Monday Feb. 28
What a wonderful day to end our stay in Queensland. Carol started at 6am with a walk along Greenmount Beach carefully dodging the blue bottle jellyfish lying on the hard sand. It was super to start the morning not having to worry about being sunburned as most of the area was still in the stage. Back to the room to pick up Pam and head for the third floor of our hotel for breakfast.
Breakfast was a hot, buffet featuring potato patties, scrambled eggs, frittata, poached eggs, bacon, sausages, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, fresh fruit and juice, toast and cereal, plus coffee/tea. Quite a change from our regular fare for the trip and it was included in the cost of the room--bonus!!!
We were on our way walking by 8am. The waves did not cooperate, so the surfing was postponed for the day. But the merchandise tents were still open and today there were no lineups!! Checked them out and continued on to the rocks where we knew there was a cache but were unable to get near it for people yesterday!! Success!
Came back and walked along Greenmount beach to the Coolangatta city limits. Continued on through Tweed Heads to a small park with another cache and then slowly made our way, on the shady sides of the street back to our hotel. Promptly entered the pool to cool off.
After a lunch on our lanai, the beach was beckoning us. Found a spot under two trees at Rainbow Beach and watched and listened to the surf. We knew the blue bottles were present, but after watching many people enter the water and swim around, decided to brave the waves. The beach is very shallow so couldn't get in deeper than our thighs. Dunked ourselves and paddled around for a few minutes and then came out to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting on the beach observing and reading. The wind was blowing steadily which made it a pleasant stay as the temperature was 31C.
Another short walk around Snapper rocks back to the hotel for dinner. Finished up our BBQ chicken and salads and decided on a last walk before dark. The clouds made for a gorgeous sunset photo, but we don't have the adapter with us right now to post it--check the blog tomorrow. Hopefully, this is the last time we need to visit our favourite restaurant for internet!! We fly out for Sydney tomorrow morning at 10am.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Gold Coast
Sunday Feb. 27
Remember the description of the place we were staying at for the last 3 nights in Brisbane and the view we had…..yes no view and frosted glass!!! Well we are now in Coolangata on the Gold Coast….known for beaches and surfing……..well as I write this I can look up and see this view!
What a difference, we are at the Greenmount Hotel Resort on the 8th floor on our balcony, relaxing.
We were picked up this morning by a company that we had booked to pick us up at our hotel in Brisbane and drop us and our luggage here at the front door, about 100 km south of Brisbane.. We made one stop along the way…to pick up 8 Japanese students at a mall about 15 minutes outside B. who were going to Seaworld at Surfer’s Paradise. Well that really worked in our favor because instead of an inland freeway trip to our destination the driver took us all the way down the coast on the scenic route. Through the beach areas and the small towns giving us commentary as he drove. We arrived at our hotel about 11:30 too early to check in but got to make use of the pool facilities until our room was ready.
From the pool we could hear announcements going on at the beach behind us….a surfing competition was taking place (Quicksilver/Roxy Pro competition)….by the time we got our room and got down to that beach the first round of competition was over and we will see if the waves are cooperate for the surfers we will watch round two tomorrow. We walked along the walk beside the beach for a about a kilometre and then circled back towards our hotel…picking up some groceries along the way. Now we are relaxing and enjoying our view. Tonight we will head down to the unnamed free wifi restaurant to post this blog.
PS To those of you who are wondering what the heck TimTams are....they are delicious melt in your mouth chocolate covered cookies (Cynthia where do you get them back home?)
Remember the description of the place we were staying at for the last 3 nights in Brisbane and the view we had…..yes no view and frosted glass!!! Well we are now in Coolangata on the Gold Coast….known for beaches and surfing……..well as I write this I can look up and see this view!
What a difference, we are at the Greenmount Hotel Resort on the 8th floor on our balcony, relaxing.
We were picked up this morning by a company that we had booked to pick us up at our hotel in Brisbane and drop us and our luggage here at the front door, about 100 km south of Brisbane.. We made one stop along the way…to pick up 8 Japanese students at a mall about 15 minutes outside B. who were going to Seaworld at Surfer’s Paradise. Well that really worked in our favor because instead of an inland freeway trip to our destination the driver took us all the way down the coast on the scenic route. Through the beach areas and the small towns giving us commentary as he drove. We arrived at our hotel about 11:30 too early to check in but got to make use of the pool facilities until our room was ready.
From the pool we could hear announcements going on at the beach behind us….a surfing competition was taking place (Quicksilver/Roxy Pro competition)….by the time we got our room and got down to that beach the first round of competition was over and we will see if the waves are cooperate for the surfers we will watch round two tomorrow. We walked along the walk beside the beach for a about a kilometre and then circled back towards our hotel…picking up some groceries along the way. Now we are relaxing and enjoying our view. Tonight we will head down to the unnamed free wifi restaurant to post this blog.
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| Snow...what snow! Do we have to come back to winter? |
PS To those of you who are wondering what the heck TimTams are....they are delicious melt in your mouth chocolate covered cookies (Cynthia where do you get them back home?)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tripping around Brisbane
Feb. 25 Last night we arrived at our new hotel…The Explorers Inn….the room is very small…like a room on a cruise ship only not as luxurious. A bunk bed, a single bed, a desk, a bar fridge, a TV, an air conditioner (that turns on when you slide your key card in a slot above the main light switch) and a very small bathroom all in about 100 square feet…..clean, cheap and in the centre of downtown.
As we have only frosted windows in our tiny abode, we weren’t sure what the weather would be and relied on the TV prediction that sunshine was the order of the day. Dressed appropriately, we waited outside the hotel at 8:15 for Natalie (Carol’s friend) to fetch us for a tour of the city suburbs. She was very prompt through the rush hour traffic and we set of for Mount Cootha for a panoramic view of Brisbane and its surrounds. Natalie provided an excellent commentary of the areas, history and personal accounts of the areas we drove through. From the terrace house that her Grandparents occupied, to the largest cemetery we have ever seen, through the botanical gardens we wound our way to the Mountain. The lookout could be compared to going up SFU for a view of the city. The view accentuated the fact that Brisbane is a city of hills and vales thus showing the areas that were so vulnerable to flooding.
After descending from Mount Cootha, we stopped by the river to allow Natalie to make a phone call while we explored the rivers edge. We were standing about 4 feet above the river at that point and the flooding a couple of weeks before had gone up to the second story of a building across the street from us. Unbelieveable!! Yet, one would not have known that any flooding had taken place in the area, except for the fact people were having repairs done to their homes.
The next stop was a quilt shop where more Australiana fabric was found and purchased. Then it was off to the opposite side of town to view Brisbane from Mount Gravatt. Again, an amazing view right to Moreton Bay. A delightful kiosk provided the opportunity to have lunch whilst viewing the city. Down from this mountain and back into the city to see a few of the historical buildings still remaining. Natalie dropped us off at our hotel about 1pm. We had a short rest before setting off again.
