Sydney and Bondi .... worth the wait.

BONDI AND SYDNEY

BONDI:

We took a flight from the Brisbane airport down to Sydney and guessed we'd be gone about a week and I did take enough stuff to last a month. I know that now, looking back, but a big old row almost blew prior to our leaving with Ray on my case literally.

Sydney is one hour ahead and our mid day flight dropped us in Sydney by early afternoon. Alex, now back in Sydney had kindly offered to collect us from the airport. He drove us the 40 minutes to Bondi Junction where we'd booked in for three days at the Quest Hotel, suggested by Charlotte and Brian. Bondi Junction, where they used to live, is really handy for the city with great train and bus connections and also a bit cheaper than Sydney for everything. Our accommodation came with a kitchenette which meant we could buy in few bits and pieces for breakfast. We got a travel card that gave us access to train/bus and ferry throughout the area. We'd been advised that a great walk to do around Bondi would be the coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee -  so on our first day that's where we headed.

Unfortunately, the day was overcast and windy, but it didn't rain. Up to that point we'd been very lucky with the weather. Being winter the beach wasn't packed and the Pavillion was full of OAP tourists (like us) mostly Chinese. Bondi is one of the oldest seaside communities around the Sydney area and the local architecture reflects that. Our first port of call was a coffee at the Bondi Pavillion. Down on the beach we walked along the wall and you will see from the pictures that the wall running for about 300 yards is full of 'graffitti' but not really. An elderly man with a white beard was busy putting the finishing touches to a huge and brilliant painting of a very young Arnold Schwarzenegger and I asked him about the wall.

He told me that each painting will be displayed for six months and you have to apply to the local council for permission, putting your proposal forward and if it's approved you then get a designated area – I think it was 12 feet wide. I did note that a good many of the other paintings were memorials, some relating to WW2 and also the Bali bombings.

We put our best foot forward and headed along the coastal path to Coogee with the promise of a good lunch when we got to the other end – about 4 miles. Along the way we passed by the Icebergs swimming pool where some of the old members were doing their daily work out. They swim every day of the year in the outside pool. Some of the amazing rock formations looked like great big crunchies – there were plenty of plaques dotted along the route explaining the history of the volcanic soft rock accompanied by the aboriginal names and the age old stories of the region.

We kept up a reasonable pace along the coastal path and didn't complain too much about all the up and down. Some parts would not be suitable for anyone with rickety knees. But, we did notice that the locals like everywhere in Australia made good use the excellent pathway; walking, running strolling with the dog and you could of course do as much or as little as you wanted to. Passing by a huge cemetery we noted that some of the stones dated back over 150 years and bore so many names we recognised - English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh. Some even stated where the deceased had come from - Eric Brown from Portsmouth, England. Finally we reached Coogee and headed to the restaurant serving the famous 'Moo Burger' which we were assured was the best in the vicinity. It was if you had a mouth as big as a cave entrance. We'd worked up quite an appetite but sometimes you can have a bit too much. Ray enjoyed his, but it was massive and I could barely get my delicate little mouth around it. We got the bus back to Bondi and collapsed after all that exertion and fresh air, not to mention a massive burger. We planned our much anticipated trip into Sydney for the following day.

SYDNEY:

How many times have you seen that iconic building 'The Sydney Opera House?'   I don't think there's a soul on the planet, apart from a few pygmies in the South American rain forest, who wouldn't recognise it immediately. When we got off the train in central Sydney we stepped on to the famous George Street and walked the length of it heading down towards the harbour. The pictures will show a good many of the key buildings and places of interest, some I took from the Sydney Eye, observation tower, situated at the top of the Westfield Tower.

