over the local beach at PF. Bliss. Treat ourselves to a cracking breakfast the next day in Rebecca's Cafe in the town before heading towards Robe, our last stop before Adelaide. When we get there we will have travelled some 400k.
Robe
Push on from Port Fairy towards Portland, the only deep water port between Melbourne and Adelaide and the site of Victoria's first European settlement.
Drive to the white-washed lighthouse at windswept Cape Nelson and then out to the white sandy arc of Bridgewater Bay backed by high dunes and fronted by a little beachside cafe that reminds us very much of Surfside at Langland.
We can't tarry too long here, however, as there are many miles still to do. The road turns inland for a time and we stop at Mount Gambier. The town sits below a volcanic blue crater lake - a smaller version of Oregon's famous Kodak-blue and world famous Crater Lake.
Mt Gambier's is smaller for sure, but quite stunning in its own right - a gorgeous sapphire stretch of serene water.
Push on to Robe and check into the Caledonian Inn which has bags of character. It's dusk by the time we get there. Just as well that we booked ahead - the village is chocfull, as is the pub.
It's the last weekend before the kids are back at school and families are making the most of it, judging by how full the beer garden is.
We've a long wait for food - bog-standard kebabs, fries and salad (but very tasty). Head for the outdoor balcony with what is left of the nice bottle of red to gaze at the stars in the southern sky before turning in. Adelaide next - and still 300k to go. But we are planning on doing it in one go from here, so time to hit the snooze button.
Sunday 6 February 2011
Ballarat and the Victorian Goldfields
Yarra Valley: Susan arrives to whisk us north to Ballarat - heart of the Australian Gold Rush in the mid-19th Century - and, lovely surprise, she has brought daughter Claire with her. They have dropped Peter off at work just outside Melbourne. We will return to pick him up later.
After a drive-by tour of the city's major historic attractions and architectural gems we set off for the Yarra Valley. First stop is the little village of Coldstream and a coffee shop there which also houses its own micro-brewery. The cider comes highly recommended and, after a quick sample (yum yum), we decide we must take a six-pack to Peter and Susan's home.
Next up on agenda is a trip to the Chandon Winery, part of the Louis Vuitton Group, which includes Moet Chandon. What a start to a Monday this is turning out to be.
The vineyard is quite beautiful, with red and white roses planted at the start of each line of vines and away in the distance are lush green rolling hills. It's a glorious setting, made even more impressive because we have a gorgeous sunny day to enjoy it.
After sampling some of Chandon's finest (delicious) we decide on a couple of bottles of red.
On then to Healseville in the heart of the Yarra where the three of us have lunch in a huge barn of a cafe/restaurant that houses its own winery, brewery, deli, bakery and cheesery. Great concept and, judging by the mouth-watering fare on offer and the people dining there, it works a treat.
Day is flying by. Return to Melbourne to pick up Peter and drop Claire off at her home. She is currently in the throes of moving to the St Kilda area. In a few weeks time she will be on stage in Sydney, where the musical The Boy From Oz will be attracting big audiences.
On the way to Ballarat stop off at Brighton Beach, which houses a string of iconic brightly-painted beach huts and then on to Peter and Susan's home where they are so kindly putting us up (and putting up with us) for five nights.
Malcolm and Lesley, and Blood on the Southern Cross: Peter and Susan's friends - the six of us met at Ayers Rock - very kindly give up part of their weekend to show us around Ballarat. It's chocfull of old Victorian buildings, broad tree-lined streets and avenues, and gardens.
The historic town sits on Lake Wendouree, which had been bone dry since 2002. Now, due to the recent rains, this 'dustbowl' is full of water again and a paradise for all sorts of birdlife. It has been something akin to a magical transformation.
We enjoy a lovely lunch with Malcolm and Lesley and then, after a visit to their home, a trip out to a local beauty spot (there's rather a lot in this amazing country) where we climb high up a fire-watch tower for stunning 360 degree views of the land around us.
The day ends with an evening meal at the Sovereign Hill 'gold mining town' (the waiters and waitresses are dressed in period costume) and a spectacular sound and light show called Blood on the Southern Cross - a highly impressive recreation of the Eureka Stockade in November 1854 when a rebellion over the introduction of licence fees to dig for gold led to the death of 30 miners and five goverment troops.
The uprising is seen as a significant event in Australian history - one which forced political change and subsequently led to the birth of democracy in the colony.
Sovereign Hill: Spend the day with Susan at Sovereign Hill - an absolute must-do experience in this neck of the woods.
