Alicea left at about 6.30am to secure a spot down at McMahons Point. I went down about 8.30am and Steve arrived at around 9.15am. It was a good spot, right near the front with a great view of the Bridge and Opera House.
The weather was beautiful and very hot and we had two sun tents and later on we stretched out a sheet to give a bit more shade. During the day we swapped "watches" and we finally all arrived together down there at around 3.30pm. Tim Morris and family turned up about an hour later and about 6pm we ordered pizzas and the girls went to pick them up from the shop.
At 9pm the children's firework display took place which was really good.
The main display at midnight was amazing and we then left with the rest of the crowds and made our way back to the house.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Posted with BlogsySunday, December 30, 2012
Big Bash
Rob, Mark and I were up early for a run over the Bridge. Steve was supposed to come, but decided to stay in bed, much to Mark's annoyance who wanted a picture of the four of us on the run.
On the way back, we stopped in Kirribilli for breakfast before returning home.
Once at home, Steve went out to go up the Sydney Tower and Alicea and Caroline went to Chatswood for shopping. Rob, Mark and I spent the morning transferring our photos and videos to the NAS.
I met Steve for lunch at Bodhi, a vegetarian Dim Sum restaurant where we really pigged out. We then walked down to Mrs Macquarie's Chair through the Botanic Gardens and met the others at the Opera Bar where a really good rock and roll band were playing.
Steve and I left about 5.30pm to go to the Big Bash game at the Olympic Stadium. Sydney Thunder lost to the Sixes in the last but one over. It was pretty good with a crowd of around 20,000.
The others spent some time walking through the Botanic Gardens and then had a Thai in Kirribilli.
Steve and caught the train home which went straight from Olympic Park to Waverton and we arrived home at about 11.30pm.
On the way back, we stopped in Kirribilli for breakfast before returning home.
Once at home, Steve went out to go up the Sydney Tower and Alicea and Caroline went to Chatswood for shopping. Rob, Mark and I spent the morning transferring our photos and videos to the NAS.
I met Steve for lunch at Bodhi, a vegetarian Dim Sum restaurant where we really pigged out. We then walked down to Mrs Macquarie's Chair through the Botanic Gardens and met the others at the Opera Bar where a really good rock and roll band were playing.
Steve and I left about 5.30pm to go to the Big Bash game at the Olympic Stadium. Sydney Thunder lost to the Sixes in the last but one over. It was pretty good with a crowd of around 20,000.
The others spent some time walking through the Botanic Gardens and then had a Thai in Kirribilli.
Steve and caught the train home which went straight from Olympic Park to Waverton and we arrived home at about 11.30pm.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Back to Sydney
We were up early for breakfast and to clean the house before leaving for the airport. I cooked up the rest of the potatoes, onions, egg and cream and had scrambled eggs with fried potatoes.
Once the house was cleaned we packed our cases into the car and headed for Cairns, filling up with petrol on the way.
Once the cars were returned we were shuttled to the airport where we waited for the flight to be called. The flight left on time and was uneventful.
Once we arrived back in Sydney and had settled down a bit, we went to the Blues Point Hotel for dinner before coming back and retiring to bed.
Once the house was cleaned we packed our cases into the car and headed for Cairns, filling up with petrol on the way.
Once the cars were returned we were shuttled to the airport where we waited for the flight to be called. The flight left on time and was uneventful.
Once we arrived back in Sydney and had settled down a bit, we went to the Blues Point Hotel for dinner before coming back and retiring to bed.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Daintree
Up early again, this time for Alicea, Steve, Anna, Mark and myself to do a guided tour of the Daintree rain forest.
We met the minibus for Tony's Tropical Tours at Woolworths in Mossman. From there we drove Mossman Gorge and then to the Daintree where we wandered through the forests while our guide, Steve, told us all about the wildlife and plants there. When we arrived at Mossman Gorge we met a bush ranger who was releasing a snake that had been caught at one of the nearby hotels.
We did a cruise down the Daintree river looking for crocs, but only saw a baby one before we met up with the guide on the other side of the river and then drove to Cape Tribulation, stopping for another rainforest walk where we saw a couple of snakes.
Steve, the guide, kept us entertained with stories throughout the day and was really knowledgeable.
The rainforest walks were really interesting and we saw lots of different plant species.
After lunch we went for a swim in a watering hole at Noah's Creek which was very refreshing and then had a wander along Cape Tribulation beach.
On the way to the Daintree Ice Cream shop we stopped to see a cassowary that was in the middle of a river. That caused a bit of a traffic jam as other cars stopped and we believe that the guide got told off at the next stop.
The ice cream was good and after that we made our way back to Woolworths where we picked up the car and drove back to the house.
I made a mushroom risotto which went down well. I then tried to check in on our flight but the website showed a message saying that the flight was cancelled and that we had no baggage allocated for the return trip. After about 20 minutes waiting on the phone, it was finally sorted, but I couldn't check in online as it errored on the last screen.
We met the minibus for Tony's Tropical Tours at Woolworths in Mossman. From there we drove Mossman Gorge and then to the Daintree where we wandered through the forests while our guide, Steve, told us all about the wildlife and plants there. When we arrived at Mossman Gorge we met a bush ranger who was releasing a snake that had been caught at one of the nearby hotels.
We did a cruise down the Daintree river looking for crocs, but only saw a baby one before we met up with the guide on the other side of the river and then drove to Cape Tribulation, stopping for another rainforest walk where we saw a couple of snakes.
Steve, the guide, kept us entertained with stories throughout the day and was really knowledgeable.
The rainforest walks were really interesting and we saw lots of different plant species.
After lunch we went for a swim in a watering hole at Noah's Creek which was very refreshing and then had a wander along Cape Tribulation beach.
On the way to the Daintree Ice Cream shop we stopped to see a cassowary that was in the middle of a river. That caused a bit of a traffic jam as other cars stopped and we believe that the guide got told off at the next stop.
The ice cream was good and after that we made our way back to Woolworths where we picked up the car and drove back to the house.
