25 July: The last day in Brisbane
The day dawned bright and clear but cooler. Waiting at the pedestrian crossing was our resident Ibis who has obviously set up his domain with easy access to a variety of takeaway bars. People just walked around him.
This time we did a right turn down Queen Street which led us to the Botanic Gardens. It is the middle of winter so the flower beds are being replanted. There was some color, but another couple of months will make a huge difference.
We had been told of the exhibition of the costumes used for 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'. Yesterday they held high teas in the Old Government House grounds. Tickets had sold out long ago and many guests wore costumes de jour. It was much better that we could go today. It's an exhibition well worth attending if it comes our way.
From there we crossed through the University campus and on to the new Goodwill foot and cycle bridge to discover the prestigious Southbank area.
First port of call was the Maritime Museum which Peter thoroughly enjoyed. They had the little yacht 'Pink Lady' that was used by Jessica Watson to circumnavigate the globe as well as the frigate Diamante on which the Japanese signed their surrender from WWII. It's the first time I have been through a frigate.
We then moved on to start the walk along The Arbour which winds its way along south side of the River. It has been designed with the same artistic creativity as typifies all the new building in this stunning city. It is truly inspirational and obviously appreciated by residents and tourists alike, even on the first Monday of the third term.
So all up, our Aussie experience has been enlightening with its contrasting experiences. We have now covered much of this vast prehistoric continent and are impressed by the progress giving a more balanced society. No wonder so many of our Kiwis have moved across the ditch for a preferred lifestyle.
Monday 25 July 2016
Sunday 24 July 2016
Sun 24th: Exploring Brisbane (2)
This morning I had arranged to meet the friend who was the inspiration for our Kimberly. Three steps out the door and I realised how cold it was. Back into the apartment and change attire. You can't tell what the temperature is on the 32nd floor with hermetically sealed windows. Blue skies do not = warm day.
It was wonderful to meet up with Gwen and compare travel experiences. We were astonished to find the extent of the price rise even in the intervening 12 months.
Overnight Peter had discovered that Hamilton Reach was the international flying boat base for Quantas in the 1930s and early 1940s. So the goal for the day became a return to the River to catch a passenger cat and do the trip towards the mouth.
Of course I was happy with that. It gave opportunity to see more sights, take more photos and mingle with the crowds on the magnificent pier all of whom were adding to Queensland's declared obesity epidemic. This condition now rivals that of the US. Both men and women are grotesquely overweight causing the name
Generation 7 XL to be adopted. The tragedy is that there are so many of them that it has become the norm. We witnessed an altercation on our Darwin flight when the crew tried to shift one monster out of his seat by the emergency exit (which he had specifically booked to give him and his wife more room). I happened to be down the back and listened in to the crew strategising as to how to shift this guy with minimal conflict. It was a real-time case study. I could then return to my seat and watch it being played out. Beats the in-flight movies (which Virgin doesn't offer).
So, back to the Pier where we caught ourselves a cat and for $11.50 did the 45 minute trip down the river crossing from pier to pier picking up and dropping off Sunday trippers many of whom had bikes. There are wonderful cycle ways both sides and no doubt excellent coffee shops to investigate. The locals seemed to have hop cards so just rang themselves on and off. Even I might be enticed back onto a bike if I lived here. You can see them chained to bike racks throughout the CBD.
By the latter end of the afternoon it was so cold we needed to return to our apartment to change into seriously warmer clothes.
Later in the evening we went further afield for a meal and enjoyed watching the much younger generation having fun. They are certainly a very different breed from us. Curious to see them in groups with their own gender. We noticed on the cruise the day before that passengers were mostly groups of 20 -30 year old women. Again tonight there were clusters of guys or of gals but very few couples.
This morning I had arranged to meet the friend who was the inspiration for our Kimberly. Three steps out the door and I realised how cold it was. Back into the apartment and change attire. You can't tell what the temperature is on the 32nd floor with hermetically sealed windows. Blue skies do not = warm day.
It was wonderful to meet up with Gwen and compare travel experiences. We were astonished to find the extent of the price rise even in the intervening 12 months.
Overnight Peter had discovered that Hamilton Reach was the international flying boat base for Quantas in the 1930s and early 1940s. So the goal for the day became a return to the River to catch a passenger cat and do the trip towards the mouth.
Of course I was happy with that. It gave opportunity to see more sights, take more photos and mingle with the crowds on the magnificent pier all of whom were adding to Queensland's declared obesity epidemic. This condition now rivals that of the US. Both men and women are grotesquely overweight causing the name
Generation 7 XL to be adopted. The tragedy is that there are so many of them that it has become the norm. We witnessed an altercation on our Darwin flight when the crew tried to shift one monster out of his seat by the emergency exit (which he had specifically booked to give him and his wife more room). I happened to be down the back and listened in to the crew strategising as to how to shift this guy with minimal conflict. It was a real-time case study. I could then return to my seat and watch it being played out. Beats the in-flight movies (which Virgin doesn't offer).
So, back to the Pier where we caught ourselves a cat and for $11.50 did the 45 minute trip down the river crossing from pier to pier picking up and dropping off Sunday trippers many of whom had bikes. There are wonderful cycle ways both sides and no doubt excellent coffee shops to investigate. The locals seemed to have hop cards so just rang themselves on and off. Even I might be enticed back onto a bike if I lived here. You can see them chained to bike racks throughout the CBD.
By the latter end of the afternoon it was so cold we needed to return to our apartment to change into seriously warmer clothes.
Later in the evening we went further afield for a meal and enjoyed watching the much younger generation having fun. They are certainly a very different breed from us. Curious to see them in groups with their own gender. We noticed on the cruise the day before that passengers were mostly groups of 20 -30 year old women. Again tonight there were clusters of guys or of gals but very few couples.
Saturday 23 July 2016
Sat 23rd: Exploring Brisbane
Our travel now always kicks off with the hop-on-hop-off bus. Do one circuit to find our bearings and then round again selecting our points of interest.
The most UNBELIEVABLE story of the circuit was a block with an artistic shade canopy along the curve of the road. Why? Because since the building was opened in 1990, windows have been popping out and smashing on the road in amongst all the traffic. I mean, 200 windows 😲 so how did the builders solve the problem? Why, erect this all-encompassing shade to catch the glass. We actually drove under it twice.
There was little of interest that jumped out at us so we hopped off at the Queen Street Mall and found the Information Centre. What a building that is!!!! It's a restored theatre from yesteryear. If only our city father's had preserved His Majesty's theatre and arcade we could have had something equally magnificent.
I then discovered some of Brisbane's outstanding architecture and started making a collection of photos to rival my Kimberly rock collection. Again it showed what extraordinarily boring architecture we are showcasing in Auckland. Dull grey boxes.
By the time we left the I-site girl, we had our three day plan mapped out for us. It started with lunch in this new Queen Street Mall (I could swallow 3 days in there alone) and then hop back on the bus and ride to the North Quay on the Brisbane River. This is a magnificent 21st century waterfront development displaying stunning innovative architecture. The area was throng in with Brisbanites partaking of long lunches, watching the aqua-tourism on their beloved River. We enjoy our little cruises but the only slot left on any of the weekend trips was the high tea today on the Kookaburra Showboat. That's it then. That's that decision made for us. We're starting to get into high teas this year and this was certainly up to standard. An appropriate way to celebrate 21 years together.
We were thrilled to be able to find our way back to our apartment in the early evening, so we must be learning the lie of the city.
Our travel now always kicks off with the hop-on-hop-off bus. Do one circuit to find our bearings and then round again selecting our points of interest.
The most UNBELIEVABLE story of the circuit was a block with an artistic shade canopy along the curve of the road. Why? Because since the building was opened in 1990, windows have been popping out and smashing on the road in amongst all the traffic. I mean, 200 windows 😲 so how did the builders solve the problem? Why, erect this all-encompassing shade to catch the glass. We actually drove under it twice.
There was little of interest that jumped out at us so we hopped off at the Queen Street Mall and found the Information Centre. What a building that is!!!! It's a restored theatre from yesteryear. If only our city father's had preserved His Majesty's theatre and arcade we could have had something equally magnificent.
I then discovered some of Brisbane's outstanding architecture and started making a collection of photos to rival my Kimberly rock collection. Again it showed what extraordinarily boring architecture we are showcasing in Auckland. Dull grey boxes.
By the time we left the I-site girl, we had our three day plan mapped out for us. It started with lunch in this new Queen Street Mall (I could swallow 3 days in there alone) and then hop back on the bus and ride to the North Quay on the Brisbane River. This is a magnificent 21st century waterfront development displaying stunning innovative architecture. The area was throng in with Brisbanites partaking of long lunches, watching the aqua-tourism on their beloved River. We enjoy our little cruises but the only slot left on any of the weekend trips was the high tea today on the Kookaburra Showboat. That's it then. That's that decision made for us. We're starting to get into high teas this year and this was certainly up to standard. An appropriate way to celebrate 21 years together.
We were thrilled to be able to find our way back to our apartment in the early evening, so we must be learning the lie of the city.
Friday 22 July 2016
Fri 22nd: Darwin - Brisbane
I was really sorry to leave Darwin today. It has been kind to us but I am so aware of the need to limit the time of a visit. Apparently the weather had been hot and wet up until a week prior to our arrival. The reliable dry season ends in September and thereafter it is a place to avoid. Mind you, Perth has been wild and cold since we left. This week has been 1 C. Travelling is so weather dependent.
Our flight to Brisbane was 4 hours with another 45 mins added while we were cleared to land. The airport was a seething maelstrom of disgruntled passengers whose flights had been delayed or cancelled.
This Mantra on Mary is so very different from the Darwin Mantra. We have a large apartment on the 3 2nd floor in the CBD. The kitchen is larger than mine at home, and we have a separate office. No view though. We seem to be just around the corner from Eat Street and found a Thai place there. We'll explore tomorrow. I now believe I have been through Brisbane several times but never stayed in the city.
