Having recovered from our Christmas and Boxing day gluttony, we decided to go to Manly with some hostel friends (Kate and Jess) - just over the other side of Sydney Harbour. The journey there took quite a while and involved a bus journey and then a ferry which gave us some excellent views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Once we arrived, we had a look around and got some fish and chips to eat while looking a the stunning views out to see. The beach itself was rammed with people so instead of joining the masses we got a bus to Milson's Point and walked back across the bridge to Circular Quay taking photos of the scenic harbour all the way!
The following day - J and I joined Kate to have lunch in Dulwich Hill, and then Kate and I decided to do a spot of window shopping in Newtown while J popped into town to go to Qantas to finalise our flight plans. We have now cancelled going to Fiji (recommended due to the coup that is currently ongoing there) and will spend three weeks in New Zealand before flying to New York - with a two day stop-over in LA in between. That will mean that we arrive bach in the UK early on 2nd Feb.
On 29th we once again joined a gang of mates from the hostel to do the walk between Coogee and Bondi beaches. It was a 3 hour walk, but with stunning views and hot sunny weather, the time flew and we really enjoyed it. Once we got to Bondi, I was on the lookout for Paris Hilton as she was supposedly there, but as the beach was so packed with people I had no chance! Our friends wanted to spend some time at Bondi, so we left them there we were keen to get the bus back to town in order to catch a tour of the Sydney Opera House - so much to see, so little time...! We learnt that the building was originally supposed to take 4 years to build, but ended up taking 14 and cost 102 million dollars! There are 1,000 rooms in total under the domed roof tops and we got to see the best one of all - the grand theatre. It seats 2,700 people and uses the electricity equivalent to a town of 20,000 people to power it - quite awesome!
Next Day, J, Kate and I went to Darling Harbour to have an explore and do some sightseeing before having lunch. We chose a cafe on the harbour-side overlooking the boats sailing in and out. After that, we went to Paddy's Market to do some food shopping for a group meal we had planned that evening. The markets we really crowded, hot and noisy - not the gentle saunter we had in mind (!) so we left there and got the bus to Woolworths (supermarket) to get stuff there instead. That evening we all commandeered the hostel kitchen to cook up a feast of king prawns and smoked salmon with mango salsa (prepared by J and I), roast lamb with loads of trimmings (cooked by Kate) and fruit salad, cream and shortbread pie (an original creation by Maggie and Chris). It was great fun and the best meal we'd all had since being away!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Discovering Sydney....
Monday, December 25, 2006
Xmas Day
We had planned to go to Darling Harbour for Xmas Eve drinks with some friends from the hostel but ended up staying in the communal kitchen drinking and being merry. We had a fantastic night and met some really nice people. We woke up on xmas day about 7am. I had a headache - not sure why - perhaps it was all the vodka I'd consumed the night before! Fran immediately suggested that we exchanged presents, so I grabbed them from the cupboard.
Fran had bought me a lovely picture of Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. She also got me a small xmas tree decoration (a koala with 'Sydney 2006' on it) to keep as a memento. A couple of days before I'd purchased some GHD hair straighteners, which came in a nice presentation pack with lots of GHD hair products. I wrapped up all the bottles separately to the straightners and bag. I purposely hid the bag so that Fran wouldn't be able to guess what I'd bought. I gave her all the little packages containing the products and waited until she had opened them all before bringing out the hair straigheners. She was delighted when she opened them and told me that she was wondering what on earth she was going to do with all the hair serums etc without any straighteners!
After the present opening and a small hang over breakfast we went back to sleep and were woken by my Mum on the phone to wish us a happy xmas. I was a little disoriented at first but it was lovely to chat to her and Rach.
At midday we jumped into a taxi and headed off to a restaurant we had booked a couple of days before, that overlooks Sydney Opera House and the Harbout Bridge. The meal and service was fantastic. I had "Cold Seafood Delicaies" (King Prawns, Moreton Bay Bugs, Oysters, Sea Scallops and Smoked Salmon) to start, followed by, prime fillet of beef and xmas pudding. Fran had, "King Prawn and Bowen Mango" to start, followed by traditional turkey and a chocolate truffle dome. All the drinks were included in the price too :-) Many thanks to Fran's parents for giving us some money to eat out. There are some photos of the meal on our flickr account if you'd like to see what we had!! Sydney Photos
We arrived back at the hostel about 3pm. There were quite a few people around in a festive mood so we joined in and had a few drinks. It was a little strange sat there in the sun on xmas day without our families, but it was tempered by the fact that we had met so many lovely people in a sililar situation to us.
We hope you all had/have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, wherever you are in the world! Missing you lots and see you soon!
J&F x
Sydney
We arrived in Sydney on 21st December and were surprised to see the weather was rather gloomy (I thought sunny weather was a sure thing?!). Anyway, that didn't stop us getting out and about to explore. We first had a look around our local area, as we are staying in Dulwich Hill rather than the centre. I bought some tacky Christmas decorations to brighten up our hostel room and also put up the cards that were sent to the hostel (thank you guys, it was so nice to receive those!).