Our first stop was the information kiosk in Queen St. Mall. Here we were able to book our bus to Coolangatta on Sunday morning and a cruise tour on the river to Lone Pine Sanctuary for tomorrow where Pam hopes to get her photo with a koala. That done, we checked out the docking area for tomorrow morning, then took the free city loop bus. We were disappointed as there was no commentary on this bus as there had been in Melbourne. A stroll down the mall led us to souvenir shops and a dinner stop. From here, we picked up some groceries for lunches and our timtams, chips and wine for the evenings.
Feb. 25 River Cruise to the Lone Pine Sanctuary
Great day cruising up the Brisbane River....sunny and a cool breeze. Interesting seeing the city from another view and saw some of the destruction from the floods a few weeks ago.
As we have only frosted windows in our tiny abode, we weren’t sure what the weather would be and relied on the TV prediction that sunshine was the order of the day. Dressed appropriately, we waited outside the hotel at 8:15 for Natalie (Carol’s friend) to fetch us for a tour of the city suburbs. She was very prompt through the rush hour traffic and we set of for Mount Cootha for a panoramic view of Brisbane and its surrounds. Natalie provided an excellent commentary of the areas, history and personal accounts of the areas we drove through. From the terrace house that her Grandparents occupied, to the largest cemetery we have ever seen, through the botanical gardens we wound our way to the Mountain. The lookout could be compared to going up SFU for a view of the city. The view accentuated the fact that Brisbane is a city of hills and vales thus showing the areas that were so vulnerable to flooding.
After descending from Mount Cootha, we stopped by the river to allow Natalie to make a phone call while we explored the rivers edge. We were standing about 4 feet above the river at that point and the flooding a couple of weeks before had gone up to the second story of a building across the street from us. Unbelieveable!! Yet, one would not have known that any flooding had taken place in the area, except for the fact people were having repairs done to their homes.
The next stop was a quilt shop where more Australiana fabric was found and purchased. Then it was off to the opposite side of town to view Brisbane from Mount Gravatt. Again, an amazing view right to Moreton Bay. A delightful kiosk provided the opportunity to have lunch whilst viewing the city. Down from this mountain and back into the city to see a few of the historical buildings still remaining. Natalie dropped us off at our hotel about 1pm. We had a short rest before setting off again.
Our first stop was the information kiosk in Queen St. Mall. Here we were able to book our bus to Coolangatta on Sunday morning and a cruise tour on the river to Lone Pine Sanctuary for tomorrow where Pam hopes to get her photo with a koala. That done, we checked out the docking area for tomorrow morning, then took the free city loop bus. We were disappointed as there was no commentary on this bus as there had been in Melbourne. A stroll down the mall led us to souvenir shops and a dinner stop. From here, we picked up some groceries for lunches and our timtams, chips and wine for the evenings.
Feb. 25 River Cruise to the Lone Pine Sanctuary
Great day cruising up the Brisbane River....sunny and a cool breeze. Interesting seeing the city from another view and saw some of the destruction from the floods a few weeks ago.
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| Cross this off the bucket list! |
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Relaxing at Airlie
Got a lazier start to the day today, after two days of 6:15 get-ups. We had a bit of breakfast (toast and left over pizza from last night) and then headed down to the beach...actually Arlie Beach doesn't have a beach that you can use...again because of the jellyfish. They have built a lagoon for swimming....beachlike walk in to the water, a combination of grassy areas and sandy areas. We took a walk along to board walk to get a cache, but you needed to climb to and with flipflops/thongs (they still call them thongs here) on our feet and still a over a week of holidays left these two over 55 year olds didn't atempt the climb. Then back to the lagoon to sit with our legs in the water watching all the Airlie Beach partiers waking up and coming down to sober up with a quick swim! Then continued our walk stopping in stores, browsing and buying (Pam bought an opal necklace to match the loose opals she bought in Adelaide for earrings)
We came back up the hill to sit beside the pool at our hotel (Airlie Apartments) because we have the afternoon to fill in until the bus comes to pick us up at 5 to take us to the airport for our flight to Brisbane tonight. It's warm and breezy with rain shower coming and going.....it's so nice to be in summertime! (I heard it was very very cold at home!!!)
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| Here is where we are sitting and blogging! |
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| And the view from the pool. |
2 Days of Tours
....So do you know why we look like a blue and pink smurf!!!!!!
Tues. Feb. 22.
We were up bright and early, 6:15 to exact as we where being picked up by the bus for the Whitehaven Beach tour at 7:00. The day was hot, muggy and sunny. The Whitsunday Islands are a group of 90 beautiful islands of the coast of Australia, most of them uninhabited. They fall within the Great Barrier Reef area. Lots of white sand beaches, sail boats, yachts, some resorts. The bus took us to Snug Harbour where we boarded one of the Fantasea tour catamaran, where we had a breakfast of raisin toast (remember all we had since the sandwiches that Carol made us yesterday lunch was toast and potato chips for dinner the night before) that took us to Hamilton Island. This has a little one street town, big fancy resort, a huge yacht club and a bunch of townhouse and little cottages. We walked to the resort where we made use of their pool. Since we had three hours there we wandered a bit.....both of thinking this isn't worth the money that we have paid if we hadn't got a 2 for one deal! Hmmm. We boarded the boat again and then were served a delicious lunch mackerel, pork kabobs, steak several salads and a noodle stir fry.
And then we were on our way to Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the island group and uninhabited. We were dropped off at this beautiful untouched beach. No concession stands, no tourist stores, not even washrooms (toilets as the aussies call them) Hmmm again I thought, I am not a beach sitting person and we were here for 3 hours!!!
Here is where the smurf suits come in....at certain times of the year the eastern coast of Australia has a problem with jellyfish...the type that is very unpleasant, "lethal" the Lonely Planet calls them....these suits are called stinger suits and everyone who was in the water was wearing one. The water temperature was about 24 degrees, the white silica sand was not hot on the feet.
We walked about down the beach, swam, put up our little sun shelter, watched while others played beach cricket and volley ball, read, chatted with other tourists. The 3 hours went by in a flash and we where sad to leave this relaxing location. Back on the boat for coffee/tea and chocolate cake.
After the bus dropped us off at the hotel at 5:30 we went down into the town and picked up some dinner.
