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The Travel Bug
The Travel Bug

The Travel Bug

I am a latecomer to travel & blogging and have a wide ranging interest which will hopefully be displayed in this journal. Always looking for the quirky as you will see! もっと詳しく🇬🇧King's Lynn
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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    The posing Pika!
    Peter and I at Glacier PointThe gateway to Yosemite at tunnel viewEl Capitan meadowSentinel bridge the Merced river and half domeGiant sequoias at Mariposa Grove

    Yosemite

    2019年9月5日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    The 5.45am rising was less than welcome as you can imagine. It was dark for God’s sake, but like a lot of things you have to make a special effort for, boy was it worth it. Amanda was our guide; a great all American girl, born, raised and now working in Yosemite. As she said, not a bad place for your back yard!
    The word Yosemite means Grizzly Bear in Native American and was appropriated by the first white men (of the Mariposa Battalion) to discover the valley in 1851 when hunting for Chief Tenaya and his warriors who had been attacking settlers and had retreated into the valley. Shortly afterwards two pioneers arrived, Galen Clark and John Muir who were to be instrumental in the saving of the area for the nation. In 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the first bill of protection and the land became the property of California State for the use of the population and to conserve its natural beauty. Galen Clark was appointed its first guardian and he, together with John Muir and a small band of believers battled to keep developers from the valley and its surrounds, in particular the giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove. Things were desperate by the early 1900s and in 1903 John Muir invited Theodore Roosevelt to visit the area and the two camped together on what is now known as Roosevelt Meadow, as Muir tried to convince the President that this valley, the Mariposa Grove and the surrounding wilderness must be saved for the nation. Roosevelt returned to Washington and shortly afterwards Yosemite became federal land and together with Yellowstone became the first National Parks. There are now some 400, both big and small and it has to be one of the best decisions ever to be taken by a democratic government.
    We were at our first post of call, Glacier Point by 8am and we were far from alone! From this famous vantage point one can see over a quarter of the Park and you don’t know which way to look, the view is so spectacular. Looking down, the valley floor is a mile beneath you. There were Pika’s feeding on the berries in the low bushes all around. They are cute, rather fat squirrel look a likes, that only live at very high altitude. I was thrilled to see two in the flesh and one little devil even posed for us on top of a rock. I think he had done this before!
    We moved on to the famous entrance to Yosemite Valley, which incorporates, Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan to name but three. The weather was perfect for photography and we gazed in wonder at the sight before us.
    Dragging us away was Amanda’s job and the next stop was the trailhead for Bridal Veil Falls. It is about a half mile hike to the base of the falls and quite something to stand under this huge plume of water permanently cascading over the cliffs to hit the rocks some 600ft below. Where the sun hits the water, you can often see multiple rainbows as Peter and I had the previous day on our way in. On our return to the parking lot, I stopped to read an information board and Peter stood to one side wool gathering. Up stride three guys and head straight for him : ‘cuse me buddy, but which fork is the way to the falls.’ PL looked rather like a rabbit caught in headlights; directions hardly being his thing. “Oh er, left I think......yes definitely left!” ‘Gee thanks Bud” and off they go. He looks at me agonised and says “that is right isn’t it, why on earth did they come to me?! Goodness knows. It’s this noticeability, even when standing still!
    There are many waterfalls in the valley, Yosemite Falls having the longest drop of 2,400ft to the valley floor.
    Sentinel Bridge is another beautiful viewpoint, with the crystal clear River Merced running beneath and Half Dome as a backdrop and reflected in the mirrored surface of the river. A tiny wooden chapel stands by a meadow with the 3000ft sheer granite cliffs of El Capitan glowering down over it. The massive granite cliff face of El Capitan is so high, that two and a half Empire State Buildings could be stacked against the cliff face. It is just over 3000ft high and its surface is unbelievably smooth and polished, again due to glaciation. This is a Mecca for rock climbers both in the US and all over the world. They will tell you here that Yosemite began the sport of rock climbing. (Scotland may beg to differ!). Hundreds of climbers attempt this huge wall every year, some taking several days to achieve their dream and camping on temporary bivouac ledges they fasten to the rock face. The thought made my blood run cold; attempting to climb it is bad enough, but imagine rolling over in the night up there!! Free style solo climbing has become the latest challenge. Alex Honnold has climbed El Capitan twice with no aids, ropes or safety equipment. His first successful attempt took him 4 hours and the second 1hour 58mins! The rumour is that he is due back here this month to try and break his own record. Mad or what! We stood at the base of the cliff looking up and the climbers were tiny coloured specks, if you could even see them at all.
    Our day finished at Mariposa Grove, the home of the giant Sequoias, the largest living thing on the planet. These trees are very picky in their habitat, refusing to grow below 5000 ft above sea level and needing a watershed beneath them also. A mature specimen can grow up to 300ft tall, have a trunk 25ft thick and drink 1000 gallons of water a day. They can live for up to 2000 years and one particularly large and ancient tree in the Grove was a sapling when Julius Caesar was emperor in Ancient Rome. They are majestic and walking through the Grove is like being in Nature’s Cathedral.

    As you can gather it has been a fabulous day and we count ourselves so lucky to have made it here. These places of natural beauty and wilderness are essential for the soul. I will conclude by quoting John Muir on Yosemite “ It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter”. Amen to that.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    Granites scoured smooth by glaciers
    Roosevelt's fieldA glimpse of half dome from afarThe beginning of Yosemite as a National Park

    The Tioga Pass

    2019年9月4日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today was moving day and we set out to drive from Mammoth Lakes to our new home for 3 days, Tenaya Lodge, just south of The Yosemite National Park at the rather peculiarly named Fish Camp. The day was fine and we treated ourselves to a great cup of coffee and a scone in a charming little coffee house called ‘Latte Da’ ( just love a play on words). It was wooden and shack like, with a glorious almost English garden and humming birds flitting around its feeders. It was a good place to start our four hour drive. The Tioga Pass is an east to west road running across the top edge of Yosemite and is so fabulous a drive, that any thoughts you may have had about spectacular road trips pale into insignificance at its feet. Here, unlike Death Valley is a glaciated landscape in the true sense of the word. Silvery grey granite has been scoured smooth by the ice action of the many glaciers in the area during the various ice ages. Huge erratic boulders are left abandoned over the surface as the ice melted and lost its power to carry them along in its wake. Subsequently. trees have grown almost in impossibly small cracks between the rocks. Drops are sheer and the peaks towers above you, glorious in their majesty. There are blue, blue lakes, high upland meadows, streams and forests line the twisting and undulating road. It is the drive of your life, says she from the passenger seat, but my chauffeur coped admirably. At every point there are climbers getting ready to test themselves on the vertical cliff faces. There are multiple pull off points to admire and gaze at in incredulity. Tenaya Lodge is super with lots to offer for all. It is to be an early start in the morning as we leave at 7.15 for a full day in the Park. From the glimpses we have seen today - can’t wait!もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    Mono Lake and its tufa formations
    The owners have just popped out for a whileThe ghost town of BodieApproaching Mono LakeSilver Lake on the Lake June scenic loopA typical home in Bodie

    The Ghostly footprints

    2019年9月3日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we set out to drive north to investigate the town of Bodie. We followed the 395 for some 50 miles and then turned off into the Bodie Hills for some 12 miles or so. Again the scenery is just stunning and just when you wonder where on earth you may end up Bodie comes into view. The site is now a State Park and only 5 percent remains of a Goldrush town that once had the reputation of the most lawless and wild settlement in California. WS Bodey found gold here in 1859, but died before seeing his discovery become a boomtown from 1877-1881, with a population of 8000 plus and over 100 million dollars worth of gold mined from 30 different mines in the locality.
    There were more than 60 saloons and it even had its own Chinatown with opium dens. The decline set In quickly and the population dropped and continued to dwindle into the 1900s. Mining actually continued until 1942. Two fires destroyed a lot of the town and what you see today is preserved in a state of ‘arrested decay’. The end came quickly and as you wander round the ghostly remains, there are houses and a hotel, a school house, a general store and a Chinese laundry, the carpentry shop and fire station and a chapel. Everything is just as if the inhabitants walked out one day leaving their possessions and machinery where they fell. It has a real atmosphere and you can almost feel the ghosts of the people who lived, worked and played there over some 70 years. Life was undoubtedly hard. Snow could be twenty feet deep in winter, winds up to 100miles per hour and temperatures down to 30 or 40 below zero. However, the little museum displays cultural objects, children’s toys, New Year Dance cards and perhaps the most interesting item a tear phial. This was for use during the first year of mourning a loved one. You captured tears of loss and despair over the year and on the first anniversary of the death, they were poured on to your loved ones grave. One could imagine perhaps reaching the week before and suddenly realising that your phial was not half full - a quick visit to a nearly stream perhaps had to suffice! On the hillside above the town stands the remnants of the large Standard Mill and Mine and dotted throughout the hills are the metal derricks from much smaller establishments. The sun shone on us as we picked our way through the streets and imagined so easily what a vibrant and wild western frontier town must have been like.
    On our way back to Mammoth we passed and investigated Mono Lake. The views from the road descending down towards the Lake are so beautiful and the Lake itself something of a living lesson in geology. In the 1950s Los Angeles spread it net wider and wider in its search for water to the detriment of the Eastern Sierras. It’s aqueduct robbed the area of a great deal of its surface water and as a result the level of the lake dropped by half and the remaining water became ever more saline and mineral rich. Great pinnacles and minarets of tufa revealed themselves from the depths of the lake, formed from the interaction of the sodium chloride and carbonate in its waters. The shoreline is like some alien landscape. I was reminded of the many Italian gardens we have visited over the years, all of whom have their mysterious grottos built from this porous craggy limestone and here you can actually see it in formation. A settlement has been reached to restore the water level to its former glory over the next ten years. Leaving the eerie Mono Lake, our way back to our hotel, took us via the June Lake scenic loop and boy is it ever scenic. This is an area of mountains and lakes and a playground, for hunting, shooting, fishing and hiking. There were old boys in rockers on the veranda of their log cabins, putting the world to rights. Others fishing and it all seemed a million miles away from the corporate America we see and hear so much of.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    The Mammoth at the Gondola station
    The summit of Mammoth MountainA walk in the woodsPeter and his new cricket friend!The Devil's Postpile

