NARRATIVE ONLY … PICS TO FOLLOW …

Cairns … Cape Tribulation & Atherton Tableland …

Sun, 10th Feb: Backpackers: Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Cairns
We are up nice and early for our 7.10am flight from Auckland today. Everything goes smoothly and the five hour flight goes very quickly. We arrive at a very hot and tropical Cairns and the humidity hits us straight away. By the time we get to the backpackers we are tired and hot and are grateful that our room is ready so we just dump the bags and hit the sack for a couple of hours. Dreamtime Travellers is just a walk away from the Town Centre and is a very laid back establishment.

Partially revived, we walk ‘over the road’ – literally! to check out Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the oldest rainforest in the world. There are Volcanic Tablelands with unbelievable waterfalls, cultural experiences and adrenalin pumping activities all here for you to experience should you wish! If you still have energy at the end of the day there is always the nightly activities. You can shop till you drop, enjoy the night markets, have a spin at the Casino, sample some fine cafe, restaurants and bars, or just kick back, chill-out and get ready for your next tour or activity.

Boasting an infectious energy and a lush tropical setting, Cairns is unashamedly a tourist town, and its popularity is global. But mostly crowds come to visit the Great Barrier Reef, which sits offshore and shapes the city’s character. It’s one of the world’s most popular diving sites and the number of tour/dive/snorkel/cruise operators operating here is mind-boggling.

We call into Visitor Information and, after an hour with Tracie, leave armed with many leaflets and information. At lunch we read through the leaflets to decide what to do over the next 10 days. After much deliberation we decide on a relaxing day tomorrow and will head off to Kuranda. On Monday we will dive on The Great Barrier Reef (YAY!). This will leave us the rest of the week to tour, at our leisure, North of Cairns into Palm Cove, Port Douglas and up to Cape Tribulation and the Atherton Tablelands. We will then make our way down back to Cairns to catch our flight to Singapore on 20th February.

Happy that we now have a plan, we return to Visitor Information to book Kuranda and the diving trips. We call in for a quick drink or two at PJ O’Briens before heading off for a refreshing shower and an early night 🙂

Mon, 11th Feb: Backpackers: Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Cairns
Our day is spent on the Scenic Train to Kuranda and the SkyRail return over the rainforest. Jam packed with amazing views, this world famous railway experience is a must-do when visiting Cairns and Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

We discover the pioneering history of the tropical north from way back in the late 1800’s and are astounded by a magnificent engineering feat. In the prolonged North Queensland wet season of 1882, desperate tin miners on the Wild River near Herberton were unable to obtain supplies and were on the verge of famine. The boggy road leading inland from Port Douglas was proving impossible. As a result, the settlers at Herberton raised loud and angry voices and began agitation for a railway to the coast. In March 1884, a surveyor named Monk submitted reports from investigations carried out on all the routes marked for the railway. This culminated in a decision that would shape the future of North Queensland. The Barron Valley gorge route was chosen.

Constructed purely by hand, the Cairns-Kuranda Railway was, and still is, an engineering feat of tremendous magnitude. This enthralling chapter in the history of North Queensland, stands as testimony to the splendid ambitions, fortitude and suffering of the hundreds of men engaged in its construction. It also stands as a monument to the many men who lost their lives on this amazing project.

Construction was by three separate contracts for lengths of 13.2km, 24.5 km, and 37.4km. The line was to total 75.1km and surmounts the vast Atherton Tablelands leading to Mareeba. Sections One and Three were relatively easy to locate and construct. But the ascent of Section Two was extremely arduous and dangerous due to steep grades, dense jungle and aboriginals defending their territory. The climb began near Redlynch 5.5m above sea level, and continued to the summit at Myola with an altitude of 327.1m. In all, this section included 15 tunnels, 93 curves and dozens of difficult bridges mounted many meters above ravines and waterfalls. Earthworks proved particularly difficult. The deep cuttings and extensive embankments that were removed totalled a volume of just over 2.3 million cubic metres of earthworks. The Barron Valley earth was especially treacherous. Slopes averaged 45 degrees and the entire surface was covered with a 4.6 m – 7.60m layer of disjointed rock, rotting vegetation, mould and soil.

During construction, navvies’ camps mushroomed at every tunnel and cutting. Even comparatively narrow ledges supported stores – some even catering for the men’s need for groceries and clothes! Small townships were thriving at Number 3 Tunnel, Stoney Creek, Glacier Rock, Camp Oven Creek and Rainbow Creek. Kamerunga, at the foot of the range, boasted no fewer than five hotels. At one stage, 1500 men, mainly Irish and Italian, were involved in the project.

By May 13th 1891, rail was laid to the end of the second section at Myola. On June 15th 1891, Mr Johnstone, one of three Railway Commissioners at that time opened the line for goods traffic only. Just ten days later, the Cairns- Kuranda Railway line was opened to passenger travel.

As a result of the construction of the railway, trade at Port Douglas died off rapidly and the town became a quiet little retreat. However, today it is a popular holiday destination and Cairns was destined to become the modern, international tourist centre it is today, still expanding in leaps and bounds.

Our excursion today is the Kuranda Train and Skyrail combo – the scenic train through the rainforest up to Kuranda and the Skyrail back down over the top of the rainforest.
The Kuranda Scenic Train takes approximately 1½ hours from boarding in Cairns until arriving at the Kuranda Station in Kuranda Village. The village is a quaint little township in the rainforest famous for arts and crafts and indigenous artefacts and the excellent attractions of the Butterfly Sanctuary, Koala Gardens, Birdworld and the Aviary. The Original Kuranda Markets are still held Wednesdays, Thursdays, Friday and Sunday and Heritage Markets open daily.

Once in Kuranda Village, we have a leisurely few hours exploring this very relaxed and laid back village above the clouds!

The Skyrail to the disembarkation point at Caravonica Skyrail Station also takes approximately 1½ hours. This includes plenty of free time along the route, to enjoy two stops at the Skyrail Rainforest Mid-Stations / Boardwalks as we make our way down. This is a totally awesome experience in itself and one which Neil says was better than the railway trip! We literally floated above the rainforest all the way to its edge where we met the coach back to Cairns.

Tue, 12th Feb: Backpackers: Dreamtime Travellers Rest, Cairns
Today, we do what we came back to Oz for!!!! We dive the Great Barrier Reef in the superb style and comfort of the Silverswift. Silverswift whisks us away for a day of fun and adventure on the Great Barrier Reef – a dive adventure of a lifetime!

On boarding, we depart from Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal with a scrumptious morning tea including focaccias and muffin cakes. On the outward journey, certified and introductory dive briefings begin. Our three dives will take place at sites around Flynn Reef:-

Rating: Novice – Intermediate
Currents: Mild Currents
Visibility: 15 to 20 metres
Depth: 5 to 30 metres

Flynn reef is one of Silverswift’s most popular reefs to dive and offers the novice to the very experienced diver plenty of memorable dives. They have moorings at a number of the well known dive sites at Flynn Reef such as Tracey’s Bommie, Gordon’s Mooring, Tennis Court and the Coral Gardens. We take 3 dives at different sites on Flynn Reef all guided to improve our confidence in diving and maximise our experience.

On arrival at our first reef location (one hour and twenty minutes from Cairns) we gear up – firstly by stepping into a lovely lycrasuit which is a must as it is stinger season(!) and receive our reef interpretation. Then we are ready to finally view the beauty of this natural wonder!

DIVE 1 took us to Tracy’s Bommie on Flynn Reef. On this wall dive our bottom time was 44mins at max depth of 17.2m. Initially, I struggled going down to the block as my goggles filled up with water and I panicked. I returned to the surface and Paul waited patiently as I composed myself before dropping down to join the other divers and commencing our dive. We have our pics taken with Nemo – the Clown Fish! and see an array of fish and coral and, amongst many things, we see a free swimming Moray Eel.

We are barely back on board 5mins before Silverswift departs for the second reef location and it’s straight back in the water for dive number 2!!!!!

DIVE 2 took us to Gordons where our bottom time was 45mins at max depth of 13m. We dive a couple of swim throughs – a first for us! and see the colour changing coral as well as a maori wrasse (aptly named for the tattoos on his face!) and a jelly fish which appeared to be eaten by some fish. Paul, our guide, said he had not witnessed this before.

Back on board our hunger is satisfied by a hot and cold tropical buffet lunch before Silverswift departs for the third and final reef location.

DIVE 3 took us to Coral Gardens where our bottom time was 45mins at max depth of 14.1m. Paul tells us that this area of coral has recently been storm hit and therefore experienced some damage. However, gaining in confidence, it was a very relaxing dive and we saw an abundance of life including white tip reef sharks, the menacing trigger fish and some absolutely stunning lettuce coral. On our return to the boat, we have to swim through the Red Bass which have surrounded it.

Back on board we tuck into tea cakes, cheese & biscuits swilled down with a nice cup of tea. Whilst we view the photos, Silverswift commences the return journey to Cairns.

We have had a great day and on our walk ‘home” we sit in the bar outside Global Backpackers on The Lagoon Esplanade – Rustle n Hum – and enjoy reminiscing about the day over a couple of beverages. We decide that this backpackers is in a great location and decide it would be a good place to stay on the night before our flight out of Cairns. The Esplanade is a fantastic location in which to base ourselves where we can swim in the beautiful lagoon, laze on the lush grasses, or relax and listen to the live entertainment in the park. We make enquiries and book the $40 double room for our last night in Australia.

Wed, 13th Feb: Cape Trib Camping, Cape Tribulation
Travelling along the Captain Cook Highway it is a beautiful journey from Cairns to Cape Tribulation today with views of the amazing heritage rainforest all the way. The beautiful coastal road between Cairns’ northern beaches and Port Douglas follows the undulating coastline and is one the world’s top scenic drives. This provides many photographic opportunities one of which we stop at is Rex Lookout. The view from here is one of the many highlights on the Reef to Rainforest road between Cairns and Port Douglas and offers an unforgettably stunning vista across the Coral Sea and coastal landscape, a chance to see the full splendour of the Great Barrier Reef.

Just one hour’s drive north of Cairns via a spectacular coastal road that is surrounded by forest and the Coral Sea we call in to Port Douglas. It is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage listed jewels exist; the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest of Daintree and Cape Tribulation. In Port Douglas we enter a laid back tropical oasis in a small friendly village atmosphere and think we would like to come back through here and maybe stay for the night.

Before leaving, we take a walk around the park and drive up to Flagstaff Hill Lookout (15050km from London!) – more great photo opportunities and breathtaking views down to the palm fringed golden sands of Four Mile Beach and out to the Coral Sea!

A few minutes north of Port Douglas the road continues to Mossman, perfect for our stop at the must-see Mossman Gorge, one of the region’s natural wonders and a special place for the local Aboriginal population. We take a refreshing swim in the Mossman River along with the Jungle Perch who just swam around us. Whilst there we spotted the brilliant blue and black Ulysses butterfly – these spectacular members of the swallowtail family are often seen fluttering about the river and the rainforest. A good time was had – it was so refreshing in this tropical climate which, if I am honest, I am struggling with.

We join the road again and it is yet another outstanding car ride alongside the South Pacific Ocean and the immense World Heritage Rainforest. Now in Daintree National Park we have wonderful views of the Coral Ocean on one side of us and, as we progress further into Cape Tribulation, dense tropical rainforest on the other. As the road narrows – ‘where the rainforest meets the reef’ – we join the ferry which takes us over the River Daintree (where crocs can be found!)

Another stop is the order of the day at Alexandra Range Lookout – a World Heritage Area – where we can see the mountain range on this clear day and the mouth of the Daintree River. Simply stunning!

We find our campsite @ $30 for the night 🙂 check in and set up the tent. Well, pop it up really lol. The site is an absolute beachfront camp with beach accesses to Myall Beach although we will not be swimming in the ocean today as it is Marine Stinger Season during Dec-Apr as well as signs warning of crocs!

I am feeling slightly out of my comfort zone here as it’s so remote and wild – aaarrggh. I finally settle down and decide to go to the toilet before meeting Neil over at the Sand Bar. BIG mistake; I walk straight into a cubicle with a Rhinoceros Beetle OMG! Not nice 😦 I didn’t like it at all!!!

I finally join Neil at the Sand Bar for an oven fired pizza and beverages. Chilling there, a huge locust type bug decides to land on the table which freaks me out and then a Barking Gekko thuds on the floor beside me – he just fell off the roof, pmsl. I think nature has it in for me tonight!!!! Before we know it, it’s time for bed. It’s pitch black here and it’s a good job Neil gets the torch at 7pm so we can make our way back to our tent safely!

