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Australia 2020

February - March 2020
A 38-day adventure by Nick & Alison Read more
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  • Australia 2020
    Day 1

    Outbound

    February 1, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    So...here we are at Heathrow waiting to board our flight to Aus. Ahead of us a 38 day trip starting in Perth in the west and finishing in Tasmania in the South. In between we have trips planned to Canberra and a road trip down the south east coast from Bermagui to Melbourne. The start and finish of the trip should be largely unaffected by the bushfires but we will need to keep an eye on the situation in Canberra and the coast road which is currently closed. Whilst I don't want to seem like a car crash voyeur it will be interesting to see the effects of the fires and to support the communities by helping to bring some sort of normality back to their lives.

    Stayed at the Hilton Garden Hotel in Terminal 2 last night. Really excellent and very quiet given its proximity to both roads and runways. Spent a nice couple of hours watching the planes land every 40 to 60 seconds from the Runway bar on the 14th floor. Check in was quick, the only slight delay was in security as the guy in front of us "forgot" to take his Swiss Army Knife out of his hand luggage.

    Looking forward to some sunshine. Not long to go now so as David Gray said " see you on the other side..."    Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 2

    Arrival in Fremantle

    February 2, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Good flight, took 16.5 hrs but with the help of a few good movies, a box set and regular food, time passed pretty quickly and we arrived in Perth to blue skies, sun and temperatures of 35 degrees. Immigration and baggage was very efficient and as soon as I turned my phone on I had a message to say our taxi driver was waiting outside, so in less than an hour from landing we were off to Fremantle.
    Fremantle is an historic port and dock area built in the Colonial style and was one of the first ports of call for the convict ships in the 1850s. We checked in and showered and went straight out to suss out the local area with the idea of staying up as long as possible to try and beat the jet lag (+8 hrs). Within 5 minutes we had found Bathers Beach, a small stretch of sand sandwiched between the docks and the Marina. It had a nice atmosphere and was surrounded by numerous bars and restaurants with seafood very much to the fore. Had a walk round and found a small statue to Bon Scott the lead singer of rock band AC/DC who came over to Fremantle with his family from Scotland in the 1950s. We settled in at the Bathers Beach Bar and celebrated our arrival with some sparkling Aussie wine. Then back to the hotel to crash. A great start to the holiday.    Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 3

    Acclimatisation

    February 3, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Lazy morning as I didn't get to sleep until the early hours following the ups and downs of the sporting weekend. Spurs win over Man City just about making up for Englands loss to France . Another beautiful day. We had a walk around the town and saw the Market (only open Friday to Sunday) and a Scottish Presbyterian Church, there must be a Scottish connection here going back to the 1950s.

    Spent some time on the beach and had a visit from a ladybird who seemed very interested in Alis drink, which was surprising as it was only Soda!!!

    Finished the day off with some nice fresh fish Snapper and Mackerel and picked up an ice cream on the way back.    Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 4

    Hot Day, Strange Company

    February 4, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Woke at sensible hour and went and got some breakfast. Had a mooch around the shops and got a hat as I had forgotten to pack mine, not good when temperatures today set to reach 40 degrees!! Spent the afternoon on Bathers Beach which, whilst hot was helped by the afternoon cooling breeze known as the Fremantle Doctor.

    In the evening we found an excellent restaurant, Strange Company. Tucked away in a side street it had a very contemporary look and a relaxed atmosphere. A great selection of beer, wine and cocktails and an interesting menu of sharing plates. The food was excellent and the barman suggested a great wine to go with it, a Riesling called Rieslingfeak No. 4. The Brocolli special was amazing. Best meal so far.    Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 5

