Day 50 Tuesday 19th August
This was Adi and Lucy’s last full day so we all had a lie in (even the boys didn’t stir til 8.30am) after breakfast Bob and I went to talk to the Tourist Info lady as we were having trouble finding accommodation for Wed and Thurs night. After several phone calls she found out that there were 3 conferences in Brisbane and there was no room at any of the inns ! We phoned the manager of the apartment we were rented and he was able to let us extend our stay for 2 extra days – we were worried we were going to have to sleep in the car . It was a lovely sunny day again so we all went for a walk around the marina and had lunch. We crossed the road into the town and found another internet café where we showed Adi and Lucy the wedding photos – we weren’t impressed with the photographers name across the faces but otherwise they looked good. We returned to the apartment so that Adi and Lucy could pack their bags as they had to be at the airport for 7.30 tomorrow morning. Adam and Tj had said they would drive over to us for dinner again as they had just dropped Toby off at the airport so Bob and Adi went out and got Indian and Chinese takeaways for us all for dinner. The alarm was set for 5.45am so we had an early night.
Day 51 Wednesday 20th August
We were up and away by 6.30am, having packed some of their bags and put them in the car last night. No time for breakfast we were on the road and a good job we weren’t late getting away as the traffic on the gateway motorway was heavy. Once at the airport I went in to help with the luggage and the boys while bob parked. It took forever to checking as the girl on the desk was obviously new to the job and wasn’t bending any rules without her managers say so. Several times she had to go and ask – mind you we didn’t help by having 19 kgs excess luggage ! Finally after Charlie charmed her by cooing in the right places and smiling , she melted enough to let them get on the flight with no charge – god knows how. By now there was no time left so we said our goodbyes and they went through to boarding. We then went home for breakfast, a shower and to tidy up the apartment which we had left hurriedly earlier. Adam phoned to say that TJ had got a job in a private hospital and would be starting tomorrow so we arranged to meet them at the railway station in Brisbane. As parking is so expensive in Brisbane and we still had to return the hired cot and highchair, we drove to Wynnum railway station and left the car in a free carpark and caught the train to the city. However, when we got there Adam said they had just been told that their references for a house they were hoping to rent for 3 months had been approved and they could move in today so we walked up to their backpackers place to meet them instead. Adam and Tj were packing up their belongings and then they had to go to the bank to get some cash for the rent and bond so I spent an hour on the wireless internet with my new computer . When they got back from the bank we all piled into Adams car and went to the house – it is lovely, ultra modern and only a few months old. They have to share it with a german couple who have a bedroom downstairs but its not far from the centre and in a nice area, and the germans go to Sydney every weekend to their own home. Caroline the owner of the house, completed all the paperwork and showed us round – she had lived in this house for only a few months while she had another one built next door. When all their luggage was stored in their new place we set off for the bus stop to check out the route Tj would need to do in the morning for her new job. We walked up the road and round the corner to the bus stop, 10 mins on the bus and it stopped right outside the hospital so no problem there. Adam and Tj hadn’t stopped for breakfast yet so we found a café while we decided what to do. They wanted to check out travel passes so we hopped onto another bus to the city (Bob and my rail ticket for 6$ each covered us for unlimited bus and ferry travel in the city too). The buses have an underground road system so that they don’t get stuck in the traffic with bus stops underground too – its an excellent system. Then we went into the city which we were now beginning to find our way round, I bought a pair of “crocs” sandals (there is a world shortage and this was the first pair in my size I had found in Australia) a few bits and pieces and then we set off to find the bus back to Adam and TJ’s house. We got on the wrong bus and ended up about 1 km away so we walked the rest. To celebrate the days events we went to the big shopping centre to the Hogs Breath Café for dinner, as always it was very busy so we had to wait nearly an hour but we were all too tired to go looking elsewhere. As usual we were the last ones to leave and as it was late Adam drove us to Wynnum railway station to pick up our car and go home to our very quiet apartment.
Day 52 Thursday 21st August
It was so quiet this morning, the sun shone through the window and we sat in bed reading before getting up for a leisurely breakfast of whatever was left in the cupboards. Adam rang to say he was at home and he had free broadband if we wanted to come over so we packed up everything from the food cupboard that we didn’t need and took it over to him. I spent an hour downloading stuff and putting the photos on picasa and updating the blog while Bob put his feet up and watched the Olympics on Adams 42 “ plasma screen tv. Back towards home we spent a couple of hours walking round the village near our apartments, visiting the library and looking at the estate agents windows. When we returned to the apartment, Berrin, the manager spoke to us about coming in to photograph the marks on the walls the previous tenant had made – oops – I had used some jif and got them off yesterday while I was cleaning up after Lucy and Adi had gone – oh he said, I was going to charge them for that! Later, Adam phoned to say that he and TJ were food shopping and could they come over with a ready cooked chicken and a bottle of wine as it was our last evening. After they left, we finished emptying all the cupboards and tidying up and packed the majority of our bags for an early start tomorrow.
Day 53 Friday 22nd August- Brisbane to Sydney
We had hoped to keep the car until around midday but we had collected it at 10am so we had to return it at 10am or pay a whole day rental. So at just after 8am Berrin arrived to bring us our bond back for the apartment, he said his wife was very impressed that we had cleaned off marks on the wall that we hadn’t made. (the apartment had be totally painted the week before we arrived, I didn’t tell him I wasn’t sure which marks the previous owners had made and any that the boys might have made playing with their cars and toys so I had cleaned them all off). We loaded the car and set off for the car hire company where Adam met us and took us off for breakfast to while away the time until around 1pm when we needed to be at the airport. We looked for an internet café with a printer as my computer had a 99$ cash back on it but we had to download a claim form and fill it in and post it to them with an Australian bank account number to get the cash back - it was very complicated to apply for. So Adam said he would use his Australian bank account. Just outside the airport we found an outlet shop – similar to the big ones in the uk – so we spent half an hour walking round and as we did the noise on the roof told us it was raining (the first we had had in Brisbane). When we got to the entrance we were amazed to see not just rain but torrential rain so heavy that we could not see across the carpark. We did have our umbrella with us but it would barely protect one person let alone three so Adam was voted in to go and get the car – well it was his car. Adam dropped us at the airport and we said our farewells as we wouldn’t see him now until May next year. We checked in with no trouble at all and sat down to wait for our Jetstar flight to Sydney. The flight was only 1hr 10mins but when we came out of the airport it was total confusion, traffic everywhere and it took us 15 mins or more to find Alan who we were going to stay with in Sydney. Alan’s wife Lynne was at home waiting for us when we arrived an hour later, having done every back street and short cut through the streets of Sydney trying to get out of the traffic. Alan had to leave straight away as he had a company bowling evening that he could not get out of so Lynne cooked us a lovely dinner and we saved Alan a plate for later. Their house is a lovely 30’s built brick house with 10 or 12 ft ceilings with beautiful cornice and decorative plasterwork ceilings but it was very cold for us, having just come from Daydream Island and then Brisbane where it had been much warmer. That evening it took quite some time to get warm, Bob and I both put on socks and t-shirts in bed to try to sleep. Tomorrow we would have to ask for a hotwater bottle!
