Pictures of Hong Kong

To finish off the whole trip here are some pics of our stopover in Hong Kong. The view from Victoria Peak, having dinner at the Excelsior, the Lantau cable, Po Ling monastery and the giant buddha. A beautiful Spring after several weeks of summer and autumn!

Coming home

We headed to Hong Kong airport for the final leg of our round the world journey. We’d been watching ads for a couple of days about ‘the new business class’ on Cathay Pacific but it hadn’t yet arrived on the London flight. Still it was very exciting as I’d never been upstairs on a 747 but the old business class has a very strange seat configuration with tiny cubicles which do not allow for socialising with a partner and are rather claustrophobic. Still the service was excellent and the bed flat so I can’t really complain! After a couple of hours at Heathrow we took the final short hop to Manchester and we were home.
It was really exciting to see spring – we missed it last year being in Abu Dhabi and the daffodils, blossom and light green of the trees looked even lovelier than I remember. It was a really beautiful sunny day to welcome us back and Manchester looked particularly attractive and felt pretty warm. Apart from a strange smell emanating from the main bathroom which will no doubt require a visit from the plumber, the flat was in good shape and we soon had everything stashed away and several loads of washing drying! We managed to get John a new handset, since his phone has been out of action since it gave up the ghost in Argentina and he is now back in contact with the world again.
We’ve had such a marvellous time and created an enormous memory bank of experiences but it is always nice to be home. Despite being 10,000 km from where we were the day before, spending 18 hours travelling and coping with a 7 hour time difference we seem to have managed very well and not been too pole axed by it all. On Monday it poured with rain so more of a return to normal weather but on Tuesday we packed a case again and set off for Skipton and enjoyed the loveliness that is Yorkshire in springtime complete with little bouncy lambs, flowering currant and a heron wading in the stream. It was great to see mum again and enjoy a home cooked ‘British’ meal of cottage pie and apple tart. I’m sure we were able to bore her for some time going on and on about our trip and all the things we’d seen! I took Kirsty for a run in the woods – determined to get fit and trim again after all the good living though I did run quite a bit in Port Douglas and Manly.
Spent a frustrating afternoon printing out the blog and the photos ready for John’s mum – the transfer of electronic material to paper is never an easy experience, I’m sure the techno boffins don’t really believe in paper and therefore don’t spend nearly as long working on the technology! Thursday we were back with the suitcases for our next small trip. Since it was our wedding anniversary we’d decided to pay a short visit to Luton Hoo. Last year we celebrated at the Shangri La in Abu Dhabi so we thought it would be nice to go back and I managed to persuade them to come up with a good package for dinner, bed and breakfast and a room upgrade.
Despite all our wonderful travel experiences Luton Hoo is still one of my favourite places in the world. Clearly it has a step up being associated with the glorious memories of our happy wedding day but it is such a relaxing and charming place. Although it looks very grand, the staff are so friendly that it never feels imposing or stuck up. The gardens looked brilliant and we had a tremendous room overlooking the lake with a small balcony and the usual luxurious bathroom. We had a stunning anniversary dinner with champagne and desert wine and spent the next morning swimming it off in the beautiful pool. It was a heavenly wedding anniversary and a great way to celebrate our return to the UK.
We joined the beginning of the Easter rush on the M25 to head to Leysdown and John’s mum’s for the weekend. For the next couple of weeks we’re rushing around saying hello to family after being away so long, then hopefully we’ll be able to hook up again with our friends. I guess after that we really should start thinking about making useful contributions to society, getting back to some work and even earning some money but for now I’m very happy to enjoy an English spring and reflect on our epic trip.