The following day, we caught a bus into the town centre - although it's not far in km's, it took almost an hour on the bus. We split off from each other to give us each time to find a present for each other. I found a local market which was great, with loads of local arts and crafts.
After that, we went along to Circular Quay to take in the amazing views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge - it was good to see it in the flesh having seen it in so many pictures! On Christmas day we are planning to go to a restaurant looking out over the very same view - can't wait!
Finally....HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my gorgeous neice Beth - hope you enjoyed your present - can't believe you're two already! Lots of love and see you soon to give you lots of cuddles, Auntie Francie.xxx.
And also HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mum - hope you have an excellent birthday in Switzerland - bet you're glad you get a birthday without having to cook everyone else roast turkey! Makes sure dad pampers you...miss you lots and love you more. F.xxx.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Windows Live Writer
If you are one of my technically inclined friends you may find this interesting - Microsoft have just released a desktop app that allows you to write blog entries off-line and include active content.
Have a look at Windows Live Writer for info!
James
Adelaide
Unbeknown to us, we picked the best location to stay in Adelaide! We have been staying in a cabin directly by the beach with a sea view in a pretty campsite just 10km outside the city centre. With just 3 days here, we have spent the time exploring the city, visiting historic landmarks, an opal & diamond museum (one opal we were shown was worth 70k - for a piece the size of a penny!) the famous Haighs chocolate shop and Adelaide central market. The weather is really hot here so we have also got in the odd bit of sunbathing!
On Sunday it was James' birthday, so we celebrated with a delicious Indian and some sparkling wine. While we were back in Cairns I bought him his main present of a Didgeridoo (that we sent back to England), but I bought a few more bits and bobs for the actual day to make it feel a bit more like a birthday for him (just like Christmas, it's surprising how much it doesn't feel like a special time when you don't have all your friends and family around to share it with). The gifts went down well - I think the joke peppermint nipples were his favourite!
James is still having jip with his ear, so we went to the doc's this morning to find out that the infection (tropical ear) he had back in Cairns two months ago is still there. It isn't hurting him but he is relatively deaf, so he has got another course of antibiotics - hopefully that will work as the doc said otherwise he will have to have his ear syringed - ew!
We're flying back to Sydney tomorrow - having had the last couple of months to spread out a bit and accumulate 'stuff', it will be a test to see if we can fit everything into a backpack once again! Hope all the Christmas preparations are going well at home and missing everyone lots!
F&J.x.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Great Ocean Road
The road along the coast between Torquay (just South of Melbourne) and Adelaide is called the, 'Great Ocean Road.' The Lonely Planet describes it as, "One of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world." I phoned the hire company to find out how much it would be to extend the car rental for 6 days and drop off at Adelaide airport... I couldn't believe it when they told me it would be 40 quid! I didn't hesitate for a second and booked it there and then. The drive from Melbourne to Adelaide is 1000km (650 miles) so we decided to spread the drive over 2 days. We set off for the first leg of the journey about 10am and got to Mount Gambier at 7pm in the evening. It was an incredibly long journey, but well worth it. The road between Anglesea and Apollo Bay was the most hair raising, twisty coastal road you can imagine. One false move and you'd be fish food! The views from the road were amazing.
We stayed the night in Mount Gambier (just over the Victoria border in South Australia), which has the most beautiful blue lake, strangely enough called, "The Blue Lake." There are some photos on flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31327041@N00/327022045/
The following day we set off for Adelaide, which fortunately didn't take as long. We are staying in a lovely cabin with a sea view in a place called, "Glenelg."
On Thursday we are flying to Sydney for Xmas and New Year.
Blimey it's hot here!
J&Fx
Friday, December 15, 2006
Neighbours Tour!
We boarded the Neighbours tour bus with a mixture of excitement (me) and embarassment (James). While driving to the infamous Ramsey Street, the tour guide put a couple of episodes on to the bus' DVD player for us to watch - they were classics - the Kylie/Jason wedding and Daphne's death...remember Phoebe and Todd, Lucy and Hilary? It was amuzing to watch and reminisce about the old characters and surprising that James seemed to remember far more of the characters than me (despite insisting that he was watching under duress!).
Arriving at the street, our first impression was of how small the actual cul-de-sac is - it looks much bigger on screen. The tour guide explained that they use camera tricks to make the street seem wider and do subtle things such as number the houses 22, 24 etc, even though there are in reality only 8 houses in the road. The houses themselves are privately owned, but the programme makers have a deal that they can film at any time. When they do, all the resident's cars have to be parked elsewhere and they have to close their curtains. In return, they are paid hefty chunk of money each year, have gardeners and decorators to maintain the outsides of their homes for free and a 24 hour security guard roaming the street (apparently he is there to protect residents from fans turning up and being a nuisance). Pretty good deal we thought - well it must be - there is an actual waiting list to buy a house on the street and only one house has been sold in the last 20 years!
