Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26

Cricket, Christmas barbies and wildlife Leia mais

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20 de dezembro de 2025
Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
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Planning and the journey
21 de dezembro de 2025, Hong Kong ⋅ 🌬 20 °C
I'm not sure that we've ever been more organised for a trip. We've had plans on our dining room table for the last couple of months and have slowly added to the things that we have organised.

So the day finally arrives, after a fun evening the night before at the Painswick golf club, Karen very kindly picked us up and dropped us off at Cheltenham railway station for the first leg of our journey, an overcrowded cross country train!

Arriving at Manchester airport we checked in and boarded on time. There was some issue with baggage though and so we departed around 45 minutes late, not ideal when we only had 1 hour 20 mins to transfer in Frankfurt!

On arrival at Frankfurt we were bussed to the terminal and managed to locate our flight quite quickly. After a brisk walk through the airport we arrived just as they were boarding and we managed to walk straight on.

Just over 11 hours later we landed on Hong Kong and we're greeted off the plane with a notice asking us to check with ground staff. It seems that whilst we made the flight, our luggage didn't. We were advised that we needed to go through immigration and report our bag as delayed. However arriving at the baggage claim area they seemed to think something different and told us to check back in and report to the bag as delayed in Sydney. Either way, it took a little bit of time to sort and so we didn't really have time to head into Hong Kong. Instead we spent a couple of hours playing cards in the lounge before boarding our Hong Kong airlines flight to Sydney at 10pm.

The flight passed with a couple of films, some food and a sleep and we landed on time in Sydney at just before 11am and we're treated to our first view of the opera House and harbour bridge.Leia mais
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ViajanteHope you’ve been reunited with your luggage? 🤞
22/12/2025ResponderTraduzir
Where are smiles you're on holiday 😂 [Jan]
23/12/2025ResponderTraduzir
That's more my boy [Mum]
23/12/2025ResponderTraduzir
4 curtidas
Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Melbourne - 22nd December 2025
22 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
We decided that we'd get an Uber from Melbourne airport to St Kilda and once we were out of the airport we found one pretty quickly.

The journey to St Kilda took around 30 minutes and we passed by the Melbourne CBD and Albert park. We got dropped off at a store to collect the key to our Airbnb and then walked the 10 minutes to the apartment.

It's located in a good position, on the corner of Canterbury road and Fitzroy. Although not on the sea front, it is next to a Woolworths supermarket, a tram stop and bars. The apartment is on the fourth floor (no lift) and had a lovely terrace.

Having arrived bag less we popped down to the supermarket to get some toiletries, milk, coffee and beer... The essentials! 🤣

Fortunately we'd both packed a spare set of clothing in our luggage and so we had a quick shower and freshen up before going for a walk towards the sea front.

By now it was almost 7pm and so we stopped at the Prince Hotel for some food, a chicken burger for me and chicken snitzel for Ed! From here we walked along the sea front, past the pier and ended up at Luna Park, an amusement park with rides and an old wooden coaster.

We retraced our steps, walking along the sea front with the sun starting to go down. The whole area was pretty busy with walkers, runners, cyclists and others just watching the world go by.

We had booked a boat tour on St Kilda ferries to go and see the penguins returning to their nests for the evening. An increasingly large colony of Little (sometimes called fairy) penguins (no more than 30cm high) have made their home in the man made breakwater. It seems to suit them very well.

As the sun went down, we could see individuals then groups (rafts) of penguins swimming towards home. After the sun went down we spent about 30 minutes cruising along the breakwater watching the penguins hop onto the land and up to their nests. There are also type of rat, the Rakali which are semi aquatic and prey on small penguins and eggs! We spotted a few amidst the rocks.

It was almost 10pm now so we headed back to the different street a long couple of days of a beer and an early night!Leia mais
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ViajanteHope you had a ride on the roller coaster 🤗
23/12/2025ResponderTraduzir
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Melbourne - 23rd December 2025
23 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Today we met up with Sarah who was somebody that we first met on a tour to Tibet in 2015. We were up early and after a quick shower we caught the tram in to Melbourne CBD, about 15 minutes away.

By 9:15 we were waiting for a table in a restaurant for breakfast where we were going to meet Sarah. Once Sarah arrived we ordered food and delicious coffee.

After eating we began a walking tour of the centre and main sights. First we walked to the historic Flinders Street station - legend says that they confused the plans with a railways station destined for India. We walked from here to Federation Square and popped in to the art museum.

We spent the next while wandering around the Laneways including one with lots of street art including an amazing mural high up on a building. From here we found Degraves street, with is restaurants in the centre of the street. By now it was time for a rest stop and we grabbed a beer overlooking Federation Square.

After this we caught a tram to parliament house and had another stop in a rooftop bar as the sun had come out. From here we visited Fitzroy park and saw Captain Cook's house that was moved from his home in England and also the small Tudor model village.

We continued our walk past the tennis courts where the Australian open is played and into the royal botanic gardens. We walked through the gardens and finished at the large war memorial.

As it was now almost 4pm we picked up a tram back into the CBD then walked to Southern Cross Station in time for Sarah's train with just enough time to pick up some clothes in the outlet at the station.

Having said goodbye to Sarah we stopped for a drink and contacted the baggage handling company to see where our bags were. The news came back that they would not be arriving until at least the next day so we visited another shopping centre to pick up some more clothes and toiletries!

It was 7pm by the time we caught the tram back to St Kilda and having dropped off our purchases we went back out and walked to Acland Road where there were loads of restaurants. We had food at a busy restaurant where I had calamari (much bigger than the string like stuff at home) and Ed had a Parma dish - a Victorian traditional dish.

Having walked over 12 miles on the day we caught a tram the few stops back to our apartment and had a final beer before bed!Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Melbourne/Phillip Island - 24th December
24 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
We were awake early and I had a Christmas Eve run along the sea front and back through St Kilda.

After a shower we walked back to the area we were in last night for some breakfast in a small cafe. The coffee so far had been excellent wherever we've been.

From here we popped in to a butcher for some breakfast provisions for Christmas Day and then into the supermarket for some other items. We caught the tram back to our apartment and dropped the things off after which we walked back down to the sea front and along the pier to see if we could see any penguins. Sadly we couldn't as they were all out fishing so we returned to the apartment to prepare for our day tour to Phillip Island.

Just after 12 we walked back in to St Kilda to meet the tour and after a few stops in the CBD we travelled about an hour to our first stop, the Moonlit animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary is about 40 years old and tries to focus on an environment which is as close to the natural habitat as possible. The pathway leads you past lizards, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, an echidna, a Tasmanian devil, dingos and numerous birds.