Day 54 Saturday 23rd August - Sydney
Alan and Lynne didn’t work at the weekend so they offered to take us around to see the sights today and to orientate ourselves. Our first stop was the Olympic Village from 2000, where we walked round the main areas, stopped by their tourist info shop and picked up some leaflets on things to do. Outside the main arena were metal tubes engraved with the names of everyone who had anything to do with the Olympics, in alphabetical order. We found a Paul Gallard and a Lucy and Adi Smith. From here we drove past the old brickworks and into Centennial Park. We then headed for the city and over the Harbour Bridge and underneath it to an area called the Rocks. Here we found a street craft market where we bought a couple of gifts and we walked the cobbled lanes looking at the unusual shops selling all sorts of arts and crafts. Although the sun was shining, the wind was very chilly so back to the car and through the Eastern Suburbs to the entrance to Sydney Harbour where the river meets the South Pacific. We climbed up the rocks, stopping now again to see the waves crashing against the cliffs, A spectacular vista, looking out across the ocean we realized the next land would be South America – thousands of miles away. Next stop was Bondi Beach, everyone had said they were disappointed with it, expecting more – so we were pleased that we weren’t disappointed – perhaps because we weren’t expecting much ? Bob was disappointed that there were no topless bathers or skimpily clad females but it was only about 10 degrees! Alan took a couple of photos of us, and we did walk on the beach – it was very clean soft sand. Finally he wove his way through the city pointing out all the major places of interest and any that we should put on our list to look at during the week. When we got home, we realized that we had not had lunch so Lynne made a Chicken casserole which we ate hungrily. After dinner we went upstairs to Alan’s’ office as Fran had phoned to say that she was at Harvey’s’ in Oxford so we could webcam and see the new baby. We had a cup of tea and chatted about what we could do the next day before bed. Alan did bring an electric fan heater into our room which made all the difference to us.
Day 55 Sunday 24th August
I woke early, having slept much better being warm, I couldn’t get back to sleep so I spent an hour writing up the blog, by now I was 20 days behind. Also Alan had connected me to his broadband so I could download the photos and blog easily. At just after 8am we showered and went into the kitchen to find Lynne cooking breakfast and making sandwiches to take with us for the day. We had decided to go to the Blue Mountains an hour or so away as we wouldn’t be able to go there under our own steam in the week. The morning was bright and sunny with very few clouds so if the temperature would just rise a bit, it promised to be an excellent day. We arrived late morning and our first stop was a village called Leura, very quaint lots of antique shops. I saw a wooden tube to put Adams wedding certificate in for $15 which I was going to buy but Bob had disappeared with all the cash so when I caught up with him he said if we come back this way we will go and get it. We bought some salad and drinks to go with our sandwiches and moved onto a valley below the Blue Mountains where everyone goes for the fantastic view of the thick rainforest covering miles of the valley below and the Blue Mountains in the distance. We then headed for the other side of the valley, driving back via Leura and Bob and I went to get the wooden tube – horrified when I looked closer (with my glasses on ) to see that it was in fact 159$ and not 15$ - we didn’t buy it ! The other side of the valley was just as spectacular, it was called ECHO Point, it was quite haunting especially with the Aboriginal man playing his didgeridoo in the background. Now it was lunch time so we found a free picnic table on a parkland and sitting in the warm sunshine, ate our sandwiches. Next stop was SCENIC WORLD where we had an icecream before making the choice of a Cable Car across the Gorge, or a train ride down 250 metres into the gorge a walk along a boardwalk through the floor of the rainforest and a cableway ride back up. Lynne, Bob and myself plumped for the latter and set off, leaving Alan with the camera to take our photos. The trip on the railway track dropped quite fast into the undergrowth and we were seated at a 45 degree angle backwards so it was very strange and difficult to get out of at the bottom. The temperature was much colder down there because the sun didn’t penetrate the thick foliage. The walk on the boardwalk was very educational, plaques every few yards pointing out facts and information about the area. Then up into the cable car where we dangled metres above the tree tops slowly edging our way back up over the ledge. We left around 4pm to make our way home, where we met Alan and Lynnes youngest son Simon and his girlfriend Nicole who live in an apartment attached to the back of their garage. Their oldest, Nick, was travelling Europe for 3 weeks so we didn’t get to see him. After dinner, Alan put the heater on in the lounge and we settled down to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympics – unfortunately we all began to nod so didn’t see it all and went off to bed before the end.
Day 56 Monday 25th August
Alan and Lynne were out the house before 7am in the morning so we were on our own. We got ourselves breakfast and set off to explore Sydney via bus and ferry. Lynne had kindly spent some time last evening drawing a map of the area, showing us where to find the newsagent to buy a travel pass and where the bus stops were and the numbers that would be useful to us and where they went – this was invaluable.
We found the newsagent, bought the tickets and boarded the bus with minutes, the ride into town was slow and the driver was a bit heavy on the brake so Bob wasn’t feeling good by the time we arrived. We walked a short way and found the skytower where we paid our 22$ and got in the lift to go to the top – some 260 metres above the city. The views were fantastic – I didn’t feel sick at all and we spent ages just looking out the 360 degree windows and taking photos as it was a very bright clear day and you could see for miles. After a cup of coffee we went to go back down the tower but there was only 1 lift working and it took 4 mins each trip with 10 people at time so we waited for 30 mins in the queue to get down. Next was OZTREK a so called 360 degree cinema ride round sites of Australia which was rubbish. We left the building and were heading for the Power House Museum but it was a long walk so we took a monorail which travelled about 15 ft above the street, over the river and stopped at Paddy’s market just round the corner from the Power House museum. Inside we decided to stop for a snack before walking the museum as it had 3 floors. The museum was very interesting, lots of hands on exhibitions, from space travel and computers to historical exhibitions about the people who emigrated to Australia in the early 1900’s. They also had 2 full size steam engines and a very old train carriage with 1st, 2nd and 3rd class compartments, several airplanes and a mock up of a space craft. Time rushed by as we enjoyed ourselves and before we knew it a lady was telling us they were about to close – it was 5pm. We left the museum and walked to Darling Harbour about 15 mins away and caught a ferry to Abbotsford where there was a bus waiting to take us he 5 mins drive to Five Dock where we were staying on the west side of the city. This was much more pleasant travelling. We realized we hadn’t eaten for hours again so we bought a bag of chips and ate them on the way home as we were going straight out again to a quiz with Lynne and Alan. The quiz was very good, we came 4th, it was different to Bobs way of doing it but a most enjoyable evening.
Aug 31, 2008
Week 7 August 12th to 18th Brisbane
Day 43 Tuesday 12th August –Brisbane
Up early, breakfast on the balcony in the sunshine and out to get the cot and highchair – unfortunately they didn’t keep them in stock so we would have to wait til tomorrow (sounds like manana syndrome doesn’t it ?) We called in the tourist info and they told us about the Koala Sanctuary and the train station which was about 100 yards from our apartment went into Brisbane and the ticket included bus and ferry travel too. So we decided to do that tomorrow. We drove into Brisbane and parked in the South Bank area which is a new café, restaurant and leisure area including a city beach. We wandered along the river side, stopped for coffee and cake and the boys played on the beach and in the childrens play areas. On the way home we called at a big shopping centre and lucy bought a cardigan as she was chilly and Daniel lost his dummy in a shop – unfortunately when we realized where he had dropped it it was just gone 5.30 and the shop was shut! We never did get back to see if it was there. We cooked dinner at home in the evening and after the boys had soaked my bathroom having a bath in my huge oval bath, we opened a bottle of wine and watched the Australian version of the Olympics once the boys were in bed.
Day 44 Wednesday 13th August
We wanted to go to the Koala Sanctuary and the only way there was by boat which left the South Bank in Brisbane centre at 10am. So we had to catch the 8.25am train - we just made it and arrived at the boat with 10 mins to spare. The boat was called the MIRAMAR and the crew were very friendly. We ordered hot chocolates and cakes and watched the scenery on the banks of the river pass by. The 1 hour boat ride also included a commentary all the way of the buildings, their history, the people who lived there etc. and was very entertaining and the time whizzed by. The Koala Sanctuary has about 130 Koalas of varying ages, kangaroos and wallabies which you can hand feed, an overfriendly emu who tried to eat our packed lunch and Tasmanian devils (little furry pig like animals) . We only had 2 hours here as the boat only sailed once a day so we quickly picked up the photos that we had had taken of Lucy and Lyn holding a Koala called Denzel and made for the ferry station. On the way back there was no commentary so we chatted and the boys played on the deck til we got back to Brisbane. We got straight onto the train home as we had to pick up the travel cot and highchair before 5pm so Lucy and I started tea and Bob took the car to get them. More Olympics in the evening.
