San Francisco – the final leg – and home!

This has been the most annoying blog post ever -no matter how many times we try and get the photos and text to match it jumps back so we have given up – relying on your intelligence to link them!  I think I need a course!

Well folks, we left Rose at Auckland airport.  We both tried to be brave and Rose was more successful at it than me.  She said it was much harder to be the one left behind, normally she is the one who is doing the leaving and beginning an adventure.  I found it especially hard to leave her as I knew she would be by herself for two weeks with no one to distract or comfort her….Still we said the final goodbye and I went round the corner to passport control sobbing all the way,  I had to have a medicinal brandy, not caring that, as we had so few dollars left, that would leave little money for the boys and food (they coped).

I was still a little teary on the plane and felt obliged to explain to the chap next to me why I was (quietly by this stage) crying.  He was very sweet and said he thought it was because I was frightened of flying!  As if readers!  Turns out he was a Kiwi who had never flown in a plane or left the country before, he was having to go to the states for work.  How had he prepared for his plane adventure?  He had watched back to back episodes of greatest plane disasters.  At this point I recognised a kindred spirit.  We had a discussion about turbulence when we started to go through a bumpy patch, and he enlightened me about why you have to buckle your seat belt during turbulence..I suggest those of you who do not like flying do not read the next paragraph!

He said that on one of the episodes he watched they told the story of a jumbo flying through a lightening storm.  It did a barrel roll!  Apparently it flew upside down and on its side for quite a while before they were able to right it.  Now I understand why they tell you to put your seat belt on….

Although he had never been on a plane, he was a keen tramper (NZ term for hiker) and had often got a helicopter to a remote location, tramped for a few days and then got picked up again.  We discussed helicopters and I told him I loved to watch them, but was too terrified to go in one.  He thought if I had coped with a small plane, I could easily cope with a helicopter as long as I didn’t get a show off, gung ho helicopter pilot.  But … of course, he had never been in a small plane to compare.  Those of you who have been in both, what are your thoughts?

It was a 12 hour flight to Los Angeles.  We left NZ at 4.00 pm on Sunday afternoon, flew for 12 hours, and reached Los Angeles at 6.00 am on Sunday morning, having crossed the international date line!  We had chosen not to stay in LA but to fly on to San Fran.  LA was mad, so busy after the emptiness of NZ, and with all the high level security, there were queues everywhere.  We didn’t have much time to transfer to our flight so it was a bit pressured.  At one point we had to exit the airport international area to reach the domestic area, as we walked along with our bags an airport man was directing us where to go, he turned to Rory and thanked him for giving him such a lovely smile and gave him a high five!  This was Rory’s first trip to the US, his first encounter with  an American and his first (American) high five, he was very chuffed!  The flight was delayed, I think every flight was, but we eventually boarded, exhausted, on to an oldish plane with no leg room and non reclining seats.  What should have been a 40 minute flight then became an hour and a half flight as only one runway was open in San Fran for some reason.  Despite the plane, Rory and TJ who had remained awake the entire preceding 12 hour flight (Rory watching 5 films back to back, plus countless episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm), stating they could not sleep on planes, promptly fell asleep for the duration.  It was a glorious day and J and I enjoyed seeing the California coast line as we circled it repeatedly.

Los Angeles had been warm and sunny, so arriving in SF was a shock.  It wasn’t sunny and felt freezing!  On our first day we had to shop for long socks and gloves(me) and warmer clothes.  The brown top you see me wearing in every SF picture is my new purchase.  It’s a sweat shirt top with sort of furry lining and sooo warm – and it was only £14 or so!  The prices were much cheaper than home, enhanced by great sale bargains.  Australia and NZ had been impossibly expensive so we hadn’t even bothered window shopping, but the boys had money burning a hole, so we spent a couple of days visiting neighbourhoods for particular shops they (well TJ really) wanted to check out.  It was actually quite a nice way of getting around the city and seeing more than the usual tourist sites.  In between the shopping excursions we did the usual trips, some we had done before, but what a difference!  Back in October it was sunny and busy, particularly down by the water front, this time it was deserted.  We took a boat trip around the bay that went under the bridge (as it was virtually too misty to see it otherwise) and around Alcatraz and there were no other boats in the bay, last time it had been really busy, and of course this time the sea lions had gone!  As you can see it was cold!  That’s Alcatraz in the background.

Now as you know I am no great meat lover but really…is this an attractive option for any of you that are?

Another reason why it was time for us to leave…those maple muffins were to die for – and the portions… we were in danger of turning into ….

