“Kung Hei Fat Choi” from Hong Kong

We left Melbourne just as the week’s promised heat wave began. The temperature was above 40 degrees there. We had a very good flight straight up through New South Wales, Western Queensland and to the west of the Gulf of Carpentaria, over New Guinea and Manila. The on-flight food and entertainment was very good. We arrived in Hong Kong at the start of the Chinese New Year and this is the year of the Ox.
We travelled from Hong Kong airport on the Airport Express train, and are now staying at the Park Lane Hotel on Hong Kong Island. I woke early Thursday morning (timing was out – jet lag) and managed to watch a crowd of people practising Tai Chi down below in Victoria Park. We also have a good view across Causeway Bay. So after breakfast we headed out on foot to the shops, and more shops and....more shops (!) both on the island and then in Kowloon having crossed the water on the famous Star Ferry. Understandably, we returned to the hotel very foot weary but with a few purchases. It appears to be quite difficult to get anything tailor-made as it is the New Year holiday and many of the workers in that business have gone back to their families for their holidays for a week.
Friday, we spent the whole day up The Peak. We caught the MTR (mass transit railway) to Central and then walked up to where we caught the Tram which is a rack and pinion system and very, very steep. So steep in fact, the skyscrapers looked like they were leaning over! Today, the weather was perfect – very clear, so a good day to see the whole of the vista. We went to the very top of the Sky Terrace and were rewarded with fantastic views over the container port, the cruise liner port, Kowloon, as far as the Northern Territories and all of Hong Kong Island. We walked the walk around The Peak and decided to stay up there for dinner so that we could get all the night photos as well. Being New Year and a good day for weather, half of China’s population was up there too and we had a massive queue to get back to the tram for the ride down the Peak. I confess, I also did a little more shopping (as you do) and I think the zip on my rucksack will be screaming in agony if I shop anymore! However, Hong Kong prices for clothes, jewellery and electronic equipment don’t always appear to be cheaper than at home, partly due to the poor exchange rate.
Saturday, we went by MTR across to Diamond Hill and visited the Nan Lian Gardens – Tang dynasty style (618AD to 906AD) with various timber structures, water features and rocks. Around the walk there was music to relax one! After that we tried to see the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple but there were so many Chinese people worshipping in the New Year, we only got to the outside. So, on we went to the Ladies’ Market – lots of bargains on offer. Then we came back to Kowloon and walked down Star Avenue and back to the island via the ferry. We returned here in the evening to see the Symphony of Light. All the buildings around Hong Kong Central were lit up and there was a Sound and Light show with laser lights being beamed from the tops of the buildings – quite impressive.
Sunday, we caught the MTR to Wan Chai and found the Computer Centre. We walked on to the Exhibition Centre to Golden Bauhinia Square where the golden sculpture marks the occasion of the return of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. We then took a taxi to Stanley Bay on the south side of the island and visited the market there. It was far less crowded there and we were treated to yet another performance of dragon dancing. We returned to Causeway Bay and were greeted by simply hordes of people picnicking in Victoria Park. Apparently today was a special Carnival day to raise funds for next week’s Hong Kong marathon.
Well, this has sadly brought us to the end of our Walkabout as tomorrow night we go to Hong Kong airport to catch our BA flight back to Heathrow where a snowy reception awaits, I gather.
The Aborigines say that to go Walkabout is “to lose one’s self in order to find one’s self.” That is probably very true. Coming away straight after both Peter and I retired from full time work and timing it with the doom and gloom of the Global Credit Crisis and the cold winter at home was in hindsight a good idea. We have seen so many new places as well as revisiting places we remembered from our life in Australia in the 70s. We have encountered many new faces of several nationalities as well as being reunited with friends that we have sustained a friendship with over the years and it was great to be able to catch up with them again and their hospitality towards us was wonderful.
We will both be coming home with such fantastic memories of our Walkabout and we hope those people who have followed our journey on the Blog have enjoyed it too.
Until the next time..... G’day from Sheila and Peter

Philip Island, Wilsons Prom and back to Melbourne

The day we crossed by ferry from Queenscliffe on the western side of Port Philip Bay to Sorrento on the Mornington peninsula was glorious, perfectly blue sky. We just managed to catch the noon departure with minutes to spare and the crossing took 45 minutes. Taking the ferry across the entrance to Port Philip Bay was a good route as we effectively bypassed Melbourne. We then drove up the peninsula and around Western Port till we arrived at Philip Island. Having set up camp, we went for a walk and found lots of pelicans waiting for the fishermen to clean and gut their fish.

Next morning, we were joined by Ron and Ann and we spent a very hot afternoon on Woolamai Beach on the island. The surf was very rough with a very strong undertow but we enjoyed a refreshing swim and some 'boogie' boarding. We witnessed the iconic Aussie lifesavers going into action as they rescued about eight people who had drifted out with their 'boogie' boards beyond the large breakers. The life savers had a daunting task because their inflatable dinghy was in danger of being swamped by the huge waves.

Next day, Peter and I visited the Koala Sanctuary for the Aah factor! We saw quite a few, most of them asleep of course and perched very precariously in forked branches on the trees. Some obligingly lifted their heads, shifted position and settled down again – well it was too warm a day to do much else anyway. We went into Cowes (named so because someone thought the island was rather like the Isle of Wight) and after lunch spent some quality time on Smiths beach. Got to keep the suntan topped up! In the evening we went along to the Penguin Parade. Fairy Penguins swim out to sea to catch fish for about five days and then come back to shore after sunset to regurgitate their catch for their chicks. These penguins are only about 30 cms tall and have quite a problem exiting the surf on to the beach especially when they are faced by an army of menacing seagulls and Japanese tourists with forbidden cameras!

The following day we visited Churchill Island where there was a Heritage Site with a Colonial Homestead preserved for present day tourists. We spent another afternoon on Woolamai Beach.

Next morning we drove around Western Port down to Wilsons Promontory which was once, long ago, connected to Tasmania by a land bridge. The Prom, as it is affectionately known, is a National Park and very busy over the School holiday periods, but a section of the campground is reserved for overseas travellers. We camped at Tidal River, a very picturesque spot near Norman Bay, battled again with the determined kookaburras for our dinner, but then had the delight of a wombat coming out on to the path for its evening feed and we got very close to it. We took an evening stroll down the river bed to the beach to watch (and photograph) a glorious sunset. We had had thunder showers in the afternoon, but the evening was very pleasant (at least until the mosquitoes arrived and we headed into the van!).

