24th March 2009
Home now since Friday mid-morning. The reason why we were delayed taking off was quite interesting. Apparently London Heathrow does not open until 5 am and as there were favourable tail winds we would have arrived too early so we had to wait until the arrival time was okay! Wouldn't recommend a 14 hours flight to my worst enemy. It seemed to last a lot longer and although we all managed some sleep it was not really enough to help pass the time. Jet-lag is beginning to pass; maybe if we were younger it wouldn't be such a problem.
I will now try and sum up the holiday, plus fill in bits I've forgotten to mention at the time. Firstly, both Hong Kong and Singapore still have squatting toilets – okay for us men but not too good for Rosalyn and Avril. Rosalyn tells me though that the public toilets also had ordinary toilets so they always waited for those. Singaporeans were very friendly and helpful; one seemed to spend a lot of time bowing and thanking people. Australia is wonderful and we have still only barely scratched the surface. I believe that you would need at least a month in each major city whilst you visited the area before you could begin to feel you had seen the place.
I've not mentioned the roads in Australia. Considering the size of the country you would expect a road called the North-West Highway to be like our motorways, but they are not. The roads (apart obviously those in the cities) are for the most part single carriageways with a passing spot every so often. For those who live in Manchester, think Deansgate; for those in Hull, think Tranby Lane.
I could ramble on at length but every good thing must come to an end so, until the next adventure of a 'not-so-grey nomad' I will sign off in the hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog and this is now THE END.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Friday, 20 March 2009
9th March 2009
Today has been a very long day and it is not over yet. I am typing this whilst awaiting the flight to Heathrow, which has been delayed at the moment 30 minutes. We are not concerned about the connection to Manchester yet but watch this space!!
This morning we visited the Maghain Aboth shul, which is very close to the city centre. the street that it is on is also full of temples and at least one church. On arrival at the shul which is a beautiful white building, the gates were closed and we were questioned by the security man who asked for I.D. (driving licence was OK) and also which shul we attended in Manchester. Once they had established we were kosher they let us in. What struck us the most was how light and spacious the building was. Not overly ornate the serenity of the building was quite impressive. To one side of the shul is a separate building which houses a memorial room, a cheder, kosher shop, restaurant, offices and the Rabbi's residence. We went into the shop which is not very big but seemed to contain most of the basic foodstuffs. The meat, prepacked, comes from Australia but there was also the familiar Osem brands, etc. Not really intending to buy anything we left with a couple of kippot!
We returned to the hotel as we had to vacate the room by 2 pm, changed into our travelling clothes and decided to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Having arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 7 pm, we were surprised when he turned up 30 minutes early. We had hoped that by being early we could get 4 seats together so that we wouldn't be disturbing anyone else, unfortunately it is a full flight and the best they can offer us is 2 and 2 which means that whoever is on the aisle will be disturbed as Rosalyn and I like to get up and wander about on a long flight.
At 10.25 pm we are still waiting for the plane, the gate has now been moved and we hope that is the end of all the changes. I am closing now. Once I have got over my jetlag I will post a final comment about the holiday, including bits I forgot to mention at the time and any thoughts that I hope you will find interesting.
Today has been a very long day and it is not over yet. I am typing this whilst awaiting the flight to Heathrow, which has been delayed at the moment 30 minutes. We are not concerned about the connection to Manchester yet but watch this space!!
This morning we visited the Maghain Aboth shul, which is very close to the city centre. the street that it is on is also full of temples and at least one church. On arrival at the shul which is a beautiful white building, the gates were closed and we were questioned by the security man who asked for I.D. (driving licence was OK) and also which shul we attended in Manchester. Once they had established we were kosher they let us in. What struck us the most was how light and spacious the building was. Not overly ornate the serenity of the building was quite impressive. To one side of the shul is a separate building which houses a memorial room, a cheder, kosher shop, restaurant, offices and the Rabbi's residence. We went into the shop which is not very big but seemed to contain most of the basic foodstuffs. The meat, prepacked, comes from Australia but there was also the familiar Osem brands, etc. Not really intending to buy anything we left with a couple of kippot!
We returned to the hotel as we had to vacate the room by 2 pm, changed into our travelling clothes and decided to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. Having arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 7 pm, we were surprised when he turned up 30 minutes early. We had hoped that by being early we could get 4 seats together so that we wouldn't be disturbing anyone else, unfortunately it is a full flight and the best they can offer us is 2 and 2 which means that whoever is on the aisle will be disturbed as Rosalyn and I like to get up and wander about on a long flight.