Wednesday Feb. 23
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| Hamilton Island Beach area |
We were up bright and early, 6:15 to exact as we where being picked up by the bus for the Whitehaven Beach tour at 7:00. The day was hot, muggy and sunny. The Whitsunday Islands are a group of 90 beautiful islands of the coast of Australia, most of them uninhabited. They fall within the Great Barrier Reef area. Lots of white sand beaches, sail boats, yachts, some resorts. The bus took us to Snug Harbour where we boarded one of the Fantasea tour catamaran, where we had a breakfast of raisin toast (remember all we had since the sandwiches that Carol made us yesterday lunch was toast and potato chips for dinner the night before) that took us to Hamilton Island. This has a little one street town, big fancy resort, a huge yacht club and a bunch of townhouse and little cottages. We walked to the resort where we made use of their pool. Since we had three hours there we wandered a bit.....both of thinking this isn't worth the money that we have paid if we hadn't got a 2 for one deal! Hmmm. We boarded the boat again and then were served a delicious lunch mackerel, pork kabobs, steak several salads and a noodle stir fry.
And then we were on our way to Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the island group and uninhabited. We were dropped off at this beautiful untouched beach. No concession stands, no tourist stores, not even washrooms (toilets as the aussies call them) Hmmm again I thought, I am not a beach sitting person and we were here for 3 hours!!!
Here is where the smurf suits come in....at certain times of the year the eastern coast of Australia has a problem with jellyfish...the type that is very unpleasant, "lethal" the Lonely Planet calls them....these suits are called stinger suits and everyone who was in the water was wearing one. The water temperature was about 24 degrees, the white silica sand was not hot on the feet.
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| Pool on Hamilton Island |
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| Whitehaven Beach |
We walked about down the beach, swam, put up our little sun shelter, watched while others played beach cricket and volley ball, read, chatted with other tourists. The 3 hours went by in a flash and we where sad to leave this relaxing location. Back on the boat for coffee/tea and chocolate cake.
After the bus dropped us off at the hotel at 5:30 we went down into the town and picked up some dinner.
Wednesday Feb. 23
Up and early again for a 7:00 pickup....this time the day was gray and raining...but very warm. This time we were headed to the Great Barrier Reef, something I have been looking forward to. It started the same but the trip out to the Fantasea's Reefworld.....a 3 hour journey out, 39 nautical miles or 72 km. Rainy and choppy. Reefworld has an underwater observatory, a semi sub (with glass under water that takes you on a 20 min. tour showing you the reef and it's inhabitants) a waterslide, a sundeck (that we didn't make us off), a scuba dive platform and a snorkeling platform and all the the snorkeling equipment. Carol and I had lunch first...it was the same delicious menu as the day before, then we when in the semi ub.......then we donned our stinger suits again and the snorkeling equipment! Carol has done this before but this was the first time I have attempted to snorkel. The water was wonderfully warm but a bit rough. Carol went out ahead and I followed.....I was a bit panicky the first round and thought I'd get but I tried it again and then I didn't want to leave. The fish were sooo colourful yellow, blue, black white and would swim right by you, the coral reef was not as colourful as i thought it would be but still there were blues and greens and purples. It was amazing.
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| coral |
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| coral |
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| Big George |
The return trip was even rougher than the morning lasting for about 2 hours. Pam made it with no problem but Carol succumbed to seasickness despite having taken gravol before leaving the reef...but was not alone, the crew was kept hopping with bags and cold cloths. After Carol having a brief sleep, we were able to walk down to town to have pizza for dinner in the partying area of Airlie Beach (which consitutes most of Airlie Beach.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
February, 21 Airports, Airports, Grounded
Started off the day early to get to the airport and drop the car. Uneventful flight from Adelaide to Brisbane…..sunny, hot and muggy when we landed at 12:00.…..our flight to Proserpine/Airlie Beach was not taking off until 5. Since we couldn’t check our luggage until 2 hours before the flight we couldn’t do very much. Carol phoned Natalie to tell her that we are still coming on Thurs night and would like to get together with her for lunch/coffee……she has booked Friday morning to take us touring to places we can’t get to on the normal city buses/ferries! And we checked out ways of getting from the airport to the hotel in Brisbane on Thurs.
When finally we could get rid of the luggage and check in, we wandered the stores……..boarding time at 4:30. As we tried unsuccessfully to connect to the wifi(?)…..a very large black black cloud came in (4:00).
Then the lightening, thunder, rain, rain and more rain……and delayed flights. It is now 4:45 and I don’t know when we will be leaving as the ground crews are not allowed on the tarmac when the electrical storm is within 4km………..
At 6:30pm we were finally given the ok to board as the storm was more than 4km away. Had just settled in and were being pushed from the loading bay when the storm began again. About 20 minutes later, we were on our way. The first part of the flight was not bad, then some turbulence, watched some of the lights around Airlie appear and then we landed with a huge THUMP!! The captain came on to thank us for flying with Jetstar and then said “Please take care when opening the overhead bins as your luggage may have shifted, and after a landing like that it has definitely moved”!
The shuttle bus service had been at the airport for 4 hours waiting for our flight to come in. A 30 minute drive took us to our apartment. The reception was closed and the key and our voucher for a tour were in the mailbox--took us awhile to find them!! Beautiful 2 bedroom apartment (we were upgraded) with a spectacular view of Airlie. As we hadn’t had dinner, we ate a slice of toast each with peanut butter and honey, packed our gear for the morning tour and went to bed.
When finally we could get rid of the luggage and check in, we wandered the stores……..boarding time at 4:30. As we tried unsuccessfully to connect to the wifi(?)…..a very large black black cloud came in (4:00).
Then the lightening, thunder, rain, rain and more rain……and delayed flights. It is now 4:45 and I don’t know when we will be leaving as the ground crews are not allowed on the tarmac when the electrical storm is within 4km………..
At 6:30pm we were finally given the ok to board as the storm was more than 4km away. Had just settled in and were being pushed from the loading bay when the storm began again. About 20 minutes later, we were on our way. The first part of the flight was not bad, then some turbulence, watched some of the lights around Airlie appear and then we landed with a huge THUMP!! The captain came on to thank us for flying with Jetstar and then said “Please take care when opening the overhead bins as your luggage may have shifted, and after a landing like that it has definitely moved”!
The shuttle bus service had been at the airport for 4 hours waiting for our flight to come in. A 30 minute drive took us to our apartment. The reception was closed and the key and our voucher for a tour were in the mailbox--took us awhile to find them!! Beautiful 2 bedroom apartment (we were upgraded) with a spectacular view of Airlie. As we hadn’t had dinner, we ate a slice of toast each with peanut butter and honey, packed our gear for the morning tour and went to bed.
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| View from street of our apartment at Airlie |
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| Imagine........answer tomorrow!! |
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Another cloudy morning but a few blue spots to offer encouragement. Decided to do a trial run to the airport and then continue on to the beach. The run to the airport was fine but the wind was so strong decided against a beach walk. Returned to the city and gassed up the car--1300km for $130.00, not to shabby!!.