Next morning we dropped down to Squeaky Beach and Whisky Beach, two beautiful rocky Cornish style coves, then we drove up to Telegraph Saddle part way up Mt Oberon, but didn't have time to make the arduous climb – shame!

So we are back in Melbourne once again. We are currently staying with Ron (our best man) and Ann. We took 'Vicky' the campervan back to its home in Ringwood, and went to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary to see more of Australia's fauna. We have revisited some other favourite zaunts such as Maroondah Dam , (only 20% full), Puffing Billy the steam engine and the villages in the Dandenong Mountains culminating in a farewell lunch at The Cuckoo Restaurant in Olinda. This is an Austrian themed restaurant we remembered from the 70s. It was just the same and we were joined by Malcolm and Louise and the six of us had a lovely meal just like in the old days. Afterwards we strolled through the Sherbrook Forest and fed the crimson rosella birds. Tomorrow we will have a final look around the city of Melbourne and on Wednesday, we fly to Hong Kong for 5 nights. Then it will be back home with lots to look forward to: seeing the family again, the wedding and of course the arrival of grandchild no.3 in May and getting my honorary degree in July.

So the last blog for this trip will be from Hong Kong. Hope you have enjoyed keeping up with us so far.
Bye for now, Sheila and Peter.

Touring Oz in a Camper

As we met and married in Australia, before bringing up a family in Galleywood, we have always said that we would revisit Australia. Once we had both retired, it was the obvious trip to make. The decisions that we had to make were: duration of trip, which places to visit, where would we stay, and how would we get around. The first solution considered was to rent a car and stay in Motels. This was soon ruled out as not only would it mean three months of expensive motel bills, but it would also mean eating out for the whole duration which would also be costly. An alternative to this would be to stay in cabins in caravan parks, but there is no guarantee that they would be comfortable or clean. Another option, soon dismissed, was renting a car and staying in a tent.

So the obvious compromise was to rent a campervan which provides both transport and accommodation. This left us with the question of what type of camper to rent. It was quite easy to review the possibilities available on the internet. Especially searching www.google.com.au which restricted the search to Australian websites rather than UK ones who would add their commission on to the costs. Top of the range are the Maui, Britz, Kea and Apollo vans – all pretty new for which you pay a premium even allowing for any long term discount. Most of the companies offering car and campervan rentals in Australia seem to offer a base rate with a high insurance excess, with an additional daily cost to get the excess down to a reasonable figure. So we had to make sure that we were comparing like with like.

There are a wide range of campervans available to rent, ranging from a version of an estate car with a tent arrangement attached to the rear door, to the huge Winnebagos, the size of a coach. If you discount the two extremes, the major decisions to be made are; do you need an onboard shower and toilet, and do you need air-conditioning when the van is on site. (Most have air-conditioning when driving).

As we needed to rent the campervan for nearly three months, daily rate was a significant factor, so we opted to rent a van from one of the companies that rented out second-hand campers. Generally speaking, if you choose to have a van with a shower, then it will also have A/C and vice versa. These vans are larger than the HiTop, but don't have to be as large as the American Winnebago. There are plenty of Winnebago campers in Australia, but they are much smaller than their American cousins.

Our Hi-top Toyota Campervan which we rented from Calypso Campers from Melbourne on the Maroondah Highway, was originally a Britz van. It was first registered in 2002 and as Britz appear to run their vans for two years, it was then sold to Calypso who re-registered it in 2004 in Victoria.

The next size up from the HiTop that we rented is based on a Sprinter van and looks very comfortable for two. Apart from the WC and A/C, the main advantage over our van is that they have overhead lockers, which would make it a lot easier storing clothes. Plus the wardrobe probably takes more than two shirts. However they need a larger space in the supermarket car park. Having said that, generally parking hasn't been a problem. There are no narrow country lanes to negotiate, even the country roads that seem to go nowhere, are pretty wide, often with a gravel hard shoulder for large vehicles to pass. So, we have found our camper just about large enough. We wouldn't want anything smaller – it gets us from A to B, it has a basic kitchen and it provides us with a reasonable bed. As mentioned previously, storage is its downfall.

Fuel is half the price of UK, which is just as well because of the longer distances to be covered. For the duration of our stay in Australia two of the bigger supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths have offered fuel discount vouchers if you spend $30 in store. Like the Tesco or Sainsbury fuel promotions, these vouchers discount the fuel price by 4cents per litre. Sometimes you can get another 2cents per litre if you spend $2 or $5 in the petrol station store.

We have found, as we have travelled around Australia, that there are plenty of campsites to choose from. The price for an overnight pitch with power has been very reasonable on average. Again they are about half the price of UK or French campsites. Prior to Christmas, we had paid an average of $28.91 for our overnight stops in campsites. Since restarting our travels in the New Year the average has increased to nearly $32 per night. Not helped by one night at the Big4 Site in Anglesea on the Great Ocean Road where the price was $79.

Fortunately we joined the Big 4 Club on our first stop in Darwin and we were entitled to a 10% discount. Having spent 29 nights at Big 4 Sites we have more than recouped our $40 joining fee. Big 4 is a chain of independent sites that must meet a certain standard and also provides an onward booking service. There are two or three other chains of campsites including Top Tourists and Family Parks Association. The latter chain also provides free membership to overseas visitors for a period of two months, also giving a 10% discount. Most of the campsites have had swimming pools, albeit small and close to the road. The shower blocks and toilets have, for the most part been very clean and acceptable.

We have averaged around 250-300 kilometres per day aiming to arrive at new destination by mid afternoon so as to take in the surroundings especially if it is only for one night. It has been very interesting to meet people of all nationalities on our travels, whether they be 'Grey Nomads' (Australians who have sold their family home and permanently travel around towing a caravan) or similar people to ourselves who have reached a certain age and want to see the world while they are still fit enough to do so. Then there are the younger 'backpacker' brigade who want to see the world before being bogged down by responsibilities.

Great Ocean Road Victoria

Leaving Hall's Gap in the Grampians, we headed south again towards the Ocean Road. We drove through Victoria Valley of dense gum forests with craggy peaks to our right and forested slopes to our left. We eventually emerged to very flat pasture land as we neared the coast.

