Koalas

There's a koala in them there trees.  Honest.  Sadly we got a bit distracted and the cameraman needs some work but we did see them and got attacked by a plague of mosquitos for the cause.

The whole Gippsland region is an attractive one with a lot of small communities dotted about.  One word of caution: there aren't a lot of places to eat in the evenings...as Dad found out...

Best Western Colonnial Inn, Bairnsdale

Classy digs.

Day Nine - Raymond Island koalas and more pies

The snow may be falling in Chobham but here on the balmy Antipodean beaches all is fine with temperatures in the high 20's this afternoon. It is very peaceful here and with cheap housing, warm weather plus the most wonderful 'pie shops' wherever we go, life could not better be (cholesterol count permitting).

The downside of course is that Australia has more than it's share of 'natural disasters' - massive flooding at the moment means that Queensland is half underwater with numbers of fatalities caused by what is being termed an inland tsunami - dreadful.

Today's highlight was the koala bear country, a place called Raymond Island is home to numbers of koalas and we were lucky enough to see several of these 'cute' looking creatures as well as some very colourful parrots and an itinerant porcupine. 

Doug

Raymond Island ferry

Max The Koala

A cockatoo

Day Eight - Canberra to Bairnsdale

Just had a memorable meal in at The River Grill in Bairnsdale - whoever built this place forgot that people might visit.  To say it is quiet would be exaggerating somewhat - there were a few people about but only one in the pub and just three in the restaurant, fascinating, however great food ('gummy shark' - toothless?)

At the Crowe Plaza in Canberra, Nasser Hussain and his mates were off to the local cricket oval for the game against the Presidents X1 reckon the BBC are spending all my licence money at once I guess they spent last night in the casino next door as they were not in the hotel bar.

Now been on the road for a week or more and still no kangaroos - signs everywhere telling you to watch out for the beasts but not a sign, just miles and miles of sheep and the occasional herd of cows - it's a big place is Australia.  Tomorrow we have been promised that we can see real wild koala bears -we shall see.  Lots of pictures of the wide open landscape today and the town of Bombala where we dined on great meat pies (fancy that Dad, pies...) !

Doug

Doug and merino in Cooma

Typical scene crossing from Canberra to coast

Hotel in Bombala

Lakes Entrance

Day Seven - Canberra

Canberra.

You have to feel sorry for the people of Canberra.  They spend their entire lives agreeing with visitors that the place is terrible.  Yet they stay on and the city continues to expand with new suburbs appearing each year.  We just had a day to explore, admittedly a Sunday, and were struggling to come up with something good to say.  Then it stuck us: there’s plenty of space.

Wherever you go in the city you cannot escape the feeling that everyone has left.  Even in the busy areas, the streets are empty and shops, cafes and bars all closed.  And that doesn’t just apply to Sunday.  We crossed the Commonwealth Bridge into the political triangle and headed for the new Parliament building on Capital Hill.  Lots of wide avenues with government buildings and imposing architecture.  Sound familiar?  It could be Washington. 

The new Parliament Building itself has a bit of an austere outlook and could easily have taken some influence from Albert Speer.  Inside it’s a sight to behold and as with everything else good about Australia, the friendly welcome and helpful people make it. 

Dougie at the Parliament Building, Canberra

After the Parliament we walked to the Kingston Shore Markets, a key sight for Canberra visitors.  It’s a Sunday market combining antiques, crafts and flat whites.  I think we lasted about 30 minutes as neither of us had any interest in organic cherry jam or balsamic vinegar.  We then headed to the National Gallery of Australia.

Kingston Markets

The NGA is a fantastic building just back from the lake featuring a wealth of art, including a great collection of Australian art dating back to the days of the convicts early settlers. 

ART

The National Gallery of Australia

2013 will see Canberra celebrate 100 years of existence.  In the Parliament they had an excellent display of artefacts and photos from the 1910 surveying expedition when Canberra was nothing more than a collection of tents, labourers and ponies.  The tents have been replaced by modern buildings, the nation’s political centre and a scruffy concrete retail and entertainment centre.  Altogether a bit odd.

Day Seven - Welcome to Canberra

A downtown scene

Quiet enough to shut a road

Are we in Coventry?

It was all too much for this parrot

Leafy...and empty

Local baristas are trying

Not amused

Day Six - The Road to Nowhere

Sydney to Canberra via the Blue Mountains.

We made our way out of Sydney for the drive to Canberra at 0800.  It takes a while to escape Sydney’s outer rim, following the Great Western Highway through a succession of frontier-like strips of hotels and shops, many of the facades dating to the mid 1800s.  Shame they’re now selling Carlton, mattresses and fake-Indonesian furniture. 