I made a mushroom risotto which went down well. I then tried to check in on our flight but the website showed a message saying that the flight was cancelled and that we had no baggage allocated for the return trip. After about 20 minutes waiting on the phone, it was finally sorted, but I couldn't check in online as it errored on the last screen.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Great Barrier Reef
Up early and off to Port Douglas after a few slices of vegemite toast for brekky.
We boarded the boat, Poseidon, and, once we were under way, we were briefed about dive safety and began to kit up. We arrived at the dive site and were put into groups for the first dive. I was to be diving with Alicea, Mark and Anna with a dive instructor called Danny.
We tumbled into the water and gathered by the anchor rope and then inched our way down it a metre or so. After a brief pause while Anna had second thoughts and popped up to the surface, we all (including Anna) practised removing the regulator and clearing water from our masks and then we made our way down the rope to the bottom of the reef and began swimming.
My ears were fine and the dive was great. We had photos taken as we swam by the boat's photographer, including one holding a sea-cucumber. There were some very colourful fish swimming around.
We returned to the boat after about 20 minutes and I noticed my air gauge had just moved into the red.
Back on the boat, we were counted and signed in to make sure no-one was left behind and the boat left for the second dive site.
Once we arrived we tumbled back into the water and descended to the bottom of the reef once more. There were more fish at this site and we swam about a lot more. We had also hired an underwater camera that Mark was using to snap pictures of everyone.
Once again, the dive was great fun and we returned to the boat where a lunch of meats, prawns, salad and bread was waiting. I decided not to go on a third dive and Alicea decided that she would snorkel at the next site.
I stayed on the boat while Rob, Mark, Steve and Anna went for a third dive and Alicea snorkelled over the reef. She said that you could see a lot more while snorkelling than you could while diving.
Once that dive was over, the boat began the return journey to Port Douglas. I managed a snooze on the way back, and once back on land we did a bit of shopping and booked a table at a restaurant called On the Inlet that we had been recommended for dinner.
Dinner was great, the food was wonderful (I had a really good fish curry) and the service was excellent.
We boarded the boat, Poseidon, and, once we were under way, we were briefed about dive safety and began to kit up. We arrived at the dive site and were put into groups for the first dive. I was to be diving with Alicea, Mark and Anna with a dive instructor called Danny.
We tumbled into the water and gathered by the anchor rope and then inched our way down it a metre or so. After a brief pause while Anna had second thoughts and popped up to the surface, we all (including Anna) practised removing the regulator and clearing water from our masks and then we made our way down the rope to the bottom of the reef and began swimming.
My ears were fine and the dive was great. We had photos taken as we swam by the boat's photographer, including one holding a sea-cucumber. There were some very colourful fish swimming around.
We returned to the boat after about 20 minutes and I noticed my air gauge had just moved into the red.
Back on the boat, we were counted and signed in to make sure no-one was left behind and the boat left for the second dive site.
Once we arrived we tumbled back into the water and descended to the bottom of the reef once more. There were more fish at this site and we swam about a lot more. We had also hired an underwater camera that Mark was using to snap pictures of everyone.
Once again, the dive was great fun and we returned to the boat where a lunch of meats, prawns, salad and bread was waiting. I decided not to go on a third dive and Alicea decided that she would snorkel at the next site.
I stayed on the boat while Rob, Mark, Steve and Anna went for a third dive and Alicea snorkelled over the reef. She said that you could see a lot more while snorkelling than you could while diving.
Once that dive was over, the boat began the return journey to Port Douglas. I managed a snooze on the way back, and once back on land we did a bit of shopping and booked a table at a restaurant called On the Inlet that we had been recommended for dinner.
Dinner was great, the food was wonderful (I had a really good fish curry) and the service was excellent.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Breakfast with the Birds
We were up early this morning to go the the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat with Alicea and Anna to have "Breakfast with the Birds". It was quite fun, there was an all you can eat buffet there and we got to hold a couple of birds before roaming around the habitat to see kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, crocs etc.
After that we returned back to the house and Alicea left with Mark and Rob to go skydiving.
We relaxed during the afternoon - I didn't go in the pool as one of my ears is a bit painful and I didn't want to aggravate them before the diving tomorrow. I bought some drops to try and help them a bit and had a short sleep.
Alicea texted to say that they were all down safe and that they would be late back as they were waiting for the videos and would then get a meal out in Cairns.
We used up loads of the left overs from yesterday and I made a fish and veggie curry for myself that I had with couscous.
Then we settled down to watch the Christmas episode of Doctor Who, which was pretty good. Shortly after that finished, the others arrived back and we watched their skydiving videos before retiring to bed.
After that we returned back to the house and Alicea left with Mark and Rob to go skydiving.
We relaxed during the afternoon - I didn't go in the pool as one of my ears is a bit painful and I didn't want to aggravate them before the diving tomorrow. I bought some drops to try and help them a bit and had a short sleep.
Alicea texted to say that they were all down safe and that they would be late back as they were waiting for the videos and would then get a meal out in Cairns.
We used up loads of the left overs from yesterday and I made a fish and veggie curry for myself that I had with couscous.
Then we settled down to watch the Christmas episode of Doctor Who, which was pretty good. Shortly after that finished, the others arrived back and we watched their skydiving videos before retiring to bed.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Christmas Day
Christmas Day in Newell Beach! It's a beautiful and very hot day and Alicea and I wake around 7am and open our presents to each other. I have a quick brekky of fruit and yoghurt and join the others for a quick dip in the pool.
Between the various dips in the pool Alicea and I had a Skype with Nick, Nat and Mary.
We then had our Secret Santa (I got a Lords cricket ball and Alicea got a selection of royal masks) and then spent more time in the pool.
Around 2.30pm we started Christmas Lunch. Alicea did her potatoes, Anna and Mark did the salads while I cooked the fish on the barbie. The dinner was really good and everyone enjoyed it. Rob, Caroline and Steve cleared up and the we all ate chocolates and watched tv while the pudding cooked.
After dinner, I Skyped Mum and Dad before they went to Julie's for the day. It was a quick chat as we were outside and the wind made it difficult to hear. We then called them back a little later at Julie's but the picture was very blurred and they couldn't see or hear us very well. I'm not sure why, maybe it was their mobile internet connection.
After that, we retired to bed for the night.