This was the pier in January – with hardly any sea lions.  They have been there for 20 years and left a few weeks before – over 1,500 of them!  Some think they left to follow herring, others that they sense an earthquake was coming (this ofcourse was another fear of mine).  Sadly, a party was planned in their honour for the week we were there – perhaps they didn’t fancy that? 

 

For contrast here is the same view in October on our first visit, they were jam packed!

Waiting for the bus – but in the sun!  Here we are modelling our new purchases.  TJ’s new T shirt says ‘obey’, I like the message, but no chance readers…, Rory has on his new cardi (you can’t beat a nice cardi), and I have on my warm sweat shirt top.

City Hall and the market:

TJ and R inside the F tram – Castro to Fisherman’s Wharf.  The trams were purchased from around the world, this one came from Milan:

View from the California Street Cable Car!  And the view from the top of the line:

Holding on!  On one ride I had to stand and hold on.  It was not fun, although some of the other passengers, as well as my family, thought it vey funny.

Our flight left in the evening so we had most of the day before we had to get to the airport.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and comparatively quite warm.  J decided we needed to get some good exercise so we would sleep on the plane, so we walked from our apartment in Haight Ashbury, through Golden Gate park, to the coast, and then back in to town along the coast.   Along the way we could not see the sea, so our first view of it was when we literally right up close.  It was spectacular.  The waves were gigantic, the beach enormous.

And a windmill?

One last paddle (for J at least).

Rory’s new sweat shirt, based on the California flag which you can just see in the first photo in this post. It says ‘smarter than your average bear’!

My baby:

The lovely Ocean Beach.  This walk btw took us 4 hours – walking non stop, and it had the desired result – we all slept on the return flight, even TJ!

This is called Dead Man’s Cove – and you can see why.  Signs say that no one should swim or even wade in the water as the rip tides are treacherous, yet these guys are surfing – and see how close the rocks are!

Behind us is the Golden Gate bridge from the other side (but you can’t see it).

So that was our last day – and the final photo, from the airport.  SF airport is great, it has a museum and library with lots of exhibitions, lots of chairs and no queues.  Apparently Auckland airport was voted among the top ten airports of the world – we aren’t sure why!

And now we are home.  The journey well and truly over.  It was an absolutely brilliant time from start to finish, perfect, we loved every single minute, and I feel very privileged to have been able to experience it.  It was hard to leave SF for me as it felt as if I was going further away from Rose, but it was time to return to real life.  We arrived for the end of the snow – just a tiny bit in our road, but it is so cold and grey and I really miss the sun.  My frozen shoulder which had improved so much I could almost raise it above my head again, is aching a bit - honestly!  At the moment I feel as if I am hibernating, I can’t wake up, and have yet to leave the house…

Thank you J for thinking the whole thing up and for the mammoth task of organising it all.  A special  thank you to our children for coming with us for part of it.  Thank you readers for reading it.  Or for just looking at the photos (some have confessed).  Thank you Jane and Nik and Claire for giving me the idea and encouraging me to do it – and persuading me to learn how to upload photos, maybe next time I will get the hang of audio and video too! 

And now reality.  Any reasonable job offers considered – and that is for any of us – me, J or TJ!  Infact we are now an entirely workless household.  J took R back to Sheffield yesterday (he obviously came out of hibernation long enough to leave the house), so five became three – but it could never be quiet here while TJ is around…

I can’t wait to catch up with you all soon!  I have found my i phone and its switched on!

The trip of a lifetime …. until the next time…

The last few days in NZ and leaving Rose…

Well Auckland seemed a really cool city, helped by fantastic weather.  It is a mix of communities around beaches – like a smaller version of Sydney, with some beautiful architecture.  These last days were very sad however as they were building up to us leaving Rose.  She is staying on in NZ to explore some of the bits we didn’t reach by herself, before flying to Sydney and then on to Vietnam to meet up with her friends and then Cambodia and Laos before returning to Brisbane for the next six months of her university course.  So we were going to say goodbye for another six months, so bear with the preponderance of family shots….

And now for the homes and gardens shots – these were within 5 minutes ofthe beach….

Complete with matching cute dog!

At the beach there was a wedding complete with brilliant music including my personal fav, the Walrus of Love!    Here she is on the top of the hill…

Rory lining them up!

And fitting that the last photos should be of Rose….and the tears begin…..

A reflective moment (Rose doesn’t like this photo but I do)!

Rose looking pensive – she doesn’t like this photo, but I do!

