Thursday 29th. Leaving Sydney and picking ups the Motorhome

Another slightly foggy start but Tuesday 27th soon turned into another brilliant, sunny and hot day in Sydney. After another excellent breakfast at the Four Seasons we set off for a wander around the Rocks and Circular Quay. A coffee at our favourite Rocks Cafe and we headed back to our hotel to check out. 

We have had a great time in Sydney and indeed in all three of the cities where we stayed. Perth, Melbourne and Sydney are all very different to one another but all great cities and a pleasure to visit.

Our plans for today had been changed a month or so ago when Emirates cancelled the flight we were originally booked on and moved us to a new flight which did not arrive in Christchurch until midnight (albeit NZ time which is 2 hours ahead of Sydney). This was not ideal especially as Wilderness the Motor Home company were picking us up at 08:30 the next morning. We stayed at the Sudima airport hotel which was very functional and just right for an overnight stay. Ray was up in a shot when the alarm sounded and managed to arouse a slightly grumpy LLW. An excellent breakfast was served and no sooner had we checked out, our host from Wilderness appeared. A very pleasant muslim lady who was quite clearly a real Kiwi and this reminded us what a multicultural world we live in now compared to 20-30 years ago. 

The Wilderness depot was only 10 minutes away and very soon a week long course in using the Motor Home was completed in about an hour. This particular model is definitely the most luxurious we have rented in NZ and is full of modern gizmos! How much was actually retained be us will show in the next few days. We set off at 10:45 with Ray driving and the LLW determined to demonstrate that she was no longer the WWN.

Our first stop was Lake Tekapo which is about a 3 hour drive from Christchurch.  We stopped at Ashburton to visit the Countdown supermarket we have used several times before and has the benefit of an excellent coffee shop next door. The first part of the drive through the Canterbury plains is unremarkable but once we turned off at Geraldine and headed to the mountains we were quickly reminded how stunning the NZ scenery is. It was a beautiful hot day and before we tackled the steaks we had bought at Countdown, we walked down to the lake and had a swim. Tekapo is a glacial lake so definitely not warm but it was delightful.

After a good night's sleep we drove off but initially in the wrong direction as the LLW decided that a photo was needed of the filed full of lupins that we had seen as we descended to Tekapo.

Soon we were at Pukaki where there are the most stunning views across the lake to Mount Cook

We stopped for the mandatory coffee at the Wrinkly Rams in Omarama which not only has great coffee and cakes but is now an absolute gold mine based upon the number of people enjoying coffees there.

In the car park Ray had a quick chat with a Kiwi who was towing his boat to Glendhu bay on Lake Wanaka where he was meeting up with his family, We were intrigued to note his car number plate GIN B 4 T.

On we drove over the Lindis pass, down Lake Dunstan to Cromwell and through the Karawau gorge in the Gibbston valley wine area where we stopped to purchase some wine. Now there is a surprise!

Next stop was Arrowtown, wheeler my cousin's son David Dixon lives but who is not there at present. However, David had kindly been looking after our two bikes for four years and said bikes were let out the back of the garage with our BBQ. It felt a bit strange walking around the back of the house, collecting the bikes and putting then on our bike carrier, when the house owner was not there, but no neighbours expressed any concern.

On then to Queenstown where we are staying tonight and hopefully tomorrow night (more of that tomorrow). Queenstown is busier that ever and the gap year kids have once again descended on the town en masse. A quick walk around the town and back to our Motor Home for dinner outside.

x

Monday 26th Boxing Day

Foggy this morning and we could not even see the Harbour Bridge or Opera House when we woke. This gave the LLW the perfect excuse to turn over and have an extended sleep. We did make it down to breakfast by 08:30 and the restaurant was heaving. I'm not sure where they all came from but it could be related to the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race which starts at 13:00 today from Sydney Harbour.

By the time we returned to our room the fog was lifting and the sun was appearing. Within an hour the sky was blue, temperatures were in the mid 20Cs and normal service was resumed. Weather is quite extraordinary at times, from zero visibility to totally clear within 90 mins. 

We walked around the Rocks area which is the first part of Sydney we explored on out first visit in 2010. Some Oligarch (?) has parked their little boat in a position which spoiled the view of the Harbour Bridge!