Between the various dips in the pool Alicea and I had a Skype with Nick, Nat and Mary.
We then had our Secret Santa (I got a Lords cricket ball and Alicea got a selection of royal masks) and then spent more time in the pool.
Around 2.30pm we started Christmas Lunch. Alicea did her potatoes, Anna and Mark did the salads while I cooked the fish on the barbie. The dinner was really good and everyone enjoyed it. Rob, Caroline and Steve cleared up and the we all ate chocolates and watched tv while the pudding cooked.
After dinner, I Skyped Mum and Dad before they went to Julie's for the day. It was a quick chat as we were outside and the wind made it difficult to hear. We then called them back a little later at Julie's but the picture was very blurred and they couldn't see or hear us very well. I'm not sure why, maybe it was their mobile internet connection.
After that, we retired to bed for the night.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas Eve
It's Christmas Eve! After an early morning swim and brekky I did a very quick Skype with John before Alicea, Anna, Steve and I popped into Port Douglas to pick up the meat, seafood and some other supplies.
After a quick sandwich, Caroline and I drove to Cape Tribulation to go horseriding. The trip took just over an hour and we had to take a ferry across the Daintree river. We arrived early and had a cold drink while we waited to be picked up.
The riding was superb. We went through the rainforest and onto Cape Tribulation beach. We trotted and cantered at some points too, which was great. My horse Topaz, was lovely and Billy, Caroline's horse tended to take off a bit during the cantering.
There were only two others on the rid (apart from the guides) who were two young girls from northern England.
Once we were all back home (Mark went biking where he ate a green ant apparently) we all made pizzas for dinner before watching the Polar Express. When the film had finished, Alicea brought out her own "Santa's Bell" and rang it, much to the amusement of everyone.
After a quick sandwich, Caroline and I drove to Cape Tribulation to go horseriding. The trip took just over an hour and we had to take a ferry across the Daintree river. We arrived early and had a cold drink while we waited to be picked up.
The riding was superb. We went through the rainforest and onto Cape Tribulation beach. We trotted and cantered at some points too, which was great. My horse Topaz, was lovely and Billy, Caroline's horse tended to take off a bit during the cantering.
There were only two others on the rid (apart from the guides) who were two young girls from northern England.
Once we were all back home (Mark went biking where he ate a green ant apparently) we all made pizzas for dinner before watching the Polar Express. When the film had finished, Alicea brought out her own "Santa's Bell" and rang it, much to the amusement of everyone.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Port Douglas
It was a warm night and we kept the fan on and the door open, which let a nice breeze through.
I got up at around 6.30am and after making a cup of tea for Alicea, I went for a very refreshing swim. Then, after brekky we popped into Port Douglas where we had a look around the market, had some lunch in a local sandwich shop and then went and did some shopping in Coles.
We also ordered some seafood for Christmas that we will pick up tomorrow.
When we arrived back at the house, a guy was there checking out the aircon in the bedrooms as a couple of them weren't working properly.
The weather had been very changeable all day, varying from heavy rain to really hot sunshine and I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and had another dip in the pool. Meanwhile, a couple of the others were booking up activities for later in the week. I volunteered for some horse-riding and a tour of the Daintree. Alicea is going skydiving and doing the Daintree tour.
I cooked pasta with tomato sauce and a creamy mushroom sauce for dinner.
In the evening we watched Scrooge with Alistair Sim before retiring to bed.
I got up at around 6.30am and after making a cup of tea for Alicea, I went for a very refreshing swim. Then, after brekky we popped into Port Douglas where we had a look around the market, had some lunch in a local sandwich shop and then went and did some shopping in Coles.
We also ordered some seafood for Christmas that we will pick up tomorrow.
When we arrived back at the house, a guy was there checking out the aircon in the bedrooms as a couple of them weren't working properly.
The weather had been very changeable all day, varying from heavy rain to really hot sunshine and I decided to take advantage of the sunshine and had another dip in the pool. Meanwhile, a couple of the others were booking up activities for later in the week. I volunteered for some horse-riding and a tour of the Daintree. Alicea is going skydiving and doing the Daintree tour.
I cooked pasta with tomato sauce and a creamy mushroom sauce for dinner.
In the evening we watched Scrooge with Alistair Sim before retiring to bed.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
It's Hot Up North!
Four of us left about 8.30am to fill up the hire car with petrol to take it back to the airport, while the others were taking a taxi at 9am. We all arrived at the airport at around the same time and queued to drop our baggage off.
Once that was done, we went through security to have some brekky. The flight was delayed by 45 minutes so we amused ourselves as best as we could before thenflight was called. It was a full flight so Alicea and my plan of picking aisle and window seats in the hope of having a free seat between us didn't work.
The flight was uneventful and we landed in Cairns at around 2pm.
After collecting our luggage we waited for the courtesy bus to the car rental pick up and, once all the cars were sorted, we drove to Newell Beach.
The house is magnificent and the setting is beautiful. All the bedrooms have en-suite, and ours (chosen after a random draw) has a big spa bath.
We were met by Hans, who owns the company that manages all the properties. He showed us around and also booked a meal for us at a local restaurant call Mojo's.
Mark and I drove to Woolworths in Mossman to get some brekky supplies and once we returned we went for a really nice meal at Mojo's (stopping at a bottleshop on the way).
After the meal, we returned to the house for the night.
Once that was done, we went through security to have some brekky. The flight was delayed by 45 minutes so we amused ourselves as best as we could before thenflight was called. It was a full flight so Alicea and my plan of picking aisle and window seats in the hope of having a free seat between us didn't work.
The flight was uneventful and we landed in Cairns at around 2pm.
After collecting our luggage we waited for the courtesy bus to the car rental pick up and, once all the cars were sorted, we drove to Newell Beach.
The house is magnificent and the setting is beautiful. All the bedrooms have en-suite, and ours (chosen after a random draw) has a big spa bath.
We were met by Hans, who owns the company that manages all the properties. He showed us around and also booked a meal for us at a local restaurant call Mojo's.
Mark and I drove to Woolworths in Mossman to get some brekky supplies and once we returned we went for a really nice meal at Mojo's (stopping at a bottleshop on the way).
After the meal, we returned to the house for the night.