    Mammoth Lakes and around

    2019年9月2日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We met a pug in a pushchair this morning on our way to breakfast, together with his blanket and a sulky expression. It’s owner smiled apologetically and said “ sorry he’s a bit grumpy, he’s tired and wants to go home’. Words fail me. On enquiry, It now appears that a lot of California hotels have a pet friendly policy and if like me you are allergic to dog and cat dander, you need to request a “pet free room”.
    Point to note for the future!! Peter has his hackles up, there’s nothing he likes more than a good wrangle. I sense future check ins could be interesting.
    All that aside, the rest of the day went swimmingly. Mammoth Lakes is a small town heavily into winter sports and hiking and cycling during the summer. We took a ride up the Gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain. The 360 degree view of the mountain peaks was stunning and we watched the bikers launch themselves down seemingly vertical drops. I was seriously impressed. Bikes are loaded on to a specially adapted trailer behind a shuttle bus in town to the base of the mountain and then they are transported up the mountain by gondola. There are of course less challenging trails all over the area. Mammoth mountain is situated on the edge of an enormous volcanic caldera and the area is very lively in volcanic terms. The National Geographic Survey has instruments all over the mountain and results are instantly fed to their headquarters for analysis. How do I know all this? There was a lot of information and a gentleman explaining it all at the summit. It was fascinating-well to me anyway-Peter glazed after a few minutes! We returned to ground level, well 8000ft above sea level that is and took the shuttle bus down the valley to hike (American for walk!) to the National Monument The Devil’s Postpile. It was a beautiful afternoon and the trail through the alpine woods was perfection. Chipmunks and squirrels flitted across the path and birds twittered all around, including a bright blue Stella’s Jay. A group of three young Indians came striding past us (they were young!) and one turned to Peter and said ‘You from South Africa?’ I should explain Peter was wearing a cricket sun hat he had bought In Capetown. There followed an animated cricket discussion for the next few minutes at the end of which Peter’s new friend requested a photo to put on his cricket friends Facebook page - a star is born!
    We found the Devil’s Postpile some five minutes later. It is a carbon copy of the structure of the Giants Causeway, in that we are looking at
    hexagonal shaped tubes of black basalt. I should add it is an extremely rare occurrence worldwide and a most unusual find on a walk in the woods! We walked back to the rangers station to catch the shuttle bus back to the Gondola station where we had parked our car and as a finishing point to a great day espied a young coyote in undergrowth on the side of the road. Dinner tonight was in a microbrewery with a tasting programme. Someone’s cup runneth over.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    Badlands 282' below sea level
    The Oasis Ranch ResortThe artists paletteZabrinske pointMt Whitney from The Alabama HillsDante's view of Death Valley

    Death Valley

    2019年8月31日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 39 °C

    It is difficult to put into words the magnificence of Death Valley, but I will try to give a flavour of one of the most extreme places on earth.
    It is scaldingly hot ( 114 degrees by 5pm today), dry and hostile, but utterly mesmerising at the same time. There is often a desert wind blowing and it is rather like being caught in a hairdryer at full power! I think most people’s thought is of a flat dry sandy desert valley, but this could not be further from the truth. We drove the Badwater road today, which is a small part of the valley descending gently all the while to the lowest point in the USA at 282ft below sea level. High mountains edge the valley and the floor glistens in the morning sun. It is certainly not sand, but varying types of salt flat from octagonal plate like structures to rocky hummocks and pinnacles, known as the The Devils Golf Course. The mountain sides soar above you and are all colours and textures, from pink, gold, yellow and brown to white, silver grey and green. At the lowest point is a pool of rather disgusting brackish water, hence the name Badwater- very literal the Americans. The air seems heavy and oppressive and the heat attacks you on all sides. Five minutes walk out on to the salt flat was all we deemed sensible. The Artists Pallet is a seven mile loop off the main road and the rock formations and colours have to be seen to be believed. We had to drive it twice to take it all in. Zebrinske Point is an overlook onto the euphemistically named Badlands which takes the breath away. So does the climb up to view it! At this point we had to retreat back to the Oasis Retreat for some much needed R&R, venturing out later to make the spectacular drive to Dante’s View. We climbed to 10,000 ft above sea level and Dante is awe inspiring, although no hell hole! You are directly above the Badlands point we walked on in the morning. The views of Death Valley are stupendous in all directions. Interestingly the temperature dropped 21 degrees in our ascent from 112 to 91 and on our return to The Oasis Ranch had risen to 114. It is scarcely under 100 this evening, which is normal. Because of the topography the heat is trapped and builds up in the valley with no escape, hence the fact that this is the most consistently hottest spot on earth. The whole area was formed millions of years ago by tectonic plate movement and only recently has water and wind erosion started to pay a part. I will include some photos, but in reality they do not do anything justice.
    Tomorrow we will visit some other sites on our way out of the park, heading for the Sierra Nevada and Rte 395, supposedly one of the most beautiful drives in the US. It will have to go some, as today has been phenomenal.

    We have reached Mammoth Lakes after 4 hours on the road, plus a couple of stops. One was at the Mesquite flats sand dune overlook. This is probably what the uninitiated would associate with Death Valley, yet it only occupies one small section, but its constantly shifting dunes are classic in appearance. The climb out of the valley was majestic with panoramic vistas on all sides and we were relieved to be in an air conditioned car rather than on foot or mule, like the early gold rush pioneers. The first intrepid travellers had no idea what they were venturing into and didn’t all escape with their lives, hence the Death Valley monicker. We stopped from time to time to gaze and take it all in, but coming from a tiny chocolate box country, it is mind blowing. The heat and the colours of the rock continued to mesmerise. We dropped down into the Owens Valley and then climbed out the other side by way of Rainbow Canyon onto the Darwin plateau. Just when we thought the best was behind us we turned a corner to find the Sierra Nevada mountain range on the horizon and these are serious mountains still snow capped. We reached the intersection with Rte 395 and called into the visitor centre. As we climbed out of the car, my nostrils were assailed with the smell of fresh mountain greenery and I knew our desert sojourn was behind us. Suddenly we were surrounded by green for the first time since our arrival. The settlement of Lone Pine is a mile down the road and is basically a small Main Street town. It has two claims to fame. Firstly, it is the jumping off point to Mt Whitney, the highest mountain in mainland USA. We didn’t have a vast amount of time, but did venture down Mt Whitney Portal Road ( told you-very literal here) to take a look at the mountain as close as we were likely to get and secondly to visit The Alabama Hills which sit at the bottom of its flanks. Many western and other movies have been filmed here over the years and the landscape is utterly fantastic, rather like nature’s version of a multitude of Henry Moore sculptures.
    Route 395 runs all the way along the base of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and as a drive does not disappoint. There are small towns along the way, but largely the land is vast, beautiful and unoccupied. I think that is the thing that hits us Brits with parts of the US, the sheer majesty, scale and space. It is like nothing we ever experience at home. The road gradually climbed to 6500 ft and Mammoth Lakes came into view. We are now in an alpine landscape and this is a large ski resort in the winter and outdoor sports and mountain biking centre in the summer. It is not unusual to find hotel guests bringing their bikes up to their rooms for the night, which bearing in mind their cost is probably not surprising. If it isn’t a bike in the lift it’s a dog or two. I’m beginning to wonder if they’re obligatory- I’ll let you know!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGood Vibrations旅行者
    The strip at night
    Venice Las Vegas styleThe Bellagio fountain showFurnace Creek Golf Course

    In the Beginning

    2019年8月29日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 44 °C

    Whilst this is essentially a California trip, we all have to start somewhere and our jumping off point has been Las Vegas.
    It has been almost 20 years since our last visit and there have been changes of course, but a great deal remains the same.
    The enormous glamorous hotels that line The Strip have multiplied and the older smaller original versions are no longer there.
    This is now a party party town above all else and people flock here to predominantly to soak up the alcohol and the atmosphere.
    There is gambling, but it is not I suspect to the fore as in the past. We stayed at one of the newer hotels The Cosmopolitan and had a fabulous view from our 32nd floor balcony looking straight down the strip. There are nightclubs and dayclubs, bars galore and to have a swim you need to book(!) a pool sunbed or cabana and the food and drink package that goes with it. As it was over 100 degrees this was a non starter for Anglo Saxon skins and so we gave it a miss. We observed all this with a degree of scepticism with no serious intention of joining in. Our plan was to chill out for a couple of days and get over the jet lag before moving on. I truth we were not equipped to get involved in the true sense of the word; in my case having failed to bring the sprayed on outfit, vertiginous stilettos and having no enhanced boobs, spray tan, talons and more to the point tattoos everywhere. Peter would have needed a tight short shirt, skinny seven-eight trousers, moccasins and no socks! Some of the sights had to be seen to be believed. It was both educational and horrific. As we walked back to our hotel yesterday, we espied two scantily dressed showgirls coming towards us. These girls are employed by the city to walk the streets and be available for tourists to have their photograph taken with them as part of the scene. We drifted to the edge of the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid being noticed. Sadly, Peter is rather noticeable and he didn’t escape “Come on Handsome don’t be shy!” was the greeting. I’ve never seen Peter move so fast in one hundred degrees of heat. She was never going to catch him in those heels!