We discovered that the Giles St Market was right behind the motel, so checked it out--again a mini market of new and used items and some food stalls. We continued walking and caching for a bit before catching the tram into the City. First stop was an opal store where Pam found her 'retirement present opals' for a set of earrings. Second stop was the Jam Factory which is a retail outlet for local artisans complete with a glass blowing shop! We spent a good while watching a fellow 'glass blow' a vase. From there, we proceeded to the State Library to view the Aboriginal art exhibit and then on to the Adelaide museum for the cultural history of the Aboriginals. All three venues were free and had excellent displays.
Feeling peckish, the Rundle Mall offered food and shopping. Homeward bound on the tram and through the park to the motel still in sunshine.
We discovered that the Giles St Market was right behind the motel, so checked it out--again a mini market of new and used items and some food stalls. We continued walking and caching for a bit before catching the tram into the City. First stop was an opal store where Pam found her 'retirement present opals' for a set of earrings. Second stop was the Jam Factory which is a retail outlet for local artisans complete with a glass blowing shop! We spent a good while watching a fellow 'glass blow' a vase. From there, we proceeded to the State Library to view the Aboriginal art exhibit and then on to the Adelaide museum for the cultural history of the Aboriginals. All three venues were free and had excellent displays.
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| Glassblowing at the Jam Factory |
Feeling peckish, the Rundle Mall offered food and shopping. Homeward bound on the tram and through the park to the motel still in sunshine.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Oops!!
The skies were cloudy when we awoke, but the puddles had dried up overnight. Our first stop was a combination of quilt shop and cache! Heading east to an area called Magill we arrived about 9am. As the quilt shop was not yet open, we walked over to a small park to find a cache. There was a bit of drizzle at this point, but it had stopped by the time we returned to the quilt shop. After purchasing some fat quarters for the Aussie quilt for Carol and a panel for Pam we set off for the beach as the sun was peeking out through some blue patches.
The Glenelg area is the historic beach for the Adelaide area. The drive takes roughly half an hour. That's when the ooops happened....I (Pam) drove a little too far to the left and broke the side mirror of our rental. Oh well...I was doing really well until then. After trying to find our way around without a specific map, we returned to the original parking lot and found the information booth. Setting off again, we found West Beach just north of Glenelg. Decided on a walk on the hard packed sand. Proceeded back to the Glenelg end strolling for half an hour before turning around and returning to the car. Drove for another 20 minutes before heading back towards the city.
Once back at the motel, we parked the car and found the free tram to the city just a block from here.The tram took us to the Rundle Mall which is the main shopping/restaurant/entertainment area of Adelaide. Stores everywhere from small boutiques to the large department stores. After strolling the length of the mall, found a small cafe for dinner. Leaving the cafe, we headed for North Terrace to view the historic buildings along this street--University of Adelaide, Art Gallery, Government House, and the train station. As the sun was still shining and the weather warm, we opted to walk back to the motel, just to be outside. 7 caches found today.
The Glenelg area is the historic beach for the Adelaide area. The drive takes roughly half an hour. That's when the ooops happened....I (Pam) drove a little too far to the left and broke the side mirror of our rental. Oh well...I was doing really well until then. After trying to find our way around without a specific map, we returned to the original parking lot and found the information booth. Setting off again, we found West Beach just north of Glenelg. Decided on a walk on the hard packed sand. Proceeded back to the Glenelg end strolling for half an hour before turning around and returning to the car. Drove for another 20 minutes before heading back towards the city.
Once back at the motel, we parked the car and found the free tram to the city just a block from here.The tram took us to the Rundle Mall which is the main shopping/restaurant/entertainment area of Adelaide. Stores everywhere from small boutiques to the large department stores. After strolling the length of the mall, found a small cafe for dinner. Leaving the cafe, we headed for North Terrace to view the historic buildings along this street--University of Adelaide, Art Gallery, Government House, and the train station. As the sun was still shining and the weather warm, we opted to walk back to the motel, just to be outside. 7 caches found today.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Great Ocean Road Trip continued
Wednesday Feb. 16 Flat Lands and Ferries
The day dawned with clear blue skies and the road beckoned us early. Before heading east, we explored the earth cache at the Umpherston sinkhole in Mt. Gambier. It was a beautiful garden inside the sinkhole that was started in the 1800s. Our second stop was the Naracoorte National Park Caves which is UNESCO World Heritage Sight. We opted for the self guided tour of the wet cave which was very informative. On to the town of Keith where we ate lunch in a city park area which provided tables and restrooms.
Continuing East through cattle ranches, hay farms and hundreds of vineyards, we reached the Murray River. A small ferry, similar to the Albion ferry, floated us across the swollen Murray River to the town of Wellington. The next hour took us through more farmland and wineries to Goolwa, and Victor Harbour. The last hour led us among reforestation areas and wind farms to our destination of Cape Jervis.
As we checked in for our stay in a log cabin at Jervis Station, the owner remarked that we looked like ‘log cabin’!!!! After checking in, we headed down to the wharf to check on parking for the ferry tomorrow to Kangaroo Island for our day long tour. Returning, we had our dinner and took a short walk around the grounds, which is a working farm. (http://www.capejervisstation.com.au/)
Thursday February 17
Up bright and early this morning for our big trip to Kangaroo Island. We boarded the ferry at 8:30 for the 9:00 ferry….the Sealink ferries are small compared to the ferries that head over to Vancouver Island….it holds 300 passengers and 50 cars….the ride over is 45 minutes and the cost for a passenger is $44 each way and $85 for car!!! It lands at Penneshaw, a very small village where we boarded a large bus and started our tour of the island. Kangaroo Island is about 155 km long…about 4400 people live there…..farming…sheep, bees, fishing, wineries, cheese making, eucalyptus oil and tourism. Our first stop was to Seal Bay where we walked down a long board walk to the beach seeing a few seals……then they opened a gate and we walked right down into the sand with the seals….hundreds of seals lazing around down the beach….small ones, big ones, sleeping ones, swimming ones, playing ones….very funny, it was awesome to be so close.
Our next stop was a “two course lunch”….a very nice buffet with 4 different salads and a piece of chicken and a sausage….desert an apricot danish with cream…..mmmmm
Then off to a Birds of Prey free flight show…..where we were shown several different birds and what they do. I (Pam) held 2 kookaburras!
Back on the bus for a 50 min drive to the other end of KI to Flinders Chase National Park to the Remarkable Rocks…I have been looking forward to seeing these strange shaped rocks ever since we decided to come to KI (there is an earth cache here so I have been reading ahead). They still surprised me because I thought they were part of the cliffs but they where sitting right out in open with nothing but flat land and raging ocean around them.
The bus then took us on to Cape du comedic Lighthouse, Admiral Arch…a natural arch formed by erosion from the pounding sea where a colony of sea lions live. Our final stop was at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary where we saw kangaroos and koalas. The on to catch the 7:30 ferry back to Cape Jervis.