We arrived at Port Fairy - a traditional fishing port which was delightful and spent the entire afternoon on the beach. It was a very hot day (40 degrees) and the sea was crystal clear and very refreshing with low surf rolling in. It was fun riding the waves with Peter's noodle! (Editor's note: a noodle is the Australian word for woggle i.e. polystyrene tube!). In the evening we strolled around the fishing marina and had fish and chips in paper (as you do).

A cool change occurred overnight and the following day was cloudy and a mere 25 degrees as we made our way along the Ocean Road stopping to view the clay and limestone cliff formations and erosions such as Childers Cove, Sandy Cove, The Grotto and London Bridge which lost an arch in 1990. We stopped at Peterborough for the night!

Next day dawned bright and sunny again and we continued along Gt Ocean Road viewing all the sights en route – The Blow Hole, Thunder Cave, and The Loch Ard Gorge. The Loch Ard was an iron hulled ship bringing immigrants from England in1878 when it floundered here with only two people surviving. Next we saw the Twelve Apostles – gigantic limestone pillars about 65m tall, but gradually being eroded by wind and waves. We parked up for the night at Marengo Beach near Apollo Bay and went up for a walk to Paradise to search for platypus in the Barham River – but no joy.

We made a short hop the following day to Cumberland Gap. The Cumberland River is a tranquil stream that tumbles down a spectacular ferny gorge to meet Bass Strait at the foot of the Otway Ranges. We walked up the track following the river flanked by magnificent cliffs and blue gum forest, luxuriant fern glades and delightful groves of blackwood, hazel and blanket leaf. We had to cross the river several times over stepping stones but managed to keep our feet dry. We had camped here several times for bushwalks in the 70s, so it was nice to return and retrace our steps. That evening, we joined our neighbours, a family from Warrnambool and sat round their campfire with a few 'tinnies' (beers)! Meanwhile a kangaroo came up to our campervan opposite and was grazing quite happily.

Next morning we left Cumberland Gap and called in at Lorne – a nice coastal town where we bought the weekend paper and had a coffee. Then we visited the Erskine Falls which entailed 415 steps down and then we had to come up again (no need for the gym today). On the road we saw a huge echidna, so I escorted it over the road safely in case it got flattened by a car. We had a picnic lunch at Airey's Inlet beneath the lighthouse and ended the day camping at Anglesea where we spent a lovely afternoon sunbathing on the beach. At the end of the Ocean Road we reached Barwon Heads and Queenscliff where we crossed port Philip Bay at the Heads by ferry to Sorrento.

Our final week will be spent at Philip Island to see fairy penguins and koalas and the Wilson's promontory for a final couple of days bushwalking before staying with our friends Ron and Ann at Mooroolbark, Melbourne. It is forecast to be another hot week!

Inland Victoria

A New Year and we found ourselves on the road again. Our first stop was to visit Marion and Frank in Yarrambat. Marion was a teaching colleague and a very good friend during our stay in Australia in the 70s. They have a lovely 20 acre property to the north of Melbourne with a mob of kangaroos which roam on to their land. It was good to catch up with them.

The next day, we went with Marion and Frank to see their daughter Sandra who was our bridesmaid and was holidaying with her family on her houseboat on Lake Eildon. Peter and I began our honeymoon at Eildon. To get to the houseboat we were picked up by speedboat which was a very exhilarating ride. It was great to see Sandra again after all this time and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the houseboat. There was a cool wind and we were surprised to see the lake very low in water, in fact it is running at less than 20 percent full. We have noticed that Victoria is really suffering from lack of rain. Several times we have passed dried up lakes and water holes. We haven't seen many sheep, the farmers tend to be farming cattle with very little grazing fodder.

From Eildon, we drove up to the Victorian Alps via Glenrowan, which is famous for Ned Kelly – the notorious bushranger and stayed for two nights at Porepunkah. Tobacco used to be grown in the valley but this has given way to vineyards and fruit growing. Naturally, we called in for a sample of wines. We drove up the narrow twisty road, viewing Mount Bogong (2000m) on the way to the ski area of Falls Creek. It was quite cold and windy at the top and obviously no snow at this time of the year. On our return to Porepunkah we stopped at the pretty villages of Bogong and Mt. Beauty which were very alpine in design. Next morning, we went up to Mount Buffalo, again twisting and turning up the mountain through a vast variety of wildflowers and different gum trees. This area was ravaged by bushfires a couple of years ago and it was interesting to see how the new growth has appeared due to lignotubers underground that sprout after the fires. Also the eucalypt seeds settle in the ground after burning. The air was very fragrant with the eucalypt scent. Once at the summit we were rewarded with breathtaking views across a vast landscape of more tree covered mountains and valleys. Then we had to climb 'The Horn' to get an even better view. On the return trip down to the valley, we stopped at Lake Catani and Peter did a fry up of bacon and eggs.

Back on the road next day, we set off for Rutherglen via Beechworth – famous for its bakery. We now found ourselves in the wine producing area again and called in at two vineyards (as one does!) to sample and buy some of their wine. We arrived at Yarrawonga on the shores of Lake Mulwala, where my parents had managed a hotel/botel/motel in 1971 only to find the site has been replaced with lakeside apartments worth 1 million dollars! We hastily booked a very nice campsite right on the banks of the River Murray and spent a pleasant evening watching the sun go down with a tasty bottle of Shiraz!

From Yarrawonga we continued north-west along the Murray valley to Echuca, which means 'meeting of the waters' and where the Murray is joined by the Goulburn and Campaspe rivers. Steam driven paddle steamers used to ply between Echuca and the outback sheep stations back in Victorian times until the railways began. We had a ride on a paddle steamer and I gained my steerage licence by steering the ship for a little while! Again we were camped on the banks of the river and after dark, I was lucky enough to coax a possum down from the tree and hand feed him with some bread. Next stop was Swan Hill where we visited the Pioneer Settlement where I had once taken pupils from Melbourne for an educational visit.

Heading South again, we came to Ballarat the centre of the Victorian Goldrush in the 1800s and spent a pleasant day at Sovereign Hill, stepping back in time visiting the goldfields. We went down a gold mine, fruitlessly panned for alluvial gold, saw a gold nugget being formed from molten gold and chatted to a Victorian schoolmaster (who was also a trooper firing muskets in the afternoon). We then went to the spot called the Eureka Stockade where there had been a battle between the gold miners and the government regarding miners' licence fees. This was all very well produced. En route from Ballarat to the Grampians, we had a close encounter with a kangaroo that leapt out into the road in front of us. We braked and he was also narrowly missed by a car coming towards us. Peter reckoned the Skippy had used up 8 of his 9 lives!