No photos from today.
I was really sorry to leave Darwin today. It has been kind to us but I am so aware of the need to limit the time of a visit. Apparently the weather had been hot and wet up until a week prior to our arrival. The reliable dry season ends in September and thereafter it is a place to avoid. Mind you, Perth has been wild and cold since we left. This week has been 1 C. Travelling is so weather dependent.
Our flight to Brisbane was 4 hours with another 45 mins added while we were cleared to land. The airport was a seething maelstrom of disgruntled passengers whose flights had been delayed or cancelled.
This Mantra on Mary is so very different from the Darwin Mantra. We have a large apartment on the 3 2nd floor in the CBD. The kitchen is larger than mine at home, and we have a separate office. No view though. We seem to be just around the corner from Eat Street and found a Thai place there. We'll explore tomorrow. I now believe I have been through Brisbane several times but never stayed in the city.
No photos from today.
Thursday 21 July 2016
Thurs 21st: Last day in Darwin
We were just delighted to discover that BOTH of us were well. A good omen for the day. So into our rental and down the road to Doctors Gulley. This was the site of the Quantas Airways hangars in the 1930s.. That was the good news; the bad news was that we had just missed Aqua scene, a fish sanctuary where hundreds of friendly local wild fish swim in on high tide in search of a gratuitous meal of fresh bread. I got in alright but was just in time to be shown out. Silly me.
Then off we went on the 50 km drive along Stuart Highway ( which goes straight through to Adelaide -taking in Alice Springs on the way) to the Territory Wildlife Park which is a 400 hectare conservation area opened by the Northern Territory Government.
En route we stumbled across a Termite Park which was actually closed but we managed to get up close to some of the pinnacles which towered over Peter's head and of course go far into the ground. They feel like Terracotta to touch.
Shortly after we drove into the Park and were greeted by a wildlife host who sat down with us and a map to plan our day for us. I told him of my specific interest because of my grand-daughter and he was particularly helpful. The park has a hop-on-hop-off train which circuits every half hour, so we did that trip first, then lunch, then a serious tour. There are 11 unique areas all with superb woodland walks linking them. We managed only half of them in the afternoon. Our original host had warned us of snakes on the paths which caused Peter to walk slowly behind me. The reverse of our normal walking. By the time we emerged the Park was closing but had given me the best day of my holiday.
We came home in time to go out to the Mindi Beach Sunset Markets which are held on Thursdays and Sundays of the dry season. Well, as if I hadn'T had a perfect day already, there I was facing the best evening of my holiday. The whole of Darwin gathers in this tranquil balmy environment ( with a full moon thrown in) with a limitless range of ethnic foods (I did prawn kebabs on Thai vegetable fried rice), to the accompaniment of wonderful music (my favourite was the guy with 5 interlinked dijrridoos each with its own mike) and more craft stalls than even I could examine. And here I was thinking I would have to make do with the Casuarina Mall. I came home with a bulging back-pack. My next challenge will be packing it all for the next step of our journey to Brisbane.
We were just delighted to discover that BOTH of us were well. A good omen for the day. So into our rental and down the road to Doctors Gulley. This was the site of the Quantas Airways hangars in the 1930s.. That was the good news; the bad news was that we had just missed Aqua scene, a fish sanctuary where hundreds of friendly local wild fish swim in on high tide in search of a gratuitous meal of fresh bread. I got in alright but was just in time to be shown out. Silly me.
Then off we went on the 50 km drive along Stuart Highway ( which goes straight through to Adelaide -taking in Alice Springs on the way) to the Territory Wildlife Park which is a 400 hectare conservation area opened by the Northern Territory Government.
En route we stumbled across a Termite Park which was actually closed but we managed to get up close to some of the pinnacles which towered over Peter's head and of course go far into the ground. They feel like Terracotta to touch.
Shortly after we drove into the Park and were greeted by a wildlife host who sat down with us and a map to plan our day for us. I told him of my specific interest because of my grand-daughter and he was particularly helpful. The park has a hop-on-hop-off train which circuits every half hour, so we did that trip first, then lunch, then a serious tour. There are 11 unique areas all with superb woodland walks linking them. We managed only half of them in the afternoon. Our original host had warned us of snakes on the paths which caused Peter to walk slowly behind me. The reverse of our normal walking. By the time we emerged the Park was closing but had given me the best day of my holiday.
We came home in time to go out to the Mindi Beach Sunset Markets which are held on Thursdays and Sundays of the dry season. Well, as if I hadn'T had a perfect day already, there I was facing the best evening of my holiday. The whole of Darwin gathers in this tranquil balmy environment ( with a full moon thrown in) with a limitless range of ethnic foods (I did prawn kebabs on Thai vegetable fried rice), to the accompaniment of wonderful music (my favourite was the guy with 5 interlinked dijrridoos each with its own mike) and more craft stalls than even I could examine. And here I was thinking I would have to make do with the Casuarina Mall. I came home with a bulging back-pack. My next challenge will be packing it all for the next step of our journey to Brisbane.
Wednesday 20 July 2016
Wed 21st
The night opened with that unmistakable sound of THE BUG having caught up with Peter. I knew exactly how it would unfold so occupied myself until 5.30 am when we both fell asleep for 1 1/2 hours with my plans for the day. What does a gal do when she's not looking at airfields? Or not sick herself, of course. That's right, she goes shopping. Peter had booked a rental car the night before but would be a liability on the road. When I went over to change the arrangements the woman was so obliging and offered to hold the car until Peter could drive . Actually I must say that we have experienced nothing but kind assistance ever since we went to Perth. Our Aussie neighbours have been so friendly and helpful.
So the Big Plan was to tackle the local shopping precinct all morning, by which time Peter would improve enough to pick up the car at midday, drive me to the huge Casuarina shopping Mall some 15 minutes drive out of town and then inspect the
1930s Qantas Airways hangar and back to the hotel for a lie down. Perfect. All that was required of me was to text when I'd had enough shopping. Surprisingly that was very soon. The endless alleyways in the Mall were packed with mewling school holiday families pushing, shoving, fighting, around absolutely the same chains of shops we have in South Auckland. I bought absolutely nothing at all.
We had booked tickets for the evening screening at the Deckchair Movie Compound on the foreshore of Darwin Harbour. After the previous 24 hours neither of us really wanted to go. However, you know what it's like once you've paid your money. Well, it was just wonderful. The movie was some droll Aussie sitcom thing but the experience was magic. They serve a basic meal and offer a well-stocked bar. There's a large raised dining area which overlooks the Harbour and is illuminated by the sunset. Neither Peter nor I could partake of the food or alcohol, but lemon, lime and bitters went down a treat. During the movie there was a baby possum dancing around getting what food he could. Ee'd have run over him in NZ but they thought he was just so cute. A jolly good evening.
The night opened with that unmistakable sound of THE BUG having caught up with Peter. I knew exactly how it would unfold so occupied myself until 5.30 am when we both fell asleep for 1 1/2 hours with my plans for the day. What does a gal do when she's not looking at airfields? Or not sick herself, of course. That's right, she goes shopping. Peter had booked a rental car the night before but would be a liability on the road. When I went over to change the arrangements the woman was so obliging and offered to hold the car until Peter could drive . Actually I must say that we have experienced nothing but kind assistance ever since we went to Perth. Our Aussie neighbours have been so friendly and helpful.
So the Big Plan was to tackle the local shopping precinct all morning, by which time Peter would improve enough to pick up the car at midday, drive me to the huge Casuarina shopping Mall some 15 minutes drive out of town and then inspect the
1930s Qantas Airways hangar and back to the hotel for a lie down. Perfect. All that was required of me was to text when I'd had enough shopping. Surprisingly that was very soon. The endless alleyways in the Mall were packed with mewling school holiday families pushing, shoving, fighting, around absolutely the same chains of shops we have in South Auckland. I bought absolutely nothing at all.
We had booked tickets for the evening screening at the Deckchair Movie Compound on the foreshore of Darwin Harbour. After the previous 24 hours neither of us really wanted to go. However, you know what it's like once you've paid your money. Well, it was just wonderful. The movie was some droll Aussie sitcom thing but the experience was magic. They serve a basic meal and offer a well-stocked bar. There's a large raised dining area which overlooks the Harbour and is illuminated by the sunset. Neither Peter nor I could partake of the food or alcohol, but lemon, lime and bitters went down a treat. During the movie there was a baby possum dancing around getting what food he could. Ee'd have run over him in NZ but they thought he was just so cute. A jolly good evening.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
Tues 19th: Exploring Darwin
This morning we woke at 8.15. What a difference just being able to leave the alarm off and then do our own tea and toast in our glorious apartment while catching up on social media. My bug had moved on but during the night had attacked 4 others of our group even though we were no longer together. Peter is still unscathed!!!
It was time to catch the hop-on-hop-off bus and explore the town which was named after Charles Darwin. It is closer to the capital cities of 5 other countries than it is to Canberra. The reason for the kangaroo and emulate on the Australian coat of arms is that both species can only go forward.
Our 1st stop was at Cullen Bay which is a reclaimed, up-market residential development.
Next stop was the Museum and Art Gallery. We happened to be right on time for a half hour lecture from a survivor of Cyclone Tracey which all but destroyed Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974. 60-70% of the houses were destroyed but only 55 people on land were killed. They evacuated 35,000 people out of Darwin but only 10% returned. The rebuild was all in steel, but they can'T have underground cabling because of the termites. 300 light aircraft tied down at the airfield were destroyed plus the DC 3 from NZ which had just flown in for a change of crew before it continued to Indonesia.
After a wonderful bowl of soup we wandered on through the rest of this superb museum to discover such treasures as Sweetheart the 17 ft male crocodile that had to be caught in the end because he was eating boats and chewing on their propellors rather than the people inside them. Unfortunately he died with the shock of the capture.