Having taken lots of photos - some with the cheesy 'Ramsey Street' sign the tour guide supplied us with (the street is actually called Pin Oak Cresent in Vermount South Melbourne) - we drove on to the recording studio where they do most of the filming. We couldn't go inside but did recognise the outside of the building as it's where Lassiters is - and one angle of the building is used in the show sometimes as the hospital/airport/prison (despite the popularity of Neighbours at home, it's obviously a low budget operation!).
Finally we went to Erinsborough High School before driving back. I was gutted that I didn't get to meet Harold or Karl Kennedy, but overall it was a laugh and a good bit of nostalgia. Despite James pulling faces in the photos, doing his best to look like he didn't want to be there, even he admitted to me that he enjoyed it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31327041@N00/327020512/in/set-72157594387513757/
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Melbourne
Before we left Inverloch we decided to go to Phillip Island to view the 'Penguin Parade.' We had seen pictures of the tiny penguins (they're only 30cms tall) waddling up the beach on mass at dusk and thought it was a sight too good to miss. We ended up rushing to get there, worried that we would miss them. We arrived at the reception around 6pm and asked, "Have we missed the penguins?" and were greeted with laughs from the receptionist as they don't arrive until 9pm.
We had a few hours to kill so we headed a couple of miles up the coast to have a look at 'Seal Rocks,' where loads of seals lounge around playing. It was a tad disappointing as Seal Rocks is about 2km off the coast and you can only see them through a telescope - and even then they're small dots on the horizon!
We were woefully under prepared for the Penguin Parade wearing our shorts and T-shirts - there was a freezing cold breeze coming off the sea (most people had sensibly brought blankets with them as there is a lot of sitting and waiting involved). We walked down the boardwalk's that they had erected over the sand dunes to protect the penguin's nests and sat in the stand - something like an old fashioned football terrace. We huddled together for warmth and waited. Nearly an hour later we could see some small shapes at the water's edge. We were told that that the penguin's usually take a couple of attempts before making a quick dash the beach - something to do with avoiding predators etc. Eventually little groups of 5/6 penguin's would totter up the beach. Not exactly a 'parade' (more of a micro waddle), but fascinating none the less!
We arrived in Melbourne on Friday 8th and booked into a cabin at Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne. The next morning, we checked out and headed into the city centre to check out the shops (much to Fran’s delight). That afternoon we drove out to the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to meet up with Tim, a friend of mine who I met in Thailand earlier this year. Tim greeted us at his local pub, just across the road from where he lives. After a couple of ‘pots’ of beer we went back to Tim’s to drop off our stuff and then headed to St. Kilda beach as it was a baking hot day. Early evening we headed back to Tim's for an Aussie BBQ :-), where we met up with Tim's wife, Lisa and their daughter Emily. The meal was excellent - Tim cooked enough food to feed half the Barmy Army (a name for the travelling English cricket fans) and included a Snapper fish freshly caught that day by Lisa and Emily.
On Sunday we went to St. Kilda market for a wander around the stalls, followed by a couple of beers. After that Tim and I excused ourselves from the girls, leaving them to their shopping, and headed for the pub. It was 42.1 degrees, the hottest day in Melbourne for 53 years! Several beers and an hour or so later, the girls turned up looking hot and bothered. Definitely the right decision to stay in the pub! In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant for a fantastic curry. A perfect end to the day :-)
On Monday we caught the train into the city and had a wander round looking at the sites and doing some (more) window shopping. Melbourne's got some great shops and has more architecturally aesthetic buildings than Perth or Brisbane. We went to Federation square where we saw the Victoria Police big band - having sat and listened to them belting out Christmas tunes, we found a street art exhibition of aerial views from across the world.
Tuesday we decided to drive to take a scenic drive from Melbourne around the Mornington Peninsula. At Sorrento we caught the ferry across Port Phillip bay to Queenscliff. I thought the crossing was really smooth, but Fran wasn't feeling too well by the time we reached the other side!
Wednesday and today we have spent time discovering Chapel Street, which has a wonderful eclectic mix of boutique stores, markets and high street stores. I'd had enough of shopping by today, so left Fran to go shopping for my birthday pressie's, while I caught up with my emails.
We've had a fantastic time in Melbourne so far. Many thanks to Tim, Lisa and Emily for putting us up, showing us the sites and being the perfect hosts. Looking forward to returning the favour when you visit England in 2008! A special mention goes out to Emily who gave up her bedroom for us and provided us with lots of entertainment (hope the jelly making was fun sweetie - Fran)!
Tomorrow we are off to Ramsey Street for the 'Neighbours Tour'! Joy...
J&F x
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Luxury in Inverloch!
Still, when we arrived we got upgraded to a 'luxury' cabin for no reason and no extra cost, so we are thrilled! It's like having our own little house - nice to spread out for a bit....
Happy birthday to my brother James and bessie mate Miriam! Hope you guys had a great day and gots loads of lovely presents. We've been sending telepathic birthday wishes and hugs! Love you both loads.
F&J.x.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Captin James and First Mate Fran!
