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.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Posted with BlogsyEnd 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!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Where did the year go?
It's now a year since we arrived, and it has flown by. We've had a very busy year and have managed to fit quite a lot in.
We've visited Melbourne twice, Adelaide, Bowral, Port Stephens, the Blue Mountains (three times), the Hunter Valley (twice), Echuca and travelled around Sydney.
I've started running and have run in three events during the year and have also done the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and canoed down the Murray River.
We've been to the Opera House to see a couple of shows, ventured out to the Enmore in Newtown to watch some comedy and seen the Who at the Acer Arena at Olympic Park.
I've become a fan of Sydney FC - who admittedly aren't the greatest football (soccer) team in the world, but it's fun to watch - and we've been to see a cricket test match at the MCG in Melbourne.
Foodwise, we've really pigged out and have eaten at some great restaurants, including Tetsuya's, Mezzaluna, Doyles at the Beach, Coast and many, too numerous to mention, around Crows Nest and St Leonards.
The apartment in Crows Nest has served us well and the area is great - more restaurants and cafes than you can shake a stick at and extremely convenient for work as it is only a 25 minute walk or a five minute bus ride away. It is also only 15 minutes on the train to the city, or a fairly pleasant walk of about an hour.
It's been a good year, and I'm hoping the next year will be as good, if not better.
We've visited Melbourne twice, Adelaide, Bowral, Port Stephens, the Blue Mountains (three times), the Hunter Valley (twice), Echuca and travelled around Sydney.
I've started running and have run in three events during the year and have also done the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and canoed down the Murray River.
We've been to the Opera House to see a couple of shows, ventured out to the Enmore in Newtown to watch some comedy and seen the Who at the Acer Arena at Olympic Park.
I've become a fan of Sydney FC - who admittedly aren't the greatest football (soccer) team in the world, but it's fun to watch - and we've been to see a cricket test match at the MCG in Melbourne.
Foodwise, we've really pigged out and have eaten at some great restaurants, including Tetsuya's, Mezzaluna, Doyles at the Beach, Coast and many, too numerous to mention, around Crows Nest and St Leonards.
The apartment in Crows Nest has served us well and the area is great - more restaurants and cafes than you can shake a stick at and extremely convenient for work as it is only a 25 minute walk or a five minute bus ride away. It is also only 15 minutes on the train to the city, or a fairly pleasant walk of about an hour.
It's been a good year, and I'm hoping the next year will be as good, if not better.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Been here a month...
Saturday 28/2
Another week has passed of our All Aussie Adventure! The room at the back of the apartment block was certainly a lot quieter than the room at the front and there was quite a nice, but distant, view of Cremorne Point and Sydney Harbour, which was nice when the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner came to visit in the week. She was huge! I was hoping to be able to go and get some photos, but she was only in port until Thursday night.
Last Sunday afternoon we went across the road to the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, a restored Art Deco cinema. It is really special inside. The decoration is beautiful in all the screens. The big screen apparently has an organ that plays between selected performances. We saw the Reader, for which Kate Winslett won an Oscar. She deserved it, it was a really good film However, for me, the cinema was the star and I shall be happy to travel out this way to watch a film rather than one of the big multiplexes in the shopping malls.
The rest of the week has been fairly normal. Work has been going okay, although I did have a very frustrating day when everything went wrong. You know the kind of day I mean – we all have them now and then.
Alicea has gone down to Melbourne this weekend to visit her friends and to arrange the transport of the furniture that she has had in storage for the last few years to our flat next week.
So I'm on my own and have to amuse myself for a couple of days.
So I'm on my own and have to amuse myself for a couple of days.
I joined a gym in the week and went for the first time today. When I got back to Cremorne I discovered that I couldn't get back up to our room as the fire brigade were trying to free seven people that were trapped in one of the lifts. So, I treated myself to a large breakfast of Eggs Benedict with mushrooms and rocket instead of ham at an Italian cafe across the road. It was great and there was loads of it.