We then enjoyed the drive around to Fannie Bay a beautiful beach but not for swimming as 50 snapping handbags (alias salties) have been captured this year alone.
We finally disembarked at the Darwin Waterfront which has been created as part of the Cyclone Trace rebuild. This is a prestigious area with an exciting wave lagoon right in front of the magnificent new conference center.
We found our way around to the Outdoor Deckchair Cinema where we want to experience tomorrow night and then climbed the 100 steps back up to the main street.
A tourist feature of Darwin is their sunset so we decided to go down to the beautiful deck of our hotel to have cocktails at sunset Peter did his taste-test of a Pina Colada but I still need to be cautious. We were delighted to be joined by one of our tour group couples which is how we caught up with the continuation of THE BUG. These two were dining there so we stayed on with them for our meal. Such a very balmy evening with absolutely no insects. In fact the only bugs we have encountered in the whole trip are our stomach bugs. No flies. Nothing that bites.
We thought that was the end of our evening and returned to our apartment. But no. Half an hour later the sirens started up and a speaker system telling us to vacate our rooms immediately. Now where have I heard that before? Exactly a year ago. However this time it was only burnt toast on our floor and we were allowed to return after the brave firemen had put it out. Oh the relief!
This morning we woke at 8.15. What a difference just being able to leave the alarm off and then do our own tea and toast in our glorious apartment while catching up on social media. My bug had moved on but during the night had attacked 4 others of our group even though we were no longer together. Peter is still unscathed!!!
It was time to catch the hop-on-hop-off bus and explore the town which was named after Charles Darwin. It is closer to the capital cities of 5 other countries than it is to Canberra. The reason for the kangaroo and emulate on the Australian coat of arms is that both species can only go forward.
Our 1st stop was at Cullen Bay which is a reclaimed, up-market residential development.
Next stop was the Museum and Art Gallery. We happened to be right on time for a half hour lecture from a survivor of Cyclone Tracey which all but destroyed Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974. 60-70% of the houses were destroyed but only 55 people on land were killed. They evacuated 35,000 people out of Darwin but only 10% returned. The rebuild was all in steel, but they can'T have underground cabling because of the termites. 300 light aircraft tied down at the airfield were destroyed plus the DC 3 from NZ which had just flown in for a change of crew before it continued to Indonesia.
After a wonderful bowl of soup we wandered on through the rest of this superb museum to discover such treasures as Sweetheart the 17 ft male crocodile that had to be caught in the end because he was eating boats and chewing on their propellors rather than the people inside them. Unfortunately he died with the shock of the capture.
We then enjoyed the drive around to Fannie Bay a beautiful beach but not for swimming as 50 snapping handbags (alias salties) have been captured this year alone.
We finally disembarked at the Darwin Waterfront which has been created as part of the Cyclone Trace rebuild. This is a prestigious area with an exciting wave lagoon right in front of the magnificent new conference center.
We found our way around to the Outdoor Deckchair Cinema where we want to experience tomorrow night and then climbed the 100 steps back up to the main street.
A tourist feature of Darwin is their sunset so we decided to go down to the beautiful deck of our hotel to have cocktails at sunset Peter did his taste-test of a Pina Colada but I still need to be cautious. We were delighted to be joined by one of our tour group couples which is how we caught up with the continuation of THE BUG. These two were dining there so we stayed on with them for our meal. Such a very balmy evening with absolutely no insects. In fact the only bugs we have encountered in the whole trip are our stomach bugs. No flies. Nothing that bites.
We thought that was the end of our evening and returned to our apartment. But no. Half an hour later the sirens started up and a speaker system telling us to vacate our rooms immediately. Now where have I heard that before? Exactly a year ago. However this time it was only burnt toast on our floor and we were allowed to return after the brave firemen had put it out. Oh the relief!
Sunday 17 July 2016
Sun 17th: Katherine - Darwin
Another 7.15 start to the trip and we were on our way to the Katherine Gorge in the Nitmiluk National Park. Sooooo many fruit bats to greet us. If they weren't so valuable to their ecology, Australians would have them eradicated.
We were very thankful to be the first boat out as on our return from our second Gorge the magic had been obliterated by way too many tourists. Peter and I have done Katherine Gorge before but this trip was enhanced by a comedian of an Aboriginal boatman who was so knowledgeable as well as hysterically funny. "This rock art dates back 50,000 years, last Tuesday."
"The Katherine River rises 6 metres in the wet season but sometimes there is a 1 in 1000 year flood." You can see the velocity of the water by the horizontal lie of the trees, comparable to the angle of the growth of the trees in the Catlins.
There are 13 gorges in the park and 43 species of fish in the Katherine River. The Jawoyn People (the custodians) know when the croc and the turtles lay their eggs by when the kapok tree pods burst open.
We had lunch at Maysey's at Pine Creek, famed for their mango smoothies which tempted me.
Our next stop was the Adelaide River War Cemetry on the Stuart Highway. This was suitably manicured.
And so into Darwin which has been all but destroyed twice, once in WWII and again in 1974 by Cyclone Tracey on Christmas Eve. We were driven around the city to appreciate the magnificent rebuild. Hopefully Christchurch will materialise comparably.
There was just a slither of time for us to move into our magnificent apartment in the Mantra on the Esplanade and change for our tour dinner at Wharf One on Darwin Harbour. I just couldn't resist nibbling some of the food and a mouthful of the wine.
Today (18th) I have paid the price and am looking seriously at a dry water cracker with a smear of vegemite (the best they can do while Peter explores wonderful Aviation Heritage Museums and the like. However it has given me opportunity to catch up on this blog. Don't look for photos from me for toy. There aren't any. You know what a dry cracker looks like.
Another 7.15 start to the trip and we were on our way to the Katherine Gorge in the Nitmiluk National Park. Sooooo many fruit bats to greet us. If they weren't so valuable to their ecology, Australians would have them eradicated.
We were very thankful to be the first boat out as on our return from our second Gorge the magic had been obliterated by way too many tourists. Peter and I have done Katherine Gorge before but this trip was enhanced by a comedian of an Aboriginal boatman who was so knowledgeable as well as hysterically funny. "This rock art dates back 50,000 years, last Tuesday."
"The Katherine River rises 6 metres in the wet season but sometimes there is a 1 in 1000 year flood." You can see the velocity of the water by the horizontal lie of the trees, comparable to the angle of the growth of the trees in the Catlins.
There are 13 gorges in the park and 43 species of fish in the Katherine River. The Jawoyn People (the custodians) know when the croc and the turtles lay their eggs by when the kapok tree pods burst open.
We had lunch at Maysey's at Pine Creek, famed for their mango smoothies which tempted me.
Our next stop was the Adelaide River War Cemetry on the Stuart Highway. This was suitably manicured.
And so into Darwin which has been all but destroyed twice, once in WWII and again in 1974 by Cyclone Tracey on Christmas Eve. We were driven around the city to appreciate the magnificent rebuild. Hopefully Christchurch will materialise comparably.
There was just a slither of time for us to move into our magnificent apartment in the Mantra on the Esplanade and change for our tour dinner at Wharf One on Darwin Harbour. I just couldn't resist nibbling some of the food and a mouthful of the wine.
Today (18th) I have paid the price and am looking seriously at a dry water cracker with a smear of vegemite (the best they can do while Peter explores wonderful Aviation Heritage Museums and the like. However it has given me opportunity to catch up on this blog. Don't look for photos from me for toy. There aren't any. You know what a dry cracker looks like.
Sat 16th: Kununurra - Katherine.
An event I have not included so far in this blog is the arrival of an additional passenger on our coach in the form of an invisible gastric bug who alighted on various travellers. This morning it was my turn I was victim #12. However the coach took the bug and me at 7.30 as scheduled on a 5 10 km ride.
The first excitement was crossing the boundary into the Northern Territory. There was very thorough bio - search of all vehicles driving into the area but noone was remotely interested in our coach leaving it. We all put our watches forward 1 1/2 hours making only a 2 1/2 hour difference from NZ. It was what we regard as a long tedious drive to reach Katherine, but our driver says they can do 1,000 km a day, so this was a tiddler. I did note the lack of change of scenery each time I surfaced..
Finally we reached Katherine which is the 4th largest city in the Northern Territory with a population of 10,700. Points of interest are the Australian Air Force Base (seriously significant) and the railway station for the Ghan train. So Peter and I were back on familiar territory now having been here about 8 years ago. There are also traffic lights here!!! And we had to stop for them!!!!
An event I have not included so far in this blog is the arrival of an additional passenger on our coach in the form of an invisible gastric bug who alighted on various travellers. This morning it was my turn I was victim #12. However the coach took the bug and me at 7.30 as scheduled on a 5 10 km ride.
The first excitement was crossing the boundary into the Northern Territory. There was very thorough bio - search of all vehicles driving into the area but noone was remotely interested in our coach leaving it. We all put our watches forward 1 1/2 hours making only a 2 1/2 hour difference from NZ. It was what we regard as a long tedious drive to reach Katherine, but our driver says they can do 1,000 km a day, so this was a tiddler. I did note the lack of change of scenery each time I surfaced..
Finally we reached Katherine which is the 4th largest city in the Northern Territory with a population of 10,700. Points of interest are the Australian Air Force Base (seriously significant) and the railway station for the Ghan train. So Peter and I were back on familiar territory now having been here about 8 years ago. There are also traffic lights here!!! And we had to stop for them!!!!
Fri 15th: Kununurra sightseeing
Peter and I chose the optional early morning scenic flight over the spectacular Bungle Bungle beehive domes which required us to board the bus at 5.10am. We were astonished by the crowd already at the airport. Thirty of us boarded three Cessna Caravans, two of which took off. As our propellor wouldn't go around we had to disembark and shelter from the cold back in the terminal. Fortunately the pilot found a replacement rubber band so we did manage to lift off.