Day 45 Thursday 14th August
After yesterdays morning rush we had a leisurely breakfast and drove out to Redland to look at a golf course which Bob booked to play tomorrow morning. We continued round the coast line to Victoria point but we didn’t like this area much, the houses were older and generally a bit scruffy. We turned round and headed up the coast to Manly – this was much nicer, lots of old style properties alongside the new ones but everywhere was clean and painted and looked after. We continued on another kilometer and we were in Wynnum which was even nicer and on the beach front there was a huge outdoor bathing pool and loads of park area with swings, slides, climbing frames of every size and shape to keep the children happy. We bought fish and chips and ate them at one of the picnic tables – delicious. It was difficult to get the boys away from here but we eventually did. We stopped at the shopping area across the road from our apartment to use the internet and Lucy bought a pair of joggers and Lyn some new fleecy pyjamas (she thinks it might be cold in Sydney!). After dinner Lyn and Lucy fell asleep on the sofa, wrapped in their blankets while Bob watched CSI Miami.
Day 46 Friday 15th August
Bob was up early and out by 7.30 for his round of golf at Redland at 8.15am. Lucy and I got the boys up, washed and dressed and headed for the train station. We caught the train to the centre of Brisbane and explored the town. Stopping for coffee and sticky cake in the centre we continued round all the girlie shops that the men didn’t like. Adam, TJ, Adi, Toby, Sarah and Aaron were expected at the railway station at 2.30pm so we headed there around 2pm to be met by Bob who had had a lovely morning in the sunshine playing golf. Unfortunately the train was delayed by over an hour so we went for a walk back to the river – then we had a phone call to say they were only a station away so we rushed back, nearly getting killed crossing in front of a cyclist ! to find that they were still half an hour away. We bought a drink and waited for the train on the platform and when Adi stepped off the train Daniels face was a picture – he was delighted that his playmate was back. We took Adi in the car back to the apartment while the rest of them went looking for hostel accommodation in the city, saying we would talk to them tomorrow. Adi and Lucy went for a walk, taking Daniel with them to explore the area and Bob and I had a couple of hours with Charlie on our own.
Day 47 Saturday 16th August
Today we planned to show Adi Brisbane so we set off in the car round Cleveland, Redland, Victoria Point and then onto Manly and Wynnum. The boys were pleased to be back at the play area and Daniel had Adi climbing in and out of all the climbing frames. We phoned Adam and TJ to see if they were ok and they said they had booked into Chill Backpackers and would come down to Wynnum as they had hired a car for a few days. We had fish and chips again while we waited for Adam and Tj and then walked round the area with them when they arrived. Adam had gone swimming with his mobile in his pocket on Frazer Island and amazingly it didn’t work so we all went to a small shopping mall where Adam bought a new phone and Lyn looked at a mini laptop - it was nearly 5 o’clock so Adam said he would look into the one I liked and maybe we could come back tomorrow and buy it. We left them there then and headed for home. Adi was still very tired from his adventures on Frazer Island and regaled us with all the happenings on the way home.
Day 48 Sunday 17th August
We wanted to show Adi the city centre today, so we caught the 9.21 train in and went to the South Bank as there was a craft market. TJ had been there the evening before and said it was worth a look. We arranged to meet Adam and TJ and Toby after the market but they were delayed by an hour so we stopped for a drink and then headed for the city beach where the boys stripped off and went into the water which was freezing cold. Lots of people were sunbathing on the sand in their bikinis as the weather was lovely. Finally Adam arrived and we got on the ferry to cross the river to the city centre to go and look at the laptop. We looked at the buildings on the way and took some photos, the city is very interesting with buildings from the early 1800’s to present day along side each other but it doesn’t look odd. There are trees and parks and buskers and entertainment areas all mingled in and most of the shops were open too. We found the shop that sold the laptop and after some bargaining (thanks to TJ again) we bought it with a free mouse and Adam got a memory stick. We met Toby in the food court while we were having lunch, he had been to the art museum. Then we all caught he ferry and had a trip upriver (which was included in our train tickets) – we got off in the market area but they were all packing up by the time we got there. We got back on the ferry and said goodbye to Adam, TJ and Toby who said they would drive out to us for dinner and to see where we were. We had to wait 25 mins for our train and it took 50 mins on the train so by the time we got home, Adam, TJ and Toby were only 10 mins behind us. We had a joint of Pork to cook so we watched some tv and chatted and Adam set up my new laptop while dinner cooked. Dinner was a great success, a roast Pork dinner and apple pie and ice cream –after spending so long on Frazer Island and restaurant meals in Daydream they all ate every last bit.
Day 49 Monday 18th August
We all wanted to go to Australia Zoo and Adam and TJ had given Bob and I vouchers to go. However, they were busy trying to sort out more appropriate accommodation than the Hostel. So we picked up Toby on our way through Brisbane and set off for the famous Steve Unwin Zoo. It was about 75 kms away and took a good hour to get there but it was well worth it. The boys were delighted with the animals, the layout and the cleanliness of the zoo was fantastic. After lunch we went to watch a demonstration of a man trying to get himself eaten by a crocodile in the CROCOSEUM. A visit to the shop got Lucy a stuffed kangaroo, Bob a tiger headcover for a golf club and Dan chose a very cute fluffy tiger called tiggy. Dan then fell asleep in the pushchair so Adi carried Charlie in his jacket and he too fell asleep so they didn’t see the elephants that Lucy, Toby and I fed with bits of banana. But they did wake up as we watched a display of a man playing with three1 year old (fully grown) tigers in a pool. It was amazing to see how playful and gentle they were with him. We boarded a safari train that travels round the park to head for the exit as it was now 4pm and the park closed at 4.30. It seemed to take forever to get home and the boys were hungry so while Adi and Lucy bathed and fed them, Bob and I went for a walk to use the internet and to look at Adam and TJs wedding photos as they had been put on the website today.
Up early, breakfast on the balcony in the sunshine and out to get the cot and highchair – unfortunately they didn’t keep them in stock so we would have to wait til tomorrow (sounds like manana syndrome doesn’t it ?) We called in the tourist info and they told us about the Koala Sanctuary and the train station which was about 100 yards from our apartment went into Brisbane and the ticket included bus and ferry travel too. So we decided to do that tomorrow. We drove into Brisbane and parked in the South Bank area which is a new café, restaurant and leisure area including a city beach. We wandered along the river side, stopped for coffee and cake and the boys played on the beach and in the childrens play areas. On the way home we called at a big shopping centre and lucy bought a cardigan as she was chilly and Daniel lost his dummy in a shop – unfortunately when we realized where he had dropped it it was just gone 5.30 and the shop was shut! We never did get back to see if it was there. We cooked dinner at home in the evening and after the boys had soaked my bathroom having a bath in my huge oval bath, we opened a bottle of wine and watched the Australian version of the Olympics once the boys were in bed.
Day 44 Wednesday 13th August
We wanted to go to the Koala Sanctuary and the only way there was by boat which left the South Bank in Brisbane centre at 10am. So we had to catch the 8.25am train - we just made it and arrived at the boat with 10 mins to spare. The boat was called the MIRAMAR and the crew were very friendly. We ordered hot chocolates and cakes and watched the scenery on the banks of the river pass by. The 1 hour boat ride also included a commentary all the way of the buildings, their history, the people who lived there etc. and was very entertaining and the time whizzed by. The Koala Sanctuary has about 130 Koalas of varying ages, kangaroos and wallabies which you can hand feed, an overfriendly emu who tried to eat our packed lunch and Tasmanian devils (little furry pig like animals) . We only had 2 hours here as the boat only sailed once a day so we quickly picked up the photos that we had had taken of Lucy and Lyn holding a Koala called Denzel and made for the ferry station. On the way back there was no commentary so we chatted and the boys played on the deck til we got back to Brisbane. We got straight onto the train home as we had to pick up the travel cot and highchair before 5pm so Lucy and I started tea and Bob took the car to get them. More Olympics in the evening.