The koalas in the tree were particularly cute and whilst they didn't get that close to the edge of the path, the wallabies and kangaroos were not actually fenced off.

From here we drive another hour or so to Phillip Island. We stopped first at Cape Woolamai beach, a bay on the southern Ocean (next stop Antarctica) and saw the impressive waves, driven by a strong breeze coming in off the sea. Next we stopped at the main town, Cowes. The island itself looks remarkably like the Isle of Wight and shares many of the place names. After a quick drink it was back on the bus to visit penguin parade.

Before arriving there we drove around the headland and saw geese and wallabies in the wild, hiding the the long grass. On arrival at the penguin parade visits centre we joined the throngs on visitors (sell out show this evening) in grabbing food and looking at the centre before the main event.

The fairy penguins (the same as the ones in St Kilda) come ashore at dusk and in groups for safety. We walked along the boardwalks, past penguin burrows, to the viewing area. The rangers explained the rules which included no photography with either cameras or phones because the light affects the penguins.

We watched for almost an hour, despite the chilly conditions, as the penguins made their way in, sometimes turning back for the water if something spooked them while they waddled up the beach. The only downside was that despite the requests, many visitors insisted on taking photos with their phones and we told more than a handful of people to stop!

At around 9:40pm we made our way back along the boardwalks where we could see penguins that had made it up the beach and were heading towards their burrows. There was a lot of noise from the penguins as they called to each other and there were other penguins who emerged from their burrows to welcome the returning birds.

We were back on the bus for the 2 hour journey back to Melbourne and were eventually dropped off back in St Kilda at the end of a long, but rewarding day, just before 1am.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Christmas day in St Kilda - 25th Dec.
25 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
I started the day with a jog around Albert Park lake...I hadn't realised that there was a park run taking place so unfortunately missed that but it was still good to get out and stretch the legs.

Next on the plan was a cooked breakfast of sausages, mushrooms, egg, and toast. Whilst not cold, it was a bit too windy to eat on the balcony.

We decided that we'd visit Brighton beach, a few minutes to the south, and so we caught a bus (regular and all public transport is free on Christmas Day!). We spent a little while walking along the busy beach, watching windsurfers taking advantage of the wind!

Next we caught a bus and tram back to St Kilda and had our first Christmas drink on Acland street. The shops were mostly shut but many of the cafes and restaurants were open and doing a brisk trade.

From here we walked along the sea front where again there were lots of people enjoying the sun and eating picnics or having BBQs.

From here we stopped for a drink in the Prince before walking back up to our apartment to regroup as it was now mid afternoon.
Having had a drink and freshened up, we walked back along to a bottle shop further down the street. They also had a bar and so we had a couple of drinks sat outside sharing a table with a couple from Liverpool who are working for a while in Sydney.

At around 6.30 they headed off for a meal that they had booked and so we caught a tram back to Acland street where we had a quick meal at one of the restaurants where you didn't need to book. A final drink after this in a bar across the road and we decided that it had been a long day so we headed back to the apartment for a night cap and an early night, ready for the cricket on Boxing Day.Leia mais
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ViajanteLooks a lovely Christmas Day x
25/12/2025ResponderTraduzir
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Boxing Day - 26th Dec. - The cricket 🏏
26 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Today was really all about the cricket.

I'm not sure what it is that has drawn me to want to see England play Australia at the Boxing Day test match in the Ashes... I've seen less than a handful of cricket games ever, but it's been on my list of things to do for quite some time! Maybe it has been listening to Test Match Special over the years, particularly during the winter when England are playing abroad and TMS (test match special) is on overnight. Catching TMS first thing in the morning when England are playing in some far away place on their winter tour, at the end of the day due to the time difference. The Boxing Day test match though stood out as one that I have wanted to see.

Either way, I never really thought it was something that I would get a chance to see because of how flipping far away Australia is and because of the time of year. Anyway, here we are and I find us looking forward to spending the day at the iconic MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). The day did not disappoint!

We started the day early getting the tram in from our base in St Kilda to Melbourne. From here we walked along towards the Laneways and found a spot outdoors at a cafe for breakfast. Suitably sated, we started the 20 minute walk with throngs of other supporters to the MCG. There was cloud overhead and as we approached the stadium I overheard someone say that England had won the toss and decided to bowl!

We were directed to the correct entrance according to our ticket but this and the next two were very busy with queues and it was suggested to continue to the next exit which we did and pretty much walked straight in.

We quickly found our seats in the Shane Warne stand and waited for the cricket to start. The MCG is huge, bigger than any stadium in the UK (for any sport) and had a capacity of over three times that of Lords. The tickets that is managed to buy could probably not have been much better. There were plenty of England supporters in our block and we were right next to the three blocks of the Barmy Army!

After a speech by Aunty Joy, a respected indigenous people leader there were the anthems before the cricket started. England bowled well and ended the morning session in a good position. After lunch, where lots of kids were able to play on the outfield, England continued and managed to bowl Australia out for just 152, a seemingly great result. However, I was conscious of the often quoted statement on TMS, that you don't really know what a pitch is like until both teams have batted... How true a statement would that be today!

Somewhere after lunch the sun came out and we spent the afternoon baking in the sun and staying hydrated with drinks! The atmosphere throughout the day was brilliant with the Barmy Army in fine voice. However, it was after tea, with Australia batting, that it felt like someone had switched it up with the Barmy Army singing and Aussie fans shouting in equal measure and increasingly 'at' each other (mostly) in good humour. Maybe it was the sun, maybe it was the beer or (probably) a bit/lot of both, but the atmosphere definitely turned up at least a few notches!

England's innings was typically English with them 3 wickets down with just 8 runs posted. Eventually, the team made it to 110 before being bowled out with just 11 minutes of play left. This meant that play resumed at 5:59 pm with Australia having to survive just one over. It was an exciting over with every ball having something happening but, sadly for England, without a wicket! The day ended with 20 wickets having fallen (the most in the first day of an Ashes test match since 1909!) The attendance at the 'G' was 94,199, the largest number of people ever for a cricket test match there!

We left the stadium with the crowds having watched an epic day, albeit one which left England needing to knuckle down on day two!

We walked back in to Melbourne and found a couple of bars for drinks before heading to the place that we'd booked for a meal, an Asian fusion restaurant called Supernormal. We had a number of delicious dishes that we shared, including a couple of different types of dumplings.

By now it was after 9pm and we were tired after a day baking in the sun so we caught a tram back to our base and had a night cap before bed!.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Mornington Peninsula - 27th December '25
27 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Moving day today!