The area is truly spectacular but I didn'T risk taking photos as it was a bit bouncy for me. There had been no flight on the two previous days so it must have been worse. Peter took an album of photos. No beehive dome escaped his lens. I did manage an serial shot of the Argyle Diamond Mine though.
As soon as we had caught up on breakfast our coach drove us through the Mirima National Park which has an area of 2067 hectares. There are actually 6 conservation parks in the Kimberly area spread over 240,000 hectares each with their own tribal guardianship. The park was magnificently appointed for tourists with explanatory signage about the trees and what they were used for by the indigenous people.
Continuing on our journey our next stop was at the Zebra Rock Gallery. The rock is unique to the area. We had a fascinating talk about it by the Gallery owner who showed us his piece de resistance -a zebra's head carved from a rock 6 million years old.
After our early start we were relieved to return to our Grand Hotel for an evening meal. Little did I detect what lay ahead.
Peter and I chose the optional early morning scenic flight over the spectacular Bungle Bungle beehive domes which required us to board the bus at 5.10am. We were astonished by the crowd already at the airport. Thirty of us boarded three Cessna Caravans, two of which took off. As our propellor wouldn't go around we had to disembark and shelter from the cold back in the terminal. Fortunately the pilot found a replacement rubber band so we did manage to lift off.
The area is truly spectacular but I didn'T risk taking photos as it was a bit bouncy for me. There had been no flight on the two previous days so it must have been worse. Peter took an album of photos. No beehive dome escaped his lens. I did manage an serial shot of the Argyle Diamond Mine though.
As soon as we had caught up on breakfast our coach drove us through the Mirima National Park which has an area of 2067 hectares. There are actually 6 conservation parks in the Kimberly area spread over 240,000 hectares each with their own tribal guardianship. The park was magnificently appointed for tourists with explanatory signage about the trees and what they were used for by the indigenous people.
Continuing on our journey our next stop was at the Zebra Rock Gallery. The rock is unique to the area. We had a fascinating talk about it by the Gallery owner who showed us his piece de resistance -a zebra's head carved from a rock 6 million years old.
After our early start we were relieved to return to our Grand Hotel for an evening meal. Little did I detect what lay ahead.
Thurs 14th: Emma Gorge - Kununurra
Our first stop was at the Hoochery Distillery which produces the Ord River Run, the only rum made in Western Australia. Our guide for that tour appeared to be an integral member of the Spike Dessert family who founded and runs this enterprise. She was an authority on every step of the process, and after serving us the most heavenly rum and mango home-made cake was out there at the counter serving the many visitors wanting to buy their products.
From there we floated happily to the historic Durack Homestead which was built originally in 1895 but needed to be relocated before the flooding of Lake Argyle, Australia' s largest Man-made lake.
It was so interesting looking at the living conditions and implements in the 19th century. We were lucky enough to see a Bower Bird which had built his nest on the fence line of the property. This bird favored white pebbles and green glass for decoration to lure a female.
Later we were treated to a 3 hour, 55 km cruise on the Ord River which was built in 1972 in order to irrigate Kununurra, Wyndham and provide all the water for the Argyle Diamond Mine. The Ord River provides the habitat for 60 - 70,000 fresh water croc as well as a wide range of flora and fauna. The Ord River is in the top 10% of the world's greatest rivers and flows out of Lake Argyle which covers 1,000 square kilometers. The trip ended at 5.00 with a magical sunset.
We just had time to get in to our hotel in order to get out to the Sandlewood Factory - another family enterprise capturing overseas markets.
Our first stop was at the Hoochery Distillery which produces the Ord River Run, the only rum made in Western Australia. Our guide for that tour appeared to be an integral member of the Spike Dessert family who founded and runs this enterprise. She was an authority on every step of the process, and after serving us the most heavenly rum and mango home-made cake was out there at the counter serving the many visitors wanting to buy their products.
From there we floated happily to the historic Durack Homestead which was built originally in 1895 but needed to be relocated before the flooding of Lake Argyle, Australia' s largest Man-made lake.
It was so interesting looking at the living conditions and implements in the 19th century. We were lucky enough to see a Bower Bird which had built his nest on the fence line of the property. This bird favored white pebbles and green glass for decoration to lure a female.
Later we were treated to a 3 hour, 55 km cruise on the Ord River which was built in 1972 in order to irrigate Kununurra, Wyndham and provide all the water for the Argyle Diamond Mine. The Ord River provides the habitat for 60 - 70,000 fresh water croc as well as a wide range of flora and fauna. The Ord River is in the top 10% of the world's greatest rivers and flows out of Lake Argyle which covers 1,000 square kilometers. The trip ended at 5.00 with a magical sunset.
We just had time to get in to our hotel in order to get out to the Sandlewood Factory - another family enterprise capturing overseas markets.
Wed 13th: El Questro Sightseeing
We were woken at 5.45 am by a deafening dawn chorus of hundreds of birds giving their own morning reports concurrently. They are not melodious like our NZ birds. We left at 8.00 am and drove the extremely rutted road to the hub of El Questro Wilderness Park for cruise through the Chamberlain Gorge, a fresh water hole formed 3.5 million years ago. It was fringed by 60 metre tall escarpments where rock fig trees and Kapok trees grow. We tied up at the dam and were served champagne and fruit while we lured Seven Spotted Archer Fish to spit at us for the food pellets we were given. Their trajectory reached right up to our faces while we stood in the boat.
We returned to the station for lunch before driving back to the Emma Gorge Resort. We then had the choice of trekking into the Gorge or relaxing by the beautiful pool. A handful did the Gorge, but noone swam in the pool because it was so cold. I opted for a cup of tea and a lie-down. I found a book entitled 'Great Pioneer Women of the Outback' so had a cup of tea and read about other intrepid women.
We were woken at 5.45 am by a deafening dawn chorus of hundreds of birds giving their own morning reports concurrently. They are not melodious like our NZ birds. We left at 8.00 am and drove the extremely rutted road to the hub of El Questro Wilderness Park for cruise through the Chamberlain Gorge, a fresh water hole formed 3.5 million years ago. It was fringed by 60 metre tall escarpments where rock fig trees and Kapok trees grow. We tied up at the dam and were served champagne and fruit while we lured Seven Spotted Archer Fish to spit at us for the food pellets we were given. Their trajectory reached right up to our faces while we stood in the boat.
We returned to the station for lunch before driving back to the Emma Gorge Resort. We then had the choice of trekking into the Gorge or relaxing by the beautiful pool. A handful did the Gorge, but noone swam in the pool because it was so cold. I opted for a cup of tea and a lie-down. I found a book entitled 'Great Pioneer Women of the Outback' so had a cup of tea and read about other intrepid women.
Friday 15 July 2016
Tuesday 12th July: Hall's Creek - Emma Gorge
We set off at 8.00 am and drove eternally through the GABBA, which some of you will know as the Great Australian Bugger All. Well, THAT'S aptly named!!!! However eventually we reached the Argyle Diamond Mine, the world's largest supplier of coloured diamonds. The 6,000 hectares of land belonging to the Mirriwung and Gija people was being explored for uranium until one of the women got a stone in her shoe. It happened to be a 42.6 point diamond. And so was born the Argyle Diamond Mine in 1983. The mine is not open to the public but we were allowed in and very strict surveillance. Only 20% of the diamonds are white, but all the coloured ones were stockpiled until recently when Queen Elizabeth I I popularized them. The mines have about 3 more years to run when they will be closed and the land will be returned to its original condition. We were shown an area where this has started. Tribal elders have invested their profits very wisely for the good of their people whose lives have been so transformed by this remarkable find. They are now in process of setting up a commercial enterprise marketing their natural foods and medicines, right at a time when the Western world is so much more receptive.
We were treated to the best lunch in the workers' mess. And there we were entertained by a baby croc who obligingly climbed out of the beautiful pond and sat on a rock for us.
We returned to our coach and were driven to Parry's Lagoon Nature Reserve with its wonderful array of water birds.
Then on to the town of Wyndham, the meeting place of 5 mighty rivers. It used to be a huge port but has now dwindled to a mere 1,000 people with minimal port activity.
Back into the coach that took us to the El Question Wilderness in Emma Gorge for our glamping experience. The day ended magically with a magic outdoor smorgasbord.
We set off at 8.00 am and drove eternally through the GABBA, which some of you will know as the Great Australian Bugger All. Well, THAT'S aptly named!!!! However eventually we reached the Argyle Diamond Mine, the world's largest supplier of coloured diamonds. The 6,000 hectares of land belonging to the Mirriwung and Gija people was being explored for uranium until one of the women got a stone in her shoe. It happened to be a 42.6 point diamond. And so was born the Argyle Diamond Mine in 1983. The mine is not open to the public but we were allowed in and very strict surveillance. Only 20% of the diamonds are white, but all the coloured ones were stockpiled until recently when Queen Elizabeth I I popularized them. The mines have about 3 more years to run when they will be closed and the land will be returned to its original condition. We were shown an area where this has started. Tribal elders have invested their profits very wisely for the good of their people whose lives have been so transformed by this remarkable find. They are now in process of setting up a commercial enterprise marketing their natural foods and medicines, right at a time when the Western world is so much more receptive.
We were treated to the best lunch in the workers' mess. And there we were entertained by a baby croc who obligingly climbed out of the beautiful pond and sat on a rock for us.
We returned to our coach and were driven to Parry's Lagoon Nature Reserve with its wonderful array of water birds.
Then on to the town of Wyndham, the meeting place of 5 mighty rivers. It used to be a huge port but has now dwindled to a mere 1,000 people with minimal port activity.
Back into the coach that took us to the El Question Wilderness in Emma Gorge for our glamping experience. The day ended magically with a magic outdoor smorgasbord.
Monday 11th July: Fitzroy Crossing - Halls' Creek.