Something along the lines of Tombstone in Arizona, it brilliantly recreates the days of gold fever when doctors and lawyers rolled up their sleeves alongside labourers and ex-convicts to toil in the mud to hunt for the elusive quartz that they hoped would make their fortune.
This is a living history museum with actors dressed in period costume (Peter and Susan's youngest son Eamon is one and, boy, did he look the part as a soldier and in his other various roles throughout the day).
You can also take a couple of underground tours of the mines, which the three of us did (they were highly enjoyable and informative) and pan for gold. People are still finding a speck or two even today, though, when we came to trying, our luck was well and truly out.
Never mind, Chris did get to hold a $50,000 bar in her hand, but did not succumb to the temptation of sticking it in her bag on the way out. Just as well, those Victorian gaols still look pretty foreboding!
Daylesford and Melbourne soccer: Peter spends part of the morning chopping sections of a tree in his garden down, not particularly ably assisted by John it has to be said, before the four of us head for Daylesford.
It's a delightful spa town set among the hills, lakes and forests of the central highlands of Victoria and where artists and writers thrive. After a quick stroll around the town's picturesque we head for lunch at a quirky cafe recommended to us by Susan's neighbour Karen - and very good it is too. We share four or five tapas dishes, washed down by a couple of the locally brewed ciders and a nice bottle of wine. It's a smashing way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Drop John off at railway station. He is heading back to Melbourne for the evening to meet Susan and Peter's eldest son Liam. He's a soccer mad Melbourne Victory fan and his team is playing arch rivals Melbourne Heart in a keenly anticipated local derby and has invited John along.
Susan, Peter and Chris head for the gold museum. It sits on a an old mine and displays nuggets and coins and the story of the Eureka uprising.
John and Liam return late. John has enjoyed the highly-charged atmosphere - a 32,000 crowd - but Liam is not happy with the 2-2 draw and the sending off of Victory skipper and ex-Millwall hard man Kevin Muscat. (John reckons it was the worst 'tackle' he has seen since Swans and ex-Liverpool legend Tommy Smith infamously took out Tottenham's Argentine World Cup star Ossie Ardiles 30-odd years ago at the Vetch. Unlike Muscat, who saw red immediately, Tommy escaped without even a booking. After all, the former England international defender had been just a bit late, honest ref. John knows 'cause he was there).
Barbie and Ballarat: It's Sunday and Peter cooks up some great kebabs and steak and Susan serves up some fabulous sides - and we are joined by their friend, another John, and, of course, Liam. Eamon is carrying out his duties on the stages of Sovereign Hill.
Hardly able to move after great lunch we chill out for a while and let the heat of the day pass before taking a late afternoon stroll in the town's splendid botanical gardens.
We also pay a visit to the old cemetery and find not only the graves of Chinese and Australian gold rush diggers, but many from Wales, including ones from Swansea, Merthyr, Brecon, Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire.
It's a poignant reminder of those who travelled all those years ago across the wild Southern Ocean in search of a better life Down Under.
The time has come for us, too, to move on. Tomorrow we will bid Peter and Susan and family a fond farewell - they have afforded us such generosity and hospitality - and head out on The Great Ocean Road towards Adelaide on the next stage our our Oz adventure.
After a drive-by tour of the city's major historic attractions and architectural gems we set off for the Yarra Valley. First stop is the little village of Coldstream and a coffee shop there which also houses its own micro-brewery. The cider comes highly recommended and, after a quick sample (yum yum), we decide we must take a six-pack to Peter and Susan's home.
Next up on agenda is a trip to the Chandon Winery, part of the Louis Vuitton Group, which includes Moet Chandon. What a start to a Monday this is turning out to be.
The vineyard is quite beautiful, with red and white roses planted at the start of each line of vines and away in the distance are lush green rolling hills. It's a glorious setting, made even more impressive because we have a gorgeous sunny day to enjoy it.
After sampling some of Chandon's finest (delicious) we decide on a couple of bottles of red.
On then to Healseville in the heart of the Yarra where the three of us have lunch in a huge barn of a cafe/restaurant that houses its own winery, brewery, deli, bakery and cheesery. Great concept and, judging by the mouth-watering fare on offer and the people dining there, it works a treat.
Day is flying by. Return to Melbourne to pick up Peter and drop Claire off at her home. She is currently in the throes of moving to the St Kilda area. In a few weeks time she will be on stage in Sydney, where the musical The Boy From Oz will be attracting big audiences.
On the way to Ballarat stop off at Brighton Beach, which houses a string of iconic brightly-painted beach huts and then on to Peter and Susan's home where they are so kindly putting us up (and putting up with us) for five nights.