We were awake early and after a coffee we walked to a local cafe Al Naturale for a delicious breakfast. https://www.alnaturale.com.au/

Back to the apartment to pack and then at around 9:30 I walked the 15 minutes to pick up the rental car that we'd be using for the next couple of days.

Once we'd checked out and dropped the keys off we drove south towards the Mornington Peninsula. Our first stop was at Arthur's Seat, a lookout where Matthew Flinders, a royal naval navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore navigation of mainland Australia stopped to lookout. It's named due to its apparent similarity to Edinburgh.

There is a cable car up the hill and so after queuing with the hundreds of other tourists, we headed up and then did a short circular walk around the top taking in the views and spotting some wildlife.

We queued again to go back down the hill and then drove to a winery called Point Leo where we had a quick look at the sculptures and then had some food (with Ed trying a Rose from their cellar!).

By now it was late afternoon and we arranged to meet up with Kirsty and Sean who live just up the coast. Ed first met Kirsty when he was travelling in India in 2006 and stayed with her when he moved on to Australia. I met her when she visited the UK in 2011. We're staying in Kirsty's parents house for the next couple of days whilst they are away, in a town on the coast called Rye. We arrived at the seaside just before 5 and reccy'd the place before meeting at the house which is a short walk to the sea. Here we met up with Kirsty, Sean, Chloe and Zac and were reunited (finally,) with our bags which had been delivered to Kirsty's house.

The house is ideal for us and we spent the next few hours chatting with Kirsty and Sean over a few beers. Pizzas were ordered and we walked the short distance to collect them and brought them back to eat before returning back to the same area where the kids and I had an ice cream.

Kirsty and her family eventually said goodbye around 9:30 and we relaxed for an hour or so before bed.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Mornington Peninsula - 28th Dec 25
28 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We spent today exploring the Mornington Peninsula. Located about 50 miles south of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is a place popular with tourists and locals alike and was pretty busy due to the summer holidays!

We started our day with breakfast in a local cafe and then drove about 30 minutes north to a wildlife area called Briars sanctuary. Here we spent just over an hour wandering through prepared tracks trying to spot wildlife. We could hear loads of birds, and even spotted a few! We also managed to see what we later identified as a swamp wallaby, not that far away from us in the bushes, along with a pair of emus who are walking along the path towards us. (We moved out of their way)

From here we headed back south towards the very tip of the peninsula. The traffic was pretty heavy but eventually we arrived at Point Nepean National Park. Once parked we took a shuttle bus ride to Fort Nepean. Situated overlooking the narrow inlet to Port Phillip, the vast bay that Melbourne sits at the far end of. The first Australian shots of the first world war (and possibly the first commonwealth shots) were reputedly fired from here when on 5 August 1914, the German ship SS Pfalz attempted to escape from the bay area. Within minutes of being notified that war had been declared, the order was given to "stop her or sink her" after the Pfalz ignored signals to halt, they fired across her bow and the ship then turned around and the crew was arrested.

We spent some time exploring the fort, its tunnels and the areas around it before catching the shuttle bus the 3km back to the car park.

From here we drove to the south coast (the peninsula here is no more than a couple of miles wide) to see the London bridge lookout. The beach here is located on the ocean side of the peninsula and was beautifully rugged. From the lookout we could see the rock formation of London bridge along with plenty of people relaxing on the beach.

We drove then to the other side of the island through Portsea and then stopping off at Sorrento, a busy beach resort. Once parked we walked to the shore line and had a snack overlooking the beach area - far less rugged and not as pretty here!

We returned to the car and drove back to the house. It was now mid afternoon and we ordered an Uber to take us the 5 or so miles to a local brewery which is based in an old stable complex. The St Andrews Beach Brewery has redeveloped the stable area into a food and drinks venue with 'private' areas in each of the stables. We spent a couple of hours soaking up the atmosphere before getting another Uber back home.

Once back, I took advantage of the pool in the back yard and then we had some snacks that we'd brought with us from Melbourne and spent the rest of the evening chilling.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Dandenong and Puffing Billy! 29th Dec 25
29 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
After a quick breakfast of eggs on toast we packed our things and left Rye for the journey back towards Melbourne. Before heading to the airport hotel though we had a trip scheduled on Puffing Billy, a heritage steam train in the Dandenong hills outside of the city.

Before arriving at the station, we stopped at a lookout so that we could watch one of the trains travel over the trestle bridge, an old wooden structure that makes up part of the line. Whilst waiting for the train we listened as a pair of kookaburras made their characteristic laughing noise in one of the nearby trees.

Once we'd watched this spectacle we drive the short distance to the station at Belgrave. Checked in, we waited for the train which was due at 12:30. The tickets sold out months ago and so we were lucky to be able to get a couple of return tickets.

The carriages of the railway are also heritage and you're allowed to sit on the edge of the carriage with your legs dangling outside. (It's not the most comfortable position, but you do get a great view!).

The outward journey took almost an hour and passed by a number of stations as it wound its way through the forests. There were also the occasional stunning views overlooking the valleys between the Dandenong area and Melbourne.

Arriving at Lakeside, our final destination for this trip, we disembarked and picked up our pre-booked scones and a grazing platter. (The scones were warm, but sadly the cream was a whipped type and not like clotted cream at home!). The grazing platter itself was also pretty big and we left feeling stuffed.

We had about 90 minutes at this stop and so we wandered down to the lake and had a little look around before waiting for the return trip.

We sat on the other side of the train on the way back and had some great views of the landscapes and also going across the trestle bridge. In about 45 minutes we arrived back at Belgrave station.

By now it was around 4:30 p.m. And so we started the journey back to the airport stopping on the way at the sky-high Observatory to be able to see the views of downtown Melbourne. We arrived at the airport at about 6:30 and checked into a hotel and dropped the car off. By 7:15 we were being met by Eve, and another fellow traveller who lives in Melbourne and who we met when we went to India in 2022.

Eve drove us to High street in Northcote, apparently voted the best street for nightlife 3 years ago. Went to a pub where we had some food and a few drinks, Ed and I both had the special which was a kangaroo steak... Very tasty.

Later in the evening we moved on to another bar and had a few more drinks before catching an Uber home having said farewell to Eve having had a lovely evening. We arrived back at our hotel at the airport just before 1:00 a.m. knowing that we had a 3.45am alarm call to allow us to get our flight.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Melbourne to Sydney - 30th December 25
30 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
It was a very early start today with the alarm going off at 3:45! (It felt especially early after our late night!)