Once back at the tent, we see a ‘visitor’ perched on top of it – our first praying mantis; yuk! Anyway, it is so so so dark that we just get into the tent as we are and go straight to bed lol.

Thu, 14th Feb: Backpackers: Global, Port Douglas
After an interrupted hot and rainy nights sleep, we awake at 7am! lol. We spot another praying mantis on the car and an orange foot shrub fowl coming out of the forest. We take it easy and chat with some fellow travellers over breakfast before showering and visiting the the beach. By 11am we are back on the road again and head off in the direction of Cape Tribulation and go as far as we can before the track becomes a 4wd only. It’s a beautiful landscape here and we pull up for a walk along the beach which is so peaceful. We are not surprised that it is so quiet as there are signs up warning of crocodiles and marine stinger rays which are prevalent at this time of the year!!! Also, we discover that as the school holiday season is over, a lot of businesses in this remote area take the month of February off as their holiday. As a result, it does seem quite desolate in places.

We decide to spend some time in the holiday hub of Port Douglas and make our way there today. En route we call into Lync Haven Rainforest Retreat Motel just 20 mins north of the Daintree River in Cape Tribulation. This was a recommended stop by some people we met last night. As well as being a motel, it is an inviting bar, cafe and restaurant with a most unique wildlife experience – all for the cost of a coffee!

The wildlife experience gave us the opportunity to get up close and personal with snakes, frogs and lizards endemic to the area. There are also birds kept here including Biron a beautiful 23 year old cockatoo! He was a very interesting character who kept saying ‘Hello Biron’, ‘What’s your name’ and ‘Watch the road’.

We also call into Flovella Ice Cream in Daintree, again recommended to us. It boasts a true biodynamic organic ice cream. Using organically grown tropical fruit, the ice cream is made on the premises with absolutely no preservatives, artificial colours or flavours used. Unfortunately, it was desolate and a very very old Bill and Betty have the property up for sale as they wish to retire. However, we did sample two ice creams – choc, rum and raisin for me and a strawberry for Neil – which were very nice indeed.

It really is so quiet up here and Daintree is no different as we make a detour to the little town. The only action here was a crocodile sightseeing boat on the jetty with two people on it – very dead indeed! We turn the car around and decide to drive straight on to Port Douglas – a bigger town with just enough going on – and book into a backpackers for the night, yay! By 3pm we are settled in and take a much more in depth walk around the town, soaking up the quaintness and the sunshine.

Fri, 15th Feb: Discovery Holiday Park, Lake Tinaroo
I have a much needed appointment at Salon Z today to sort out the three colours of my hair. I left the UK one colour, have been colouring my roots regularly in another colour and now have grey roots in abundance. So I have decided to take bull by the horns and, after a consultation, have decided to have the current colour bleached out and a new colour put on instead – as light as they can go so that my roots in the future are not soooo visible!!!!!!

After a lovely relaxing morning we head off to Lake Tinaroo in the Lakes District of the Tropical Atherton Tableland with its wonderful temperate climate, We have decided we will stay there for the next two nights for some much needed ‘catch up time’. Being at the top of the Tableland, our route via the Rex Range Road is mainly flatland and takes us through some lovely views and the small towns of Mareeba and Atherton. Mareeba boasting 300 sunny days a year was a ‘blink or you will miss it’ tiny town! In the middle of nowhere it is known for its horticulture industries and numerous crops are grown here.

It’s a teeny bit livelier in the bigger town of Atherton where we stock up on groceries for the next few days. Atherton is the ‘capital’ of the lovely Tropical Tablelands, a land of beautiful lakes, waterfalls, rich red soil and tropical rainforest. Here the temperature is cooler, the pace is slower and there is a feeling of relaxation in the air.

We call into Golden Drop Winery, a family owned and operated boutique winery situated on one of the largest mango plantations in the heart of Australia’s tropical far North Queensland for wine tasting. Established in 1999 and using Australia’s variety of the Mango, the Kensington Red Mango, this was the first commercial Mango Winery in Far North Queensland to produce Mango Wines, Mango Port, Sparkling Mango Wine and fortified style Cellos. The tasting goes very well indeed and we leave with a bottle of their sparkling wine … perfect.

Finally arriving at Lake Tinaroo we check in and prepare to shut ourselves away from the world for a couple of nights … heaven. Wine beer and a spag bog later we hit the sack.

Sat, 16th Feb: Discovery Holiday Park, Lake Tinaroo
A lie in today before we take a gorgeous walk around Lake Tinaroo up to Tinaroo Dam. Steeped in dam-building history and natural beauty Lake Tinaroo and the surrounding area offer a wealth of activities. As it’s Saturday there are families under gazebos at the edge of the lake with their boats, picnics, jet bikes and water toys galore! What a way to spend a Saturday – they really look as though they are having so much fun.

On our walk around, we come across Cockatiels, Hawks, much bird and butterfly life as well as a couple of Plovers!!!! These birds squawk loudly and begin to attack us! Really! They fly at us and swoop extremely close to us obviously trying to deter us from the area. They are very keen to stop us from passing; so much so that we arm ourselves with sticks to stop them flying into us. We discover that these birds are nesting and are protecting this area from invaders, lol. We also find out that they are very aggressive with small hooks on their wings which can really hurt if they catch you.

The walk around the lake is stunning especially in the area up to the Dam where it is outlined with some amazing lakeside properties. It’s a beautiful hot day and on our return to the cabin we have a nap before a very relaxing evening 🙂

We laze about and watch tv – a real duvet evening! Bondi Vet comes on and we only see Bucky on there from the Marina in Coffs Harbour where Neil, Lauren and I had that amazing day. Three years ago Bucky had throat cancer and Greg, his trainer of 42 years is worried the cancer has returned. They have formed a close strong bond since Bucky was found on the beach lacerated and sunburnt at 6 months old. It was Greg and his friends that rescued him and took him to the Marine Park at Coffs Harbour. This type of dolphin usually has a 20 years average life expectancy and Bucky is already 42! It turns out that the cancer has returned but a scan of his lymph nodes show that it hasn’t spread … the lumps in his mouth are frozen and removed and Bucky goes on to perform for a while longer!

Sun, 17th Feb: August Moon Caravan Park, Innisfail
Our first port of call today is Lake Eacham, a 10 acre country park on Crater Lakes National Park set in the heart of the Atherton Tableland. It boasts excellent bird watching and animal experiences and is just a walk away from the world-heritage rainforest where rainforest walks and swimming is aplenty 😀 It is a super place and many families are out on the lake today making the most of this beautiful weather. The Lake Eacham Park is a great place to base yourself if you are interested in bird-watching and we can hear many many birds calling. Australia has over 860 bird species, of which more than 430 are found in this region, making it one of the richest bird watching sites in Australia.

After a short walk around, we drive on to the small town of Yungaburra where we get to see a duck billed platypus in its own environment. These little creatures are so unusual, endearing in their oddness. The only mammals to lay eggs, the platypus has a large, flat tail, webbed feet, cheek pouches, and the duck bill. Add to the picture a venomous spur on the males, these animals dare to be different. Once hunted for their fur, they are now protected.

We walk down to the lake where we are guaranteed a sighting! After a while, the ‘bubbles’ appear on the surface of the water which means the platypus is foraging for food. Shortly afterwards it appears on the top of the water and from our vantage point, we watched her continue to swim about, diving here and there to look for food. We were surprised how small these animals were, about the size of a mallard duck. The Manager informs us that we had just seen the second most rarely sighted animal in the world – the first being the Kiwi. It begins to rain and we take our leave and head off in search of food.

We arrive in the quiet, peaceful village of Millaa Millaa, the home of the world famous Waterfall Circuit which includes the beautiful Millaa Millaa Falls and the centre of the 130km network of walks that form the Misty Mountains Trails. We choose to eat at Millaa Millaa Hotel Motel a place with atmosphere and most definitely the hub of this small community – a real proper old pub! Built in 1921, 10 years after the founding of the town, the original hotel – a grand, imposing, graceful two-storey wooden building – burned down in 1998 due to an electrical fault. The hotel was rebuilt in its present form, a single storey structure with a motel at the back. We are very pleased with our pie,chips n gravy. NOM NOM! and tuck in whilst regulars are engaged in a round of good-natured banter, baiting and teasing.

With full bellies, we head down Theresa Creek Road to Millaa Millaa Waterfall – a most gorgeous waterfall where there are people swimming at its base.

Our final onward journey sees us arrive at Innisfail ‘The Gateway to the Atherton Tableland’ and the manicured August Moon Caravan Park. This peaceful friendly park is set in 10 acres of Tropical Oasis. Nowadays you wouldn’t know that it almost suffered a total loss by Cyclone Larry on the 20 March 2006! Our cabin is fab and we spend the afternoon chilling and the evening catching up with loved ones on facetime 😀

Mon, 18th Feb: August Moon Caravan Park, Innisfail
What an amazing time we had today at Paronella Park! It is really difficult to explain our experience or what it was all about. The remains of this castle, set in this idyllic location in the rainforest, was magnificent and romantic. You felt like you went back in time for a few hours 😀

The narrative on the literature says: Everyone has a dream but not everyone’s dreams are fulfilled. José Paronella’s dream was to build a castle and his story in achieving his wish is a great one. He chose a special part of Australia and created Paronella Park. On 5 Hectares beside Mena Creek Falls he built his castle, a picnic area by the falls, built tennis courts from crushed termite mounds, a pavilion with turret-topped balconies, refreshment rooms and changing cubicles for swimmers, bridges, and a ‘lover’s tunnel’. It opened to the public in 1935.

José Paronella arrived in Innisfail in 1913 having sailed from Catalonia in Spain to plan a splendid life for himself and his fiancee Matilda. Jose worked hard for 11 years creating his wealth by buying, improving and selling cane farms. While travelling through the beautiful countryside he discovered a virgin forest alongside spectacular Mena Creek Falls – perfect for his dream.

Upon returning to Spain, José discovered that his fiancee had married another ! Determined to sail back to Australia with a bride, Jose proposed to Margarita, Matilda’s younger sister. One year later the happy newlyweds were ship bound for Australia and by 1929 had purchased the land of Jose’s dreams. He first built the grand 47 step staircase to shift building materials between the lower and upper level. Here the fun-loving couple had their cottage hand built of stone and moved in on Christmas Eve. Inspired by childhood memories of Catalonian castles Jose and his work crew set to work designing an entertainment area. A movie theatre transformed on weekends into a huge ballroom with live bands who entertained while a massive ball of mirrors spun from the ceiling to reflect a dazzle of pink and blue lights. Surrounding their home and castle is an amazing range of 7,500 tropical plants and trees (now a lush rainforest!) including an avenue of Kauris that tower above the rainforest with a view of the Mena Creek Falls at the end of them. Ahead of his time, he also built North Queensland’s first hydro-electric plant in 1933 to power the 5 hectare park.

After the deaths of José (1948) and Margarita (1967) the park was managed by their son but after his death in 1972, it was eventually sold out of the family in 1977. It suffered a fire and cyclones and fell into disrepair. Eventually, Mark and Judy Evans, the current owner/operators, purchased the Park in 1993 and formulated a plan to put the Park back on the map. They see the Park as a work of art, and work on maintaining and preserving, rather than rebuilding. Small restoration projects have been undertaken, pathways uncovered and improved, and the Museum, an ongoing project, is continuously being enhanced. Paronella Park’s life as a pleasure gardens continues as José intended, for visitors, and with social gatherings, particularly weddings, continuing to make use of this unique location.

Paronella Park has received multiple Queensland tourism awards, is State and National Heritage listed and is a National Trust listed property. It is privately owned and operated and Eco accredited.

We were really taken with this place – it’s not something that can easily be described, nor could we do it justice, it is something you would have to experience yourselves. We took part in two guided tours – one in the day and one at night – both very different but both telling this beautiful story 😀 and informing us about the wildlife here. As we left we were handed a gift – a piece of José Paronella’s Castle with a note to inform us that it was hand mixed by José in 1930 and came down in Cyclone Larry in 2006. The final statement says “We hope that this piece of Castle reminds you to follow your dreams just like José did” … if only he knew we were living ours … and that’s how we came about being at Paronella Park in the first place!!!!

