VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022

Off we go for the next approximately 18 days in Craig's car. It will be cold, and probably wet but we have some wonderful adventures planned and booked. Read more

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Trip start
May 27, 2022
VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
WE ARE DRIVING FROM ADELAIDE TO SYDNEY
May 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Here we go - tomorrow we leave for Bendigo and will continue to drive for approximately three weeks. Fun times with my Craig. As it turns out Australia is also having an Antarctic blast of weather!!
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Drive to Bendigo
May 27, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This morning we got up quite early and were organized and set off for our drive to Bendigo. It’s started off as a very foggy day, especially through the Adelaide hills. However, as the day continued the weather was better than expected. We had a quick, unsatisfactory lunch at Nhill and then took some hitherto unknown roads through Minyip. It gradually became greener and more undulating. Bendigo is still a fine-looking town. We are staying at the Mercure Bendigo Hotel in a rather pokey room. We booked it to finally use up our Luxury Escape credit from the Darwin trip which was cancelled due to Covid. After shopping, we rested and tonight had a delicious meal at the Bunja Thai restaurant located in a beautiful building that used to be a bank. Craig is now watching Tom Cruise in a Jack Reacher film. He worked hard at driving today.Read more
Traveler Very foggy silos in Coonalpyn
5/27/22Reply
Traveler Bendigo sky view from our hotel
5/27/22Reply
Traveler Bunja Thai restaurant in an old bank building
5/27/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
WALK INTO BENDIGO & BACK
May 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
This morning we had breakfast in the room. It's chilly but very sunny and it was lovely to walk into Bendigo and see its beautiful architecture. Old and new it's very nice and clearly, there was/is money around. After the Elvis exhibition and some coffee and shopping, we walked back through the beautiful gardens and also had a look at the Chinese garden.Read more
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ELVIS EXHIBITION AT THE BENDIGO ART GALL
May 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
We lined up in a LONG LINE for the gallery to open at 10 am. The Elvis Exhibition was very well curated with many articles and good explanations. The history of Elvis was interesting although previously known to me. There were great clothes, videos and a lot of memorabilia. The music was pretty good also. Talk about a lot of Elvis tragics here. Enzo would have loved it. Afterwards, we had a good coffee and then a look at the art gallery which has wonderful paintings in it even though a lot of the art is currently put away for the Elvis Exhibition. We then walked through the shopping areas looking for gifts for Eddie and some socks etc. Lovely morning:)Read more
Traveler Entrance to "Gracelands" ha ha
5/28/22Reply
Traveler I'd wear this one - black & red!
5/28/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Early special dinner
May 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
We set out this afternoon for a 4 pm booking at the wood-house restaurant. Craig chose this restaurant from The Age good food guide. It was early but we were looking forward to a good meal which it was. Specialising in meats I still found yummy dishes to eat including the zucchini flowers, Roasted mushrooms, great beans and an entree of pork belly with a scallop, fig and chorizo. The dessert of crème brûlée was also outstanding Craig enjoyed the wines and most of all I enjoyed being with Craig ❤️❤️❤️Read more
TravelerSounds great. How many sittings do they do? Did I see 4pm?
5/29/22Reply
TravelerYes we had to accept 4 p.m. when we tried to book. It worked out fine with a big walk before and after for digesting a delicious meal but we did have to work the day around it. Still worth it.
5/29/22Reply
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Central Deborah Gold Mine Tour
May 29, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
So this morning we drove down to the Central Deborah Gold Mine area and did the tour. Jeremy our tour guide was a little gruff but very knowledgeable. We went down about 60 metres and saw the mines, mining/drilling tours, safety features, and some actual gold in situ in the quartz. Loved the miners' hard hats. The only negative was that it was really, really cold down there. Craig, the geologist, loved it.Read more
Traveler real gold!
