Epilogue

All the travelling was over, all the sights seen and all the memories stored. Looking back on our three weeks in Australia what, you may ask, was our overall opinion of the country?

There were so many. The main point was to visit Ben and Anna and see where they lived and how they lived on the other side of the world.

The journey is long, but with modern air travel its not too much of an unpleasant experience.

The first thing to hit us both was the  setting of Sydney in its natural environment. The harbour is superb, a beautiful expanse of water and with the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline framing it all, a truly awe inspiring sight.








We liked where they live in Surry Hills, it suits them and the area is so close and handy for the city

We loved the trips we went on. Read the parts of the blog specific to each excursion.

Mountains, Wilderness and Oceans, magnificent sights  and memories.

The places we stayed...........

But it was the people we saw and the people we love that made it so special. Yes, a bit sentimental, fair point, but true.

Ben and Anna thank you,but most of all thank you Australia !!!!!!!!

Bye, Bye, Bye.

13/04/2012

The day had arrived, the time to say our goodbyes to Oz and to our loved ones .Our Emirate's flight was at 18.15, which facilitated being at the airport at 4.00pm. We had checked in online the night before and Ben was going to print the boarding passes off at work.

We were to meet Ben for lunch in Surry Hills so we decided to go for a little walk around the area and take in Moore Park. It was only a 10 minute walk from Ben and Anna's and with the weather, once again sunny and warm, we looked forward to a last sunbathe before the long flight back to the UK.

We went to the far end of the park and sat down in the sun near to the Sydney High School for Boys.

We watched a rugby training session on the playing fields, in front of the schools impressive colonial façade. The scene was of total inclusion in sport, no kid was left out, even if it was obvious that they were useless, some had trouble catching and moving at the same time. The Australian way is to encourage physical exercise  and at whatever level, some activity is better than none. I agree, it's something we should encourage in the U.K.

We wandered back towards Surry Hills and waited for our boy to arrive.

Ben had forgotten to print off our boarding cards at work, but we nipped in to the local library to use their computer suite, with Ben explaining, " I was going to become a member anyhow so now's a good time". Typical spin doctoring from him, but he doesn't fool us.

We headed down  onto Crown Street to find a place for lunch. He had suggested a little Irish establishment which was aptly named Mad Spud Cafe. Once again we were not disappointed. One thing the Irish know about is the potato.

   Good grub, with no frills and fresh produce, plus good service.

All too soon we had to depart for the airport, which was only a 25 minute drive away at the most from Surry Hills. Anna was meeting us, from work at he airport, to say our goodbyes. I was chattering, as always, on the journey to the airport, Pauline was a little quiet, but I  knew the reason why. We met Anna and had a cup of tea, all the time realising that our visit to Oz was coming to an end. Eventually we had to go through the gate to complete the security checks and to take our leave of them. I could make a joke about his, but I won't. It was a sad time

We are proud of them both and what they have achieved in the short time they have been together. They are a great couple and they certainly showed us so much of Australia and put up with us with humour and  good grace.

Yes, it was a wrench to leave them, and lets just say, if you can't show emotion to people you deeply love, then you have a heart of stone. Thanks to you two, for providing an experience of a lifetime.

The long trip home had begun from Sydney to Dubai via a stop for a hour in Bangkok and then the last leg from Dubai to Manchester.

The flights were fine, the service good and the ICE entertainment system first class. Emirate's operated the Boeing 777 long range model on the first leg, a little cramped, but we were sat in a set of two , so we were fine. The last leg was on the splendid Airbus 380, which is a massive improvement in economy air travel.

 

Plenty of room and a breathtaking size. England here we come !!!!....... bye, bye Australia it was great!

Beach, Bays and Best Views

12/04/2012


Well our penultimate day in Australia dawned once more clear bright and blue. We had certainly enjoyed marvellous weather during our stay and as this was to be our last full day, we decided to revisit Bondi and do the cliff top walk to Bronte beach again.

This time I was to going to swim in the surf off Bondi.

Man against nature and there was only going to be one winner. Me !!!

 Pauline shrugged and seemed unimpressed. Big mistake, I was in the zone, or something similar.

The bus ride once more was a treat, so many characters to observe on the ride to the beach. The surf was up and the lifeguards were in action making sure you only swam between the red flags. They were strict, but then they needed to be, the surf looked a little rough.