The wind is howling around us right now….hopefully it is blowing all the clouds away for our drive into Adelaide tomorrow.
Friday February 18 Swimming to Adelaide
We awoke to pouring rain and have driven here safely in the pouring rain. Found a quilt shop, the hotel, the market and lunch without incident....we will breakdown and pay for internet in the hotel to update everything tonight. Hoping that tomorrow it will be drier.
The day dawned with clear blue skies and the road beckoned us early. Before heading east, we explored the earth cache at the Umpherston sinkhole in Mt. Gambier. It was a beautiful garden inside the sinkhole that was started in the 1800s. Our second stop was the Naracoorte National Park Caves which is UNESCO World Heritage Sight. We opted for the self guided tour of the wet cave which was very informative. On to the town of Keith where we ate lunch in a city park area which provided tables and restrooms.
Continuing East through cattle ranches, hay farms and hundreds of vineyards, we reached the Murray River. A small ferry, similar to the Albion ferry, floated us across the swollen Murray River to the town of Wellington. The next hour took us through more farmland and wineries to Goolwa, and Victor Harbour. The last hour led us among reforestation areas and wind farms to our destination of Cape Jervis.
As we checked in for our stay in a log cabin at Jervis Station, the owner remarked that we looked like ‘log cabin’!!!! After checking in, we headed down to the wharf to check on parking for the ferry tomorrow to Kangaroo Island for our day long tour. Returning, we had our dinner and took a short walk around the grounds, which is a working farm. (http://www.capejervisstation.com.au/)
Thursday February 17
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| Welcome to Seal Bay |
Our next stop was a “two course lunch”….a very nice buffet with 4 different salads and a piece of chicken and a sausage….desert an apricot danish with cream…..mmmmm
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| Pam & the Kookabura |
Back on the bus for a 50 min drive to the other end of KI to Flinders Chase National Park to the Remarkable Rocks…I have been looking forward to seeing these strange shaped rocks ever since we decided to come to KI (there is an earth cache here so I have been reading ahead). They still surprised me because I thought they were part of the cliffs but they where sitting right out in open with nothing but flat land and raging ocean around them.
The bus then took us on to Cape du comedic Lighthouse, Admiral Arch…a natural arch formed by erosion from the pounding sea where a colony of sea lions live. Our final stop was at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary where we saw kangaroos and koalas. The on to catch the 7:30 ferry back to Cape Jervis.
The wind is howling around us right now….hopefully it is blowing all the clouds away for our drive into Adelaide tomorrow.
Friday February 18 Swimming to Adelaide
We awoke to pouring rain and have driven here safely in the pouring rain. Found a quilt shop, the hotel, the market and lunch without incident....we will breakdown and pay for internet in the hotel to update everything tonight. Hoping that tomorrow it will be drier.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Great Ocean Road Trip
We left Apollo Bay at about 8:30 and continued to drive along the Great Ocean Rd. We made many stops at the various lookouts and attractions....especially the ones that had Earthcaches...the 12 Twelve Apostles, London Bridge, the Arch and the Grotto.....all are magnificient geological features of what happens when the ocean constantly pounds the limestone cliffs (we will post pictures later). We dropped in at Port Campbell, Warrnambool, Port Fairy, Portland and on to Mt. Gambier where we are staying in a fairly nice motel. The sun shone all day but the wind was mild when we got out to explore. At Mt. Gambier we have seen a beautiful carter lake called Blue Lake. We are now sitting in an unnamed place for dinner so we can get our internet fix!!!!
We will head out early tomorrow for Cape Jervis, where we are staying in a log cabin on a sheep ranch for the next 2 nights. We will be on a tour to Kangaroo Island on Thursday.
We will head out early tomorrow for Cape Jervis, where we are staying in a log cabin on a sheep ranch for the next 2 nights. We will be on a tour to Kangaroo Island on Thursday.
Feb. 12 to Feb. 15
This morning we rode the train to Belgrave Station to meet Curtis and Natasha for a bushwalk in the forested area of Belgrave. We started off with a coffee in the courtyard of a heritage building turned restaurant. From this point we trudged uphill on a trail leading to the Dandenong Range National Park. Checked out some small cottages situated along the route. We wound our way along to a picnic area where we were able to view cockatiels in the wild. Although we heard many birds, we were not able to view many of them. The vegetation was comprised of huge gum trees, fern trees and some bamboo. We followed a circuitous route to Kalinda and back into Belgrave, stopping to visit the house and roommate where Curtis and Natasha lived previously.
Tired but invigorated, we trained back to Blackburn to have a kangaroo BBQ at Natasha’s parents home. Gary had prepared a feast--roo kebabs (yes, we really ate kangaroo!), beef sausages, grilled eggplant and giant mushrooms and a pan of roasted chicken and potatoes. Coleslaw and salad completed the meal. The roo was very lean and tasty. Wine and cheesecake completed the meal.
The train ride back to town at 10:00pm was a noisy car packed with 20something revellers heading to the city for Saturday night. The girls were outfitted in strapless dresses and 4” heels, no jackets!! In contrast, the boys were rather dishevelled in appearance. But. it was the girls who contributed most of the noise.
After all that fresh air and hiking, we flopped into bed for a great night’s sleep.
February 13 Farewell Melbourne
Another train ride this morning to the Camberwell area, where we met Curt and Natasha for the Sunday market. The open air market is a mixture of new and used merchandise. Lots of vendors and purchasers made it a bustling area of activity. After thoroughly checking out the stalls, we began walking back to the next train station via some quaint streets with the brick houses and wrought iron detailing on the porches and verandahs.
Another train ride back to our hotel area to load up Curt’s backpack with a box of books we are mailing home. Our next destination was an area we had not yet explored known as Brunswick St. which is much like our Commercial Dr. Natasha knew a great pub to have a late meal which we ate in the courtyard. Pam’s bogan burger (potato cake, chicken, beef, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beet, caramelized onion and an egg) was humungous!!
After strolling back to the Parliament area, we said our goodbyes to Curtis and Natasha about 3:45. Arriving back at the hotel, we put in a load of wash and began the job of packing to leave tomorrow. We will pick up our car in Geelong and head out on the Great Ocean Road.
The blog will be updated as regularly as possible from this point on. We have been fortunate to have free wifi for the past week and do not know what lies ahead for technology hookups.
February 14
We left our home of the last 13 days to board a Metro train to Southern Cross Station and then on to the Vline train to Geelong to pick up our car at the Hertz rental office. A red Toyota Corolla Ascent. We drove through Geelong in search of 2 quilting shops….found them both. Then on to the Great Ocean Road…..through Torquay, Anglesea, and Aireys where we stopped to see a lighthouse at Split Point. The ocean road is like the Hope Princeton Hwy…really windy but with the beautiful views of the turquoise ocean…crashing waves, stretches of beach and strange formations of rock On through the pretty little town of Lorne and on to Apollo Beach where we found a motel for the night, got some groceries, found a cache, went to dinner (great fish and chips..the fish was called Blue Grenadier) and now are sitting drinking wine and eating TimTans and watching TV. No internet so we will load this later.