Once ready we checked out and walked the short distance to the airport where we checked our bags in and waited for the flight.

After a slight delay we arrived in Sydney at around 8:00 a.m. And caught the metro and then a tram to where our hotel is in North Sydney. My first experience of going over the harbour bridge, this time on a train.

Our room wasn't ready to check into and so we left our bags and went for a walk. The plan was to walk across the harbour bridge and to Circular Quay. The views from the bridge were fantastic, overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Once we arrived at Circular Quay we stopped for a quick snack and then walked onto the opera house. All around there were preparations being made ready for the New Year's Eve celebrations the following day.

We walked on to the Opera House and took plenty of pics and then back to Circular Quay to meet Beth. Once we'd met we didn't the next couple of hours walking along the front, passed the Opera House again and into the botanic gardens. Again preparations were in full swing as it's one of the places that you can watch the NYE fireworks.

We carried on to the area around Mrs Macquarie's Chair to reccy where we might want to be the following day. Having decided on a general area we walked back to Circular Quay, stopping off for a drink to wait for our 2pm boat ride around the harbour.

At just after 2, we boarded the boat and settled in for an hour or so's tour of the harbour area, with a drink and snacks included. Once we'd finished the trip we said goodbye to Beth and we walked back over the bridge to check in to our hotel.

After a shower and change we picked up some snacks for the following day and then headed back to the CBD for a meal that we had booked in the Westfield tower, an iconic tower that gives the highest views in Sydney at over 1,000 feet. The restaurant we went to, Infinity, is one of a number in the tower and had a revolving restaurant that does a complete rotation in about 70 minutes.
We ate our delicious meal overlooking the city as the sun set. The food was lovely and the service attentive, even if we weren't quite sure about the description of the food. We finished and by now it was just after 9pm and having had a long day we caught an Uber back to the hotel for an early night.Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
1
New Year's Eve - Sydney - 31st December
31 de dezembro de 2025, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
So today was New year's Eve, Sydney style!

We'd agreed with Beth (and her friend Freya) that we would try to get to the entrance point to Mrs Macquarie's Chair so that we could get in the queue. By the time we arrived at 8:30 there was already a very long queue, although well organised with markings on the grass and people sitting down waiting for the gates to open at 10:00.

At around 9:45 though, we were asked to stand up and start moving. Perhaps predictably all senses of people queueing politely in their lanes went out of the window and it became a bit of a scrum. We took our chances and ended up in the roped off lanes. Sadly this didn't stop people just trying to jump the queue.

Eventually we moved forwards and continued queueing to get through the entrance gate, some 500m away. The queue was generally good-natured although there were still a couple of people who tried to jump the queue and a couple who were sent back, much to the amusement of the rest of the people.

We arrived at the security checkpoint at around 11 :00 where our bags were checked and we walked in to find a spot. The area was already quite busy although we did manage to find a spot with a partial view of the bridge.

We spent the afternoon and early evening sitting around on the (very hard) grass, having a few drinks, our food that we bought with us and playing cards and watching the world go by. At around dusk we started to see the local resident bats flying around, no doubt wondering what on earth was going on!

In early evening we had some food before the first lot of fireworks at 9:00 p.m. These were pretty spectacular themselves.

There was then a flotilla of boats which cruised around the harbour all lit up which was a pretty impressive site. At 11:00 p.m. there was a minute silence for the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting and then we settled in for the last hour. By now we were both pretty uncomfortable and achy having sat around on the ground for such a long time.

We persevered and were treated at midnight to an amazing firework display with fireworks being set off around the harbour and of course, from the Sydney harbour bridge. The number of people filming the 12-minute firework display on their mobile phones was huge. There was a sense of anticipation before the event and the atmosphere was great to be part of.

After the events we walked the long journey back to the centre of the CBD, said goodbye to Beth and Freya and then eventually caught the metro back to North Sydney where we then walked home arriving just after 1:00 a.m.

We had a couple of beers to celebrate New Year in comfort rather than on the hard ground and then went to bed for a good night's sleep.

What an event to be part of even if at times it felt like hard work sitting around waiting for the fireworks and for the new year.Leia mais
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ViajanteLooks like a great way to start to 2026 despite the lack of comfort!
01/01/2026ResponderTraduzir
Viajante Lovely smiles 💖
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3 curtidas
Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
New Year's Day - Sydney
1 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
After a lazy start and cooked eggs and bacon at our apartment along with an unexpected but welcome WhatsApp call from friends at our local pub who had just celebrated the British New Year, we headed out to explore some more of the city.

We caught the metro couple of stops down to the Town Hall stop. Here we saw the St Andrews cathedral along with the town hall and the very impressive Victorian, Queen Victoria building along with a statue of herself! Even on New Year's Day, most of the shops were open and the restaurants in there were doing a brisk business.

Next we walked along to Darling Harbour, an area which has been extensively redeveloped over the last 30 or 40 years and now is a bustling waterfront location. We paused here for some refreshment!

We carried on walking further up the peninsula to the Barangaroo reserve passing lots of relatively modern high-rise buildings before getting to the reserve itself. Here we found some instant walkways through lots of recently planted Australian plants.

Heading back to the metro station we stumbled across the oldest hotel in Sydney, apparently! We had a pint at the Lord Nelson before getting the train a couple of stops down to the Anzac memorial and Hyde Park.

The Anzac memorial is an impressive edifice which remembers Australian and New Zealand servicemen who have given their service and lives in the war. After pausing here we walked through Hyde Park and then saw the second cathedral in Sydney, St Mary's.

From here, we stopped for a beer and then caught a bus back up to the Rocks area for some food at Sydney's oldest pub, the Fortune of War. Fed and watered we walked via Circular Quay to the opera house for the evenings entertainment, an illusion show called 'Now you see me'. Unfortunately we had our timings wrong so didn't arrive until 15 minutes after the start! The show was impressive though and at half time and at the end we had the chance to get views from inside the opera house over the harbour.

With an early start the next day we headed back to the apartment for a final beer of the day and bed!Leia mais
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Hunter Valley wine tour - 2nd Jan 2026
2 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
We had an early alarm call at 6am to get ourselves ready and sorted for our day trip to the Hunter Valley, the oldest wine region in Australia.

We set out and caught a bus into the CBD and then had time for a quick breakfast and coffee before meeting our tour bus for a 7:45 departure to the Hunter Valley. The first part of the drive took us back over the harbour bridge and through the suburbs of North Sydney.

After just over an hour we stopped for a 'comfort break' at a motorway service station before carrying on or journey. After about half an hour we left the motorway and started going through the countryside, including a town named Aberdare!