Approaching Sydney Harbour was quite a moment and I wasn't disappointed with that first glimpse. The city, like Brisbane, is fresh and new and a pleasure to walk through. When we hit the harbour the sights were truly breath taking with the Opera House taking centre stage. It was around mid-day and the waterside cafes were buzzing with the lunchtime trade. Office workers and tourists mingled, eating alfresco and enjoying the glorious sunshine. To make the most of our day out we decided to go to the Opera House and Botanic Gardens, both sitting fairly close together. I wanted a tour around the inside of the Opera House Ray wasn't bothered so we split up for a couple of hours. The inside of Sydney Opera House is amazing and they now run more commercial shows like Les Mis and whole host of Andrew Lloyd Webber type musicals and even pop concerts. They have six theatres, and our guide gave us a brilliant tour with just the right amount of information. My tour cost $37.00 which I thought was reasonable. A show cost something like $80 - $100 which is comparable with West End tickets. On the tour it was just me and two elderly Danish couples. When we got to the bit about the architect, he was Danish, and how he'd fallen out with the Australians after many difficulties over many years. He left the project and never returned to see the Opera House completed – one of the Danish women began to cry... (sad, but not what you'd call devastating) strange what moves people.

In one of the corridors I was surprised to see a picture of a young Arnold Swartzeneger posing and receiving his trophy for winning Mr. Olympia in 1980 - it was held at the Sydney Opera House. Then the penny dropped and it seemed apt that the artist back on Bondi was probably doing his wall art, commemorating 35 years for Arnie's win in Oz.

When standing on the steps of the Opera House looking dead ahead is the Botanic Gardens and to the right is a stunning view of all the chic restaurants and outdoor cafes running around the curve of the harbour. We headed to Circular Quay, the transport hub, and had lunch while watching the ferry boats busily loading and unloading passengers after which we boarded the ferry ourselves to Manly and thoroughly enjoyed getting yet another dynamic view of the Opera House as we moved away under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, another brilliant structure. Manly is a well known upmarket suburb full of very expensive property.

 

Back at Circular Quay we boarded one of the double decker trains for our trip back to Bondi and we couldn't help but be impressed. The train was clean, on time and everyone got a seat, even at rush hour and the cost of rail travel seemed to be very reasonable. The transport system throughout Australia is government owned, no privatisation and that I believe is where we in this country went wrong.

 

Back at the Quest we collapsed, exhausted from all the walking. Day three we headed back into the centre of Sydney and took a trip up the Sydney Tower Eye, getting a real birds eye view of the whole city. When we got out of the lift we were ushered into a side room where they ran a short 3D film. It felt so real with a parrot flying (appeared to be) in and out of the screen and sharks and surfers coming up close and personal, a spray of water over us just to add to the reality. The view from the tower was spectacular and we could identify most of the landmarks from the Opera House to Darling Harbour, which was our next port of call.

Darling Harbour is surrounded by hotels, apartment blocks, restaurants and plenty of interesting places to attract the many tourists. On the day we visited it was a bank holiday weekend and the whole area was buzzing with a latin  american extravaganza with lots of vibrant dancing and music coming from all quarters.

We stayed one night with Alex and Tess in their new apartment in Cronulla, about an hour south of Sydney which we really appreciated, considering that they'd only just moved in. They were so hospitable giving us a bed for the night and cooking our breakfast the next morning. Cronulla which boasts one of the longest stretches of beach in Sydney with miles of golden sand and lively surf is where Tess grew up; its a popular place for visitors and a great place to live if you can afford it.

We had a bit of a whistle stop tour of Sydney but I saw enough to know what the attraction is and why people flock there to visit and if they're lucky to live. It's a beautiful city in a beautiful climate.

Alex kindly dropped us back at Sydney Airport where we hired a car for the next leg of our journey. Our plan was to take our time driving up the east coast back to Brisbane.

 

　

　

 

 

Brisbane – QLD Coastline and Mountains

 

The Glass House Mountains

When we headed up into the mountains, like The Glass House Mountains or Maleny, there was much reference to the 'hinterland' which I soon discovered is a german word, meaning the land behind a city or port, which, once you're in it makes sense. Much of the hinterland, thats the forest and mountains of Queensland's Sunshine Coast is either National Park or botanical garden, preserving both wild life and plant species. We drove up to the Glass House Mountains amid stunning scenary and within less than an hour you could feel the temperature drop which I have to say was a relief. One day you can get up and the temperature feels pleasant, then within no time it becomes baking hot. Perhaps I felt a little more sensitive having come from such a cool climate. The mountains were named by Captain Cook in 1770 as the peaks reminded him of the glass furnaces in his home county of Yorkshire. The mountains have been used for many years for bushwalking, climbing and horseriding, although we didn't actually do any of that. It's a great place to go to get out of the heat of the city. Charlotte and Brian have had a few short breaks up there and really rate it. We can see why.