Hong Kong heaven

So we said goodbye to the Peninsula Hotel and Port Douglas and headed back along the coast road to Cairns for our Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. John was delighted that they had mini pies with ‘sauce’ (tomato ketchup) in the lounge and was able to indulge in a final splurge on Aussie pies before we left! It was dark by the time we got to Hong Kong but it meant a great view of the skyline on our ride in from the airport. I’d got us a great deal at the City Garden Hotel so I was a bit anxious about what the hotel would be like for under £100 a night including breakfast and complimentary aperitifs. It was really nice and we were on the club floor at the top with a pretty spacious room for Hong Kong. I think it was the location that made it so much cheaper than the usual suspects – the other side of Victoria Park from Causeway Bay in a very Chinese residential district but that made it all the more interesting. There was a little garden outside the hotel with blossom trees – strange to go from autumn to spring in 7 hours, where people walked their dogs and school children hung about. The view was mainly of the residential tower blocks, festooned with washing (clearly a Chinese gene somewhere in the Chambers make up which makes us so keen to do laundry all the time) but we did get a small slice of harbour to watch the boats go by and a glimpse of the taller towers above the flats.
Next morning was a beautiful spring day with hazy sunshine and low humidity so we set off to walk through Causeway Bay and all the way to Central. Hong Kong is such an interesting place to walk around, though quite tricky with such high density buildings and endless flyovers and walkways above street level so it took quite a long time to walk relatively short distances. We walked the length of Lockhart St which is clearly where you go if you’re renovating as every shop offered doors, tiles, bathrooms, light switches, flooring and every conceivable item of household fixtures and fittings. Once we’d had a wander round Central we took the Peak Tram up the hill to enjoy the view during the day. It was a bit hazy but very pleasant and relatively quiet compared with the bustle below. We had some absolutely fantastic Sushi with soft shell crab and avocado in the maki rolls before getting the tram back down and the walk back to the hotel. We walked through Victoria Park which is lovely – blossom trees, azaleas and grasses as well as bowls, tennis, an outdoor pool, a pebble walk, jogging track and people doing tai chi or just sitting eating takeaway noodles or dim sum. After so many hours of walking we decided to eat in the hotel since they boasted an ‘award winning’ Cantonese restaurant. It was tremendous and rightly deserving of award winning status. We had some prawns and then shared a duck, which they carved at the table and then served with pancakes and also minced with lettuce leaves.
Next day we headed out to Kowloon trying out the impressive MTR metro system – I love the interactive on train maps with flashing lights to tell you which direction the train is going in and the interchange stations where you change lines by walking across to another platform. After Kowloon we went up to the viewing platform in the Bank of China tower, there was some kind of demo going on outside but by handing over our UK driving licences they let us in and up to the 43rd floor for the view of the city and the harbour. More Sashimi and Sushi in a small Causeway Bay canteen before the stroll back through the park. We fancied dinner with a view and booked the restaurant in the Excelsior where we had a window seat looking across the harbour to Kowloon and along to Central. A really great spot for dinner and the food was lovely as well. We watched the boats cruising the harbour and also coming in for the night into the sheltered moorings below.
We booked the hotel for another night, even though we were leaving for the airport at 8pm, to allow us to make the most of the final day of our trip, rather than checking out at 11am and then doing a lot of hanging around – the last thing you need before 18 hours of travelling! We took the MTR to Lantau Island and queued up for the cable car at the end of the line. It was all very efficient with timed boarding and a very well organised system. The cable car is terrific, over 5km long, crossing 2 bodies of water and swapping twice onto a different cable as it climbs the hills and swoops back down to the village. As well as the view of the island and the coastline you also get a bird’s eye view of the airport with the planes landing and taking off below. The ‘heritage’ village is very touristy with lots of gift shops and tacky souvenirs and unauthentic looking food outlets (including the ubiquitous Subway). We walked through it to the more subdued and calm atmosphere of Po Lin monastery where the air was scented with incense and blossom. I persuaded John to climb the 200 steps to the giant Buddha which is pretty impressive and has a great view. Then we retraced our steps down on the cable car and the MTR to Kowloon.
We had promised ourselves afternoon tea at The Peninsula and arrived at about 2.30pm. We hadn’t reckoned on that being a popular Saturday choice for everyone else visiting Hong Kong and had to stand in the queue very patiently till nearly 4pm. It was worth the wait though with a tiered cake stand of sandwiches, savouries, cakes and scones. We took the champagne option as well as tea since we felt we’d earned it after all the queuing! One of the UK’s most successful and long lasting exports – the British Empire may be long gone but wherever the Brits were you can still take afternoon tea!
Replete, we headed back to the hotel for the final case packing and bath before taking a cab to the airport for the very last leg of our amazing journey. A 13 hour flight to Heathrow and the short hop to Manchester.

Pics of our rain forest adventure

Enjoying the scenery at Mossman Gorge. Some of the creatures we met on the way: a croc, a golden orb spider and a rainforest dragon. John in the rain on Cape Tribulation beach.

Daintree and Cape Tribulation

The next day we’d booked to spend with Tony’s Tropical Tours, exploring the rainforest to the North, so at 7.30am the eponymous owner and our guide for the day turned up and we were off, complete with insect repellent, umbrellas and plastic ponchos. We picked up a couple from York, who are currently living in New Zealand and an American couple from Lake Tahoe, who made pleasant company, along with Tony, who clearly loves his work and was knowledgeable and incredibly enthusiastic about the local inhabitants of the rain forest.
We stopped at Mossman Gorge, where we took us for a guided walk through the forest and along the river bank, pointing out lizards (a large breed called a dragon) and other creatures. The local mosquitoes were clearly impervious to the jungle formula repellent and we did end up with some spectacular bites. The area also lived up to its name in terms of rain so the ponchos and umbrellas came in handy.
Next stop was the Daintree River where Tony left us with Bruce for a croc spotting cruise on the river. We pottered along, admiring a tree snake (apparently harmless), a tree frog and a spotted frog mouth (a large bird) before the highlight of the trip. A large male croc, probably about 30 feet long swam upriver and alongside the boat, surveying his territory and ensuring no other dominant male was planning to move into his patch. It looked very scary and whilst the locals seem quite blasé about snakes, spiders and other potentially threatening species, there is huge respect for and fear of crocs. Warning signs are put up by creeks and on golf courses if anyone spots one and if a boat sinks in the river it is not salvaged if it would mean going into the water to get it.
Tony picked us up further down the river and we drove on to a coastal look out point. The lookout was obscured by rain and fog so, after a morning cup of tea, dripping under a wooden shelter, we continued to Cape Tribulation (named by Captain Cook after running aground there and taking some months to get his boat mended and sorted out) where the beach is absolutely lovely. This is where the barrier reef meets the rain forest and it is the picture perfect idea of a tropical beach paradise. However on this day the sea was grey and the waves were crashing on the sand so we didn’t mind too much that we couldn’t go in the water due to the box jelly fish! Tony took us to see the golden orb spider which had made a huge web just outside the men’s loo and which was definitely the record breaker in terms of size. They have been known to eat small birds which get stuck in their webs. Surprisingly no-one felt the need to visit the conveniences at this pit stop!
The streams we’d crossed on the way up had become raging torrents by the time we returned, Tony told us that they frequently used to get stuck between creeks for hours at a time before the new fords and bridges were put in. We walked through a beautiful bit of forest to a small shelter where Tony served meat, fish and salad for lunch with ‘damper’ or bush bread (much tastier than the ones we used to make at guide camp). We were most impressed as to how he’d managed to conjure up this feast in the middle of nowhere, but when we walked back on a different path we discovered several ladies busy under a large wooden A frame with a semi permanent kitchen! Just below us was a swimming hole where we had intended to swim in the crystal clear stream, where the water is too cold for crocs though not for people. However, this too had become a raging torrent and we would have been downstream with the crocs in minutes so we just admired it from a safe distance.
After lunch we drove deep into the forest and once again donned our ponchos for a walk on a tiny path exclusive to Tony’s tours. Before setting off Tony pointed out a plant that if you brush against it will fire small spikes into you which will cause huge pain and discomfort for as long as 6 months – even the plants here are out to get you it seems, but at least they stay in one place so they’re easier to avoid! We took a walk through the forest, admiring the lizards, insects, trees and flowers and saw some of the damage done by Cyclone Yassi in February and how the forest is already starting to repair itself.
Our final stop was for some home made ice cream and a look at the wild orchids. We were lucky enough to see a Cassowary which wandered onto the next field. These are huge, flightless birds, bigger than an ostrich with incredibly colourful blue and red heads and a horned helmet. They are direct survivors from prehistoric times and are now very rare, even in this corner of the rainforest which is about their last remaining home. We’d seen them in Sydney Zoo and in the wildlife park but it was amazing to see one in the wild. Apparently they can give you a nasty disembowelling with their huge claws if you upset them and get too close – it’s a wonder anyone survived here long enough to colonise the place!
Thoroughly warn out we headed back to Port Douglas, over the chain link ferry across the Daintree River (hoping it didn’t break down having seen the size of the crocs in the river) and narrowly avoiding a tree which fell onto the road in front of us with all the rain and wind. We were lucky this time in that the cloud had cleared so we could admire the view down the coast from the look out point. We made it back with just some mosquito bites from our adventure and had avoided being bitten by snakes or spiders, brushing up against fearsome plants or being disembowelled by a cassowary. It was a fantastic day but I’m really glad I live in Manchester!