Tomorrow we return to Cairns to prepare to leave Australia. This last week in the area of Cape Tribulation and the Atherton Tableland has been new and exciting. The climate is seductive where balmy days dissolve into tropical evenings with velvet starry skies. Our first real experience of the tropics certainly have been a feast for the senses; the sights and the sounds have been different but brilliant.

Tue, 19th Feb: Backpackers: Global, Cairns Waterfront
As indicated previously, this location on the Lagoon Esplanade was great for our last day in Oz. Chilling in the lagoon, drinking in the bar and dining al fresco.

Lauren’s Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip …

Wed, 2nd Jan: Lauren’s Road Trip starts … BIG4 Lake Macquarie, Hunter Coast, NSW …
Over the next 11 days, Lauren’s Road Trip takes us from Sydney to Brisbane via the Pacific Highway, which neatly divides the New South Wales North Coast – to the east a string of resort towns linked by crescent shaped beaches and to the west, giant trees clothe the hills that rise to 1000m or more. As with Kieran’s trip, we will follow the coastline (Tasman Sea) all the way taking in the vast scenery as we go. Lauren has helped Neil prepare the route and we’ve been able to book into most of the camps she has picked out.

On the 2nd we are on the road again and Oz is in the throes of a heatwave – the news tells us it’s certainly going to be hot, hot, hot for the foreseeable future !!!!!! and we hear of reports of bush fires already. We are grateful to be following the coastal route as the breeze is most welcome.

We will not get to our site until later tonight as, since researching a little more and speaking to our fellow travellers, we are going via the Blue Mountains. 1.03 million hectares of forested landscape 60-180km inland from Sydney host eight protected areas noted for a wide, balanced representation of eucalypt habitats and evolutionary relics species, inducing the famous Wollemi Pine. The Blue Mountains has UNESCO World Heritage status, declared in November 2000, for outstanding natural values. Massive deep valleys, narrow canyons, rainforests, waterfalls, rugged sandstone escarpments and craggy cliffs offer breathtaking vistas and experiences. It’s not really on our way but we decide to go and head to Tourist Information at Echo Point, the Blue Mountain’s most popular lookout point. Beautiful views of the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters. To say it is stunning is an understatement and the air up here is so fresh and cool. A short walk down the Giant Steps takes us across a small bridge to actually stand inside one of the Sisters.

Back up at Echo Point we see all Three Sisters and views of the valley in all their glory! Aboriginal legend has it that long ago there lived 3 little aboriginal sisters, Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunneedoo. Their father was a witch doctor and, trying to save his daughters from the Bunyip, a creature feared by all who lived in a deep hole, he pointed his magic bone at his daughters and changed them into stone. They would be safe until the Bunyip had gone and he would return them to their former selves. This was not to be however as Tyawan dropped his magic bone in the ensuing chase of the Bunyip and the sisters are still cast in stone to this day.

As it is so beautiful here we decide to make our way over to Scenic World – offering ‘a range of experiences found nowhere else on earth’ – a must see destination for all visitors. We are initially put off by the queues to buy tickets but are reassured that we will not have to wait any longer than 40mins from which point we can get on each of the three unique rides; the Scenic Cable Way – a 545m ride to the valley below, the Scenic Railway – the World’s Steepest Incline Railway to the canyon older than America’s Grand Canyon, and the Scenic Skyway – a spectacular cableway which takes you on a 720m journey right across the ancient Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls with views of the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock and the rainforest below. At the bottom of the valley is a Rainforest Boardwalk and walk times very from 10mins to 50mins.

What we are not prepared for is the wait of at least 30 mins at each end of the rides and this takes up a lot of valuable time which we did not account for. Before we know it, it is 4.00 pm and we are still waiting to get on the Scenic Railway. By the time it is our turn to get on, we ride it down the valley and promptly sneak back on in front of the returning queues. This means we have missed out on the Scenic Cable Way but it is already 5.30pm and we still have a 3hr journey to make to our camp site. We really wished we would have planned the day properly and arrived earlier to embrace the magnificence that is the Blue Mountains.

We finally arrive on site at 10.00pm and are exhausted. After a much needed cuppa and a ‘bodged’ supper (as we also meant to go shopping today lol) we wind down with a game of ‘My Rummy’ before heading to bed.

Thu, 3rd Jan: BIG4 Lake Macquarie Monterey Tourist Park, Hunter Coast, NSW …
9.30am sees us rise n shine, aching and a bit worse for wear 😦
Yesterday’s unplanned day is, in hindsight, most beneficial as we can see in the daylight where we are staying. It’s got to be one of the worst sites we’ve stayed on and we are glad that we didn’t head here early yesterday to spend two full days here!

Walking to the amenities we meet an elderly couple who are permanent residents here – he has a Villa hat on and that sparks a conversation as always. It turns out that they’re only from Erdington and have been in Oz for 33 years!!! This lovely guy offers to take Neil out to the local superstore to do the shopping so we don’t have to all go out with the Motor Home. Happy dayzzzzz.

After freshening up and grocery shopping, most of our day is spent chilling followed by a walk around the jetty on Lake Macquarie in the afternoon – a much needed relaxation after yesterday’s hectic day. OH YEH – and a bouncing session on the giant pillow!!!! pmsl !

Albert returns to take Neil out in his boat to put out his crab nets and, later on that afternoon they go back out to retrieve the catch of only one crab.

The views, as described in the brochure are indeed stunning and a sunset BBQ tea of simple burgers n stuff is fab whilst delving into the liquor store purchases of the day … we just BBQ the burgers and prepare the table for tea when Barbara and Albert turn up – chairs and beer in hand together with the crab caught earlier today which they have cooked and prepared for us to have. They talk to us whilst we eat and continue to do so well into the evening! I really think that they enjoyed the company of us Pommys and thought they would never go, lol. Neil escorted Barbara and a very drunk Albert back to their van.

Fri, 4th Jan: BIG4 Port Stephens – Koala Shores, NSW …
The bloody noisy wildlife woke us bright and early with their dawn chorus!!!! They really are a noisy lot here and it’s a good job as we are able to hear the knock on the door at 7.00am – bless, it’s good old Albert with the catch of the day! He went out to check his nets at 5.30am and has cooked the only crab caught and brought it over for us on his way out to their appointment 🙂

As soon as we freshen and tidy up we exit this park and embark on the two hour journey to Port Stephens. En route we call into the Visitors Centre at the Maritime Museum in Newcastle and, as we didn’t have breakfast this morning, have a quick bite to eat at the Hogs Breath restaurant there.

On the drive into camp, Lauren gets to see her very first Koala in the wild and she is chuffed. He is a big fellow and I think our noise disturbs him as he turns his head towards us as he wakes up. Leaving him behind it’s not long before we get to our site and set up for the day.

Koala Shore is a lovely camp and has a nice feel about it. It is on the waterfront surrounded by bushland and it’s not only the koalas who appreciate this prime position. Port Stephens is a region spread around and beyond the magnificent waterway of “Port Stephens”. It is a major coastal recreation and holiday centre, rightly known as the “Blue Water Paradise” just north of Sydney, and its 1000 sqkm boasts exceptional diversity.

Lauren and I take off for a walk into the bush for a bit of ‘koala spotting’ whilst Neil heads off to the jetty for a spot of fishing. The walk is great and we are rewarded with two more sightings of koala although they are fast asleep. On our dusty return, we take a dip in the pool before freshening up for dinner – a homemade spag bog prepared yesterday; NOM NOM.

A few glasses of wine and games of ‘My Rummy’ takes us up to bedtime and we hope for a good night tonight as we all had a disturbed sleep yesterday.

Sat, 5th Jan: BIG4 Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, Port Macquarie, NSW …
En route today we call into the Koala Hospital on Macquarie Nature Reserve (comprising 12 hectares of bush and parkland). The reserve was established in 1966 when Hastings Council donated land for the establishment of a koala reserve. The Hospital offers a rare insight into the habitats of one of the world’s most endearing creatures. Koalas that have been injured or are sick are brought here to recuperate. We see these animals in their outdoor enclosures and learn about why they are there. The hospital has koala admissions of between 200-300 per year. The very sick koalas and new admissions are treated in the John Williamson Wing and, during recuperation, they are moved from the Intensive Care Wing in the outdoor yards to enjoy the sunshine. The Adopt a Wild Koala Programme is the major source of funding for the hospital and helps with the rescue and treatment of sick/injured animals; releasing them back into their home range where possible; preservation and expansion of habitat; collection of information for research relating to habitat, disease, nutrition and habits of wild koalas. Some of the stories are heartbreaking and Lauren and I come away thinking “who’d want to be a koala” as they have so much going against them – from getting burned, run over, attacked by dogs or just getting a ‘koala’ illness. They are so cute though and we are treated to seeing four young joeys in one of the enclosures.

Also at this nature reserve is Roto House, a home of 10 rooms built of red mahogany with a corrugated iron roof. Built in 1890 for £667 it is one of the few remaining 19th Century buildings in Port Macquarie and well worth a quick look around. The house is of late Victorian Georgian architecture and includes high ceilings, sash windows, fan lights and fireplaces. The house also features a substantial verandah around most of the perimeter. Roto House was the home of John Flynn and his family and is now preserved in the parkland setting of Macquarie Nature Reserve as a local social history museum.

Our park location tonight is set on the breakwall of Port Macquarie at the mouth of the Hastings River and it is very relaxing spot on the surf beach. Port Macquarie is one of Australia’s longest established and best loved holiday destinations – glorious bays and beaches, historic sites, intricate inland waterways, rainforests, boutique wineries and lush rolling hinterland. Established in 1821 many early structures still stand today. It’s a busy and vibrant place and before we leave we take a walk along the breakwall along the entrance to the Hastings River. Here we find a walkway of brightly painted rocks which make up the breakwall. It has now become a tradition for locals and visitors to seek out the “rock” which becomes their personal canvas of memories of past holidays or a tribute to a loved one and its getting harder to find a spare rock which has not been adorned with someone’s artwork.

The change to remove unsightly graffiti into a walkway of art began in 1995 when the Port Macquarie City Lions Club decided to hold an art competition along the breakwall.
The idea caught on and ever since creative art has adorned the rocks. For the last ten years one family from Cessnock has been coming to Port Macquarie for a holiday and one of the first things they do is get out the paints and visit their holiday rock. Some are pretty good and one in particular reminds Lauren of home 🙂

Sun, 6th Jan: BIG4 Nambucca Beach Holiday Park, Nambucca Valley, NSW …

Once out of the town Lauren takes to the wheel for the 100k drive and she does a fantastic job, especially on the steep, winding roads alongside Nambucca River, through Nambucca and over the narrow rickety creek bridge into the park!!!!! It is so picturesque 🙂 The coastal journeys have rewarded and spoilt us with their spectacularly beautiful scenery. Nambucca Valley is no exception. Blessed with natural attractions it has sweeping beaches, shimmering estuaries, rainforests, lush farmlands and picturesque streams. The Nambucca River winds its way through the valley to meet the Pacific Ocean at Nambucca Heads and is naturally stunning!

Swimming Creek Road is where Nambucca Beach Holiday Park is situated and at the end of the road is a kilometre of beach frontage in a beautiful bushland setting. The long white sheltered coastline is ideal for a range of water activities and, with the beach on one side and state forest on the other, it’s just another gorgeous place where beach meets the bush in which to stay and explore.

Once in camp, we set up and chill out before hitting the BBQ. Whilst we are eating, we have a ‘visitor’; the biggest Goanna we have experienced so far.

He just sauntered down the hill to us and we had to move out of his way to let him pass so he could continue on his way through the park at his leisure, lol. After our late lunch, we take to the beach for the ‘kid’ in Neil to play in the waves in his wetsuit!

Me and Loz lie for an hour in the sun’s rays before we all head off to the pool for a cool down. The evening is spent casually; a much overdue skyping session with Yvonne, stocking back up with reading material and a few drinkies and games of My Rummy – Loz was victorious tonight with her 4-0-0 winning streak!