Oh by the way…my driving on the “wrong” side of the road, using the the windshield wiper instead of turn signal did NOT add any gray hairs to Carol’s head!!! I have given her permission to yell if I do anything really stupid.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday Frolics
After a short sleep, Pam set off to meet Curtis for breakfast on Degraves Alley before he headed off to work. She then met with a high school friend (Dr. Kathleen Gray)who teaches at the Melbourne University for coffee at Queen Victoria Market to catch up with friend and family news. Meanwhile Carol hopped on the Circle Tram and discovered one of our tourmates from yesterday who was interested in geocaching. As she was headed for Docklands, Carol went along and showed her a cache in the Docklands area before meeting up with Pam at Queen Victoria Market.
We did a bit of shopping at the Market before heading to the Abbotsford Convent for a look and lunch. As we had a day ticket on the transport, a bus took us to the Kew interchange, where we switched to a tram to head back into the city. A fortunate glance out the window spotted a quilt shop. Luckily we were at a scheduled stop and hopped off the tram to have a look. Managed to find one piece of fabric to add to the Australian stash and garner the names of 3 more shops enroute to Adelaide. We stopped off at Bridge street to look at the outlet stores and then back to the hotel as the the rain started to fall in earnest....spending the rest of the evening updating photos and the blog. We don't know what it will be like after this week for internet service in hotels/motels so we are taking advantage of it this week.
We did a bit of shopping at the Market before heading to the Abbotsford Convent for a look and lunch. As we had a day ticket on the transport, a bus took us to the Kew interchange, where we switched to a tram to head back into the city. A fortunate glance out the window spotted a quilt shop. Luckily we were at a scheduled stop and hopped off the tram to have a look. Managed to find one piece of fabric to add to the Australian stash and garner the names of 3 more shops enroute to Adelaide. We stopped off at Bridge street to look at the outlet stores and then back to the hotel as the the rain started to fall in earnest....spending the rest of the evening updating photos and the blog. We don't know what it will be like after this week for internet service in hotels/motels so we are taking advantage of it this week.
Fur and Feathers
At 10:50am, we were the first passengers to be picked up by the Bunyip bus for our 12 hour tour to Phillip Island. Proceeding up and down Melbourne CBD in rush hour type traffic, we gathered the other 22 people for the tour. We set off to the south with our first stop at the Moonlit Sanctuary here we had a variety of homemade sandwiches for lunch. Passing through the entrance, we could pet and have pictures taken with a Koala ( for $10.00). Following the pathway, we viewed and fed wallabies. In the Tasmanian Devil pen, we saw 2 devils awake and having a fight!!
From here we boarded the bus again to the Churchill Island working farm. The ranger was just beginning his commentary and demonstration of sheep shearing as we arrived. We wandered through the heritage house and watched the whip cracking demo and boomerang throwing. We each bought some really nice lanolin hand cream made from the wool from the farm. With a few minutes to spare, we were able to find the cache in the parking lot!!!
Next stop was the Koala Sanctuary, where the Koalas were sleeping high up in the gum trees as we walked around the boardwalk. It was a very peaceful setting to view the animals.
We travelled on to one of the premier surfing beaches, Woolamai Beach. The view, waves and sand were awesome. Walked in the sand, got our feet wet in the southern ocean and enjoyed watching the 100+ surfers in the waves. It was hard to leave this setting. Then off to dinner in of San Remo, in a park beside the bridge leading to the island. We went to the Nobbies, to view the seals but saw only seagulls on the rocks and penguins under the boardwalk.
Last stop was to view the penguins coming onshore and crossing the beach after dusk. The heavy rain held off until we had seen 3 'raffs' of penguins cross the beach. They suddenly appeared from the waves, congregated in small groups (raffs) and crossed the beach together. Back on the bus for the 2 hour ride back to the city and we were the last to be dropped off at our hotel. A glass of wine tasted good!!
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| Feeding the wallabies |
From here we boarded the bus again to the Churchill Island working farm. The ranger was just beginning his commentary and demonstration of sheep shearing as we arrived. We wandered through the heritage house and watched the whip cracking demo and boomerang throwing. We each bought some really nice lanolin hand cream made from the wool from the farm. With a few minutes to spare, we were able to find the cache in the parking lot!!!
Next stop was the Koala Sanctuary, where the Koalas were sleeping high up in the gum trees as we walked around the boardwalk. It was a very peaceful setting to view the animals.
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| Just hanging out! |
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| Look at me Mom!! |
We travelled on to one of the premier surfing beaches, Woolamai Beach. The view, waves and sand were awesome. Walked in the sand, got our feet wet in the southern ocean and enjoyed watching the 100+ surfers in the waves. It was hard to leave this setting. Then off to dinner in of San Remo, in a park beside the bridge leading to the island. We went to the Nobbies, to view the seals but saw only seagulls on the rocks and penguins under the boardwalk.
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| The unknown surfer |
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| Under the boardwalk |
Last stop was to view the penguins coming onshore and crossing the beach after dusk. The heavy rain held off until we had seen 3 'raffs' of penguins cross the beach. They suddenly appeared from the waves, congregated in small groups (raffs) and crossed the beach together. Back on the bus for the 2 hour ride back to the city and we were the last to be dropped off at our hotel. A glass of wine tasted good!!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Gardens
We must be relaxing as we didn't wake up until 8 this morning. We made our booking for a Phillip Island tour tomorrow to see the fairy penguins. After a leisurely breakfast, with a tuned up GPS, the focus for the day was the Botanical Gardens. Our first stop was unsuccessful due to temporary construction in the area. But the second gave us spectacular views to the Yarra River and the city from a small bridge.
Enroute to the Botannical Gardens, we found another cache in a small, peaceful grotto. The Botanical Gardens provided a 2 hour walk searching for clues to another cache. Walking through the trails in and out of the sunshine we observed hundreds of species of trees, shrubs and plants in wonderful displays of greenery and flowers. Part of the boardwalk was off limits due to the recent rains causing massive flooding in some of the lower areas. At the cacti gardens, we found a shady bench to eat our lunch.