At 10.25 pm we are still waiting for the plane, the gate has now been moved and we hope that is the end of all the changes. I am closing now. Once I have got over my jetlag I will post a final comment about the holiday, including bits I forgot to mention at the time and any thoughts that I hope you will find interesting.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
18th March 2009
Rosalyn and I are now completely shopped out. Today is our last full day of holiday and the four of us decided to take a trip on the Singapore Flyer which is even bigger than the London Eye. Unfortunately my fear of heights took over and I stayed very much on terra firma. It takes 30 minutes to complete a full revolution and whilst Rosalyn said it was very good and it was interesting to see the F1 grand prix circuit, she felt it was not as good as the London Eye. Two reasons – at the moment there is a lot of development going on so you were looking at building sites and secondly, there was no running commentary on what you could see. You were handed an audio guide and a pamphlet of information, but if you are using a camera and/or a video camera you cannot hold anything else and in consequence you are to a large extent not sure what you are looking at. Went back to the hotel and had a swim in the pool. We don't fly until 11.30 pm tomorrow night and have not decided how to spend the last day. The hotel will allow us to keep our rooms until 2 pm, but that still leaves us 5 hours before we need to leave for the airport. The problem is obviously one of trying not to get too hot as we will only have the showers by the pool if we need a good wash.
Anyway, not sure if I'll have chance to add to blog tomorrow, so you will have to wait until I return to Manchester before I do a summing up. I can tell you that in some way we are ready for home, but we are not looking forward to the cold weather!
Rosalyn and I are now completely shopped out. Today is our last full day of holiday and the four of us decided to take a trip on the Singapore Flyer which is even bigger than the London Eye. Unfortunately my fear of heights took over and I stayed very much on terra firma. It takes 30 minutes to complete a full revolution and whilst Rosalyn said it was very good and it was interesting to see the F1 grand prix circuit, she felt it was not as good as the London Eye. Two reasons – at the moment there is a lot of development going on so you were looking at building sites and secondly, there was no running commentary on what you could see. You were handed an audio guide and a pamphlet of information, but if you are using a camera and/or a video camera you cannot hold anything else and in consequence you are to a large extent not sure what you are looking at. Went back to the hotel and had a swim in the pool. We don't fly until 11.30 pm tomorrow night and have not decided how to spend the last day. The hotel will allow us to keep our rooms until 2 pm, but that still leaves us 5 hours before we need to leave for the airport. The problem is obviously one of trying not to get too hot as we will only have the showers by the pool if we need a good wash.
Anyway, not sure if I'll have chance to add to blog tomorrow, so you will have to wait until I return to Manchester before I do a summing up. I can tell you that in some way we are ready for home, but we are not looking forward to the cold weather!
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
17th March 2009
Today Rosalyn and I decided to explore the shopping here, we set off to have a look down Orchard Road. We traveled by the MRT which is the local underground and meant being really brave and even a change of line. many of the UK's well known stores are represented including M&S which seemed more expensive than home. A note on the underground system as compared to London's tubes. It doesn't. Like Hong Kong the stations are clean and bright and for safety there is a glass barrier between the rails and the platform. These only open once the train has stopped and its doors have opened. Another difference is that the train is that there are no enclosed carriages. They simply lead on from one another which is quite a sight when you get on the train and realise it goes on forever. Seating is at a premium as they simply are a means of getting from A to B. We were very impressed with the shopping malls we visited. They are so huge that they are almost little cities on their own.
After this shopping expedition we set off to go to the world famous Hotel Raffles. After having a look round the lobby we bumped into a Tigers supporter and went with him to see the Long Bar. We left the couple to have a beer and went and took lunch in one of the eating places in Raffles. We then went back to the hotel and I had a swim in the pool whilst Rosalyn sunbathed. In the evening the four of us met up and after a bite to eat we went for a 30 minutes cruise on the river. It was very pleasant and put us all in such a good mood that we went back to the hotel and had a Singapore sling and any typing errors on today's blog you will know the reason why!!
Today Rosalyn and I decided to explore the shopping here, we set off to have a look down Orchard Road. We traveled by the MRT which is the local underground and meant being really brave and even a change of line. many of the UK's well known stores are represented including M&S which seemed more expensive than home. A note on the underground system as compared to London's tubes. It doesn't. Like Hong Kong the stations are clean and bright and for safety there is a glass barrier between the rails and the platform. These only open once the train has stopped and its doors have opened. Another difference is that the train is that there are no enclosed carriages. They simply lead on from one another which is quite a sight when you get on the train and realise it goes on forever. Seating is at a premium as they simply are a means of getting from A to B. We were very impressed with the shopping malls we visited. They are so huge that they are almost little cities on their own.
