Sydney was a great place to visit as we walked all over and visited a few cafes and pubs, including a German one... The first day we went via train as it was open till ten that night before work started on it - and what an interesting system they have! The trains are actually double-deckers so I (Rich) must have looked a right tit as I walked up the stairs to the top-deck with a big smile on my face because of this new found oddity.
After our journey across the Harbour Bridge and catching glimpses of the city, we wandered over to the harbour; took lots of photos of the bridge and the opera house (I'd worn my gym shirt for the photos...); and then visited a blow-up rugby ball that you could go inside to watch a video on the Rugby World Cup in NZ next year - rather interesting as it was projected onto the entire surface of the inside of the ball. We also had a wander around the Rocks which is quite a nice place and had a look at the market they have there.
Thursday 21 October 2010
Melbourne to Sydney
We drove along the Hume Highway between the two cities and even though it wasn't supposed to be the scenic route, it was brilliant. Just what I (Rich) wanted in a road: two lanes either way; service stations that were actually modern and included McDonald's!; and a fast route to Sydney. I originally wanted to take the scenic Alpine route but that was waterlogged and probably not the best idea during the change from Winter to Spring.
We stopped off at a campsite just passed Albury and then motored onto Sydney the next day. And after driving for a long time, we arrived in Liverpool, which was quite similar to the English Liverpool as it didn't seem like the place you'd want to stop... Only kidding! The thing we did realise was that even though we weren't in Sydney, yet, we could see how much traffic goes through and past the city. Traffic was horrendous but we managed to find the campsite at asking some Sony Ericsson employees and then ringing the campsite for help.
The campsite was actually in a decent location: in a nature reserve and close to the train station. However, the planes taking off would flyover us and the train station closed at the weekend for maintenance so that was good!
We stopped off at a campsite just passed Albury and then motored onto Sydney the next day. And after driving for a long time, we arrived in Liverpool, which was quite similar to the English Liverpool as it didn't seem like the place you'd want to stop... Only kidding! The thing we did realise was that even though we weren't in Sydney, yet, we could see how much traffic goes through and past the city. Traffic was horrendous but we managed to find the campsite at asking some Sony Ericsson employees and then ringing the campsite for help.
The campsite was actually in a decent location: in a nature reserve and close to the train station. However, the planes taking off would flyover us and the train station closed at the weekend for maintenance so that was good!
Saturday 16 October 2010
Adelaide – Mount Gambier – Melbourne
When we left Adelaide the weather was pretty grim. It turns out that a weather front was making its way up from down south. We had to drive through it in order to get to Mount Gambier which was pretty gnarly at one point. The rain was so heavy not even the fast setting on the wipers could clear the windscreen. Fortunately, we passed through the worst of it fairly quickly but it was still wet and windy when we got to our destination.
Whilst at Mount Gambier we went to view the Blue Lake, which in summer is a bright blue but as we were there in winter it was more of a grey-blue, but still quite beautiful. We also managed to visit the Sink Hole and Gardens which was also quite impressive. A chap, some time ago, had decided to build some stairs around and down the sinkhole to some lovely gardens at the bottom. Unfortunately the weather didn’t stay clear for long and we spent the rest of the day confined to the campsite.
Mt. Gambier Sinkhole:
For the next part of our journey the plan was to go on the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne; however due to the weather we were a bit worried about driving on it with the van. We made the decision to wait another day at Mount Gambier in the hope that the front would move on and leave some dry, calm weather…and luckily it did.
The Great Ocean Road was definitely worth the wait. We stopped to view the various rock formations including London Bridge and the 12 Apostles. The road twisted and turned through the forests and along the cliffs and provided spectacular views. We passed fallen rocks and tree branches along parts of it; which was the result of the previous day’s bad weather so we were glad we had waited. We arrived safely in Melbourne late Saturday afternoon to glorious weather which stayed with us for the couple of days that we were there.