Travelling to North Island

The Trans Scenic Overlander – Wellington to Aukland cross country by train

From our lovely house on the west coast, we drove several hours to the north of the south island to catch a ferry to Wellington. Luckily we arrived in time to board an earlier ferry and avoided a 3 hour wait for the one we were scheduled to take. The ferry journey was cold and blowy with hints of sunshine every now and again. We passed in between several islands and bits of peninsula between the north and south islands and we were soon in Wellington. It’s the capital of NZ! Although about 75% of the whole population of both islands live in Aukland. It certainly seemed a more attractive place than Christchurch but we did little more than visit a cool bar and eat and drink. The bar we went to was called the Macs and was a brewery as well as a bar and restaurant. They had smart T shirts and we bought Rose one as a goodbye present – it says ‘a little drop of Macs’ on it, and the bar man gave us one free too!

Here are some views from the ferry:

This morning we had a very early start to catch the 7.20 am train the length and breadth of the north island from Wellington at the southern most tip to Aukland. I am writing this on the train but am not sure when I will be able to post it. The southern hemisphere has been dreadful in terms of internet availability, so expensive when it is available, or not available at all – as in the last seaside house. Anyhow this journey is twelve hours long but TJ is well pleased as they make smoking stops! We also stopped for lunch – an odd notion but sensible for a tourist train I guess. I was a little panicked at the thought we might miss it as they train guard was at great pains to say they would not be going back for anyone they missed! It has huge windows, lots of leg room and a viewing platform. This I am sure would not be allowed in England. It comprises the gap between two carriages where you can stand outside and be blown and rattled away.

Another strange observation about NZ is their love of pies! Everywhere you go there are pies of all descriptions but predominantly meat. I think they look and smell absolutely, gut wrenchingly disgusting, but nearly everyone eats them – all the time!  The train is full of people eating them!

Rory and I are having fun perfecting our NZ accents. Vowel sounds seem all mixed up. E is pronounced as I, so tent is pronounced tint, yes as yis etc. I sounds like U so chips, sound like chups. It is pretty different from Australian after all…..

Before I sign off here it would be remiss not to mention the scenery! Very rounded hills, with lots of trees, quite densely forested. Some of the hills have definite similarities to where the hobbits lived – or teletubbies? Yesterday we passed acre upon acre of vineyards. Today it is more sheep country, with high passes and roaring, winding rivers. We have passed one or two viaducts and bridges and several horseshoe loops, but enough of the train facts eh?

Going to watch some scenery now…..

Loving the west coast of the South Island – Punakaika

Our next stop was a three hour drive from the glacier to Punakaki where J had rented a four bedroom house right on the sea front. We arrived late at night in the pitch dark so it was exciting to pull the curtains the next morning and see a stunning coast line on our door step. We appeared to be on a cliff top but the edge was hidden by thick scrub. What was even better was the sunshine after two days of solid rain and we were even able to eat our breakfast outside on the deck. We were quickly joined by a very large bird not dissmilar to a Kiwi bird, obviously mistaking John’s toes for a tasy snack it pecked his toe! This was a weka and unlike its glacier mate, is said to be ‘curious’ not ‘malicious’.

We had 3 nights in this beautiful location. At night the roar of the sea was amazing and it reminded me of the north shore of Kawaii and our panoramic views of the very high surf there. I don’t think there are many places along this west coast where you can safely swim, a combination of rocks and surf make it far too dangerous. The local newspapers are full of the deaths by drowning of both locals and tourists. While we were there a local man staged a dramatic rescue of two teenage girls on his surf board. He was driving along in his car and noticed they were in trouble and so drove down to the beach, unhooked his wife’s surf board from the roof of his car, and swam in to rescue them. One girl could not swim well so was wearing a life jacket and she was thrown in to the coast. Her cousin who could swim and wasn’t wearing a life jacket was being dragged under by the rip tides and would have drowned if not for this guy.

So we spent our time gently walking on the beach, admiring the fantastic driftwood and shells and playing boules. A few km away from our house are the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. You can see why the Pancake Rocks are so named. If you visit them at high tide you see the blow holes in action, an incredible phenomenon! The force of the water and the height of the tide pushes the surf up and great spouts emerge from the hillside. The noise too is absolutely incredible.

The other activity we engaged in here was hot tubbing! A family first, though TJ tells me some clubs in Liverpool have hot tubs in?? It was quite fun actually and as you can see from the photo we had a lovely view from the deck of the sea. The next night TJ increased the temperature to 40C and we struggled to get in and had to pur cold water in the tub. After a short while I began to feel boiled alive and queasy and had to get out – made me feel sympathy for those lobsters!

Can you see our house on the top of the cliff?

The pancake rocks above

My new glacier purchase of a wind and waterproof jacket!

Rory testing its water repellant properties!

Getting soaked by the spray (but not on the jacket!!)