After this shopping expedition we set off to go to the world famous Hotel Raffles. After having a look round the lobby we bumped into a Tigers supporter and went with him to see the Long Bar. We left the couple to have a beer and went and took lunch in one of the eating places in Raffles. We then went back to the hotel and I had a swim in the pool whilst Rosalyn sunbathed. In the evening the four of us met up and after a bite to eat we went for a 30 minutes cruise on the river. It was very pleasant and put us all in such a good mood that we went back to the hotel and had a Singapore sling and any typing errors on today's blog you will know the reason why!!
16th March 2009
Today was a day of tremendous contrasts, during the morning we visited the Changi Museum, the actual prison no longer exists. Nearby is a modern but separate men and womens prison and behind is a Singaporean air force base. The whole place has very grim and distressing feel at the massive suffering that Allied POWS and Singaporean citizens suffered. If you want to learn more about this museum and see some pictures go to – www. changimuseum.com . On the way there, in contrast we saw areas of condominiums worth about a million Singaporean dollars.
In a complete change of mood in the evening we did the Night Safari. Occupying over 40 hectares of dense secondary forest we took a 3.2 km tram ride covering terrain ranging from the rocky Himalayan foothills to the grassy plains of Equatorial Africa. We were fortunate to see lots of different animals such as giraffes, elephants, hyenas, deer, lions. etc. If any of you have visited the Animal Kingdom at Disney in Florida, then you will know what it was like. We got back to the hotel quite late and Rosalyn and I were tired so we went straight to bed.
Today was a day of tremendous contrasts, during the morning we visited the Changi Museum, the actual prison no longer exists. Nearby is a modern but separate men and womens prison and behind is a Singaporean air force base. The whole place has very grim and distressing feel at the massive suffering that Allied POWS and Singaporean citizens suffered. If you want to learn more about this museum and see some pictures go to – www. changimuseum.com . On the way there, in contrast we saw areas of condominiums worth about a million Singaporean dollars.
In a complete change of mood in the evening we did the Night Safari. Occupying over 40 hectares of dense secondary forest we took a 3.2 km tram ride covering terrain ranging from the rocky Himalayan foothills to the grassy plains of Equatorial Africa. We were fortunate to see lots of different animals such as giraffes, elephants, hyenas, deer, lions. etc. If any of you have visited the Animal Kingdom at Disney in Florida, then you will know what it was like. We got back to the hotel quite late and Rosalyn and I were tired so we went straight to bed.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Summation of Perth. Not easy because we had too little time there to form a definite opinion, but what we saw we liked.
Summation of the two self-drives. Easy – brilliant; with the car we were masters of our own destiny to some extent and as a result saw things tourists in a regular tour would not see.
Summation of Australia as a whole – Start saving, it's not cheap (in the 3 years since we last went prices have gone up quite dramatically) but it's worth every penny.
15th March 2009
An early start from Central Perth to drive to the airport, return the hire car and check in for the flight to Singapore. The flight was only 5 hours and we arrived to be greeted by a cool 24C and not overpowering humidity. The hotel seems to be in the heart of the tourist area and we have somehow received an upgrade to a Premium Room (although we don't have the extra facilities that go with the room). Rosalyn and my first impression is of noise, lights and lots of people. Despite staying in the heart of Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, the number of people out and about seemed huge.
Summation of the two self-drives. Easy – brilliant; with the car we were masters of our own destiny to some extent and as a result saw things tourists in a regular tour would not see.
Summation of Australia as a whole – Start saving, it's not cheap (in the 3 years since we last went prices have gone up quite dramatically) but it's worth every penny.
15th March 2009
An early start from Central Perth to drive to the airport, return the hire car and check in for the flight to Singapore. The flight was only 5 hours and we arrived to be greeted by a cool 24C and not overpowering humidity. The hotel seems to be in the heart of the tourist area and we have somehow received an upgrade to a Premium Room (although we don't have the extra facilities that go with the room). Rosalyn and my first impression is of noise, lights and lots of people. Despite staying in the heart of Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, the number of people out and about seemed huge.
13th March 2009
Yet another early start as we are faced with a 670 kilometres journey to Perth. We decided to cut out the scenic route and make it a direct trip back. All went well until we were nearly at the hotel and Les who was driving followed the satnav's directions which unfortunately took us slightly wrong and left us having to negotiate Perth's tricky one-way system. We finally arrived at the hotel and having booked in decided to take a walk to stretch our legs. Although it was 5 pm it was still very warm.