End of the World
We met up early for a quick photo call before piling into the cars for our journey home. We stopped at the Lott Bakery in Cooma for brekkie which was really nice. From there we drove to Goulburn where we had lunch and another photocall at the Big Merino.
From there we headed back to Sydney, which took longer than expected due to an accident on the M5.
Once home we unpacked the cars and then headed to Kirribilli where we had a Thai for dinner. Then Rob, Caroline, Mark, Steve and myself headed across the Bridge to the Observatory for the "I Survived the End of the World" party. We were suitably underdressed compared to the rest of the people there. It was quite a good evening - classical music, telescopes and we did a quick tour of the observatory, had a look through the telescopes and got a great picture of the moon and saw Jupiter.
We then caught taxis back home after we got fed up listening to the speaker who was much too boring for the event.
From there we headed back to Sydney, which took longer than expected due to an accident on the M5.
Once home we unpacked the cars and then headed to Kirribilli where we had a Thai for dinner. Then Rob, Caroline, Mark, Steve and myself headed across the Bridge to the Observatory for the "I Survived the End of the World" party. We were suitably underdressed compared to the rest of the people there. It was quite a good evening - classical music, telescopes and we did a quick tour of the observatory, had a look through the telescopes and got a great picture of the moon and saw Jupiter.
We then caught taxis back home after we got fed up listening to the speaker who was much too boring for the event.
Wet and Dry
This morning I was planning to go for a run and then go horse riding with Anna and Caroline. However, having got up early for the run, I discovered that it was raining heavily and decided not to go. Over breakfast we rang the horse-riding place and, after some discussion, cancelled that too.
Mark decided that he would still do his mountain biking and the girls went into Jindabyne to do some shopping. The weather cleared up during the morning and we booked lunch at the Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery which was really nice.
Rob and I played a round of golf (9 hole, 3 par) in the afternoon and we met up in the evening for pasta and drinks.
Mark decided that he would still do his mountain biking and the girls went into Jindabyne to do some shopping. The weather cleared up during the morning and we booked lunch at the Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery which was really nice.
Rob and I played a round of golf (9 hole, 3 par) in the afternoon and we met up in the evening for pasta and drinks.
Mount Kosciuzko
I got up early and joined Rob, Steve and Mark for an early morning run at 7am. We ran around the lake and into the bush seeing several kangaroos which was nice. I ran about 6km, while Rob and Mark carried on and did around 10km.
Once back at the apartments we had brekky and Alicea took Steve and myself to Thredbo where we planned to walk up Mount Kosciuzko, Australia's highest peak. We popped into a cafe before leaving and they made us cheese turkish toasties and banana bread to take with us. The weather was perfect and we took the ski-lift up about half way and walked the last 6.5km to the summit. The views were spectacular, and we visited Australia's highest public toilet on the way. We reached the summit and ate our lunch before making our descent, stopping at the Eagles Nest Restaurant, the highest restaurant in Australia, for a coffee before hopping on the ski-lift back to Thredbo where we had a couple of beers before Alicea arrived to drive us home.
After a brief rest we drove to Jindabyne and had dinner in a middle eastern restaurant there. The food was very nice but the service was slow due to the restaurant being full, but that didn't matter as we were quite happy to sit, chat and drink.
After the meal, we drove back to the resort, narrowly missing hitting a small dingo on the way.
Once back at the apartments we had brekky and Alicea took Steve and myself to Thredbo where we planned to walk up Mount Kosciuzko, Australia's highest peak. We popped into a cafe before leaving and they made us cheese turkish toasties and banana bread to take with us. The weather was perfect and we took the ski-lift up about half way and walked the last 6.5km to the summit. The views were spectacular, and we visited Australia's highest public toilet on the way. We reached the summit and ate our lunch before making our descent, stopping at the Eagles Nest Restaurant, the highest restaurant in Australia, for a coffee before hopping on the ski-lift back to Thredbo where we had a couple of beers before Alicea arrived to drive us home.
After a brief rest we drove to Jindabyne and had dinner in a middle eastern restaurant there. The food was very nice but the service was slow due to the restaurant being full, but that didn't matter as we were quite happy to sit, chat and drink.
After the meal, we drove back to the resort, narrowly missing hitting a small dingo on the way.
Snowy Mountains
The night on the inflatable bed was pretty comfortable. Rob, Mark and I rose early and went for a run around Balls Head before brekky, which was scrambled egg cooked by Caroline. After brekky, we packed up the cars and began our drive to the Snowy Mountains. We stopped in Mittagong to fill up with petrol and again at Bowral where Mark, Steve and myself went to the International Cricket Hall of Fame (formerly the Don Bradman Museum) while the others did some shopping in Bowral. We met them at the Elephant Boy Cafe for lunch before heading to Canberra, where we swapped drivers for the last leg to Lake Crackenback. We arrived shortly before 6pm and booked into our apartments and then booked a table at the resort restaurant for dinner.
Dinner was pretty good, although the service was a bit slow and we retired after the meal to our apartments.
Dinner was pretty good, although the service was a bit slow and we retired after the meal to our apartments.
Rob and Caroline
Mark, Alicea and I left to pick up Rob and Caroline from the airport. We arrived early so Mark sorted the hire car out before we went to meet Rob & Caroline.
Their plane landed about 10 minutes late and they came through customs about 45 minutes later. We drove home - Alicea went with Mark in the hire car - and we met up with everyone down at Milsons Point for the, now traditional, photo-call.
Once back at the house, Rob and Caroline freshened up and we had some brekky before hopping on a train to the city and doing some shopping in the QVB and in Westfield. We had lunch in the new Westfield food court and then went back to the house, popping out briefly to North Sydney to get some shopping and phone sims.
Back at the house, we made some snacks for dinner and inflated the bed where Alicea and I will be sleeping.
Their plane landed about 10 minutes late and they came through customs about 45 minutes later. We drove home - Alicea went with Mark in the hire car - and we met up with everyone down at Milsons Point for the, now traditional, photo-call.
Once back at the house, Rob and Caroline freshened up and we had some brekky before hopping on a train to the city and doing some shopping in the QVB and in Westfield. We had lunch in the new Westfield food court and then went back to the house, popping out briefly to North Sydney to get some shopping and phone sims.