The last few days have been fairly chilled. We've been for a few walks around the 'Lakes Entrance' area. Its MUCH colder here at the mo. We expected it to be a bit colder but I guess we've got used to it being hot all the time. Then again, it's still much warmer than back home! :-)
Today we hired a boat for an hour and cruised down the lake. Very relaxing.
Next stop 'Inverloch' where we plan to visit Phillip Island to see the 'Penguin Parade.' Apparently they all waddle up the beach around sunset. Should be quite a sight...
Friday, December 01, 2006
NSW / Hunter Valley (hic!) / Victoria
From Nambucca Heads, we drove inland to Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. We chose to do the 'Cheers' tour, which picked us up at 10am for a full day's tour of the vineyards and a visit to five of the best wineries in the region. Each winery offered us tastings of 7-8 wines (all were very enthusiastic about their particular wines and included samples of wine in addition to the set list). By the end of the day (6pm), the entire group was extremely merry to say the least. Being a light-weight, I took advantage of the 'tip-out bowl' option for several wines, while James quaffed every drop he was given. He insisted he wasn't drunk, but did manage to drop his wineglass at the last place - as it smashed onto the floor, the group cheered and called out 'taxi'! All the places we visited are known as boutique vineyards, i.e. they only make a small amount of wine and do not sell outside the cellar door (you can't purchase them in shops etc). As a result, the wine is relatively expensive (8 quid a bottle), so we didn't load ourselves with purchases (some people bought several dozen bottles each) - I think we will be sticking to 'goon' aka the boxed wine available all over Oz - 4 quid for 4 litres!!!
From Cessnock, we did a long drive South through Sydney to Kiama, which took us near enough a full day. Early next day we moved on to Narooma which was right on the coast and had some fantastic coastal walks. We also did a day trip to Bermagui and Tilda-Tilda - an historical village protected by the National Trust, with quaint little shops. After Narooma we drove to Eden where we stayed overnight in a cabin with satellite telly. James was chuffed as it meant he could watch UK football highlights - although not a total success as his team didn't win the game!
Today we left Eden and did a relatively short drive to Lakes Entrance (240km) - our first stop in Victoria. We plan to stop here for 3 nights to give us a chance to explore the surrounding areas. Next week we are going to drive closer to Melbourne before visiting some friends of J's next weekend. We are both looking forward to that - it will be nice to socialise for a few days! F&J.x.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Driving to Brisbane - a fantastic experience!
Firstly we stopped at Lake Birabeen - a gorgeous fresh water lake with pure white sands - before moving on to do a rainforest walk and then have lunch in one of the island's few hotels. After that we took a drive along Seventy-Five Mile beach - it was thrilling as we were driving right at the waters-edge, weaving in and out of the waves. Finally we went to Eli Creek before heading back home. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any Dingoes, but it was a fantastic day!
Leaving Hervey Bay, we travelled on to Noosa, where we stayed briefly (a very pretty beach but really expensive shops etc) and then to Brisbaine, our final stop with the campervan aka 'our bijoux oven-on-wheels'. We stopped off on the way to visit Australia Zoo (the late Steve Urwin's animal sanctuary). We saw Kangaroos, Koalas, loads of poisonous snakes and - of course - crocs!
We have actually really enjoyed the two weeks camping despite an uncertain start, when we were not sure how we were going to cope living, eating & sleeping in the cramped space. Still, we got into a routine and felt a little sad to give the van back. Finding our way around was easy enough - I got into the swing of map reading (definitely NOT a previous skill!) and James nicknamed
me 'tracker-Fran', such was my sixth-sense for heading us in the right direction!
I even said to James that I might enjoy doing a camping holiday in England when we get back (at which point J got v.excited and started listing off all the camping gear he has back home). I thought I was making excellent progress....'high maintenance'...me?!? 'I could get into the swing of this ruffing it malarky', I thought....Well, that was until I discovered I had left my GHD hair straighteners in a previous camp site bathroom and we faced the drive back to get them. Hmmm - maybe I need to keep working on it.....
Missing you all, F&J.x.
p.s. check out our Flickr photos - we have (finally) managed to upload them.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Airlie Beach and Yeppoon
We took a day trip around the Whitsunday's. They are truly beautiful islands. Got loads of pics, including some professional ones of me and Fran on the beach – no we didn’t get married folks before you guys start getting worried J We didn’t go in the water though as its stinger season, and believe me, you don’t want to get stung by one of those little buggers.
We’ve now stopped in Yeppoon (near Great Keppel Island) for a few days. Our camper van looks out onto the ocean. The view is amazing. We will probably head off shortly to Hervey Bay for a trip to Fraser Island before we head down the coast to Surfers Paradise and Brisbane.
Hope you are all well back home.
Keep in touch. J&F
PS No photos at the mo as I am having a nightmare trying to upgrade my flickr on-line account. Paypal insist on ridiculous security measures - like phoning your home phone number to verify your location - not easy when travelling abroad eh!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Spider bites and 'tropical ear'.....