After finishing breakfast I went back to the apartment block but couldn't get to our apartment as the firemen were still working on the lifts and the firedoors only opened from the inside so there was no access from the stairs. So, I caught a bus to Sydney and went to Paddy's Market. The market was a fair walk from Wynyard, where the bus stopped, but I had a large breakfast to walk off so I didn't mind.
The market is pretty big selling clothes, toys, electronics, mobile phone accessories and it has a large fresh fruit and veg section. I spent an hour or so wandering up and down the aisles looking at all the wares for sale.
Once I had done, I went across the road to Chinatown where I found a food court with about a dozen small outlets selling all sorts of oriental dishes at very reasonable, no let me rephrase that – very cheap prices. I had a tofu and vegetable Laksa, which was nice but the portion was huge and, having had such a large breakfast, I couldn't finish it. Still at $6 (about £3) I didn't mind too much.
I then walked back to Wynyard and caught a bus back to the apartment where the lift saga had, thankfully, ended and I could now get back to our room.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Another Update
Sunday 22/2
Gosh, its been a while since I've updated this. I've now been at work for two weeks and I'm gradually getting used to the Aussie office's way of working. We've also moved from the hotel we were in to a managed apartment block in Cremorne. We've also bought a car, a fridge and a television. Also, Alicea has been to see her Mum.
So, where to start.
I started work on the 9th and was out meeting clients that very day. Talk about hitting the ground running! The guys in the office are friendly and easy to get along with. During the last couple of weeks I've been out so see a couple of different clients and starting next week, I'm going to be fairly booked with work for the next month or two. I also met with the area's functional leader for a coffee at his hotel during a stopover on his trip back from New Zealand to Singapore.
During the week I started work, Alicea hired a car and drove the ten-hour trip to Moama to see her Mum. By all accounts it was a good trip and, thankfully, her Mum has not been affected by the terrible fires that have been burning in Victoria.
We also left the hotel in North Sydney and moved to a managed apartment block in Cremorne, which is a short bus ride away. Despite still living out of suitcases, it is nice to be able to cook and have laundry facilities rather than having to eat out all the time and traipse down the road to a laundrette with bags of dirty clothes. The apartment block is right on Military Road and the room we had was facing the road and very noisy. We managed to negotiate a move to a room at the end of the first week to a room at the back, away from the road. However, we have to move again next Friday.
Last weekend, we took a taxi out to Artarmon and had a look at some cars. We were interested in either a Honda City, a Honda Civic or a Mazda 3. The specifications on each were very similar and we test drove the Mazda and were quite impressed. Early the next week, Alicea went and test drove the Hondas and after deciding that the City was a bit sluggish, we bought a Civic. The price difference between the second hand cars and the new ones wasn't huge so we decided that we would be better off getting a new one and benefiting from the extra warranty etc that we would have. We should be picking it up at the end of this week ready for the move to Crows Nest at the beginning of next week.
This last weekend we went hunting for a fridge and a tv for the new apartment. Just down the road from us in Cremorne is a “seconds” electrical shop, so we popped in there to have a look at what they had. After noting a few prices we then went into the city and caught a bus to Rozelle and checked out Retravision as we had some vouchers for there. Then we caught a bus back to the city and went to Harvey Norman, a large electrical retailer here. From there we caught a train to Chatswood where we had a look around some of the retailers in the large shopping malls there. While we were there we found a fabulous Asian grocers that I think I will be visiting quite often.
Eventually, we caught a bus back to Cremorne and went back to the “seconds” store where we bought a Whirlpool fridge-freezer and, after some conversations about the differences between LCD, Plasma, Full HD and HD we ordered a 32” plasma tv.
In the evening, we walked down to Neutral Bay where we went to an Indian restaurant called Mantra whose complete lack of service and incompetence in bringing what we ordered to the table was made up for with the excellent food
Gosh, its been a while since I've updated this. I've now been at work for two weeks and I'm gradually getting used to the Aussie office's way of working. We've also moved from the hotel we were in to a managed apartment block in Cremorne. We've also bought a car, a fridge and a television. Also, Alicea has been to see her Mum.