Today Monday 12th Jan, we are in the Grampian mountains and we have been bush walking, just like the 'old days'. From Halls Gap we went up to the Wonderland car park and climbed up through the Grand Canyon, Silent Street to The Pinnacle. It was a very hot day, 30 degrees plus, with a perfectly blue sky. The walk was arduous and steep in parts (we had to climb steel ladders at certain places) but the view from the Pinnacle made it all worthwhile. We could see a long way across the State and the nearby mountains were very craggy. Three and half hours later, we returned to the van and made our way to the Mackenzie Falls lookout – another hour's walk through dense gum and fern forest with kangaroo tail plants. Then it was back to camp for a much needed swim and Happy hour! Next stop – back to Ocean Road.

Christmas in Melbourne

Happy New Year everyone!

Before arriving at Melbourne on Christmas Eve, we crossed the state border into Victoria at Mallacoota, which is a beautiful area on a large inlet, where we had a waterside camp pitch and watched the pelicans feeding while we had our breakfast. Our route continued round the coast towards Melbourne passing Lakes Entrance and South Gippsland. Our last stop before Melbourne was at a little place called Woodside Beach. The campsite was virtually empty, but was going to be full on Boxing Day as in Australia most people have Christmas Day at home, then set off on the summer holiday.

We arrived at Louise and Malcolm's house on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Louise and Malcolm, Ann and Ron are good friends of ours through our Youth Hostelling Days in the 70s when we lived in Melbourne.

Christmas Day dawned bright and warm and we all enjoyed an excellent dinner with their family and Ann and Ron at their beautiful home in Beaumaris. In true Australian style we began with barbecued prawns followed by fillet of beef with vegetables accompanied by vintage Aussie vino. Later, we took a stroll down to the beach where we had a paddle in the sea! On Boxing Day, Malcolm gave us the Grand Tour of the Port and city sights, the highlight of which (for me) had to be driving a lap of the F1 Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park.

We have since explored the city further, revisiting places that we knew and admiring the changes which have taken place over the last 30 years, particularly Federation Square, the new focal point of Melbourne and where tourists were sitting in the sun watching the Cricket test match v S Africa on a large outdoor screen.

We were pleased to have the opportunity to visit an ex-teaching colleague and his wife who made us very welcome and we walked around a Nature Reserve which he had helped to establish. We continued on to stay overnight with Ann and Ron (the best man at our wedding). Next day we set out in search of kangaroos and koalas and were pleased to find both as well as a kookaburra in the countryside around the Yarra Creek near Warrandyte.

Back to Beaumaris, we spent a day rediscovering the Mornington Peninsula round the east side of Port Philip Bay and so to New Year's Eve. After an afternoon visiting a couple of art galleries and the War Memorial and gardens, we met up with Malcolm and Louise and had a quick peek inside the Casino, very lavish, before going to the north bank of the river Yarra to watch a splendid firework display. On the way back to the station we passed the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground and return home to see in the New Year watching the midnight fireworks on TV.

New Year's Day saw us on the road again and we had a very nostalgic trip down memory lane visiting the places of work and various homes we had lived in during our time in the 70s.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FROM MELBOURNE

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends from Australia.

We can't sing this greeting so you'll have to do it for us:

(With apologies to Banjo Patterson's Waltzing Mathilda)

Once a jolly Santa camped by a billabong
Parking his sleigh by a coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched the kangaroos go hopping by
You'll come a waltzing at Christmas with me.
Waltzing at Christmas, Waltzing at Christmas,
You'll come a waltzing Down Under with me.
And he hitched those kangas to his bright red surfboard,
Singing: You'll come a waltzing Down Under with me.

Hope y'all have a bonza Christmas. Break out the tinnies and chips
(sorry – crisps) and enjoy those roasties.

Love Sheila and Peter xx

Sydney to Canberra and Sapphire Coast

From Katoomba we decided to make a detour to Canberra, as I wanted to visit an elderly cousin of my mother's. On the way we drove past Lake George about 30 kms long by 20 kms wide. It was totally dried up. There were even road tracks marked across it, yet on the map it is marked as a water lake. First sighting that we had of the drought situation here, yet most place so far look quite green and fertile. We found Ted and June at home and spent a very pleasant afternoon with them catching up on all the family news and memories. I was so pleased that we were able to see them.

We then went to Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of Canberra from where you can see the National Library, the Carillion (whose bells were made in Loughborough) amongst other sights. It came over stormy so we headed for the camping park and settled down for the night. We were parked next to another Calypso Campervan with a friendly young Swiss couple.

Next morning we paid a visit to the Anzac War Memorial an impressive building with many monuments around it and a fine view down Anzac Parade to Parliament House. Canberra has obviously grown since we last visited but the heart at Burley Griffin Lake is still the same. We then took the road to Bateman's Bay back on the coast. Varied scenery – still quite green and very much cattle grazing country. As we dropped off the Blue mountains plateau, we travelled down through forest which was quite picturesque. We camped on the beachfront at Bateman's Bay and enjoyed a pleasant walk along the beach, good surf but very windy and a bit chilly! Met our Swiss friends again and shared a bottle of wine and conversation, as you do!

The following morning, we went to see the pelicans at the fishing jetty in Bateman's Bay then we followed the road along the coast, stopping at various coves/beaches for photo stops. We arrived early afternoon at Narooma and relaxed by the pool, before having a walk along this beach. Saw some bluebottle jellyfish on the beach. We had company for tea – some rosella birds who fancied our bean sprouts. They attached themselves to the awning guy ropes twittering away!

Sunday again and we find ourselves meandering along the pretty coastal route (not unlike South Wales UK) with folds of hills rolling down to beautiful beaches with pristine white sands and turquoise sea. We came across a little town called Tilba which was delightful. The buildings dated back to beginning of last century and all the stores were selling traditional craft wares, woodcarvings, clothing made from hemp or alpaca wool, a small cheese factory and teashop with home made fudge and an old fashioned sweet shop. We continued on to Bermagui, a fishing port and treated ourselves to a dozen oysters for lunch, sitting by the jetty. Our stop for the day was Tathra – another swim and another walk along the beach. While I was typing this blog, Peter was busy watching Manchester United playing Liga de Quito in the World Club Championship match. There's no getting away from football even at 12,000 miles away!