Day 45 Thursday 14th August
After yesterdays morning rush we had a leisurely breakfast and drove out to Redland to look at a golf course which Bob booked to play tomorrow morning. We continued round the coast line to Victoria point but we didn’t like this area much, the houses were older and generally a bit scruffy. We turned round and headed up the coast to Manly – this was much nicer, lots of old style properties alongside the new ones but everywhere was clean and painted and looked after. We continued on another kilometer and we were in Wynnum which was even nicer and on the beach front there was a huge outdoor bathing pool and loads of park area with swings, slides, climbing frames of every size and shape to keep the children happy. We bought fish and chips and ate them at one of the picnic tables – delicious. It was difficult to get the boys away from here but we eventually did. We stopped at the shopping area across the road from our apartment to use the internet and Lucy bought a pair of joggers and Lyn some new fleecy pyjamas (she thinks it might be cold in Sydney!). After dinner Lyn and Lucy fell asleep on the sofa, wrapped in their blankets while Bob watched CSI Miami.
Day 46 Friday 15th August
Bob was up early and out by 7.30 for his round of golf at Redland at 8.15am. Lucy and I got the boys up, washed and dressed and headed for the train station. We caught the train to the centre of Brisbane and explored the town. Stopping for coffee and sticky cake in the centre we continued round all the girlie shops that the men didn’t like. Adam, TJ, Adi, Toby, Sarah and Aaron were expected at the railway station at 2.30pm so we headed there around 2pm to be met by Bob who had had a lovely morning in the sunshine playing golf. Unfortunately the train was delayed by over an hour so we went for a walk back to the river – then we had a phone call to say they were only a station away so we rushed back, nearly getting killed crossing in front of a cyclist ! to find that they were still half an hour away. We bought a drink and waited for the train on the platform and when Adi stepped off the train Daniels face was a picture – he was delighted that his playmate was back. We took Adi in the car back to the apartment while the rest of them went looking for hostel accommodation in the city, saying we would talk to them tomorrow. Adi and Lucy went for a walk, taking Daniel with them to explore the area and Bob and I had a couple of hours with Charlie on our own.
Day 47 Saturday 16th August
Today we planned to show Adi Brisbane so we set off in the car round Cleveland, Redland, Victoria Point and then onto Manly and Wynnum. The boys were pleased to be back at the play area and Daniel had Adi climbing in and out of all the climbing frames. We phoned Adam and TJ to see if they were ok and they said they had booked into Chill Backpackers and would come down to Wynnum as they had hired a car for a few days. We had fish and chips again while we waited for Adam and Tj and then walked round the area with them when they arrived. Adam had gone swimming with his mobile in his pocket on Frazer Island and amazingly it didn’t work so we all went to a small shopping mall where Adam bought a new phone and Lyn looked at a mini laptop - it was nearly 5 o’clock so Adam said he would look into the one I liked and maybe we could come back tomorrow and buy it. We left them there then and headed for home. Adi was still very tired from his adventures on Frazer Island and regaled us with all the happenings on the way home.
Day 48 Sunday 17th August
We wanted to show Adi the city centre today, so we caught the 9.21 train in and went to the South Bank as there was a craft market. TJ had been there the evening before and said it was worth a look. We arranged to meet Adam and TJ and Toby after the market but they were delayed by an hour so we stopped for a drink and then headed for the city beach where the boys stripped off and went into the water which was freezing cold. Lots of people were sunbathing on the sand in their bikinis as the weather was lovely. Finally Adam arrived and we got on the ferry to cross the river to the city centre to go and look at the laptop. We looked at the buildings on the way and took some photos, the city is very interesting with buildings from the early 1800’s to present day along side each other but it doesn’t look odd. There are trees and parks and buskers and entertainment areas all mingled in and most of the shops were open too. We found the shop that sold the laptop and after some bargaining (thanks to TJ again) we bought it with a free mouse and Adam got a memory stick. We met Toby in the food court while we were having lunch, he had been to the art museum. Then we all caught he ferry and had a trip upriver (which was included in our train tickets) – we got off in the market area but they were all packing up by the time we got there. We got back on the ferry and said goodbye to Adam, TJ and Toby who said they would drive out to us for dinner and to see where we were. We had to wait 25 mins for our train and it took 50 mins on the train so by the time we got home, Adam, TJ and Toby were only 10 mins behind us. We had a joint of Pork to cook so we watched some tv and chatted and Adam set up my new laptop while dinner cooked. Dinner was a great success, a roast Pork dinner and apple pie and ice cream –after spending so long on Frazer Island and restaurant meals in Daydream they all ate every last bit.
Day 49 Monday 18th August
We all wanted to go to Australia Zoo and Adam and TJ had given Bob and I vouchers to go. However, they were busy trying to sort out more appropriate accommodation than the Hostel. So we picked up Toby on our way through Brisbane and set off for the famous Steve Unwin Zoo. It was about 75 kms away and took a good hour to get there but it was well worth it. The boys were delighted with the animals, the layout and the cleanliness of the zoo was fantastic. After lunch we went to watch a demonstration of a man trying to get himself eaten by a crocodile in the CROCOSEUM. A visit to the shop got Lucy a stuffed kangaroo, Bob a tiger headcover for a golf club and Dan chose a very cute fluffy tiger called tiggy. Dan then fell asleep in the pushchair so Adi carried Charlie in his jacket and he too fell asleep so they didn’t see the elephants that Lucy, Toby and I fed with bits of banana. But they did wake up as we watched a display of a man playing with three1 year old (fully grown) tigers in a pool. It was amazing to see how playful and gentle they were with him. We boarded a safari train that travels round the park to head for the exit as it was now 4pm and the park closed at 4.30. It seemed to take forever to get home and the boys were hungry so while Adi and Lucy bathed and fed them, Bob and I went for a walk to use the internet and to look at Adam and TJs wedding photos as they had been put on the website today.
Aug 25, 2008
Week 6 August 5th to 11th Daydream Island
Day 36 Tuesday 5th August - Airlie Beach
We were being picked up at 8am for the trip so we were outside the hostel at 5mins to and it was late by half an hour so we could have stayed in bed a bit longer ! The boat we were going on was called the Mantaray and we set off around 9am. On our way out we saw Daydream Island in the distance, TJ had wanted to go on a boat trip that stopped at Daydream but we wouldn’t let her before the wedding. We spotted a couple of whales a mother and calf playing in the water and the boat stopped for a few minutes for photos. We journeyed on to Whitsunday Island where we were ferried in a dinghy to the island to walk up through the forest about 800 metres to a viewing platform to see the Whitehaven Beach, the most photographed beach in the world and wow was it spectacular. Then we had about half an hour or so on the beach, the sand was 98% silica and like very fine talcum powder. I stripped off and plunged into the water which was cold but not too bad then I just lay on the sand taking in the view – wow – it certainly was a beautiful bay. Back on the boat for lunch, chicken and salad but we were really ready for it. Then we moved onto Hook Island for the snorkeling, passing another hump back whale on the way. We stopped at Maureen Cove and put on wet suits and Adam and TJ went for a dive and Bob and I collected snorkels and masks and braved the water – it was freezing cold and the water was very deep where we were anchored, about 100 metres off the beach, so we couldn’t see anything then all of a sudden the coral appeared it was breathtaking and we stayed in the water for 20 mins or so, with Bob holding my hand so I didn’t lose him. Adam and TJ, who was on her first dive, had half hour dives and Adam with his underwater camera took some great photos. Back on the boat with hot chocolate to warm us up. We got chatting to a French man Jean Lui who was very interesting to talk to on the boat so when we got off we walked with him back to the town and invited him to join us for dinner as he was on his own. On the way we found Toby who had just arrived in town and we arranged to all meet up later for dinner which we did. Jean brought along Chris who he had met the previous day on another trip and all 7 of us spent a very entertaining evening in a Chinese restaurant. Although Toby was booked into the same Hostel, he was in a dormitory for 8 so Adam and TJ let him sleep on a spare single bed in their room.