Animals and scenery

The amazing train from Kuranda and the desolate beauty of Low Isle as well as some pictures of the wallabies, crocs (these are freshwater and less likely to eat you), koala and John talking to a pair of Kookaburras.

Back to the reef

It would be very easy here to just slip into totally lazy holiday mode, run beforehand and a bit of walk after breakfast, beer at lunchtime and a nice swim in the pool before a Jacuzzi bath and dinner, but there is so much to see and do we just keep on booking more exciting trips in an effort to pack it all in.
After a chilled out Saturday we booked a second reef trip for Sunday, this time on a sailing catamaran to the Low Isles, which are just 15km out from Port Douglas. It was incredibly windy which made for a very fine sail and an exciting ride – fortunately for us we have very strong constitutions when it comes to rough seas. It also meant that the large contingent who were due to join the boat from a cruise ship were unable to come as the captain felt the tenders which would have brought them to shore would be unsafe in the conditions. A shame for them but it meant we had the boat almost to ourselves, apart from a family of very large Liverpudlians and a group of Chinese who were making a promotional film about North Queensland. The star of the film is apparently the most famous person in China and even bigger than Justin Bieber but I’m afraid that not being on top of Chinese teenage pop idols the awe inspiring nature of our fellow passenger was lost on me!
I decided to take the guided snorkelling tour with Erica, the on board marine biologist, whilst John stick to the glass bottom boat tour. So it was back into the lovely, lycra stinger suit and on the small tender to the island where we snorkelled from the beach. Unfortunately the wind, which had given us such a nice ride, had stirred up the water so visibility was very poor, you could only really see the reef by diving down and it was hard work swimming against the waves and the current. John had much the same experience in the glass bottom boat. After lunch we took the tender to the small island and took the guided walking tour around it as the tide was going out which was lovely. We saw a pair of Ospreys watching us from the top of the lighthouse and a shark cruising the reef. Apparently it gets pretty crowded on the island in peak season so we were lucky to see it in a fairly deserted state as it certainly wasn’t very big.
Another exciting ride back and we were in port and washing the salt off in our huge bath. Our air conditioning unit decided to give up which made it very sticky and hot. As the hotel was not too busy Phil gave us the key to the next door room so we could get a decent night's sleep. They managed to come and fix it the very next day which was impressive – our dishwasher in Manchester gave out in October and, despite 2 visits from an engineer, it’s still not working!