Mon, 7th Jan: BIG4 NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Park, Coffs Harbour, NSW …
Today turned out to be one of the most amazing days of the trip – Lauren even commented on it being one of the best days of her life 😀

We get up early to make the 45min journey to Valery Trails and Riding Centre, Coffs Harbour. We join the 2hr trail ride at 10.00am – Lauren on Cointreau, Neil on Mai and I was on Echo. The trail ride takes place in the beautiful Pine Creek Forest and Bongil Bongil National Park. It’s been a long time since Lauren was in the saddle and she is very much at home as we set off. In fact it’s not long before she is up front with the main group, weaving their way through the forest, trotting and cantering when it is safe to do so. Her horse is keen and perfect for Lauren as they make their own adventure through the trail. Equally as keen is Mai, Neil’s ride today – originally at the back of the trail, she was itching to get going and there was no stopping her once she was allowed past my ‘cautious’ Echo. Neil experienced his first canter today and said it was the best of all his trail ride experiences. My ‘cautious’ Echo did not want to do anything more than trot today 😦 we held up the rear of the group as she daintily trod her way down the hills and nervously looked at the ground avoiding anything foreign on the ground. The trail on horseback was undoubtedly the best way to appreciate the surrounding area – a great experience and so much fun!

There is no time to dawdle at the end of the ride as our next stop will be Pet Porpoise Pool, Coffs Harbour – the world’s most interactive marine park! We arrive at 1.45pm and the car park is packed. We park up on the grass verge and Neil pops into reception to enquire whether it is okay to be left there. On his return, he quickly reveals that there is also space on the 2.00pm Shallow Water Dolphin Experience and would we like to go on it and, if so, GET READY!!!!!!! LIKE NOWWWWW!!!!! WOW, we barely have time to say yes, yes, yes AND get ready – remove all jewellery, bobbles and suncream, put on swimwear, get towels, lol – AND fill in forms, before we find ourselves at the pool area waiting to get in 😀 There are no words to explain what happened next … in the pool for half an hour with Jet, a three year old bottle nosed dolphin, we have an awesome time in the water learning all about him and interact by stroking his belly, playing with him, dancing with him and watching his acrobatics under water whilst retrieving his toy. We play ‘catch’ and also get a kiss, a hug and we tickle his tongue, hear him ‘speak’ and get to feed him a fish! Without doubt the dolphin is one of the most amazing creatures on the planet!!!!!

Hungry now we take time out at the Creekside Cafe overlooking superb water views and enjoy a quick bite to eat before heading to the Marine Magic Presentation. I am in shock now at what has happened in the last hour and am just digesting what took place. It is (was) one of my lifetime’s dreams to be in the water and interacting with a dolphin – it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. and will remain so forever!

Before the Marine Magic Presentation, we receive fishy kisses from a dolphin and tickly smooches from a seal at this multi award winning Pet Porpoise Pool.

After the show, we feed the Little Blue Penguins – the same breed as those at the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island – and take a look around the aquarium.

Coffs Harbour itself is a relaxed city on the surf surrounded by an unspoiled natural environment looking out over the islands and reefs of Solitary Islands Marine Park. Tired, we pull into Darlington Beach Holiday Park – another bit of heaven on the Pacific Highway, this eco-friendly park is nestled alongside 6km of white sandy beachfront.

It is also home to Eastern Grey Kangaroos and as we sit at reception to check in Lauren gets to see her first wild kangaroo! By the time we leave the next morning we have seen quite a few as we walk around the park. It’s quite surreal when you walk to the amenities block at night and there they are behind tents and along the trails munching on the grass! Even sitting in the van on the evening with the door open, we hear munching and, on investigation, we see one right outside us – lol. This site is one of the most ‘organised’ ones we have visited; there are many activities to participate in here. After exploring the surrounding national park and beach, we welcome a shower and a night chilling out reflecting on the day and looking at the photos again and again and again …

Tue, 8th Jan: BIG4 Ballina Central Holiday Park, Ballina Coast, NSW …
We decide that today we will go directly to the park in Ballina (170km away) to enjoy what the area has to offer. Half an hour into our drive, we spot a kangaroo who hops into the path of the traffic on the opposite side of the road – fortunately, he manages to hop his way in and out of the traffic before turning back to where he came from …. PHEW! It was just like a ball bouncing in the road and I, for one would not have liked to have seen him get squished! The drive on this part of the Pacific Highway takes us inland where we follow the route of the Clarence River followed by the Richmond River to its mouth at the Tasman Sea. Just gorgeous 🙂 Halfway we stop for coffee at a fantastic spot, Ferry Park @ Maclean – in the heart of these sugarcane plantations.

The restaurant sits overlooking the Clarence River and, before we know it, we’ve been there for just under an hour. Lauren takes the wheel for the drive on to Ballina and, back on the coast we meander to the park.

Rolling green hills, lush pastures and tropical plantations lead to 32km of sweeping unspoiled white sand beaches, the tranquil Richmond River and the natural wonder that is Ballina Coast and Hinterlnd. The town of Ballina, centred on an island at the mouth of the Richmond River, is surrounded by seemingly endless waterways – a blend of tranquil seaside hideaway and vibrant holiday resort and entertainment hub of the shire!

Just off the Pacific Highway, this peaceful River Street location is right on the fringe of the Pacific Ocean and directly opposite a water park. At nearby Shelley Beach, dolphins play in the waves all year round and the endless white sandy beaches stretch all the way up to Byron Bay where we will make a stop tomorrow!!!!!

Wed, 9th Jan: BIG4 Treasure Island Holiday Park, Biggera Water, Queensland …
Our continuing journey up the Gold Coast to our next two nights stay at Biggera Water is a stunning one. Skipping breakfast as we decide to stop to do brunch on the way, we make our way first to Pat Morton Lookout for spectacular views over Lennox Head and Cape Byron Marine Park. Lennox Head is a scenic 10 minutes drive north along the coast road from Ballina. The views from the headland both north and south are breathtaking and Pat Morton Lookout offers the perfect lookout. At the lookout on this extremely hot and humid day, we welcome the cool breeze!

As we arrive to the top of the headland, there is a hang-gliding company setting up for the day and, on our walk Neil decides to have a go – you’d be hard pushed to find a better spot in which to do this. Lauren is also keen to have a go and, as they complete the necessary paperwork and wait ‘for the wind to be right’ we get our brekkie on the go – one of the joys of outdoor living; it’s easy peasy 🙂

It’s a gorgeous couple of hours spent here. Neil and Lauren thoroughly enjoy the thrill of hang-gliding as they run out over the cliff’s edge and into the clear blue sky. Their 20 mins each goes by so quickly but it is very tranquil as they float about with the birds. Lauren gets to see shark and sting rays but Neil isn’t so lucky.

Our next stop is Byron Bay and we choose to do a ‘drive through’ of this seemingly perfect town. It is beautiful and is buzzing with people and cafes, restaurants and bars line the Main Street. Surrounded by world renowned surfing beaches and lush beautiful countryside, Byron Bay has emerged from being a quiet, surfer’s paradise to being the second most popular tourist destination in New South Wales. As a result, it has developed into a chic and stylish seaside town whilst retaining its relaxed, small village atmosphere and charm.

The original european name of ‘Cavvanbah’ was changed to Byron Bay because of Cape Byron, the name that in 1770, Captain Cook gave to the high piece of land on which the famous Cape Byron Lighthouse now stands. The Byron experience is not complete without taking in the magnificent vista from the Lighthouse and we detour up to the headland before carrying on our way – and it is breathtaking! and we are rewarded with spectacular views across the bay – well worth a stop for more pics!

The drive to our park, now in Queensland(!), takes us through Tweed Heads on the Tweed Coast, a 37km coastline of unspoiled uncrowded beaches broken only by tranquil villages. It is the entrance to Queensland and also where we add one more hour on to the time difference which we learn later on in the day – we did not know about it so didn’t alter our watches, lol. Continuing on the coastal drive and just 20 minutes away from our park are the world famous beaches and bright lights of Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast; a much loved holiday playground in the picturesque region of south-east Queensland. It entices visitors with a balmy climate, glistening surf beaches, World Heritage rainforests and exciting nightlife.

Nestled between Dreamworld, Movie World, Wet n Wild and Sea World we are staying at BIG4’s Treasure Island close to all the action. Even before we go outside the park’s gates, we have a great choice of activities in which to participate followed by chilling out in the park’s bar and bistro. This park is in a fantastic location and is also a walk away from Harbour Town Shopping Outlet where there is a cinema, an array of eateries and shops.

On arrival, we are so hot and sweaty that it’s a quick change into our swimwear before hitting the pools and jacuzzi. Bliss! An eventful BBQ dinner and it’s a freshen up before bed. As we near Brisbane, the weather is so hot but it’s the humidity that is starting to take its toll – especially at nighttime and we don’t hold out much hope for a cool, sweat free nights sleep.

Thu, 10th Jan: BIG 4 NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Park, Biggera Water, Queensland …
As expected, it was a disturbed night and we are all up early just so we can sit outside and make the most of the coolest part of the day. On going to the toilet, I see a guy who has just slept under the stars on top of his quilt on the concrete – the most comfortable thing to do it appears, lol. It’s a slow lethargic morning as we decide what to do today. In the end as Neil wants to start looking into our trip to New Zealand, Lauren and I have a ‘girly day’ and what a lovely time we have.

After freshening up, us girlies take the 10min walk to Harbour Town Shopping Outlet; our first port of call being a pedicure. What a treat! Sitting in a massage chair, our feet are pampered for 30mins and look pretty when we leave. Lauren has also had a manicure and we are girls about town for a short while before we settle for lunch. We have booked tickets for the Gold Lounge to see Les Miserables and are feeling very relaxed as we make our way to the cinema. We have fun getting settled in our huge leather reclining chairs in the 28 seater Gold Lounge and the film lives up to all our expectations. We come away from Harbour Town having had a great day together and feel so good. Having caught up with Neil we meet him at the Dublin on the Dock where we while away the evening drinking, eating and just chilling; happy in each others company, finally heading back to Treasure Island in great spirits.

Fri, 11th Jan: Roy and Margaret’s @ Brisbane …
Our final destination is reached today – Brisbane – Queensland’s state capital and Australia’s 3rd largest city. We have accepted Roy and Margaret’s kind invitation to stay at their house for the next two nights and we make our way to Sinnamon Park, a suburb of Brisbane. It proves to be a great ‘home from home’ in which to base ourselves and prepare for our imminent departures.

Having finally decided to make Auckland our first port of call in New Zealand, we head into Flight Direct in Harbour Town to book our flights. We also book our first three nights accommodation to allow us time to make our plans for touring the islands. Before landing on Roy and Margaret’s hospitality, we make one last stop for lunch with the Motor Home at a gorgeous ‘find’ of Neil’s – Forest Lake Park. We feed the ducks, fish and turtles (yes turtles!!!!!) all the scraps from our cupboards – which we will not get chance to use after today.

A very warm welcome awaits us at the Case’s and all three of us are so grateful for their hospitality at this time. 33 days in the Motor Home and Neil and I are ‘vanned out’!!!!! We immediately feel at home and look forward to the space and comfort that is on offer.

We catch up properly with Roy and Margaret after which Lauren and Neil join them for a much needed cool down in their pool. Afterwards, Lauren packs her case and takes it to her room whilst we do a little sorting in the Motor Home before showering and joining our hosts for dinner – NOM NOM NOM! and it’s not long before we need our beds. Gratefully, we climb the wooden hill to nice comfy beds and, as it is still so hot and humid, we appreciate these rooms with fans more than the Motor Home, lol.

Sat, 12th Jan: Roy and Margaret’s @ Queensland …
We have a late and lazy morning before continuing to pack up everything in the Motor Home. After straightening and cleaning everything up (an extremely hot and sweaty job!) it’s late in the afternoon. We go back inside the comfort of the house and freshen up and chill out before dinner – another success story, NOM NOM NOM! Roy and Margaret then take us out for dessert (as you do!) up to Mount Coot-tha Lookout – a popular tourist destination. Mount Coot-tha is 287 metres above sea level, the highest peak in Brisbane and forms the eastern extent of the Taylor Range. It is a prominent landmark 6km to the west of Brisbane and the lookout, restaurant and cafe provide 360 degree views of the City.

The views of the city all lit up are great and the breeze up here is so refreshing; ooh and our puddings are the bees knees, lol x

Sun, 13th Jan: Lauren’s Departure … and our journey to New Zealand …
We pack up our bags for the fond farewell and thank Roy and Margaret for their extremely warm and welcoming hospitality. It’s an emotional day which unfolds as we make our way to the Airport Motel – where Lauren will depart later this evening and where Neil and I leave in the morning.