For the next couple of weeks we spent 'quality' time with Charlotte and Brian and had some lovely days out exploring the sunshine coast of Queensland.

We alternated between eating out and cooking at home. Ray did most of that, because he does it so well. We were impressed with the local supermarket, Woolworths, not the same as our now defunct woolies. Australian shopping is very Americanised. The suburbs, like Charlotte's have a mini mall where you can do your food shop, like Woolworths, and there are a few small shops within it. A short drive away from their house is a huge shopping mall called North Lakes, where you can buy everything and anything and its all air conditioned, which in QLD come the summer months is an absolute must.

The Pub culture in Australia is a whole different ball game to home. Every town and suburb will have a pub(s), usually called a Tavern and in there you can drink, eat, gamble and watch sport. However, everything is separated. When Charlotte and Brian took us to the local Kallanga Tavern to eat there was a huge restaurant area, with very good reasonably priced food. Everywhere is geared for families. The bar and sports things were in a separate place and then there's a room for the 'pokies' as they are known. This is where you can play on the slot machines (poker I assume is where pokies comes from) this is big business in Australia and gambling is apparently a problem – I wonder why? The first meal I had there, a fish platter, was delicous, including homemade chips and lightly battered kalamari. We did go into a few of these places while in Australia and it's like they've taken the Working Men's Club model from home and upgraded it x 100.

 

Redcliffe

On one of our days out we went to Redcliffe, in the Moreton Bay area. The sunshine coast is awash with picturesque little towns full of holiday homes and retired people and Redcliffe is no different. The locals, like everywhere, appeared to embrace the outdoor living and were taking full advantage of the fine weather on the day we visited. Redcliffe advertises a Whale Watching expedition and we thought we'd check it out at the Tourist Centre. We were told that he season was coming to an end even thoug the whales were still migrating, usually by October it's all over. The chatty lady did ask us if we intended to visit the BeeGee Way. Puzzled I asked her 'what's that?” We were delighted to discover that when the Bee Gees's arrived in Australia in the early 60's with their parents on the £10 pom deal they'd settled in Redcliffe, where they did most of their growing up. The Bee Gee Way was opened by Barry Gibb in 2012 - it's a 50 metre laneway, showcasing pictures and album covers from over the years. With their music playing and their whole history mapped out, it was really enjoyable and a complete surprise. I knew there was an Australian connection with them but didn't realise that's where they came from. Who knew?

We found a tea shop in Redcliffe, run by an English woman. We were tempted in by the notice in the window that she had Melton Mowbury pork pies. Ray had the pork pie salad and said it was okay but a far cry from the 'real deal.' The whole place was a bit grubby. Our tea arrived and that was fine but my tuna mayonnaise sandwich was almost inedible. The brown bread was past its best and the filling was warm and sloppy, bursting with cheap mayonnaise; One bite made me gag. We should have complained I suppose but we didn't. Most places where we've eaten along the way Ray has written up a comment on trip advisor, the good along with the bad. The English Tea Shop didn't get much of a rating Not a very good representation of an 'English Tea Shop.'

 

What's In a Name?

From the day we arrived in Australia I was fascinated with the mix of very english names popping up on every other street sign and then the indiginous aboringinal ones, which I had a bit of trouble pronouncing – initially. Kallanga, Murrumba, Caboolture, Petrie and Caloundra, to name a but a few and that's just around where Charlotte lives. After a couple of weeks names and places begain to feel more familiar and of course names like Redcliffe, Scarbrough and Moreton Bay blended in seamlessly with the indiginous ones. The Bruce Highway has to be the most 'in your face' aussie name imaginable. I love that. The aboriginal names give Australia the dignity and sense of place it needs and they fit... without question.