Tropical North Queensland

We took a trip with Glenn to see some of the wonders of the area on a mini bus with 8 other tourists – 4 Brits, 2 honeymooners from Melbourne and the chef from our hotel and his wife on their day off. Glenn could talk the leg off a chair (to use one of his own expressions) so we got plenty of commentary as we headed on the coast road south towards Cairns.
We arrived at the Skyrail and took the amazing cable car ride over the tops of the rainforest and into the hills. At over 7km long it must have taken some building, as the pylons seemed to be fixed into dense rainforest. At the first stop we took the board walk through the forest before the next leg which took us right alongside the river gorge, plunging deep below us. The next station was a lookout over the falls and the hydro electric dam above before continuing to the village of Kuranda. We had a bit of lunch and wandered around the village, which seems to cater specifically to tourists with exhibitions of local flora, fauna and Australian wildlife, as well as numerous tourist shops which shut at 3pm when the last train/cable car leaves. It was very pretty, even in the rain (well it is rainforest), but I think for this trip the journey was more important than the destination.
We went back down on the scenic railway, which was built to service the gold mines beyond Kuranda and is an absolute wonder of 19th century engineering. With nothing much apart from picks, shovels and manpower they built a railway which climbs 1000 feet, along the side of the gorge, with tunnels, cuttings and 180 degree bends. At one point they even had to cut back to the bare rock in order to create a stable ledge wide enough to hold the track. It was amazing and the views were incredible. We didn’t opt for the first class option, since the view was the same from coach and we could actually see better from the back of the train, as you could see the rest of the train snaking away in front on the longer bends. The members of our party were decidedly jolly when we regrouped for the mini bus ride into Cairns so the alcohol consumption must have been pretty significant!
We spent an hour in Cairns, wandered along the boardwalk, past the swimming lagoon and into the town. It was enough to convince me that Port Douglas was the right place to stay since Cairns didn’t seem to have much to commend it in comparison with our bijoux resort.
Next day we headed up to the wildlife sanctuary on the local bus, which gave us a chance to see some of the other resorts along 4 mile beach and closer to the Captain Cook Highway. All very nice but not nearly as handy for the town centre for an evening wander.
The wildlife sanctuary was brilliant, divided into 3 areas – forest, wetland and grassland, it was able to show case Australian animals in something close to their natural habitats and they all looked pretty relaxed about being there. The keepers showed us a black python and a baby croc and talked about the lifecycle of snakes and crocs (including what to do if bitten by a poisonous snake which is always good to know). There were photo opportunities which we declined but it was fun watching a family of 3 small boys engaging with the animals. The eldest must have been about 6 and was extremely confident and keen to get stuck in, the middle one was more measured but still very calm and relaxed. The little one, who can’t have been much more than 2 was much more nervous but wanted to stay close to his brothers. He was watching the eldest being photographed with the baby croc (with its mouth carefully taped shut) when a large bird, keen to get involved in the action, popped out from behind the screen and gave the little one an inquisitive prod with his beak. This completely spooked him and he ran screaming for his mother. I was tickled by the irony of bringing up Australian children – snakes and crocs, just fine but birds, now there’s something to be scared of!
We had a close up look at the Koalas, pretty easy since they sleep for 19 hours a day. John has taken to call me Koala Perkins, because of my propensity to fall asleep at the drop of a hat or given a comfy enough perch! The birds in the rainforest and wetlands were beautiful, especially the kookaburras, sitting on the railing and there were some lovely miniature kangaroos (musky rat kangaroos) hopping about below. In the grasslands there were lots of different kinds of kangaroos and wallabies and, as you’re allowed to feed them, they come right up to take a look at you. I can never get over the way they hop about. I’ve been reading Bill Bryson ‘Down Under’ and he says the Australian mammals evolved so far away from everyone else that they didn’t read the manual about how to run and took to hopping instead! There were also saltwater crocs lurking in a large pond and the less aggressive freshwater crocs sunning themselves on the bank of the lake. Apart from the different types of water they have to be kept apart as there’s nothing a crocodile likes eating as much as another crocodile though I think fishermen come a close second.
It was a great way of seeing the wildlife close to and it felt like the animals were enjoying being there, except for the tree kangaroo who looked a bit miserable but then the female was being kept in a separate enclosure as she was finishing bringing up a baby one so that might have something to do with it.

Pictures of North Queensland

John 'Crocodile Dundee' Perkins on the Lady Douglas. Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef in our attractive 'stinger' suits. A creek with no crocs in sight and the 4 mile beach across the road from the hotel.

Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef

We arrived in Port Douglas just as it was getting dark so the trip from Cairns, which must be one of the best coastal drives going, was a bit on the dark side. The Peninsula Boutique Hotel is absolutely lovely. I was a bit nervous after seeing what passed for 4 star in the Red Centre, as I didn’t fancy spending 11 nights in somewhere like the Chifley at Alice Springs, but my fears were unfounded! As they were quiet we were lucky enough to get an upgrade to a spa suite so we have a huge room with 2 balconies, a little kitchen, a huge bathroom with spa bath and a bedroom which, with clever sliding of screens, becomes its own room at night. The owners are very friendly and helpful and the tiny restaurant and bar looks out over 4 mile beach and the pool area is super. We are very happy to kick back and relax, after such an eventful trip and make the most of our last few nights at a more chilled out pace, whilst still seeing plenty of Tropical North Queensland. After the flooding and the cyclone we’d been watching the weather forecast with some concern but apart from a short downpour when we first arrived it’s stayed dry, though with high humidity. You can see the clouds inland and further south but everyone in Port Douglas tells us that their weather is different to Cairns, which is all you see on the national forecast.
Port Douglas itself is a picturesque little town on a peninsula sticking out into the Coral Sea, with 4 mile beach on one side and the calmer waters leading into the creek on the other. As the ‘season’ doesn’t start till the end of April it is quite quiet and utterly charming, crammed with lovely little shops and great restaurants. If you want to swim in the sea you have to go in the special netted area as there are poisonous jelly fish, including the notorious box jelly fish in the water at this time of year. We were also told a story about a crocodile sleeping in one of the nets and calmly walking out onto the beach at the end of the day, so at present I’ve only been swimming in the pool! Last night we went on a sunset cruise up the creek on the Lady Douglas, a restored paddle steamer straight out of African Queen. We were hoping to see some crocodiles, as apparently they only come out to feed at dusk at this time of year but we didn’t see any, just lots of mangrove roots masquerading as crocs! It was a lovely trip though and we saw white headed eagles feeding, masses of fruit bats and enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine whilst hearing about the crocodiles. I went running along the beach this morning, though you can only get about a mile along it before coming to a creek, which is too deep to wade through with the tide in. There was a border collie playing in the creek pool and I was very glad when it got out as I was terrified a croc would come and get it.
On Monday we went out on a boat to the outer barrier reef. It was a lovely cruise and took about an hour and a half to reach the first stopping point. We donned our fetching Lycra anti jelly fish suits with hoods, put on fins and masks and headed in for some snorkelling. The coral is beautiful and surrounded by incredible fish. The giant clams looked like something from outer space and I was lucky enough to see one white tipped reef shark as well as the brilliantly coloured parrot fish. Even John, who is not a very keen swimmer, did all 3 snorkel stops, though he didn’t stay in long for the last one which involved crossing some very deep water to get to the reef. I enjoyed it enormously, though being used to diving I drank quite a lot of water when I forgot that I only had a snorkel and was diving down too deep to keep the tube above the water! You do have to be under the water to see how amazing the reef is as there is nothing much to see from the boat, though John did see a school of dolphins whilst I was still in the water. If I’d known they were around I’d have sung my snorkel songs to see if they went down as well with Aussie dolphins as they did with the ones in New Zealand – nobody suggested singing to the sharks! We had lunch on the boat and a beer on the cruise back and admired the photos taken by the on board photographer though the ones of the people all looked alike since we had the same suits and masks on. It was a tremendous day out with more amazing Australian creatures. If there were any box jelly fish present I didn’t see one (but then they’re only the size of your finger nail – amazing that something so small can inflict so much damage).