As the temperature rose, we found the free tourist bus and rode to the Docklands area which is developed similar to our Yaletown area. Poked around the shops and out to the entertainment area where guess what? another cache!!! Hopped on the free circle tram to find a "Hungry Jacks" (our Burger King) for a $1.00 large soft ice cream dipped in chocolate--yummy! From this point, home was the next stop to veg out for the evening
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| Yarra River |
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| Melbourne from the Yarra River |
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| From Docklands |
As the temperature rose, we found the free tourist bus and rode to the Docklands area which is developed similar to our Yaletown area. Poked around the shops and out to the entertainment area where guess what? another cache!!! Hopped on the free circle tram to find a "Hungry Jacks" (our Burger King) for a $1.00 large soft ice cream dipped in chocolate--yummy! From this point, home was the next stop to veg out for the evening
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wildlife and Wine
Today was our visit to the Healseville Sanctuary. We met up with Curt and Natasha downtown after they handed in Curt's application for his new visa and then Gary at the Blackburn Station to start our day. We drove out through the Yarra Valley which is wine and dairy country to the sanctuary. The park was well laid out, taking us on a ciruitous route passed koalas, kangaroos, dingos, Tasmanian devil, pelicans, emus, reptiles and of course the platypus (which were smaller than we thought). A presentation of the birds of prey of Australia was really well done. Picnic tables provided a sunny spot to enjoy our lunch.
The trip back began with a stop at the Chandon Winery which specializes in champagne. We made it in the doors with 5 minutes to spare but we were allowed to stay and sample the champagnes. The setting was gorgeous with a blooming rosebush at the end of each row of grapes. The tasting area overlooked the valley and vineyards. From there, we proceeded to Natasha's home where we enjoyed Gary's homemade moussaka for dinner.
A quick search of caches revealed one in a park nearby. Off we drove to the park and easily discovered the cache. We boarded the train back to the city at 9:18pm and were back to our hotel by 10pm.
A quick search of caches revealed one in a park nearby. Off we drove to the park and easily discovered the cache. We boarded the train back to the city at 9:18pm and were back to our hotel by 10pm.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Trains, Trams and Automobiles
The transportation system in Melbourne is amazing.....trains run out of the city for miles in several directions. Trams, buses and automobiles coexist on the same streets with very few accidents, no horn blowing , no yelling. Trains run from the city to distances equal to Vancouver to Chilliwack in about 8 different lines (and they have water on one side too) and have done so for decades. It's like a choreographed dance. The transportation system is a necessity, a way of life, not a novety like in Vancouver.
Today we traveled from Malvern and then to St Kilda beach in the south to Pascoe Vale in the north in search of quilting shops. After a long walk from the train station in Pascoe Vale, Carol found some beautiful material and a new pattern for a new project. One of the people from the shop drove us to a tram line for our trip home.
We stopped off to get more groceries for dinner tonight and for a picnic lunch for our little trip tomorrow. By the time we got back to the hotel....we were expert travellers on the Melbourne transit system with a one zone daily pass costing us $6.80! After dinner we we went out for a couple of more caches....5 in total today.
Today we traveled from Malvern and then to St Kilda beach in the south to Pascoe Vale in the north in search of quilting shops. After a long walk from the train station in Pascoe Vale, Carol found some beautiful material and a new pattern for a new project. One of the people from the shop drove us to a tram line for our trip home.
We stopped off to get more groceries for dinner tonight and for a picnic lunch for our little trip tomorrow. By the time we got back to the hotel....we were expert travellers on the Melbourne transit system with a one zone daily pass costing us $6.80! After dinner we we went out for a couple of more caches....5 in total today.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Four Seasons in a Day
We started our day walking to near by Fitzroy park to do some background work on a couple of caches at a miniature Tudor village and a couple of statues.....it started out sunny, then teamed down rain and then the sun came out again but was chilly. We then went to Little Bourke St. to see the Chinese New Year festivities....all of a sudden the skies opened up again for about 5 minutes! And the sun came out. We then started down the hill to Federation street, stopping along the way to look at an opal store....hmmmm.
At Federation Square we separated as I (Pam) was meeting up with Curt and Natasha for the afternoon and Carol went exploring on her own.
Curt and Natasha and I went by train to the Abbotsford Convent...where they have a Convent, Church, Hospital, gardens, a bakery and a restaurant....where we had lunch....all vegetarian and pay by donation. The place was packed with people and the food was delicious. We walked the gardens (and found a cache) we left and headed to Natasha's aunt's house for a visit and some tea. Then off we went walking toward the trains, stopping for dinner for a most delicious Moroccan dinner. I arrived back at the hotel just before 8:00....I must have walked about 10 km today! I love the houses around here....brick and wrought iron. They keep saying that Australia is a new country but these houses were built in the mid 1800's before anything in Vancouver!
Carol set off for the open air artists market in the Arts district. It was an interesting collection of artisans selling their own products. A vast selection of goods from all over the Victoria area. I decided to head to the Docklands area via the south shore. Walked along the Yarra river walk past the casino which was packed and there were crowds of people everywhere. Once I got to the convention centre at Docklands, the wind was so strong I decided to head back toward the city. Wandered along the streets to Southern Cross Station where I picked up train information to Geelong. We will pick up a car in Geelong which is about half an hour by train west of here, rather than trying to navigate our way out of Melbourne in traffic.
Tried to find a fabric store that I was told about by one of the craftspersons, but no luck. As the cool wind was still blowing, I popped in and out of many of the small stores and the two huge department stores--David Jones and Meyers. They are huge, 5 floors minimum, many store clerks to help serve, escalators that look down on the floors below and the prices to go with this service!! Enjoyed just browsing and observing the crowds which were everywhere.
At lunch I found a patisserie that served lamb and rosemary pot pies--yummmmmy! Hopped aboard the free tram headed to our hotel as far as I could and walked the rest. A most enjoyable adventure.
The photos below are from an Aboriginal Carving Tree in the park close to our hotel. The last one is looking toward our hotel from town. The brown building left of centre is one block from our hotel and the stadium on the right is the Melbourne Cricket Grounds which holds 100,000 people.
At Federation Square we separated as I (Pam) was meeting up with Curt and Natasha for the afternoon and Carol went exploring on her own.
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| Melbourne House |
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| Curt & Natasha |
Carol set off for the open air artists market in the Arts district. It was an interesting collection of artisans selling their own products. A vast selection of goods from all over the Victoria area. I decided to head to the Docklands area via the south shore. Walked along the Yarra river walk past the casino which was packed and there were crowds of people everywhere. Once I got to the convention centre at Docklands, the wind was so strong I decided to head back toward the city. Wandered along the streets to Southern Cross Station where I picked up train information to Geelong. We will pick up a car in Geelong which is about half an hour by train west of here, rather than trying to navigate our way out of Melbourne in traffic.
Tried to find a fabric store that I was told about by one of the craftspersons, but no luck. As the cool wind was still blowing, I popped in and out of many of the small stores and the two huge department stores--David Jones and Meyers. They are huge, 5 floors minimum, many store clerks to help serve, escalators that look down on the floors below and the prices to go with this service!! Enjoyed just browsing and observing the crowds which were everywhere.