Today we walked along Hay Street which is the main shopping area of Perth. We discovered some really nice shops and I eventually prised Rosalyn away and caught one of the three free buses which circulates the central areas of Perth seeing various different parts of the city. We alighted at what we thought was Kings Park only to find that to get to it we had to climb what is known as Jacobs Ladder all 221 steps to get there. There was much of the flora of Western Australia including a 750 year old tree Gija Jumulu ( Boab Tree) which had been transported from the Kimberleys and transplanted in the park. Within the park was a memorial to the many Western Australians who had died in the various wars starting with the Great War, there was a separate memorial to the Jewish Fallen. Many of the trees around the park had been dedicated to the memory of different individuals by their family. The views of Perth and her river were simply stunning. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is 1004 acres in size and overlooks the city of Perth from Mount Eliza which is 62m above sea level. We stopped for an ice cream and started talking to a local lady who told us that this was her favourite visiting place. With a temperature in the middle 30s we were pleased when a light breeze sprung up. The lady told us that it is called 'The Freemantle Doctor' because it makes people feel better!
Yet another early start as we are faced with a 670 kilometres journey to Perth. We decided to cut out the scenic route and make it a direct trip back. All went well until we were nearly at the hotel and Les who was driving followed the satnav's directions which unfortunately took us slightly wrong and left us having to negotiate Perth's tricky one-way system. We finally arrived at the hotel and having booked in decided to take a walk to stretch our legs. Although it was 5 pm it was still very warm.
Today we walked along Hay Street which is the main shopping area of Perth. We discovered some really nice shops and I eventually prised Rosalyn away and caught one of the three free buses which circulates the central areas of Perth seeing various different parts of the city. We alighted at what we thought was Kings Park only to find that to get to it we had to climb what is known as Jacobs Ladder all 221 steps to get there. There was much of the flora of Western Australia including a 750 year old tree Gija Jumulu ( Boab Tree) which had been transported from the Kimberleys and transplanted in the park. Within the park was a memorial to the many Western Australians who had died in the various wars starting with the Great War, there was a separate memorial to the Jewish Fallen. Many of the trees around the park had been dedicated to the memory of different individuals by their family. The views of Perth and her river were simply stunning. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is 1004 acres in size and overlooks the city of Perth from Mount Eliza which is 62m above sea level. We stopped for an ice cream and started talking to a local lady who told us that this was her favourite visiting place. With a temperature in the middle 30s we were pleased when a light breeze sprung up. The lady told us that it is called 'The Freemantle Doctor' because it makes people feel better!
Friday, 13 March 2009
12th March 2009
After breakfast we saw 3 emus gathered around a tree. To our amazement we watched one of the birds try to reach the berries by stretching its neck; when it realised it couldn't reach it jumped up and grabbed a beakful. We didn't know they did that. We managed another early start today and started our drive back to Perth with an overnight stop at a small place on the coast called Kalbarri. A pretty little town (probably what we would call a village) the views of the Indian Ocean are quite spectacular and there are houses to match the view. We wanted to go and visit an area within the Kalbarri National Park known as Nature's Window but on being told that temperatures there could be as high as 50C we decided to take a dip in the pool instead!
After breakfast we saw 3 emus gathered around a tree. To our amazement we watched one of the birds try to reach the berries by stretching its neck; when it realised it couldn't reach it jumped up and grabbed a beakful. We didn't know they did that. We managed another early start today and started our drive back to Perth with an overnight stop at a small place on the coast called Kalbarri. A pretty little town (probably what we would call a village) the views of the Indian Ocean are quite spectacular and there are houses to match the view. We wanted to go and visit an area within the Kalbarri National Park known as Nature's Window but on being told that temperatures there could be as high as 50C we decided to take a dip in the pool instead!
11th March 2009
A very early start today we went to see the Bottlenose Dolphins come right up to the edge of the beach to be fed by the rangers. Lo and behold they came at about 7.45am and the rangers told us there names and about them. The star of the show was Nicky who was about 32 years old and she had a male calf called Fin who was about six months old. Nicky was fed about four fish only to encourage them not to be fed at the beach but to go and catch their own food. Several pelicans flew in and I photographed them from quite close. Wandering around the cabins were a number of Emus. The heat today was not as intense as yesterday, but it was still in the high 90s. In some ways we have been unlucky with the weather, which does seem an extraordinary statement, but because it has been hotter than normal, we have been plagued with flies. I would like to come back here when it wasn't quite so hot as there is no doubt that the flies have been an awful nuisance. We spent a great deal of the day just sunbathing on the beach (complete with flynets) and it has been nice to unwind and have a good rest.