London Bridge on the GOR:
Whilst in Melbourne we took a ride on the Tourist Tram; visited the Immigration Museum; walked through China Town and experienced the café culture; which reminded us of being in France or Spain. One of the highlights for us was dining at Fifteen Melbourne – Jamie Oliver’s restaurant managed by Tobie Puttock. We had watched the Fifteen Melbourne TV series whilst in Perth so we thought we’d try it out as it always looked so good. We had a fabulous evening and Tobie was even cooking in the kitchen that night so I was quite excited about that!
Melbourne in all it's glory:
Whilst at Mount Gambier we went to view the Blue Lake, which in summer is a bright blue but as we were there in winter it was more of a grey-blue, but still quite beautiful. We also managed to visit the Sink Hole and Gardens which was also quite impressive. A chap, some time ago, had decided to build some stairs around and down the sinkhole to some lovely gardens at the bottom. Unfortunately the weather didn’t stay clear for long and we spent the rest of the day confined to the campsite.
Mt. Gambier Sinkhole:
For the next part of our journey the plan was to go on the Great Ocean Road to Melbourne; however due to the weather we were a bit worried about driving on it with the van. We made the decision to wait another day at Mount Gambier in the hope that the front would move on and leave some dry, calm weather…and luckily it did.
The Great Ocean Road was definitely worth the wait. We stopped to view the various rock formations including London Bridge and the 12 Apostles. The road twisted and turned through the forests and along the cliffs and provided spectacular views. We passed fallen rocks and tree branches along parts of it; which was the result of the previous day’s bad weather so we were glad we had waited. We arrived safely in Melbourne late Saturday afternoon to glorious weather which stayed with us for the couple of days that we were there.
London Bridge on the GOR:
Whilst in Melbourne we took a ride on the Tourist Tram; visited the Immigration Museum; walked through China Town and experienced the café culture; which reminded us of being in France or Spain. One of the highlights for us was dining at Fifteen Melbourne – Jamie Oliver’s restaurant managed by Tobie Puttock. We had watched the Fifteen Melbourne TV series whilst in Perth so we thought we’d try it out as it always looked so good. We had a fabulous evening and Tobie was even cooking in the kitchen that night so I was quite excited about that!
Melbourne in all it's glory:
Ceduna – Port Augusta – Barossa Valley - Adelaide
We left Ceduna early and headed to Port Augusta which was our next stopover. We visited the Arid Gardens which was quite interesting. And the coffee and cake from the café was yum! At the campsite we were privileged enough to be parked next to a 1968 Bedford – that’s right; a 1968 Bedford!!! (Numerous men came by to drool over it). It was a strange little campsite; it was the first time that we had been locked in over night.
The next morning we headed to the Barossa Valley – quite a big wine region in South Australia. There was a Gourmet Weekend on whilst we were there so most of the wineries had put on entertainment and decorated the grounds. The weather was beautiful and the weekend was pretty fun!
After the weekend we made the short journey to Adelaide. We were staying within walking distance of the city so we had a quick wander around the city centre before driving miles to have the van serviced. We were in Adelaide for a few days so we got chance to visit the Market – which was huge and full of fresh local produce and various worldwide delights. We went to the Immigration Museum and the Natural History Museum and visited many shops trying to find a fan heater for the van, but unfortunately for us every shop had sold out!!
The next morning we headed to the Barossa Valley – quite a big wine region in South Australia. There was a Gourmet Weekend on whilst we were there so most of the wineries had put on entertainment and decorated the grounds. The weather was beautiful and the weekend was pretty fun!
After the weekend we made the short journey to Adelaide. We were staying within walking distance of the city so we had a quick wander around the city centre before driving miles to have the van serviced. We were in Adelaide for a few days so we got chance to visit the Market – which was huge and full of fresh local produce and various worldwide delights. We went to the Immigration Museum and the Natural History Museum and visited many shops trying to find a fan heater for the van, but unfortunately for us every shop had sold out!!
Friday 8 October 2010
The Nullarbor – Balladonia – Eucla - Ceduna
The next part of the trip took us across the Nullarbor and down the longest straight road in Australia and across the border to South Australia.