So, where to start.
I started work on the 9th and was out meeting clients that very day. Talk about hitting the ground running! The guys in the office are friendly and easy to get along with. During the last couple of weeks I've been out so see a couple of different clients and starting next week, I'm going to be fairly booked with work for the next month or two. I also met with the area's functional leader for a coffee at his hotel during a stopover on his trip back from New Zealand to Singapore.
During the week I started work, Alicea hired a car and drove the ten-hour trip to Moama to see her Mum. By all accounts it was a good trip and, thankfully, her Mum has not been affected by the terrible fires that have been burning in Victoria.
We also left the hotel in North Sydney and moved to a managed apartment block in Cremorne, which is a short bus ride away. Despite still living out of suitcases, it is nice to be able to cook and have laundry facilities rather than having to eat out all the time and traipse down the road to a laundrette with bags of dirty clothes. The apartment block is right on Military Road and the room we had was facing the road and very noisy. We managed to negotiate a move to a room at the end of the first week to a room at the back, away from the road. However, we have to move again next Friday.
Last weekend, we took a taxi out to Artarmon and had a look at some cars. We were interested in either a Honda City, a Honda Civic or a Mazda 3. The specifications on each were very similar and we test drove the Mazda and were quite impressed. Early the next week, Alicea went and test drove the Hondas and after deciding that the City was a bit sluggish, we bought a Civic. The price difference between the second hand cars and the new ones wasn't huge so we decided that we would be better off getting a new one and benefiting from the extra warranty etc that we would have. We should be picking it up at the end of this week ready for the move to Crows Nest at the beginning of next week.
This last weekend we went hunting for a fridge and a tv for the new apartment. Just down the road from us in Cremorne is a “seconds” electrical shop, so we popped in there to have a look at what they had. After noting a few prices we then went into the city and caught a bus to Rozelle and checked out Retravision as we had some vouchers for there. Then we caught a bus back to the city and went to Harvey Norman, a large electrical retailer here. From there we caught a train to Chatswood where we had a look around some of the retailers in the large shopping malls there. While we were there we found a fabulous Asian grocers that I think I will be visiting quite often.
Eventually, we caught a bus back to Cremorne and went back to the “seconds” store where we bought a Whirlpool fridge-freezer and, after some conversations about the differences between LCD, Plasma, Full HD and HD we ordered a 32” plasma tv.
In the evening, we walked down to Neutral Bay where we went to an Indian restaurant called Mantra whose complete lack of service and incompetence in bringing what we ordered to the table was made up for with the excellent food
Oz Diary - week 1
Monday 2/2
The flight was good, despite being delayed by 2-3 hours. Despite this, Singapore Airlines handled it quite well. I was sent a text early in the morning to say that it had been 'retimed' and when we arrived at the airport we were given food vouchers.
Leaving the family was really hard and very upsetting, as you can probably imagine. It was something that we had all been dreading and the tears flowed quite freely as the bags were being put in the taxi.
I managed to grab a few hours sleep on the flight to Singapore, which is quite unusual for me, I guess that was down to exhaustion, both physically and mentally as things had been pretty full on in the days up to leaving, with packing everything for shipping, selling and giving away our belongings and saying all our goodbyes.
The 747 was pretty comfortable with a good amount of legroom in economy, but the food wasn't that brilliant. It was spinach with everything! I don't mind it as an ingredfient, but big sloppy piles of it? No thanks! And spicy beans in the confined space of an aircraft? That's just asking for trouble! Apart from that it was fine.
Once in Singapore, we only had a couple of hours before our connecting flight to Sydney instead of the 5 that we originally had. We went for a shower, checked some email and then it was time to board the A380.
I'd been looking forward to a flight on one of Airbus's new monsters since they were announced and had booked us seats on the upper deck as I thought it would be a novelty to sit upstairs in a plane (at least in economy). The seats were comfy and well spaced and the entertainment system was great. There were even places to plug your USB stick into so you could do some work on the preloaded offfice software or watch a movie from your iPod on the large widescreen monitor mounted on the seatback.