Eventually we reached Parramatta, a combo of Basingstoke and Crawley and made the mistake of trying to find a café.  After circling this little piece of modern Aussie hell for 15 minutes, spotted a colonial-looking building, which turned out to be Gosh – apparently the only proper coffee shop in Parramatta.  You cannot beat a bit of toasted banana bread with butter for breakfast and a flat white.  Or can you?  Dougie went mango and coconut.  Bit early for me that.

Hacked across the highway searching for the Blue Mountains.  Opted to take the northern rim via Bells Line of Road.  We drove through a series of typical Aussie farming community towns including Kurrajong (twice – nice though) and Bilpin finally stopping at the Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens, which contained some amazing plants and equally impressive views over the mountain region.

Protea at Mt Tomah

Along one of the series of ridges, stopped for a bit to take in the views of a lookout across the mountains called ‘The Walls’.  Proper end-of-the-world stuff once you’d trekked the 1.5km to reach the edge. We spent the next 3 hours following a series of highways (Lachlan, Hume) stopping in Bathhurst for lunch.  Bathurst was a centre during the Australian gold rush and there’s a giant statue of a prospector as you enter the town.

View of The Walls Lookout

Festive in Blayney

Got to Canberra at about 6, found the hotel about 2 hours later.  We don’t need to do the tourist sights tomorrow as we passed most of them at least twice circling the weird road structure they have here.  If you live in Milton Keynes you’ll be right at home.

Farewell Sydney

Dad and I move off towards the Blue Mountains tomorrow morning (I expect early) so we took the opportunity to have one last look at the Opera House and harbour.

In the video, Dad gives his verdict on Sydney against the backdrop of the bridge.  You got to admire the way he just walks off at the end...

Also check out the photo timeline of me from 2003 to 2011.

2003

2011

Day Five - Final Day of Ashes at SCG

Dad and I went our separate ways for the day with me heading off to the final day's play at the SCG between Australia and England and Dad meeting up with his pal Mike for some lunch at Watson's Bay.  You'll have to ask him about that. 

The ACB announced last night that the final day of play at the SCG would be free entry to all comers.  Understandable move given that England needed just 3 wickets to secure a 3-1 series win (technically a whitewash because the Aussies have been so poor), as it would maximise income for the concession and merchandise stands.  Anticipating an England win, it is a fair assumption that the Barmy Army followers would want to spend most of their last dollars on souvenir tat and VB.  Assumption confirmed on arrival at the ground.

The ground was almost entirely open so you could wander as you pleased and sit where you wanted.  Security was low-key and relaxed.  English stewarding and policing could learn something from the way the Australian's run big events.  They do it politely, efficiently and with a smile.  Our lot are just hired goons.  To see police happily accepting requests at the end from the Barmy Army to take their photos summed the day up really.  All in good spirit.

Anyway, aside from the 20 minute rain delay, the cricket began on time and 10:03 and it was all over well before lunch.  The sun stayed out from 11am and it was baking in the open stands.  The Barmy Army took advantage of the early opening of the bars and amused themselves until Tremlett took the final wicket.

Collingwood got a personal salute, the side did a lap of honour with the Ashes urn (not the real one), and everyone dribbled away happy.

Straussy

Athers, Mikey and that odd bloke off Sky

Barmy

Celebrating

Scoreboard

Swann with Urn

England team meet Barmy Army

Cricket nerd

Day Four - North Harbour

Today Dad and I took a long walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and onto the North Shore.  The trek across the bridge was a decent stretch with some spectacular views.  You can climb one of the pylons (200 steps) and gain an even more impressive view but that cost 10 bucks and didn't open until 10am so that was two reasons for not partaking.

View of Sydney Harbour from Bridge

The first area on the North Shore is Kirribilli, a smart small residential areas with (as ever) plenty of coffee shops and convenience stores.  Took a look at the view of Sydney's main area from the opposing side.  Great views.  Had a look at the oddity that is Luna Park.

Kirribilli Cafe

Wandered about through the backstreets and ended up in a tiny bay the other side of the bridge called Lavender Bay.  At the base of the inlet was a small public garden, a unique spot maintained since it's construction in 1995 by a lady called Wendy - Wendy's Secret Garden
no less.  Amazing place.  Found out later that Sir Don Bradman used to live here.  Nice view.

From Lavender Bay continued around the coastal fringe through the communities of the North Shore before catching the ferry back  from McMahon's Point to Darling Harbour.

Wendy's Secret Garden, Lavender Bay

Lavender Bay Mob

Dad caned a few schooners of Carlton at a modern bar in Darling Harbour before we walked back to the hotel.