 

Story of the Cat in the Night Time

Charlotte was a bit obsessed with little Hank and nervous about his venture into the outside world (the garden). Brian, who grew up with cats, was trying to coax her into allowing him out to do what a cat has to do. He would take him into the garden during the day and play with him and keep an eye out. However, one night he escaped (Hank, not Brian) and Charlotte was upset, worried that he'd run away, get run over (they live in a cul-de-sac) and of course she blamed poor old Brian. It was bed time and it was agreed that we'd all go to bed and Hank would surely return in the morning. But, seeing how upset she was her Dad went out in search of the missing kitty. He found him in next doors garden. This happened again on a couple of ocassions during our visit and as Hank grew bigger and stronger he could easily climb up the high fence and was as crafty as a fox when it came to watching for a crack in the patio door. I'm pleased to say that almost two months on Charlotte reports that Hank the cat is now allowed out and he comes and goes as a cat should, preferring not to stay out all night. Yet!

 

Rodeo

A Rodeo was in town, not too far away, so we got tickets for the show.

I don't know if anyone saw the road trip that John Bishop did a year or two back to Australia. He went to a Rodeo and interviewed some of the riders, a good many of them just little boys. He was horrified that the Dads let the kids take part in such a dangerous activity and I'd have to agree with him now that I've seen it up close. Again, it was a real family affair and the riders ranged from little kids to adults. The kids were riding calves but it all looked quite scarey and they do get hurt. But, like one of the Dad's said on the John Bishop documentary 'it's in the blood, they want to do it – it's what we do.' It's probably more a case 'it's what's expected' and surely some of those boys would rather be doing something less painful, like table tennis or knitting. Unfortunately none of my pics turned out.

 

Another Visitor

My newphew, Alex (my brother Barry's boy) had been travelling in Australia and once he'd completed his farm work, to enable him to stay a second year, he was dropping in to stay with Charlotte and Brian. It was great to catch up and find out what he'd been up to. He'd been working hard on a flower farm in QLD and was travelling back down to his girlfriend who lives in Sydney. Because we were in the middle of the Rugby World Cup Alex did phone ahead to ask Charlotte did they have Foxtel, (sports channel) which they do. Many matches were watched over that week-end and beer consumed. The live matches were on in the early hours. Sadly, England and Ireland were knocked out and Australia went on to the final to play the All Blacks (NZ) who did in the end win. No big surprise there then.

With Charlotte going back to work we decided to make plans to fly down to Sydney, where we'd stay a few days and then hire a car and drive back up the east coast taking in all the sights. We were looking forward to Sydney and hoped that it lived up to our high expectations.

 

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

BRISBANE – Queensland, Australia

Charlotte met us at the airport and I think we all shed a tear or two. It was around mid day and I was all over the place with time and dates. We'd crossed the international date line and I think we'd gained a day. So we did in fact arrive the day we left!!

Our first view of Australia as we sped along the busy motorway showed us that it definitely looks more American than English. It appears to be a country with expansion in mind given all the building work going on.    

The trip to Kalanga, in Marrumba Downs, where Charlotte and Brian live is about an hour away.

Their two bed semi detached bungalow is spacious, open plan living and we had our own bedroom, where I could finally unpack my bags properly. The next few days we spent catching up and talking about where we'd be visiting over the next couple of weeks while they were both on holiday. We also met Hank, their kitten recently rescued. I'm not a cat person but Hank is such a sweet little thing we couldn't help but fall in love with him. Charlotte is like a fussy mother and afraid to let him out alone.

Our first trip out was into Brisbane City with Charlotte and we took the train from their local station at Petrie. The bus and train connections from where they live are excellent and unless absolutely essential people avoid driving into the city for work. I guess it's like London. Charlotte takes the train to work daily and gets off about three stops from the city.

A half hour journey took us directly into the heart of Brisbane and it really is something. Brand spanking new; that's how I'd describe it. Beautiful buildings, well laid out on a grid system and buzzing with people going about their daily business. Stopped off for coffee and Charlotte worked out that the closest I was going to get to an Americano would be a long black, so that's what I had. Charlotte wore her jacket all day, feeling the spring weather pleasant but a little cool. We of course thought it was hot, just like a lovely summer's day. We made our way towards the Botanical Gardens and again delighted at the care and attention applied to every detail. Walkways for pushchairs and wheelchairs, bicycle lanes everywhere, clearly marked. Brisbane, we discover as our journey unfolds, is no different to every other Australian city. They absolutely love the outdoors and everything and anything that makes that experience better is well catered for, from sports facilities to pristine public lavatories. Everywhere their brief history tells the story of how the country was colonised by the British and how they laid the foundations for the wonderful place it is today. I'm sure everyone of my generation knows somebody or has relations who left England/Ireland/Scotland or Wales on the £10 pom deal back in the 50's and 60's and that particular migration only ceased in the mid 1970's. Today, Australia is becoming more diverse, more mulit-cultural. Their policy for immigration had always been fairly strict and 'white european' seemed to be the passport in. However, things move on and China now contributes massively financially, which does of course reflect in the growth of the asian communities within the large cities.