So much driving!!!! I can snooze for an hour and on waking up the scenery is identical to what it was earlier. Many huge camper-trailers were on the road for the school holidays. Peter and I had a dream of joining the Grey nomads but now that I've seen the vast distances, I've gone right off the idea and will stay with the AAT Kings tour. It sure ain'T the Gold Coast out here.
Stopped at the Yip ill Indigenous School but of course it was no fun without the youngsters. Gracie did her best to describe the scene to us, but she was very shy. The school caters for 90 children from pre-school to Year 10.
We drove into Hall's Creek which has now shrunk because of the closure of the mines because of diminished demand of Chinese. Lunch was served at our hotel which was built on stilts to allow for the seasonal flooding of the Fitzroy River. The features we visited were the excellent Visitor's Centre and the IGA. There was a splendid bronze commemorating a pioneering hero they called Russian Jack. He carried all his worldly goods in a wheelbarrow. When his friend fell ill, he tipped his meager possessions out of the barrow and wheeled his friend many miles seeking medical help.
The rest of the afternoon was scheduled for a swim and cocktails in the hotel pool but the temperature had dropped so much that we were more interested in a log fire and hot soup.
So much driving!!!! I can snooze for an hour and on waking up the scenery is identical to what it was earlier. Many huge camper-trailers were on the road for the school holidays. Peter and I had a dream of joining the Grey nomads but now that I've seen the vast distances, I've gone right off the idea and will stay with the AAT Kings tour. It sure ain'T the Gold Coast out here.
Stopped at the Yip ill Indigenous School but of course it was no fun without the youngsters. Gracie did her best to describe the scene to us, but she was very shy. The school caters for 90 children from pre-school to Year 10.
We drove into Hall's Creek which has now shrunk because of the closure of the mines because of diminished demand of Chinese. Lunch was served at our hotel which was built on stilts to allow for the seasonal flooding of the Fitzroy River. The features we visited were the excellent Visitor's Centre and the IGA. There was a splendid bronze commemorating a pioneering hero they called Russian Jack. He carried all his worldly goods in a wheelbarrow. When his friend fell ill, he tipped his meager possessions out of the barrow and wheeled his friend many miles seeking medical help.
The rest of the afternoon was scheduled for a swim and cocktails in the hotel pool but the temperature had dropped so much that we were more interested in a log fire and hot soup.
Sun 10 July - Broome to Fitzroy Crossing
Bus departed at 8.00 am for the 2,70 km trip to Darwin. A long tedious journey all morning stopping for a couple of comfort stops only and at the Boab Prisoner Tree which acted as an overnight holding cell for indigenous Australians on their way to Derby for sentencing. Hundreds were taken on to Broome and forced to work in the Pearl shell industry.
In the afternoon we were taken on a welcome cruise to Geike Gorge to wonder at the awesome colours and structure of the Gorge's stone walls. During the wet season, the Fitzroy River rises over 16 metres, staining the limestone walls of the gorge and flooding the entire national park with 7 metres of water. We shared the cruise with freshwater crocodiles, fruit bats and wallabies. The sky had clouded over for us and temperatures had dropped. However it was very hard to resist photographing endless stunning rock panaramas and their reflections. So many photos will have to be deleted.
Bus departed at 8.00 am for the 2,70 km trip to Darwin. A long tedious journey all morning stopping for a couple of comfort stops only and at the Boab Prisoner Tree which acted as an overnight holding cell for indigenous Australians on their way to Derby for sentencing. Hundreds were taken on to Broome and forced to work in the Pearl shell industry.
In the afternoon we were taken on a welcome cruise to Geike Gorge to wonder at the awesome colours and structure of the Gorge's stone walls. During the wet season, the Fitzroy River rises over 16 metres, staining the limestone walls of the gorge and flooding the entire national park with 7 metres of water. We shared the cruise with freshwater crocodiles, fruit bats and wallabies. The sky had clouded over for us and temperatures had dropped. However it was very hard to resist photographing endless stunning rock panaramas and their reflections. So many photos will have to be deleted.
Saturday 9 July 2016
Sat 9 July
The day began with Peter arising at 6 am to take a Hovercraft flight on Roebuck Bay to view the dinosaur footprints calcified in the rocks.
I sallied forth later to watch the camel train arriving for its day's trek. How I wished I had booked myself in before everyone else had. The resident population of Broome is 15,000, but at this time of year it swells to 50,000. And they all want a camel ride.
Peter returned from his trip in time for us to enjoy a coach tour around Broome and environs, then 5 of us were dropped off in town for the Pearl luggers tour. I was astonished that only 3 men and 2 women were interested. The rest were just driven back to the resort.
Broome rose to fame from the popularity of pearl buttons and many hundreds of divers died in the quest for same. Aboriginal were herded from the Inland and forced to dive for the Pearl shell in the late 19th century. It was not until the 20th century that huge suits , weights and helmets were devised so that divers could be forced to go down from sunrise to sunset collecting the shell. Many divers died of the bends, but Japanese and Malays were eager to try as they were well paid. Virtually no improvement was made in the gear until the 1950s when plastic buttons were invented and the bottom dropped out of the market.
The diving life span was about 5 years before the effects of the bends took toil on the men and forced them into a miserable retirement. Some men lasted for 10 years. The hero of the industry was Norrie who dived continuously for 25 years with no ill effects whatsoever. No medical explanation was ever made as to the reason for his thriving career in what had killed or maimed hundreds of other divers.
Now pearl farming has become a much more sophisticated operation with no human loss of life.
After the tour I had budgeted for the purchase of some Broome pearls. But first, some lunch. By the time I got myself into the main street to start seriously looking, all the shops had shut. Of course. It was race day. The town had emptied. I was lucky enough to be able to catch myself a public bus back to the resort for a swim. This was my first since the years of my ulcerated leg so was actually a great occasion to be marked by Pina coladas by the pool like posh people do.
Luggage outside the door by 6.45 tomorrow morning.
The day began with Peter arising at 6 am to take a Hovercraft flight on Roebuck Bay to view the dinosaur footprints calcified in the rocks.
I sallied forth later to watch the camel train arriving for its day's trek. How I wished I had booked myself in before everyone else had. The resident population of Broome is 15,000, but at this time of year it swells to 50,000. And they all want a camel ride.
Peter returned from his trip in time for us to enjoy a coach tour around Broome and environs, then 5 of us were dropped off in town for the Pearl luggers tour. I was astonished that only 3 men and 2 women were interested. The rest were just driven back to the resort.
Broome rose to fame from the popularity of pearl buttons and many hundreds of divers died in the quest for same. Aboriginal were herded from the Inland and forced to dive for the Pearl shell in the late 19th century. It was not until the 20th century that huge suits , weights and helmets were devised so that divers could be forced to go down from sunrise to sunset collecting the shell. Many divers died of the bends, but Japanese and Malays were eager to try as they were well paid. Virtually no improvement was made in the gear until the 1950s when plastic buttons were invented and the bottom dropped out of the market.
The diving life span was about 5 years before the effects of the bends took toil on the men and forced them into a miserable retirement. Some men lasted for 10 years. The hero of the industry was Norrie who dived continuously for 25 years with no ill effects whatsoever. No medical explanation was ever made as to the reason for his thriving career in what had killed or maimed hundreds of other divers.
Now pearl farming has become a much more sophisticated operation with no human loss of life.
After the tour I had budgeted for the purchase of some Broome pearls. But first, some lunch. By the time I got myself into the main street to start seriously looking, all the shops had shut. Of course. It was race day. The town had emptied. I was lucky enough to be able to catch myself a public bus back to the resort for a swim. This was my first since the years of my ulcerated leg so was actually a great occasion to be marked by Pina coladas by the pool like posh people do.
Luggage outside the door by 6.45 tomorrow morning.
Friday 8 July 2016
Fri 8 July
I crept out of bed while Peter was still snoring and ran down to Cable Beach to see the camels assembling ready for the sunrise rides. There were about three seats vacant. If only I had grabbed my credit card I could have joined the trek!! Of course the next two days are fully booked being the weekend. Hi-de-Ho. I trundle back to join Peter for breakfast, and off we set for our adventures.
There is a bus that circuits Broome every half hour so for $10 we could buy an all day ticket. It was so INTERESTING going around all the resorts and then off into the CBD. First port of call was the I-site for maps. The only wifi centres were the library and Macdonald so we trudged around in the searing heat to get to Macdonalds, coffee, pineapple and coffee loaf plus wifi. By the time we had caught up with our NZ business, it was even hotter, but Peter had his own agenda so off we went. Planes had landed at strategic spots so sites needed to be visited and photographed. It wasn't all bad as we had stumbled into the famed pearl centre. WOW!!! I have never seen pearl jewellery comparable. With one flash of my credit card I could have paid the deposit on any one of incredible pieces. Just magnificent to behold. Then we found the Pearl farm I will be touring tomorrow so it was great to have a quiet introduction to it.
Then back on the bus to the Museum which was splendid. Peter was enthralled by all the aviation history while I was absorbed by the ruthless history of pearling.
Back into town by bus and refreshed by a mango smoothie. Then back on the next bus to get ready for our meet and greet with our tour group. There's 32 of us, all over 60 Australians and another couple of kiwis whom we didn't find. Complimentary bubbles followed by a three course dinner in the Sunset Bar. We have a very sociable female tour guide who was ever so obliging but not organised at all.
Peter didn't want to waste his time tomorrow on pearls and chose a far more appropriate hovercraft option. All was fine until we were informed that one of the craft has broken down, so there will be two trips tomorrow, one leaving at 5.40 am and the next at 6.40 am. Mercifully Peter has been drafted on to the later one which is still far too early for that owl. Such a shame. My pearl tour starts at 10.00 am. Aren't I the lucky one.
We have been warned that we'll be beyond wifi contact range for the trip so I may not be talking to you again until Darwin on 18 July.. I have brought a diary and a pen so will keep a record of events by pen and paper.