    Fremantle Tour

    February 5, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Had brunch in a little cafe across from the hotel then picked up the tram for a guided tour of Fremantle. Our very lively guide explained how the first convicts arrived in 1850 and much of the town was built using convict labour. The Scottish connection was also explained. The guards who came across with them were retired soldiers from the Crimea. They were essentially in poverty in the UK as their war pension was not enough to live on. They were given the chance to reform their old units and come across as prison guards for double the wage. These Pensioner Guards were mainly from Scotland. In the early 1900s the town boomed off the back of mineral and gold finds and much of the infrastructure, hotels and public buildings are from that time. Fremantle is also a major port. Initially as the centre of the Australian wool trade, then as a major submarine base in WW2. Only Pearl Harbour had more submarines than Fremantle. The war memorial commemorates American submariners as well as those from Australia.Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 5

    Little Creatures

    February 5, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After the tour we had a walk down to South Beach and stayed for an hour or so before going back to the hotel. In the evening we went to The Little Creatures Brewing Company . This brewery incorporates a large space with restaurant and bar backing on to the harbour. Sharing plates and Pizza were their main offering the latter cooked in a wood fired oven. Enjoyed Piri Piri Chichen, Halloumi and a green salad followed by a cheese board all washed down with a few pints of Little Creatures IPA. Great atmosphere again, very relaxed and family friendly. Another great experience.Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 6

    Swan River to Perth

    February 6, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Had an amazing breakfast at Duck Duck Bruce. Smashed Avo, minted peas with lemon dressing on sourdough toast with poached eggs and a side of bacon. Ali had a fruity, pineapple muesli thing. All very delicious. Picked up the ferry to Perth along the Swan River. We passed some amazing homes, yacht clubs and even saw a pod of dolphins. Arrived at Elizabeth Quay, a new development not quite finished with the back drop of some impressive Corporate HQs. We took the sightseeing tour around the city. Like many cities Perth is better viewed from the water, once you are in to the city proper you could be anywhere. Despite some well preserved colonial buildings it fails to impress either with its architecture or history. The highlight was Kings Park the biggest City park in the world bigger than New Yorks Central Park and contains the Botanical Gardens. We had a walkabout and got some great views of the city. We got back onto the bus and went to the station deciding to spend the evening back in Fremantle. One thing the Aussies do well is public transport. Good quality regular connections reasonably priced and in the case of some bus services, free. Went out for a final fling in Freo and had a nice meal in Char Char Bull with an excellent bottle of Tasmanian red and a creme Brulee in honour of the old man. I'm sure he would have approved.The end of the first leg of our journey and very good it was too.Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 7

    Fremantle Market and Scarborough

    February 7, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We packed up and checked out and booked a taxi for 1.30 and made our way to the market. The market was busy with numerous craft and food stalls. Went to a cafe for brunch and then back to the hotel for our taxi. Our driver Cliff took us past Cottesloe Beach to Scarborough about a 30 minute drive. Our hotel was visible some way off as it is the only high rise building in the area. We checked in to our room on the 20th floor. The hotel is close to the beach and we have a great view from our balcony.

    Scarborough is a typical beach resort with a main strip of bars and restaurants all very convenient. Had some drinks and Tacos and a few more nightcaps in the hotel bar than we intended. Slept well though !!    Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 8

    Rendezvous Hotel Scarborough

    February 8, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    So, the hotel is big. Our room is great with a balcony overlooking the beach. The hotel itself is rather impersonal with large redundant spaces reminiscent of a corporate head office. Had eggs and bacon in a nearby cafe and spent the rest of the day around the pool which is situated on the 10th floor and is well protected from the wind. There were a few people about but we managed to get sun beds OK and I settled down with some music and Ali read a book. In the evening we had a great Rib Eye steak on the bone with some tempura prawns. Didn't stay out too long as the breeze was getting up so we came back and played cards and watched a movie.Read more

  • Australia 2020
    Day 9

    Sea, Surf and Sunset

    February 9, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Woke up to faultless blue skies. Went out for breakfast and then down to the beach where there was a life guard club competition. Lots of activity with the wind whipping up the surf. Stayed for a while but decided to opt for the relative shelter of the hotel pool. In the evening we had a walk along the seafront. There was a large group dancing by the beach and we settled down for our meal and watched the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Stunning.Read more

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