At lunch I found a patisserie that served lamb and rosemary pot pies--yummmmmy! Hopped aboard the free tram headed to our hotel as far as I could and walked the rest. A most enjoyable adventure.
The photos below are from an Aboriginal Carving Tree in the park close to our hotel. The last one is looking toward our hotel from town. The brown building left of centre is one block from our hotel and the stadium on the right is the Melbourne Cricket Grounds which holds 100,000 people.
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| Carving from Aboriginal Tree |
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| Hotel and Cricket Arena |
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| Carving in the Fairy Tree |
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Raindrops keep falling on my head.
The rains began in earnest at 7pm last night and continued heavily during the night and early morning hours. Deciding we had to go out at some point, we geared up with our windbreakers ready for the worst. As we walked to the free tourist bus at the Cricket Stadium, the clouds were low but no rain. After jumping the many puddles enroute, we spotted the bus at the stop and made a dash for it.
Our destination was the Queen Victoria Market. This is a covered, open air market for fruits, veggis, meats and a vast array of clothing, souvenirs, etc. much like the Richmond night market, but extends for 2 square city blocks. The clouds remained, the temperature was cool but no rain. We purchased some fruit, enjoyed an Italian coffee and walked the whole market. As the weather was still reasonable, we decided to walk back to town, trying do some caches enroute.
We chose a route leading us to the south bank. After several successes finding caches, we took a break to explore the Chinese New Year celebrations along the Yarra River. Then a break for lunch and off to find more caches. Six successful caches were logged before we returned to the hotel. Our first knowledge of the flooding in areas of Melbourne came when we turned on the TV at 4pm Aus. time! We had seen no evidence of it, other than the Yarra River was considerably higher today than yesterday--complete with plastic debris, branches and tree trunks flowing swiftly to the ocean.
Logged in our caches, rested our feet and then set off again, around the neighbourhood. Two more caching successes (a total of 8 today)!! Finished up close to the IGA where we purchased some food for dinner and a bottle of Australian wine. Still no rain.
Our destination was the Queen Victoria Market. This is a covered, open air market for fruits, veggis, meats and a vast array of clothing, souvenirs, etc. much like the Richmond night market, but extends for 2 square city blocks. The clouds remained, the temperature was cool but no rain. We purchased some fruit, enjoyed an Italian coffee and walked the whole market. As the weather was still reasonable, we decided to walk back to town, trying do some caches enroute.
We chose a route leading us to the south bank. After several successes finding caches, we took a break to explore the Chinese New Year celebrations along the Yarra River. Then a break for lunch and off to find more caches. Six successful caches were logged before we returned to the hotel. Our first knowledge of the flooding in areas of Melbourne came when we turned on the TV at 4pm Aus. time! We had seen no evidence of it, other than the Yarra River was considerably higher today than yesterday--complete with plastic debris, branches and tree trunks flowing swiftly to the ocean.
Logged in our caches, rested our feet and then set off again, around the neighbourhood. Two more caching successes (a total of 8 today)!! Finished up close to the IGA where we purchased some food for dinner and a bottle of Australian wine. Still no rain.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
February 3 and 4
Leaving the park, we walked along the main road to the Melbourne tourist information at city centre. Armed with many brochures, we hopped on the free city circle tram to get our bearings. It was a delightful trip taking about an hour to complete. The attendant on the tram advised us of a grocery store, so we stocked up for a few days and headed home.
After a short rest, we walked to the Richmond Station which happened to pass by another geocache and headed out to meet Curtis and Natasha in Upwey where they work. It was a pleasant 50 minute train ride from the bustling city into the peaceful countryside. The small cafe where Curt was working was directly opposite the train station. Natasha's dad, Gary joined us for a declicious meal at the restaurant.
Then, we headed off to the lookout on Dandenong Mt. which overlooks the city of Melbourne. Much like being up Mt. Seymour. Took some photos and then headed back to their home for a short visit. Where we met Natasha's Mom Di. We were driven back to our hotel by Gary and Curt via a scenic route. Needless to say, we were ready for bed upon arriving back about 11:30 which also explains why we didn't post yesterday.
Friday we awoke to the pitter patter of raindrops. As we had already booked a free walking tour at 9:30, we were obliged to head off regardless of the weather. The rain held off as we walked, , but sent out a deluge just as we approached the meeting spot. The security fellow let us in to the waiting area of the tourist info early.
Our host was a 73 year old retired teacher, named Geoff. He was most knowledgeable. We were hard pressed to keep up with him as he proceeded to walk us around the CBD and south shore up and down stairs for 3 hours showing us the small back lanes, filled with shops, cafes and pubs and heritage buildings which had been converted to fancy shopping arcades (malls)which we would never have found on our own.
Upon saying our good byes, we jumped on the free bus and sat contentedly for and hour and a half driving tour of Melbourne. The rains decided to descend once more as we were returning to the hotel and we arrived back dripping wet.
Spent the latter part of the afternoon, drying out, booking a car for the Great Coast Hwy and resting. We are watching the news right now...the rain that we felt today and is expect tomorrow is a backlash of the cyclone that hit Queensland yesterday.
Still haven't figured out how to add photos. We will play with it tonight after dinner and a walk.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
cyclone
We are aware of the cyclone hitting Queensland last night and have been watching the TV coverage since early morning. Thankfully, if it is still standing, our hotel for Airlie beach is up on a hill!! But, that is still 3 weeks away, so have our fingers crossed. More to come this evening.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Feb.2 Aussie time
G'day mates!! We arrived safe and sound into Melbourne this afternoon. Upon boarding the long leg of the journey last night we were served dinner and wine. Then about 5 hours later and snack appeared--turkey sandwich and cookies. Prior to landing in Sydney about 4 hours later, breakfast was served--not that we needed any more food. The good news was we were early into Sydney and Melbourne. The Skybus brought us into the centre of Melbourne at Southern Cross Station. A shuttle bus was provided to the hotel from this point.
Curt arrived about half an hour after us for a visit. He has briefed us on the tram and train lines and we will endeavour to find our way to the cafe where he works tomorrow night for dinner.
We took a short stroll around the surroundings of our apartment. The suite is small, in an older building but very clean. There is an IGA about 4 blocks away so purchased some staples for breakfasts and lunch for the next couple of days. We have a microwave, fridge, kettle and toaster.
Curt arrived about half an hour after us for a visit. He has briefed us on the tram and train lines and we will endeavour to find our way to the cafe where he works tomorrow night for dinner.
We took a short stroll around the surroundings of our apartment. The suite is small, in an older building but very clean. There is an IGA about 4 blocks away so purchased some staples for breakfasts and lunch for the next couple of days. We have a microwave, fridge, kettle and toaster.
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