I crept out of bed while Peter was still snoring and ran down to Cable Beach to see the camels assembling ready for the sunrise rides. There were about three seats vacant. If only I had grabbed my credit card I could have joined the trek!! Of course the next two days are fully booked being the weekend. Hi-de-Ho. I trundle back to join Peter for breakfast, and off we set for our adventures.
There is a bus that circuits Broome every half hour so for $10 we could buy an all day ticket. It was so INTERESTING going around all the resorts and then off into the CBD. First port of call was the I-site for maps. The only wifi centres were the library and Macdonald so we trudged around in the searing heat to get to Macdonalds, coffee, pineapple and coffee loaf plus wifi. By the time we had caught up with our NZ business, it was even hotter, but Peter had his own agenda so off we went. Planes had landed at strategic spots so sites needed to be visited and photographed. It wasn't all bad as we had stumbled into the famed pearl centre. WOW!!! I have never seen pearl jewellery comparable. With one flash of my credit card I could have paid the deposit on any one of incredible pieces. Just magnificent to behold. Then we found the Pearl farm I will be touring tomorrow so it was great to have a quiet introduction to it.
Then back on the bus to the Museum which was splendid. Peter was enthralled by all the aviation history while I was absorbed by the ruthless history of pearling.
Back into town by bus and refreshed by a mango smoothie. Then back on the next bus to get ready for our meet and greet with our tour group. There's 32 of us, all over 60 Australians and another couple of kiwis whom we didn't find. Complimentary bubbles followed by a three course dinner in the Sunset Bar. We have a very sociable female tour guide who was ever so obliging but not organised at all.
Peter didn't want to waste his time tomorrow on pearls and chose a far more appropriate hovercraft option. All was fine until we were informed that one of the craft has broken down, so there will be two trips tomorrow, one leaving at 5.40 am and the next at 6.40 am. Mercifully Peter has been drafted on to the later one which is still far too early for that owl. Such a shame. My pearl tour starts at 10.00 am. Aren't I the lucky one.
We have been warned that we'll be beyond wifi contact range for the trip so I may not be talking to you again until Darwin on 18 July.. I have brought a diary and a pen so will keep a record of events by pen and paper.
Thursday 7 July 2016
Thurs 7 July - Happy 12th birthday Freya!
All we had to do this morning was have breakfast, pack our bags and drive to the airport. And so we did, but no sign told us where to park our rental car. So we drove in ever-increasgly frenetic circles until we eventually found the Hertz drop-off point. Brilliant! We locked the car and started to walk off somewhere when a man asked us which airline we were flying with. Oh! Virgin? Not from here you're not. You need to be the other side of the airport. So we lept back in and drove for 10mins. Then of course that man wanted all the paperwork we had left at our first point. However we looked sufficiently traumatized that he said "just go" and yes, we did stagger on to the right plane at the right time.
It took us the whole 2 1/2 hour flight to recover but we disembarked into a tropical paradise. The resort van was there to pick us up and bring us to this Cable Bay Resort which is so far beyond my expectations. This is peak tourist season here, so the place is a-buzz with people escaping winter blues. We have watched the weather report this evening a nd seen a huge storm moving into Perth - on the same day that we've moved out. Taiwan is being hit as is NZ but we have superb 30 C temperatures. How lucky is that.
We were greeted with a glass of champagne and shown to our upstairs suite overlooking the adults only pool. We were told that sunset was at 5.30 so decided to wander across the vast compound to the beach. SURPRISE! Hundreds of people had gathered on Cable Bay to witness the glorious sunset and the return of the camel train. Outrageously exciting.. Great groups were gathered on the sands for barbecues and hundreds of large safari vehicles were returning from doing whatever safari vehicles do. The camels were led past us having earned their keep for the day.
We were warned to make a booking for one of the 7 restaurants as the Resort is full. We also needed to book in for breakfast. It was just wonderful to go to an Italian Restaurant for a fabulous meal with accompanying wine. So different from our little packet meal each night at the Airbnb. Mind you, the price tag was a shock.
So here we are on the tropical expensive section of our trip. Yes, we shall enjoy.
All we had to do this morning was have breakfast, pack our bags and drive to the airport. And so we did, but no sign told us where to park our rental car. So we drove in ever-increasgly frenetic circles until we eventually found the Hertz drop-off point. Brilliant! We locked the car and started to walk off somewhere when a man asked us which airline we were flying with. Oh! Virgin? Not from here you're not. You need to be the other side of the airport. So we lept back in and drove for 10mins. Then of course that man wanted all the paperwork we had left at our first point. However we looked sufficiently traumatized that he said "just go" and yes, we did stagger on to the right plane at the right time.
It took us the whole 2 1/2 hour flight to recover but we disembarked into a tropical paradise. The resort van was there to pick us up and bring us to this Cable Bay Resort which is so far beyond my expectations. This is peak tourist season here, so the place is a-buzz with people escaping winter blues. We have watched the weather report this evening a nd seen a huge storm moving into Perth - on the same day that we've moved out. Taiwan is being hit as is NZ but we have superb 30 C temperatures. How lucky is that.
We were greeted with a glass of champagne and shown to our upstairs suite overlooking the adults only pool. We were told that sunset was at 5.30 so decided to wander across the vast compound to the beach. SURPRISE! Hundreds of people had gathered on Cable Bay to witness the glorious sunset and the return of the camel train. Outrageously exciting.. Great groups were gathered on the sands for barbecues and hundreds of large safari vehicles were returning from doing whatever safari vehicles do. The camels were led past us having earned their keep for the day.
We were warned to make a booking for one of the 7 restaurants as the Resort is full. We also needed to book in for breakfast. It was just wonderful to go to an Italian Restaurant for a fabulous meal with accompanying wine. So different from our little packet meal each night at the Airbnb. Mind you, the price tag was a shock.
So here we are on the tropical expensive section of our trip. Yes, we shall enjoy.
Wednesday 6 July 2016
Tues 5 July
Our Riverside Hotel tariff included breakfast much to our delight. We were given keys to get into the Hotel via a back gate and a door leading from the internal courtyard. So in we went for the self-service repast. And yes, we found a room with a fridge, loaf of bread, a bottle of milk, two packets of cornflakes, a toaster, a tub of marg, a jar of coffee, a packet of teabags, and 2 varieties of marmalade. Well, that's breakfast, isn't it. Not a mouse stirred in the place, so we cleaned our teeth and left.
We had been advised to head south to York next. What a glorious drive that was through hundreds (thousands? ) of hectares of canola oil plantation. Photos can't the capture the beauty because of the size of the golden pastures.
Eventually we arrived in the Shire of York which really did display the opulent Victorian and Federation buildings adthe vertised. We were relieved that a couple of the Alfresco cafes were open although noone was sitting outside in those temperatures. Of greatest interest to us was the motor vehicle museum featuring the ute used in Crocodile Dundee.
I was keen to get to Toodyay (2J) which was described as the tidest town in Australia and was awarded the iconic Keep Australia Beautiful trophy for 2015 as well as several WA State Heritage awards. Well, somebody had packed it all away for the winter, but we found a bakery and a brand new loo, so who's complaining?
Nothing for it then but for me to drive back into the outer suburbs of Perth and let Peter have his afternoon snooze. Need I tell you how delighted we were to get back to our own unit and tuck up in some comfort and our unequalled view.of
Unfortunately Peter was up most of the night with a stomach that was revolting.
Wed 6 July
Our Airbnb hostess had offered to take us on a tour of the elite suburbs of Perth. It was wonderful to be chauffeured around among such munificence with a constant commentary from this colourful Iranian.
After lunch in Fremantle she returned us to our unit so that Peter could go on a hunt for a disused airfield at Mayland, on the banks of the Swan.
So tomorrow it's goodbye to Perth and the cold and hello to Broome and the heat. A major wardrobe change ahead.
Our Riverside Hotel tariff included breakfast much to our delight. We were given keys to get into the Hotel via a back gate and a door leading from the internal courtyard. So in we went for the self-service repast. And yes, we found a room with a fridge, loaf of bread, a bottle of milk, two packets of cornflakes, a toaster, a tub of marg, a jar of coffee, a packet of teabags, and 2 varieties of marmalade. Well, that's breakfast, isn't it. Not a mouse stirred in the place, so we cleaned our teeth and left.
We had been advised to head south to York next. What a glorious drive that was through hundreds (thousands? ) of hectares of canola oil plantation. Photos can't the capture the beauty because of the size of the golden pastures.
Eventually we arrived in the Shire of York which really did display the opulent Victorian and Federation buildings adthe vertised. We were relieved that a couple of the Alfresco cafes were open although noone was sitting outside in those temperatures. Of greatest interest to us was the motor vehicle museum featuring the ute used in Crocodile Dundee.
I was keen to get to Toodyay (2J) which was described as the tidest town in Australia and was awarded the iconic Keep Australia Beautiful trophy for 2015 as well as several WA State Heritage awards. Well, somebody had packed it all away for the winter, but we found a bakery and a brand new loo, so who's complaining?
Nothing for it then but for me to drive back into the outer suburbs of Perth and let Peter have his afternoon snooze. Need I tell you how delighted we were to get back to our own unit and tuck up in some comfort and our unequalled view.of
Unfortunately Peter was up most of the night with a stomach that was revolting.
Wed 6 July
Our Airbnb hostess had offered to take us on a tour of the elite suburbs of Perth. It was wonderful to be chauffeured around among such munificence with a constant commentary from this colourful Iranian.
After lunch in Fremantle she returned us to our unit so that Peter could go on a hunt for a disused airfield at Mayland, on the banks of the Swan.
So tomorrow it's goodbye to Perth and the cold and hello to Broome and the heat. A major wardrobe change ahead.