5/29/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
CASTLEMAINE VISIT
May 29, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
After the tour, we drove to Castlemaine - always a pretty Victorian town. Had coffee and lunch at a lovely cafe there, which had an interesting old wedding dress/historical exhibition upstairs - including photos of some of the brides - lovely dresses. Then, we did a walk around the town - another architecturally interesting place that clearly had lots of money spent on it during gold mining days. Also, a good exhibition to highlight Reconciliation Week - lots of great photos but sad stories. We do have a lot to be sorry for. Today has certainly been much colder - back to hotel for rest. Tonight we had dinner at The Bridge Hotel - walked down and back.Read more
TravelerA friend of mine from Alice lives in Castlemaine likes everything you have mentioned plus proximity to Melbourne. Sounds like it’s well worth a visit.
5/29/22Reply
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Drive to Beechworth in the rain
May 30, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 5 °C
This morning we had breakfast and left Bendigo in the rain. The roads were mainly smaller ones initially and we found a place we had never heard of called Collabinbin where there was some excellent silo art. The only silo art we have managed to see in fact. We had coffee in a small town called Violet Town which was famous for the Aurora train crash in 1969. Next, we drove and had a quick look at Glenrowan - too rainy to get out of the car, but we saw the big Ned Kelly etc. Eventually, we made it to the very pretty Beechworth, and yes it is still raining but we enjoyed the walk around this beautiful and historical town. Craig bought a new 'druggy' shirt and we had a nice lunch of pumpkin soup and lamb pie. We spent most of the afternoon in our hotel and managed to book our New Zealand trip in October. Tonight we are meeting Bron Marten who I used to work with at Wilderness many years ago. Cold, wet but still a good day :). And... it was a great evening at the Beechworth pub - dinner and drinks - lots of conversation about the past and present and lots of glory in Labor's victory.Read more
Traveler Look - outlaws on the verandah!!
5/30/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
A LONG, COLD DAY TO BEAUTIFUL MERIMBULA
May 31, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
This morning we woke up very early in the dark, had the nice provided breakfast, and set off in the dark, cold, rainy fog. We drove further than initially planned following Sean's recommendations in order to avoid road closures, snow, etc. There is a dangerous weather alert out for most of Australia. We initially had to get to Tumut which is the entry town to the Mt Kosciusko National Park. We had coffee there and then set off to Coomo. The weather gradually changed to be colder and at first, there was a little snow, then lots and then it started snowing. It was a little scary but as always Craig was brilliant at driving. Eventually, at Coomo, we had lunch at Rosie's Kitchen which was a Lebanese meal and very delicious. Ultimately the weather improved and we went through many very pretty areas - green valleys and hills. Merimbula is very pretty with turquoise blue seas and our accommodation has a great view, is spacious and lovely to stay at. We shopped at Woolworths and had dinner at home - chicken, salad etc. Lovely to feel like we are in a home again.Read more
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MERIMBULA & EDEN
June 1, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
This morning we woke up to magnificent, sunny views :). After breakfast, we went for a walk on the pathway outside our home round to the lovely beach nearby and had a coffee at Cranky's Cafe - nice coffee. We then went home and then another windy walk into Merimbula town centre finding the Post Office for Rick's mother's 99th birthday card; The Reject Shop - for our crafty grandies and Aldi for Craig stuff. We enjoyed lunch at home of chicken etc. After lunch, we drove down to Eden which was more industrial and had lots of whaling industry in the past. The wharf was clearly a busy one and the beaches/cliffs were great too.
We went to a brewery called Longstocking on the way home. Craig enjoyed the beer and it was quite funky. Tonight we are going to Ritzy's Tapas bar :). And... it was really tasty tuna and especially the scallops and ridiculously bad sticky date pudding with toasted popcorn!Read more
Traveler view this morning :)
6/1/22Reply
Traveler Lovely house nearby
6/1/22Reply
TravelerGreat photos Lina.