Another 30 minutes later and we were stopping off at our first winery, Sobels. This is a small winery which only sells getting the seller door and after a short tour of the facilities we settled in for the tasting. In all we tried 7 different wines here, from a sparkling white, dry white, reds and a rose.

Having finished there, we moved on to our second stop at 4 Pines brewery. Here we had lunch and then a tasting of 4 wines paired with cheese.

Our third stop was at a place that sold flavoured spirits. We were able to choose 8 (very small) samples of a range of gin, vodka and liqueur, most of which had a shimmering substance added.

Our final stop of the day was to another winery, Polkobins. At this tasting we tried 6 (small) samples of white, red and rose wines with 5 of them paired with chocolates.

This was our last stop so after this it was back on the bus for the return journey to Sydney.

We caught a bus back to the apartment for a shower and then turned back to the CBD for a couple of Friday night drinks although we didn't stay out late.Leia mais
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Ku-ring-gai Chase national pk - 3rd Jan
3 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
After a run across the Sydney harbour bridge this morning we had some breakfast and then walked short distance to the meeting point for our tour today.

Our tour is a visit of Ku-ring-gai Chase national park, about an hour north of Sydney.

We met with our guide, Sabina, and two other passengers and we drove the short distance to the national park. About 45 minutes into the journey we entered the national park. We parked up and then had a walk through the national park. The noise of the cicada beetles when we got out of the car was amazing. Whilst the walk wasn't very long, there were plenty of steps up and down.

We walked through areas where we saw aboriginal carvings and paintings. We saw great views over the bay towards Palm Beach where Home and Away was filmed. We stopped for a snack of orange and protein ball (odd I know). Eventually after about 2 hours we ended up at a beach area where we stopped for lunch that our guide had brought with her - vegetable sticks, cheese and crackers.

I had a swim before we ate and although the water was cold it was refreshing!

We spent around 3/4 hour at the beach then had to ascend hundreds of steps up and back to where the van was parked. From here we drive a short distance and parked up to take a shorter walk to America Bay. The cloud had disappeared by now and it was very warm. We arrived at the bay lookout with amazing views and spent a little bit of time admiring the vista.

Back to the van and on the way we came across a gooana lizard sunning himself on the path. From here we were driven back to Sydney arriving back at about 4pm. We dropped our things off and walked a short distance to a lovely English style pub for a couple of drinks.

We headed back to the apartment for a shower and change before catching a train to Erskineville to meet Beth and a couple of her friends for a night out. After trying out a few bars Beth showed us her current house and we ordered an Uber home after a long night.Leia mais
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Viajante Not sure being in to below the knees counts as swimming 😉
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Viajante Cheeky. I did get up to my neck
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Sydney, Watson's Bay to Coogee - 4th Jan
4 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We had a lazy start this morning with breakfast at our apartment. Just before midday we headed out and caught the train to Circular Quay and having just missed a ferry we had a quick drink and then caught the next ferry to Watson's Bay. The ferry gave yet another aspect of the bridge and Opera House.

From Watson's Bay we walked up to the end of the peninsula to the Hornby lighthouse. We passed a couple of beaches one of which was very very busy and the other one was less so but also, we realised, was a nudist beach!

We retraced our steps back to Watson's Bay and then spent the next 4 or 5 hours walking along close to the coast between there and, at first Bondi Beach. We cheated for about a 1 mile stretch and caught the bus partly because we were walking in land and partly because it started to thunder and rain. We saw a few animals on the way and coming into Bondi there were some very loud kookaburras!

At Bondi we had a drink whilst avoiding the showers and then carried on walking along the coast to Coogee. Whilst walking along the coast the wind was pretty strong and there were surfers in most of the bays that we passed.

After a total of about 12 miles walking and at around 6:00 p.m. we arrived at Coogee beach. We had a quick drink before finding somewhere to eat. At the Coogee Wine Room we had a sharing meal with paired wines which was delicious.

By now it was 8: 30 and rather than spend an hour catching the bus and train we got an Uber back to North Sydney.

We dropped our things off and had a shower to wash off the grime of the day before taking the short walk up to the Rag and Famish pub for a couple of drinks before bed.Leia mais
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Viajante Oh wow what a view
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Viajante Assume this is you Ceri with Ed forfeiting the experience to photo you😂
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Tasmania - Sydney to Swansea! - 5th Jan
5 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 18 °C
An early start today with me going for a final run (for this leg of our trip) back over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

We left our hotel at 7:30 to catch the train to the airport where we checked in for our Virgin Australia flight to Hobart, Tasmania. We landed in our third Australian state at midday and collected our bags and then the rental car that we have whilst we're here.

For the next three days we are on a bit of a mini road trip around part of Tasmania. The first section is up the east coast of the island and after leaving Hobart we picked up the Tasman highway. The first section through to Orford was through some beautiful countryside. At Triubunna, a sleepy town where we stopped for a snack.

The road darted back inland here before re-emerging at the coast not long after passing through Pontypool! From here the road snaked along the coast of the Great Oyster Bay, stopping at Spikey Bridge, so called because of the way that the coping stones are arranged at the top of the sides of the bridge.

Not long after this we arrived at Swansea, our stop for the evening. We checked in to the Waterloo hotel, overlooking the bay and as it was only 4pm we headed straight back out to drive about an hour around the bay to the Freycinet peninsula and its national park.

The road doesn't follow the bay but eventually comes back and meets the coast near Coles bay. We continued on to park in the car park to walk up to a lookout for Wineglass Bay. The path traced its way through bush with occasional glimpses over the opposite direction to Coles and Honeymoon Bays. Towards the top the path became mainly steps, eventually culminating after about half an hour, with magnificent views over the beautiful Wineglass Bay. We spent some time admiring the view before heading back down the hill to our car.

From here we drove back around the coast to Coles Bay where we had a quick drink and some fish and chips. By now it was past 7:30 and we decided to drive 20 minutes or so back along the road to a place called Friendly Beaches where we tried to look for wildlife, including wombats and wallabies. We didn't have long as we wanted to be back at Coles Bay for sunset. Driving back to the town we spotted quite a few wallabies on the roadside, most too quick to capture in a photo.

The sunset at Coles Bay, overlooking the peaks of the Hazards was not as spectacular as promised, mainly because of some cloud in the area, but was still a beautiful site nonetheless.

Finally, just before 9 we began the journey back to Swansea, with another quick stop at the Friendly Beaches where we did manage to spot a little wallaby.