We spent the last couple of days in Cairns travelling up to Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas. Can't say it was our favourite of trips we have done, as the place we stayed was extremely isolated, and the activity we planned to do there (horse-riding on the beach) was fully booked. We took a 'Croc Cruise' on the river but were disappointed not to see any crocs at all, then visited the 'Bat House' only to be left totally bemused as it only housed one bat?!? Not worth the entrance fee... Anyway looking on the positive, the hotel was lovely (nice to stay somewhere a little more luxurious, if only for 1 night!) and we had a delicious meal at the nearby restaurant.
Unfortunately, we have both been in the wars a little. James has had a problem with his ears - one is totally blocked - and a trip to the doctor revealed he has 'tropical ear!?! Apparently it's caused by warm, moist climates - the rafting and snorkelling also couldn't have helped. He has been prescribed antibiotics and ear drops. It's not painful for him, he is just more than a little deaf (still, least he doesn't have to listen to my complaining about my ailment....) - I have been bitten by a spider. Not sure when it happened or what type it was - but it hasn't been pleasant. The bite swelled into a blister the size of a ping pong ball (ew...gross!) and is pretty sore. I am applying cream and covering it with a dressing, hoping for it to heal up soon. What a pair eh?
Still, our discomfort didn't dampen our our excitement when we packed our bags and left our Cairns hostel to pick up our Winniebago that was to become our home-on-wheels for the next 2.5 weeks. To describe the camper - well, best to say it's compact and bijoux! We did struggle the first couple of nights, particularly with the heat. We seem to be prone to mozzie bites, so in the evenings it is a choice between keeping the van doors open (and being eaten alive), or closing the doors (and being cooked alive!). However, we went to a garden centre and found a fan for $14 (about 6 squid). We quibbled over it for a while, as we are on a tight budget and had already spent rather a lot on hiring the van, but bought it in the end. Turns out however, we are in complete agreement that it was the best 6 pounds we have spent in our lives!!!
Our first drive was from Cairns to Mission Beach where we stayed for a couple of nights before moving on to Townsville. Several people said Townsville (or 'Brownsville' as locals call it) is not worth stopping at, but we thought the area was lovely! Long beachfront walkways, and a viewing point up a steep and winding road giving us stunning views over the surrounding area. From Townsville we drove to Airlie Beach (the gateway to the Whitsundays), which is where we are now. We are staying at a fantastic campsite and plan to remain there for 4-5 days, as there is so much to do and explore. We aim to do a day trip out to Whitehaven Beach (supposedly the 4th most photographed place in Oz) - perhaps tomorrow or the day after. We have found a tour company that sounds great so will probably book it later.
Hope all is well at home and missing everyone as always! F&J.x.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Cairns
The hostel we are staying is excellent (http://www.dreamtimetravel.com.au/).
So far we have done the Sky Rail to Kuranda (http://www.skyrail.com.au/) and the Kuranda Scenic Railway return. The view into the rain forest from the pod is amazing. Check out the pics on the web site. At one of the markets in Kuranda they had a stall selling authentic didgeridoo’s... Fran bought me a fair dinkum didgeridoo for my birthday! (Mum – this will be arriving at your place in the next couple of weeks!). I’ve had a half an hour’s lesson and have bought a teach yourself CD – watch out Hayley!
We’ve also been white water rafting on the Russell River (http://www.foamingfury.com.au/russell.php). We didn’t realize that we would have to carry the rafts for nearly an hour through thick jungle to get there! It was well worth the effort, unless you take into account leeches that attached themselves to Fran or my shoulder dislocating after we capsized... Fran was the only person out of the 6 of us to get leeches (one other couple and 2 instructors) – to say that she wasn’t happy about it would be an understatement! I am in quite a bit of pain with my shoulder, but it already feels better than it did the day after the rafting, when I was in agony. The rafting its self was excellent. It took a while to get the hang of steering, and we ending up beaching ourselves on the rocks a couple of times.
Yesterday we did a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the 7 wonders of the world I believe (http://www.oceanfree.com.au/oceanfreedom.html). The whole trip was amazing. We did loads of snorkeling (one armed in my case!) and saw some fantastic fish and coral formations.