Once we'd made our way through the Botanical Gardens we ended up on the river. We walked along and caught a 'free' yes free ferry across the river. Like I said, everything has been thought through for the convenience of the public. Our boat trip was lovely giving us yet another perspective on the towering city. On the trip we passed by the Maritime Museum, which we decided we'd keep for another day. Ray and I did go back together to do that trip and I've included those photographs. That particular day it was our 42^nd wedding anniversary and we had our lunch in a lovely Italian restaurant overlooking the river, just below the bridge. Every year I say I want to be somewhere different for our anniversary, which doesn't always happen, but this year it did!

RORATUNGA - Cook Islands

Until this trip was planned I had no idea where Roratunga was.  The Cook Islands cover a vast

area in the south pacific, with dozens of little islands dotted far and wide. Our trip was a nine hour night flight from LA which I didn't mind one bit and we did manage to sleep. We were met at the airport by Sunny, our host/owner of the apartments where we were booked in for three nights. First glimpse of the island revealed shimmering blue, green sea, white sand and big coconut trees. The island is small with one main road running the perimeter for around 25 miles.

Sunny drove us to our 'apartment' which was in fact a wooden chalet and put me in mind of the caravan sites on the east coast where I spent lots of very happy summer holidays. Inside there was a mini kitchen complete with calor gas for cooking. Bathroom and bedroom were more than adequate; but the balcony/deck really did sell the whole deal. Looking directly over a lagoon, with the crashing sea beyond. It was quite spectacular and a cock crowing at 6.00 am every morning didn't bother us, in fact it was the perfect cue to get me out of bed and wait for the stunning sunrise, which I did manage to capture. 

The island feels like a place frozen in time and I liked it.  From LA, where every other person is either speaking into a mobile device while on the move or sitting looking at one, it came as a refreshing change to witness people actually speaking to one another in cafes and sitting on benches outside local shops.  Nobody seemed to be in any great hurry. We stopped off one day for lunch at a roadside café,  Ray had a burger, I wasn't that hungry and ordered a portion of chips. They came laced with salt, which I found out later was chicken salt, no vinegar, and they were delicious. The chicken salt is an australasia thing and absolutely loaded with calories containing everything bad for you.
 

Being an old biker Ray's first port of call was the rental shop to hire a scooter; It worked out at about £15.00 per day which we thought very reasonable. September is classed as winter in Roratunga and the locals were all wrapped up in jackets and hats while riding their scooters going about their daily business. We found several places to eat and a trip to the supermarket showed that the majority of food gets imported from New Zealand and Australia. The road around the island varied from quite flat to bumpy to 'I shouldn't be on this bike.'  But, it was all good fun and took us back to our youth riding our bikes in Bermuda. You could ride along spot a deserted beach hop off and go for a swim... that's what I call free and easy. We got caught in a few rainy showers but mostly the weather was a balmy 75 to 80 degrees and only got a little cooler in the evening.

We arranged to go out to a local hotel where they hold an Island Extravagana twice a week. It was fantastic and set within the grounds of a posh resort. The evening included a fab dinner/buffet and island show with fire eaters and exceptionally good native dancers and musicians. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening and it was well worth the money. It worked out to around £50.00 each.

Roratunga is a beautiful place with a mix of upmarket houses and dilapidated pre-fab type bungalows lining the road. We did venture up into the interior where I was surprised to find quite a few houses, newly built on big plots.