The Red Centre

Pictures can't really do justice to this amazing scenery but we've tried. The relief on John's face after climbing the canyon and our joint relief at a walk free from flies. Pictures of Ayers Rock (Uluru), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Kings Canyon, from the ground and the air.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Driving along the Lassiter Highway the first point of interest you see is Mount Connor or Fooloroo as it’s jokingly known as you might mistake it for Uluru from a distance. On closer inspection it’s nothing like it but nevertheless it is a big red mountain rising out of the flat desert. You have to drive another 100km further on before you see the real thing. It is amazing – no photo can really do it justice and, as the light changes during the day, or you view it from another angle it looks completely different, almost like a living creature. We took one of the walks round the rim which should have been idyllic on such a perfect day with such amazing scenery but the flies put paid to any real sense of enjoyment. There were enormous numbers of them, landing on your face and body so it was necessary to walk along flapping the map continuously in front of you – my wrist was sorer than my feet by the end of the walk! Some people had gone to the lengths of purchasing fly nets to wear over your head but we decided not to go quite that far.
After the walk we headed to our hotel, The Desert Garden. All accommodation, from camping to 5 star is contained in one village, just outside the national park and run by the same company. It works very well though the prices are pretty hefty but then everything has had a long way to come – it’s over 1500 km to the nearest city in any direction! Our mid range hotel was nice though I was slightly wobbled about a note warning us about a poisonous centipede plague and to ring reception immediately if we discovered one in our room and to keep our luggage zipped up at all times. I spent the whole time looking out for centipedes. There was also the biggest spider I’ve ever seen outside a zoo sitting in a large web just outside our door so I was trying hard to enjoy the scenery and the experience despite the fear of scary creatures!
We decided, since we were probably only doing this once, that we would go the whole hog and book a helicopter sightseeing trip and we were really glad we did. Just 3 of us and the pilot took the trip and flew over the rock and also Kata Tjuta or the Olgas, which lie about 25 km to the west, giving us an incredible view of both natural wonders and the surrounding countryside. The pilot was also pointing out camels – over 700,000 live in the desert and are breeding like mad having been introduced in the 19th century. I lived in Abu Dhabi for a year so I’ve seen loads of camels! I was hoping for kangaroos but didn’t see any. After the flight we dashed for the car in order to get to the sunset viewing spot and watch as the light changed and eventually drained away from the brooding monolith.
Next morning we set off to get a closer look at Kata Tjuta which is made up of the same rock but has multiple domes (the name means ‘Many Heads’ in the local language) and is equally impressive. We were able to walk up between the domes – the Valley of the Winds, which was totally stunning (and due to the high wind fly free which makes all the difference). We had a fabulous walk with great views and a real sense of the mysticism of the place. It’s easy to see why these are sacred to the indigenous population. After our morning walking we took the drive around Ayers Rock so that we could see it from all sides, we decided against another walk due to the build up in the fly population.
Finally we headed for the airport to hand back the hire car and check in for our flight to Cairns. The charming check out lady congratulated us on having luggage which was spot on the weight allowance for economy – we’re getting pretty good at this now! The red centre was a fantastic experience and I feel enriched for having seen it though not without its challenges – just to prove my point there was an even bigger spider at the airport, though thankfully on the other side of the glass from the departure lounge!

Alice Springs to Kings Canyon

Alice Springs is a very depressed place and looked pretty down in the dumps, not helped by the fact that it was raining and it took the hotel over 2 hours to have a room ready for us. They have some major problems with drugs and alcohol, particularly with the indigenous population and crime rates are high. After a wander round and a visit to Anzac memorial hill we decided to stick to the hotel for the rest of the day, where the dinner was surprisingly good though the room was a bit shabby. Next morning we set off on the long drive to Kings Canyon. Distances are just so vast – Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock are nearby attractions for Alice Springs but both are actually 500km away, it’s hard to conceive of the scale of the country. We seemed to drive forever without encountering so much as a farm or a house, just red earth and bush trees on a journey that was longer than driving from Manchester to Leysdown. After a couple of stops for fuel and swapping drivers we arrived at Kings Canyon mid afternoon and checked into the ‘resort’. We had a nice little cabin in the bush, surrounded by trees and buzzing with creepy crawlies which we mainly managed to keep outside. Summer (November to March) is the off season here so it was quite quiet and most of the resort restaurants weren’t open. Presumably it gets too hot but the weather seemed perfect to us – lovely sunshine, a nice breeze and daytime temperatures of about 25 degrees. The flies, which central Australia is famous for were out in force though. We walked up to the sunset viewing area and managed to watch the sun setting over the red cliffs of the range without swallowing too many flies before a buffet dinner and an early night.
Next morning we were up early and off to do the canyon rim walk before the day got too hot. The walk started with an almost vertical climb up rock steps to the top of the hill – John was not keen on the height but we were assured that this was the worst bit and once about half way up, coming back down would be worse than continuing so you are pretty well committed! Once onto the canyon rim though it was amazing – a seaside landscape with red rock formations and sandy bottomed gullies, except that the sea disappeared about 400 million years ago. The canyon itself with sheer rust red walls and plunging cliffs was incredible as was the view across the bush with nothing but trees and sand for as far as the eye could see. It was quite a scramble but the excursions to the cliff edge were mainly optional apart from the descent into the ‘Garden of Eden’ at the canyon end but John managed really well and we were soon up and over the other side. After the canyon rim walk we did the shorter track into the canyon itself – hardly a soul in sight for this much easier trail whilst the mountain top was pretty crowded at times, clearly the macho route is more popular in Australia. We sat on the viewing platform and gazed up at the canyon walls, listening to the birds and insects. The area further in is sacred to the Aborigines so the walk stops about half way in. It was a beautiful and deeply inspiring place.
With sore legs we headed back to our cabin to chill out, get our laundry done and have a rewarding glass of beer. I’ve read the few books we took with us so I’ve had to embrace more technology and read a book using the Kindle software that we are testing on the laptop. It works very well, though, being a Luddite, a still prefer a solid book and it’s a pain waiting for the laptop to fire up and close down, as well as keeping the battery charged – probably easier on an actual Kindle!
The next morning we were up nice and early again for the next leg of our drive to Ayers Rock/Uluru, a mere 300 km down the road!