After returning the Motor Home we walk to the Port for our ‘last supper’ and have a lovely time but, all too soon, we have to make our way back to the Motel, pick up Lauren’s luggage and head off to the airport for her 8.45pm flight. My stomach starts to churn the closer we get to the airport and I crumble as she is checked in 😦 It is another half hour full of emotion before Lauren makes her way out of sight. It’s been a ball having the kids come out to us and we hope they have enjoyed themselves as much as we have enjoyed having them.

PS: As I am writing this on Tuesday, 15th January 2013, I scroll down to complete the diary for Monday, 14th January. As I do so, I come across the following message. It takes a few moments to sink in that Lauren has left it on here and I get emotional all over again:-

” Love you mommy 🙂
Thanks to you and dad for an amazing time in Oz! Enjoy the rest of your trip and G,day mate.
It’s been a ripper. “

Sydney … Christmas and New Year …

Tue, 25th Dec: Christmas Day … dinner at The Terrace, Lake Pittwater …
Sorry for the language but we woke up today and it is pissing down – sooooo gutted 😦 Guess my baking hot sunny Christmas Day on the beach will have to wait until another time!
11hrs ahead of the UK we start our Christmas Day in the usual fashion – the kids on our bed opening their stockings, lol, LOVE IT 🙂 Neil and I open up the cards which have been sent out to us and are grateful for the messages from home.

We have a lovely lazy morning in each other’s company and, despite the weather, manage ok in the restrictions of the Motor Home.

We tart ourselves up for our Christmas Dinner at The Terrace on Pittwater @ Newport Arms Hotel and head there for our 2.00pm reservation. This place was recommended to us by a Sydney couple who we met in India and we are delighted when we arrive. The restaurants location has operated for over 75 years on the upper level of Sydney’s famous Newport Arms Hotel, home to Australia’s largest waterfront beer garden, which itself has been a restaurants, dining & hotel landmark for locals and travellers since 1880. It is situated only 10mins away in the heart of the Northern Beaches amidst stunning hillside scenery and, if it were not raining, it would have been more sensational if we were able to venture outside. The restaurant is ideally located on the shores of picturesque Lake Pittwater, with breathtaking water views to Bayview & Ku-Ring-Gai National Park, and is the ideal spot for eating out. It goes without saying that we thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas Dinner!

Once back on the site, it was still lashing down with rain so we bummed out, drank and ate too much, played the normal Christmas games and did a bit of facetiming with the family wishing them well for their Christmas morning.

Wed, 26th Dec: Boxing Day … bowling, laser skirmish and The Hobbit …
Just where did the rain go? Not that we are complaining, lol! You just couldn’t believe the difference in the days.

We have a great Boxing Day. A leisurely morning is had and the request of the day is to go and see The Hobbit which opens in Oz today. We locate a cinema and decide to drive out and purchase our tickets which we do so for the 7.00pm show. We are glad we did as it is heaving with visitors and the car park and roads are packed which makes us decide to walk back later.

In the meantime, we are keen to ‘get out and do something’ so head off to a local bowling venue. We have a great time bowling and get to play laser skirmish which is included in the holiday bowling offer. This is something Neil and I have never done before but enjoy it so much that we would be keen to do again!

We take the van back to Narrabeen for a quick fajita tea before our 20min walk to the cinema to watch The Hobbit. Me and the kids loved the film; Neil not so much, lol, and we chat about it on the walk home 🙂

Thu, 27th Dec: Palm Beach … the Lighthouse Walk … last day at North Narrabeen …
It’s a beautiful day and we spend it at Palm Beach – which we are told is the beach used in the filming of Home and Away. It is the jewel of the Northern Beaches and the northernmost suburb of Sydney. Nestled on a landmark peninsula, it is blessed with a unique contrast of lush evergreen bushland and beaches of golden sand, enveloped by the pristine blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the calm sailing paradise of Pittwater. A unique environmental awareness blending breathtaking views with quaint cottages and palatial homes, ensures that Palm Beach enjoys a lifestyle of relaxed and casual affluence.

Our ‘post Christmas walk’ is one up to The Barranjoey Lighthouse on the Barranjoey Head at Palm Beach. Having an interesting history, the lighthouse was built from the attractive Hawkesbury Sandstone at Barranjoey Head. Its preservation has been a battle against bureaucracy, the elements and vandals. The Barranjoey Lighthouse was the third light on the headland and was completed in 1881. A customs station was established in 1843 as the Headland marked the entrance to Broken Bay and the Pittwater which were considered to be the backdoor of Sydney for smugglers.

Once back on site, we get the bbq going and, as Kieran and the laptop go home tomorrow, I begin the task of transferring the rest of our photos to date to the storage device. After tea, the kids spend some time looking at all the OLD photos on the iPad which have transferred from my pc at home when I synced it with the iPad. Neil and I join them and it’s a nice last evening as they reminisce but also as they laugh at old pics of family and friends.

Fri, 28th Dec: Kieran’s Departure … and Lane Cove River Tourist Park …
Today, we make the journey inland for our stay at a national park close to Sydney and it proves to be a great location to base ourselves for our journeys in and out of Sydney over the next few days.

Lane Cove River Tourist Park is in an idyllic setting and it’s here we are woken up (early) to the birdsong. Amongst sightings of wildlife, we get close up to a possum who visits our neighbouring van and we also get to actually see a Kookaburra – having heard their ‘laughter’ for days! Just 10kms from Sydney City with over 600 hectares to explore Lane Cove also has numerous bushwalks and facilities.

After setting the van up, we relax and Kieran starts to pack 😦

It’s only a 10min walk to North Ryde train station where we get the train to central and pick up the train from central to international airport – it’s so easy to get around. We get Kieran all checked in and wait in the bar until he needs to go through security. It’s a lovely last hour but the goodbye comes all too soon 😦 It’s another emotional one and we are saddened as he disappears from view 😦

Sat, 29th Dec: Lazy, lazy, catch up day 🙂 @ Lane Cove River Tourist Park
We literally spend the whole day on site – I played ‘catch up’ with the Blog whilst Lauren and Neil planned out itinerary for the next two weeks. By teatime, we had a bit of ‘cabin fever’ and caught the courtesy bus to the RSL club – yay!!!!!!!!!! A few beers, pool games and burgers later we headed home. A very very lazy day indeed.

Sun, 30th Dec: $2.50 Sydney family saver travel ticket …
Neil is delighted as we qualify for the $2.50 family saver ticket today – well, Lauren is only 15 after all, pmsl :-). This offer allows us unlimited public transport travel today which makes us a considerable saving as we venture into Sydney today.

From North Ryde station we get the train into Sydney but decide to get off at to Milson’s Point (on the North Side of Harbour Bridge) so we can actually walk over the bridge into Sydney – again more amazing views of the harbour!!!!!!!

We can see that the Bridge Climbs are closed today as the final checks on the fireworks are being made. There is a real buzz about Sydney today – it is a real hive of activity. All the preparations are being made for the New Year celebrations tomorrow 😀 Everywhere you look, there are people setting up blockards, signage, band stands, canopies and loads of toilet blocks!

Once on the other side we use the remainder of our Bridge Climb ticket allowing us entry to the Pylon Museum, again with so many interesting facts and figures about the Bridge and more amazing views at this well appointed but different vantage point. On this clear day we could see so far into the distance with the places pinpointed on a map around the edge of the pylon.

On our walk around the city we seek out the wharf for the New Year’s Eve Cruise tomorrow. How exciting, King Street Wharf was lovely, vibrant and buzzing! and it didn’t take us long to locate Jetty 9 where we will be meeting the Lady Rose x The boats already in the wharf were being prepared and adorned with decorations and lights which adds to our excitement.

We leave King Street Wharf by ferry to Cockatoo Island. I had it in my head that this was a beautiful island where the birds were very friendly and thought nothing of landing on you in great numbers (Pam x). That thought was soon extinguished as we approached the island and Lauren said ‘that looks like a prison’ and it did! Not very ‘pretty’ at all. I suddenly realise that it was Magnetic Island I was thinking about – oh dear, pmsl, soz Loz x

We get off the ferry and it does look very depressing indeed. However, our mistake (sorry, my mistake) has led us to a very historic place. Cockatoo Island is actually an ex prison colony and shipbuilding yard – and, at this time of year, a prime camping location for NYE!

During our short visit here we take a drink in the unique Island Bar made from recycled shipping containers. On our walk around, we discover that Cockatoo Island, retaining all its character and heritage from years of human endeavour by convicts and ship-builders alike, has undergone a renaissance in every sense of the word. Cockatoo Island is actually a world heritage site listed alongside 10 other sites for its convict history; an incredible industrial landscape thanks to its place in Australian maritime history; and now one of the most sought after cultural venues in the country. Off limits for more than 100 years, Cockatoo Island has been opened as a remarkable historical landmark and the world’s first urban waterfront campground.

Our return ferry ride is direct to Circular Quay where we walk right up to the Opera House. It is very vibrant here and the Opera Bar is simply buzzing. It is so alive here as people ‘socialise’ the afternoon away. We are provided once more with fantastic views of Sydney from this side of the Quay – simply breathtaking. It is so busy in CBD today; we can’t imagine what its going to be like tomorrow. On our walk back to the ferry we notice a restaurant on the shore front advertising a NYE buffet evening at $295 per head !!!!! Excitement is spilling over now … on experiencing the buzz of the City and the Harbour today we are convinced we are doing the right thing tomorrow night – the cruise I looked into 7 months ago is now less than 24 hours away – OMG!

A weary train ride back to North Ryde and Lane Cove brings our day to an end. BBQ, drinks and My Rummy finish our day off a treat.

Mon, 31st Dec: New Year’s Eve … The Lady Rose Cruise … bring it on …
OMG, NYE 2012 – sooooooooooo soooooooooexcited. We wake at 8am to a glorious beautiful sunny day. We take a relaxed morning getting ready and facetime the family with messages before the onslaught of the normal texts and phone calls which is normal at this time of year!

We leave camp at 2pm for a leisurely journey into Sydney and onward walk to the wharf where we plan to soak up the atmosphere, chill out, eat and generally get ourselves prepared for the cruise. It is a fantastic afternoon and the wharf is ‘banging’ and it’s not long before we have to be at the jetty – 6.45pm PROMPT!!!!!

Well, we usher in the New Year from one of the best vantage points in style aboard the luxurious Lady Rose for a fabulous all inclusive New Year’s Eve cruise on the world’s most beautiful harbour. In addition, it allows us prime position for the 9.00pm and midnight fireworks and all other planned activities. Whilst doing so, we see the stunning sites of the Sydney skyline as the sun goes down and as the city lights up the sky.

The atmosphere at the wharf is amazing and continues as we board the Lady Rose. Straight away the drinks and food are being served and we investigate the decks of the boat before settling ourselves on the top deck. The DJ starts as does the boat and we are on our way up the Harbour to cruise, eat and drink our night away. It’s not long before the people around us are friends for the night – one lady was even from the same Uni as Lauren, albeit 10 years previously!

The 9.00pm Family Fireworks display boasts to have been the biggest yet, with 4 firing barges and several effects never seen before on the harbour.

They were brilliant and we couldn’t wait for the ones at midnight. Following the 9.00pm fireworks the Lady Rose takes part in the official “Harbour of Lights Parade”, cruising up and down the centre of the harbour in the exclusion Zone! The Harbour Of Lights Parade is a parade of decorated vessels in fairy lights invited to cruise in the exclusion zone to add to the atmosphere of the evening and only invited vessels have this privilege.

Before we know it, we are alongside the Opera House waiting for the fireworks to bring in the New Year … and they are simply the best. These fabled 12 minutes of pyrotechnical synchronization, employ 30,000 effects, six barges spanning 6 kilometres of water, both arches and all the roadways of the Harbour Bridge, plus 8 city buildings to provide the 1.5 million spectators around the Harbour – and a world-wide television audience – with the unique opportunity to experience collective awe. They literally went off all around us – the highlight of course were the Bridge fireworks and our photos do not do the display any justice at all.

The night is over all too soon and once back at the wharf we join the throngs of people making their way home. An excellent New Year’s Eve 😀

Tue, 1st Dec: New Year’s Day …
Chill, chill, chill! That was the order of the day today … and that’s exactly what we did! At 11.30am UK time, we had a call from Philip to say they were in the Farthings, would be at Mum and Dad’s to bring in the new year and asking would we facetime them to bring in 2013 in the UK. We went directly to the IT Room, connected to the internet and called them just before midnight and, very surreally, brought in the new year with them – we could even hear Big Ben’s chimes!!!!!! Afterwards, we all sang Auld Lang Syne together – oh the joys of modern technology – another brilliant moment! We left them to do the usual phone calls to everybody and went heartwarmingly back to the Motor Home.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, packing, meeting a very friendly possum (lol) and generally getting ready for our move tomorrow and the start of Lauren’s Road Trip.