We arrived back at Swansea at around 10am and had a quick beer while we planned our route for the following day.Leia mais
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Swansea to St Helens - 6th January
6 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We had an early start and left the hotel by 8:30. We drove for about 30 minutes to the next town, Bicheno where we stopped for breakfast.

Once we had eaten we drove the short distance to the coast where we spent some time looking at a blowhole where the waves create a spout of water. There was also a short walk along the coastline where we saw some lovely views.

Next stop, about 10 minutes away up the coast was East Coast Natureworld. Here we spent almost 3 hours observing the animals. There were enclosures with kookaburras, some other birds, Tasmanian devils, wombats (although they were bit elusive), possums, echidnas, blue tongue lizards, wallabies and quolls. There were also some forester kangaroos which were not in enclosures and had the free range of the park.

While we were there we saw the Tasmanian devils being fed kangaroo, which was quite a sight. The keeper gave an interesting overview of the animal and promised us that the kangaroo that he was feeding them were not ones that were in the park and instead had been humanely culled because there are too many kangaroos in Tasmania.

We were also able to go into the wallaby enclosure and they were tame enough to be able to feed them. We spent quite a lot of time with the wallabies and saw at least two adult females who had Joeys in their pouches, one much more grown-up than the other. We were able to feed them and some others from the food that we bought from the park.

Finally we also managed to feed the kangaroos which were also very tame and pretty lazy too!

By now it was time for some food and so we drove on up the coast and then inland to a small town called St Mary's. We had a snack at the Purple Possum cafe. From there we drove up to South sister, a 832m peak. What the guidebook told us that the road up to the car park was unsealed, it didn't tell us that you really needed a four-wheel drive. Fortunately the hire car that we've been given does have four-wheel drive but towards the top there was a very tricky bit and I chickened out taking it all away. As a result we had to walk the last few hundred yards to the car park and then up a steep rocky footpath before getting to the top via some steps that have been built. At the top there was some sort of observation station with spectacular views over the coast and inland towards the mountains.

We retraced our steps down the hill and got the car back on the main road without incident. It was now around 4:00 p.m. and we drove further north to St Helens where we are staying at the Anchor Wheel Motel. The rooms are well equipped and a bargain considering the location and the time of year, peak summer season.

Having checked in and been given some information by the friendly owner, Attila, we headed back out to find Binalong Bay, the first bay at the start of the the Bay of Fires - so-called because when the explorers were visiting Tasmania there were rows of aboriginal fires that could be observed from the sea.

We next drove further north along the bay, stopping at a few of the beaches, including one where I had a short swim - because the water was pretty cold.

Having got to the end of the Bay of Fires we returned to our hotel to freshen up before walking into the town where we had a lovely meal at The Wharf restaurant overlooking the bay.

By now it was almost 9:00 p.m. and so we walked back to our hotel where we planned our next day, with a very early start!Leia mais
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Sounds a really lovely day with special views and unique experiences, what a lucky pair you are. Keep safe my love 🙋💙 [Mum]
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Viajante Cute ❤️
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
St Helens to Launceston - 7th January 25
7 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We had a very early start today so that we could get to the Forester Kangaroo Drive in time for dawn. We left at 4:30 and after a quick petrol stop we drove about 50 miles north, mostly on unsurfaced roads. On the way we saw lots of wallabies, a wombat and kangaroo, but it was too dark to photograph them.

We pressed on as the light got better and eventually arrived at a 15km loop of forest and scrub land which we spent the next hour or so driving around. We saw more wallabies and some Forester Kangaroos.

From here we drove back along the road to Eddystone lighthouse. Back on the road we continued along unmade roads but this time heading west and towards the north coast. We stopped at a small town called Bridport for some breakfast. On returning to the car I noticed that one of the rear tyres was soft and after finding a garage to pump it up we pressed on west towards Platypus House at a place called Beauty Point. We had booked a tour at midday and we were shown around seeing a number of platypuses and also some echidnas. (They are relatives as the only two egg laying mammals).

Back to the car and the tyre was again low. We pumped it up again and decided to head to Launceston, our stop for the evening and about 30 miles south along the Tamar Valley.

On arrival we found a tyre garage where they investigated and then replaced the tyre while we found a pub for a drink.

Our hotel was not far away. Once we picked up the car it was mid-afternoon and so we checked into the Mantra Charles Hotel. Having dropped down the bags off we took a walk into town, passing through a park with a fountain and then having a couple of drinks in the town centre. Nothing to write home about in the town centre, although there is a pretty Victorian style park which has some Japanese macaques, a swap many years ago with Launceston's twin city who donated some wallabies in return. Sadly the enclosure had closed so we couldn't actually see them.

The whole of the centre was pretty quiet really, perhaps because of the end of the Christmas and New Year period and before Australia Day later this month.

We walked back to the hotel for a shower and change and then back into the town for some food when I had my first ever oysters! (not that dissimilar to mussels). It had been a long day so we walked back to the hotel via another pub for a quick drink and an early night.Leia mais
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Launceston to Hobart - 8th January 26
8 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We had a lazy start and after breakfast at the hotel we checked out and drove a short distance to Launceston cataract gorge. This is a large natural pool at the end of a gorge which has been turned into a public recreation area with a swimming pool (as well as the lake), chairlift, walks, bbq's and plenty of grassy areas to relax in. The car park was pretty busy when we arrived but we found a space and spent some time wandering in a circular loop walk.

For us it was time to move on and we drove about 30 minutes south west to a pretty town called Westbury for a quick stop to see some of the older buildings.

We carried on south with our eventual destination being Hobart. Next stop was Longford, a town about 30 minutes from Westbury. Another short wander and we then drove about 5 minutes to the Brickendon Estate. This is an old settler estate owned by the 7th generation of the Archer family. There are lots of old buildings from the early 18th century and some amazing views across the valley to the Woolmers estate - originally owned by another branch of the Archer family but now in public ownership.

At the Brickendon Estate we learned about the family history by watching a film but also the role of convicts in the establishment and running of the farm when it was first established. We then spent some time wandering around the buildings, including outside of the impressive family home.

Our next stop, another 40 minutes south was Ross, a small town with lots of well preserved buildings but still very much in use today. We had a snack at one of the bakeries before another short stroll though the town.

Our final leg of the journey saw us initially rejoin the Midland highway towards Hobart. The journey took about 90 minutes before we arrived at Jak and Corinne's house just after 5pm where we're staying for the next three nights. We met Jak and Corinne back in 2012 on a trip to Brazil and Bolivia.