No heading needed, here:
We drove to Norseman first and filled up while Rich chatted to a bloke from Wembley who had moved forty years ago (what made him do that, I haven't the foggiest!). Norseman was a pretty sparse town where Rich was overcharged for a box of Special K. This box of cereal was supposed to be on offer for $3 but the shop assistant failed to notice this and charged a heavy $6.91! Not until Balladonia did Rich realise what had happened and he wasn't a happy bunny.
We stopped over at Balladonia and had a good chat with the managers who were from Doncaster and somewhere in Lancashire. The next day we tackled the longest straight road and enjoyed countless k's of the same view. We stopped at Eucla and then crossed the border the next day to the lovely town of Ceduna.
After we'd parked up we popped into the visitor centre and asked if there were any walks to do. Well, we were glad we asked as the chap in the centre told us of a lovely one that was along the seafront and passed by grain silos and a fish factory. We were blown over by the possible sights to behold in this town and quickly departed to our campsite for tea. Oh, and we got our certificate for crossing the Nullarbor!
No heading needed, here:
We drove to Norseman first and filled up while Rich chatted to a bloke from Wembley who had moved forty years ago (what made him do that, I haven't the foggiest!). Norseman was a pretty sparse town where Rich was overcharged for a box of Special K. This box of cereal was supposed to be on offer for $3 but the shop assistant failed to notice this and charged a heavy $6.91! Not until Balladonia did Rich realise what had happened and he wasn't a happy bunny.
We stopped over at Balladonia and had a good chat with the managers who were from Doncaster and somewhere in Lancashire. The next day we tackled the longest straight road and enjoyed countless k's of the same view. We stopped at Eucla and then crossed the border the next day to the lovely town of Ceduna.
After we'd parked up we popped into the visitor centre and asked if there were any walks to do. Well, we were glad we asked as the chap in the centre told us of a lovely one that was along the seafront and passed by grain silos and a fish factory. We were blown over by the possible sights to behold in this town and quickly departed to our campsite for tea. Oh, and we got our certificate for crossing the Nullarbor!
Thursday 7 October 2010
Denmark – Albany – Esperance
We left Denmark and headed to Albany (just down the road). Rich wanted to carry on but I thought the town seemed quite nice and the weather was lovely so we stopped at the Visitor Centre. It was Whale Season and we were told that they come right into the bays around Albany so that made me want to stay. Rich agreed (to appease me, I think) so we checked in to a beachfront campsite complete with pool and spa.
As it was warm and sunny we decided to walk the Boardwalk into the town which was about 3KM one way. The first part of the walk takes you along the cliffs around the bay and as told there was a whale just floating along!! At first I thought it was a log or pipeline as it was so close to the cliff and did not appear to be moving but soon after it started to swim along as we walked.
We stopped for coffee in the town (no cake this time, though) and had a wander before heading back via a hill walk. This appeared to be a pretty straight forward route on the map but in reality it proved very difficult to find the pathway – even the locals were non-the-wiser! We had walked up and down the same hill a couple of times before we stumbled across it (and it probably wasn’t worth all the effort to be honest as it just brought you back to the Boardwalk).
Here's Albany town centre:
However, on our return along the Boardwalk there were a couple of whales in the bay and one was splashing its tail in and out of the water. I could have stayed there all day just watching them – Rich couldn’t, though…
That evening Rich decided to go for a swim in the FREEZING pool – what possessed him I’ll never know. When he got out he said he could feel his back tingling like pins and needles! At this point we decided to make a bee-line for the 34C spa, which was lovely! And we spent the evening around the kitchen campfire – it was a shame we didn’t have any marshmallows!
The next morning we were up early for our 5 hour drive to Esperance. Before hitting the highway we planned to stop at MuzzBuzz (a drive through coffee place) as we had some vouchers. We ended up going round in a circle to get to it (looking back it probably wasn’t worth the detour). After we got our ‘Really Big One’ (aka RBO – the Aussie’s shorten everything) we headed on our way. Along the route I did my first bit of driving as the road was pretty empty and I thought I would be safe. I had not been driving all that long when 2 birds flew out in front of me, straight into the grill. I shrieked in horror as I saw blue feathers just falling to the road in my rear view mirror (Rich also chose this exact point to take a photo of me so didn’t know what I had just done). My driving experience did not last long after this; mainly due to the fact that the van was horrible to drive and Rich kept wincing every 2 minutes! We switched over and Rich (happily) drove the rest of the way.