6/3/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Morning Boardwalk Walk
June 2, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
This morning we set off for a walk along the Boardwalk trail reasonably close to where we are staying. What a lovely morning - we saw mangroves, oyster beds, lovely homes, wild lilies and lots of birds. It is very well laid out and clearly, the locals and visitors like to walk, run and fish along here. The sun was shining again and we came back for another tiny walk up the road to the boatshed cafe for a coffee. Life is 😊Read more
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Seafood Lunch
June 2, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
This afternoon we drove out onto the other peninsular and had lunch at the Aquarium & Wharf restaurant. It was quite nice at 7/10 - my barramundi was great, Craig's seafood linguine was pretty good but the scallops were 'yukky'! We enjoyed ourselves anyway and after lunch, we spent some time on the wharf speaking to a young fisherperson catching Australian salmon one after the other - it was quite remarkable. We also saw several dolphins and the tails of a seal. A drive around the residential area exposed many lovely homes - all would have great views. Home to rest, plan and pack. Another great day.Read more
Traveler Barramundi was great
6/2/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Tilba, Narooma and Ulladulla Drive
June 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
This morning we left our lovely spot at Merimbula. We drove through Bega - not worth it. Then on to Tilba Tilba which is a historic 'hippy like' town - very authentic. We bought cheese and other food for dinner and had a coffee - a lovely spot. Then onto Narooma which is beautifully set along the beach. A nice drive was followed by a very pleasant walk along the Mill Bay Boardwalk and we saw two very large stingrays. Then we drove to Bateman's Bay - also rather touristy/skanky although we did enjoy the fish & chips lunch. Ultimately, we arrived at the "Harbour View Apartments" - another nice place to stop but just for one night.Read more
TravelerI think I stayed in Bateman’s Bay years ago and it certainly wasn’t skanky. Shame you thought it was.
6/3/22Reply
TravelerNot the bit where we had fish & chips definitely not great
6/4/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Ulladulla Walk to Wharf
June 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
Once we arrived at Ulladulla we decided to do a walk straight away as we are staying in tonight and eating munchy bread, cheese, and so on. It's been a long day. We walked down to the wharf area - whilst it was mainly a working wharf the breakwater was good to see and clearly needed. We shopped and here we are at home - warm, sated and a bit tired!Read more
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Ulladulla Morning Walk & Mollymook!
June 4, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
This morning after breakfast we went out before checking out in order to find a walk near to the Warden Lighthouse - it was closed so we looked for another beach walk - also tricky. The recent floods haven't helped! Eventually, we found a wildflower reserve which was short but pretty. We had to check out by 10.30 am so we did that and headed off to nearby Mollymook to have a coffee. What great views and such a gorgeous beach.Read more
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Rick Steins for Lunch & Huskisson
June 4, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
Next, we drove up the hill of Mollymook to Bannisters which is Rick Stein's restaurant. It is in a magnificent setting and we had a wonderful lunch - seafood mainly and a lovely creme brulee. Truly delicious. After lunch, we then drove to Huskisson which is our next destination for the next 3 nights. We are staying at Bomborra Cottage and Airbnb. It's beautifully appointed and the area is lovely being located in Jervis Bay. It's been a long day but we managed some basic shopping and are staying in tonight.Read more
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BUNDALON ART GALLERY ETC
June 5, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
This morning we set out by car to go to the Bundalon Art Gallery. This is a very new gallery with interesting architecture donated and set up by Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne. Along the way, we drove through Nowra - which seemed too big for us to consider looking at. The gallery showcased modern art - including quite a few Boyd sketches - not our favourites but interesting and weird. The bridge-building built there is brilliant and there are magnificent views everywhere you look. The Shoalhaven River is new to us and SOO big. We had coffee there and really enjoyed it. We had wanted to drive up to Kangaroo Valley Road but the roads are closed due to the floods. In fact, the roads have been terrible generally.Read more
Traveler Bridge building is accommodation and function centre - great setting.