    Today our touring trip began in earnest as we left the lights of Las Vegas behind and struck out into the wilderness. It was a spectacular drive
    and we arrived at the Oasis Ranch in Death Valley late this afternoon, where the thermometer hit 112. I asked for a quiet ground floor room, which was duly granted and we are comfortably settled for a couple of nights. The view is of the Furnace Creek Golf Course (rather aptly named) strangely devoid of life apart from the odd bird. Peter decided that a few holes would probably literally be the death of him. I gather it is very popular in the winter when temperatures are a more moderate 80. It may surprise some of you to know that The Death Valley National Park is the largest National Park in the USA outside of Alaska. It is famous for its stunning geological features which range from mountains of over 11000ft to Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282ft below sea level. The whole area sits in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and there is little shade or water, apart from at Furnace Creek, which sits on an aquifer, hence this small settlement and its beautiful oasis. We look forward to exploring tomorrow together with plenty of water, sun cream, hats and not forgetting the essential air conditioned car!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The ancient & modern of Cathedral Square
    Beautiful reredos of St Georges Anglican CathedralThe facade of The Criterion theatre against the modern judicary buildingsThe Catholic CathedralPerth at ChristmasPerth mintJohn with the Christmas Star ingot in the melting roomThe million dollar coin minted here in Perth & the largest in existence

    Final Days

    2017年12月19日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Unbelievably, we have reached the final couple of days of our second Antipodean Grape Escape and tomorrow will be the big repack before heading home via Hong Kong. As ever, it has all gone so quickly. Yesterday was something of a non day, in that the weather had taken on English mode. It blew and rained on and off all day. We had the opportunity to go to the WACA, but decided against it and had a quiet day instead - one of the few! Sadly, we had a jolly good idea of the result following the final session, which was neatly sandwiched in between squalls. Whether it should have been played at all, is of course another story. Australia were by far the better side, but clearly the gamesmanship going on both on and off the field has been vicious and I would have to question the manner of the win. However, our batters have failed to perform and I cannot see our bowlers bowling Australia out twice. We expect an Oz wash, which is not a surprise unfortunately.
    Thankfully, our trip is not purely defined by cricket and we do have other strings to our bow! Today, normal service has been resumed weather wise and it's back to the shorts and tee shirts. We have taken the chance to have a final look around Perth, incorporating some of the unseen items on our list. We walked miles and by the time we arrived back at the flat knew it! Cathedral Square is at the heart of the city and a newly revitalised area that we were keen to see. Here is a classic example of gracefully mixing older style federation architecture with the modern. St George's Anglican Cathedral (1840s English gothic revival) sits in a sea of grass faced by Perth Town Hall, The Treasury building and the new Perth Library. There is modern sculpture as a feature and amidst it all a wedding party were having photographs taken. The sun shone and it did somehow represent Perth as a modern city. We moved on to look at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral on its high point in Victoria Square. It is an interesting building, being a clever mix of old and new in one building and the interior is gloriously flooded with light as a consequence.
    Further down Hay Street is The Perth Mint, perhaps an unusual find in such an isolated city. There was a tour on offer, so we took it and the full story of gold in Western Australia unfolded. A gold rush had been underway elsewhere in Australia since the 1850s, but the first significant find in the West was registered by Arthur Bayley and William Ford in 1892 from the Coolgardie region to the East of Perth. Western Australia went mad as gold fever tightened its grip. Perth's population trebled in short order and fortunes were made and lost. Conditions in the goldfields around Coolgardie were appalling and many miners died in their effort to find what the Incas described as the 'tears of the sun'. The goldfields were out in the desert, where temperatures regularly soared to over 50 degrees. Huge nuggets were dug up in those early years, mostly being broken up and melted down. All the gold was then shipped back to England, until the British government was persuaded to built a mint in one of its most isolated outposts. It was built of local limestone and opened in 1899, continuing to operate in very much the original manner until 1970. Those wishing to apply to work in the mint had to take exams in English Literature, Mathematics, Latin, Greek and French; in effect a civil service examination! If you managed to pass the exams, there was then a two year apprenticeship! Commemorative coins are still produced on this site, but the major refining now takes place out of the city near the airport. It was a fascinating insight into one of the building blocks of Australia. We watched 200 Troy ounces of fine gold, 99.99% pure, melted at 1064degrees centigrade and poured into a Christmas Star ingot mould. It sets in 20 seconds and is then turned out and cooled in a tank of water. It came out a glistening brilliant gold. Quite incredible. Gold continues to be mined throughout Australia, which is the 7th highest producer in the world. Kalgoorie is the name most closely associated with gold mining today. It is very close to the first Coolgardie reef, but mining is now a high tech affair. What great oaks from little acorns grow.
    And so, our journey through the south and parts of the west of Australia comes to an end. In seven weeks we have of course only touched the surface, particularly here in Western Australia. Distances are vast. I spoke to one father who had driven up to see his son, who is working at an iron ore mine up in The Pilbara. it is a 16 hour drive one way and immense freight trains of ore passed him, taking nearly 3 minutes to pass, so great is their length. South Australia we loved and could relate to, but here in the West, I think the word is awe. Almost by osmosis, one develops this feeling of a molten and scarred ancient land, that is scarcely tamed and fit for human habitation. The Australians are a tough, doughty pioneering breed that don't suffer fools gladly and nowhere is this more apparent than here in Western Australia. I suspect the further north one travels the more this is the case. The north or Top End is the one area we have not yet touched on. Who knows whether we will yet have the chance, but it is on our bucket list!
    Advance Australia Fair.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The WACA
    2Mr Tasmania with pasmina!The city from Kings ParkThe Aussie picnic gathersKings Park botanic gardensYet again

    The WACA

    2017年12月16日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    It is Day 4 at the WACA and we are happily ensconced in a good viewing position watching the cricket. Well, let me clarify that, good viewing if you are an Aussie, rather tortuous if you are a Brit! Interestingly, it is nowhere near a capacity crowd, which considering the fact that it is a Sunday and Australia are in command we find surprising. Apparently, this is quite normal according to the locals. The ground holds 22,000 and is rarely at capacity, apart from the the first couple of days of The Ashes contest. There is deep concern that the new stadium, which has a capacity of 65,000 and needs a 40,000 attendance to break even, is going to be a white elephant. Denis Lillee has been chairman of the WACA and resigned instantly on the decision to develop the new stadium. It will be interesting to watch from afar and see who is right! Whatever the outcome, the WACA is a proper cricket ground with tremendous atmosphere and we are thrilled to be here for the final test match to be played here. At the moment, Australia have scored 662 and English wickets are falling like the rain that is forecast. It may yet save us in true English tradition - if it's quick!
    As ever, the Aussie supporters are fun, irreverent and friendly, not forgetting passionately determined to beat the Poms! One Tasmanian thought my scarf looked much better on him - wasn't bad actually. I had an interesting conversation with my neighbour, Julie, who is a councillor in Subiaco (just north of the CBD) and a very well informed lady. She told me that despite WA's vast mineral wealth (1trillion in goods exported in the last ten years, but 400 million in debt) the state is struggling to hold population and with a recent downturn in mining she can foresee all this amazing building and infrastructure becoming a millstone around its neck. It appears to be the usual situation of the federal government taking the money and for every dollar given into the public coffers less than thirty cents comes back. Add in the usual beaurocratic incompetence and things are not as rosy as they appear. Take this example - Perths new children's hospital is sitting there completed and unable to be opened, as some idiots agreed to Chinese roofing, which they now discover contains asbestos and the use of inferior cheaper water valves, means the water system is contaminated with lead! It's good to have an insight that one would normally not see as an admiring tourist. Incidentally, this vast state's population is just over 2 million, which is tiny for its landmass, but of course so much of it is uninhabitable. Did I hear anyone say cricket is boring?
    Yesterday we took the hop on hop off bus around the city. We were slightly dubious, but it proved to be a good move, as we learned a lot and it was a quiet day and passenger numbers were relatively low. Places of interest previously under the radar were noted and we 'hopped off' at King's Park and explored. This is a 4kilometre square park on the western edge of the CBD. There are marvellous views of the city and river; a great botanic gardens showcasing the 2500 species of Wild flora found in Western Australia. (Gt Britain totals approx 1600) and wonderful natural bush for the public to explore. It is a marvellous facility for a city and is bigger than Central Park in New York. The weather was warm and sunny and people were out in force, getting together and picnicking en mass and boy do they picnic. There is literally even the kitchen sink, eskis, tables, chairs, rugs, barbies of course and a party is held it in the great outdoors.
    I have finished this episode back at the flat. As predicted the weather closed in about 4pm and it started to spit with rain. We decided to call it a day at 4.30, managing to grab a cab and arriving back before the heavens opened. Play was abandoned for the day -unbelievable - and this is Australia. It is now blowing a gale out there and pouring. Concerts and Christmas events have been cancelled and tomorrow doesn't look great. It could be that the weather has literally come to England's aid. Well someone needs to!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Line 'em up - this guy was quite a performer

    Up the Swannee!