The food was better on this part of the flight, but I wonder why I always end up with a vegan meal on this part of the journey? I always have to request milk for coffee and miss out on croissants for breakfast. It has happened on all the flights from Singapore to Australia.
We arrived in Sydney on time and caught a taxi to the hotel in North Sydney. We then went for a wander about and looked at the area where we are thinking of finding somewhere to rent, Crow's Nest. It looks great with loads of restaurant to keep Gaztronomy busy and a fabulous wholefood store that had more kinds of tofu than I knew existed! Oh, and it also sells Tiptree jam!
From there we caught a ferry across the bay and went to the Rocks and had lunch. We then popped back to the hotel for a snooze before popping down to a local Thai restaurant and then returned back to the hotel where I spoke to my parents on Skype. The wireless internet connection at the hotel is very weak and the sound was difficult to hear sometimes and the session kept dropping but it was good to see them.
So, that was the first day of our new life Down Under. The important stuff like finding somewhere to live etc starts now...
Tuesday 3/2
So, it's been a couple of days now and we've been in touch with just about every real estate agent we've passed trying to find somewhere to rent. We've been to see a couple of places, one of which was in such a state of untidyness you could hardly see the floor! Once you could see through the mess it was quite a nice place, but just a bit too close to the main highway for our liking.
We've a couple of others to look at over the next day or so, but I guess it is just a matter of calling or visiting the agents every day to try and catch the new properties as soon as they come on the market.
On the plus side, we now have a bank account set up and credit cards ordered. We've enquired about mobile phones and it looks as though we'll both be moving into the 21st century and getting Apple iPhones.
I've got to pop into the Medicare centre and get that sorted and we still have to sort out some medical insurance. There is still a lot to do, I guess it takes more than just a couple of days to start a life from scratch just as it took a while to try and put it on hold when we left the UK.
Wednesday 4/2
First thing this morning we went to the RTA (Road Traffice Authority) to find out about getting our UK driving licenses converted to NSW ones. We picked up some forms and discussed the type of id that we required. We then went to the Medicare office where I signed up using my passport. Alicea, being a returning resident has to provide a wealth of documents to prove that she is coming back to the country – obviously the Ozzies don't like nationals who leave and then come back. Somewhere between these two offices I lost my “Grumpy” hat and sunglasses.
We then went to look at some more flats, one of which we have submitted an application form for.
This afternoon, I popped into the office to see the people I'll be working with next week. They seem like a nice bunch. While we were there we scanned and emailed all of the documentation for the flat application to the letting agent.
In the evening we caught the bus up to Crow's Nest and had a look at another place. It was okay and we are considering submitting another application for it. We ate at the New Orleans Cafe where Alicea had fish and chips and I had a chilli with corn bread. It was all very nice.
Thursday 5/2
Late last night we realised that we hadn't sent our passport details to the letting agent so we made plans this morning to go to a local print/copy shop to see if they would do it. They did and only charged us $5 for making several document copies, printing some letters and faxing them to the agent.
We then grabbed some breakfast and caught the train from North Sydney to Chatswood where we were planning on doing some shopping. While waiting on the platform my phone rang and it was the agent saying that we had got the flat we applied for yesterday. Result! It's not a huge flat, but it is really nice and well positioned for Crow's Nest which is where we wanted to live.
Once at Chatswood, we made our way to the large shopping mall there and I bought some sandals (I was bullied into it...) a suit and a hat and sunglasses to replace the ones I had lost.
Then we made our way back to North Sydney where Alicea went to sort out her Medicare and Driving License and I went back to the hotel to arrange the deposit for the flat.
In the evening we went to Capitano's, an Italian restaurant in Blue Street where we had pasta. After starting with a chilli and garlic pizza bread, which was excellent – if the pizza's have the same base as the garlic bread, then I can't wait to try one - Alicea had a chilli prawn pasta and I had fettucini con melanzane (aubergine) both of which were really nice, in fact the tomato sauce I had was one of the best I've tasted.