Back at the house, we made some snacks for dinner and inflated the bed where Alicea and I will be sleeping.
Mark and Anna
I awoke early (about 5am) and checked my email and the news to discover that QPR had won their first game this season! I also found out that Mark and Anna's plane was due to arrive about 20 minutes early.
We got up around 6ish and left for the airport around 7am arrived shortly after their plane touched down. About three quarters of an hour later, they emerged into the arrivals hall and we drove home via another photo op down at Milsons Point.
Once back at the house, we had some brekky before some of the gang went for a kip before we decide what to do for lunch and the rest of the afternoon.
In the afternoon we caught a train to Circular Quay and went for dinner on the Waterfront. The service was very slow, but the food was good.
We then wandered around the Rocks Market before grabbing a coffee at the Chocolate cafe and then catching the train back to Waverton where we had a few nibbles before bed.
We got up around 6ish and left for the airport around 7am arrived shortly after their plane touched down. About three quarters of an hour later, they emerged into the arrivals hall and we drove home via another photo op down at Milsons Point.
Once back at the house, we had some brekky before some of the gang went for a kip before we decide what to do for lunch and the rest of the afternoon.
In the afternoon we caught a train to Circular Quay and went for dinner on the Waterfront. The service was very slow, but the food was good.
We then wandered around the Rocks Market before grabbing a coffee at the Chocolate cafe and then catching the train back to Waverton where we had a few nibbles before bed.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Steve Arrives
We left for the airport at about 9am and waited for Steve. His flight landed shortly after we arrived at the airport and he was through customs about an hour later.
We drove back home via work so I could pick up my wine, bed etc. The it was back to ours. We went to "Last Train" for lunch and then wandered around Crows Nest finishing with a drink at Small Bar before walking home via Woolies.
Steve had a kip in the afternoon and failed to hear his alarm, so I woke him. We then chatted and watched TV until he went to bed.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Up in the Trees
The night at the B&B was comfortable, if a little chilly at times although we had a heater and electric blanket to use if we needed them, so it was our own fault really if we were cold. We awoke around 7ish and eventually braved the chill to get up and dressed, ready for breakfast.
After breakfast we drove south to Geeveston where bought tickets for the Tahune Forest Airwalk. We then drove about 30km into the forest before arriving at the visitors centre.
The airwalk is a raised walkway through the forest treetops along the Huon River. It's pretty impressive as you end up on a cantilevered platform almost 40m above the forest floor. It's a fairly easy walk, but the scenery at the end is spectacular. We were lucky , as the weather was really good and there was no wind. Even so, the platform was swaying gently. I wouldn't like to be on it in high winds, although the blurb said that it is designed to withstand winds of 180kmh.
After returning from the airwalk, I went on the Hangliding ride. This is a "zipwire" ride over the river while you are strapped to a hanglider. I was strapped into the chair and then hauled backwards over the river before "gliding" back to where I started. I got two goes and it was fun, despite last nights cold rain that had gathered on the canopy being dumped on me during the first run. Once again, the view of the scenery was great.
After a hot drink we drove back to Hobart and I went for a whisky tasting at the Lark's Distillery. I sampled a very nice selection of local malts and left feeling quite happy. I also left with a bottle of their port barreled malt, which was my favourite (except for the very expensive rum-barreled).
Then it was down to the docks for some fish and chips to soak up the alcohol and a quick trip around the main shopping street before heading back to the airport for our flight home.
After breakfast we drove south to Geeveston where bought tickets for the Tahune Forest Airwalk. We then drove about 30km into the forest before arriving at the visitors centre.
The airwalk is a raised walkway through the forest treetops along the Huon River. It's pretty impressive as you end up on a cantilevered platform almost 40m above the forest floor. It's a fairly easy walk, but the scenery at the end is spectacular. We were lucky , as the weather was really good and there was no wind. Even so, the platform was swaying gently. I wouldn't like to be on it in high winds, although the blurb said that it is designed to withstand winds of 180kmh.
After returning from the airwalk, I went on the Hangliding ride. This is a "zipwire" ride over the river while you are strapped to a hanglider. I was strapped into the chair and then hauled backwards over the river before "gliding" back to where I started. I got two goes and it was fun, despite last nights cold rain that had gathered on the canopy being dumped on me during the first run. Once again, the view of the scenery was great.
After a hot drink we drove back to Hobart and I went for a whisky tasting at the Lark's Distillery. I sampled a very nice selection of local malts and left feeling quite happy. I also left with a bottle of their port barreled malt, which was my favourite (except for the very expensive rum-barreled).
Then it was down to the docks for some fish and chips to soak up the alcohol and a quick trip around the main shopping street before heading back to the airport for our flight home.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Cold, Rain and more Rainbows
The alarm was set for 6am but didn't go off as I forgot it was a weekend, and the alarm was only set for Monday to Friday. Luckily, we both woke up just after 6 and got to the restaurant just as they opened.
After brekky, we checked out and began the drive to Cradle Mountain.The road was very twisty and the weather, once again, alternated between sun and showers. We stopped for petrol at an automated petrol station at Zeehan.From there we promptly headed the wrong way, soon realised our mistake, turned round and began heading once again to Cradle Mountain.
After a couple of hours we zoomed past the Visitors Centre, past a police car that was frantically signaling to us to slow down (I think Alicea thought they were waving at her) and stopped at the barriers next to a sign saying that we needed a day pass to enter the park.
We went back to the Visitor Centre (at the proper speed) and bought a day pass each ($33) This included a free shuttle bus ride into the park and back (about 20 mins each way) which we decided to do.
By now, as we were up in the low lying clouds, it was cold and constantly drizzling, so we were well wrapped up in coats, scarves and hats.
We caught the shuttlebus down to Dove Lake and we were planning to do a short walk to Lake Lilla. However, due to the cold and wet, Alicea decided to stay undercover at the car park hut, and I decided to brave the elements on my own.
The walk was very picturesque and quite wet. More than once I wished that I had brought my walking boots as some of the path was a bit slippery and my socks were gradually getting wet as my runners are not the most waterproof footwear.I was also having problems taking any decent photographs as, every time I tried, the rain would just coat the lens. The rain did stop a couple of times, just for a minute or two, and the sun shone through, and then it was back to the drizzle.