Evidence of me driving! (Just as the birds commit suicide):
After checking in at the campsite we decided to go on the tourist drive around the cliffs and up to the Pink Lake, which we were told was very pretty. The drive was pretty spectacular along the cliff tops with the rough sea crashing on the sands. When we got to the Pink Lake we noticed that it wasn’t pink; it was blue! Apparently algae in the water had been disturbed and the chemical balance had been altered so this meant that the pink hue had gone.
That evening we had a rushed tea as we had to go to the local pub to watch the Premiership highlights on TV (much to the Aussie’s moaning as the barman changed it over from Aussie Rules Football to English Premier League for us). (Rich) AFL seems to be just a bunch of blokes chasing after a football. As my football coach told me and my team mates when we were 12, “everyone shouldn’t chase after the ball like a herd of elephants”. Well, AFL doesn’t seem to have been told this!
Sunny Esperance:
As it was warm and sunny we decided to walk the Boardwalk into the town which was about 3KM one way. The first part of the walk takes you along the cliffs around the bay and as told there was a whale just floating along!! At first I thought it was a log or pipeline as it was so close to the cliff and did not appear to be moving but soon after it started to swim along as we walked.
We stopped for coffee in the town (no cake this time, though) and had a wander before heading back via a hill walk. This appeared to be a pretty straight forward route on the map but in reality it proved very difficult to find the pathway – even the locals were non-the-wiser! We had walked up and down the same hill a couple of times before we stumbled across it (and it probably wasn’t worth all the effort to be honest as it just brought you back to the Boardwalk).
Here's Albany town centre:
However, on our return along the Boardwalk there were a couple of whales in the bay and one was splashing its tail in and out of the water. I could have stayed there all day just watching them – Rich couldn’t, though…
That evening Rich decided to go for a swim in the FREEZING pool – what possessed him I’ll never know. When he got out he said he could feel his back tingling like pins and needles! At this point we decided to make a bee-line for the 34C spa, which was lovely! And we spent the evening around the kitchen campfire – it was a shame we didn’t have any marshmallows!
The next morning we were up early for our 5 hour drive to Esperance. Before hitting the highway we planned to stop at MuzzBuzz (a drive through coffee place) as we had some vouchers. We ended up going round in a circle to get to it (looking back it probably wasn’t worth the detour). After we got our ‘Really Big One’ (aka RBO – the Aussie’s shorten everything) we headed on our way. Along the route I did my first bit of driving as the road was pretty empty and I thought I would be safe. I had not been driving all that long when 2 birds flew out in front of me, straight into the grill. I shrieked in horror as I saw blue feathers just falling to the road in my rear view mirror (Rich also chose this exact point to take a photo of me so didn’t know what I had just done). My driving experience did not last long after this; mainly due to the fact that the van was horrible to drive and Rich kept wincing every 2 minutes! We switched over and Rich (happily) drove the rest of the way.
Evidence of me driving! (Just as the birds commit suicide):
After checking in at the campsite we decided to go on the tourist drive around the cliffs and up to the Pink Lake, which we were told was very pretty. The drive was pretty spectacular along the cliff tops with the rough sea crashing on the sands. When we got to the Pink Lake we noticed that it wasn’t pink; it was blue! Apparently algae in the water had been disturbed and the chemical balance had been altered so this meant that the pink hue had gone.
That evening we had a rushed tea as we had to go to the local pub to watch the Premiership highlights on TV (much to the Aussie’s moaning as the barman changed it over from Aussie Rules Football to English Premier League for us). (Rich) AFL seems to be just a bunch of blokes chasing after a football. As my football coach told me and my team mates when we were 12, “everyone shouldn’t chase after the ball like a herd of elephants”. Well, AFL doesn’t seem to have been told this!
Sunny Esperance:
Saturday 25 September 2010
Return To Perth & Back Down Again!!!