Malcolm and Lesley, and Blood on the Southern Cross: Peter and Susan's friends - the six of us met at Ayers Rock - very kindly give up part of their weekend to show us around Ballarat. It's chocfull of old Victorian buildings, broad tree-lined streets and avenues, and gardens.
The historic town sits on Lake Wendouree, which had been bone dry since 2002. Now, due to the recent rains, this 'dustbowl' is full of water again and a paradise for all sorts of birdlife. It has been something akin to a magical transformation.
We enjoy a lovely lunch with Malcolm and Lesley and then, after a visit to their home, a trip out to a local beauty spot (there's rather a lot in this amazing country) where we climb high up a fire-watch tower for stunning 360 degree views of the land around us.
The day ends with an evening meal at the Sovereign Hill 'gold mining town' (the waiters and waitresses are dressed in period costume) and a spectacular sound and light show called Blood on the Southern Cross - a highly impressive recreation of the Eureka Stockade in November 1854 when a rebellion over the introduction of licence fees to dig for gold led to the death of 30 miners and five goverment troops.
The uprising is seen as a significant event in Australian history - one which forced political change and subsequently led to the birth of democracy in the colony.
Sovereign Hill: Spend the day with Susan at Sovereign Hill - an absolute must-do experience in this neck of the woods.
Something along the lines of Tombstone in Arizona, it brilliantly recreates the days of gold fever when doctors and lawyers rolled up their sleeves alongside labourers and ex-convicts to toil in the mud to hunt for the elusive quartz that they hoped would make their fortune.
This is a living history museum with actors dressed in period costume (Peter and Susan's youngest son Eamon is one and, boy, did he look the part as a soldier and in his other various roles throughout the day).
You can also take a couple of underground tours of the mines, which the three of us did (they were highly enjoyable and informative) and pan for gold. People are still finding a speck or two even today, though, when we came to trying, our luck was well and truly out.
Never mind, Chris did get to hold a $50,000 bar in her hand, but did not succumb to the temptation of sticking it in her bag on the way out. Just as well, those Victorian gaols still look pretty foreboding!
Daylesford and Melbourne soccer: Peter spends part of the morning chopping sections of a tree in his garden down, not particularly ably assisted by John it has to be said, before the four of us head for Daylesford.
It's a delightful spa town set among the hills, lakes and forests of the central highlands of Victoria and where artists and writers thrive. After a quick stroll around the town's picturesque we head for lunch at a quirky cafe recommended to us by Susan's neighbour Karen - and very good it is too. We share four or five tapas dishes, washed down by a couple of the locally brewed ciders and a nice bottle of wine. It's a smashing way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Drop John off at railway station. He is heading back to Melbourne for the evening to meet Susan and Peter's eldest son Liam. He's a soccer mad Melbourne Victory fan and his team is playing arch rivals Melbourne Heart in a keenly anticipated local derby and has invited John along.
Susan, Peter and Chris head for the gold museum. It sits on a an old mine and displays nuggets and coins and the story of the Eureka uprising.
John and Liam return late. John has enjoyed the highly-charged atmosphere - a 32,000 crowd - but Liam is not happy with the 2-2 draw and the sending off of Victory skipper and ex-Millwall hard man Kevin Muscat. (John reckons it was the worst 'tackle' he has seen since Swans and ex-Liverpool legend Tommy Smith infamously took out Tottenham's Argentine World Cup star Ossie Ardiles 30-odd years ago at the Vetch. Unlike Muscat, who saw red immediately, Tommy escaped without even a booking. After all, the former England international defender had been just a bit late, honest ref. John knows 'cause he was there).
Barbie and Ballarat: It's Sunday and Peter cooks up some great kebabs and steak and Susan serves up some fabulous sides - and we are joined by their friend, another John, and, of course, Liam. Eamon is carrying out his duties on the stages of Sovereign Hill.
Hardly able to move after great lunch we chill out for a while and let the heat of the day pass before taking a late afternoon stroll in the town's splendid botanical gardens.
We also pay a visit to the old cemetery and find not only the graves of Chinese and Australian gold rush diggers, but many from Wales, including ones from Swansea, Merthyr, Brecon, Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire.
It's a poignant reminder of those who travelled all those years ago across the wild Southern Ocean in search of a better life Down Under.
The time has come for us, too, to move on. Tomorrow we will bid Peter and Susan and family a fond farewell - they have afforded us such generosity and hospitality - and head out on The Great Ocean Road towards Adelaide on the next stage our our Oz adventure.