As I write this, now we have travelled on and we are in Mallacoota just inside the Victorian border. We are pitched right at the water's edge of the inlet with pelicans perched on the mooring posts in front of us. It is a beautiful spot and I hope to photograph the sunrise in the morning across the inlet.

Sydney and The Blue Mountains

The rain vanished and Sydney turned on the sunshine. We arrived at Roger and Hilary's (a relative of Dan's) in North Sydney. He made us very welcome and on the Sunday morning we went for a pre-breakfast walk along Bondi beach which was quite crowded even at 8.30 am with families having fun and games and surf races. We went along the cliff path to other coves and past the Iceberg swimming pool, where the hardy people swim. The sea was a beautiful blue as was the sky. We then had a tour of some of the sights of Sydney including exclusive bays - beautiful coves with all kinds of yachts moored and lovely properties.

The next morning, we caught the train into Sydney crossing the Harbour Bridge. We walked along to Wooloomooloo, where migrants used to arrive by ship and where Russell Crowe now has an apartment, then through the Botanical Gardens past MacQuarie's seat (where in 1800s the Governor's wife used to sit and look out into the harbour). On to the Opera House and environs – all these sights, the Opera House, Bridge and the Harbour and indeed the skyscraper buildings make Sydney an amazing city to be in. I felt very 'at home' here. From Circular Quay we took the ferry across the harbour to Manly where we walked to the surf beach and this time we were treated to perfect sunshine. The following morning, after going for a walk around the area in which we were staying, through some bushland and down to the river (what a lovely place to live), we again hopped on a train into the city and explored the 'Rocks' area before catching a ferry to Darling Harbour and explored this part of the city. I think we have captured every angle of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the tall buildings on camera as you will see, all with a perfectly blue sky behind! Sydney is a remarkable city.

But we have to move on and the next day headed for the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. At Katoomba, we found a nice campsite within walking distance of the scenic railway. This railway used to serve the coal miners and drops practically vertically into the rainforest. We wandered along the boardwalk through the forest until we reached the cable car station to ascend to the clifftop again. We saw the local tourist attraction called the Three Sisters – 3 pinnacles of rock. The story goes that the sisters were turned to stone by a sorcerer to protect them from the advances of three young men. However, the sorcerer died before he could turn them back into humans. AAh! The Blue Mountains are apparently so called because of the vapour exuded from the eucalypt trees causes a blue haze.

Next instalment: Bateman's Bay to Melbourne via the coast! Watch this space!

Sunshine Coast to Sydney Rain

From Fraser Island we continued our journey southwards, hugging the coast. Noosa Heads was a very chic place full of little boutiques and surfboards everywhere. We decided to spend two nights at Maroochydore. First impressions were of a Spanish Costa del Sol resort, but the beach was very pleasant. We visited Buderim and Nambour (the big pineapple plantation) during the day. We were keen to see how the big pineapple had developed as we had visited it during our Queensland trip in the 70s. Then it was a novelty of a giant pineapple and a small plantation which distinguished from the other farm shops. Now the two way road that it stood on, has been upgraded to a major dual carriageway with a pedestrian bridge. The farm shop has become a significant tourist attraction, the farm sheds replaced with a big complex and the plantation now has an Australia Wildlife Reserve and mini zoo.

Next day, we moved on to Brisbane, stopping at the Australia Zoo, run by Steve Irwin's family. We saw the crocodile, reptile and bird shows before stroking wallabies, kangaroos and koalas – definitely the creature with the "Aah" factor. The zoo is very well maintained and the keepers were very informative about the animals and the ongoing Conservation programmes.

We just made the campsite at Brisbane before a thunderstorm. It's amazing though, the ground can flood quickly but an hour later it all dries up. We spent a day wandering round Brisbane, very busy like most cities, office workers having lunch on the lawns. We crossed the river to Southbank on a catamaran, where there was a huge lagoon with a beach right next to the river. There is also a 'Brisbane eye'. Late afternoon, we came across a cinema so went to see 'Australia' with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman – very good even if only for the photography and scenery (worth seeing).

Next day, moving further south, we arrived at a lovely little fishing/yachting town called Yamba, where we had a glorious sunset and decided to stay for the weekend. We walked along a large breakwater which provides shelter for the harbour and we saw dolphins and pelicans. We climbed up to the lighthouse for a great view along the coastline, then back down through the town.

If we thought we were having "Adventure before Dementia"(a sign we have seen on several of the Grey Nomad caravans), how about a couple from Shropshire that we met in Yamba. He was 80 and she was 79 and they were in a Backpacker van hoping to drive up to Cairns and back to Sydney in a couple of weeks. They had tried 6 years ago but went too slow and only got as far as Brisbane, so this is their second attempt. Way to go!! We met another couple who run a 5CL caravan park in Holt, Norfolk, so I expect we will see them there one day.

From Yamba we moved to Port Macquarie via Coff's Harbour and Nambucca Heads with great cliff scenery. I had a go at bodysurfing in the sea at Port Macquarie. The temperature is now starting to get cooler.

Next stop was the Booti Booti National Park where we camped with the ocean on one side and a huge lake on the other; a really pretty area south of Forster. We then arrived in the Hunter Valley and lost the sun!! However, it didn't stop us from a bit of wine tasting at Rosemount, Lindemans, and McWilliams wineries.

We are now in Sydney and have had two days of solid rain and wind. Oh dear, my umbrella went inside out at Manly Beach where we had a relaxed lunch with Faye and John (friends of Fiona's). We had to stay longer and have chocolate fudge cake whilst we waited for the rain to stop – which it didn't. The sun is due to return tomorrow with 31 degrees. Let's hope so.

On a political note here, in order to boost the Aussie economy, the Prime Minister of Oz has given 1000 dollars to each child and each pensioner as a Xmas bonus, in the hope that they will spend it. However, I rather think people will either pay off their credit card bills/mortgage or put it into savings. So the scheme could backfire on him.

We are finding petrol very reasonable, they have been coming down and now on average they are around 1.05 dollars (50p) per litre unleaded; since Cairns, so far we have covered 3,858 km. (We also covered around 1400km in NT). The campsite fees are generally between $AU20 and $AU30 per night (half UK costs). Food costs are about the same as UK, the good news is the meat is a lot cheaper though and the bad news is that beer & wine is more expensive.