Once I'd reached Lake Lilla, I turned around and headed back to the car park. As it came into sight, I saw one of the shuttle buses leaving, which meant a 20 minute wait for the next one. I rejoined Alicea in the hut and the rain began to bucket down. I'd got back just in time! We got on the next shuttle bus back to the Visitors Centre where we had a nice warm drink and a snack before setting off in the car again.
We drove out of the Cradle Mountain National Park towards Launceston and then headed south towards Hobart and saw some amazing full and double rainbows on the way. We stopped in Perth to have some lunch (veg soup and garlic bread) at a pub and then continued onwards to Hobart.
Our plan for tomorrow morning is to do the Huen Skywalk, so we headed through Hobart to Huenville and then onto Franklin where we found a little B&B (Huon Franklin Cottage) to stay the night and went to a restaurant called Petty Sessions for dinner. The food was okay, nothing special, but there were some fabulous pictures - photos and pencil drawings - dotted around the walls that were done, we were told, by the owner's partner.
After dinner, we retired back to the B&B.
After brekky, we checked out and began the drive to Cradle Mountain.The road was very twisty and the weather, once again, alternated between sun and showers. We stopped for petrol at an automated petrol station at Zeehan.From there we promptly headed the wrong way, soon realised our mistake, turned round and began heading once again to Cradle Mountain.
After a couple of hours we zoomed past the Visitors Centre, past a police car that was frantically signaling to us to slow down (I think Alicea thought they were waving at her) and stopped at the barriers next to a sign saying that we needed a day pass to enter the park.
We went back to the Visitor Centre (at the proper speed) and bought a day pass each ($33) This included a free shuttle bus ride into the park and back (about 20 mins each way) which we decided to do.
By now, as we were up in the low lying clouds, it was cold and constantly drizzling, so we were well wrapped up in coats, scarves and hats.
We caught the shuttlebus down to Dove Lake and we were planning to do a short walk to Lake Lilla. However, due to the cold and wet, Alicea decided to stay undercover at the car park hut, and I decided to brave the elements on my own.
Once I'd reached Lake Lilla, I turned around and headed back to the car park. As it came into sight, I saw one of the shuttle buses leaving, which meant a 20 minute wait for the next one. I rejoined Alicea in the hut and the rain began to bucket down. I'd got back just in time! We got on the next shuttle bus back to the Visitors Centre where we had a nice warm drink and a snack before setting off in the car again.
Our plan for tomorrow morning is to do the Huen Skywalk, so we headed through Hobart to Huenville and then onto Franklin where we found a little B&B (Huon Franklin Cottage) to stay the night and went to a restaurant called Petty Sessions for dinner. The food was okay, nothing special, but there were some fabulous pictures - photos and pencil drawings - dotted around the walls that were done, we were told, by the owner's partner.
After dinner, we retired back to the B&B.
Friday, April 27, 2012
ABT No 5
We had breakfast at a local cafe that was okay, but nothing special and then waited for the shuttle-bus to take us to the local station.
Once at the station we were shown to the premier class carriage (there were only two carriages in total, the other being "tourist class") and introduce to Ashley who was to look after us for the day.
On entering the carriage we were handed a glass of sparkling wine and very soon the train shook into life and we were off.
The railway has to negotiate a 1 in 20 and a 1 in 16 incline so it uses an ABT Rack and Pinion system to drag the train up the incline and to provide extra braking on the way down. The locos themselves are fitted with large cogwheel pinions which engage with the rack on the centre rail. There were five originally, but only three are in service at the moment and we spent the day being pulled by ABT No 5.
The scenery was stunning. The carriage we were in had a "balcony" at the rear that afforded an excellent view as the train rattled along the banks of the King River, the Queen River, past various gorges, through ancient temperate rain forests and over several bridges.
All the while we were fed and watered with Tasmanian wines, Tasmanian cheeses, coffee, hot chocolate and other snacks and drinks.
Tom, who was looking after the Tourist Class carriage, gave a running commentary about the history of the railway, the mines and the general area.
We stopped at various small stations on the way where we could stretch our legs and go for a stroll into the rain forest.
Eventually, the train rolled into Queenstown where we boarded a bus for the trip back to Strathan. It was a really enjoyable and interesting day.
Before we left for Tasmania, I was told to try the crayfish but, try as we might, we haven't found any yet. The only place that seems to sell it here in Strahan is a local souvenir shop(!) but we would rather have it in a restaurant than on our laps in our hotel room.
So, we ended up in Hamer's, the local pub, where we had some oysters followed by steak (Alicea) and curried scallops (me) which were both rather nice.
We then went back to the hotel for the night as we've a long day tomorrow as we try to get to Cradle Mountain and then do the long drive back to Hobart.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Long Drive Through the Rainbows and a Change of Plan
We walked down to Salamanca Place for brekkie and had a very nice dish of scrambled eggs on sourdough toast in one of the cafes. Then we checked out of the hotel and started the 300km drive from Hobart to Strahan which, we had decided would be our overnight stop on the way to Cradle Mountain.
The scenery on the drive was stunning as we followed the river Derwent as it wound through the hills and valleys, occasionally stopping to take photos. The weather was very mixed. One moment it would be sunny, the next rainy, the next both. This meant we saw about half a dozen rainbows during the trip which just highlighted the scenery even more.
We stopped at Derwent Bridge for a coffee, initially going into the Derwent Bridge Hotel (just after a coach party of pensioners had arrived and were being ushered to their tables for lunch) only to discover that the only coffee they had was instant. So we doubled back to another cafe that we had passed a couple of minutes earlier called the Hungry Wombat and had a "proper" (albeit decaf...) coffee and a piece of cake each.
Thus replenished, we set off on our way again, heading through the trees, down the extremely twisty road towards Queenstown (the next bit of civilisation) and then on to Strahan. The road down to Queenstown was very, very twisty as it made it's way down the side of the mountain into the mining town. Queenstown isn't the prettiest of towns, but it was nice to get there as it meant the end of the drive wasn't far off.