A very early start today we went to see the Bottlenose Dolphins come right up to the edge of the beach to be fed by the rangers. Lo and behold they came at about 7.45am and the rangers told us there names and about them. The star of the show was Nicky who was about 32 years old and she had a male calf called Fin who was about six months old. Nicky was fed about four fish only to encourage them not to be fed at the beach but to go and catch their own food. Several pelicans flew in and I photographed them from quite close. Wandering around the cabins were a number of Emus. The heat today was not as intense as yesterday, but it was still in the high 90s. In some ways we have been unlucky with the weather, which does seem an extraordinary statement, but because it has been hotter than normal, we have been plagued with flies. I would like to come back here when it wasn't quite so hot as there is no doubt that the flies have been an awful nuisance. We spent a great deal of the day just sunbathing on the beach (complete with flynets) and it has been nice to unwind and have a good rest.
10th March, 2009
Faced with a very long drive we set off early to Monkey Mia, again over 300 miles from Geraldton. We stopped off at Hamelin Pool, a marine reserve that contains the world's best known colony of stromatolites. (Look it up!). We then drove to the stunning Shell Beach. The beach consists of solid shells up to 10m deep. In some places the shells are so tightly packed that they can be cut into blocks and used for construction. Our final stop and our home for two nights is at Monkey Mia where bottlenose dolphins have visited the beaches to interact with the visitors. The coast line and beaches here are quite unspoilt and the water is a gorgeous turquoise. This area is known as Shark Bay. Oh by the way I was just sat here typing this up in my cabin, when an Emu walked past the window and we also saw a hunter spider in the tree outside the coffee bar. We understand that while it is poisonous it will make you quite ill it will not kill you.
Faced with a very long drive we set off early to Monkey Mia, again over 300 miles from Geraldton. We stopped off at Hamelin Pool, a marine reserve that contains the world's best known colony of stromatolites. (Look it up!). We then drove to the stunning Shell Beach. The beach consists of solid shells up to 10m deep. In some places the shells are so tightly packed that they can be cut into blocks and used for construction. Our final stop and our home for two nights is at Monkey Mia where bottlenose dolphins have visited the beaches to interact with the visitors. The coast line and beaches here are quite unspoilt and the water is a gorgeous turquoise. This area is known as Shark Bay. Oh by the way I was just sat here typing this up in my cabin, when an Emu walked past the window and we also saw a hunter spider in the tree outside the coffee bar. We understand that while it is poisonous it will make you quite ill it will not kill you.
9th March, 2009
Today was a very long drive of over 300 miles from Perth to Geraldton. Having reasonably successfully managed to find our way out of Perth (only one wrong turning which actually seemed to us to be better than the way we should have gone) we stopped for a drink at a roadhouse at about 11 am when the temperature was 92F in the shade!! We made a detour to the Nambung National Park to view The Pinnacles. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are literally thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in eerie contrast to the surrounding heath and in the not too far a distance, the Indian Ocean. We took the Pinnacles Drive across the sand dunes which is a 4 km one-way loop with a few parking bays so that you can get out of your car and take pictures. It is very difficult to describe the scene except to say it was pretty amazing and I will post a picture so that you can see what I mean.
After a quick sandwich we were soon back on the road and arrived in Geraldton about 5 pm in time to have a quick dip in the Indian Ocean which is just a 5 minutes walk from our hotel. Later in the evening we went for a walk along the seafront. By now the temperature had dropped to a much more pleasant level and a gentle breeze off the sea was a real pleasure.
Today was a very long drive of over 300 miles from Perth to Geraldton. Having reasonably successfully managed to find our way out of Perth (only one wrong turning which actually seemed to us to be better than the way we should have gone) we stopped for a drink at a roadhouse at about 11 am when the temperature was 92F in the shade!! We made a detour to the Nambung National Park to view The Pinnacles. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are literally thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in eerie contrast to the surrounding heath and in the not too far a distance, the Indian Ocean. We took the Pinnacles Drive across the sand dunes which is a 4 km one-way loop with a few parking bays so that you can get out of your car and take pictures. It is very difficult to describe the scene except to say it was pretty amazing and I will post a picture so that you can see what I mean.
After a quick sandwich we were soon back on the road and arrived in Geraldton about 5 pm in time to have a quick dip in the Indian Ocean which is just a 5 minutes walk from our hotel. Later in the evening we went for a walk along the seafront. By now the temperature had dropped to a much more pleasant level and a gentle breeze off the sea was a real pleasure.