Melbourne - cool city

Arriving in Melbourne where the sun was shining after pouring rain in Sydney, with the BBC World Service on the cab radio felt like coming home but I soon realised that Melbourne was a much larger and grander metropolis than Manchester, though not without its similarities. We’d got a deal at the Langham so felt thoroughly spoiled by our choice of hotel – all marble baths, comfy furnishings and bathrobes and slippers, very five star! We were on an economy flight as our round the world ticket wouldn’t cover quite so many stops in one country so we’d been panicking slightly about the luggage allowance. By running down toiletry stocks and careful use of hand luggage we squeezed in to the 23kg which was fortunate as it was totally electronic with not a sympathetic check in person in sight. It did mean that our first stop in Melbourne had to be to find a chemist to restock contact lens cleaner and make up remover – luckily we found one very quickly despite it being late on a Saturday afternoon.
The Langham has a great location on the south bank of the Yarra with lots of great bars and restaurants and just a short walk across the foot bridge to the CBD. Sadly we hadn’t planned ahead from a cultural point of view so we weren’t able to get any tickets for the many theatrical events going on but we had a good wander round the arts complex and imbibed the atmosphere. Just have to go back some time and this time plan ahead. The combination of historical buildings, river front and magnificent skyscrapers makes for a great city sky line and lots of incredible views. Saturday night we had a Japanese banquet overlooking the river which was exquisite – really fresh sushi/sashimi, spicy crab, wagyu beef, teriyaki chicken and caramelised banana. Sunday morning we set off on the Lonely Planet walking tour of the city, a great time to see it with plenty of atmosphere (including open day at the parliament building complete with Royal Navy brass band) but not too busy. We soon extended the tour to take in Little Italy and finally south of the river and the Botanical Gardens – several hours of walking in the end but with so much to take in and the most glorious day we didn’t want to stop. We felt we’d earned our fine dinner at Walter’s Wine Bar with another glorious view of the city sky line and a tasting flight of sparkling wine for an aperitif. The Australian sparkling held up really well against the Billecart Salmon but the Prosecco tasted pretty lacklustre when compared with the other two!
On Monday we made use of the Circle Historic Tram which takes you (for free) around the main sights, to see as much of the city as we could, hopping on and off to take in the new docklands development (a bit like Salford Quays but with more interesting looking restaurants), the Exhibition Centre and some more of the historic buildings. We decided on lunch in Little Italy which we’d admired so much the day before and found a tiny Italian, family run for another great meal – it’s lucky we were only spending 3 nights in Melbourne or I wouldn’t have a pair of trousers left that do up!
All in all a great place and one I’d like to have had more time in to head out to some of the suburbs and the sea front. I think we were blessed with the weather as the standing joke in Australia is that it’s always cold and rainy in Melbourne (yet another thing it has in common with Manchester and equally mythical!)
Tuesday morning we had to be up at 5am to get our flight to Alice Springs, where it was raining and incredibly green. This is supposed to be the red centre but it doesn’t look very red at the moment due to unseasonable rain and even some flooding. Luckily they’re upgraded our hire car to a 4WD so we will be fine if we meet any water on the road. The Chifley at Alice Springs compares very unfavourably with the Langham but I’m sure we’ll soon get used to a more realistic hotel accommodation!

Catching up with an old friend

Being in Sydney for the first time ever I felt I just had to look up a friend of mine who lives there and catch up after so many years. Sam and I used to work together in the heady days of Riley Manchester, where she was an Account Director and incredibly popular with so many clients. Sam comes from Sydney but got waylaid on her world trip by meeting a lovely man from Wigan, Neil, who became her husband and meant she spent rather longer in Manchester than she’d originally intended! After their two children, Gemma and Jonty, were born, Sam and Neil headed back to Sydney to bring up their family and, apart from via Linked In, we rather lost touch.
It was great so see Sam again, looking the same as ever, though perhaps more relaxed, despite combining family life with a demanding career and involvement in Neil’s business – must be all that Sydney sunshine I hear so much about but didn’t see that much of! Poor John, had to sit quietly as we caught up on 10 years and remembered the happy times we enjoyed back in Manchester when we were revitalising the agency.
It was a lovely evening, over far too soon and I do hope it won’t be another ten years till we catch up again – though it’s always going to be tricky with 17,000 km in between!