Lauren’s Arrival … and the Bridge Climb …

Sat, 22nd Dec: Lauren’s Arrival … and Christmas @ BIG4 Narrabeen, Sydney
Checking on the status of Lauren’s flight overnight tells us that it is in fact an hour late. Adjusting our taxi pick up time we get to the airport and after what seems like a lengthy wait she finally appears at 9.30am. WoooHoooo!!!!!

A very emotional welcome brings Lauren into Sydney and we chat constantly in the taxi on the way back. Anne and friends also greet her warmly as we get back to Sheralee to get the van. This is the first time we’ve all been together since 13th September and it’s great 🙂 A cup of tea followed by a quick freshen up and we are on our way to North Narrabeen for Crimbo – YAY!

Narrabeen, conveniently located just 17km from Sydney, is bordered by Narrabeen Lagoon and nestled between the ocean fed coastal lake and surf beach. Once at Narrabeen Neil and I can see a difference in the amount of people about the place – Australia has broken up for the holidays 🙂 There is a better atmosphere now with many people milling about and playing games. Once the van is set up on the site, we head off for the customary ‘recky’ of the area – it’s great and very handy for Sydney. On the beach there is a lagoon rock pool area and a full sized ‘ocean’ swimming pool. There is a vibe about the place and the beach is alive with people. Games are being played; swimming / surfing / snorkelling / fishing are everywhere you look and on our return route there are youngsters jumping off the beach into the lagoon. Fun, fun fun! After a walk further up the beach and through the streets of Narabeen, we have our first family BBQ and are ready for an early night.

Sun, 23rd Dec: BIG 4 Sydney Lakeside, North Narabeen, Sydney
A nice sunny morning awakes us and is ideal for the relaxed day ahead. We literally spent the day dossing about which was much needed – Lauren to get over her jet lag and I continued to catch up with the blog and began the long task of transferring the photos from the iPad to the storage device. Neil went off for a walk and decided to venture to the local shopping centre with his new friend Ray, one of our ‘neighbours’. He returned with snorkelling gear, a volleyball and a swing-ball!!!! lol. This took us back to the 70’s and we managed a few games but soon got too hot.

By late afternoon some of us had a bit of ‘cabin fever’ and a beach walk was suggested; so off we went to the beach in search of the fresh, cool air. Neil and Lauren tried a bit of snorkelling in the lagoon but didn’t stay for long as Lauren found it quite creepy! Neil said it wasn’t a patch on the Maldives 🙂

Back at the van, we all freshened up and decided on a plan of action for our day tomorrow when we finally get into Sydney !!!!

Mon, 24th Dec: Christmas Eve … Sydney and The Bridge Climb …
Finally, we are going to ‘hit’ Sydney!!!!! Australia’s oldest European settlement and New South Wales’ capital is full of history, nightlife, sports, nature, culture, the arts. There are many internationally famous landmarks – the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the beautiful harbour itself and big name sites like Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Manly and Bondi Beach.

An early start to a gorgeous sunny day in Sydney starts with us walking out of the campsite to the bus stop to get the bus to Manly – a 30min journey – where we get the ferry over to Sydney Harbour. Some people have told us that this is the best way to arrive in Sydney Harbour and we agree. The ooh’s and aaah’s emanate from our fellow passengers as we cruise in. It is simply stunning and when the ferry turns right around the headland to view the City’s skyline and, of course, our first views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge it is surreal. It’s quite unbelievable, we’ve made it and are really here … all that planning and preparation and all four of us are here to share this magical moment together. As we get closer into the Harbour, we can see the figures of people already on the bridge climb which makes us more excitable about doing it later ourselves 😀

We disembark at a very vibrant Circular Quay and, so that we know where we are going, we have decided to walk around The Rocks to where the Harbour Bridge Climb will start later today. The Rocks, in the heart of Australia’s most cosmopolitan city, encompasses the past, present and future. The Indigenous Cadigal people inhabited the rocky headland and surrounding shoreline for thousands of years. Then in 1788, Australia’s first European settlers – British convicts and their overseers – claimed the land and built their camp atop the sandstone cliffs.

The Rocks eventually grew from an open-air jail into a vibrant port community. Its colourful history – filled with tales of ‘shanghaied’ sailors, rough gangs, and gritty life – can still be traced in the many surviving buildings from the last two centuries. But today the renovated former warehouses, sailors’ homes, and dens of iniquity house a unique mixture of fine restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, and galleries showcasing both established and emerging talent.

The Rocks is a uniquely historical Australian quarter, where we explored Cadman’s Cottage, saw some of the oldest surviving buildings in Sydney, and browsed boutique shops and galleries in the place where Australia’s European settlement began. It’s a village which echoes a long and colourful past and can be enjoyed by everyone in an equally colourful present.

The bridge can be seen every where we turn and once at the venue, and to save time later, we decide to go around the museum. It is really interesting to learn about the facts surrounding the building of this one and only single arched bridge in the world.

We have some time on our hands so head back into the shopping area of the City. Kieran has decided on a pair of Ray Bans for his Christmas Box this year and we spend some considerable time in a sunglasses shop before he makes a decision on which pair he would like. Once he is ‘sorted’ we walk around the streets some more, taking in the atmosphere and the slick city shops and it’s not long before we need to be back at the Bridge Climb!

The Bridge Climb – scaling one of Australia’s best-loved icons was an unforgettable journey of sight and sound. Our ‘journey’ (3 ½ hours long, max. 1,332 steps) started by latching on in the Climb Base below the Bradfield Highway and we walked on catwalks below the road-deck until reaching the south-east pylon. Here we ascended 4 ladders to the start of the upper arch, surrounded by the hum and buzz of Sydney’s traffic. With the summit in sight, our journey continues along the Bridge’s outer arch on the Opera House side until hitting the top. After a summit celebration with our group, we crossed the spine of the Bridge to the Darling Harbour side to make our descent to our Climb Base.

At the top we absorb a 360 degree panorama of Sydney as we journeyed to the summit. Like an exposed spine, the outer rim delivered us to the peak, as the sky seemed just beyond our outstretched fingertips. It is here that we make our Christmas Video – pmsl!

Back outside after the climb, we see that it has started to rain 😦 and take refuge in a pub just up the road. After a few drinks, a good chat and a ‘shared’ steak, time seems to have flown by and it’s 9.30pm so we decide we need to make our way back to North Narrabeen. The ferry ride is a bumpy one and once back at Manly we wait a good 15mins in the rain for the bus to our site. We are wet through by the time we get back to the van as are all our towels and chairs!!!!!! A late night trip to laundry on Christmas Eve was not on the agenda BUT things needed drying so there I was!!! Finally, back at the van I get my babies’ stockings ready and we go to bed so Santa can visit 🙂

Kieran’s Arrival … and Melbourne to Sydney Road Trip …

Thu, 13th Dec: BIG4 Cowes Caravan Park, Phillip Island, Victoria …
Kieran’s Arrival in Melbourne … and the Penguin Parade …

It’s an early start to pick up Kieran. After a little debating, we decide to go to the airport in the Motor Home – BIG mistake! Firstly, we need diesel and, on the way to the airport, stop at a garage only to find out that they have run out. Secondly, airport information misinformed us that there was not a height restriction in the short term car parks. We pull into the garage instead to ‘rethink’ the situation and get some now much needed diesel only to find out they have also run out – apparently there is a shortage of diesel in Sydney. AAARRGHHH we have visions of Kieran’s first night in Australia being stuck in the motor home on the airport ringroad. On contacting Britz, they rang us back with the numbers of garages who still had diesel – we located one close to us who said what they had would probably be gone within the hour. We decided to try and get there, refill and be just back in time for Kieran. As we pulled in, the cones were being put up in the diesel lanes and we were told to go to the regular pumps. We did so and filled up; $112 worth- disaster 1 averted! We check on the time and note that Kieran’s plane has landed – we just need to park up now!!!!! On locating the long stay car park we drive in just as a courtesy bus arrives. Neil calls through the window to check if they’re dropping off or picking up – the driver says if I’m quick I can jump on and he’ll drop me off at arrivals – bless him 🙂 I was out of there like a rocket and left Neil to park the motor home – he would meet me as soon as he could. I get to arrivals and seconds before Kieran appeared, Neil was by my side – phew, we’d done it and it was only 8.30am!!!!!!! Disaster 2 averted!

Kieran arrived and it was so great to see him. After an emotional reunion, we could see he was shattered – it made us realise just how long his journey had been; Birmingham-Dubai / Dubai-Melbourne via a stop off in Singapore. I don’t know whether he appreciated the makeshift welcome sign lol, but I enjoyed making and waving it!!!!!!

One hour away from Melbourne we reach Phillip Island, where the landscape transforms into a ruggedly spectacular coastline changing to a wild, windy, awe inspiring spectacle. Just over the bridge into Phillip Island is Cowes Caravan Park, tonight’s stopover. This beautifully landscaped beachfront park is an ideal base for us for our short experience of the Island.

After chilling out we venture up the island to watch the Penguin Parade 🙂 There are penguins nesting here as are the seagulls – thousands of them and, before going to the Penguin Centre we take a stroll around this harsh, rugged bit of coastline taking in the salty air.

The binoculars enable us to view Seal Rock and we are rewarded with sights of the seals in the distance albeit not in the numbers usually here. Arriving one hour before sunset we experience the magic of the iconic little penguins (the smallest in the world) who return to the shore and begin the long journey across the beach and rocks in search of their burrow for the night. It is comical as they warily to and fro from the waves in a ‘will they, won’t they’ scenario in an effort to make a break for it across the sand to safety. This continues until most of them have arrived and, as we make our way back up the hill to the Penguin Centre, some of the little ones are still waddling up the hill to their burrows. So cute!

Fri, 14th Dec: John and Leonie’s, South Leongatha, Victoria …
Having been in touch with friends from our tour in India, we are catching up with them at their house tonight. They have been very kind in inviting us into their home for the evening.

There is plenty to do on Phillip Island but we are strict on ourselves and again, it is a reminder that we can only do so much. Before leaving the island for the countryside that is Leongatha, we decide to go to the Koala Conservation Centre – with unique treetop boardwalks where we strolled around eucalypt woodland and view close up the koala in its natural habitat.

We also visit Heritage Farm on Churchill Island. Just off the coast of Phillip Island it holds an important place in the history of European settlement in Victoria. The tiny island of 57 hectares is now open to the public as an historic working farm that boasts significant natural and cultural values with world class wetlands, ancient moonah trees, heritage gardens and historic buildings.

Our final stop of the day is the new Phillip Island Chocolate Factory ‘Pannys’ where Neil and Kieran seem to really enjoy the interactive ‘chocolate games’ lol. I think they just wanted the chocolate prizes 🙂

En route we take a scenic drive to Cape Paterson where we have fresh fish and chips for dinner. Neil has flake – which is a type of shark. Kieran ordered fishcakes because he didn’t fancy shark but we were told they contained flake anyway, lol. Everywhere is still so quiet, waiting for the holidays to happen, and this isolated place feels very very remote.

Leonie greets us as we arrive at 5pm. Their home is in a most beautiful stunning setting in the countryside and is truly delightful. We immediately spot a kangaroo in the distant field and wildlife is in abundance. Kieran soon settles in and sleeps all evening finally making an appearance just after John’s arrival home at 9pm

Leonie does herself proud and we devour the meal she has prepared. We share stories and have a right good catch up over a good few drinks before climbing into nice comfy beds … ooh what a luxury … for a great night’s sleep.

The morning is spent sharing photographs of our trip in India as well as our experiences since then. Neil and John take a ride on the buggy around the boundaries of their property whilst I finalise our Sydney Bridge Climb booking for Christmas Eve. YAY!

Sat, 15th Dec: BIG4 Lakes Entrance, Victoria …
Today’s drive is a 4hr trip to Lakes Entrance – our last stop in the state of Victoria. Here the magnificent Gippsland Lakes meet the allure of the ocean and a short walk away there is great swimming and surfing at Ninety Mile Beach.