Day 37 Wednesday 6th August (arrive Daydream)
Between us we had a huge pile of washing so Bob and I agreed to get up early and go to the launderette. While Bob sat in the sunshine just outside waiting for it to finish I did a couple of last minute bits of shopping. Then Bob went to the opticians to get another new nose piece for his glasses put on. Once finished we returned to our room and finished packing up the bags and jumped on the bus down to Shute Harbour to catch the 10. 50 am ferry across to Daydream Island. On arrival (only 15 mins later) we were met by a member of staff, given garlands of shells and a glass of bucks fizz and given a run down of the island. Our bags were transferred automatically to our rooms so we picked up our room keys and went with Adam and TJ to see their “Daydream Suite”. It overlooked the ocean, with a bedroom and separate living room, 30 ft + wide glass doors across a balcony, a spa bath and 2nd bathroom and walk in wardrobe. Complementary Champagne was on the table. Wish we had looked at our room first ! It was lovely, the bed was super king size and the view from the balcony was of the gardens but I wish we had booked a suite !!! Lucy and Adi were arriving around 3pm so we unpacked and walked down to meet them off the ferry, checking out where everything was on the way. We were very excited to see them and expected them to be on their knees after travelling for 23 hrs but they said they were ok. We all met up for dinner in one of the restaurants on the other end of the island, where the boys both fell asleep before they could eat, after such an exciting trip for them. Adi and Adam walked back to the rooms pushing the pushchair and the rest of us got on a golf cart which took us back to the hotel for a drink in the hotel bar before bed.
Day 38 Thursday 7th August
This was a chill out day before the wedding, after breakfast we settled round the pool with the boys and Adam, TJ and Adi went off for a dive and Aaron (a friend of theirs) decided to join them but in the pool lesson he struggled to keep up with the others as they had all done it before so he gave up and left them to it. We missed lunch but as we had a had a wonderful buffet breakfast most of us didn’t mind. We were all very relaxed and enjoying the lovely island and weather and looking forward to the next day. The whole family met up at the Mermaid Restaurant in the evening for dinner to talk over any last minute plans. Then after a night cap in the bar Adam went to Toby’s room for the night and Lucy went to TJ’s room leaving Adi with the 2 boys so we volunteered to have Charlie in our room for the night – bless him he slept like a log, unlike Daniel who was up several times in the night .
Day 39 Friday 8th August- The Wedding
The wedding wasn’t until 3pm so during breakfast, 6 of the guys decided to take out 3 jetskis for some fun, they walked to the other end of the island for the safety talk then Aaron and Bob were on one jet ski, Adam and Adi on another and Paul and Toby on the 3rd. It was Aaron’s first time so Bob drove first and he enjoyed bouncing across the waves, Adam and Adi, revved up the engine and shot off, falling off 3 times ! After a short time we stopped on an island and swopped drivers and Aaron got the hang of it very quickly. On the way back to Daydream Island we saw a large turtle just swimming along. Back to the hotel for a quick swim before going our separate ways to prepare for the wedding. The plan was for everyone to meet in the foyer and walk to the chapel together but it didn’t work out like that so Bob ended up taking Charlie to the chapel and everyone else arrived later. Meanwhile TJ and Lucy and Jasmine the bridesmaids had been to the hairdressers and had hair, makeup and nails done, Lyn had been looking after Dan and Charlie all morning and when Lucy was all done she took over while Lyn got herself ready and then went to TJ’s room to make sure everything was going well. There always has to be a hitch, Jasmines bridesmaid dress was too big so her Mum had to pin it in, and the creases had not dropped from their dresses so we had to steam press them. The flowers arrived at 12 on the ferry and were sent to Tj’s room. Where Lyn egan to make the poses for the bridesmaids, (the flower shop had quoted a very extortionate price for making them). The wedding co-ordinator arrived, the photographer arrived and we realized it was 2.45 and TJ’s was still in her joggers – quickly, Inderjeet (her step mum) and Auntie Debbie helped her into her dress and jewellery but at 3.15 the photographer was still taking photos – finally we managed to get her out into the golf buggy for the drive to the chapel at the other end of the island. It was 3.30 (over half an hour late – a bit more than traditional) when she arrived looking stunning. The ceremony was very emotional and several tissues were passed round, Adam and TJ started everyone off by going glassy eyed and needing tissues. 2 friends, Sarah and Toby did a reading and Pete and Aaron were witnesses as Adam and TJ made their vows to each other in a beautiful chapel overlooking the ocean. Outside champagne was passed round, many photos taken, the rose petals thrown, then TJ’s family and Adams family exchanged garlands in an Indian tradition. Then we all went to the beach for some more photos. We all walked back to the Hotel foyer bar for drinks before we went to the Waterfall Terrace for the reception at 6pm . When Adam and TJ entered the room, they were directed to a sofa and table with a computer on it – Tom, a friend of TJ’s had been secretly filming family and friends who could not be on Daydream Island for the wedding and he played their messages of congratulations, best wishes and comments to them, they were very surprised and overwhelmed and it really made a difference to them to see and hear from so many of you. After a delicious meal, Tj’s dad, Paul made a short speech, followed by Inderjeet (TJs step mum), then Adam thanked everyone and finally Adi as best man made his speech, without embarrassing anyone too much. The first dance was of course, Lady in Red, but the music stopped suddenly and when it started again Adam and TJ changed to Salsa Dancing !! They had been practicing at a dance class for several months so that they could surprise everyone – well it worked and it was very good. With the speeches finished, the cake cut, and the music back to dance, Adam and TJ gave everyone lessons on salsa dancing which kept us going for some time – great fun. Finally we all disappeared off to bed, happy and relaxed.
Day 40 Saturday 9th August
A relaxing day round the pool, after the celebrations of yesterday we just wanted to chill, Bob had the start of a cold so he was happy to lie on his sunbed and do nothing. TJ, Lucy, me and Sarah went for a cocktail while the men looked after the boys in the pool. We all met up for dinner at one of the restaurants but found that it was close an there was only an Italian buffet evening in another restaurant available so we all went there instead, the meal was ok, not much to write about but there was plenty of everything, so much so that Bob over ate and then felt ill later – no sympathy from me though !
Day 41 Sunday 10th August
We had to be out of our rooms by 10am which everyone managed – except Adam and TJ ! When I went up to their room – it was chaos. They had all the wedding stuff to pack into a case for Lucy to take and they hadn’t started their own packing so they manage to get a 2hrs extension of the room for nothing which extended to 3 hrs for nothing but the Hotel did charge them for the 4th hour. Bob still wasn’t feeling too good but I also felt queasy too so Bob said it wasn’t him over eating it must have been something bad with the food! Bob went off for a walk to see if that helped – he bought a new shirt – that didn’t help either – so he sat round the pool with everyone until 4.30pm when we all got on the ferry back to Airlie Beach where we were met by a bus that took us to Prosperpine Railway Station and onto the overnight train to Brisbane (only to Frazer Island for Adam, TJ, Adi and some of their friends) . The boys had been very good up til now but when we got on the train they wanted to run around – it wasn’t until 9.30pm when the lights went down that they settled and they slept most of the way until 6am when we pulled into Marlborough West where the Frazer island gang got off. We arrived in Brisbane at 9.30 am.