Manly pictures

Enjoying John's birthday lunch and the view from Watson's Bay. Palm Beach (or Summer Bay as it's known on TV. Playing in the surf at Manly and the view in Sydney across the Botanical Gardens.

Manly - surf city

We checked into the Novotel in Manly and immediately upgraded to an ocean front room so that we could watch the waves crashing on the beach from our terrace which made it a special location for John’s birthday week. The huge room could definitely be described as ‘minimalist’ since it contained nothing much apart from a bed and a TV and could comfortably have accommodated a sofa and a table and chairs! The view was great and wandering out onto the terrace at 7am to see what the day was looking like, you could watch the energetic Ozzies bobbing around in the surf like so many seals, or playing volleyball, running, cycling and all manner of active pursuits. You don’t seem to see lots of hugely fat people or incredibly skinny ones either so they must have a good balance between active lifestyles (you get run over by joggers if you’re walking round at lunchtime) and plentiful supplies of very yummy food. Everywhere you go there are constant snacking opportunities and even buying a small ice cream cone you have to say no to offers of (free) chocolate dipped cones, whipped cream and toppings. I managed to find time to start running again whilst we were in Manly and enjoyed running around the surprisingly hilly town though with lots of walking as well my muscles were soon screaming in agony.
Tuesday morning was drizzly and grey so we decided to go to the pictures to see The King’s Speech which was every bit as good as we had been led to believe. We managed a walk in between showers and another chance to watch the surfers. Wednesday was absolutely beautiful so we headed up the coast, along the Northern beaches to Palm Beach. A lovely spot with a harbour and calm water on one side of the peninsula and a golden surf beach on the other side finished off with a bush covered headland and lighthouse. We walked along the beach and up through the bush and cliffs to the lighthouse which was very steep but worth it for the view. Whilst John wasn’t so keen on the incline I was rather more bothered about the very evil looking spiders which had spun webs above the path. Palm Beach is famous as it is where they film ‘Home & Away’ and they were filming on the day we were there. However, since I’ve never seen the programme the significance was rather lost on me! We headed back to Manly and down to the surf beach – Manly has two, one on the Pacific coast and one overlooking the harbour, complete with shark nets. We had fun bouncing around in the waves and sitting on the sand – not really swimming and definitely not surfing but great nevertheless.
On Thursday we headed into the CBD to hand back the hire car. We wandered around Kings Cross – similarly seedy like its London namesake and caught the train back into the centre where we spent a lovely few hours walking in the Botanical Gardens and along the harbour front. After a reward of beer and Yum Cha we then caught the famous Manly Ferry back to our hotel. A fun half hour ride across the harbour.
Friday was John’s birthday and I’d booked us a beachfront table at Doyle’s On The Beach, a famous seafood restaurant in Watson’s Bay. We took the ferry to Circular Quay where we had a coffee and a wander before catching a second ferry to Watson’s Bay. As the crow flies, Manly and Watson’s Bay are really close together but as they are at different sides of the harbour entrance and a water taxi quoted 150 dollars one way we decided that getting there was at least half the fun and took the long way round. It was absolutely pouring with rain but we sat under an efficient plastic awning to drink Louis Roederer and eat fish and chips (for John) and snapper with macadamia crust (for me) and had a wonderful lunch. Having no need for further food that day we spent the rest of John’s birthday relaxing and drinking the complimentary bubbly which the hotel gave us in honour of the occasion.
The next day it really rained – proper soaking Sydney rain and we were very glad to be heading to Melbourne where, despite constant disparaging comments by Sydneysider’s, the weather was warm, sunny and a lovely 24 degrees.

Hunter Valley and Blue Mountains

Pictures of the impressive Blue Mountains and the 3 sisters. John looking a bit nervous in the cable car and enjoying some Hunter Valley wines. Kangaroos look on as Jenny gets a bit close with the camera!

Long weekend in New South Wales

We picked up our shiny red hire car and headed North across the harbour bridge and after a trawl through Sydney’s suburbs, crossed the Hawkesbury River and into bush country. Amazing trees lined the windy road and we stopped in Wollomi for a sandwich lunch and a walk round this tiny bush town. Avis had run out of sat navs so we were managing with bits of maps but we managed to find the Hunter Valley without too much problem. Once we accepted that Pokolbin was a loose collection of vineyards and accommodation spread over several square km rather than an actual place we found our hotel, The Tuscan Valley Wine Lodge, without too much aimless driving around! A wonderful view across the vineyards to the mountains on the ridge greeting us from our terrace. It had been raining so the lady informed us that the kangaroos might not come to graze in the evening but I went out to look for them behind the pool, no sign, but as I was coming back I spied two of them right by our terrace, though they hopped off pretty sharpish when they saw me coming. We had a delicious dinner at the attached restaurant and a bottle of Shiraz from the nearby Mistletoe winery.
Next morning it was drizzly but warm so we put on our boots and went for a walk along the country roads between the vineyards and wineries. I was fascinated by the mobs (I believe this is the correct collective term for kangaroos) of kangaroos grazing in the pasture. Looking a bit like deer you could see their ears prick up and then they’d stand up on their hind legs to check us out, ready to hop away if we came too close. Not something you see wandering around the Bordeaux or champagne vineyards and absolutely fascinating for someone like me. We did some tasting at Mistletoe to finish our walk, a family winery, where the daughter talked us through the various wines on offer and we bought some to accompany us on our travels, since we have a car for a week and not immediate flights. We bought some cheese and crackers so that we could enjoy a bottle for lunch. I went for a swim in the pool, accompanied by a small frog and this time the kangaroos did come to graze and stayed around till we came out from dinner.
Next morning we set off for the Blue Mountains, again through winding bush country and many miles of country roads without so much as a village or a shop. Eventually we climbed the 3000 plus feet to Katoomba and checked in to a wonderfully old fashioned hotel, the Mountain Heritage, which seemed to have stayed in a previous age, along with the rest of the small town. The view from the dining room was superb so we opted for an early dinner so that we could enjoy the sun setting over the sandstone ridges.
Sunday it was boots on again and we walked to Echo Point and the stunning view of the valleys, mountains and the 3 sisters rock formation. J decided the giant steps into the valley were a bit sheer for him so I just went a little way down to get a better view of the rocks. We then did the cliff top walk to Katoomba Falls and took the cable car down to the rain forest walks in the valley floor. We could have come back in the almost vertical mountain tramway but J preferred to stick with the rather more modern cable car again. Walking back the heavens opened and the plastic bag rain ponchos that I’ve been carrying around since Bora Bora came into their own! No kangaroos here so John had kangaroo for dinner to make up for it – he tells me it tastes like a sinewy kind of venison and they certainly behave like deer in their grazing ‘mobs’.
Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains the most amazing and beautiful places to spend a weekend out of the city and I loved them both. Monday morning we had the place to ourselves so we took a drive to some incredible lookouts and into the Megalong Valley so we could really enjoy the countryside before heading back into Sydney and a 5 night stay in the seaside resort of Manly.