 
 The Lifeguards station on red alert, Tezza was in the mood for a swim.

There is only one ways to enter the surf, its a mad dash, a leap, similar to a salmon, and there you are engulfed in a maelstrom of water. Pauline's words of wisdom rang in my ear "..be careful "

Body surfing, nothing to it!!!

.
Bondi tamed, time for a sunbathe. You were a challenge, but I mastered you. Even if a rogue wave, loaded with sand, nearly took all of the skin off my back, but no regrets sometimes, you just have to take it.









We  took advantage of the lovely sunny day and had a sunbathe and after a couple of hours decided to have lunch at Lush, a nice little beach side cafe, which had an extensive menu and was good value for money.

As we prepared to leave this most iconic of beaches were took one last look at the sweeping vista.

Next stop Bronte and a nice walk along the cliff top. As we had done this walk before, this time we savoured the experience even more. As we came around a small headland we notice a small group of people clustered around a young women. On closer inspection it appeared to be a photo shoot.

 Now this was a surreal thing that opened up in front of us. A skinny model, surrounded by six people who fussed and prodded and preened her and continually talked in platitudes.

 What an unreal  world this seemed, but it was fascinating to observe it.

Bronte Beach is, in its own right, a very impressive place.Besides the beach, there is a small park which leads you to the bus stop and the ride back to Surry Hills. Again its a good place to people watch and relax. Ben and Anna seem to visit this beach on a regular basis and I can see the attraction.

We returned to Surry Hills with fond memories of this area of Sydney, its sums up the " Australian Dream ", work to live, not live to work.

On our final evening in Sydney we were to dine at a city centre restaurant. Ben had booked it in advance and had been tight lipped about where it was. We were not to be disappointed. The Customs House is located at Circular Quays and is an impressive Georgian building. It houses the Sydney Public Library and is even said to be haunted by David O'Connor, a convict, hanged on the site in 1790, who supposedly appears offering drinks of rum.

The Sydney Cafe is located on the top floor and is one of the city's finest eateries. We were to be seated on the terrace balcony which offered the most stunning views of the harbour. The food, most importantly, was well prepared, well presented and it tasted out of this world. We dined that night, with an evening view of the harbour, that took your breathe away.

A view from inside, looking out towards the outside balcony.

A very special end to another great day. Thank you to our son and daughter-in-law for arranging such a fitting end to our final night in Australia. Thank you both.

Tomorrow we were to fly home in the early evening. Our time in Oz was nearly at an end. Tears tomorrow, no doubt, but what a trip and what a time we have had.

Birds Eye, Bay Views and Big Sheds

11/04/2012

Today was the day to confront my fears regarding heights. I know its irrational, I know is silly, but it exists. I've dared myself now on other tall buildings throughout the world and it gets no easier. The only comfort is that after I have done it you do experience a feeling is of euphoria.

Today's challenge was the Sydney Tower. Standing at 1,014 feet, its the 2nd tallest observation tower in the Southern hemisphere. Its base is the newly renovated Westfield Shopping Centre and its where you gain access to the observation deck. Thank god its fully enclosed because it sure is high.

Before the ascent a relaxed looking Pauline whose encouraging words of  " man up " would ring in my ears on the way to the top.

The views were magnificent and gazing down at the Business District my legs did quiver a little, but with grim determination I did enjoy myself, if I didn't look down too much. The horizon in these circumstances is an old friend.

The view takes in the Harbour Bridge and  out towards the Heads.

Out towards Moore Park and SCG, plus in the near foreground where Ben and Anna live, delightful Surry Hills. Once we had descended and the feelings restored to my legs, I can say that it was an enjoyable experience.... honest.

Anna had recommended an afternoon trip to Cockatoo Island, situated a little further into Sydney Harbour, it promised to be something a little different.

After another snackette at lunchtime we arrived at he Quay's and sought out the specific quay which housed the ferry to Cockatoo Island. It turned out to be the Rivercat,


  The Dawn Frazer returning to port.


a fast catamaran, that goes all the way up the Parramatta River to the town of the same name. It was a pleasant little cruise, which went under the Harbour Bridge and docked at Cockatoo Island. It took around 20 minutes.

The island is a historical haven, a time capsule from different eras,  in 1839, after being commissioned as a prison, the first Europeans set foot on the island . Aboriginal peoples had for thousands of years used, the largest island in Sydney harbour, as a base for fishing activities.