Friday 4 February 2011
Thursday 3 February 2011
Melbourne
Phew! Big relief. Manage to get ourselves on the 8am plane out to Melbourne. James very kindly takes us to the airport at 6.30am. Plenty of people talking about the impending flooding of Brisbane as the news channels continue to issue warnings of a record river rise.
Airport, however, very calm with no sense of any panic. This is all a bit surreal for us as dawn heralds a fine sunny day. On board plane, though, we monitor news channel as the river we have left behind gets ready to burst its banks.
Watching reports brings a mixture of emotions - glad we have got out and happy in the knowledge that James, Chris and family will be fine because they are on high enough ground, but sadness too that so many are going to have their homes devastated by the murky brown waters of the Brisbane River.
That evening in the comfort and safety of our downtown hotel room we watch with incredulity as Brissie and its suburbs are completely swamped. The South Bank where we walked just days before with the Killen family is underwater, pontoons, moorings and boats are being swept away as we watch. The Central Business District is awash and the mighty Suncorp sports stadium (think the Millennium Stadium) resembles an aqua park.
It's all so bizarre watching a first world city succumbing to mother nature as would a third world one. Atlantis springs readily to mind. Poor Queensland has had such a pasting, but its residents are a touch bunch. Premier Anna Bligh, who cuts an impressive figure, tells its people that the floods "may break our hearts, but it will not break our spirit.''
As we fly towards Victoria we can only hope that Brisbane and the rest of Queensland will recover from this shocking natural disaster in due course.
Awake to rain in Melbourne (it's following us around at the moment) but a quick self-guided city tour confirms that we are going to like it here.
Sitting on the Yarra River, Australia's second largest city is a heady mix of Victorian architecture, great Gothic cathedrals, leafy Paris-style boulevards and slick, sophisticated high-rise contemporary structures that soar skywards.
Just outside the city lie neighbourhoods full of character like trendy Carlton and Fitzroy, where cafe culture rules, and the hip beachside suburb of St Kilda where the youngsters come to hang out.
On top of that, Melbourne is sports mad - and we have arrived just as the Australian Open Tennis tournament is about to start.
First, though, we and 58,000 other like-minded folk take in the second Twenty/20 evening match between Australia and England at the world-famous MGC (Melbourne Cricket Ground) - it's Chris's first experience of Test match cricket and, fortunately, the rain stopped hours ago too. We Poms lose this one by five runs (the Aussies are deserving winners despite KP getting out cheaply again), but it's been an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
Next up is the first day of the Aussie Open - the sun has got its hat on now and the forecast is for continuing good weather - and we have landed tickets for the Rod Laver Arena and get to see Maria Sharapova (John very happy), Caroline Wozniacki, Tomas Berdych and, best of all, Swiss maestro Roger Federer (Chris even happier) in action. It's a magic day out and the atmosphere both on the main court and on the outside ones fantastic. Oh, Federer, who won in straight sets, was a bit special too.
Get in touch with Susan and Peter George, friends we made during our trip to Ayers Rock. They are coming down to see their daughter Claire in a sell-out theatre production of The Boy From Oz about the life of Australian entertainer and songwriter Peter Allen and ask us if we would like to join them. We certainly would - and we do. Claire has a major role - and is excellent in a top-notch musical about the song and dance man.
After the show we get to meet Claire - she is delightful - and fellow members of cast over nibbles and drinks before going for a sushi meal with Peter, Susan and Peter's friend, Andrew, and his family. Spend a lovely couple of hours enjoying a meal at Federation Square - hub of the city where visitors and tourists make a beeline for.
Susan and Peter kindly invite us to stay with them at their home at Ballarat some 90 minutes inland from Melbourne for five nights - and we are thrilled. Looking forward to their company again.
Before we do, though, we have a couple more days in this fascinating city of glass, steel and old colonial buildings and gorgeous grassy parks which include the lush Royal Botanical Gardens and the smaller but equally charming Fitzroy Gardens.
There's the little matter of Chris's birthday to attend to also. In between a heavenly breakfast and later dinner in one of the quaint little alleys dotted throughout the city we spend the morning on the coast at St Kilda, and the afternoon popping into St Paul's Cathedral and taking a walk to the impressive Shrine of Remembrance with its eternal flame burning brightly to commemorate those Australians lost in both world wars. Also head for the Queen Victoria Market, one of the largest of in the southern hemisphere where more than 600 traders do business.