Pics of Sydney

Sunset on the Opera House from our hotel room. A friendly wallaby and a kangeroo looking very relaxed. John without a surf board at Bondi and on the harbour cruise.

Sydney - civilised city

We left Queenstown with Qantas on ‘The Tasman’. A very civilised short flight but with full lunch and champagne so we didn’t need to eat again when we arrived. The formalities of entry didn’t take very long at all and our e-visas seemed to have got into the system without any difficulty. I was blown away by the view from our room on the 16th Floor of the Shangri La hotel. A sweeping vista of the harbour and the bridge and I can enjoy the different light playing on the roof of the Opera House whilst sitting on the bed. Watching the changing light and all the boats coming and going is delightful and the room itself feels particularly opulent, especially after so much camping. I used to love the Shangri La in Abu Dhabi and the Sydney version certainly lives up to expectations.
Despite having lived here for three years in the 80’s and visiting many times since, John didn’t seem to mind playing the tourist and showing me all the important sights. On Sunday morning we took the Sydney harbour coffee cruise which is definitely the best way to see this amazing, water bound city. It was a beautiful morning and the harbour was full of boats and we cruised round, having the various bays and sights pointed out for us by a very enthusiastic guide. She delighted in letting us know how many millions of dollars some of the many attractive, water front properties had sold for recently and pointing out the shark netting which made the bay beaches into pleasant swimming spots. I didn’t see any sharks though!
We arrived back at Circular Quay and took a walk around the Opera House and the Rocks area which was crowded with Sunday afternoon visitors and had a refreshing beer (obligatory activity in Sydney so John says!) We enjoyed a lavish seafood platter for supper, overlooking the Opera House and I had a ‘Balmain Bug’ for the first time – very like a huge lobster tail and very tasty. I had visions of a huge insect but it was comfortingly sea food like.
Monday morning saw us ‘going walkabout’ in central Sydney, admiring the historic buildings and shopping arcades, not to mention a group of women in their undies who were appearing in a TV feature on why women’s bodies should no longer be compared to fruit. We watched the feature later on the news but didn’t see ourselves on camera. We went up the sky tower to see a bird’s eye view of the city but didn’t go outside for the ‘sky walk’ even though they do rope you on. It was a great view of the whole area, the bay and Botany Bay though I liked being able to look down on the buildings and see which ones had swimming pools and secret gardens on the roof. We walked around Darling Harbour, a shopping and eating area which hadn’t been created when J lived here and then had a 15 dollar lunch in China Town. Then we went to the pictures to see ‘Black Swan’ since we’ve been missing our fix of English language films. A weird film but the ballet was done brilliantly as they cleverly switched a real dancer with Natalie Portman for the close ups.
On Tuesday we went out to Bondi Beach – well you have to really though J says we’ll see beaches he prefers later on. It was a glorious day and it looked absolutely fantastic as we strolled along watching the surfers. We took a walk along the coastal path around the headlands for a better view. As we were on the bus I didn’t fancy getting wet and thought I’d save swimming for another time. We had dinner on the 36th Floor of the Shangri La which has the most incredible view of Sydney after dark and a very fine chef as well.
Wednesday we headed to the zoo. I don’t much care for zoos and captive animals but I was really keen to see some native Australian species and it was a lovely trip including a boat across the harbour and a cable car to the top of the hill. The zoo was brilliantly done with about half of it given over to native Australian animals in their natural habitats, all very sensitive with lots of information about conservation and protection. Several of the enclosures allowed you to walk through and it was just wonderful to turn round and see a wallaby suddenly standing on a rock right beside you. The kangeroos hopped across the path as you walked round and the koalas just hung about in the trees chewing Eucalyptus and there were endless beautiful birds including a Cookaburra which suddenly appeared right beside me. We did watch the elephant show as we were assured that these were rescue elephants who enjoyed performing and were happier in Sydney than begging in the streets of Bangkok. So happy that 3 of them had babies, born in Australia. It was a lovely zoo and I’d rather see the snakes safely behind a glass case. There were some pretty fearsome spiders but they did not seem to be exhibits which was slightly worrying, hope I don’t meet too many of those over the next few weeks!

Pictures of Queenstown and Milford Sound

Proof of the moody nature of Milford Sound - these pictures of us on the boat and the Sound and then Lake Wakatipu were all taken in the same 24 hour period and 'as the crow flies' not very far apart.