    2017年12月15日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today is wine tour day ( yet again do I hear you cry!?). We chose the half day version, as being lightweights these days, we thought that was all we would manage. Judging by the jollity we encountered on joining the all 'dayers' at midday, it was probably as well! They were a good group from all parts of the world, friendly and fun and a good time was definitely had by all.
    We had to make our way to Guildford (yes familiar, as is Bayswater close by) to join up with the revellers and decided to go by train. We caught the local bus along with the cricket crowd this morning (fun!) and walked up to the main railway station to catch the Midland train. We were in plenty of time, so had a coffee in the station cafe. In came two guys dressed in Santa short suits. English of course and you had to see it to believe it. They settled down to a full 'Lapland' breakfast. As we departed I said to the closest "Hope you have a good day Santa!" Back came the reply, quick as a flash "If you're a good girl I'll see you next week!!" Poetic licence of course, but message received and understood. Bet they went down a storm at the WACA with all the other Santas.
    The Swan Valley is the oldest Wine producing area in Western Australia. Margaret River has been spawned from here in much more recent timesThe entrepreneur involved was one Thomas Waters, who sailed with Captain James Stirling in 1829 as ships botanist. Stirling is a big name here also. They stopped at the Cape for supplies and Thomas purchased some Verdelho vines and brought with him. He was granted a small section of government land in the Swan Valley, planted his vines and the rest as they say is history. Here are some interesting facts for you picked up during the day.
    Western Australia is so huge an area, that if it were a separate country it would be the 10th largest in the world. Quite something to try and take on board isn't it?
    It takes on average 125 grapes to make one standard glass of wine and 83/84 percent of a bottle of wine is water. Water is terribly good for you, so clearly we all need to drink more wine!
    We visited three wineries: Windy Creek Estate in Herne Hill (yes, another familiar name), Sittella for a tasting plus lunch and Heaford Glen. Lots of different wines on offer, some more drinkable than others, but it of course very much personal taste. We selected those we thought we would find interesting and left the others. We then moved on to a German beer tasting at Elmers in the Valley, for the guys mainly. I gave my share to Peter, who said they were ok but there was nothing he would purchase, which is of course the acid test. This was followed by a chocolate tasting, yum yum, which completed the afternoon, followed by a very good quality ice cream. We trundled back to Perth and made our way back to the apartment with the cricket crowd again, catching up on the day's play as we did so. Some good news, some not so good. We'll see what tomorrow brings.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Lamonts
    Think I know of a few places to put this!Best OCD I can think of!Looking out over the vinesPeter awaiting lunchThe ponds, the Swan, and Perth as the sun goes down.

    The Upper Swan Valley

    2017年12月14日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We headed for the Upper Swan Valley this afternoon, after watching the toss for the 3rd Test Match and some of the first session this morning. We can sit on the apartment balcony and see the WACA floodlights with ease, but will not have the opportunity to visit until the fourth day, match and weather permitting. Yes, you've guessed it, rain is forecast. You couldn't write the script! This is the final test match to be played to here at the WACA and its replacement, the new Optus stadium, is practically ready. It is over the river on the Burswood peninsula and is stunning visually and state of the art. Everything has been thought of and I understand they are to play one of the ODI's here. The new stadium is not limited to cricket, which in the modern world is only sensible. It is a real tour de force and can only add to Perths attraction.
    We are booked on a Swan Valley Wine Tour tomorrow, but it will be limited to the Lower Swan, so we thought we would investigate further by ourselves. It is about a 30 minute drive, so close for a major city. We drove to the north end of the loop and found 'Lamonts', which had been recommended for not only its wine, but lunch. The wines were super and lunch just as good. We were driving, so limited ourselves to the one Winery, knowing that there would be more to come. At the far end of the Swan Valley, the great river has shrunk to a trickle of its lower self, quite amazingly so in fact. There are many more produce outlets beyond wine within the Valley. In fact, I think one could say there is something for everyone. Chocolate, ice cream, nuts and nougat, cider, vinegars, preserves and so it goes on. We had a good tasting and came home knowing that an evening meal was out of the question. Cheese and wine would do - we brought it home with us.
    Of the three wine regions we have 'studied'(?!) The Swan Valley is by far the smallest and less intensive and we will be able to have a better idea after tomorrow.
    We had a walk along the river on our return. It was a beautiful afternoon. There were black swans on the ponds below the apartment building and as the sun began to sink, the view was special. The cricket was not quite as disastrous as we had feared. Dawid Malan scored a hundred and Johnny Bairstow is going well also. Fingers crossed things will improve    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Perth CBD from our side of the river (South)
    The Swan Bell TowerPeter on viewing platform Swan Bell TowerThe old, the new & the culturalSculpture can be fun!The South Perth ferry comes into Elizabeth Quay

    Initial Impressions of Perth

    2017年12月13日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We crossed the Swan River today to gain our first impressions of this spectacular city. Until now, our view had been from the South Bank and our balcony window and that alone would give any famous city skyline a run for its money. I have to say the reality is equally impressive. We alighted on St George's Terrace and walked the centre. What immediately strikes one is, yet again, the juxtaposition of the old and the new and the clever way this has been achieved. There is a huge amount of building going on here and clearly the amount of money poured into Perth over the last twenty years is phenomenal. Every major mining corporation seems to have a stake here, reflecting the massive wealth produced by mining in Western Australia.
    Rather like Adelaide, there is plenty of green space and of course a beautiful river, but everything is on a much grander scale. This is a major city that is over a thousand miles from its nearest neighbour and is possibly the most isolated on earth. Perth was always something of a joke in Australian terms until recently and that is most certainly a thing of the past. Business, architecture, arts and culture, plus the food explosion has put Perth on the map like nothing else. The waterfront has and is undergoing great alterations. Dodging our way around the cranes and building sites we decided to visit the Swan Bell Tower. The tower is a focal structure on the Perth waterfront and it struck me as a modern day Venetian St Mark's Campanile. It's construction was Western Australia's Millennium Project and kick started by Laith Reynolds, a local international businessman with a passion for English bell-change ringing. Whilst in London, he heard that the bells of St Martin in the Fields on Trafalgar Square, were to be melted down and recast. He persuaded Western Australia to provide the metals needed to cast new bells for St Martins and managed to negotiate the transport of the 1727 bells, financed by King George 11, to Perth, where they were ceremonially renamed The Swan Bells and installed in the newly constructed bell tower in the year 2000. There are 6 levels of exhibition and viewing. It is tall, as you probably gathered and some of the viewing platforms are transparent. This is where Peter scored. He might not like things that flap, but I couldn't walk out there and had to view from a solid floor distance!
    We are quits!
    We took the ferry back to South Perth and walked back to the apartment along the river, with that skyline in view all the time. This is not a natural wonder, it is man made, but it certainly holds the eye.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Part of the garden at the Aravina Estate- just beautiful
    Seen in a gin & whisky distillery & struck a chord!View from our Cape Lodge balconySunset at Cape LodgeA trachleospernum arch. The perfume was delicious4000$au worth of bird bath - fabulous!Meelup Beach - doesn't do it justiceSugar loaf rockCanal Rocks2A natural Christmas Tree (Norfolk Pine) in Busselton

    Cape Lodge and around.

    2017年12月12日, オーストラリア ⋅ 23 °C

    We have spent our final two days in Margaret River at Cape Lodge some 20 miles north of the town. As you might imagine from the name the buildings are in the Cape Dutch style, which whilst very attractive, are somewhat incongruous in a Western Australia setting. The Lodge is set in 40 acres of natural bush and lakes and is quiet and peaceful. The restaurant is also pretty special, both for its setting by a floodlit lake and the food. it It is probably just as well we are only here two nights! However, one other reason why this venue will remain in my mind, is that we hadn't been on the property an hour, when there came the unmistakable cackling laugh of a Kookaburra from the nearby trees. I couldn't see the bird in question, but just to hear it in the wild was enough.
    We visited some beautiful wineries, more for their setting and accompanying gardens than the wine in truth and of course the superlative coastline. I am no beach afficiando, but those running up from Dunsborough to Cape Naturaliste have to be seen to be believed. It is a series of bays, the water is clear turquoise blue, natural bush comes right down to the fine white sand and the rocks create a fabulous coastal vista. This is of course a protected area, so everything remains unspoilt by over commercialism. The sun was hot and you literally couldn't walk down to the sea without shoes, but boy was it stunning. I can see why in Australia it is all about the outdoors and the coast. They can of course rely on the weather, which makes a huge difference. Plan a Christmas beach picnic here and it will no doubt be a perfect day. They will to up at dawn to grab the best spot on the beach; (it's not just the Germans you know!) the awnings and the barbie will be out, the drinks will flow and it is all so laid back and as far from an English festive season as you can imagine. I spoke to a lady who has lived here for 30 years and she said, whilst she would never want to return to the UK, she still misses a wintry Christmas and all that goes with it. After the past weeks weather, would you agree with her my friends?!
    The east coast of the Peninsula is a complete contrast; much more rocky and spectacular, crashing waves and towering cliffs. At Canal Rocks we encountered what I think was a juvenile albatross of some type (I'm unsure exactly what ). He was bobbing about in the sea close the the jetty where we stood. To our surprise he swam right alongside us and hopped out of the water and sat down next to us. He was a big lad. There was no fear, which is perhaps worrying, but it was certainly another experience to savour. Peter was also hopping about a bit, as he is not over keen on anything that flaps, until I reminded him that if he backed up any further he would be in the water on the other side of the jetty!
    This morning we said goodbye to the glorious Margaret River area with regret and headed north back to Perth, stopping at Busselton for a coffee. It is a lovely town set on the fabulous Geographe Bay and has the distinction of the longest jetty in the world. We arrived in South Perth in the afternoon and have settled into an apartment overlooking the River Swan and Perth CBD. I think we will be very comfortable for our final week. There are parks and walks along the river bank with the Perth skyline forever in your sight line. We hope to have a quieter week, but are not of course renowned for that, but will try! 'Speak' soon.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The majestic kauri forest
    The Willy Wagtail's nestHamlin BeachHere comes my stingray!The best pics these days are hatted & veiled!!Peter and Hank at lunchConto limestone cliff top