After some more twisty roads we ended up in Strahan about 2.30pm. We parked and headed to the local tourist info to find out about accommodation and whether there were any tours/actvities we could do.
Accommodation wasn't a problem as there were several places we could choose from. The two main tours that they do here are a boat trip up the river and a rail trip throught the rainforest to Queenstown. Unfortunately, both are day tours and we had missed them.
The other trip that we had read about, a boat trip out to one of the islands to see the little penguins wasn't running, so we were out of luck.
So, we went to see what accommodation we could book. We went to the Strahan Village reception and had a look at one of the rooms they had overlooking the harbour. It was lovely, and on the way back to reception to confirm it, we booked in for their buffet dinner.
Once that was done, we had a quick wander around the harbourside, stopping for a coffee before returning to the hotel bar for some tapas (cheese & onion tortilla, chilli pepper squid) and a drink overlooking the harbour.
Our plan was to drive to Cradle Mountain tomorrow and head back to Hobart to catch the Salamanca markets on Saturday. However, after chatting to some people in the bar who were talking about the railway trip throught the rainforest we decided to book that for tomorrow and head to Cradle Mountain on Saturday, forgoing the markets, which meant booking an extra night here in Strahan. It turned out that residents of the hotel get 10% discount on the train trip, which was a bonus so we booked the train and an extra night in the hotel.
The buffet for dinner was pretty good. As a bonus, the bar had James Squier, so i was able to get a decent beer too. There was plenty of choice and I started with a roast pumpkin soup and then had a selection including some Atlantic trout with wasabi mayo, mussels, scallop, pear and walnut salad and a selection of antipasto veggies. After finishing that, I returned to the buffet bar to have pink ling with an orange and fennel sauce, garlic scalloped potatoes, roast potatoes and brocolli. The ling was pretty dry and tasteless, but the garlic spuds were lovely. Finally, I waddled back once more to sample the pavlova, choccy caramel slice and washed it down with some custard...
The hotel has wireless, but it only seems to be available in the bar/restaurant area. I purchased an hours worth which hopefully will be enough for me to upload this blog and a few pix. If you are reading this, then I guess it was.
The scenery on the drive was stunning as we followed the river Derwent as it wound through the hills and valleys, occasionally stopping to take photos. The weather was very mixed. One moment it would be sunny, the next rainy, the next both. This meant we saw about half a dozen rainbows during the trip which just highlighted the scenery even more.
Thus replenished, we set off on our way again, heading through the trees, down the extremely twisty road towards Queenstown (the next bit of civilisation) and then on to Strahan. The road down to Queenstown was very, very twisty as it made it's way down the side of the mountain into the mining town. Queenstown isn't the prettiest of towns, but it was nice to get there as it meant the end of the drive wasn't far off.
After some more twisty roads we ended up in Strahan about 2.30pm. We parked and headed to the local tourist info to find out about accommodation and whether there were any tours/actvities we could do.
Accommodation wasn't a problem as there were several places we could choose from. The two main tours that they do here are a boat trip up the river and a rail trip throught the rainforest to Queenstown. Unfortunately, both are day tours and we had missed them.
The other trip that we had read about, a boat trip out to one of the islands to see the little penguins wasn't running, so we were out of luck.So, we went to see what accommodation we could book. We went to the Strahan Village reception and had a look at one of the rooms they had overlooking the harbour. It was lovely, and on the way back to reception to confirm it, we booked in for their buffet dinner.
Once that was done, we had a quick wander around the harbourside, stopping for a coffee before returning to the hotel bar for some tapas (cheese & onion tortilla, chilli pepper squid) and a drink overlooking the harbour.
Our plan was to drive to Cradle Mountain tomorrow and head back to Hobart to catch the Salamanca markets on Saturday. However, after chatting to some people in the bar who were talking about the railway trip throught the rainforest we decided to book that for tomorrow and head to Cradle Mountain on Saturday, forgoing the markets, which meant booking an extra night here in Strahan. It turned out that residents of the hotel get 10% discount on the train trip, which was a bonus so we booked the train and an extra night in the hotel.
The buffet for dinner was pretty good. As a bonus, the bar had James Squier, so i was able to get a decent beer too. There was plenty of choice and I started with a roast pumpkin soup and then had a selection including some Atlantic trout with wasabi mayo, mussels, scallop, pear and walnut salad and a selection of antipasto veggies. After finishing that, I returned to the buffet bar to have pink ling with an orange and fennel sauce, garlic scalloped potatoes, roast potatoes and brocolli. The ling was pretty dry and tasteless, but the garlic spuds were lovely. Finally, I waddled back once more to sample the pavlova, choccy caramel slice and washed it down with some custard...
The hotel has wireless, but it only seems to be available in the bar/restaurant area. I purchased an hours worth which hopefully will be enough for me to upload this blog and a few pix. If you are reading this, then I guess it was.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
To Tassie!
The alarm woke us early, very early, at 5am. To be honest, neither of us had slept well and were awake well before the alarm.
The taxi arrived about five minutes early and we we whisked away to the delights of Kingsford-Smith Domestic.
For once, Jetstar took off on time and, about two hours later, landed in a large field on the outskirts of Hobart, which purports to be the airport.
While Alicea waited for the suitcase, I went and sorted out a hire car an very soon we were on our way to Port Arthur, the penal colony.
Once we were there, we went on a cruise out into the harbour to hear some of the history and to get a closer look at the Isle of the Dead (where the deceased prisoners were buried) and Point Peur, the boys' prison.
The cruise was about 20 minutes and was included in the price, as was a 40 minute introductory tour.
After the cruise, we grabbed a pie and chips to eat before meeting up for the introductory tour. This tour basically gave a bit of history about the layout of the place and a very brief overview of the reasoning behind its building. We also heard a few tails about the convicts.
After the tour, we had a wander around the main buildings. A lot of the buildings are now in ruins, due to bush fires and falling into disrepair, but it is still possible to get a feel for the place. After it ceased being a prison, part of it was turned into an hotel and part (the asylum) was used as council offices..!