As you can see the island has evolved over its long habitation. Its now a camping and hospitality venue, but it still retains the old industrial heritage, which is why its listed as a World Heritage site. We started out on a circular route and took in most of the old industrial buildings.

 Having worked in heavy industry in the past, this journey had a very nostalgic feel. At one time a navel dockyard, the old turbine repair sheds were massive and made you realise how big the shipyard must have been in its heyday.

Look at the size of this chuck, manufactured and built in Glasgow, these buildings were for men and machines, not a computer controlled environment. I'm so glad that I had the privilege of seeing it all, even if the machines were all in slumber.

On the top of the outcrop the old prison barracks can be seen. These buildings again were well preserved and gave an insight into how the poor prisoners were treated, pretty grim existence, but bad boys in those days were certainly punished.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and caught the Woolwich/Balmain ferry back to the Quays. Another great day and back that evening for fish and chips in Surry Hills......perfect.

Boybands, Botanical and Buildings

10/04/2012


It was to be a day let loose in Sydney and once again the sun shone and a clear blue sky greeted us as we waited for the bus into the city centre.

We had noticed the previous day that a shop in the city centre was undergoing a very quick make over. A hive of activity was going on and then all was revealed. The sign, quite simply, said One Direction. The shop was to be a merchandising emporium, a complete money making machine for Mr Cowell.

As soon as we got off the bus we could hear the screams. What an opportunity to see mass hysteria in action. As the noise increased we eventually found ourselves across the road from the Intercontinental Hotel.

The queues were forming, as the crowd of teenage girls looked up from where they were corralled to glimpse the boys peeping out of the penthouse windows. Tremendous ear shattering screams ripped through the air and quite a few girls were sobbing, why? don't ask me. After ten minutes of this, enough was enough and we walked down to the Quays and towards the Rocks. 

Now the Rocks is a gentrified area of Sydney, it was once  a run down, rat run, of small interconnecting streets that butted up the the docks. Plenty of guidebooks will relate how rough and ready this place really was, but now its full of quaint independent shops and bars with the ever present eateries.

The International Terminus, which is adjacent to the Rocks, is impressive and is even more so when a cruise liner is docked. We were lucky as a very large old style ship was in port.

After a good stroll around we headed back into the city to take in the Botanical Gardens for one last time. We sat on the grass and chilled, taking in the views down to the harbour and back up into the city. The high rise skyscrapers of the Business District flanked the area and seemed to enhance actual size of the buildings. 

We walked down towards the harbour after deciding that this was the day we were to take in the Opera House tour. No matter how many times you view this structure you're always impressed. The tour provided was very informative and well run and took in both of the major auditoriums . We were fortunate to be able to watch a rehearsal for a ballet that was due to performed and it was delightful to see the principle dancer and ballerina going through the routines.

The internal structure of the building is unique and the actual supports for the building have that industrial look which confirms its skeleton is of a massive scale.

Two different views of the Opera House, plus the normal snapshot.

Great value for money and very impressive. Its something that will always last in our memories, its one thing to walk around it and cruise passed it, but to be inside the interior completes the experience. 

Two minutes walk from the crowds around the Opera House and back into the park, the wildlife is just there on show.

The Ibis are a common sighting, they scavenge all over the parkland in quite large numbers, but its always good to see the Kookaburra, a personal favourite of ours. Good wildlife photos from me as well.

So there it was a day of contrasts, major sights taken in and the emergence of One Direction as a major music force in Australia. Well I know in ten years that the birds in the park will still be there, but the lads from Britain,  ...........well............................ who knows.

Ballskills, Badbird and Ben.

09/04/2012


Tarronga Zoo is a Sydney institution and rightly so, situated across the harbour from the Opera House and the Bridge It offers , not only a world renowned zoo, but also the most stunning outlook  towards the city.

We went over on the dedicated ferry and embarked at the bottom of the hill, a bus takes you to the top, or you can ride up on the Sky Rail, and marvel at the views. We decided to leave the Sky Rail until our return and took the bus up the hill to the entrance.

   Not for the faint hearted, its a long way down.

The map we obtained of the zoo was well laid out, which enabled us to navigate around quite easily and we thought the gorillas, snow leopards and kangaroos we particularly good. Of course the Koalas were special, close up in their enclosures, they looked  very cute, munching on the eucalyptus leaves. They were a lot bigger than I had thought and on their own soil it seemed fitting that they were the centre of attention.