We left Roratungs all too soon and had to sit in the airport for about three hours. We'd been able to stay in our accommodation until 6.00 pm but our flight wasn't until 11.30 pm so once we'd been out to eat we had a few hours to kill and the airport lounge area was open plan and unfortunately that night threatened a storm. I was frozen and ended up sitting in the disabled loo reading my book, where it was nice and warm.

We set off for Brisbane full of excitement. It had been nearly two years and we couldn't wait to see our girl.

　

Penzance to Heathrow to LA... first leg

PENZANCE TO HEATHROW TO LA (first leg)

We set off on our round the world journey on a bright sunny September morning from the Penzance Bus Station, full of excitement and anticipation.　Our trip would take us from Heathrow to LA where we’d stop for four days then on to the Cook Islands for three days, followed by New Zealand and finally Brisbane where we’d be staying with our daughter Charlotte and her boyfriend Brian (the whole point of this big old trip). Our homeward journey would take us to Thailand and Malaysia. 

We’d decided that a stop over in London would be wise even though our flight wasn’t until late afternoon the following day. Can’t remember the last time I travelled by coach.  Three hours into the journey my memory was jogged. Not particularly comfortable seats, all the stopping and starting, not to mention noisy passengers. I read my kindle and Ray kept busy doing his suduko and snoozing.
Premier Inn at Heathrow was perfect. We’d organised the trip through a company called Travel Nation, based in Brighton and they’d booked all of our flights and hotels. The Premier Inn at was comfortable with our meals included in the price  So far so good. Ray finds it difficult to get his head around all this paperless air travel and insisted on printing out everything, not just once but twice so that I had a copy as well, just to be absolutely certain.  The fact that he’d brought his little portable weighing device to ensure that no bag exceeded the weight allowance was just a little ironic, ‘what with all that extra paper.’  We’d had more than a few words about luggage.. mine to be exact.  How can a woman be expected to leave home for two months and not take a few extra clothes?  Unreasonable or what!
My hubby gets a little anxious prior to flying.  Not because he’s frightened of flying or worried that we might be involved in a terrorist attack or any of the other things that most people might worry about.  It’s punctuality.  If he had his way we’d be sitting in the Airport twelve hours before the flight. In his words ‘once you’ve missed that flight you’re stuffed.’　We hadn’t flown in ten years and things have moved on.　You can check yourself in these days but we did it the old fashioned way - of course we did.  I've come to the conclusion that Ray is just an analogue guy living in a digital world. 
We travelled with Air New Zealand and everything went fine, as fine as it can be in economy.  I pulled on my pressure socks, plugged in my mini itune thingy and donned my newly purchased eye mask. Didn’t get much sleep but arrived safe and sound in LA at around 7.00 pm LA time.
ARRIVING IN LA

This first leg of our journey was all the more exciting because we met up with our oldest friends in the whole world, Charlotte and Tom from Florida.  When I'd  emailed them to say we'd be in LA for a few days and they agreed to meet up with us we were tickled pink. 

The next few days sped by. Our friends had a hire car, which was an asset in such a sprawling city.  Also, they had a snazzy phone with lots of features, including an app providing accurate directions to unknown destinations.   Brilliant! Must get one of those.  After breakfast on the first morning and a good deal of catching up we headed for Santa Monica and got on the hopper bus to take us for a whistle stop tour around LA. When time is limited the bus tour is absolutely the best way to go.　 We got to see all the tourist stuff and spend time with our favourite people.
An unexpected trip to Fisherman’s Village in Marina Del Rae was a delightful surprise.  The harbour was buzzing with locals and tourists and a band playing the best of soul and old sixties standards proved a big draw. We took a trip around the harbour on the hop on hop off ferry boat – it cost $1.00, don’t know why but we were so happy to get a relatively cheap day out.  LA can be expensive.
Had a wonderful evening meal with Charlotte and Tom on the pier at Santa Monica.  My first surf and turf.  They gave me so much I couldn’t finish it (that’s unheard of).  I'd forgotten about the unspoken, rigid rules of tipping in the US.  That particular meal cost somewhere in the region of $125.00 (for two, not including alcohol) and the tip expected was $40.00.

Our time in LA was all too short and before we knew it we were all heading for the airport and hugging our goodbyes.  Hopefully we'll be meeting up again soon and not leaving it so long.