Leaving John and Leonie’s later than we expected, we say our farewells. They have been the perfect hosts; nothing was too much for them – it was lovely to catch up with them and we hope we can return the favour one day 🙂

Kieran takes to the wheel and does a fab job as we head off following the coastal roads to Sydney. It’s a late arrival for us at Lakes Entrance and we have an en-suite site to pamper ourselves in, lol. It’s been an overcast day and a cloudy evening awaits us. Lakes Entrance is situated where the magnificent Gippsland Lakes meet the allure of the ocean and a short walk away to Ninety Mile Beach. The boys bbq us a lovely steak dinner which we enjoy over wine and beer. They head off for a few games of pool and table tennis before we hit the van for bed.

Sun, 16th Dec: BIG4 Merimbula Beach Holiday Park, South Coast, NSW …
Up early and on the road at 9.20am I took the wheel for the 130km drive to Cann River.

Parking up in a park in a small town we commandeer a BBQ for our brunch – bacon, mushroom, egg rolls. Kieran then took the wheel for the 200km drive to Eden where we make a stop and visit the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Established in 1931 it is one of the oldest museums in NSW and records the incredible battle between intrepid men in row boats armed only with hand harpoons and the humped back whales they were hunting. It also gives us a glimpse into Eden’s history.

A further 30km drive gets us to our destination of Merimbula, known to the locals as the gem of the Sapphire Coast. Nestled between Merimbula Lake and the town’s main surf beach, it enjoys a perfect position above the cliffs of Short Point Beach on the NSW coast and has breathtaking ocean views. Once parked on our site we take a walk to the beach to stretch our legs before the boys again hit the table tennis. We spend the afternoon in the clubhouse with the locals listening to the live entertainment and playing cards. Its been a long days travelling today and calls for an early night – but not before Kieran catches up with the lovely Emma x

Mon, 17th Dec: BIG4 Island View Beach Resort, Narooma, NSW ..
We wake up to sunshine today – Kieran’s first good day of weather 🙂 – and Kieran takes the wheel again for the 3hr drive towards Narooma, a small ocean inlet. En route we call in at a ‘cheese factory’ and are disappointed as you don’t actually see the cheese making process – it’s really a cheese shop and restaurant. However, the cheese tasting is enjoyable and delicious but it’s not long before we are leaving with our purchases.

Narooma, a natural oasis overlooking an island is on the Eurobodalla Nature Coast. This lush spacious park has breathtaking views of Montague Island. We stretch our legs and take a walk via the small harbour and up the hill into the main street, a few steps away from the pristine beach. In this quiet solitary place we do manage to find a bar – overlooking the ocean – and retreat inside to entertain ourselves with a game of pool or two!

We have decided to eat out tonight and our recky of the town enables us to find a chinese restaurant which we decide to come back to tonight. It’s solitary when we climb back up into town and by now it’s also raining again! Kieran certainly hasn’t had the weather yet 😦 We think life on the road is a little quiet for Kieran but he is doing well. It’s not quite holiday season yet so there is not a lot going on nor is there much atmosphere in the towns. We are the only people sitting in the restaurant so it’s not long before we head back to the Motor Home for games and bed.

Tue, 18th Dec: BIG4 Broulee Beach Holiday Park, NSW …
HURRAY … it’s Kieran’s first beautiful sunny day in Oz!!! We were beginning to wonder whether he’d see any sunshine – and Kieran also joked that we’d sent him around the world on a plane only to arrive back in Cornwall in the winter lol. It’s a short drive (1hr) to Broulee Beach via Moroya where we stock up on fresh meat, fruit and veg. Mid-way between Batemans Bay and Moruya, the park is very small and quiet, in a most beautiful location – a stunning natural bush setting. The park also has its own private entrance on to sparkling Broulee Beach. Heading off to the beach for a walk around the bay we enjoy the warm sunshine.

It’s a vibrant beach area with surfing school taking place and youngsters out enjoying the weather. We cool off in the pool before another gorgeous bbq dinner. This outdoor life is just brilliant and we cannot imagine ever being ‘stuck inside’ so much again. Bellys full, we chill the evening away with a few beers and plot our final route to Sydney in preparation for Lauren’s arrival.

Wed, 19th Dec: BIG4 Batemans Bay, NSW …
Mogo Zoo is the ‘must do’ attraction en route to Batemans Bay today and we are not disappointed. Mogo Zoo was fab; providing us with the rare chance to see white lions and snow leopards as well as endangered exotic animals. There are also various primates, giraffes, tigers and red pandas and the white lions are not to be missed.

Batemans Bay is set on the pristine beachfront of the Eurobodalla Nature Coast and once we are settled in, the boys head out for a drink or three whilst I take advantage of the time to try and sort the iPad out!!!! I have 7000 pics on there that have synced from my PC at home. I now have limited storage space and cannot remove them!!!!!!! I am therefore using Kieran’s laptop so I can transfer our trip pics onto a storage device so I can at least remove them from the iPad. It’s a ball ache of a job but one that’s got to be done 😦

They return a bit merrier than when they left with a Dominos Pizza which doesn’t last long 😀

Thu, 20th Dec: Easts Beach Holiday Park, Kiama, NSW …
Kieran drove today and it is here where we join the Grand Pacific Drive into Sydney and he did a really great job especially on some of the smaller winding roads! It’s another early start heading for Kiama so we make a stop at the local bakery for coffee and croissants. The bakeries and butchers here are to die for.

We continue to pass through many quaint places and opt to pull up at picturesque Berry – names in 1890 in honour of Shoalhaven’s first European settler Alexander Berry. We stock up on fresh groceries and, $100 lighter for not much at all!, we carry on to Kiama, the first country town south of Sydney. As we curve around the highway the outlook offers the first sense of relaxation with views over the ocean to Kiama’s headland, its characteristic pines and iconic lighthouse.

We are chuffed to discover the Easts Beach Holiday Park. The 35 acre grassland park is nestled in a valley with mountain backdrops and absolute beach frontage. Easts Beach is a natural bay of golden sands, sapphire blue waters protected by two headlands. Unfortunately, the rain sets in as we walk down to the beach area – by now it is also very windy and we do an about turn back to the van.

We decide to book ourselves on the RSL courtesy bus to spend a few hours at the club in the town. It is a great free little bus service. Hourly, it collects its members in the town and takes them to the door of the RSL Club. The Clubs are super clean ‘upper class working mens clubs’ where you can eat and drink (cheaply), be entertained, partake of a game of pool or bowling, or just gamble on the fruit machines. Many many many sporting clubs are run from the RSL clubs and trophies are in abundance.

After a drink we walk around the quaint town of Kiama. Located on a harbour, Kiama is also home to the Region’s best known natural rock formation, the ‘big’ Blowhole. We venture up the headland to the Blowhole which puts on regular displays for visitors spurting water 20m or more into the air and we are not disappointed! Blowhole Point also offers spectacular views up and down the coast. Back in the town we see many fine old buildings; the imposing Old Council Chambers, the iconic pink Italianate Post Office and the oldest surviving building on the South Coast of NSW, the Kiama Court House which was completed in 1861.

On our return to the Club for another drink, we book ourselves on the bus back to the park and order our wedges and chips – NOM NOM NOM – tasting lovely, they were great portions and reasonably priced indeed!

Fri, 21st Dec: Sheralee Holiday Park, Rockdale, NSW …
A lazy start to the day before Kieran’s last drive 😦
Before hitting the road, we stop by in Kiama at the travel agent to discuss some ideas for New Zealand. From 13th January we are on our own and have no itinerary! We manage to pick up a great brochure and Stacey Kruyf, a young girl from New Zealand, agrees to email us some ideas.

We take the remainder of the Grand Pacific Drive to Sydney before heading to Sheralee Holiday Park in Rockdale. It is a stone’s throw away from the International Airport in readiness for Lauren’s arrival tomorrow 🙂

Kieran drives well again today and, after stopping and we make good progress towards the City. The park is not the best of places but serves its purpose well. It is only 10mins from the airport but commands a $25 taxi fee!!!! Anne, the Manager, is a lovely friendly lady and very accommodating – her veranda is constantly buzzing with friends and neighbours.

After a couple of hours in Rockdale, we return to the van and catch up with Lauren before bedtime who is horrified to find out that the second leg of her journey is a flight of 13hrs – Dubai to Sydney, lol. Everything is well and she should be with us on time in the morning, OMG / YAY!

Road Trip … The Great Ocean Road …

Mon, 10th Dec: The Motor Home … Bimbi Park, Cape Otway (Bass Strait)
Picking up the motor home we have an hour acquainting ourselves with its facilities and functions before we are on our own!

To get used to the Motor Home, Neil and I head South to tour The Great Ocean Road and what a most stunning experience these few days turn out to be. Fresh, salty air fills us with adventure and we are rewarded with iconic landscapes where nature’s drama unfolds at every turn. Providing the opportunity to enjoy the enviable lifestyle of the relaxed seaside villages, The Great Ocean Road is a coastal sanctuary of contrasting natural beauty; lush forests, rugged oceanic splendour, raw seascapes, fabulous flora and fauna.

Our map took us along the Surf Coast, east of Cape Otway then inland through the forested Otway region to emerge on the wild and well named Shipwreck Coast to Warrnambool and beyond. All along are winding coastal roads where the view around each corner just gets better and better. The Great Ocean Road remains one of the most spectacular tourist drives in the world. Hand built by returned World War I soldiers in honour of their fallen comrades and officially opened in 1932, it is also the world’s biggest war memorial.

Our journey starts via the famous memorial arch and ‘Diggers’ statue at Eastern View, Aireys Inlet which was erected to commemorate the returned servicemen from World War I who built the Great Ocean Road from 1918 to 1932. It is a chance to reflect on the sacrifice of the young men and women who lost their lives in the First World War; on the hard work of their returned comrades who dug a road, often out of sheer rock, by hand. A series of bronze plaques from Torquay to Warrnambool help to complete the story.

Having journeyed via the stunning seaside villages of Aireys Inlet, Lorne and Apollo Bay, our first night in our new home is at Bimbi Park – ‘Camping Under Koalas’ and we just have enough time to settle in and get the campfire going. It is situated in Great Otway National Park (103,000 hectares) which represents all that is special about the Otways – the tall, wet, ancient rain-forests, sandy beaches, rock platforms and windswept heathland fringed by a spectacularly rugged coastline.

Tue, 11th Dec: Port Campbell Holiday Park (Shipwreck Coast)
Up early (nature is very noisy) we drive only a short distance on The Cape Otway Road before spotting the local inhabitants in the trees – koalas in their natural habitat. They are so cute and very docile, sleeping up to 20 hours a day. Introduced into the area, they are now in abundance and literally eating themselves out of house and home. A further 2 km drive takes us to Cape Otway Lightstation. Open to visitors at $18, it is the oldest lighthouse on the mainland, sitting 91 metres above a spectacular tip of the southern coastline.
!

Back on the Great Ocean Road we travel until we come to the picturesque Port Campbell. En route we dip in and out of the scenic lookouts the most significant of which is the 12 Apostles coastline – these world recognised icons are set amongst the Port Campbell National Park. The giant rock stacks soar from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean and today’s lookouts include London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge and the Gibson Steps.

We ‘hitch up’, explore and stay the night at Port Campbell Holiday Park which is located between the ocean and riverfront and at the heart of this charming little holiday town. Surrounded by Port Campbell National Park, Port Campbell is a small port on the ‘shipwreck coast”. Nestled amongst the limestone cliffs, this small fishing village is the gateway to the 12 Apostles. It is set on a natural gorge at the mouth of the Campbell’s Creek and filled with lookouts over the ocean. With only 400 permanent residents, this cosy seaside town happens to boast one of Australia’s most breathtaking and dramatic coastlines.

Wed, 12th Dec: BIG4 – Aspens Caravan Park, Melbourne
Time is against us and we turn around today not being able to complete the remainder of this journey to Warrnambool, the end of The Great Ocean Road. We head back inland through the countryside to Melbourne where we will stay overnight in readiness for Kieran’s arrival tomorrow 🙂

We add The Arch and The Grotto lookouts to our list – more amazing sculptures made by the sea’s actions – and head inland via Timboon in a picturesque wooded valley to Colac Lake making a stop at Red Rock Lookout and Red Rock Winery for lunch. We are very high up on the crater of the old volcano and the temperature reaches 40 degrees!!!!!

Calling in at Geelong on our way through to Melbourne we visit Tourist Information to pick up some leaflets and maps to enable us to plan the next part of our trip. Geelong is Victoria’s largest regional city set on the ocean front. Famous for its Bollard Trail (life-size characters) which stretches from one end of the bay to the other; this features a hundred or more characters who have shaped Geelong’s history – from the original indigenous inhabitants to contemporary identities.