    A Snapshot of Margaret River

    2017年12月9日, オーストラリア ⋅ 23 °C

    Outside of Australia, I suspect that the Margaret River area is best known for its wines, although not very many find their way to our shores, which is a shame as they are of high quality. Today we chose to take a tour with a local guide, Hank Durlik and it proved to be a good decision. There is a lot to see in the area and being short of time, it was difficult to know what to prioritise. After an exchange of emails as to our interests, Hank worked that out for us and took us to see things we would never have found on our own. Scenically, it is a beautiful and possibly surprising landscape of great contrast. Agriculture is predominantly livestock, particularly dairy and the local cheeses are very fine. The resulting pasture parkland juxtaposed with the regimented rows of vines create pleasing vistas in all directions. The lifestyle here is laid back and all about the outdoors, especially the coast and it was here we headed to first thing. Hank told us that people rise early and go for a coffee and look at the surf, possibly riding a few waves, before starting their day. He said, if engaging a builder, ask first if he is a surfer and if the answer is yes, either find someone else or be prepared for a long wait. The surf will always come first! Unsurprisingly, Surfer's Point was our first point of call, a strip of coast at the small village of Prevelley. The waves today were not legendary, but there were groups of surfers out there awaiting their chance to ride a 'big one'. This section of beach is world famous and is one of the venues used for the World Surfing Championships in March. All along this coast are the most superb beaches, natural and unspoiled. The surf beaches are graded to allow youngsters to learn the sport and only the best and most experienced graduate to Surfers Point. Geographically, the whole of the Margaret River area is part of the Leeuwenhoek-Naturaliste National Park, and geologically it is limestone overlying granite, which makes for some interesting landforms. There are caves galore, including collapsed sinkholes, one large one called Lake Cave we went to look at. It was a classic example and even more exciting was the Willy Wagtail nest and the parents feeding their young just three feet from the board walk!
    Just south of Margaret River starts the wide band of Kauri forest that extends all the way down to Albany further south. We drove through the most majestic stands of these huge giants. It was like standing in natures cathedral. They are a gum, one of the hardest and third tallest trees in the world. Extensively logged in the 1800s, the trunks are long, straight and true and so much in demand for building back, then. The off cuts were cut into cobbles and sent to London as ballast in the trading sailing clippers to cobble London streets. Hank was in London in October and tried to find some in the streets with no luck, but did find some in the courtyard in Trinity College, Dublin. Coincidentally, he and his wife came to Norfolk, as his wife's parents hailed from Gorleston, as did Peter's mothers family. Yet another example of a small world! The beach at Gt Yarmouth came as something of a shock to him after Western Australia! We stopped for coffee at the Baronup Forest Cafe. Attached is a Gallery featuring locally made furniture and artifacts made from the Kauri. These pieces are unique and works of art and are shipped all over the world. The gallery is quite something to see.
    The limestone cliffs at Conto were fascinating, also the views and the perfectly adapted flora clothing this exacting habitat. The whole area was wiped out by a wildfire 6 years ago and has regenerated in that time. Mother Nature is remarkable. Our final call of the morning was to another coastal venue called Hamlin Bay. This was the most beautiful sheltered limestone Bay. Families were about on the beach, although it was far from crowded. Guys we're bringing in their fishing catch and it was a sunny happy spot. We wandered down onto the beach and I had a paddle in the Indian Ocean. Black shapes appeared in the surf. They were sting or manta rays. I was amazed as these incredible creatures came right up to my feet and allowed me to tickle their back. It will be a memory never to be forgotten for me. We lingered for an hour as the rays came back time and time again.
    I could have stayed all day.

    The vine area is actually really small, 20 square miles if I remember correctly and there are 178 wineries crammed into that small space. As you can probably appreciate most of them are small boutique establishments, producing small amounts of quality wine, which is of course why most of the production stays within Australia. We had a very good lunch of local produce at Olio Bello, the largest olive grove and producer in Australia and tasted not only their vines, but also the olive oil. I resisted the temptation to bring some home, as the thought of a broken olive oil bottle in a suitcase was more than I could stand! We visited two excellent wineries to taste their wares; Cape Grace and Heydon Estate. The reds were of a really good standard and Cape Grace produce a really interesting white blend called SBS (Sauvignon Blanc Semillion). It is gaining ground here and was so interesting that there is a bottle sitting in the fridge now! At Heydon Estates the owner is a dentist, who has a vineyard on the side (as you do). He is a mad keen cricket fan, who names all his wines after cricketing terms e.g. The Urn, The Sledge & WG Grace, to name but three! The wines are superb, although far from cheap. He will at the WACA on the 14th.
    We returned to Darby Park Residences in Margaret River town having felt we had had a fabulous snapshot of this marvellous part of Western Australia thanks to Hank, although we are far from done with it, as we move further up the coast tomorrow for a couple of nights. It has been a full and great day.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Federation style Fremantle Railway Station
    View of the main street on a Saturday MorningBeer tasting makes a change from Wine!

    Fremantle

    2017年12月7日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We had a uneventful flight to Perth this morning, although the celebrity accompaniment was interesting! Geoff Boycott was awaiting a taxi with us at The Intercontinental and had a few words. Paul Hayward, Scyld Berry and Nick Hoult (Telegraph sports writers) joined us at check in and were on the flight together with Jonathan Agnew, Jonathan Lieu, the TMS production team, Matt Smith, Geoff Boycott and several others we half recognised, but couldn't put a name to. You've guessed it, the media contingent were moving on to get set up for Perth. From what we could gather, the main concern was not the state of England's game, but what time they were meeting up later for a drink! We were checked in with time to spare, so settled down in a cafe on the walkway to have a coffee and snack. I'd hardly taken a sip when I glanced up and the whole England team were coming towards me heading to the departure gate for their earlier flight to Perth. I nearly choked on my coffee. They look so young! Yes, I know, they are, but honestly some of them should still be in short trousers. Peter of course had his head in the paper!!
    We picked up another car and made our way to Fremantle, our overnight stop. I was not too sure what I thought on arrival, but it has grown on my during the evening. We are staying right in the middle of the town (thank God for the Australian Sat Nav we purchased on arrival) at a boutique hotel called the Hougoumont. It is named after Australia's last convict ship, which arrived in Fremantle with 62 Irish Fenians aboard, 150 years ago this coming January. The town is planning a serious celebration. The rooms are decorated like a ships cabin and everything is in sea faring speak. On arrival it was happy hour and a free glass of wine and local cheeses were on offer. A very generous welcome we thought. Venturing out into the town later for supper, things were lively and fun. We eventually settled on The Monks Craft Beer and Kitchen. Peter started with a 'beer tasting paddle', 120 ml samples of the 6 craft beers brewed on the premises. He was a happy man. The food was pretty good also. A good start to Western Australia!
    The next morning found us on our way to Margaret River, some 300 kms south. We had a walk round the centre of Fremantle, which is attractive and built around its port. As we drove south on the Coast Road, we were given a glimpse of a large hinterland, industrial and residential. It is a much larger 'city' than we imagined and rather American in feel with multiple out of town shopping malls which do detract from its centre. Further south still, the new building has to be seen to be believed. I cannot imagine where all the people are coming from. We stopped and had a look round a couple of new towns and the impression was not favourable. Heart and soul are yet to be established. Lovely homes, but it wouldn't be for us. We did in fact begin to wonder why we were bothering to travel this far south and sincerely hoped things would improve. Of course it did! Agriculture came to the fore and the landscape gradually changed, becoming much softer and rural. Traffic was heavy being a Friday and people clearly getting away from the city for the weekend. Vines started to come into play and we finally arrived at the small settlement of Margaret River. Peter found another kitchen brewery and all was well with the world. On the way out of the nearby liquor store we were persuaded to taste some locally distilled gins. Oh boy they were good and we will definitely pay a visit before we leave. This could indeed be a good spot and may well live up to its expectations. I will keep you posted!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者

    The Final Day

    2017年12月6日, オーストラリア ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    It was something of dilemma this morning. Do we go to the final Test Day and buy extra tickets, or do we take up the invitation issued by Jeannie, our previous tour guide to visit her at home? We were not convinced that the improvement in England's batting would continue today, so we caught the bus to Hahndorf and met Jeannie for lunch. It was clearly the right choice as England didn't last long. We met Tim Rice in the lift on our return to the hotel. He was disgusted, having cancelled a flight to Sydney this afternoon to hopefully watch England level the series! We went out to supper this evening and Paul Collingwood, Paul Farbrace and Trevor Baylis were ensconced in the corner of the restaurant. The discussion appeared serious!
    In contrast we had a great day. A good lunch and an introduction to Jeannie's home town and a few friends. She lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills and we were fortunate enough to see eclectic gardens and homes that could only be Australian. I still cannot get over how friendly people are here. They welcome complete strangers into their homes without batting an eyelid. It is quite an experience.
    Tomorrow is moving day and we head for Western Australia. We'll see you later!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The Adelaide Oval from the Intercontinental
    An MCC member fits in anywhere!Adelaide Day/NighterThe River TorrensWang Wang the maleNu Fi the female

    Test Day and an alternative

    2017年12月5日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We had our second day at the Test Match yesterday. Still cold, but a little sunnier. It wasn't a great day to be honest for the English. The top order batting was abysmal and we only came back into it late in the evening, when the bowlers actually started to take a few Australian wickets at twilight.
    By the finish at 9pm it was really cold. If Australia can't produce warm balmy evenings for this experiment, then I suspect only the sub-continent can.
    We are in two minds re the Day/Night version of a Test Match. It is a surprisingly different animal and most people do disappear before the end which probably wouldn't happen if it were finishing at 6.30pm. We were seated, as before, in a mixed stand of wildly enthusiastic Aussies and their slightly more restrained founding fathers! We had a good wander round, watching from various positions. Those seats are hard to sit on all day and no possibility of bringing the usual MCC cushions. Peter was resplendent in jacket, shirt and bold and custard tie as before ( not forgetting the trousers!). We had a few strange looks I can tell you, but also a few who stopped and said how wonderful it was to see. All is ultra casual here as you know, so I suspect there was no doubt as to our Nationality even if you didn't' spot the MCC tie. We warmed up back in the bar at our hotel, along with the world and his wife. Andrew Strauss, Jason Gillespie and Damien Fleming in tonight. Craig Overton stood to one side, chatting to who were clearly his parents. We realised that they had been sitting in front of us during the day and had a few heart searching moments, wondering whether we had said the wrong thing at any point? The conclusion was no! They were a lot calmer than I would have been had my son been playing in his first Ashes tour.
    Today we have had a quiet day, taking a short cruise down the River Torrens. Its banks have been allowed to remain in a very natural state, bringing the countryside into the city. Adelaide is a very green city, which only adds to its charm. We ended up at the Adelaide Zoo and decided to visit the pair of (hopefully) breeding Pandas that are here. The only pair in the Southern Hemisphere. Rafe is particularly fond of them and so part of this was to take some pictures for him. However, we were soon captivated; they are gorgeous. We were also able to catch up on Australian animals that we were unable to see in the wild, such as the Echidna and Tasmanian Devil. The small city Zoo is beautifully designed and kept and was quiet as the children have not broken up from school. We are now back in the hotel lobby bar enjoying a tray of Earl Grey tea. Old habits die hard! Ian Botham is sitting close by, but not with a tray of tea! A group of five ladies have just ordered their fourth bottle of champagne with apparently no effect. I am in awe, the lightweight that I am!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Aboriginal spears
    TarnanthiThe museumSidney Nolan collectionUniversity chapel and jacarandasAdelaideHerbaceous border Australian styleThe Botanic Gardens - some lily pads