Day 42 Monday 11th August - Brisbane
Having navigated our way through the station, encountering a poor man who had obviously had a heart attack in the station and was lying dead on the floor, we met the car hire man to take us to his office and fill out the paperwork – we hired an 8 seater Toyota Taurano which was packed to the gills with luggage ( we had Adi’s bag, and the wedding bag as well as our own stuff). On our way, with the help of Tom Tom we soon left the city behind and arrived some 20klm away on the coast at Cleveland. The apartment was lovely, very large, with a big balcony overlooking the gardens and a marina round the corner. We unpacked and went for a walk round the area to see what there was and then drove to a shopping centre to see if we could find a cot and highchair to hire but the shop was closed as it was a bank holiday so we would have to wait til tomorrow. We picked up some essential food and went home to get dinner and get the boys to bed early as they were very tired.
We were being picked up at 8am for the trip so we were outside the hostel at 5mins to and it was late by half an hour so we could have stayed in bed a bit longer ! The boat we were going on was called the Mantaray and we set off around 9am. On our way out we saw Daydream Island in the distance, TJ had wanted to go on a boat trip that stopped at Daydream but we wouldn’t let her before the wedding. We spotted a couple of whales a mother and calf playing in the water and the boat stopped for a few minutes for photos. We journeyed on to Whitsunday Island where we were ferried in a dinghy to the island to walk up through the forest about 800 metres to a viewing platform to see the Whitehaven Beach, the most photographed beach in the world and wow was it spectacular. Then we had about half an hour or so on the beach, the sand was 98% silica and like very fine talcum powder. I stripped off and plunged into the water which was cold but not too bad then I just lay on the sand taking in the view – wow – it certainly was a beautiful bay. Back on the boat for lunch, chicken and salad but we were really ready for it. Then we moved onto Hook Island for the snorkeling, passing another hump back whale on the way. We stopped at Maureen Cove and put on wet suits and Adam and TJ went for a dive and Bob and I collected snorkels and masks and braved the water – it was freezing cold and the water was very deep where we were anchored, about 100 metres off the beach, so we couldn’t see anything then all of a sudden the coral appeared it was breathtaking and we stayed in the water for 20 mins or so, with Bob holding my hand so I didn’t lose him. Adam and TJ, who was on her first dive, had half hour dives and Adam with his underwater camera took some great photos. Back on the boat with hot chocolate to warm us up. We got chatting to a French man Jean Lui who was very interesting to talk to on the boat so when we got off we walked with him back to the town and invited him to join us for dinner as he was on his own. On the way we found Toby who had just arrived in town and we arranged to all meet up later for dinner which we did. Jean brought along Chris who he had met the previous day on another trip and all 7 of us spent a very entertaining evening in a Chinese restaurant. Although Toby was booked into the same Hostel, he was in a dormitory for 8 so Adam and TJ let him sleep on a spare single bed in their room.
Day 37 Wednesday 6th August (arrive Daydream)
Between us we had a huge pile of washing so Bob and I agreed to get up early and go to the launderette. While Bob sat in the sunshine just outside waiting for it to finish I did a couple of last minute bits of shopping. Then Bob went to the opticians to get another new nose piece for his glasses put on. Once finished we returned to our room and finished packing up the bags and jumped on the bus down to Shute Harbour to catch the 10. 50 am ferry across to Daydream Island. On arrival (only 15 mins later) we were met by a member of staff, given garlands of shells and a glass of bucks fizz and given a run down of the island. Our bags were transferred automatically to our rooms so we picked up our room keys and went with Adam and TJ to see their “Daydream Suite”. It overlooked the ocean, with a bedroom and separate living room, 30 ft + wide glass doors across a balcony, a spa bath and 2nd bathroom and walk in wardrobe. Complementary Champagne was on the table. Wish we had looked at our room first ! It was lovely, the bed was super king size and the view from the balcony was of the gardens but I wish we had booked a suite !!! Lucy and Adi were arriving around 3pm so we unpacked and walked down to meet them off the ferry, checking out where everything was on the way. We were very excited to see them and expected them to be on their knees after travelling for 23 hrs but they said they were ok. We all met up for dinner in one of the restaurants on the other end of the island, where the boys both fell asleep before they could eat, after such an exciting trip for them. Adi and Adam walked back to the rooms pushing the pushchair and the rest of us got on a golf cart which took us back to the hotel for a drink in the hotel bar before bed.
Day 38 Thursday 7th August
This was a chill out day before the wedding, after breakfast we settled round the pool with the boys and Adam, TJ and Adi went off for a dive and Aaron (a friend of theirs) decided to join them but in the pool lesson he struggled to keep up with the others as they had all done it before so he gave up and left them to it. We missed lunch but as we had a had a wonderful buffet breakfast most of us didn’t mind. We were all very relaxed and enjoying the lovely island and weather and looking forward to the next day. The whole family met up at the Mermaid Restaurant in the evening for dinner to talk over any last minute plans. Then after a night cap in the bar Adam went to Toby’s room for the night and Lucy went to TJ’s room leaving Adi with the 2 boys so we volunteered to have Charlie in our room for the night – bless him he slept like a log, unlike Daniel who was up several times in the night .
Day 39 Friday 8th August- The Wedding
The wedding wasn’t until 3pm so during breakfast, 6 of the guys decided to take out 3 jetskis for some fun, they walked to the other end of the island for the safety talk then Aaron and Bob were on one jet ski, Adam and Adi on another and Paul and Toby on the 3rd. It was Aaron’s first time so Bob drove first and he enjoyed bouncing across the waves, Adam and Adi, revved up the engine and shot off, falling off 3 times ! After a short time we stopped on an island and swopped drivers and Aaron got the hang of it very quickly. On the way back to Daydream Island we saw a large turtle just swimming along. Back to the hotel for a quick swim before going our separate ways to prepare for the wedding. The plan was for everyone to meet in the foyer and walk to the chapel together but it didn’t work out like that so Bob ended up taking Charlie to the chapel and everyone else arrived later. Meanwhile TJ and Lucy and Jasmine the bridesmaids had been to the hairdressers and had hair, makeup and nails done, Lyn had been looking after Dan and Charlie all morning and when Lucy was all done she took over while Lyn got herself ready and then went to TJ’s room to make sure everything was going well. There always has to be a hitch, Jasmines bridesmaid dress was too big so her Mum had to pin it in, and the creases had not dropped from their dresses so we had to steam press them. The flowers arrived at 12 on the ferry and were sent to Tj’s room. Where Lyn egan to make the poses for the bridesmaids, (the flower shop had quoted a very extortionate price for making them). The wedding co-ordinator arrived, the photographer arrived and we realized it was 2.45 and TJ’s was still in her joggers – quickly, Inderjeet (her step mum) and Auntie Debbie helped her into her dress and jewellery but at 3.15 the photographer was still taking photos – finally we managed to get her out into the golf buggy for the drive to the chapel at the other end of the island. It was 3.30 (over half an hour late – a bit more than traditional) when she arrived looking stunning. The ceremony was very emotional and several tissues were passed round, Adam and TJ started everyone off by going glassy eyed and needing tissues. 2 friends, Sarah and Toby did a reading and Pete and Aaron were witnesses as Adam and TJ made their vows to each other in a beautiful chapel overlooking the ocean. Outside champagne was passed round, many photos taken, the rose petals thrown, then TJ’s family and Adams family exchanged garlands in an Indian tradition. Then we all went to the beach for some more photos. We all walked back to the Hotel foyer bar for drinks before we went to the Waterfall Terrace for the reception at 6pm . When Adam and TJ entered the room, they were directed to a sofa and table with a computer on it – Tom, a friend of TJ’s had been secretly filming family and friends who could not be on Daydream Island for the wedding and he played their messages of congratulations, best wishes and comments to them, they were very surprised and overwhelmed and it really made a difference to them to see and hear from so many of you. After a delicious meal, Tj’s dad, Paul made a short speech, followed by Inderjeet (TJs step mum), then Adam thanked everyone and finally Adi as best man made his speech, without embarrassing anyone too much. The first dance was of course, Lady in Red, but the music stopped suddenly and when it started again Adam and TJ changed to Salsa Dancing !! They had been practicing at a dance class for several months so that they could surprise everyone – well it worked and it was very good. With the speeches finished, the cake cut, and the music back to dance, Adam and TJ gave everyone lessons on salsa dancing which kept us going for some time – great fun. Finally we all disappeared off to bed, happy and relaxed.