It was forecast that huge crowds would be watching the start of the race from various vantage point around the harbour and given the excellent view of the harbour from our bedroom, the LLW decreed that we would watch from there. This proved to be an inspired decision since we should also watch the start live on Ray's iPad. The four Super Maxi Yachts which will almost certainly be the first to reach Hobart, are 100 feet long, and watching these tack and jockey for position after the start was fascinating and very alarming.

Having seen them leave the harbour, it was time to explore the botanic gardens which are a short walk from our hotel. Apart from anything else the botanic gardens offer great views of the harbour and iconic buildings.

The LLW was very disappointed to discover that there were no lotus flowers in the oriental garden pond and a formal compliant to Anthony Albanese may be forthcoming.

Back to Circular Quay and we had planned to take the ferry (now back in service after the yachts had left the harbour) to Watsons Bay. However, the next ferry was some 40 minutes away and the LLW spotted a ferry about to depart to Darling Point and Double Bay so off we went to these destinations.

This proved to be an inspired decision and the beach at Double Bay provided an excellent beach where Ray enjoyed a swim in the very warm water.

The view of the Opera House on the way back to circular Quay was quite spectacular in the late afternoon sunshine.

We had decided upon an early supper since our routine has been a good breakfast at the hotels and then fruit or some other small snack at lunchtime and then a good dinner.

Ray had identified a Thai restaurant close to Circular Quay called Chat Thai and we decided to give it a try.  We were immediately encouraged to find several Thai families eating there and we were quickly served with what transpired to be an excellent meal. We have definitely decided that good food, at reasonable prices, in expensive cities is usually provided by Asian restaurants.

We leave for New Zealand tomorrow but our flight was changed to one which leaves at 19:00 and arrives at midnight in Christchurch. We were pleased to discover that our check out time is 12:00 pm so we will have plenty of time to pack and to have another walk around Sydney before we leave. No worries then!

Sunday 25th Christmas day on the beaches

 Would you believe it cloud and actually grey cloud this morning! The LLW was difficult to rouse again this morning so a later breakfast ensued. We encountered Santa in the breakfast room and a fantastic spread was provided by the hotel.

The forecast for the day was for the sun to come out at around 11:00 so team Jackson decided to stay with Plan A which was a visit to the Northern Beaches.

By the time we walked the 300 yards to the Manly Ferry, the cloud was beginning to lift and the temperature was rising. Last time we visited Sydney in 2018 we used the Opal card to pay for buses, teams and ferries. We took the card home and carefully filed it where it would never be found again. However, in 2022 Sydney is in the process of replacing the Opal card with generic contactless cards as London did with Oyster and we were able to tap on and off with "no worries" as they love to say in OZ. The LLW seemed to take great delight in oscillating between my card and the joint account card but her card never seemed to emerge.

The plan was to take the ferry to Manly, then catch a bus to Narrabeen via Brookvale, Dee Why (no me neither) and Collaroy, explore the lagoon and beach at Narrabeen and then bus it back to Manly. All went like clockwork and soon we were walking around the lagoon at Narrabeen.

The photos make it look very quiet but actually there were lots of families setting us barbies at various points around the lagoon and, the cicadas were the noisiest we have ever heard!

Having explored the lagoon we walked down to the main beach which as you can see was hardly crowded. 

Narrabeen beach is a famous surfing beach but surf was not really up today so there were very few participants. Narrabeen is so famous that it featured in the 1960s Beach Boys classic Surfin' USA. I can hear you exclaiming loudly that cannot be right since Australia is nowhere near the USA and that Ray must have had too much sun. However, it is true and Narrabeen gets a mention in verse two, line four. Have a listen for yourselves.

By now the temperature was back to mid 20Cs and still climbing so the LLW decided it was time to return to Manly. The bus arrived very quickly and 20 minutes later we were walking along the esplanade and this beach was much busier.  Manly is another surfing beach and there were a few surfers around making the most of the conditions. Being a surfing beach it is not the greatest for swimming. However, at the southern end there is a small beach called Shelly which is very sheltered from the open ocean and Ray decided he needed a swim and so we walked there. You can see the sand on Shelly beach at the top left of the first photo below.

Th water was warm but too hot and the sea was clear and very blue. Perfect for swimming once the crowds on the beach had been circumnavigated.

Time to head back to Sydney via the ferry and to contemplate where we might find somewhere to eat this evening.

Friday 23rd. On to Sydney

 We are being collected at 08:00 so a fairly early start to finish packing and have breakfast. Some fog this morning in Melbourne so we are hoping that our flight to Sydney is not delayed. Our chauffeur arrived on the dot and we were whisked to the airport in very little time. Quite a wait until our flight but luckily all seems to be running smoothly.