After our  day at the Sydney Show we took a leisurely pace around the extensive grounds. The setting for each group of animals was excellent, showing off each type of species to the best that a zoo could be expected do, given the circumstances.

There is an extensive breeding programme for some of the threatened species and its worth saying that, in my humble opinion, this is the point that nowadays most  zoos are proud of.

One of the  shows on offer is a little trick the elephant keepers play with one of the male bull elephants. They have him stacking tyres and various object, but his party trick is sighting a rugby ball, taking a run and booting it over the fence towards the crowd. A neat trick, which drew plenty of applause, but is this how these noble beasts should be treated? A vexing question.

  anyone for tennis?

As always, the never ending search for food took us to a cafe, which had a terrace overlooking the enclosures and general garden area. Ben suffered a pulled neck muscle after recoiling too quickly from a small peck from a Lorikeet, which had just nibbled a small piece of biscuit from my hand. The big girls blouse, it was only a defensive peck, not a full blown attack.

This poor lady suffered more than a neck spasm, on its next attack,  her hair was used as nest building material.

After a good few hours looking at he chimpanzees and other exhibits, we descended on the Skyrail to the ferry quay for our crossing to Sydney.

 Overall it appears to be a good environment to house the collection of wildlife. Zoo's in my view are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't. Of course the natural world is the best place to see animals, but with the encroachment of man and with the pressures of a global society to produce food and minerals, zoos perform a valuable task in conservation and education.

Another day had come to a close. The days were running out, but a storm was to hit Sydney that would cause chaos and disruption and Simon Cowell was to blame for it!!

Bedazzled, Bedraggled and Brill

08/07/2012


The Sydney Royal  Easter Show is a national institution. We were  very excited and expectant of how this would play out. This massive event is held at the Olympic Park and seemed to have something for everybody.

Once again we were to use our trusty travel passes, this time to catch the train to the venue, a 15 minute journey, but with a difference. Sydney's integrated transport system is a real gem and in my opinion is organised as a public service, not as a way for private business to make a fast buck. As expected the trains ran every 5 minutes to the Olympic Park, meaning no queues, no hassle and a chance to ride on the double decker trains. Taking advantage of no low bridges, twice as many passengers can be moved in this piggy back mode. It was fantastic!!




            

Upon arrival, we purchased our entry tickets at the railway ticket office, again so well organised and designed to avoid any queuing. We arrived fresh and ready for a busy day.

There is a curious institution at the show, i.e." The Showbag," . This strange phenomena is provided by the many sponsors of the event they are purchased and are a kind of low value goody bag. The locals make a big show of collecting as many as possible and its amusing to see all the kids weighed down with their carrier bags.


    Just a small section of the show.

The key to enjoying the whole day is good planning and we had a good plan, designed by Ben, to maximise our time and ensure we saw everything. Within two minutes we were struggling with the enormous size of the task. So we prioritised and chose, the woodchopping, the livestock exhibits, but we started with  the Shetland pony racing followed by the motorcycle stunt spectacular, just to add a little class to the start of our day.


The stunt motorcycle display was very good, breathtaking tricks and pure adrenalin. The Shetland Pony racing was by contrast a more sedate affair, but the kids looked sweet as they battled each other around the track.




The woodchopping is a major event and draws participant from the whole of Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. It is a major event and is the climax to a season of events held throughout the year. It even has its own dedicated arena and has been at the show for over 100 years, now that's a sport with traditions!!

               go to it boys, axes at the ready, chop!!!

It brought home to us the outdoor/outback feel and it was by no means confined to male participants. The Jack and Jill broad saw competition proved that the pioneer spirit was still alive and kicking in both sexes.


  Go girl go.



As at all shows of this type the fast food on offer was extensive providing many opportunities for snackettes.
Among our favourites was the cheese dog on a stick. Pure rubbish, but so tasty. For lunch Pauline and myself had the worst fish and chips you could have imagined, pure mush. This cause great amusement to Ben, who could not believe that with so much on offer, we has succeeded in finding the worst food outlet on the show ground.

The livestock displays were terrific, cattle, fowl, pig, sheep and horse were all on view, hundreds upon hundreds of them. Australia prides itself on its outdoor way of life and this show confirmed that stereotypes do have a basis in fact. Australians love their way of life as roughneck types. Nothing to deride, well done Australia you did us proud, what a great day.