We then went back to Taranna to see if Alicea's brother Mick was at home. Unfortunately, he wasn't so we took a picture and posted it on Facebook to prove that we had been there. We then went to the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Center nearby. It was $32 each to get it, which was extortionate for what was there. There were a few enclosures with Devils in, some Quolls, some birds of prey and som wallabies and Roos. I know that these places cost a fair bit to run, but we did feel a bit ripped off.
We drove back to Hobart and checked into the Collins Hotel. We then went looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us, only to find that it had shut down. We then went to another place on the docks called "Mures" that was really nice. We shared a huge seafood platter which was lovely and I tried a Tassie single malt which was quite nice but different to the Scotch's I'm used to.
From there, we walked back to the hotel where we retired for the night.
The taxi arrived about five minutes early and we we whisked away to the delights of Kingsford-Smith Domestic.
For once, Jetstar took off on time and, about two hours later, landed in a large field on the outskirts of Hobart, which purports to be the airport.
While Alicea waited for the suitcase, I went and sorted out a hire car an very soon we were on our way to Port Arthur, the penal colony.
Once we were there, we went on a cruise out into the harbour to hear some of the history and to get a closer look at the Isle of the Dead (where the deceased prisoners were buried) and Point Peur, the boys' prison.
After the cruise, we grabbed a pie and chips to eat before meeting up for the introductory tour. This tour basically gave a bit of history about the layout of the place and a very brief overview of the reasoning behind its building. We also heard a few tails about the convicts.
After the tour, we had a wander around the main buildings. A lot of the buildings are now in ruins, due to bush fires and falling into disrepair, but it is still possible to get a feel for the place. After it ceased being a prison, part of it was turned into an hotel and part (the asylum) was used as council offices..!
We then went back to Taranna to see if Alicea's brother Mick was at home. Unfortunately, he wasn't so we took a picture and posted it on Facebook to prove that we had been there. We then went to the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Center nearby. It was $32 each to get it, which was extortionate for what was there. There were a few enclosures with Devils in, some Quolls, some birds of prey and som wallabies and Roos. I know that these places cost a fair bit to run, but we did feel a bit ripped off.
We drove back to Hobart and checked into the Collins Hotel. We then went looking for a restaurant that had been recommended to us, only to find that it had shut down. We then went to another place on the docks called "Mures" that was really nice. We shared a huge seafood platter which was lovely and I tried a Tassie single malt which was quite nice but different to the Scotch's I'm used to.
From there, we walked back to the hotel where we retired for the night.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Back Home Again
Once again we breakfasted at the cafe at the hotel. This time I had a veggie brekky that included halloumi cheese, hash browns, mushies, egg and toast and Alicea had a huge fruit salad with yoghurt and fruit compote (or compost) as she kept calling it.
We then packed up the car and checked out before heading to the Lake Maquarie City Art Gallery at Booragul.
It had a couple of exhibitions on which were reasonably interesting showing artworks from Indigenous peoples and from a couple of Aussie artists.
The grounds had several sculptures in them, which were quite good. The sculpture at the entrance to the grounds, shown here, represents several symbols of the lake including a mooring post and a boat hull.
From there, we drove out of the area and to Terrigal where we had lunch in an Italian restaurant. The waiter managed to spill a whole glass of diet coke over our table, luckily I was only splashed. From there, we had a quick coffee at another cafe before driving back to Sydney, just in time to watch the final Sydney FC game of the season, in which they managed to beat Newcastle 3-2 to secure a place in the finals.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Ironic
Okay, so the title of this blog entry is based on a bad joke from a trip to the Hunter Valley I made with John in September last year when we were passing by a town called Morriset. You had to be there...
So, we got up before the cafe was open for breakfast and after a shower with the word's largest shower head (it was like it was raining throughout the whole room) we wandered down to the beach and watched the surfers and paddle-boarders(?) for a bit.
Caves Beach
Then we went back to the cafe for some brekky. Scrambled egg and bacon on toast for Alicea and the same for me except I had smoked salmon instead of the bacon. Not bad, and reasonably priced. Then, after gathering a few bits, we headed off in the car towards Morriset to look at the mega market we had read about. It wasn't that exciting being, pretty much, a huge warehouse filled with stalls selling nothing that we were interested in, fishing stuff, tshirts, gardening bits and a few stalls selling tat.
From there, we drove to Toronto, where we wandered along the lakeside and then had lunch at a cafe just over the road. After a quick wander up and down the main street and stopping to buy a couple of books in a small bookstore we drove back to the hotel, completing our circumnavigation of the lake.
Toronto
After a brief nap and some reading (I'd bought Game of Thrones earlier in the bookstore) we got ready to go out.
The restaurant, Brown Sugar at Bayview, was about a thirty minute drive away in Warner's Bay and we arrived pretty much bang on time. The meal was lovely. The service and food were great and we had a window tale that gave us a view out over the lake.
We started with a plate of scallops on kumara purée that we shared before moving onto starters. I has top stuffed zucchini flowers and Alicea has pumpkin balls, crispy wanton wrappers and goats cheese. For mains I had swordfish with celeriac mash and beurre noisette and Alicea had "beef and reef" which was steak with moreton bay bug. For dessert I had pear frangipani with creme anglaise and Alicea had a baileys affogato.
Every course was really tasty and with drinks and coffee, the bill came to $185 which we thought was pretty reasonable.
From there we went back to the hotel just in time to catch the last few minutes of the Swans vs Giants AFL game on the tv.
Friday, March 23, 2012
A Weekend at Lake Macquarie
It took ages to finally get out of Sydney and onto the freeway. The traffic was pretty heavy. I guess it's like that most, if not all, weekday evenings during the rush hour so we shouldn't be surprised.
Once on the freeway, the traffic flowed more freely and we arrived at the Caves Beachside Hotel at a bit before 8.30pm. We booked in and then had something to eat and drink before going to our cabin. The food turned up really fast - before each of us had even had time to get a drink from the bar. I had fish and chips and Alicea had a Thai beef salad.
After we had finished eating, went to our cabin, which was really lovely.
There are no internal doors, the toilet and bathroom just have a sort of wall partition to divide them from the bedroom, which is a bit weird. But it is really nice and there are complimentary snacks, breakfast goodies and even a bottle of sparkling wine!
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