On arrival at the BIG4 campsite we stock up with groceries, tidy up and plan our strategy for picking Kieran up from the airport at 7.30am. EXCITED MUCH 😀

Melbourne, Victoria … and the Motor Home …

Sat, 8th Dec: Southbank Travelodge, Melbourne … Business Class 🙂 …
An early start sees us at the airport for our 9.30am flight to Melbourne. After dropping the rental car off we check in and have an hour to wait before boarding our Virgin flight. We think nothing as the seats are called to board (business class, then the higher numbers followed by the lower numbers) waiting for our call – we are seats 3C and 3D. Imagine our delight albeit tainted with a little confusion as we board and are directed to the left of the plane to, yes you’ve guessed it, Business Class!!!!!!!! I look at Neil to see any signs of him surprising me with an upgrade but he looks back at me vacantly and we soon look at each other questioningly. Have we been upgraded without being informed or, has some kind soul back home upgraded us as a Christmas pressie?????? We are very excited to be in Business Class and it’s not long before it’s explained to us that a mistake was made at check in by the operative … can you believe it? … hilarious; we are grinning from ear to ear and it’s another first for me!

We soon settle in – oh yes we do! – and enjoy real cutlery and plates on which we are served our four course meal NOM NOM NOM! In brief our meal consisted of starters of cauliflower and cumin soup (me) and king smoked salmon (Neil) with warm bread; followed by lunch of arabic spiced lamb cutlets with lemon cous cous, sweet potato and chickpeas alongside spinach with rocket radicchio and balsamic vinaigrette; dessert of blueberry panna cotta with berry sauce; cheeseboard with glace apple and crisp bread. Pinot Grigio for me and Shiraz for Neil, all washed down with a Latte.

After dinner, Neil and I (much to the delight of the fellow 3 Business Class passengers, NOT, lol) flit about the cabin taking piccies of ‘the bears’ who were as happy as we were to be there!!! pmsl 😀

What a great final flight to end this leg of our adventure 🙂

We arrive in Melbourne (now 11hrs ahead of the UK) at 3.30pm and hire a car to get us to our hotel as it works out cheaper than a taxi! The Travelodge (home for the next two nights) is in a great location – at Southbank on the River Yarra. It is right next to one of the city’s tallest buildings, home to the Eureka Skydeck 88, which occupies the 88th floor and offers 360 degree views and a stone’s throw from the City Centre – it is vibrant and buzzing. Over the bridge and past Finders Station (a beautiful building in itself) and we are in the hub of this City.

There is just enough time left today to venture over the River Yarra to explore and the City is beautifully lit up for Christmas. There are queues of people outside Myers (department store) waiting to see the many window displays which tell a christmas story – a tradition we are told. Getting hungry we head for China Town for a curry before heading back to the Travelodge for bed.

Sun, 9th Dec: Southbank Travelodge, Melbourne …
We use today to explore Melbourne; exuding elegance and culture, this city has a combined passion for food, wine, the arts and sport that distinguishes it from all other Australian cities. Our walk rewards us with grand Victorian-era buildings, tree lined boulevards and gracious parks which we learn were financed by wealth from Australia’s biggest and most prolonged gold rush which started in1851 and continued into the early years of the 20th century. Melbourne’s cultural diversity, however, springs largely from the boom in immigration that followed World War II. Its towering skyscrapers are a more recent phenomenon and, for the most part, blend in with the Melbourne of earlier times. Lacking the obvious physical attractions of its flashy northern cousin, Sydney, and with a climate notorious for its fickle ‘four seasons in one day’ character, Melbourne offers its treasures discreetly. Half of the fun of getting to know this most European of Australian cities comes from riding the trams that lend such character to its city streets.

The Visitors Centre helps us plan our next few days on The Great Ocean Road after which we head off to Westfield for some christmas shopping – apparently we will have some very important visitors for Christmas.

Walking back with our ‘wares’ we hit PJ O’briens, Southgate for some entertainment, guinness and free wifi x perfect for catching up with the blog and folk back home x

Male … Bangkok … Kuala Lumpur … Perth …

Thu, 29th Nov: via Bangkok @ The Chatrium Hotel, Riverside

Again, our flight is great and we finally check in to the Hotel at 1.00 am for our very short overnight stay in Bangkok. When we awake we have breakfast and a quick look around the hotel before another taxi ride to the airport to join our 2.15 pm Flight to Perth (via Kuala Lumpur).

Fri, 30th Nov: Perth, Western Australia …
We arrive in Perth at 1.30am (now 8hrs ahead of the UK) and are relieved to finally make it to Sullivans Perth Hotel where we are staying for 3 nights.

Over the next few days we discover that the Hotel is in a great location – it is right on the edge of the City and is served by the CAT service – free bus transportation operating around the Central Business District. There is a stop right outside the hotel where buses arrive every 5-10 minutes and it proves very useful indeed!

Sat, 1st Dec: WACA … and that much needed haircut!
Neil is up bright and early – 7.00am to be precise – to be picked up by Pete Simcox. Pete has invited Neil to spend the day with him at the WACA stadium to see the second day of the third Test Match between Australia and South Africa. It was actually Ricky Pontin’s final test match in which he only scored 6 runs but Neil was there! He had a brilliant day watching the Australians get hammered – his words!!!! lol.

I spend the Saturday ‘getting to know Perth a bit better’ in my exploration for a decent hairdresser. It’s been 3 months since it had a good cut and believe me it very much needs a tidy up. I finally end up with an appointment at a really funky place called Hair Studio on King Street and opt to have about an inch cut off – like I said, it really needed it. I have a bit of retail therapy before getting the CAT back to the hotel. Walking around the City, I am experiencing Christmas fever for the first time and enjoy the decorations and Christmas music – secretly thinking that I am so glad to be out of the rat race back home 🙂

I fall immediately in love with Perth – delightfully located on the Swan River, Perth is a youthful, modern city with a warm, sunny climate and an outdoor lifestyle. Glass and concrete skyscrapers dominate Perth’s skyline which maintains important heritage sites alongside new commercial buildings. There are superb views of the city – and it is a busy ‘happening’ city with a population of only 1.5 million people, filled with cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs.

Once back at the hotel, I am barely in the room as Neil calls to say they’ve gone for a quick drink after the match at the Grosvenor Hotel and I arrange to get the bus straight back in to meet him and Pete. We have a drink together after which Neil and I go for something to eat before heading back to the hotel very weary.

Pete and his wife Stella are originally from Derby and very good friends of Yvonne and Les. They very much hoped that we would meet up with them in Perth as part of our travels and we are very glad that we did.

Sun, 2nd Dec: The Lucky Shag … and Fremantle …
We have arranged to spend the afternoon with Pete and Stella and meet at The Lucky Shag overlooking the Swan River for a couple of drinks before heading off on a Captain Cook Cruise down the river to Fremantle. This provided beautiful and exceptional views of the City and on the way to Fremantle we bypassed many suburbs of Perth and millions of dollars worth of boats. The properties lining the river are full of splendour and are jaw dropping pleasure to see.

Fremantle (‘Freo’), one of the world’s best preserved 19th Century ports, is a town of old world charm, its quaint streets filled with renovated historic buildings, alfresco cafes, restaurants, galleries and bustling markets. Whist strolling around you soak up the maritime atmosphere.

As soon as we leave the port, we head for dinner and we go ‘al fresco’ at a beautiful italian restaurant. It was a lovely couple of hours spent chatting, eating and drinking and it seemed like we’d known each other for more than just the one day!

Following a walk around the streets we partake of more beverages !!!!! and take in one of the street entertainers. There is a large group of Santas in the Irish Bar and, with the live music, it makes for a great atmosphere. They are on a charity pub crawl for the local children’s hospital.

Before too long, it’s getting late and, as Pete and Stella have work in the morning (work, what’s work we ask, lol) we grab a metro ride back to Perth for one more drink at the Moon and Sixpence before parting company. It really has been a lovely lovely day; thanks to Pete and Stella whose hospitality has been wonderful. The time to say goodbye has come far too quickly 😦

Mon, 3rd Dec – Tue, 4th Dec: Darby Park Residences, Margaret River
Having packed again, we get the CAT into Perth to pick up our hire care and start the 267km drive south along the scenic Caves Road to the Margaret River Region. Nestled in the beautiful south west corner or Western Australia it is a region of 120+ wineries producing world famous award winning wines that grace tables around the globe. Wine may be the star of the show in Margaret River but the region’s incredible diversity is its strength, with breweries, galleries, history, animal encounters, forests, trails, caves and beaches to explore.

En route, we call into Bunbury for a brief stroll along the beach and call into Kanuba Bay where it was recommended you could experience ‘swimming with dolphins’. As we are only passing through we do not book anything up but it does give us an idea of what to expect in other areas. We arrive at the Darby Park Residences – self contained warden controlled suites. Set in a forest in Margaret River, it’s another pleasant area to stay in and already we feel we could do with more time here – however, we remind ourselves that this is likely to happen everywhere we go and that we need to stick to an itinerary! We head up the street (the town!), taking in the area, and to sort out some australian SIM cards, pick up some necessities and hit another bar for beer and pool.

Tuesday saw us leaving the hotel and heading for a cafe – the highly recommended White Elephant in Prevalee. It is another breathtaking location overlooking a small beach and the ocean. Unfortunately, due to the amount of flies (literally doing our heads in) we do not stay.

Instead we head off in the direction of wineries, which this area is renowned for. The countryside here is stunning and we opt to call in to the very first winery set up in this area – Vasse Felix in 1967. A very manicured establishment presented itself to us and, once we had participated in a little wine tasting, we decided to eat lunch here – a very nice but elaborate affair.

In hindsight, we would have preferred to dine at one of the other wineries we visited – Woody Nook. This was more quaint and, whilst Vasse Felix was perfect, Woody Nook was more relaxed and the wine tasting was just like we were sat round a table with an old friend.

On the way back to our suite we find a gorgeous home made ice cream place….OMG, the best ice cream we’ve ever tasted.

Tired and ‘warm’ on wine, we return to our suite armed with a dvd (Dictator) and just crash out.

Wed, 5th – Thu, 6th Dec: Karri Valley Resort, Paemberton
We are captivated by the tranquility of Lake Beedelup, our next destination, in the heart of the secluded Karri Valley Forest – the only natural Karri Forest in the world.

Our Lakeside Room is perched on the edge of the trout filled lake (although we didn’t catch anything!) in the Forest and is only a short walking distance to the picturesque Beedelup Falls. We settle quickly into our room and head off to explore our new surroundings.

There are many local attractions which are accessible from here which would keep you busy for days. Staying on site, we take a boat out on the lake to fish and the only thing we manage to ‘hook’ is a bear lol.

Later we use the mountain bikes to tour the forest and seek out the Beedelup Falls.

Out on our balcony we ‘meet’ lots of Australian Ring Necked Parrots. These cute characters loved a treat or two and were very interactive.

On site we also meet two joeys – one is 8 months old, the other 6 months – and get to interact with them very closely. One of the Activity Coordinators here is a volunteer on call to go out to kangaroo road traffic accidents and she rescues any joeys that are left without their mum. These two guys are her latest wards and she cares for them on the resort until they choose to wander off into the wild. They are delightful and its not long before I have to have a cuddle!

Taking a drive out to town, we come across a famous landmark in Pemberton, the Gloucester Tree. This is probably Western Australia’s most famous Karri tree and, originally used to serve as a fire lookout, it is now a scenic spot which to enjoy. It was a stunning setting and we were pleased to meet a colourful little character whilst we were there – a parrot! Today, visitors can climb to the cabin 58metres above the ground in its upper branches for sensational views of the surrounding Karri forest. Neil managed a climb of about 15metres and, since we’d been drinking and didn’t have the correct footwear to climb it, we left it at that.

Fri, 7th Dec: Sullivans Perth Hotel
All too quickly it seems, we are heading back to the City. We leave at mid-day and, once back at the hotel we retrieve our baggage and repack everything for our onward travels tomorrow. We hit the City again and have our tea at the British Pub – the Moon and Sixpence – and decide to see Skyfall at the Piccadilly Theatre. Back at the hotel there is time to catch up with folk via facetime before some much needed zzzzzzzzz’s before our journey to Melbourne in the morning.