We have now arrived in Sydney and arrived on time having been ~ 15 minutes late taking off. A short flight of only 1 hour.

We have been to Sydney several times before but this is our first time staying at the Four Seasons which is very close to Circular Quay and the view from our bedroom window is spectacular with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and ubiquitous cruise ship all in front of us.

The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that the Sydney Harbour bridge bears a close resemblance to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They were designed by the same UK architects ( Mott, Hay and Anderson) and build by the same UK engineers ( Dorman Long). The Tyne Bridge preceded Sydney's Harbour Bridge by three years.

This evening we are meeting one of Rosemary's clients Vince Cao, and his wife Amy, for dinner in the Circular Quay area.

Thursday 22nd. St Kilda, the circular tram and a great food find

The weather today is forecast to be changeable and whilst it will still be warm at 26C, there will be showers some of which will be thundery.

Therefore, we decided to take the tram to St Kilda which is a seaside resort about 4 miles south of the city. A word in praise of the tram system in Melbourne which is efficient, on time and very well planned. Stops are organised so that after alighting from one tram, the stop for another in a different direction is only a few yards away. 

We only had a few hundred yards to walk to catch the number 96 to St Kilda beach. The journey was uneventful and we quickly arrived at St Kilda and whilst Ray had brought his swimming trucks, the thundery weather dissuaded him from swimming. I do think I heard the LLW muttering something about northern softies!

We wandered away from the sea front to a street lined with coffee houses and restaurants. The one we chose was named the Europa Cake shop which was apparently established by two Polish immigrants and specialises in Polish confectionery. There was a framed article on the wall about an 2019 Economist survey which had downgraded Melbourne from the most "livable" city in the world to number 2 (the throne being taken by Vienna). Two coffee shops featured in this article and one of them was the Europa. Whilst it was pleasant enough it was quite ordinary and certainly does not compare to the very elaborate and sumptuous coffee houses in Vienna.

Back in Melbourne we planned to use the circular tram route to travel all around the city. We decided to go anticlockwise but since that was showing a 30 minute wait, we quickly switched platforms to the clockwise route. All was going well until the tram stopped on part of the northern section  and the driver walked from the front of the tram to the rear and proceeded to travel back in the direction from whence we had come! The LLW was perplexed - what was he up to? He completed rather a long loop, arrived back at the aforementioned stop on the northern section, normal service was restored, and he resumed the clockwise route. 

Back then to the Intercontinental and the LLW once again decided that she needed to give her men some attention (Ray was alarmed to discover yesterday that her ardent followers now number over 40!).

Ray was sent off to walk around the city and not to return until he had some ideas about a venue for today's dinner. Cunningly, Ray already had a venue in mind and started his walk by visiting this venue to check it out. Having decided it was fine he caught the tram to Flinders Station and walked the full length of Swanston Street dodging the Christmas shoppers and often wobbly revellers.

As I came back towards the hotel, there were glimpses of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG a ground with a capacity of 100,000) and I make no apologies for including a photo from the 27th December 2010, when the LLW and I attended the MCG. England had bowled Australia out for 98 on Boxing Day, as we flew from Brisbane to Melbourne, and that evening we watched England reach 150 for no wicked at close, on the big screen in Flinders Square. As I hope you will be able to see from the scorecard, England had amassed 447 for 5 and the Australian supporters had given up and gone home. England won the test comfortably and we felt very lucky to have attended such a momentous day at the MCG.

Back to the hotel and when Ray announced that the dinner venue was to be Delhi Streets, I noted the LLW was somewhat underwhelmed. However, I persuaded her it looks good and had an excellent reputation so off we went to arrive at opening time as, apparently, it does become very busy. We were found a table and ordered quickly 

The LLW chose Butter Chicken and I had Chana Masala and a Vindaloo. Accompanied by rice and naan bread, the food was excellent and an absolute bargain. The place was buzzing with tables full of mainly young people, having a great time. The LLW declared it an inspired choice.

Tomorrow we fly to Sydney and the blog will resume then.

Wednesday 21st. In Melbourne

The LLW took some rousing this morning so our breakfast was later than those in Perth. The lady who showed us our table engaged me in a conversation about the differences in flat whites in England compared to Australia. I careful avoided telling her that the best flat whites are served in New Zealand.