6/4/22Reply
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
JERVIS BAY MANGROVE WALK
June 5, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
On our way home we stopped at Jervis Bay to research the Mangrove Walk - turned out it was quite short (10 minutes), so we did it then. What a magical, clean-looking area - most enjoyable. I have also attached a few more views at Bundalon which were all wonderful.Read more
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Huskisson to Vincentia a walk
June 6, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 11 °C
This morning we took it easy and eventually went for a long walk along the beach path From our home in Huskisson all the way to Vincentia and back again. We saw many beautiful views of the beach and several magnificent homes facing the beach. Whilst it didn’t ruin the walk, it was also extremely windy as it seems to be all over Australia today. we had a coffee at Vincentia and Craig bought some $20 tracksuit pants which he loves. Altogether, it was over 12,000 steps.
After a rest at home, we drove into Huskisson centre to have lunch at The Five Little Pigs. It was a wonderful meal, only spoiled by some bad news of our friend Di Jackson who has been diagnosed with dementia. A nice little walk around the town was enjoyed and then home to pack, plan and relax:)Read more
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VICTORIA/NSW DRIVE 2022 Traveler
Drive to Sydney - Yeh!
June 7, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
This morning we left our lovely home in Huskisson and drove mainly up the freeway to Sydney. It was busy but there were many pretty areas to drive through especially once we started seeing the Blue Mountains (we think?). The only problem we had was finding a petrol station that actually had a toilet we could use. So we stopped at a Mcdonald's, which also had an unfunctional toilet but at least there was a petrol station within walking distance. Eventually, Craig was his usual brilliant driver self and we found the pre-booked, expensive car park. However, we can leave the car there for four days. We are staying at the Rendezvous Hotel in The Rocks and we are on the top (6th floor) with a magnificent view of the Opera House and also the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This afternoon we had lunch at a good restaurant with the misfortunate name of THE MORRISON. However, it was like a New York restaurant and our food, etc was great - chicken/salad and crab linguine. We next went to Georg Jensen to check out earrings for me for the wedding and also went to David Jones and I bought a nice chiffon navy overlay jacket for the wedding!Read more
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VIVID CRUISE
June 7, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Tonight we walked down to Darling Harbour to King's Wharf No 9 and waited and waited in the cold for our Constellation Cruise around Sydney Harbour to see the Sydney icons lit up for Vivid. It was pretty good and very cold. The Bridge, Opera House and the very tall buildings looked brilliant.Read more
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Taronga Zoo 1
June 8, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
This morning we got organised and fixed up our Opal tickets and took the tram to Taronga zoo sorry that was the ferry! Before that I we had a lovely patisserie breakfast which included an Almond croissant and a pistachio pastry both delicious and then I went to the Museum of contemporary Art which was actually quite fascinating and had a giant bean out the front almost similar to the one in Chicago.Read more
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Taronga Zoo 2
June 8, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
The Zoo was really good and had great views. There were many colourful light features of giant animals - for Vivid. Taking the ferry there and back was fun and after lunch and a rest back at our apartment we went for a walk around the Rocks which included a Ken Done gallery and a painting I wanted to buy - but not yet. The Rocks seemed very quiet to us??Read more
TravelerThe silverback is soooooo beautiful.
6/9/22Reply
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Moulin Rouge - a highlight!
June 8, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
In the early evening, we took the light rail down to the Haymarket/China Town area.
We had an early dinner at a Thai restaurant called Phat Thai - we couldn't get a booking but I 'ninfa'd' when we got there and they let us in. The food was magnificent and the Capitol Theatre was directly across the road. We had paid quite a bit for our Classical Capitol package so besides the great tickets we got a glass of Veuve Cliquot champagne, a chocolate, program, and salted caramel choc top icecreams - all delicious. However, it was the musical which was ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. Great music, singing, dancing, acting and everything else e.g. the sets, the theatre and costumes. We had a wonderful evening - loud, bright and in your face. We were not allowed to take photos of the performance but super evening.Read more
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After Moulin
June 8, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
When we got back to Circular Quay we walked around to see more of the Vivid displays down there and nearer to where we are staying in The Rocks! They were great - especially the Bean at night!!
TravelerBrilliant art works. The big bean in Chicago is spectacular but this is also terrific.
6/9/22Reply
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