8th March, 2009
After an early start we arrived in Perth early enough to take the free shuttle bus into the city centre. The drive into Perth had taken us through some very obviously rich areas with houses to make your jaw drop. Not knowing what to expect of Perth we were pleasantly surprised to find a very vibrant and busy shopping area. We were all tired after the long drive so we had a quick coffee, a look at the shops and then jumped onto the shuttle bus and took the long way back to the hotel. We will be returning to Perth after our 5 days drive north and will have more time to explore.
After an early start we arrived in Perth early enough to take the free shuttle bus into the city centre. The drive into Perth had taken us through some very obviously rich areas with houses to make your jaw drop. Not knowing what to expect of Perth we were pleasantly surprised to find a very vibrant and busy shopping area. We were all tired after the long drive so we had a quick coffee, a look at the shops and then jumped onto the shuttle bus and took the long way back to the hotel. We will be returning to Perth after our 5 days drive north and will have more time to explore.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
6th March 2009
Today we set off to visit some of the many wineries in the area but we were diverted to visit Busselton a pretty little seaside town.This has the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Building commenced in 1865 and took more than 95 years to complete. It was used for shipping and eventually fell into disuse after operations ceased. In April 1978 it was damaged by cyclone Alby. It is now used as a tourist attraction and is 1841metres long. There is a small gauge rail track along the length but until further remedial work is done it is not working so in order to get to the underwater observatory it is a long walk. At the end of the 1 mile long jetty there is an observatory which allows visitors to descend 8 metres below sea level to view the thriving marine environment. The colours of the coral which had made a life on the wooden pillars of the jetty were quite incredible and the amount of fish swimming around was huge.
We then set off back to Margaret River making a number of stops at wineries, a cheese factory, a chocolate factory and a jam factory. Its a thankless task but someone has to do it!
7th March 2009
Once again we are on the move. Today we have moved 2 hours south east to a small town called Pemberton. After a drive through some glorious countryside, when we saw kangaroos and emus, we finally arrived at our hotel in time to take a ride on the Pemberton Tram. This was a 2 hours ride through the Karri Forest crossing 6 bridges, all of which looked not strong enough to take the tram, with two stops at the Cascades (small waterfall) and at the Warren River Bridge.
After this we went to look at the Gloucester Tree which is 65 meters high and has a lookout on the top. There are permanent fixed climbing spikes for those people brave enough (or stupid) to climb to the top. Needless to say, I didn't attempt this!!!
Today we set off to visit some of the many wineries in the area but we were diverted to visit Busselton a pretty little seaside town.This has the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Building commenced in 1865 and took more than 95 years to complete. It was used for shipping and eventually fell into disuse after operations ceased. In April 1978 it was damaged by cyclone Alby. It is now used as a tourist attraction and is 1841metres long. There is a small gauge rail track along the length but until further remedial work is done it is not working so in order to get to the underwater observatory it is a long walk. At the end of the 1 mile long jetty there is an observatory which allows visitors to descend 8 metres below sea level to view the thriving marine environment. The colours of the coral which had made a life on the wooden pillars of the jetty were quite incredible and the amount of fish swimming around was huge.
We then set off back to Margaret River making a number of stops at wineries, a cheese factory, a chocolate factory and a jam factory. Its a thankless task but someone has to do it!
7th March 2009
Once again we are on the move. Today we have moved 2 hours south east to a small town called Pemberton. After a drive through some glorious countryside, when we saw kangaroos and emus, we finally arrived at our hotel in time to take a ride on the Pemberton Tram. This was a 2 hours ride through the Karri Forest crossing 6 bridges, all of which looked not strong enough to take the tram, with two stops at the Cascades (small waterfall) and at the Warren River Bridge.
After this we went to look at the Gloucester Tree which is 65 meters high and has a lookout on the top. There are permanent fixed climbing spikes for those people brave enough (or stupid) to climb to the top. Needless to say, I didn't attempt this!!!