After welcoming us in to their home and having a tour of the house we had some drinks in the sunny garden after which we had my first Aussie BBQ. We decided to eat inside mainly because although it was still sunny the wind off the sea had picked up.

We spent a lovely evening reminiscing about our time together in South America and also each others various travels since then. We eventually turned in to bed just after 11pm.Leia mais
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Such a lovely photo of you x [Charlotte]
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ViajanteAww thanks
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Viajante I'll echo Charlotte 🙋💙
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Hobart - Port Arthur - 9th January 26
9 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
After breakfast with Jak and Corinne we headed off to visit Port Arthur, the site of an old penal colony. This first meant a drive of about an hour further south.

On arrival we first had a boat trip booked to cruise around the coast to Cape Raoul. We boarded the boat which then headed out from the jetty and then along the coast. It was pretty windy (and chilly) standing at the front of the boat but it did give a great view.

We could see Tasman island to our left as we headed out (site of the highest lighthouse in Australia.). We first pulled in to Safety Cove before going back out to see some of the incredible rock formations and the cliffs that towered over the water. The swell was calm enough for the captain to get close in to see some caves.

After this he spotted some birds gathering out on the water and said that it is a sign of dolphin feeding activity. The boat headed there and we were treated to dozens of dolphins and albatrosses feeding in the water. There were also a few elusive seals there.

We eventually had to leave after spending about 15 minutes watching the animals and we moved further along the coast to Cape Raoul. Here we see another amazing set of rock formations. As the boat turned we were reminded that directly south is Antarctica, some 2,500km away and directly west is New Zealand, around 1,500km away.

The boat then returned to Port Arthur and we spent the next couple of hours exploring the historic site and buildings and learning more about life due the convicts and overseers!

After a quick snack we got back in the car and drove about 20 minutes with the intention of doing a short walk that Corinne had suggested. However, the weather was against us and as it was raining we drove to a few of the lookouts and saw a blow hole and some fantastic views.

From here we drove back to Hobart and regrouped. Jak and Corinne had a birthday party to go to and so we caught a bus to the centre of the city and spent a few hours exploring the bars and getting some food. At the end of the evening we had an Uber back and found Jak and Corinne home so we shared a nightcap before heading to bed.Leia mais
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ViajanteAmazing getting to see dolphins that close 🐬 ❤️
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ViajanteDefinitely 🐬
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ViajanteMore amazing photos! Loving following your journey! X
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Viajante,❤️
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Hobart - 10th January 2026
10 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 17 °C
Today we spent exploring Hobart itself although before breakfast I managed to get to one of the local park runs at Queen's Domain.

After I returned we had some breakfast with Corinne and Jak and then headed out into the city. We parked on the outskirts and walked in to the harbour area and on to Salamanca market - a very large street market held every Saturday at Salamanca place. There were all sorts of stalls there selling everything from wood carving, metal work, jewellery, clothes, food and drink. The market was very busy, probably partly because there were two cruise ships in the harbour. We spent an hour or so wandering through the market.

Next stop was MONA (museum of old and new art). To get there we had to catch the Mona Roma ferry up the Derwent. We just missed a departure so we bought our tickets and then had about an hour to kill so grabbed a quick drink.

Once we boarded the boat it sped us up the river. We'd initially started at the back of the boat but because of the strong winds and the speed of the boat there was lots of spray coming and getting us wet so we moved inside.

Once we arrived, about 25 minutes later, we went into the museum which is spread over four floors and built into the cliffside. It's a pretty bizarre place with some really unusual exhibits including a mechanical representation of the human digestion system which once a day produces a small poo! There was also an adults section with some pretty extreme images.

We spent a couple of hours wandering around the museum and getting lost through the various walkways and exhibits. Once we'd completed inside we headed out and saw some of these exhibits outside and had a drink while we waited for the return ferry at 4:00 p.m.

The weather in Hobart wasn't amazing with some showers and a chilly breeze and when we got back to Hobart itself we returned to our car and drove the short distance to the Cascade brewery, Australia's oldest. We had plans do a short walk along the Hobart rivulet but the showers were against us and so we spent a short time trying to spot platypuses without success before having a quick drink at the brewery and then returning back to Corinne and Jak's.

We spent a lovely evening chatting over a delicious meal and drinks with much of the fresh ingredients for the meal being produced from their garden. We were retired to bed at gone midnight grateful for good company and generous hosts.Leia mais
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Viajante The captions that could go with this image 😜
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ViajanteTeehee 🤭
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Hobart to Sydney /Vincentia - 11th Jan
11 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
We were awake early to finish our packing before breakfast with Corinne and Jak and then the four of us had a short walk along the beach just 5 minutes from their home.

Once back at the house it was time to say our goodbyes having had a lovely few days. We drove the 15 minutes to the airport where we returned the car and checked in.

Our flight was on time and we landed in Sydney just before 1:30pm. Beth met us whilst we were waiting for our bags and we (eventually) found the shuttle bus to the car rental place. Once we'd collected our car we started our journey south through the suburbs of Sydney.

About half an hour out of the city we came to the Royal National Park. We stopped at the information point and they suggested we make a stop at Wattamolla (lots of water). It was raining when we arrived but we still got i out and saw a (very) small waterfall and some people jumping into the river from a high rock ledge. We then did a short walk out to the headland to see the views. The water was pretty choppy and the contrasting colours of the water was beautiful - dark blue and a bright turquoise.

We returned to the car and continued south, first through the national park and then on to the main highway via the impressive Sea Cliff Bridge. After about 40 minutes we stopped at a town called Kiama which has a blow hole. It's widely regarded as the biggest in the world. We spent a short time looking at the blow hole doing its thing before carrying on for the final leg of the journey to Vincentia, our place for the evening.

We checked in to the Dolphin Shores and after a very lengthy (but generally informative) introduction from the owner we made it to our room. As it was already almost 8pm we walked about 5 minutes to a Thai restaurant that the owner had recommended and had a tasty meal.

We returned to the room and spent some time planning our itinerary for Monday over a beer before we turned in.Leia mais
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Viajante Mad!
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Australia - Dec '25 to Jan '26 Viajante
Vincentia to Pebbly Beach - 12th Jan 26
12 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
After a coffee in our room we left just before 8am to walk to the beach and see if we could see dolphins - spoiler alert, there were not any, although we did see a pelican!

Before we returned to the room we had a bacon and egg roll and some drinks at a local cafe. After that it was back to the room for a shower and to check out.

We had another go at looking for dolphins again without success. Our first official stop was in Jervis Bay and at Murrays Beach. The sand here in the bay is supposed to be the whitest in the world according to the Guinness book of records. We spent a little bit of time on the beach walking along before returning to the car.