Tuesday 5 July 2016
Mon July 4th
Today we decided to have a drive into the country out east and explore the Swan and Avon Valleys. The Swan Valley is about 30 minutes from our unit. Think Martin borough. It bills itself as a 32 km loop comprising more than 150 wineries, restaurants, cafes, breweries, distilleries, art galleries, farm gates, and other attractions. Of course we hit Monday in the middle of winter so most of it was shut. Have I mentioned how bitterly cold it is? However, the 2 chocolate factories were bustling it being school holidays, so Peter was totally happy. He agreed to have morning coffee in a lavender shop to allow me to avoid the nauseating smell of the chocolate. We stocked up on two cheeses at The Cheese Barrel, a vast improvement on Coles Australian Cheddar.
I also wanted to explore the Avon Valley so we sallied forth on the 90 km drive through the Kwolyine National Reserve to the next major shire of Northam. We got there just before they stopped serving lunch at 3.30 so we were extremely fortunate to get the last of the steaming vegetable soup. Then into the huge new visitors' centre to find out the delights of Northam. Chatting to the entertaining woman there we said we intended walking around the historic buildings there and then driving back to Perth in the evening. You can't, said she. Why not, we said Because of the roos, said she. Roos? What are they? Well she just loved that one!!! Here she had 2 elderly Kiwis who didn't know what kangaroos were. It's not that exactly. It's just that we didn't know they would prevent us from drivg back to Perth in the evening. Nobody told us that that's when they come out to play Russian roulette with cars on the Great Eastern Highway.
So, plan B. Stay overnight. It was actually too cold to explore the delights of Northam by then anyway. So she rang one place which was fully booked and then said we'd have to stay in the Riverside Hotel. That's OK. An hotel sounds just the ticket. I must confess I was a tad surprised by the lack of choice. But I talked to the booking man and hey presto we were all organised. Off we trotted in the gloom and bought the requisite toothbrushes before driving all the way around the corner to the Riverside Hotel, an historic building. There was no sign of a river, but a very young man looked astonished when we said we were booked in for the night and gave us a key to a row of tin sheds out the back. We applied the key and walked into our tiny icebox. Yes, there was a bed. Yes, it had a heater. It occupied one wall on one side of the bed. When Peter found a lead to and a plug this great monstrosity sprang into life. Think the inside of a concrete mixer. However, 30 mins later, it produced some heat. There was a TV which screened the Aussie news intermittently. Election, dead body in a suitcase just down river from our unit , and P contaminated rental properties. With no Internet access and no personal comforts, Peter was not impressed. However, once we made our way to the crowded dining room, found some alcohol and some excellent hot food, we resumed our cordial relationship and had a pleasant evening. On reading the writeup of Northam, there was no mention of accommodation. It's a commercial centre that is not built for tourists. Our accommodation was what was offered to trucks over-nightingale.
With the help of the wine, and a superb thick duvet, and turning off the concrete mixer, we slept the night away.
Today we decided to have a drive into the country out east and explore the Swan and Avon Valleys. The Swan Valley is about 30 minutes from our unit. Think Martin borough. It bills itself as a 32 km loop comprising more than 150 wineries, restaurants, cafes, breweries, distilleries, art galleries, farm gates, and other attractions. Of course we hit Monday in the middle of winter so most of it was shut. Have I mentioned how bitterly cold it is? However, the 2 chocolate factories were bustling it being school holidays, so Peter was totally happy. He agreed to have morning coffee in a lavender shop to allow me to avoid the nauseating smell of the chocolate. We stocked up on two cheeses at The Cheese Barrel, a vast improvement on Coles Australian Cheddar.
I also wanted to explore the Avon Valley so we sallied forth on the 90 km drive through the Kwolyine National Reserve to the next major shire of Northam. We got there just before they stopped serving lunch at 3.30 so we were extremely fortunate to get the last of the steaming vegetable soup. Then into the huge new visitors' centre to find out the delights of Northam. Chatting to the entertaining woman there we said we intended walking around the historic buildings there and then driving back to Perth in the evening. You can't, said she. Why not, we said Because of the roos, said she. Roos? What are they? Well she just loved that one!!! Here she had 2 elderly Kiwis who didn't know what kangaroos were. It's not that exactly. It's just that we didn't know they would prevent us from drivg back to Perth in the evening. Nobody told us that that's when they come out to play Russian roulette with cars on the Great Eastern Highway.
So, plan B. Stay overnight. It was actually too cold to explore the delights of Northam by then anyway. So she rang one place which was fully booked and then said we'd have to stay in the Riverside Hotel. That's OK. An hotel sounds just the ticket. I must confess I was a tad surprised by the lack of choice. But I talked to the booking man and hey presto we were all organised. Off we trotted in the gloom and bought the requisite toothbrushes before driving all the way around the corner to the Riverside Hotel, an historic building. There was no sign of a river, but a very young man looked astonished when we said we were booked in for the night and gave us a key to a row of tin sheds out the back. We applied the key and walked into our tiny icebox. Yes, there was a bed. Yes, it had a heater. It occupied one wall on one side of the bed. When Peter found a lead to and a plug this great monstrosity sprang into life. Think the inside of a concrete mixer. However, 30 mins later, it produced some heat. There was a TV which screened the Aussie news intermittently. Election, dead body in a suitcase just down river from our unit , and P contaminated rental properties. With no Internet access and no personal comforts, Peter was not impressed. However, once we made our way to the crowded dining room, found some alcohol and some excellent hot food, we resumed our cordial relationship and had a pleasant evening. On reading the writeup of Northam, there was no mention of accommodation. It's a commercial centre that is not built for tourists. Our accommodation was what was offered to trucks over-nightingale.
With the help of the wine, and a superb thick duvet, and turning off the concrete mixer, we slept the night away.
Sunday 3 July 2016
Sun 3 July
Today we made a valiant effort to be on our way earlier than 10.00 am. This resulted in us being parked at Elizabeth Quay as the bells rang 9 o'clock. Our Captain Cook Cruise boat left in 40 mins so we had time to wander around the Quay, take photos and walk across the creative foot/cycle way. It was Soooo cold and starting to rain by the time we joined the queue of Asians to board the vessel. We could only get seats in the central block which was so disappointing after our early start. Once we left the jetty the rain really set in forcing even the intrepid to seek shelter in the already crowded cabin. Because people kept breathing, the windows fogged up. Not a pleasant 1 1/4 hour journey to Fremantle although our skipper regaled us with eye-watering stories of the establishment of the multi-million dollar mansions lining the Swan coastline. Some very big iron-ore magnates have vast estates on the coast.
Upon alighting at Fremantle Peter caught the free tram for a town circuit but I chose another lot of markets. I also finished up at a Moroccan cafe in the sun wrapped up in their rug listening to a delightful string duo. Peter returned as the much bigger river cruise boat was about to cast off and we found ourselves seats on the upper deck where we had uninterrupted views of the environs. Dolphins escorted us for a way up river. A far more enjoyable trip.
Of course Peter was suffering from a lack of food, so after a 2.45 lunch on the Quay we jumped into our Kia and drove to the Kings Park to find the treetop walkway I had read about. Well, we drove and we drove through this 400 hectare garden until we eventually found a small sign Walkway. And that was the only signage for their magnificent treetop bridge opened recently to allow visitors to walk over the canopy of some of the 3,000 species of the State's unique native flora.
That left just enough time for us to drive to the Jandicot airfield for inspection before yet another splendid sunset.
Such a full and varied day.
Today we made a valiant effort to be on our way earlier than 10.00 am. This resulted in us being parked at Elizabeth Quay as the bells rang 9 o'clock. Our Captain Cook Cruise boat left in 40 mins so we had time to wander around the Quay, take photos and walk across the creative foot/cycle way. It was Soooo cold and starting to rain by the time we joined the queue of Asians to board the vessel. We could only get seats in the central block which was so disappointing after our early start. Once we left the jetty the rain really set in forcing even the intrepid to seek shelter in the already crowded cabin. Because people kept breathing, the windows fogged up. Not a pleasant 1 1/4 hour journey to Fremantle although our skipper regaled us with eye-watering stories of the establishment of the multi-million dollar mansions lining the Swan coastline. Some very big iron-ore magnates have vast estates on the coast.
Upon alighting at Fremantle Peter caught the free tram for a town circuit but I chose another lot of markets. I also finished up at a Moroccan cafe in the sun wrapped up in their rug listening to a delightful string duo. Peter returned as the much bigger river cruise boat was about to cast off and we found ourselves seats on the upper deck where we had uninterrupted views of the environs. Dolphins escorted us for a way up river. A far more enjoyable trip.
Of course Peter was suffering from a lack of food, so after a 2.45 lunch on the Quay we jumped into our Kia and drove to the Kings Park to find the treetop walkway I had read about. Well, we drove and we drove through this 400 hectare garden until we eventually found a small sign Walkway. And that was the only signage for their magnificent treetop bridge opened recently to allow visitors to walk over the canopy of some of the 3,000 species of the State's unique native flora.
That left just enough time for us to drive to the Jandicot airfield for inspection before yet another splendid sunset.
Such a full and varied day.
Saturday 2 July 2016
SAT 2 July -waiting for election results
Tomorrow we need to be up off and away at the crack of dawn before 10am (our departure time so far), so I'll write up today tonight.
We drove into the CBD and found a parking building where we could leave the car for the day. We then tracked down a hop-on-hop-off bus which circuits once an hour only. Of course we had just missed one so had to find a coffee bar to shelter from the cold. We bought a 2 day package from the bus driver and away we went.
Our first hop-off was at the Perth Mint which was founded in 1899 in response to one of the greatest gold rushes in history which began in Kalgoorlie in 1893. Our conducted tour gave us so much fascinating history and included a demonstration of the process of making a gold bar.
We had to tear ourselves away to catch the next bus which drove us through the extensive Kings Gardens. These warrant a whole day on their own and we may go back if time permits. However our next goal was the new Bell Tower opened in 2000 as WA's Millennium project. It is a spectacular building on the waterfront housing the 12 bells of St Martin's plus another 6. There are 6 levels to the Belltower . On the top deck you can pay a small fee for the tune of your choice. Peter chose the NZ national anthem. Now we know how Olympians feel when they have won gold. I didn't realize how patriotic we are.