Bidding Melbourne goodbye tomorrow - it has been a big hit. Susan is picking us up and speeding us north to Ballarat - heart of the goldfields where once diggers came in their thousands to sink mines and seach for the quartz that would hopefully make their fortunes.
Airport, however, very calm with no sense of any panic. This is all a bit surreal for us as dawn heralds a fine sunny day. On board plane, though, we monitor news channel as the river we have left behind gets ready to burst its banks.
Watching reports brings a mixture of emotions - glad we have got out and happy in the knowledge that James, Chris and family will be fine because they are on high enough ground, but sadness too that so many are going to have their homes devastated by the murky brown waters of the Brisbane River.
That evening in the comfort and safety of our downtown hotel room we watch with incredulity as Brissie and its suburbs are completely swamped. The South Bank where we walked just days before with the Killen family is underwater, pontoons, moorings and boats are being swept away as we watch. The Central Business District is awash and the mighty Suncorp sports stadium (think the Millennium Stadium) resembles an aqua park.
It's all so bizarre watching a first world city succumbing to mother nature as would a third world one. Atlantis springs readily to mind. Poor Queensland has had such a pasting, but its residents are a touch bunch. Premier Anna Bligh, who cuts an impressive figure, tells its people that the floods "may break our hearts, but it will not break our spirit.''
As we fly towards Victoria we can only hope that Brisbane and the rest of Queensland will recover from this shocking natural disaster in due course.
Awake to rain in Melbourne (it's following us around at the moment) but a quick self-guided city tour confirms that we are going to like it here.
Sitting on the Yarra River, Australia's second largest city is a heady mix of Victorian architecture, great Gothic cathedrals, leafy Paris-style boulevards and slick, sophisticated high-rise contemporary structures that soar skywards.
Just outside the city lie neighbourhoods full of character like trendy Carlton and Fitzroy, where cafe culture rules, and the hip beachside suburb of St Kilda where the youngsters come to hang out.
On top of that, Melbourne is sports mad - and we have arrived just as the Australian Open Tennis tournament is about to start.
First, though, we and 58,000 other like-minded folk take in the second Twenty/20 evening match between Australia and England at the world-famous MGC (Melbourne Cricket Ground) - it's Chris's first experience of Test match cricket and, fortunately, the rain stopped hours ago too. We Poms lose this one by five runs (the Aussies are deserving winners despite KP getting out cheaply again), but it's been an enjoyable way to pass a few hours.
Next up is the first day of the Aussie Open - the sun has got its hat on now and the forecast is for continuing good weather - and we have landed tickets for the Rod Laver Arena and get to see Maria Sharapova (John very happy), Caroline Wozniacki, Tomas Berdych and, best of all, Swiss maestro Roger Federer (Chris even happier) in action. It's a magic day out and the atmosphere both on the main court and on the outside ones fantastic. Oh, Federer, who won in straight sets, was a bit special too.
Get in touch with Susan and Peter George, friends we made during our trip to Ayers Rock. They are coming down to see their daughter Claire in a sell-out theatre production of The Boy From Oz about the life of Australian entertainer and songwriter Peter Allen and ask us if we would like to join them. We certainly would - and we do. Claire has a major role - and is excellent in a top-notch musical about the song and dance man.
After the show we get to meet Claire - she is delightful - and fellow members of cast over nibbles and drinks before going for a sushi meal with Peter, Susan and Peter's friend, Andrew, and his family. Spend a lovely couple of hours enjoying a meal at Federation Square - hub of the city where visitors and tourists make a beeline for.
Susan and Peter kindly invite us to stay with them at their home at Ballarat some 90 minutes inland from Melbourne for five nights - and we are thrilled. Looking forward to their company again.
Before we do, though, we have a couple more days in this fascinating city of glass, steel and old colonial buildings and gorgeous grassy parks which include the lush Royal Botanical Gardens and the smaller but equally charming Fitzroy Gardens.
There's the little matter of Chris's birthday to attend to also. In between a heavenly breakfast and later dinner in one of the quaint little alleys dotted throughout the city we spend the morning on the coast at St Kilda, and the afternoon popping into St Paul's Cathedral and taking a walk to the impressive Shrine of Remembrance with its eternal flame burning brightly to commemorate those Australians lost in both world wars. Also head for the Queen Victoria Market, one of the largest of in the southern hemisphere where more than 600 traders do business.
Bidding Melbourne goodbye tomorrow - it has been a big hit. Susan is picking us up and speeding us north to Ballarat - heart of the goldfields where once diggers came in their thousands to sink mines and seach for the quartz that would hopefully make their fortunes.
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