The Fraser Experience

As we found out, Fraser Island was definitely an "Experience"! The briefing on the previous day already had me a bit apprehensive –how not to overturn your vehicle in soft sand etc. However at 7.00 am we picked up our White Suzuki Jimny 4WD, ESKI ice box and dome tent and headed for the barge crossing to the island. Once on the island, we followed other likeminded people down twisty, sometimes tortuous sandy tracks where there were deep furrows of soft sand. We arrived at Central Station which used to be a forestry camp and there were a mixture of trees: huge kauri pines, satinay pines, the wood of which was used for the construction of the Suez Canal.

Moving on we arrived at Eurong Resort by the beach. To cross onto the beach we crossed a cattle grid which had added electric stinger wires to stop dingoes crossing. So, here we were on 75 mile beach. I spent most of the time calling out "wash out" which meant there was a fresh water outlet running out to the sea and these caused banks and rivulets that you went into. Some were a lot deeper than others and we bounced about. I have to say, I admired Peter's driving because it certainly wasn't easy especially when we hit the soft stuff – like driving in deep snow, but he kept to a low speed and tackled 'most' of the wash outs without turfing me out of the car!

So what did we see? We had to bypass the Poyungan Rocks to avoid the seawater, stopped briefly at Eli Creek which is a deep fast flowing freshwater creek running down to the sea. Had a paddle there but due to loads of other tourists, we continued on to Maheno Wreck. This was a cruising ship which capsized in 1935 and is now in a very sorry, rusty state. Fascinating photostop though. Our intention had been to get as far as Indian Head and Champagne Pools which was the limit for our hire car, but the tides dictated that we turned around and we headed back along the beach to find a place to pitch the tent for the night. Finally, as the tide was coming in a little too fast for my comfort, we found a nice patch in the sand dunes at a spot called One Tree Rock. It was getting quite gloomy and looking stormy out to sea, so we got the tent up quickly and Peter erected the tarpaulin over the top in case it did get stormy. Talk about "Robinson", I am not sure if I mean Crusoe or Heath Robinson, but I'm jolly grateful Peter was a boy scout and knew how to lash things together. Needn't have worried though, because it didn't rain and we woke up at 5.00 am to glorious sunshine. Oops! Missed the photo opportunity for a sunrise!

The Ranger called by to check our permit and ask whether we had seen any dingoes. Sadly no, but there were fresh pawprints around the tent so they had visited during the night! Spent the morning reading the Weekend paper, as one does, waiting for the tide to ebb. We had an early Sunday lunch of sausage in a roll and headed North again to Eli Creek, a cool freshwater stream, where we walked along the boardwalk and then I floated down with the current to the seashore, which was all very nice until I spotted an eel! The day was beautiful – hot with a perfectly blue sky so we continued northwards to the Maheno wreck again for some more photos, then it was 4WD back to Eurong via the washouts. At one point a small light aircraft flew over the top of the car and landed on the sand ahead of us. There was a bridal couple on board getting married on the island, as one does!

When we got back to Eurong, we almost got bogged in the sand ruts, but Lewis Hamilton-Roscoe got us out of them. On the road back to Central Station campsite we saw two dingoes. We found the campsite and pitched for the night. I started to cook some lamb steaks; went back to the car to fetch the salad and while my back was turned, a kookaburra had nicked one of the lamb steaks! He sat on a log and proceeded to bash the steak on the log to break it in to smaller pieces. After that, he stayed on the log glaring at us and would have dived in for seconds if we hadn't eaten quickly! They warn you about dingoes but not kookaburras. He then flew off and you could hear him laughing all the way through the forest!! Heard dingoes passing in the night, but the only wildlife we encountered next morning was a very large goanna.

On to Lake Mackenzie, a beautiful azure blue freshwater lake with pure white sand , where we spent the morning sunbathing and swimming. Then it was time to attack the 14 kms of sandtrack back to the ferry. We just had to get bogged didn't we. The car wheels sank into the sand, not surprising when the ruts have been formed by huge trucks and we were just in a little Suzuki, but Peter persevered and we spun our way out again. So, we have experienced Fraser Island.

They say you have to have "A little adventure before dementia" and I think this trip is turning out to be quite adventurous. Next stop, the Sunshine Coast.

Queensland Coral Coast

When we left Cairns for the second time, we set off South for Mission Beach via the Atherton Tableland.

Travelling inland we passed through lush tropical rainforest, sugar cane and banana plantations. We climbed up to over 1000 metres, twisty hairpin bends until we reached the Atherton plateau which was very fertile and mostly dairy farming. Stopped at Yungaburra, a quaint old fashioned town for lunch and where they promised 'free beer tomorrow'!

We then went on to see the famous Curtain fig tree which we first saw 36 years ago. Next stop was Malanda Falls and the Millaa Millaa falls where we saw terrapins and a beautiful kingfisher.

Arrived at Mission Beach late afternoon – such a beautiful beach and a good place to stay put for a couple of days. 4.00 a.m – 10.00 a.m. we had 6 inches of rain fall – a super electric storm to watch, but by morning all gone and dried up. So had a lovely walk along the beach.

It is difficult to comprehend that while we are beachcombing like this, in the local shops they are playing Christmas songs – heard ' Silent Night' and 'Sleigh bells ring' yesterday!!!.

Next day, we are on the move again through sugar, banana, mango and pineapple plantations, dairy cattle and goats. However, on Reaching Townsville the scenery dramatically changed from lush tropical flora to dry bush and eucalyptus trees. We went to the top of Castle Hill in Townsville and had a beautiful panorama 360 degrees overlooking Magnetic Island. Stopped the night at Ayr where we had fresh iced mangoes and a fantastic tropical thunderstorm.

Next stop was Airlee Beach. However it was 'Schoolie Week'. The town was packed with school leavers (a bit like Newquay in early July). 'Schoolies' are strange Australian creatures. They are aquatic mammals who invade the swimming pools with cans of cold drinks and they are nocturnal, listening to loud music and noisy all night!! Seriously though, Airlee Beach is a vibrant town with a beautiful freshwater swimming lagoon where we spent several hours.

But the 'piece de resistance' here was our trip to the Whitsunday Islands – so called because James Cook arrived here on that day in the 18 th century. We cruised on a catamaran to Daydream Island, where we walked through the resort and saw lemon sharks, manta rays and all sorts of pretty coloured fish including nemos, starfish and lion fish.