We also paid for a cruise of the Swan down to Fremantle, but by then they weren't cruising anywhere, so we need to get cracking tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow we need to be up off and away at the crack of dawn before 10am (our departure time so far), so I'll write up today tonight.
We drove into the CBD and found a parking building where we could leave the car for the day. We then tracked down a hop-on-hop-off bus which circuits once an hour only. Of course we had just missed one so had to find a coffee bar to shelter from the cold. We bought a 2 day package from the bus driver and away we went.
Our first hop-off was at the Perth Mint which was founded in 1899 in response to one of the greatest gold rushes in history which began in Kalgoorlie in 1893. Our conducted tour gave us so much fascinating history and included a demonstration of the process of making a gold bar.
We had to tear ourselves away to catch the next bus which drove us through the extensive Kings Gardens. These warrant a whole day on their own and we may go back if time permits. However our next goal was the new Bell Tower opened in 2000 as WA's Millennium project. It is a spectacular building on the waterfront housing the 12 bells of St Martin's plus another 6. There are 6 levels to the Belltower . On the top deck you can pay a small fee for the tune of your choice. Peter chose the NZ national anthem. Now we know how Olympians feel when they have won gold. I didn't realize how patriotic we are.
We also paid for a cruise of the Swan down to Fremantle, but by then they weren't cruising anywhere, so we need to get cracking tomorrow morning.
Friday 1 July 2016
Sat 2 July - Oz election day
Yet another picture-perfect morning on the Swan River and not as teeth-chattering ly cold as yesterday. We didn't leave until the temperature had risen above the 1 C and the sun had thawed the frost on the car windows. Then Peter keyed Fremantle into the magical GPS and he followed the woman's instructions implicitly. There is no stopping on the freeways here like there is in Auckland. All lanes flow at 100 km constantly and everyone appears to know where they're going. Even local arterial routes flow at 60 km giving no opportunity for map-reading.
School holidays start this week and seeing that Fremantle is such a popular holiday destination we realised we needed to visit the first day the famed markets opened. Freo is a mere 20km from here so that gave us time to find a parking building, a Friday hair salon, the I-site and a coffee house before visitors arrived.
Freo was founded in 1829 and was the first Porto call for migrants hence it's cosmopolitan mix There are now two free CAT buses which run every 15 minutes which assist the elderly who have already exceeded their daily 10000 step goal.
Our first stop was the Markets before they became prohibitively crowded. I really could have spent another couple of hours there but after spending half an hour with the most alluring blond saleswoman choosing the perfect Swarovski crystal set, I thought I'd better not pushand a Trilby hat, my luck further. But then Peter found a belt and a Trilby hat so all was forgiven.
We walked the long way round to the fishing boat harbour through the Roundhouse ( built in 1831 to house the original convicts while they were building the official prison up the hill) . We then had to make our way across Bathers Beach to the fishing boat harbour with the vast array of seafood restaurants. By the time we got there the hordes of schoolchildren were finishing their end-of-term lunch and starting to move away. Even the seagulls relaxed. We chose a restaurant the best fish and chips in town -which we found to be true.
Just across the park was the WA Maritime Museum which was fascinating. Maritime history for Freo began in 1616 with the arrival of the Duyfken with Dutch explorer s and then the Batavia in 1629. Many boats were wrecked on that Western coastline and the museum has a grand collection of drawings, artefacts and diaries all displayed artistically. Of particular interest was a video of the restoration of the trunk engine from the X an tho which was used in the pearling industry but sank due to overloading in 1879. The wreck was discovered by marine archeologists in 1979 and there began the retrieval and restoration of the engine which is now proudly exhibited in working order.
After all that, there was nothing for it but to hop on a free bus to Capucchino Street where we had bowls of hot soup t
Yet another picture-perfect morning on the Swan River and not as teeth-chattering ly cold as yesterday. We didn't leave until the temperature had risen above the 1 C and the sun had thawed the frost on the car windows. Then Peter keyed Fremantle into the magical GPS and he followed the woman's instructions implicitly. There is no stopping on the freeways here like there is in Auckland. All lanes flow at 100 km constantly and everyone appears to know where they're going. Even local arterial routes flow at 60 km giving no opportunity for map-reading.
School holidays start this week and seeing that Fremantle is such a popular holiday destination we realised we needed to visit the first day the famed markets opened. Freo is a mere 20km from here so that gave us time to find a parking building, a Friday hair salon, the I-site and a coffee house before visitors arrived.
Freo was founded in 1829 and was the first Porto call for migrants hence it's cosmopolitan mix There are now two free CAT buses which run every 15 minutes which assist the elderly who have already exceeded their daily 10000 step goal.
Our first stop was the Markets before they became prohibitively crowded. I really could have spent another couple of hours there but after spending half an hour with the most alluring blond saleswoman choosing the perfect Swarovski crystal set, I thought I'd better not pushand a Trilby hat, my luck further. But then Peter found a belt and a Trilby hat so all was forgiven.
We walked the long way round to the fishing boat harbour through the Roundhouse ( built in 1831 to house the original convicts while they were building the official prison up the hill) . We then had to make our way across Bathers Beach to the fishing boat harbour with the vast array of seafood restaurants. By the time we got there the hordes of schoolchildren were finishing their end-of-term lunch and starting to move away. Even the seagulls relaxed. We chose a restaurant the best fish and chips in town -which we found to be true.
Just across the park was the WA Maritime Museum which was fascinating. Maritime history for Freo began in 1616 with the arrival of the Duyfken with Dutch explorer s and then the Batavia in 1629. Many boats were wrecked on that Western coastline and the museum has a grand collection of drawings, artefacts and diaries all displayed artistically. Of particular interest was a video of the restoration of the trunk engine from the X an tho which was used in the pearling industry but sank due to overloading in 1879. The wreck was discovered by marine archeologists in 1979 and there began the retrieval and restoration of the engine which is now proudly exhibited in working order.
After all that, there was nothing for it but to hop on a free bus to Capucchino Street where we had bowls of hot soup t
Thursday 30 June 2016
Fri 1 July
Again another picture perfect cloudless morning!!!!
Yesterday was taken up with the Bull Creek Aviation Museum topped off with a superb meal at their restaurant patronized by resident of the neighboring retirement village.
Then off into Perth CBD to the central I-site to be plied with all the copious tourist publicity for Western Australia. So now all we have to do is decide what to select for our remaining 6 days.
Then home for Peter's afternoon nap before we took off to Gold Class Finding Dory in the local mall. I know!!!! Trust me, there was just nothing else on we could bear.
Again another picture perfect cloudless morning!!!!
Yesterday was taken up with the Bull Creek Aviation Museum topped off with a superb meal at their restaurant patronized by resident of the neighboring retirement village.
Then off into Perth CBD to the central I-site to be plied with all the copious tourist publicity for Western Australia. So now all we have to do is decide what to select for our remaining 6 days.
Then home for Peter's afternoon nap before we took off to Gold Class Finding Dory in the local mall. I know!!!! Trust me, there was just nothing else on we could bear.
Wednesday 29 June 2016
Thurs 30 June
It is just awesome to wake up to this scenic Swan River , the only ripples on which are the wake of the black swans gliding serenely; a cloudless sky and no leaf stirring in these huge ancient gum trees. It looks to be midsummer but one step out the door onto our private balcony reminds me to put my jacket on.
Yesterday we got a call for Peter to wait for another radio interview before driving out to discover the huge Riverdale Mall block -much the same as all malls but in sections about the size of Albany Mall. Coles offered us produce far beyond our Countdown.
Today we'll explore further afield, knock off Bull Creek, the West Australian aviation museum, Finding Dory (so I know what my grandchildren are talking about) and start finding the must-see tourist attractions.
It is just awesome to wake up to this scenic Swan River , the only ripples on which are the wake of the black swans gliding serenely; a cloudless sky and no leaf stirring in these huge ancient gum trees. It looks to be midsummer but one step out the door onto our private balcony reminds me to put my jacket on.
Yesterday we got a call for Peter to wait for another radio interview before driving out to discover the huge Riverdale Mall block -much the same as all malls but in sections about the size of Albany Mall. Coles offered us produce far beyond our Countdown.
Today we'll explore further afield, knock off Bull Creek, the West Australian aviation museum, Finding Dory (so I know what my grandchildren are talking about) and start finding the must-see tourist attractions.
Tuesday 28 June 2016
29 June 2016
if you ever want to experience flying at its best, go somewhere by Dreamliner. They say it's the journey not the destination that counts, and I'd go along with that .The plane is just superb. We had 7 1/2 hours of unequalled flying to arrive in Perth just as the rains had stopped. The place was under water but not a drop has fallen since. We picked up our Kia automatic and followed the woman in the GPS to get to our Airbnb on the banks of the Swan River. I have put a photo of the view out the glass wall of our unit. In due course we'll Sally forth and discover this city.
if you ever want to experience flying at its best, go somewhere by Dreamliner. They say it's the journey not the destination that counts, and I'd go along with that .The plane is just superb. We had 7 1/2 hours of unequalled flying to arrive in Perth just as the rains had stopped. The place was under water but not a drop has fallen since. We picked up our Kia automatic and followed the woman in the GPS to get to our Airbnb on the banks of the Swan River. I have put a photo of the view out the glass wall of our unit. In due course we'll Sally forth and discover this city.
Wednesday 22 June 2016
Just five more sleeps until we fly away on a Dreamliner to Perth to see what that's like in the middle of winter.
I'll do photos on fb as I did this time last year. Those of you who like the low-down might like to follow it on the blog. Those who just go for the pikkies can stay with fb.
Next message from Perth.
I'll do photos on fb as I did this time last year. Those of you who like the low-down might like to follow it on the blog. Those who just go for the pikkies can stay with fb.
Next message from Perth.
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