Tomorrow we set off for Port Douglas and the Cape Tribulation. Fran is hoping to do some horse riding on the beach, but I’m not sure my shoulder will be up to it ;-)
After Cairns the plan is to hire a camper van and drive down the East coast, taking in Mission Beach, Airlie Beach (where we can get a trip out to the Whitsunday’s), Hamilton Island, Mackay, Rockhampton, Hevey Bay (for a trip to Fraser Island), Rainbow Beach and finally Brisbane! From Brisbane down I think we’ll be using Grey Hound buses, as these seem to be the cheapest way to travel...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Our trekking trip in Alice Springs
Once we arrived, we had a buffet lunch (that all guests helped to prepare) before going for our first trek, to Kata Tjuta. The walk was not too strenuous but the heat was quite something - it was like being in a sauna. We were all encouraged to drink plenty of water along the way to ensure we didn't over-heat. That evening, we drove to Uluru (Ayres Rock) to watch the sunset whilst enjoying a glass of wine. However, as we approached the great rock, the clouds became overcast and it started to rain. Quite typical we thought- we got rain even in the hottest, dryest part of Australia! Still, apparently less than 1% of visitors get to see rain in the outback, so guess we were 'privileged'!!! After that, it was back to the camp for a BBQ meal and bed, as we had to be up even earlier the following day. The camp was basic (no electricity etc) - however we had a LOT of visitors - bugs of every variety. Gave us the heeby-jeebies - we even had to check our tents for snakes before we could go to bed! Think it might have been a good thing that we were in pitch black (no lights) as not sure I wanted to witness who we might be sharing our tent with! The next day we got up at 4.15am to go see the sunrise at Uluru before doing another walk, this time around the base of the rock. We also visited a culture centre to learn more about Aboriginal culture and art. James really wanted to climb Uluru - they still allow you to do it - though our guide advised us against it. To be honest I was quite glad he didn't do it as our guide pointed out that:
a) it's the highest point for miles around
b) you have to hold onto a metal chain all the way up, as it's a very steep climb
c) there was a thunder storm brewing
....not a good recipe should lightening choose to strike!
After our visit to Uluru, we drove on to another camp site (3 hour drive), based at King's Canyon. Having set up camp, we lit a large bonfire from wood we had collected on our drive along the way. One of our tour guides cooked up a fantastic meal over the open fire - made all the more delicious due to our exercise induced appetites! Sure enough, we had a spectacular thunder & lightening display later that evening so we made a sharp exit from the meal to our tents. That night was really windy - at 1.30am we convinced ourselves that there was a large creature outside our tents. James tentatively went out with the torch to investigate, only to find it was a tree brushing up against the side of our tent. Note to self: never choose the tent under the tree! Another 4.15am start (not funny a second morning in a row!), we dragged our tired selves into the bus for a short drive to King's Canyon for our final walk. This one was described as 'difficult' by our guide, who - based on previous days - had a tendancy to underestimate rather! There was the option of an easier walk but J managed to persuade me to join him on the difficult one around the rim of the King's Canyon. After a tough climb to the top of the canyon, I have to admit we were really enjoying ourselves. The scenery and views were stunning - the pictures we took didn't do it justice. I was really tired but feeling rather proud of my achievement, until the tour guide pointed out we were only a quarter of the way along the trek. I was not impressed, particularly as he then told us that two tourists who had done this trek with him before had actually died from heat exhaustion and dehydration! Luckily the weather was on our side - it was still cool from the night before and the fact it was still only the small hours of the morning.
The walk involved a lot of rock climbing and walking near the edge of frighteningly high cliff tops, but we both made it back in one piece. The last half an hour was torture but we agreed the trip was the highlight for both of us. Following the walk, we had a picnic lunch before driving the long 6 hour drive back to our hostel in Alice Springs. That evening, we went out with the rest of our tour group for a meal. We had a meal ofKangaroo (very like beef steak) and enjoyed chatting to the others we had met.
The next day we flew to Cairns and enjoyed a long sleep-in in our hostel. Today we have taken it easy and read up on various activities to do around Cairns. We have now booked trips to the Great Barrier Reef, CapeTribulation and the Barron River where we are going to do a day rafting (the 'adventurous' option - James' choice!) - gulp. Oh well, guess we're getting fit!
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Leaving for Alice Springs
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
We 'did time' in Freemantle prison!
Perth coast along the way. For those of you who know Cornwall, I thought Freemantle was just like Padstow, only nicer. As we arrived, we started to explore before stopping at 'Cicerello's' for lunch - move over Rick Stein! - the infamous place for fresh fish and chips in Freemantle. After that, we visited the markets before heading to Freemantle Prison to do a tour called 'doing time'. Although the prison is no longer in use, it last held inmates as recently as 1991 and is recorded as being 'the most haunted building in Australia'. Wooooooo! We were quite disappointed though, as we didn't seeing anything spooky....still, glad we only had to spend an hour there, not a life sentence!
On Monday we attempted to get the ferry to Rottnest island, but missed the ferry, so went to Cottesloe beach instead - a gorgeous strip of white sand and blue sea. Imagine having that on your doorstep every day!
Yesterday we hired bikes and cycled round Swan River - this river is named after the black swans that live there and is huge - more like the sea than a river. The cycle paths are great - smooth and flat, so quite easy going. Dotted along the way are sculptures, landscaped gardens and picnic areas to enjoy. The Australians really take pride in making the city a nice place to be - I suppose because they spend so much time outdoors.
Today we attempted once again to get the ferry to Rottnest. Having checked out the ferry times in advance (!), we got up early, packed our bags and went to leave the hostel, only to see rain lashing down outside! We gave it an hour, but the rain didn't stop - no good going to Rottnest while weather is like this as it's basically a beach, so not much fun in rain. We are going to attempt Rottnest again tomorrow (3rd time lucky?) as it's our last day before flying to Alice Springs. Will let you know if we make it!
Signing off for now but love to all, F&J.x.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Off to Fremantle today...