We had a swim at Hamilton Island and then a Barbecue lunch before we went to Whitehaven Beach. Wow!! Pure white silica sand and crystal, clear turquoise water. We had to wear stinger suits (see photo- don't we look cute) because of the danger of being stung by the irukandji jellyfish which are deadly. We had 3 hours of pure desert island bliss here.

We have now moved South to Yeppoon, where Peter and I got engaged 36 years ago and our next report will probably be after our camping trip on Fraser Island. The weather is still sunny every day and 30 deg C plus each, but not quite so humid. By the way, the climate suits us very nicely. In 4 weeks, I've lost half a stone and my hair is blond, bleached by the sun!! Bye for now.

- Sheila.

Captain's Log

As you may have realised, the blogs so far have been written by the First Mate, so I thought I would add a few words.

I really enjoyed returning to Singapore after a period of forty years. In those days when Malaysia and Singapore couldn't decide if they were one or two countries, Singapore still had the colonial air about it. Now Singapore has developed so much to become one of the major tourist centres and a commercial capital of the Far East. I was slightly disappointed that the sense of adventure has diminished somewhat. A shopping trip to Change Alley used to be an exciting experience, when you were relieved to arrive at the other end with your watch and wallet intact. Now it is probably safer than going to Lakeside. Orchard Road was once a road with lots of individual airconditioned camera shops owned by Asians, and it is now a street full of Bluewater type shopping malls, with most of the shops selling designer goods.

It was really good to have the opportunity of travelling around the NT Top End. The only part of NT we visited during the 70s was the Centre, when we got to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (as it was called). Arriving at the beginning of November, we missed the peak season, which coincides with the "Dry Season", but were ahead of the Wet Season. This meant that the campgrounds were all pretty quiet and the roads were virtually empty apart from the road trains. It also meant that the crocodile cruises were on the smaller boats allowing us to get closer to nature!

Within hours of arriving in Darwin we were joined by our Navigator, Bruce (well actually TomTom). Just round the corner from our campervan pickup in Darwin, there was a Dick Smith Electronics where we bought an Australian satnav. Having already down loaded a lot of Australian POIs, we can readily find our next campsite or Coles Supermarket. Interestingly it appears that some of the Australian mapping has been simplified or is still being developed. When we travelled North along the tortuous route along the coast, from the Daintree River Ferry, to Cape Tribulation, the satnav would suggest that we should Turn Right in 80 metres. This was a bit worrying as any right turn off the twisting coastal road would have taken us over the cliff into the sea. The satnav has also been very useful for planning the different legs of our journey, working out our daily itinerary.

During my stints at the communal BBQs cooking the evening meal, (when Sheila says I am networking), I have met several interesting characters. At Hayes Creek RoadHouse Campground, I was chatting to a Road Worker, who drove a Grader. He was complaining about the fact that the Wet Season would mean no work in the Top End of NT for three months, so he was travelling to Alice Springs to find continuous employment.

At Katherine Gorge campground I met an Asian from Sydney with a Kea 4wd camper on some relocation deal that meant he had to get from Cairns to Darwin in less than five days. It is strange to hear the Chinese guys with a strong Aussie accent.

Then in Ayr I joined a lot of Japanese students who were envious of my Sirloin steaks as they cooked their noodles and beans.

During our trip, we have met many different nationalities. The people we meet travelling appear to fall into one of about four different categories. Firstly there is the definite backpacker brigade with vans or station wagons of varying vintage, or Wicked campers.

At the other end of the spectrum there are the Grey Nomads who may or may not have a fixed base somewhere. These Aussie pensioners have often either sold or rented out their home and taken to the road. Most seem to have come from the South and travelled North to benefit from the warmer weather.

There is another group of Australian travellers who seem to be economic migrants, like the road worker above. These are generally young families where the menfolk are often working close to the campsite, and in a couple of instances are hoping to get a house locally.

Then there are the SKIers like ourselves, recently retired and are taking time out. I think some of the Grey Nomads are SKIers who have already spent their kids' inheritance. Like the old chap at Hayes Creek who has told his children that all they will inherit is a clapped out Winebago.

- Peter

Far North Queensland

Having arrived in Cairns we had a few days of luxury in an apartment. Cairns is a very nice city well laid out in grid lined streets, but even I lost my bearings once or twice. As there isn't much of a beach, there is a man-made lagoon which was very much appreciated for swimming.

After a couple of days of sightseeing we picked up 'Vicky 2' our second campervan and headed north to Cape Tribulation, stopping off at Trinity Beach and Palm Cove on the way, beautiful palm fringed, white sand beaches but because of the deadly stinger jellyfish (some only the size of one's little finger nail), you have to swim where there are stinger nets. Moving on through the Daintree Rainforest to Cape Tribulation and crossing the Daintree River on a ferry, we passed sugar and tea plantations and the dense forest and mangrove swamps which come right down to sea level.

We camped at Myall Beach near to the Cape and managed to eat some fresh coconut which had dropped off the palm trees on to the beach. Felt like Robinson Crusoe! Cape Tribulation was so called by Captain Cook when his ship the Endeavour nearly floundered here in 1770. He went on to find a natural harbour further north which he called Cooktown. We walked through the mangrove swamps to the Noah river outlet, lots of vines and rich tropical flora.

On our return from the Cape, we headed for Mossman Gorge and had a very invigorating cool swim (coldest water yet) in the waterfalls - along with some very large jungle perch fish! The day ended at Port Douglas, a very upmarket resort and home for Australian TV stars. From here we set sail for the Great Barrier Reef, to the Agincourt reef which is part of the outer reef, on the edge of the continental shelf. We visited three reef sites and snorkelled at each one wearing our stinger suits. Wow! We saw amazing coral formations, nemos (anemone fish), butterfly fish, angel fish, parrot fish, pretty blue fish and some called many spotted sweet lips! Best of all though were the giant purple clams and the reef shark which swam right below us! What a fantastic day.

We are now back in Cairns having stopped off at Kuranda on the way. Tomorrow we head south for Mission Beach and Dunk Island. Watch this space!!

Crocodile Dundee Territory

Further to our brief Kakadu update, we now able to get on line with Wi-Fi at our Darwin campsite.




Well what an experience the Northern Territory Top End has been. We have met so many like - minded travellers from different parts of Australia, Far East, Europe as well as UK.