Friday 6/2
Up early this morning to catch a taxi to Neutral Bay to visit Stuart Hollman the Financial Advisor to start the process of through moving our pensions over from he UK to Australia.
We had some breakfast at a little cafe nearby and then went to the real estate agents where we picked up a few details about the flat and checked to make sure that the deposit fax had arrived (it had).
The, after a walk around the shops, we went to see Stuart who told us all about the Australian Superannuation system and any tax impications we face. He's a nice guy and we spent an hour or so while he took all our details so he can put together a proposal which he will send to us in the next week or so.
We then caught a bus to Crow's Nest and had a wander around a couple of furniture shops looking at sofa's for the new flat. Alicea had seen an advert showing a sofa with underseat storage and we were trying to find out where we could one. Eventually we found that the store that made it was out at Chatswood, so after a sandwich, we caught the bus to Chatswood and once there, we bought a sofa corner unit. The design is quite clever and the sofas can be converted from a corner unit into beds or chais-longues (sort of). They won't be delivered until 1st May so we've a while to wait.
While we were looking, the real estate agent called to say that the flat would be available from 3rd March, so we have to organise somewhere to stay until then.
The flight was good, despite being delayed by 2-3 hours. Despite this, Singapore Airlines handled it quite well. I was sent a text early in the morning to say that it had been 'retimed' and when we arrived at the airport we were given food vouchers.
Leaving the family was really hard and very upsetting, as you can probably imagine. It was something that we had all been dreading and the tears flowed quite freely as the bags were being put in the taxi.
I managed to grab a few hours sleep on the flight to Singapore, which is quite unusual for me, I guess that was down to exhaustion, both physically and mentally as things had been pretty full on in the days up to leaving, with packing everything for shipping, selling and giving away our belongings and saying all our goodbyes.
The 747 was pretty comfortable with a good amount of legroom in economy, but the food wasn't that brilliant. It was spinach with everything! I don't mind it as an ingredfient, but big sloppy piles of it? No thanks! And spicy beans in the confined space of an aircraft? That's just asking for trouble! Apart from that it was fine.
Once in Singapore, we only had a couple of hours before our connecting flight to Sydney instead of the 5 that we originally had. We went for a shower, checked some email and then it was time to board the A380.
I'd been looking forward to a flight on one of Airbus's new monsters since they were announced and had booked us seats on the upper deck as I thought it would be a novelty to sit upstairs in a plane (at least in economy). The seats were comfy and well spaced and the entertainment system was great. There were even places to plug your USB stick into so you could do some work on the preloaded offfice software or watch a movie from your iPod on the large widescreen monitor mounted on the seatback.
The food was better on this part of the flight, but I wonder why I always end up with a vegan meal on this part of the journey? I always have to request milk for coffee and miss out on croissants for breakfast. It has happened on all the flights from Singapore to Australia.
We arrived in Sydney on time and caught a taxi to the hotel in North Sydney. We then went for a wander about and looked at the area where we are thinking of finding somewhere to rent, Crow's Nest. It looks great with loads of restaurant to keep Gaztronomy busy and a fabulous wholefood store that had more kinds of tofu than I knew existed! Oh, and it also sells Tiptree jam!
From there we caught a ferry across the bay and went to the Rocks and had lunch. We then popped back to the hotel for a snooze before popping down to a local Thai restaurant and then returned back to the hotel where I spoke to my parents on Skype. The wireless internet connection at the hotel is very weak and the sound was difficult to hear sometimes and the session kept dropping but it was good to see them.
So, that was the first day of our new life Down Under. The important stuff like finding somewhere to live etc starts now...
Tuesday 3/2
So, it's been a couple of days now and we've been in touch with just about every real estate agent we've passed trying to find somewhere to rent. We've been to see a couple of places, one of which was in such a state of untidyness you could hardly see the floor! Once you could see through the mess it was quite a nice place, but just a bit too close to the main highway for our liking.