Our hotel, the Intercontinental is based within one of Melbourne's oldest and most famous buildings, The Rialto and the interior of the building is quite amazing as I hope you can see from the photos below.

Off for a wander around the city, firstly walking along Collins Street to the Block Arcade which has the most beautiful mosaic floors and has a very Victoria feel.

We crossed then Yarra river and strolled along the south bank which we have not visited on our previous trip to Melbourne. It very much reminded us of the south bank in London with concert halls, art galleries and numerous restaurants. Since that first visit, the city has grown and modern architecture is much more apparent.

The next photo may seem a very odd one to include so I need to explain. Australians drive on the left as we do and our chauffeur from the airport, explained that Melbourne is the only city in the world where, if you wish to turn right, you pull across to the left. Then driver stops in a designated area and when the traffic is stopped by red lights on the road on which you are driving, you can then turn right. The black car and the silver one behind are doing exactly this and at the same time getting a strange look from the cyclist. It seems to work but it must be a nightmare for visiting motorists who may not be aware of the system.

In the afternoon, the LLW wanted to do some legal work so I was sent off cycling. I walked down to Batman Park where Blue Tongue Bikes were located. No idea why they have that name! I avoided calling the assistant Robin and he spotted that my water bottle had the name of a Lanzarote bike hire shop on it and quickly explained that he was Spanish, from Malaga, and had only been in Melbourne for 4 weeks. We discussed what was the best cycle route for a 2 hour ride and he recommended the Yarra valley trail. All of the bridges over the Yarra river are either pedestrian/cyclists only or have segregated sections alongside the roads. I cycled over the river onto the south bank and managed to weave my way in and out of the throngs of pre Christmas revellers without any mishap. After about a mile it quietened down and I cycled past various boathouses for Universities and Schools in Melbourne. Next I passed the MCG and the sporting complex that was built for the 1956 Olympics. Shortly after that the river bank became more rural and I was slightly disconcerted to see several “beware of the snakes” signs. Luckily no snakes were encountered and after just short of a hour I reached the town of Burnley. Time to turn around and retrace my cycling. No sign of snakes on the return journey either and I soon was back on the bustling south bank. Back to the hotel for a short rest and then we walked into the centre to find a suitable venue for dinner. One of the famous foodie streets in Melbourne is that of Hardware Lane which is lined with bustling restaurants and cafes. One of the newest and trendiest  one is known as Rice, Paper, Scissors (RPC) and is based upon the style of Asian Street Food. The LLW decided that this was the chosen venue and we enjoyed an excellent and very varied mixture of stir fries, curries and salads with, notably good, Malaysian Rotis.

Tuesday 20th Flying to Melbourne

 Our chauffeur is collecting us at 08:45 so a fairly early breakfast and last minute packing. He was here before the allotted time and it was the same cheery chap who picked us up from the airport on Friday.

The use of terminals in Perth seems to be very complicated and the terminal now used by Quantas for domestic flights is some distance from the international one. Apparently this resulted from some animosity between Quantas and Virgin.

We were quickly transported to the correct terminal and whilst we were warned it might be busy, it was strangely quiet and we had the quickest security check ever.

A couple of flat whites and we boarded our Boeing 737 to Melbourne. The flight was unremarkable and the 3 1/2 hours seemed to go very quickly but as a result of the time difference between Perth and Melbourne it was 17:30 local time when we landed. We checked in to the Intercontinental and then set off to find somewhere for dinner. The last time we were in Melbourne we had an excellent Greek meal on our way back from watching England play Australia at the MCG. Apparently, Melbourne has the highest number of Greeks of any city other than Athens.

We duly located a suitable restaurant and were able to dine outside in a very comfortable temperature. It was excellent and we were served by a very charming lady, who once we informed her we had lived in Greece for a short time, proceeded to tell us her life story.

We walked to the hotel and marvelled at the buzzy atmosphere in almost all of the streets. Restaurants were busy and there were lots of people on the streets. Melbourne has a population of ~2M and is a much older city than Perth. However, since our last visit here in 2010, there have been numerous skyscrapers built and the CBD has a very modern feel. It is a very cosmopolitan city with Italians, Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese, the aforementioned Greeks and probably many others now residing in the city

Monday 19th. Our last day in Perth

 Ray had planned a cycle ride this morning and proposed to catch a bus to About Bike Hire at Fraser point to pick up his bike. However, when we woke up it was already 30C and forecast to reach 36C by late morning. Cycling plans were sensibly abandoned and we settled for a leisurely breakfast and a stroll down to Elizabeth Quay keeping in the shade most of the way.