Yesterday we spent several hour walking around Perth trying to get our bearings, and took a tram tour in the afternoon. This took us to Kings Park (the biggest park in the world apparently), which was stunning. It has views of the whole of Perth and the Swan River. So spectacular in fact, we saw six different weddings taking place in the grounds.
Today we are off to Fremantle - it is just a short bus and ferry ride away.
Hope all is well in the UK - thanks for all the emails people have sent so far - it is really lovely to hear from home. Also - hope you had an excellent birthday party Rach - we were thinking of you!
Love, F&J.x
Friday, October 06, 2006
Our first night in Perth...
Last night however, we had a bit of a shock! We arrived at the Perth YMCA by taxi from the airport. As we stepped out of the taxi we saw loads of dodgy looking characters sat around drinking. Most of them looked like tramps / drop outs... now we know where they all live - the Perth YMCA! The place stank of pi$$, was dirty and the people were ALL odd in some way or another! Think of the scabby people you see in Bristol Broadmead shopping centre early morning or late at night... you get the picture. We couldn't wait to get out of there this morning.
We've now moved to a hostel for backpackers and not the dregs of society. Fortunatly its much nicer. Phew!
J&F
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Touring the Island
On Monday we travelled to Ubud to see the Monkey Forest - immediately we arrived we were surrounded by lots of monkeys looking for food. There were stalls selling bananas to give to them, but we were advised not to feed them as they can get quite vicious!
We also stopped off at a place making traditional batik materials by hand - they showed us the lengthy process of repetitively dying the cloth and then adding wax to make a pattern. We weren't too keen on the finished product but were impressed by the pain staking skills it takes the people to make it!
We then moved on to a gold/silver factory where they make jewellery by hand. Again, so much work goes into their craft - I bought a small silver ball pendant as a souvenir - it only took me 10 mins to choose it - I think James got off lightly as I could have stayed there for hours, they had so much beautiful jewellery to look at!
After that, we went to a coffee and cocoa plantation and saw the plants growing in their natural environment - it was very interesting and they offered us samples of coffee and cocoa to try. James bought some coffee beans to send back to the uk.
Having stopped once again to admire the view of rice fields several times (great photo opportunities!), we drove the steep hill to see Mount Kintamani. We ate lunch high up on the mountain overlooking breath-taking volcanic mountains and huge lakes. Simply stunning!
As our guide was so good, we asked him to take us out on the following day too. We went to Tanah Lot, where there is a temple on the edge of the sea. We got blessed with holy water, had rice stuck to our foreheads and flowers put behind our ears. Have to say, it rather suited J! We weren't allowed in the temple though, so James got out of having to wear one of my sarongs.
The evening was perhaps the best experience of our trip so far. We went to Jimbaran (the home village of our guide). He took us to a restaurant with tables on the beach. There we sat sipping cocktails while we watched the sun set and the waves lap just metres from our table. We enjoyed a meal of freshly caught and grilled red snapper and were then seranaded by a local band! The type of experience money can't buy!
Today is our last day - we plan to do a few bits and bobs (last minute
shopping etc) and will meet up with our guide tonight once again, who is going to introduce us to the delights of Arak - the local alcoholic drink. Hope we're not too hung over for our flight tommorrow...F&J.xxx.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
This travelling lark is not all its cracked up to be...
Finally we have found an internet café with a reasonable connection, keyboard and a mouse that works most of the time! Arrgghh! I can now catch up with the footy results :-)
I had a bit of a mishap a couple of days ago… I was getting money out of a nice row of air conditioned cash points… the machine I tried didn’t work so I turned to go to the next one and bang – I hit my head on a glass wall between the machines. I felt my knees go weak as I nearly collapsed on the floor. Fran said that my eye balls rolled to the back of my head! No major damage done (pride apart!). I did feel dizzy for about 3 hours afterwards though. Boy do the Balinese know how to clean windows!
After recovering from my head injury we went off on a serious shopping trip. I have discovered my shopping limit is about 4 hours – we shopped for 5! Fran could have kept going I think! Bought a Tag Heure watch for 3 quid :-) Hopefully it will last longer than Fran’s Gucci which stopped before we made it back to the hotel.
On Wednesday we went to Waterbom Park (http://www.waterbom.com/), which was great fun. We did all the slides except the Death Smash which looked like it would give you whip lash from the vertical drop. We did do the Boomerang on a double tube. I could feel Fran’s heart pounding before we even started the climb to the top. After a bit of persuasion we kicked off and went round a couple of gentle bends – no problem we thought – until we got round the corner onto a sheer drop! We shot down with incredible speed and were flung up a steep u-bend which we came back down backwards. Fran was panting and laughing hysterically for about 5 minutes afterwards. For a moment I thought I was going to have to get her committed!
We moved hotel to the Inna Kuta Beach Hotel (http://www.innakutabeach.com/) which is fantastic. It’s quite quiet in Bali at the mo because the rainy season is due to start shortly and the bombs haven’t helped. It hasn’t rained since we got here though and the temperature is just about right. We are staying in a lovely beach bungalow which we got for under half its normal price (4 nights booked).