    A Test Free Day

    2017年12月3日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    There has been no improvement in the weather today, but fortunately we have been spared huddling on a hard seat trying to keep warm!
    Luckily, our second set of tickets are for tomorrow, so we can only hope for a small improvement in the weather and England's performance.
    The emphasis today has been cultural and Adelaide can deliver this in spades. On our way out of the hotel we bumped into Glen McGrath lingering in the foyer. 'Good Morning, how are you?'says he. PL -“He clearly recognised me! Charming chap”.
    As I mentioned in an earlier report, this is a charming and very liveable city. There is a good mix of architecture, old colonial style cleverly interspersed with the modern. We walked down North Terrace this morning, which is a perfect example of the aforementioned, passing the classical Government building of South Australia, the Library, University of Adelaide, Governer Ayre's mansion house and the Art Gallery of South Australia. We lingered at them all, but made our first serious stop at the Art Gallery. It is beautifully curated and a thoughtful composition of 'old masters' and the modern. There are good collections of Hans Hysen and Sydney Nolan and a fascinating exhibition of Aboriginal cultural art called 'Tarnanthi'. We loved it. Our next stop,was the Botanic Gardens which we loved. Obviously, the Australian Genii were in the ascendancy, but the rose garden was again marvellous. There was a superb rainforest atrium and Amazonian hot house and a pleasant couple of hours drifted away. We had a spot of lunch and then wandered back along the beautiful River Torrens towards our hotel. The news of the cricket was not great from an England point of view, but the cricket chat in the bar tonight was lively. Jason Gillespie, Phil Tufnell, Damien Fleming and Tim Rice were all in attendance. This is certainly the place to be for people spotting. Let's see what tomorrow brings!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Adelaide from the terrace of the Oval

    The Adelaide Test Day 1

    2017年12月2日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The match started at 2pm, by 2.30 RAIN STOPPED PLAY!
    You have to be joking and It was definitely as wet and cold as Headingly in June!!

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者

    Who did you say you were?

    2017年12月1日, オーストラリア ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I did not intend to write anything today, as I did not think there would be much to say. Always expect the unexpected! A huge thunderstorm erupted over our heads and the villa about one in the morning and rumbled on for a couple of hours. Sleep was impossible, so great was the noise. As I discovered later, I lay awake thinking about our long journey this morning, how difficult it might be and would it even be possible etc; Peter’s thoughts ran along the lines of how was he going to manage to save his Intercontinental points from a travel company booking! ( He did of course which may explain the following)
    Men are definitely from Mars, Women from Venus!! I rest my case.
    We left early and the storm had passed, although it was misty and rained on and off until we were out of the mountains. It is a 480kms drive down to Adelaide and all went smoothly. We arrived in Adelaide just before 3pm and it was and is cold, scarcely 18 degrees! Home thoughts from Abroad?
    When I booked all this last January, as I think I told you earlier, our preferred hotel had been booked out by the Aussies. So, we had to decamp to the Intercontinental over the road. Peter was mildly irritated, but all that changed this afternoon...........
    We arrive at the hotel, having missed the entrance first time round and after a painful negotiation of the one way system, eventually end up back where we should have been first time. The hotel was heaving and Peter slotted the hire car neatly into an impossible space whilst we checked in and so it began. Please remember that Peter is a member of the MCC and as such, keen on cricket - or so one would think?
    On our way up the hotel steps we bump into Jonny Bairstow and Mark Ramprakash - Peter oblivious! Checking in was straightforward; Michael Atherton was reading a paper on the sofa in the lobby and Graeme Swan drifts past - Peter misses both! We go to check out the restaurant and lobby bar, and the ENGLAND CAPTAIN, Joe Root is sitting at a table less that 3 feet away with his wife and young son eating - PL away with the fairies. Paul Farbrace (coach) is checking notes close by - nothing. Finally, the piece de resistance, we go to return the car to Avis and have to make a left turn into a tiny street. Peter narrowly avoids running down a cyclist (who cuts across him to be fair). Imagine the reaction from my driver, moaning and groaning should cover it for the purposes of our journal, until I point out that he has almost mown down Michael Vaughan!!
    As you will gather the England team and the accompanying Media circus are in our hotel. PL thinks he will nip down to the bar later for a swift drink with the lads. He will have to recognise them first! Do you not think failing to recognise the current England captain is a hanging offence if reported to the MCC? Seems likely to me. Let's hope there are no Wikileaks!
    We are on the 10th floor with a fabulous view over the Adelaide Oval from our bedroom window. You could throw a cricket ball from our bedroom window to the square with a good arm. Peter thinks "he will be ok here"?? Of course we could do with some decent weather for the match tomorrow that does not look to be forthcoming. I'm in search of a thermal vest in the morning. I left my winter clothes at home! The England team should feel very much at home. It's like a June day at Headingly. Let's hope the ball swings. Watch this space!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Wilpena Pound from the air
    The land folded like a piece of origamiMum with joey in her pouchThe Rawnsley BluffAncient gum known as the Cazneaux tree after the photographer who made it famousIts drinky time for the locals!

    The Flinders Range from Above

    2017年11月30日, オーストラリア

    The day dawned clear and bright after the late cloud of yesterday, which was as well, as we were due at the Rawnsley Park Air Strip at 7.45am!
    This morning we were to view the Wilpena Pound and the surrounding ranges from the air and one of us was a little apprehensive! As I said to him, "it's only 30 mins - you managed the best part of 24 hrs to get here!" It's the reliance on one engine that gets him! We decided we would celebrate with breakfast afterwards (if we were spared!!). Our companions of yesterday, Ian and Sue joined us for the flight and the pilot Andrew explained the essentials, before proceeding to weigh us all (very discreetly I must say) and place us in the Cessna accordingly. I was relieved to actually have a seat rather than be strapped to the fuselage. Climbing into one of these small planes is something of a contortionist exercise, but we were eventually all settled, belted and microphoned up and at the end of the runway. This is a dirt track with the odd wind sock, which is very common in these parts. Most of the stations have their own strip and fly their own planes & helicopters and when you see the terrain you cannot be surprised. The take off was very smooth and we climbed and banked to the right. There were a few 'road bumps' as Andrew described the turbulence as we approached the Wilpena Pound rim particularly. 'Air is rising in front of the cliff face which is what we are feeling now - it will soon clear'. He was very calm and matter of fact and somehow it felt better to know the process.
    We had viewed the bluffs of the rim of the Pound from the ground and they are high and spectacular, but nothing prepares you for the sight of the whole structure from the air. It is impossible to take in the enormity and scale of the weathered mountains at ground level. These mountains are some of the oldest on earth, formed when the continent of Australia was part of the larger land mass of Gondwanaland. Movement of tectonic plates forced the earth upwards and folded it at the same time, forming a mountain range that would originally have been higher than the present day Himalaya.
    The peak of what is now Wilpena Pound, was faulted and eroded over millions of years, leaving this enormous rim and a lower undulating centre. Until the 1940s the Hill family farmed the interior and grew wheat would you believe. There is only one narrow pass into the interior of the circular Pound and the logistics that of keeping a farm going must have been horrendous. Initially geologists thought this must be a volcanic caldera, until it became apparent that the rocks are sedimentary not igneous, which blew that theory out of the water. However, it is clear to see from the air, what has been going on here and all around you, as far as the eye can see, the earths eroded crust looks like a gigantic piece of origami, folded and manipulated into fantastic shapes. Andrew kept up a fascinating commentary, explaining the various ranges and I can't tell you what a thrill it was to see the National Park from this angle and suddenly it put everything into perspective. Our 30 minutes was up in no time and we landed very gently back on terra firma. We lived to tell the tale and scrambled eggs never tasted so good!!
    After our early morning adventure we drove up to the village of Wilpena to take a closer look at the other side of the Pound and some other features that we had been told to look out for. As Andrew had predicted (born in Sheffield by the way) the clouds closed in and thunder rumbled and it rained in short bursts, quite hard, but not for long. The temperature dropped ten degrees and the air took on that wonderful aroma that occurs when water falls on baked earth. As we drove back towards Rawnsley, we witnessed a marvellous phenomenon that Phil had told us about yesterday. Kangaroos appeared from nowhere and converged on the roads. On the bitumen surface the water sat in pools and they were quick to take advantage of an easy drink. We saw dozens. It was an amazing sight and Peter had to edge the car forward until they deigned to move. Fortunately, there were few other cars on the road. Having mentioned that I had not seen a Kangaroo in 6 previous weeks of travel in Australia, I have now been spoiled for choice. There are usually several around the lodge morning and evening. They are the most unusual animal and I have become quite fond of them over the last two weeks. We are heading back to the Woolshed restaurant tonight for a final Flinders meal. The 'feral mixed grill' I think we'll avoid, but the Rawnsley lamb sharing platter does appeal. Tomorrow we head back to Adelaide to await the 2nd test, for which we have some tickets. It starts on Saturday and is to be the first day/night Ashes test match. Fingers crossed the red ball and a little more evening humidity will help
    us!
    See you in Adelaide.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Xanthorea - the Yakka!
    Wilpena Pound RimKangaroos resting under bushesThe GorgeEarly fossilsCopper vessel used to raise ore from the mine by hand, now an art form.The main shaft of the mine.