Day 40 Saturday 9th August
A relaxing day round the pool, after the celebrations of yesterday we just wanted to chill, Bob had the start of a cold so he was happy to lie on his sunbed and do nothing. TJ, Lucy, me and Sarah went for a cocktail while the men looked after the boys in the pool. We all met up for dinner at one of the restaurants but found that it was close an there was only an Italian buffet evening in another restaurant available so we all went there instead, the meal was ok, not much to write about but there was plenty of everything, so much so that Bob over ate and then felt ill later – no sympathy from me though !
Day 41 Sunday 10th August
We had to be out of our rooms by 10am which everyone managed – except Adam and TJ ! When I went up to their room – it was chaos. They had all the wedding stuff to pack into a case for Lucy to take and they hadn’t started their own packing so they manage to get a 2hrs extension of the room for nothing which extended to 3 hrs for nothing but the Hotel did charge them for the 4th hour. Bob still wasn’t feeling too good but I also felt queasy too so Bob said it wasn’t him over eating it must have been something bad with the food! Bob went off for a walk to see if that helped – he bought a new shirt – that didn’t help either – so he sat round the pool with everyone until 4.30pm when we all got on the ferry back to Airlie Beach where we were met by a bus that took us to Prosperpine Railway Station and onto the overnight train to Brisbane (only to Frazer Island for Adam, TJ, Adi and some of their friends) . The boys had been very good up til now but when we got on the train they wanted to run around – it wasn’t until 9.30pm when the lights went down that they settled and they slept most of the way until 6am when we pulled into Marlborough West where the Frazer island gang got off. We arrived in Brisbane at 9.30 am.
Day 42 Monday 11th August - Brisbane
Having navigated our way through the station, encountering a poor man who had obviously had a heart attack in the station and was lying dead on the floor, we met the car hire man to take us to his office and fill out the paperwork – we hired an 8 seater Toyota Taurano which was packed to the gills with luggage ( we had Adi’s bag, and the wedding bag as well as our own stuff). On our way, with the help of Tom Tom we soon left the city behind and arrived some 20klm away on the coast at Cleveland. The apartment was lovely, very large, with a big balcony overlooking the gardens and a marina round the corner. We unpacked and went for a walk round the area to see what there was and then drove to a shopping centre to see if we could find a cot and highchair to hire but the shop was closed as it was a bank holiday so we would have to wait til tomorrow. We picked up some essential food and went home to get dinner and get the boys to bed early as they were very tired.
Aug 19, 2008
Week 5 July 29th - Aug 4th
Day 29 Tuesday 29th July
This morning was Adams last day at work, he had been paid for last weeks work and the boss was so pleased with him that he said if he wanted to come back to Perth he would always find him work, even though they had taken 29% tax off him as a foreign worker !! Tj wanted to finalise some stuff on the internet at the library so Bob took her there and we packed our bags, ready for leaving tomorrow. We went to the shopping centre alongside the library after lunch and came across TJ have a pedicure sitting in a massage chair in a beauty salon ! She was supposed to be working ! We bought reading books in the secondhand shop as we had both finished reading ours, picked up Adam and went to the cinema to see Mama Mia in the evening.
Day 30 Wednesday 30th July
TJ wanted her eyebrows threaded (an Indian way of plucking them ), the only place she could find was in Perth so they went into Perth on the train while Bob and I called into Rachael’s to say bye and return the golf clubs Bob borrowed from Ken. We picked Adam and TJ up later from Stirling railway station and went for lunch in a café overlooking the seafront, then to the internet café to do a last webcam with Lucy and the boys. Adam and TJ packed their bags when we got home and we put them in the car before going out for dinner at the Hogs Breath Café. From here we took them to the airport and Bob and I drove back home to finish our packing ready to leave first thing tomorrow – bit of bad planning here but never mind.
Day 31 Thursday 31st July
We left home at 8am, travelling to the car hire place to return the car and to pick up a taxi to the airport. The traffic was very heavy and the driver had to divert onto a quieter road. We arrived at the airport to see that the flight was delayed until 1.30pm so we settled down with a magazine to wait. The flight was only about a third full (maybe only 40 people) so plenty of room and only about 2hrs to Ayres Rock with lunch included. The terrain was very much the same most of the way, red rock and sand and some trees and bushes – very little to see! But just as we came into land we saw Ayres Rock and managed to get a couple of photos from the air. As we stepped off the plane it was around 23 ° and the warmth was like heaven after being so cold for a month. Bob went off to get our hire car while I collected our luggage, we noted how easygoing it was at the airport, probably because it was only a domestic flight. After a false start (got lost) we arrived at our “hotel” and dropped the luggage and headed straight out to find somewhere to watch the sunset as it was about 6.15 already. Fortunately, only 2 mins down the road was a purpose built platform on top of a hill right in front of Ayres rock so we parked the car and climbed up as the sun was going down at 6.35pm, you can’t describe the colours and the camera certainly doesn’t do it justice so you will just have to come here and see it for yourself. From here we drove to the resort centre and had about 10 mins looking round the souvenir shops before they closed at 7pm. Dinner was a shared pizza and a glass of wine before early to bed as we have to get up early tomorrow again.
Day 32 Friday 1st August
The alarm was set for 6.30am so we could watch the sunrise. We dressed at set off for the observation point we were at last night. The temperature was decidedly chilly and in semi darkness we climbed the hill to await the sun. It was worth the wait though as we watched the light changes and the rock come to life. Once back at the accommodation we packed our overnight bag back up and set off for breakfast – bloody expensive at 26$ each so we made real pigs of ourselves and had a huge buffet breakfast. We had to check out of the room by 10am but our flight wasn’t until 2pm so we had time to explore. We drove to the rock, having to pay 25$ each to enter the national park and parked in the carpark of the visitors centre. Bob was happy to sit in the sun and look at the rock but I wanted to get closer and touch it so I set off round the base. Amazingly it looks like a rounded blob on the landscape but up close it is full of caves and crevices and not smooth at all. It has a haunted feel and it made me understand why the aboriginal people believe it is sacred. All too soon we were on our way to the airport where I was scanned for explosives by the security man ! The flight across the centre of Australia was uneventful, lots of red sandy rocks and nothing more and 2 hrs later we landed in Cairns where we picked up a taxi to our backpackers accommodation where we met up with Adam and TJ. Being nearly dinner time we dropped our bags off and went out for a walk to find something to eat . We weren’t that impressed with Cairns as its mostly full of young noisy people in bars and karaoke bars, everything is geared up for this type of tourist. The accommodation is very basic, mostly dormitories up to 8 people in a room at 22$ per person per night up to double rooms with bathroom at 72$ per night per room – needless to say we had a double room but it was still very basic but we gritted our teeth and got into the spirit of it. TJ had been recommended an Italian restaurant so we set off to find it but it was heaving, however, the owner said if we didn’t mind sitting inside he could squeeze us in upstairs on a mezzanine floor – actually it was lovely and the food delicious.
Day 33 Saturday 2nd August
Tj had booked us a trip to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation for today and we were being picked up at 7.30am. Unfortunately as we had travelled across so many time zones we realized in the early morning that we weren’t sure what time it was ! We knew it wasn’t later than 7am as the swimming pool gate wasn’t open so Bob went downstairs to reception to find out the right time. At 7.30 prompt the bus arrived with our guide for the day, Ben, and we set off to pick up 6 american students, and 6 other English students from other hostels– we felt a bit old as we were twice their age but hey we were ready for a good day out. Our first stop was a wildlife park about 60 klms north of Cairns on the Captain Cook Highway which ran up the coast and was described by Ben as the most dangerous in the area !