5th March 2009
The morning was an early start with a 3 hours flight to Perth and another time change. We are now 9 hours ahead of the UK, Melbourne and Sydney were 11 hours. Attempting to pick up our hire car, a Holden Estate, proved fun. The actual cost of the car had been paid for at home but it was decided we would invest in a SatNav, which we have called Sheila, and when I produced my credit card the worst happened – it was declined, so Rosalyn had to pay with a different card. There was nothing I could do about it at the time so we set off with Sheila giving instructions. What should have been an easy 3 hours drive took a little longer because of an accident ahead of us which completely blocked the road. Margaret River itself looks quite charming and the hotel is more than adequate. After our evening meal I tried to use my card again, only to have it declined once more. This meant an anxious phone call to the UK where a gentleman explained that it had been blocked because it had been used first thing in the morning in Alice Springs and then 3 hours later in Perth. When I explained we were moving about Australia he immediately unblocked it and problem solved. I wouldn't have minded, but I had actually rung the credit card company prior to our holiday to say where we were going!!! Still I suppose they were only being careful and looking after my interests.
The morning was an early start with a 3 hours flight to Perth and another time change. We are now 9 hours ahead of the UK, Melbourne and Sydney were 11 hours. Attempting to pick up our hire car, a Holden Estate, proved fun. The actual cost of the car had been paid for at home but it was decided we would invest in a SatNav, which we have called Sheila, and when I produced my credit card the worst happened – it was declined, so Rosalyn had to pay with a different card. There was nothing I could do about it at the time so we set off with Sheila giving instructions. What should have been an easy 3 hours drive took a little longer because of an accident ahead of us which completely blocked the road. Margaret River itself looks quite charming and the hotel is more than adequate. After our evening meal I tried to use my card again, only to have it declined once more. This meant an anxious phone call to the UK where a gentleman explained that it had been blocked because it had been used first thing in the morning in Alice Springs and then 3 hours later in Perth. When I explained we were moving about Australia he immediately unblocked it and problem solved. I wouldn't have minded, but I had actually rung the credit card company prior to our holiday to say where we were going!!! Still I suppose they were only being careful and looking after my interests.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
4th March 2009
Today has been a very long day. We were picked up just after 8.30 am and did not return to the hotel until 5 pm. Our first call was to Anzac Hill where there is a monument to the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand who fell in the two World Wars and other various conflicts, including Vietnam. Today was a lot cooler than yesterday; a mere 28C instead of a giddy 40C so sightseeing was much more pleasant. We then went to the grave of John Flynn, who we mentioned earlier was the founder of the Flying Doctors. This was followed by travelling to the Western MacDonnell Range and walking to Simpsons Gap. We then went to Standley Chasm which is a narrow cleft in the ranges and can only be reached by scrambling over sand and rocks.. The day was concluded with an afternoon visit to the Desert Park, a most fascinating place which attempts to show three different habitats and their flora and fauna. Desert Rivers showed mainly birds, Sand Country is the land of thorny devils, lizards and termites and Woodland is everyone's favourite – kangaroos.
Alice Springs summation – hot with lots of flies. The 4 of us invested in fly nets and although we felt a little foolish wearing them, it was easier than having to constantly swish them away from your face. To live here we feel you need to be a little mad – where else would you hold an annual regatta which involved carrying your boat down the length of a dry river bed and where else would you find that this same regatta had to be cancelled because it had actually rained the day before and the river level was too high to carry the boat?!!
Today has been a very long day. We were picked up just after 8.30 am and did not return to the hotel until 5 pm. Our first call was to Anzac Hill where there is a monument to the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand who fell in the two World Wars and other various conflicts, including Vietnam. Today was a lot cooler than yesterday; a mere 28C instead of a giddy 40C so sightseeing was much more pleasant. We then went to the grave of John Flynn, who we mentioned earlier was the founder of the Flying Doctors. This was followed by travelling to the Western MacDonnell Range and walking to Simpsons Gap. We then went to Standley Chasm which is a narrow cleft in the ranges and can only be reached by scrambling over sand and rocks.. The day was concluded with an afternoon visit to the Desert Park, a most fascinating place which attempts to show three different habitats and their flora and fauna. Desert Rivers showed mainly birds, Sand Country is the land of thorny devils, lizards and termites and Woodland is everyone's favourite – kangaroos.
Alice Springs summation – hot with lots of flies. The 4 of us invested in fly nets and although we felt a little foolish wearing them, it was easier than having to constantly swish them away from your face. To live here we feel you need to be a little mad – where else would you hold an annual regatta which involved carrying your boat down the length of a dry river bed and where else would you find that this same regatta had to be cancelled because it had actually rained the day before and the river level was too high to carry the boat?!!
2nd March 2009
WE visited the Immigration Museum which told the story of immigration from its early days by sailing ship which could take as long as 3 months with all its trials and tribulations. Now it can be done as 24 hour direct flight. An interesting section is were you can sit as an immigration officer and interview prospective immigrants and decide whether they are suitable new citizens. It was interesting to note that there was even immigration from Israel.