On Monday we will probably head in land and stay in Ubud. We are going to look at hiring a jeep as that will give us the freedom to explore. Kuta is a bit manic on the roads but we are sure that it’s less busy when we get out of the town. They drive on the left which should make it easier.
Waterbom Park
Yesterday we went to Waterbom Park (http://www.waterbom.com/) for some water / death slides! Fran and I went on the Boomerang slide together in a double tube. I could feel her heart pounding as we climbed to the top (after some persusion). At the start we pushed off and shot round some bends, no problem we thought... until we hit a sheer drop - it was like being weightless as we fell. We then shot up a steep u-bend and headed backwards back down. When we got off the slide Fran was laughing and panting hysterically, she couldn't even get her words out! She assures me that she enjoyed it but wasn't keen to go back on again...
Today we checked into a new hotel just by the beach. Its out of season at the moment so we can afford to get a really nice hotel called the "Inna Kuta Beach" (http://www.innakutabeach.com). We are staying in a fantasic Beach Bungalow :-) The pool is massive too.
J and F xx
Monday, September 25, 2006
A relaxed first day...!
After that we went for a long walk along the beach - we weren't too
impressed as it was shingle and not particularly clean. However we found out this wasn't the main beach in Kuta so we plan to go exploring again today.
I have already been struck by Bali-belly. Had to rush off and leave James sat in a cafe - I then proceeded to pass out in the toilets and had two tiny female Balinese toilet assistants fanning me and rubbing Eucalyptus oil into my hands (felt like a right plonker I can tell you!). Didn't get back to James for 40 minutes, by which time he was really worrying about me!
Our hotel is lovely (http://www.greenbali.com/main_hotel.html) and had excellent live music on last night. I would just say one annoying thing about Bali we have found is all the locals nagging you to buy stuff. We are having to be quite rude and ignore then as they don't leave you alone otherwise. I think James needs a little practice - yesterday he was nagged into buying a newspaper that cost more than our lunch and drinks did...and it wasn't even an English newspaper!!!
Anyway - hope all is well in England.
F&J
Sunday, September 24, 2006
We've arrived!
Thank goodness Dad (Richard) gave us some Balinese currency at Heathrow as we got stung with airport taxes as soon as we arrived!
We've had a full nights sleep and just had breakfast, though we are both feeling a bit ropy as our bodies are telling us its still the middle of the night! Woke up this morning to the sound of torrential rainfall (at which point our hearts sank) only to find it was actually a magnificent waterfall just outside our balcony!
We have booked in to go for a spa treatment later - James is getting a traditional full body Balinese massage (with extras on offer I'm sure!) and I'm having a Reflexology foot massage - bliss after a long day yesterday - and it's costing us peanuts!
Hope all is well back home and we will be in touch soon...
F&J.x.
Friday, September 22, 2006
This time tomorrow...
we'll be well on our way to Bali :-)
(for the techies amongst you - in Flickr you can pick a photo and automatically blog it to blogger.com! cool...)
We'll hopefully be uploading our holiday snaps to a web site called, "Flickr."
Signing up is free, and takes less than a minute. Just click here if you want to sign up and view them:
http://www.flickr.com/welcome/2219804/300444/
For those of you who are less IT literate, you just need to click on 'Sign in' and it will take you through the necessary steps...
Friday, September 15, 2006
We are staying at the, "Radisson Lexington Hotel New York."
http://www.lexingtonhotelnyc.com/index.shtml
"The Radisson Lexington Hotel New York is a superior first-class hotel, located in Manhattan's fashionable Midtown East at the heart of New York City"
I'm a tad concerned about the weather... We don't want to carry winter clothes all round the world. The average temp in Feb is about 3 degrees...!
We arrive at about 11:30pm, so I expect we'll be doing some hasty shopping the next morning! In fact I'm anticipating quite a bit of shopping for the 4 days that we are there. Fran is very keen to hit the shops!... :-)
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Flight Details
Depart LONDON HEATHROW TERMINAL FOUR
Arrive SINGAPORE TERMINAL ONE
Sunday 24 September 2006
Depart SINGAPORE TERMINAL ONE
Arrive DENPASAR BALI NGURAH RAI
Thursday 05 October 2006
Depart DENPASAR BALI DENPASAR
Arrive PERTH INTERNATIONAL
Friday 13 October 2006
Depart PERTH DOMESTIC
Arrive ALICE SPRINGS ALICE SPRINGS
Tuesday 17 October 2006
Depart ALICE SPRINGS DOMESTIC
Arrive CAIRNS DOMESITC
Wednesday 03 January 2007
Depart SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL
Arrive AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL
Thursday 25 January 2007
Depart AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL
Arrive NADI NADI
Thursday 01 February 2007
Depart NADI INTERNATIONAL
Arrive LOS ANGELES TOM BRADLEY
Thursday 01 February 2007
Depart LOS ANGELES
Arrive NEW YORK (JFK)
Monday 05 February 2007
Depart NEW YORK (JFK) TERMINAL 7
Arrive LONDON HEATHROW TERMINAL 4