As the day came to an end the hot day saw the thunder clouds bubble up and we retreated indoors to view one of the many exhibitions of country craft and cake making. The heavens opened and a tremendous thunderstorm ripped the sky apart. The planned firework display gave way to mother nature who did not let us down, forked lightening and thunderclaps straight from Thor's hammer.

As we had dashed inside out of the rain, we had noticed a large tent like structure with the sign Hollywood Horror Show. We could not resist, we had to go inside.

As we entered the dark, we notice two teenage girls hanging back. Pauline took them under her wing, her mothering instinct took over, just as Freddie Kruger dashed out to meet us. Screams and panic ensued, Anna recoiled in horror and grabbed Ben for assistance, Pauline dashed off with the two girls.

How the attraction works is like this, you wander through a series of interconnected rooms, each one set  as a scene from a well known horror film. Out from a secret hiding place will appear the main character, who with the aid of a sophisticated lighting system, i.e. strobe lights, fog and sound effects, will come towards you in a threatening manner. With the darkness all enveloping the atmosphere is tremendous and makes you run from one room to another. In the resultant panic, as we fled one particular scary encounter, I looked around to see Pauline thrashing around on the floor with one of the girls on top of her. In their panic, both had tripped each other and were on the ground with a man, carrying a chain saw, attempting to attack them. I had stomach cramps from the laughter. Anna had also injured herself, running into a wall, while fleeing Hannibal  Lechter, but we survived and had tears of laughter in our eyes as we eventually  ran out into the night. To the two girls, thank you, your contribution was terrific and to the people who ran and performed the show, even more thanks. Great entertainment.

We returned to the city centre again with no queues or hassle, another great day out and one which we will always remember. Well done to the Royal Sydney Easter Show.

Bread bins, Baskets and Big Seats

07/04/2012

Well we were starting the last week of our visit to the Land Down Under and we were feeling a little tired. The plan today was to relax and visit the local flea market in Surry Hills. It was nice to just wander around the area that Ben and Anna have come to call home. A great mix of shops, restaurants and housing, Surry Hills seems to be the ideal place to live and hang out in.

The main two spine roads, which dissect the district, are Crown and Bourke Streets. Off of these, in a kind of grid pattern are inter connecting streets. It all works to produce a very relaxed atmosphere, which has an Australian feel, but tempered with a mix of different ethnic nuances.

After a leisurely breakfast we ambled up to the Flea Market held in the Shannon Reserve, which is intersected by Crown Street and Collins Street and takes place on the first Saturday of ever month. Its a mixture of second hand stalls, recycled goods and handmade artefacts.




What more junk would we be tempted to buy? It offered the perfect place to purchase a bargain, or that's what Ben and Anna intimated. As we rummaged around the stalls, the thoughts of taking any of the goods home filled me with horror, but not some of our party. Diving in and out of the stalls like a whirlwind, Anna purchased, in double quick time, an  enamelled bread bin, an old style thermos flask and a wicker shopping basket. It reminded me of the teams being let loose on Bargain Hunt.

 

It was a pleasurable experience and as always, it only served to fire up our hunger pangs. We deposited ourselves across the road in a very nice cafe / bookshop. The menu  was extensive , varied and reasonably priced.

A little snackette, healthy options for Pauline, waffles and fruit. It only confirmed what a nice area this was.

We had decided, that evening, to go to the cinema to see " The Hunger Games " at the Moore Park Complex. Only ten minutes walk from their home, the park complex contains a large grassed area on which the Sydney Cricket ground is located, plus Sydney Football Ground and Fox studios.

 The entertainment centre contains numerous bars and restaurants and the cinema multiplex. The cinema was very much like any other in the world, but it had enormous seats.

  

The film was good and we enjoyed the experience, but, one thing about Australia still confounds me, namely, everything closes earlier than in Europe. It was about 10.00pm when we came out of the cinema and all the places were closing, very strange and this applies to most parts of Sydney.

As we walked back across the park Ben alerted us to a resident possum. Ben's attempts at wildlife photography had been quite good, but his discovery of a floodlight attached to the camera only served to blind anyone he pointed the camera at and also scared off the wildlife.

 Blinded by the light, but still cute............

Another day had ended, tomorrow the Royal Sydney Show was to be taken in....whatever we expected, the show did not disappoint!!!!!!