Melbourne summation, It is an easy place to get around as the city centre is based on the grid system, the availability of free trams and buses was excellent and made getting around very simple. Cafe culture is also very much in evidence, even if all the coffee we had was pretty foul.
3rd March 2009
After an early start we flew to Alice Springs. While we were at Melbourne Airport we learnt of several shark attacks in and around Sydney Harbour including Bondi Beach, still we can be pretty certain we would not hear of any shark attacks at Alice Springs!!!!
After a 3 hours flight we arrived at our hotel and after a quick sandwich we were off on our afternoon trip around the area. First stop was to the School of the Air, a fascinating insight in how the children who are spread over an area of 521,000 square miles are taught. To give you an idea of the size, that is 10 times the size of England!!! Initially using old fashioned radio, the advent of the digital and satellite era has made contact between teacher and pupil more 'hands on'. The next stop was the Flying Doctor Service headquarters. The founder was Rev. John Flynn whose vision was to set up a Mantle of Safety for health in Central Australia. The first Flying Doctor started operation in 1928 and has gradually grown to be the size it is now. It covers an area of 7,150,000 square kilometres, and now has 51 aircraft.
For those who have not discovered who or what Chloe is I will tell you. It is a painting in the Young and Jackson Public House which is situated opposite Flinders Street Station in Melbourne. The painting of a young lady dressed as she was outraged Victorian Australians and this outrage only disappeared during World War 1 when the people discovered that soldiers going to war were going into the pub to drink a toast with Chloe as they went off to war from Flinders Street Station. This tradition continued during the Second World War. If your eyes are not too delicate look at the picture below. (I joined in the toasting of Chloe by indulging in 2 Natural Blondes, whilst Rosalyn watched on. - Beer for the uninitiated).
Today we went on a day trip to Ballarat and Sovereign Hill north-west of Melbourne, setting off at an early hour we travelled by coach about 110 killometres. In Ballarat we saw Lake Wendouree which is where the world rowing championships will take place in three years time. It got the name when the person who discovered it asked a local Aboriginal child who said to him Wendouree which in the native tongue means go away. However even though the rowing championships take place in 3 years the lake absolutely bone dry but they are working on filling it with reclaimed water. Victoria has experienced 13 years of no significant, rainfall and long range forecasts have not suggested any change. The longest drought in the past has been no more than about seven years.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
1st March 2009
Today our last full day on our own, we had fully intended to visit the Queen Victoria Market in the morning and a museum in the afternoon, however we spent so much time at the market that we had no time to visit the museum. The market is an historic landmark and has been operating for more than a century having been officially opened in 1878. The market sells everything from exotic fruit and vegetables and local and imported gourmet foods to hardware, clothing and souvenirs. Because we were there so long lunch was late and we decided to have a ride on the free city circle tram which takes about an hour to travel go round the Central Business District. we then returned to the hotel and sat down for ten minutes and woke up forty minutes later!!!
We then went to have a look at the Italian quarter travelling there by tram, where we saw various Italian themed shops and restaurants. After that we travelled back to Federation Square.
Whilst we are in Federation Square have you discovered who or what is Chloe. Chloe's history is closely connected with the picture below.
Ballarat/Sovereign Hill is a living museum of Australia's gold rush period. An extremely interesting place, most of the people who work there are in period costume (victorian) and everything that you see is a true representation of what would have happened in those times. It reminded us of Beamish, with its old fashioned foundry, sweet shop, candle and soap makers, etc. Our first trip was to the Gold Mine Tour, a 40 minutes underground guided tour of a gold mine. We also visited and participated in a school lesson.
We ended the day with a visit to the gold museum. This had a beautiful gold menorah as described in the Torah.
1st March 2009
Today our last full day on our own, we had fully intended to visit the Queen Victoria Market in the morning and a museum in the afternoon, however we spent so much time at the market that we had no time to visit the museum. The market is an historic landmark and has been operating for more than a century having been officially opened in 1878. The market sells everything from exotic fruit and vegetables and local and imported gourmet foods to hardware, clothing and souvenirs. Because we were there so long lunch was late and we decided to have a ride on the free city circle tram which takes about an hour to travel go round the Central Business District. we then returned to the hotel and sat down for ten minutes and woke up forty minutes later!!!
We then went to have a look at the Italian quarter travelling there by tram, where we saw various Italian themed shops and restaurants. After that we travelled back to Federation Square.
Whilst we are in Federation Square have you discovered who or what is Chloe. Chloe's history is closely connected with the picture below.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