    Wallabies, Rocks and Copper

    2017年11月29日, オーストラリア

    It has been a fascinating day touring the Flinders National Park, in the company of our Rawnsley Guide Phil and a couple of other Poms from Reading, Ian and Sue. The geology here in the Wilpena Pound area is quite incredible and right up my alley. I won't bore you with too many details, but the rocks here are some of the oldest on the planet and their age and strata perfectly delineated in Brachina Gorge, which is a geological corridor through time. There are the very earliest fossils known to man in the rocks here. They are some 370 million years old, not that you would recognise them as they appear as spots in the rock the size of a 10 pence coin. You definitely need to have your eye in! This is a favourite haunt of David Attenborough, who has visited many times, both privately and professionally. To our delight we saw some rock wallabies half way up the Gorge rock face. They were resting in small caves away from the heat. One was as interested in us as we were in him, staring down with apparent fascination. Two others bounded up the cliff face as if it were nothing. Like all the animals here, Kangaroos and Emus also, they are extremely well camouflaged and you have to look hard to pick them out. The 4WD bounced up and down through the park and we viewed animals, birds, vistas and vegetation. including a tree called Xanthorea, or in Aboriginal speak 'black boy' or the more common name of Yakka. It is over 300 years old and everything from it is used to great effect by the Aboriginals, even the sap as a boiled sweet and as it hardens glue! For cricket fans, this is where the Simon Hughes Book title 'A Lot of Hard Yakka' originates. The famous Australian 'long drop dunnie' was tried out and pronounced not as bad as expected!
    We arrived at Blinman for lunch. It is a tiny Outback hamlet that rejoices in the princely sum of 17 inhabitants. It is the quintessential one horse town, but has an unexpected history. The only pub/hotel provided a welcome cold drink and lunch. Peter asked the obvious question 'How does it keep going with so few people?' We are visiting at the very end of the Tourist season up here. A lot of places close down for the summer when temperatures can soar to 50 degrees. Only the Europeans come then, to escape the cold winter at home. Most Aussies hunker down in the air conditioning, as bush camping (a great favourite here) would be impossible even for them. Imagine sleeping in a tent in such conditions! For nine months of the year the place is apparently heaving and they survive for the rest of the year on that. Blinman, in common with several towns in this area, are outside the jurisdiction of any local council. They pay no rates, local taxes etc, but of course they have no services, such as electricity, water, refuse, lighting and survive by cooperation and their own wits.
    In the 1850s a one legged shepherd called 'Peg Leg' ( could only be Australian speak) sat watching his flock just out of the town. He looked down and realised that he was gazing at a copper deposit. To buy the lease on the land was £10, far more than he could afford. He managed to persuade 3 others to join him and they purchased the land and sat on it. Seven years later they sold to a mining company for £7000, a fortune in 1800s. The depth of the deposit was realised and tin miners from Cornwall were imported. A nine month journey by sea, followed by a two month overland trek to Blinman and here at last were the sought after miners and their families deep in the Flinders Rangers. A situation more different to Cornwall could not be imagined. We were taken on a tour of the mine as it stands at the moment, by Sherri, one of the inhabitants who has been instrumental in the restoration of the 1860s mine. The amount of work involved here is astronomical and the money raised by 17 people similar. Sherri painted a lucid and gripping picture of the life of an 1860s hard rock miner. It was humbling and a testament to man's ingenuity and determination. The conditions were appalling and few men survived beyond 40 years of age. If an accident didn't get them, then silicosis did. I will try never to complain again. Yes, I know highly unlikely, but in the event Blinman will come to mind, both past and present.
    It has been a day to remember.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Rawnsley Park Station
    Our Eco CabinEmily's Bistro at Quorn en routeThe interior with some itinerent having lunch!A time capsule!

    Into the Flinders Range

    2017年11月28日, オーストラリア

    Sadly, our time in Barossa has come to an end and we moved on this morning from the lovely Louise. We knew this was to be a long drive and it certainly was, around 6hours with stops. There was little on the road and driving was easy. The temperature outside was over 90 by midday. Thank goodness for air conditioned cars! Initially we were in Grape country and this continued through the Clare Valley, famous for its Reisling. Here the climate is slightly cooler (not today) and the terroir more suited to the production of white white. We called into the town of Clare for a coffee and found a nice cafe. It was busy and not only with coffee drinkers, the two ladies on the next table ordered a chilled bottle of white and proceeded to get stuck in. It was only 11.30! We are clearly lightweights!!
    As we drove further north the landscape opened out and became gently undulating and agricultural. Mainly cereals are grown here and as it is harvest time down under, the Combine Harvesters were out in force. This is a breadbasket area. At one point the countryside was gold as far as the eye could see, which was many miles. Occasionally we would come across a small settlement or homestead, but by and large there was no one to be seen. Slightly eerie for people who struggle to find a quiet patch of road anywhere at home. The road began to climb almost imperceptibly and the landscape began to change. Trees came into view and gradually the predominance of agriculture started to wane. The soil took on a redder hue and sections of scrub started to appear amongst the fields. We had a late lunch stop at a place called Quorn, (no resemblance to Leicestershire whatsoever) which looked of a reasonable size on the map, but was smaller in actuality. We enquired at the Tourist office and were told there were two cafes down the road, so we set off in almost 100 degrees of heat to investigate. There they were on opposite street corners and there was no contest as to which to visit - Emily's Bistro won hands down! As we approached, we did begin to wonder what sort of establishment this was, as the windows were decked out like an old fashioned emporium and on entering, that is exactly what we found. It was extraordinary, a real time warp. The building was clearly of some importance when it was in its heyday in the 1920s and little has changed since. 'Emily' has furnished and decorated in a vintage and quirky manner, all the food was home made on the premises and I think you could say it was the find of the day. I have included some photos to give you an idea.
    The Flinders Range started to appear on the horizon and the ground became ever rougher and mountainous. We espied Kangaroos and Emus under the bushes and small trees, resting in the afternoon heat, apart from the one that decided to jump across the road, thankfully a little way ahead of us. It was then my job to keep my eyes peeled and warn the wary driver of any further incident possibilities! At last came the sign board for Rawnsley Park Station and we ventured down the track some couple of kilometres to our accommodation. We are again in an Eco Villa, made from straw bales coated on the exterior with a red earth coloured render. Minimal clearing of vegetation around the villas allows for clever blending in with the environment and the views of the Flinders Range are spectacular. Ceilings are high and the style is that of the old homesteads of the early settlers. The ceiling in the bedroom is glass and you can draw back the blinds to reveal the night sky, which is something we will try, when I'm not tapping away. Dinner tonight was taken in the Woolshed restaurant and was excellent. The driver had to run the gauntlet of multiple bands of Kangaroos. They were completely unphased, but I can't say that of my chauffeur! Our waiter was a young lad from Corby working his way around Australia, with his girlfriend. It could not be more different here to the steel town of the Midlands, or the flats of Norfolk come to that. We'll see what tomorrow brings.    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The cellar door at Seppeltsfield
    The palm trees lining the approach roadThe family mausoleum built by an architect grandchild in 1929Rockford WineryHad to have some plant material at Maggie Beers!

    The Barossa

    2017年11月27日, オーストラリア ⋅ 20 °C

    It is wall to wall vines here and more cellar doors than you can shake a stick at! Lots we have not heard of, but others like, Penfolds, Jacobs Creek, Wolf Blass and Peter Leman are well known to us in the UK. As I hinted in yesterday's episode, this is an area with strong German influence. The names are a curious mix of English and German, such as Truro and Pewsey Vale and Tanunda. Some names were even more distinctly German prior to the 1st World War when the government enforced a change. Barossa's history stems from the arrival in the early 1840s of first English and then German settlers, who established settlements and created a unique interwoven culture that still exists today. Entire Lutheran villages moved from Silesia and Prussia to escape religious persecution. They were a God fearing and hard working people and German and English Anglican communities thrived side by side. Various agricultural practices were tried until vines proved to be perfect in the soils and climate of the valley. The success of these early pioneers led to the development of a commercial wine industry from the 1880s onwards. This is predominantly red wine and particularly Shiraz country, although one should not run away with the idea that that is all there is. The platters of regional fare offered everywhere are of the highest quality and each small village or town has its own very distinctive character.
    We have driven all over the the area today, visiting a huge and magnificent rose garden in Lyndoch, Rockfords Winery for a tasting session, which was excellent. It is the home of the Sparkling Black Shiraz I mentioned earlier, so we had to give it a look. Some of their other wines were equally exceptional and we will certainly try to track some down on our return home. Sadly, they had sold out of the 2016 sparkler and the 2017 will not be released for another week. Shame!!. Bethany was the first German settlement in the Barossa. In 1842 a group of 28 Silesian families came with their pastor to settle here and form a 'hufendorf' or village of farmlets. The village is still very much as it was with many of the original buildings still standing if adapted. There is a beautiful scenic drive that we followed to Angaston, which is of Scottish descent and this has retained lots of bluestone buildings of the time with intricately worked wrought ironwork. Tanunda is larger but equally historic, if relatively recent in European terms.
    We returned to the Louise late afternoon having had a thoroughly agreeable day and prepared to sample their tasting menu with its 'flight' of local wines. It was all very fine and the food and wine pairings quite different, even to the point of a red with fish.