"Vicky" our campervan is very comfortable, the fridge is a godsend and so is the fan at night because it has been very hot, 40 deg C plus by day and nearly that at night. By the time we have had Happy Hour and a Barbecue, it is dark by 7pm. We download the photos onto the laptop, and get an early night. We are awake by 6am ready for the new day.

After Jabiru, we went to Nourlangie Rock and saw fantastic aborigine art work on the rocks. At the top we surveyed Arnhem Land and could see the deliberately lit bushfires (to burn off old undergrowth). Next morning, having watched two dingoes close to our van, we set off on the 2hr Yellow Water cruise at 6.45 am. Saw about 20 crocodiles, some huge ones 4 metres long and loads of bird life – sea eagles, sacred ibis, dacta birds, whistling kites, little azure kingfishers and 'Jesus' birds that appeared to walk on water.

Next day was at Katherine, swam in the thermal pools. Every campsite has a swim pool, so my aim is to swim at least once every day, the temperature of the pools though is like a warm bath about 37 deg. Next trip was the 4 hr cruise up 3 of Katherine's gorges, starting early morning. On the way up we saw aboriginal rock paintings dating back 8000 years. In the wet season the gorge can flood up to 20 metres depth – a lot of water! In the second gorge we climbed the cliff to see more paintings, this time yellow ochre rather than red and even older. At the top of the 3rd gorge we walked to the vortex holes, where you can see how the swirling waters of flood water have worn away the rock. Coming back down to the first gorge we pulled over to the bank and had a swim in the river. I also had a go blowing the Guide's didgeridoo. He said I was making a 'buffalo' call!!

Left Katherine after lunch and stopped for another swim in the Edith Falls, no crocs! Charlie the buffalo was standing (stuffed) on the bar at the Adelaide river roadhouse (Crocodile Dundee fame). While we were there a coach load of people arrived for breakfast before joining the Ghan train. There had been a derailment South of Darwin earlier in the week. Yesterday we made our way to Litchfield Park, very lush tropical palm and pandanus trees. The park has more undulating bushland than Kakadu. Saw the magnetic termite mounds, all aligned N to S (a living Stonehenge). More swimming at Wangi Falls where we saw lots of bats in the trees, and finally dipped into the Buley Rock holes, waterfalls with deep swimming pools, a bit cooler water. Peter is enjoying 'networking' with the other cooks at the barbecue every evening while I write the 'blog'. We visited Darwin beaches which were deserted on account of the stingers (lethal jelly fish). The Darwin Art Gallery has an excellent display of Aborigine Art and explained some of the art which we have seen during the last few days. The Darwin Museum exhibits relating to Cyclone Tracey (which wiped out Darwin, Christmas Eve 1974), were particularly interesting as I had received refugee children at my school in Melbourne at the time.

All in all, a brilliant start to the trip. See our photos in the Gallery.

Flying to Cairns tomorrow. Catch up with us again in Queensland. Sheila & Peter

Update from Kakadu

Jumping crocodiles! It is extremely hot in northern territory. So far
we have fed crocodiles on the adelaide river, lost our dinner to some
crows and fended off dingoes with the same idea! Have visited
aboriginal art rock paintings and climbed the lookout to see across to
arnhem land. Have cruised yellow water and seen more crocodiles and
everything from eagles to kingfishers. Each day we have managed to
stop at a campsite with a refreshing swim pool followed by a barbq.

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Singapore Sauna

Well, the first leg of our trip has been hectic. "Gone Walkabout" means just that! We've walked up and down Orchard Rd several times. It has changed considerably since Peter was last here 40 years ago. Instead of the many smaller businesses it is now mainly a street full of Bluewater type designer, quite expensive shopping malls, thankfully all air-conditioned as we have been melting in the intense humidity.

The Botanical Gardens were fantastic, particularly the orchids, such a variety of colours and species. Naturally, we paid a visit to the Long Bar at Raffles for a gin sling and peanuts, the shells of which have to be ceremoniously dropped on the floor! The hotel still retains its colonial charm and decadence. We have walked round Chinatown at night, sampling dishes at the various stalls, also saw a dragon dance.

We've caught the new Sentosa express (monorail) across to Sentosa Island, the most southerly point of the Asian continent! Walked along to a very quiet beach, spent a couple of hours there. Before we left the island we saw a show on the beach - 'Song of the Sea'. This was a high-tech 'son et lumiere' with lasers, water jets and fireworks. Excellent.

We've enjoyed our stopover here and even had time to enjoy the rooftop pool. Singapore is a very clean, modern city, with people who are very friendly and helpful. There is more than enough to see here in the few days we've had.

In the beginning

Way back in 1970, I was teaching in a school near Ilford and realised I wanted to travel, see something of the world but keep working to pay for it. So in January 1971 I emigrated to Australia, took up residence in Melbourne and got a teaching post at a suburban primary school.

In order to make new friends and see something of the Outback I joined the Youth Hostelling Association, whose activities included everything from bushwalking, sailing to snow skiing.
Peter, meanwhile, travelling the world as a Radio Officer in the Merchant Navy decided he wanted to see more of one of the countries that he had visited. So he also became a £10 Pom and emigrated to Melbourne where he started working for a telecoms engineering company.

That year, the YHA Bushwalking Group hosted a Hallowe’en party and it was there that Ron (another Pom and later to be our best man) introduced us. There was a raffle – I won a bottle of Invalid Stout and Peter won a bottle of Sparkling Rose. So we decided to share the prize by going out to a BYO restaurant in Camberwell on our first date!

Just over a year and many bushwalks later, we left Melbourne on Boxing Day for a month’s touring/camping in Peter’s Renault 10 inland to Brisbane, coast road to North Queensland, back to Brisbane via Charters Towers and coast road back to Melbourne. Whilst in Yepoon at Wreck Point (on Tropic of Capricorn) on New Year’s Eve, Peter popped the question. I said "Yes" and was presented with the ring-pull from a can of Foster's as my first engagement ring! We were married 2nd June 1973 and continued to explore Oz – Victoria, Tasmania, South Aust, the Red Centre, NSW, even New Zealand (me).

When we returned to UK to raise our family, we promised ourselves that one day (like the proverbial boomerang) we would retrace our steps. As you know our girls have all been down under for holidays backpacking and now it’s our turn to “SKI”.
So here we go.
Sheila

Blog from phone

Test blog from my phone Peter

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