Day 34 Sunday 3rd August arrive Airlie Beach)
God, up early again – the train leaves at 9.15am but we have to exchange our train vouchers for tickets and have been told to be there 90 mins before. So we set off from the Koala at 8am and walked 2 blocks along and 3 down to find that the entrance to the Train Station was round the other side of the building – fortunately Bob found a luggage trolley so piled our bags onto it. It took 35 mins to change the vouchers into tickets – the woman was a bit slow - and we boarded the train – business class with little tv’s in the arms, loads of leg room and waiter service – this is the way to travel !! We bought a breakfast package and settled down to watch the towns pass as we wouldn’t arrive in Arilie Beach until around 6.30pm. On arrival we were met by a couple who took us by bus to our accommodation, once again a Koala Backpackers room with our own bathroom but cheap. We didn’t unpack, just changed and went out to explore the area. It was similar to Cairns, full of young people, bars and souvenir shops and touristy things but a bit quieter than Cairns.
Day 35 Monday 4th August
After breakfast we booked a trip on a boat to the islands and some diving and snorkeling for tomorrow. Then we spent the day exploring the town and the beachfront and shopping, after a late lunch/early dinner we went back to the hostel to watch tv (we had been watching a series called “the farmer wants a wife” and it was the final this evening.)
This morning was Adams last day at work, he had been paid for last weeks work and the boss was so pleased with him that he said if he wanted to come back to Perth he would always find him work, even though they had taken 29% tax off him as a foreign worker !! Tj wanted to finalise some stuff on the internet at the library so Bob took her there and we packed our bags, ready for leaving tomorrow. We went to the shopping centre alongside the library after lunch and came across TJ have a pedicure sitting in a massage chair in a beauty salon ! She was supposed to be working ! We bought reading books in the secondhand shop as we had both finished reading ours, picked up Adam and went to the cinema to see Mama Mia in the evening.
Day 30 Wednesday 30th July
TJ wanted her eyebrows threaded (an Indian way of plucking them ), the only place she could find was in Perth so they went into Perth on the train while Bob and I called into Rachael’s to say bye and return the golf clubs Bob borrowed from Ken. We picked Adam and TJ up later from Stirling railway station and went for lunch in a café overlooking the seafront, then to the internet café to do a last webcam with Lucy and the boys. Adam and TJ packed their bags when we got home and we put them in the car before going out for dinner at the Hogs Breath Café. From here we took them to the airport and Bob and I drove back home to finish our packing ready to leave first thing tomorrow – bit of bad planning here but never mind.
Day 31 Thursday 31st July
We left home at 8am, travelling to the car hire place to return the car and to pick up a taxi to the airport. The traffic was very heavy and the driver had to divert onto a quieter road. We arrived at the airport to see that the flight was delayed until 1.30pm so we settled down with a magazine to wait. The flight was only about a third full (maybe only 40 people) so plenty of room and only about 2hrs to Ayres Rock with lunch included. The terrain was very much the same most of the way, red rock and sand and some trees and bushes – very little to see! But just as we came into land we saw Ayres Rock and managed to get a couple of photos from the air. As we stepped off the plane it was around 23 ° and the warmth was like heaven after being so cold for a month. Bob went off to get our hire car while I collected our luggage, we noted how easygoing it was at the airport, probably because it was only a domestic flight. After a false start (got lost) we arrived at our “hotel” and dropped the luggage and headed straight out to find somewhere to watch the sunset as it was about 6.15 already. Fortunately, only 2 mins down the road was a purpose built platform on top of a hill right in front of Ayres rock so we parked the car and climbed up as the sun was going down at 6.35pm, you can’t describe the colours and the camera certainly doesn’t do it justice so you will just have to come here and see it for yourself. From here we drove to the resort centre and had about 10 mins looking round the souvenir shops before they closed at 7pm. Dinner was a shared pizza and a glass of wine before early to bed as we have to get up early tomorrow again.
Day 32 Friday 1st August
The alarm was set for 6.30am so we could watch the sunrise. We dressed at set off for the observation point we were at last night. The temperature was decidedly chilly and in semi darkness we climbed the hill to await the sun. It was worth the wait though as we watched the light changes and the rock come to life. Once back at the accommodation we packed our overnight bag back up and set off for breakfast – bloody expensive at 26$ each so we made real pigs of ourselves and had a huge buffet breakfast. We had to check out of the room by 10am but our flight wasn’t until 2pm so we had time to explore. We drove to the rock, having to pay 25$ each to enter the national park and parked in the carpark of the visitors centre. Bob was happy to sit in the sun and look at the rock but I wanted to get closer and touch it so I set off round the base. Amazingly it looks like a rounded blob on the landscape but up close it is full of caves and crevices and not smooth at all. It has a haunted feel and it made me understand why the aboriginal people believe it is sacred. All too soon we were on our way to the airport where I was scanned for explosives by the security man ! The flight across the centre of Australia was uneventful, lots of red sandy rocks and nothing more and 2 hrs later we landed in Cairns where we picked up a taxi to our backpackers accommodation where we met up with Adam and TJ. Being nearly dinner time we dropped our bags off and went out for a walk to find something to eat . We weren’t that impressed with Cairns as its mostly full of young noisy people in bars and karaoke bars, everything is geared up for this type of tourist. The accommodation is very basic, mostly dormitories up to 8 people in a room at 22$ per person per night up to double rooms with bathroom at 72$ per night per room – needless to say we had a double room but it was still very basic but we gritted our teeth and got into the spirit of it. TJ had been recommended an Italian restaurant so we set off to find it but it was heaving, however, the owner said if we didn’t mind sitting inside he could squeeze us in upstairs on a mezzanine floor – actually it was lovely and the food delicious.
Day 33 Saturday 2nd August
Tj had booked us a trip to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation for today and we were being picked up at 7.30am. Unfortunately as we had travelled across so many time zones we realized in the early morning that we weren’t sure what time it was ! We knew it wasn’t later than 7am as the swimming pool gate wasn’t open so Bob went downstairs to reception to find out the right time. At 7.30 prompt the bus arrived with our guide for the day, Ben, and we set off to pick up 6 american students, and 6 other English students from other hostels– we felt a bit old as we were twice their age but hey we were ready for a good day out. Our first stop was a wildlife park about 60 klms north of Cairns on the Captain Cook Highway which ran up the coast and was described by Ben as the most dangerous in the area !
Day 34 Sunday 3rd August arrive Airlie Beach)
God, up early again – the train leaves at 9.15am but we have to exchange our train vouchers for tickets and have been told to be there 90 mins before. So we set off from the Koala at 8am and walked 2 blocks along and 3 down to find that the entrance to the Train Station was round the other side of the building – fortunately Bob found a luggage trolley so piled our bags onto it. It took 35 mins to change the vouchers into tickets – the woman was a bit slow - and we boarded the train – business class with little tv’s in the arms, loads of leg room and waiter service – this is the way to travel !! We bought a breakfast package and settled down to watch the towns pass as we wouldn’t arrive in Arilie Beach until around 6.30pm. On arrival we were met by a couple who took us by bus to our accommodation, once again a Koala Backpackers room with our own bathroom but cheap. We didn’t unpack, just changed and went out to explore the area. It was similar to Cairns, full of young people, bars and souvenir shops and touristy things but a bit quieter than Cairns.
Day 35 Monday 4th August
After breakfast we booked a trip on a boat to the islands and some diving and snorkeling for tomorrow. Then we spent the day exploring the town and the beachfront and shopping, after a late lunch/early dinner we went back to the hostel to watch tv (we had been watching a series called “the farmer wants a wife” and it was the final this evening.)
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