The temperature was still rising so we retreated to the air conditioned luxury of our hotel for a couple of hours. Ray then studied the bus routes and concluded that a proposed visit to Kings Park was possible using one air conditioned bus. The 935 stops every 10 minutes just 100 yards from our hotel so off we went and the very efficient Transperth Transport arranged for the bus to arrive within 2 minutes.  We were surprised at the extent of the hill climb up to Kings Park but once there, were rewarded by spectacular views over Perth and the Swan river.

When we visited Perth four years ago, we found an excellent Thai restaurant named Wok and Ladle. It was decided to eat there again and luckily the 935 bus stopped just about 200 yards from the restaurant. The food was wonderful and every bit as good as we remembered. A number of Thai people came for take aways which is always a good sign. It reminded us of the many excellent Thai restaurants in Chiswick, where good authentic food was served at low prices. Unassuming and typical street food, Wok and Ladle was great, delicious food and tremendous value.

We will be sad to leave Perth in the morning, a fine city in beautiful surroundings.

Sunday 18th. Rottnest Island

Today we are booked to travel to Rottnest Island and we set off early to catch the 08:45 ferry from Elizabeth quay. The journey takes just short of 2 hours firstly down the Swan river to Fremantle and then out on to the Indian Ocean to the island.

We have been to the island once before and really enjoyed cycling around and discovering the many beautiful beaches. However, we were aware that today could be quite tough as the temperatures were forecast to reach well into the 30s C. 

The ferry stops twice, at Fremantle and, then again at Fremantle north which is a new stop compared to the last time we visited. It appears that a new car park has been established on the north side of the river which makes it much easier for those living in north Perth and along the northern side of the river to reach the Rottnest ferry.

It seemed to me that most of those who boarded at Perth were tourists, like ourselves and those who boarded at Fremantle and North Fremantle were locals and, being a Sunday, the locals were a very clear majority.

There were crowds at Thomson bay as the many ferry passengers disembarked and large numbers collected their hire bikes. It was hot and quite clearly was not going to be an easy ride. The LLW did not like her bike and the first one was returned as the handlebars were too low. The next one was not a lot better but after some adjustments to the saddle we cycled off.

As we discovered the first time we visited the island, it is not flat and in fact it mostly is never flat and is a series of ups and downs which seem to be more up than down.

The scenery is spectacular and clearly the fame of Rottnest has spread since it was much busier than previously but that may also have something to do with today being the last Sunday before Christmas!

After about an hour it became clear that it would be unwise to attempt a full circuit of the island which as you can see from the photos does not have a great deal of shade. The board of Jackson's PLC was hastily convened  and after a heated debate, the decision was taken to head back to Thomson Bay for a swim.

This ride was completed at a suitable pace and the hills seemed higher that when we had cycled out from the ferry. However, we soon reached Thomson Bay and first stop was the Bakery for a quick bite and some cold drinks. 

We then headed to the beach and the water at 25C felt very cold compared to the air temperature which we were never able to check but I'm certain its was well into the 30s.

We spent an hour or so swimming or sitting in the shade before Ray decide he would like another ride before catching the ferry home. The LLW was less keen to participate but was given a good reason for not joining in when Ray's bike had mysteriously acquired a puncture. The LLW, most generously, offered Ray the use of her bike so off I set across the island and crossing a causeway between two lakes which have a reddish hue as many of the lakes on the island do Apparently this is caused by algae reacting to stress, caused by hypersalinity and strong sunshine. by producing carotenoids and reddish-yellow pigments. Not many people know that! 

At the other end of the causeway was the steepest and longest hill yet encountered but Ray did decide to climb it. However, having reached the summit. Ray recognised that he did not know where he was, having stupidly left the map behind, and sensibly returned to Thomson Bay. At the other end of the causeway was the steepest and longest hill yet encountered but Ray did decide to climb it. Having reached the summit he realised he did not know where he was, having stupidly left the map behind and sensibly returned to Thomson Bay.

A quick beer for Ray and an iced coffee for the LLW and we returned to our ferry. The Fremantle Doctor was blowing as it always does when temperatures are high and the first part of the return journey was bumpy.

A good day but we realised it was ~ 10C hotter than last time and we were 4 years older!. The LLW declared that next time e-bikes will be a necessity!