We've a couple of others to look at over the next day or so, but I guess it is just a matter of calling or visiting the agents every day to try and catch the new properties as soon as they come on the market.
On the plus side, we now have a bank account set up and credit cards ordered. We've enquired about mobile phones and it looks as though we'll both be moving into the 21st century and getting Apple iPhones.
I've got to pop into the Medicare centre and get that sorted and we still have to sort out some medical insurance. There is still a lot to do, I guess it takes more than just a couple of days to start a life from scratch just as it took a while to try and put it on hold when we left the UK.
Wednesday 4/2
First thing this morning we went to the RTA (Road Traffice Authority) to find out about getting our UK driving licenses converted to NSW ones. We picked up some forms and discussed the type of id that we required. We then went to the Medicare office where I signed up using my passport. Alicea, being a returning resident has to provide a wealth of documents to prove that she is coming back to the country – obviously the Ozzies don't like nationals who leave and then come back. Somewhere between these two offices I lost my “Grumpy” hat and sunglasses.
We then went to look at some more flats, one of which we have submitted an application form for.
This afternoon, I popped into the office to see the people I'll be working with next week. They seem like a nice bunch. While we were there we scanned and emailed all of the documentation for the flat application to the letting agent.
In the evening we caught the bus up to Crow's Nest and had a look at another place. It was okay and we are considering submitting another application for it. We ate at the New Orleans Cafe where Alicea had fish and chips and I had a chilli with corn bread. It was all very nice.
Thursday 5/2
Late last night we realised that we hadn't sent our passport details to the letting agent so we made plans this morning to go to a local print/copy shop to see if they would do it. They did and only charged us $5 for making several document copies, printing some letters and faxing them to the agent.
We then grabbed some breakfast and caught the train from North Sydney to Chatswood where we were planning on doing some shopping. While waiting on the platform my phone rang and it was the agent saying that we had got the flat we applied for yesterday. Result! It's not a huge flat, but it is really nice and well positioned for Crow's Nest which is where we wanted to live.
Once at Chatswood, we made our way to the large shopping mall there and I bought some sandals (I was bullied into it...) a suit and a hat and sunglasses to replace the ones I had lost.
Then we made our way back to North Sydney where Alicea went to sort out her Medicare and Driving License and I went back to the hotel to arrange the deposit for the flat.
In the evening we went to Capitano's, an Italian restaurant in Blue Street where we had pasta. After starting with a chilli and garlic pizza bread, which was excellent – if the pizza's have the same base as the garlic bread, then I can't wait to try one - Alicea had a chilli prawn pasta and I had fettucini con melanzane (aubergine) both of which were really nice, in fact the tomato sauce I had was one of the best I've tasted.
Friday 6/2
Up early this morning to catch a taxi to Neutral Bay to visit Stuart Hollman the Financial Advisor to start the process of through moving our pensions over from he UK to Australia.
We had some breakfast at a little cafe nearby and then went to the real estate agents where we picked up a few details about the flat and checked to make sure that the deposit fax had arrived (it had).
The, after a walk around the shops, we went to see Stuart who told us all about the Australian Superannuation system and any tax impications we face. He's a nice guy and we spent an hour or so while he took all our details so he can put together a proposal which he will send to us in the next week or so.
We then caught a bus to Crow's Nest and had a wander around a couple of furniture shops looking at sofa's for the new flat. Alicea had seen an advert showing a sofa with underseat storage and we were trying to find out where we could one. Eventually we found that the store that made it was out at Chatswood, so after a sandwich, we caught the bus to Chatswood and once there, we bought a sofa corner unit. The design is quite clever and the sofas can be converted from a corner unit into beds or chais-longues (sort of). They won't be delivered until 1st May so we've a while to wait.
While we were looking, the real estate agent called to say that the flat would be available from 3rd March, so we have to organise somewhere to stay until then.
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