The next morning we took the van to a garage to have a look at a spot underneath the windows on either side of the van - the hi-top part. The last two days we'd had a lot of rain and the van had decided to let some of it in so we rang the rental company who sent us to two garages where we found out it would be a four hour job. The rental company told us to drive to Perth where we found out there were no replacement vehicles and all they did was put sealant on the window! Then we drove down to Pemberton having wasted six hours on the road and lots of petrol for something the mechanic in Margaret River could have done.
By the time we reached Pemberton we were ready for bed after a chat with Dave & Jane and lots of complaining. In the morning we saw that the caravan park was in a really nice spot as it was surrounded by a thick, green forest with trees reaching pretty decent heights.
Afterwe'd been to the visitors centre I (Rich) drove in the wrong direction, luckily though we spotted a sign that said 'Gloucester Tree' which I'd read about in the Frommers guide so I diverted us down a residential street and finally to a small national parks car park.
The Gloucester Tree is actually a 60 metre tall fire lookout tree and to reach the lookout they've put pieces of metal into the tree that spiral around it all the way to a ladder at the top! I thought thus was great and duly climbed all the way for some satisfactory photos and moments of peace high up in the forest. (most of the photos were just of trees though!). Gem did make it about a fifth of the way and then decided that if wouldn't be a good idea to continue incase she panicked further up! The great thing was that there were no supervisors and nothing safe about it - well, no harnesses etc. If you fell, you fell... I'd like to see the same thing in England some day - Health & Safety would go mental. All you had to do was climb up each step like a ladder set at a safe angle with some steep points.
Later on in the day we visted a small waterfall and had a walk around a short nature trail and then departed for Walpole and Denmark. The highlight of the journey to Denmark was the walk in the Valley of the Giants as sponsored by AFL's and the Docker's own giant, Andy Sandilands (he's pretty tall). It's a really good as it reaches about the same height (40 metres) as some of the trees in the area and maintains this height for a while as you walk on a metal platform. It lasts for 600 metres and is a great way to see all the trees in a different way.
By the time we reached Denmark it was going dark and so we parked up and began to prepare for tea. During the time we spent in the camp kitchen, numerous kangaroos descended on the campgrounds and for the rest of the night our van was surrounded by about ten kangaroos all having their evening meal while we watched them. It was a great sight especially as they were all 'wild'.
By the time we reached Pemberton we were ready for bed after a chat with Dave & Jane and lots of complaining. In the morning we saw that the caravan park was in a really nice spot as it was surrounded by a thick, green forest with trees reaching pretty decent heights.
Afterwe'd been to the visitors centre I (Rich) drove in the wrong direction, luckily though we spotted a sign that said 'Gloucester Tree' which I'd read about in the Frommers guide so I diverted us down a residential street and finally to a small national parks car park.
The Gloucester Tree is actually a 60 metre tall fire lookout tree and to reach the lookout they've put pieces of metal into the tree that spiral around it all the way to a ladder at the top! I thought thus was great and duly climbed all the way for some satisfactory photos and moments of peace high up in the forest. (most of the photos were just of trees though!). Gem did make it about a fifth of the way and then decided that if wouldn't be a good idea to continue incase she panicked further up! The great thing was that there were no supervisors and nothing safe about it - well, no harnesses etc. If you fell, you fell... I'd like to see the same thing in England some day - Health & Safety would go mental. All you had to do was climb up each step like a ladder set at a safe angle with some steep points.
Later on in the day we visted a small waterfall and had a walk around a short nature trail and then departed for Walpole and Denmark. The highlight of the journey to Denmark was the walk in the Valley of the Giants as sponsored by AFL's and the Docker's own giant, Andy Sandilands (he's pretty tall). It's a really good as it reaches about the same height (40 metres) as some of the trees in the area and maintains this height for a while as you walk on a metal platform. It lasts for 600 metres and is a great way to see all the trees in a different way.
By the time we reached Denmark it was going dark and so we parked up and began to prepare for tea. During the time we spent in the camp kitchen, numerous kangaroos descended on the campgrounds and for the rest of the night our van was surrounded by about ten kangaroos all having their evening meal while we watched them. It was a great sight especially as they were all 'wild'.
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