We drove a short distance within the Booderee National Park until we got to the botanical gardens where we spent about 3/4 of an hour walking along some of the trails.

From here we drove about 40 minutes to Boat Harbour Beach in Bendalong bay. Here the stingrays come right into the shallows and swim around your legs. This is apparently because they used to get scraps from the fishermen and now they associate humans with food. We spent about 40 minutes here just paddling and spotting these magnificent rays. Some of them were huge!

We drove on further south to a little town called Milton where we had some lunch and picked up some meat at a butchers for the BBQ later. Our final stop before we arrived at our accommodation was in Ulladulla where we picked up the rest of the food we needed for the next couple of days.

It was a short 30 minute drive then to our lodge at Pebbly Beach. The lodge is set back from the beach and from our veranda there is a view through the trees to the beach beyond. Within about 5 minutes of arriving a couple of kangaroos hopped along the track in front of our lodge.

We unloaded the car and put the stuff away and then wandered around the site where there were some more kangaroos eating the grass and then on to the beach where there were perhaps 16 kangaroos just eating grass at the top of the beach. We also spotted a goanna who walked along at the edge of the lodges!

After spending some time watching these fascinating creatures we returned to our cabin and sat in the sun having some drinks. Whilst we were sitting there Beth heard a rustling about 20 ft away from our cabin and we spotted a wild echidna foraging for food.

Later on at around 8:30 we returned to the beach where there were far fewer people and watched as the kangaroos did their thing as the sunset.

Back to our cabin and now it was time for our barbecue which we ate sitting outside. Whilst we were sat eating, a brush-tailed possum jumped onto the bench, presumably to scavenge for some food. Sadly it was a little bit dark and he was a little bit quick so we couldn't get a picture.

After food we moved inside and after a couple of games retired to bed after a busy day.Leia mais
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ViajanteLooks a lovely day. Can’t wait to see it all for myself x x x
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ViajanteIt's definitely worth visiting!
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ViajanteWow look at all the kangaroos. And those rays are beautiful 😍
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Pebbly Beach/Bateman's bay - 13th Jan 26
13 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
We set our alarm for 7:00 a.m. so that we could get up and visit our neighbours on the beach before breakfast. We wandered down to the beach and the family of kangaroos was on the grass at the top of the beach as usual feeding. We spent some time taking some photographs and then I went for a quick morning dip in the sea.

We returned to our lodge and after breakfast we headed out for a walk to the next bay down the coast Depot Beach. We walked along the shoreline and under the cliffs looking at the amazing views where the trees and forest come right down to the beach. We did a short forest walk on some boardwalks and then retraced our steps back to Pebbly Beach. Once here Beth and I had a swim and tried our hand at some body surfing, pretty unsuccessfully although the waves were a decent size. More kangaroo encounters on our way back to the cabin obviously!

Back at the cabin we prepared ourselves for a journey to Bateman's Bay, about 20 minutes south. Once there we walked along the seafront, looking at the sculptures and pelicans before stopping at a restaurant for some food with Beth and Ed opting for fish and chips whilst I had an Asian salad with shrimps and pork belly. Delicious.

We spent the next couple of hours driving along the coast and stopping at various beaches and lookouts including one where we could see seals in the water and lounging on the rocks far below.

After a quick stop again in Bateman's Bay for an ice cream and supplies we came back to the cabin and went to see our friends on the beach again with me taking my third dip of the day.

It was late afternoon by now and we had a couple of drinks and nibbles at the lodge. Whilst we were just sitting outside a couple of very friendly wallabies turned up and were foraging for food seemingly completely unfazed by our presence. One of the wallabies remained and was then joined by two kangaroos. The kangaroos in particular, whilst wild, were so inquisitive and came right up to our table.

Eventually they sauntered off we walked back down to the beach at dusk where we found the kangaroos lounging around and generally being cute.

Back to the lodge for another evening barbecue and then a relatively early night just before 11:00 following a very productive day!Leia mais
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ViajanteWonderful x x x
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Viajante That fab
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Pebbly Beach to Sydney - 14th Jan 26
14 de janeiro, Austrália ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Waterfall day!

We had another early start with an alarm at 7:00 a.m. to go to the beach to see our hopping friends. On the way to the beach the two kangaroos that we had seen last night again came up to see us. I suspect they thought we might have some food.

We carried on to the beach and there were far fewer kangaroos this time. Beth and I had an early morning swim.

Back to the cabin and we cooked some breakfast and then checked out at 10:00 a.m. for the journey back to Sydney. We had planned a few stops on the way and the first one, two hours into the journey, was at the lookout at Cambewarra mountain. From here we had amazing views over the valley and to the ocean.

Shortly after this we dropped down into Kangaroo Valley (lots of hairpin bends) and stopped at the town of the same name. We had a quick look around and then on the way out of the town stopped at the Hampden Bridge, an old wooden and stone structure with casellated towers.

We drove further north and stopped at our first waterfall Fitzroy falls. We took the short walk from the visitor centre to see these magnificent falls, with a drop of around 90m.

Back in the car to our next waterfall - Carrington Falls in Budderoo national park. These were also spectacular with two waterfalls with the second falling in to a deep gully. We walked the short loop to see views from a distance and the top of the falls before again returning to the car for our next destination.

Another 30 or so minute drive took us to the Minnamurra (plenty of fish) rainforest centre. Here we spent just over an hour walking on a loop, mainly on boardwalks and well made paths up to some more waterfalls. The whole journey was a couple of miles and it felt pretty humid in the forest, especially on the uphill sections. However, the views of the waterfall were worth it!

Back at the visitors centre we then drove on for about an hour to the coast to get some more views of the impressive Sea Cliff Bridge and once we'd taken some pictures for a further hour back to Sydney where we dropped the car off at around 6pm.

We all caught a train into the centre and we said our goodbyes to Beth whilst we continued on to Circular Quay and to our hotel, the Harbour Rocks. For our last hotel we'd booked a little luxury and our rooftop room has amazing views of the Sydney Opera House and, just about, views of the side of the bridge!

After a shower we headed back out for a drink at the oldest pub in Sydney (again) and then on a train to Hyde Park to see the Anzac memorial at night and to try spotting some possums. The first was successful, the latter, not so much.

We were back in Circular Quay at around 9:30 p.m. but most restaurants in Australia seem to close relatively early. However we managed to find an all night restaurant at Circular Quay where we both opted for more snitzel, before walking back to the hotel for a nightcap in the room and bed.Leia mais
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