    Our second day here dawned sunny and hot and we had mapped out a calmer day. We began with a visit to Seppeltsfield, a large Winery with history! Joseph Seppelt arrived here from Germany In 1840, with his wife Johanna and three young children. He intended to farm and in particular grow tobacco, which sadly proved not to be suited to the ground and so he turned to vines, about which he knew nothing. It was a steep learning curve, but the enterprise was up and running by the time he was succeeded by his son 'Benno'. Here was the true innovator and Benno expanded the business enormously, building huge cellars, wineries and a distillery, as he diversified into fortified wines and Brandy. Until 1960 the company had the monopoly of supplying 'medicinal' Brandy to every Australian hospital! By the 1920s Seppeltsfield employed over 150 people. They housed and fed their workers one good meal a day, on the basis that looking after their workers was the way forward to better productivity. (A lesson to be learnt here?). Feeding this vast workforce was the job of Sophie, Benno's wife. They married when she was sixteen and she went on to have 13 children, whilst masterminding all this. I sincerely hope she had help. The washing and feeding of her family would be enough for most!
    When the Depression hit in the 1930s, Benno continued this practice in an effort to keep his workers alive and the company going. The wine trade had bottomed out and he had the men plant huge stands of palms either side of the roads leading to Seppeltsfield. They are magnificent now.
    Typically, he of the 2nd generation expanded, his father of the 1st generation founded and his children of the 3rd generation lost it! The company is now, after various corporate buyers, in the hands of a single passionate owner once more, albeit not of the family. The estate is quite a sight to behold and something of a national treasure. There is an award winning cellar door, first class restaurant, the jam factory which house contemporary Art and Design studios. The original buildings are in great shape and used regularly, even if not for their original purpose. In the 1878 Centennial Cellar, Beeno started the legacy of maturing single vintage Tawney for 100 years before release. As a result the estate has an unbroken lineage of Tawney barrels of every vintage to the current year. This was certainly a Winery with a difference and we thoroughly enjoyed our morning there. There are wonderful rooms for private parties, some small, others seating up to 450. How about it wine group for the next Christmas Dinner?
    We moved on to Maggie Beer's Farmshop this afternoon. She is a television cook rather like Delia I gather. We had a fabulous light lunch of chicken and tarragon fritters and remoularde sauce with a of drink fennel cola. It was delicious and the cordial is made in the kitchens and topped up with mineral water. We wandered through to the farm shop in time for a cookery demonstration using some of her products. She uses by products of the wine industry to great effect. Things such as Verjuice, Vino Cotto, Sangiovese Verjuice to name but three. No, I'd never heard of any of this either, but would certainly use it if I could buy it in the U.K. Amazon could be the saviour here as they have just moved into Australia and I guess things they will be a-changing!
    We have thoroughly enjoyed our time spent here in the Barossa and move on tomorrow with the thought that we have covered it pretty well and can still walk to the car in a straight line!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Sunset and pre dinner drinks at The Louise
    The glorious jacaranda in full bloomAnigozanthus or Kangaroo PawUdder delights, Harndorf for lunch-worthy of the The Sun for a headline wouldn't you say!The Louise in the BarossaFine DiningAt its best!The infinity pool overlooking the vineyards

    On the road to the Barossa

    2017年11月26日, オーストラリア ⋅ 20 °C

    We are moving on today and heading north to the Barossa Valley and yet more wines. It's tough out here you know! The journey is very picturesque through the Adelaide Hills and then on to the Barossa. It is a beautiful morning and the gums and grasses glisten in the sunlight. The cattle and sheep doze under the trees and it is a straightforward journey to Hahndorf which is the halfway point. As you may have guessed from the name, this is a small town with strong German antecedents and from here on this is a continued theme. We stopped for a couple of hoùrs and had lunch at the aptly named Udder Delights! A local cheese platter was the order of the day. Here in Hahndorf are all things German, from Cow Bells to Chippendale Lederhosen aprons!
    It was busy being a Saturday and within easy shouting distance of Adelaide. The town was a charming stop and we eventually pushed on north, again through beautifully scenic country. Our final stop 'The Louise' is just out of the town of Tanunda and 'a passionate vintners retreat' to quote the blurb. It is pretty special I must say and we are staying in a Vineyard suite with lovely views over the countryside. It boasts two showers, indoor and out! The outer version is in a secluded walled courtyard. It was a very warm late afternoon, so I felt I must take advantage of possibly the only chance I may ever have to use an outdoor shower. (in comfort I might add) There was just me and two sparrows perched on the top of the wall. They didn't stay long!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    Classic McClaren Vale
    Fox Creek wines & the gardenFox CreekPeter ready for lunch at GemtreeCoriole & the gardenCoriole gardenAldinga beach late afternoon

    McClaren Vale

    2017年11月25日, オーストラリア ⋅ 15 °C

    Today we have had a great day out with a lady called Jeanne, a local tour guide. She has taken us to places we would never have found and was great company. She had carefully planned the day to incorporate some gardens and art, plus wines that we could source in the UK. The McClaren Vale is north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, abutting southern Adelaide. It is renowned for red wines predominately, but we actually tasted some very palatable whites also. The wineries are mainly small and boutiquey and prepared to experiment with their blending. The countryside is simply beautiful, mixed agriculture, or grassed and rolling hills
    Fox Creek was our first stop, where we sampled the full range. Again, the sparkling Shiraz was a star. It is something we have not come across before coming to South Australia and it is eminently drinkable. The Winery is set in a pretty English cottage garden and we are continually amazed at the English flowers that can be grown here. The roses are stupendous, despite the lack of water, but no problem with an open sunny aspect of course!
    We had coffee and scones at a lovely garden cafe whose name escapes us. Minor birds serenaded us from the trees and the blue fairy wrens were everywhere. Lunch was taken at Gemtree. Another lovely Winery with a view to die for. The wines were pretty good too; organic and biodynamic, which means the work in the vineyard is organised according to the phases of the moon. This is of course a growing system as old as the hills and largely forgotten in these days of inorganic methods, but boy does it work. We finished the wine tastings at Coriole and had a really interesting encounter with a lady called Dorinda Hafner. Here we met an engaging and ebullient character. She is originally from Ghana and married to an English Psychiatrist. She is something of a television personality, has written twenty books, mainly cookery and raised her family here in Australia, although they were born in London. She proudly showed me a picture of her two grandsons (well you know Grandmas!). "Look at that"she said "white as a sheet - when I take them out I'm mistaken for the hired help!" I produced a photo of Rafe, explaining his lineage. "Well, at least he looks as if there is a touch of Africa in him". She was delightful and it was one of those meetings where you felt as if you had known one another for ever.
    The day was drawing to a close and Jeanne drove us across to the coast and the famous Aldinga beach. It was warm, sunny and the sea true blue, dotted with surfers and a real sight to behold. Dinner was taken at The Victory close by, accompanied by a glass of Rockford's Black Sparkling Shiraz - the best yet. We drove back across the Hindmarsh Valley and to my delight there were Kangaroos everywhere. It was a superb day to complete our stay on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
    Thank you Jeanne!    もっと詳しく

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  • The Travel BugGrape Escape 2旅行者
    The view
    Mt Jagged WineryQuirky or what?Struck a cord!

    The Fleurieu Way

    2017年11月22日, オーストラリア ⋅ 18 °C

    We left Kangaroo Island yesterday on the 10o'clock ferry and slowly drove part of the Fleurieu Way to Victor Harbour. It was a quiet Wednesday morning and we scarcely saw a car, or person, for the whole sixty kilometres. The south coast of the Peninsula is the most beautiful area. It is a wonderful rolling landscape of mixed agriculture, with a vista of crops, grassland, plentiful trees and grazing animals. The sparkling blue sea is visible it seems around every other corner and it does have a hint of England if I'm honest, but warmer and sunnier!
    Our home for the next three nights is a golf club complex on the edge of the town. It is peaceful and our room overlooks the surrounding hills and first tee. It made for interesting viewing first thing today, as golfers queued to tee off.......FOUR!! There were some sights, even to my untrained eye.
    Today has dawned cooler, around 75 degrees, which has been much more palatable to the whinging Poms and talking of whinging Poms, the first day of the Ashes series began this morning at the Gabba in Brisbane. We watched the toss and saw England into bat before heading off for the day, with our fingers crossed.
    It has been a day of exploration mainly along the coast. Victor Harbour itself is the largest of the settlements and whilst being pleasant enough, would not hold the attention for long. It is set at one end of Encounter Bay and has Granite Island just off the coastline. This can be visited by causeway from the mainland and is home to the Little Penguins. ( been there done that) The guy in the Tourist information said the one thing we must do is visit this by horse drawn tram. (?!) We passed. Out in the bay, was a rather curious looking object with a boat moored alongside. It looked like a circular deck with people cavorting around it. On enquiry we established that this was where one could 'swim with the tuna'! I've heard of swimming with dolphins or whale sharks, but this seemed bizarre. Peter announced that there was no way he was paying an extortionate amount for the privilege, when he could run a bath at home and chuck in a couple of tuna pouches to the same effect!!
    We progressed down the coast to Port Elliott and Goolwa. These were much smaller, but charming and we had a good wander round, visiting bakeries (another PL pick!), art galleries, waterfronts etc. As ever, the Australians were very happy to chat and the morning passed very pleasantly.
    A late lunch was called for and we headed up into the hills to search out Mt Jagged Winery that I had seen in a brochure. We found it about 15kms out of town and had a fabulous epicurean lunch, tasting a couple of their wines. We couldn't pursue a full tasting as we were driving, but sampled a very good Semillon and a dashing sparkling Pinot Noir. Gorgeous spot with chickens free-ranging it all around. The garden roses were stupendous and we've noticed that before. We passed a beautiful garden in Kangaroo Island whose roses the RHS would have been proud of. Apparently, the climate here is very well suited to roses, despite the heat and sometime drought, they cope well. Our day concluded with a drive through the Hindmarsh Valley, which was another ooh & aah session. Simply beautiful countryside and the whole area is so unspoiled. This part of South Australia is definitely under the radar.    もっと詳しく

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