Living the dream (before the temperature was turned up!) – check out the sea behind us!

Here are the boys concentrating on their boules!

TJ is sporting his Christmas present of an aloha shirt from Hawaii.  I suspect it may not be aired much in the UK, but its great!

Our lovely house!  On the very dramatic west coast….loving the sea views again….

The Franz Josef Glacier – and possibly the walk of my life …

At some point a few days earlier I had agreed to go on a glacier walk with the others. As the day neared, I began to have doubts, particularly when I had felt so exhausted on the gully walk out of Arrowtown. The night before the appointed walk we had to go along to the glacier tour place to get a safety briefing and we were warned it may not take place as heavy rain was forecast, despite the sun shining at this point. Apparently they are not concerned about you getting wet, but in order to reach the glacier you have to cross several streams that in heavy rain quickly become impassable. And guess what…..if the rain comes down and is unexpected, you have to be rescued by helicopter. The day of the walk dawned and it was pouring down and had poured all night so it was not a surprise when the walk was cancelled. Everyone accused me of having been up all night doing a rain dance to make sure it would be. We were given an opportunity to do the walk the next day or have our money back and the rest of the Macs enthusiastically confirmed their places for the day after – meaning I could either spend all day worrying if they would return, ever, or go with them. It rained pretty much all day and all the next night so again I was confident it would be cancelled, but it started to slow down and it was forecast to get brighter, so the walk was on!!

We were told we could not wear jeans as if they got wet people would not be able to warm up, so it was board shorts or other trousers, plus over trousers. Then we were given jackets, socks, boots, crampons and a bum bag. We had already been told to wear 3-4 base layers. It seemed very organised which was reassuring but I felt really sick with nerves. After a short drive to the river base we were divided into five groups according to fitness levels. Looking around J and I were probably the oldest people there, so despite my high levels of personal fitness (as those of you who have been reading the blog intently will testify to), I took the cautious approach and opted for the lowest level group. Unfortunately, so did many others and so people were reallocated – including the younger Macs, who went first to group 4 and were then bumped up again to the top group!!

The first sighting of the glacier was incredible. We had been to one before in the Rockies which was flat as I recall but this seemed to tumble down the gorge in a very dramatic fashion. It looked as if it would be a short walk to reach it but actually it was about 2.5km away across the river base. At several points we had to cross the river, Adam our guide strode straight across through the water not even trying to keep dry. Initially I did the stepping stone wobble, trying to go from stone to stone, but then realised that as the water was so fast flowing, and the stones very wobbly, I risked getting everything wet not just my feet. Adam told me that it was certain I would get wet feet as the glacier was a temperate one (one of only 3 in the world that are apparently), so following his lead, I took to strolling boldly through the rivers. It may have been my imagination, but at this point on the walk (on the approach to the glacier) we were passing members of the general public, some dressed wholly inappropriately in shorts and flip flops. I think they were looking at us, following Adam with his pickaxe and shovel, with awe…or was it amazement??

Adam was an entertaining guide, full of stories about deaths on the ice, who and how, which you will understand increased my confidence levels no end. He did however say that most deaths are due to ignorance of the conditions and inappropriate behaviour or lack of equipment. Anyhow on reaching the glacier we had to put on our crampons and were given guidance as to how to use them and more safety lessons, stressing the need to do exactly what we were told and to keep close to Adam at all times. I was already close but from that moment I became a limpet. The rain over the preceding day had washed away the steps that had been cut into the ice so all morning all the other guides had been on the glacier shovelling away the debris, securing the ropes, and testing the safety of the crevasses we were due to walk through. The glacier was immense and the vertical ascent we had to make to climb on to it daunting, but I was actually less concerned about my physical ability than of slipping and disappearing. At this point one woman decided enough was enough and turned back, but as she was not allowed to walk back alone, that meant radioiing for another guide to accompany her.

Going on the ice was exciting after the tension of the build up and I was reassured to find that the crampons made me stable. Very quickly the sheer beauty of the place helped me, if not exactly forget the dangers, to see past them and enjoy the experience. This despite the pretty heavy rain that had started almost as soon as our walk began. The colours were amazing, pure white and then ice blue, with shapes curved out of them naturally, and even some tiny waterfalls and pools. We were led through crevasses and gullies, pulling on the ropes (which were freezing) to keep our balance on the very steep ascents and descents, and then just walking over hill tops freely. Adam congratulated me on my crampon action which chuffed me no end (heel first, plant foot straight down, knees slightly bent). At one point he also said I had climbed up the steps like a mountain goat!! ME!! I am now officially reborn readers…..

We were closely followed by an arctic parrot that seemed completely fearless. Adam however nurtured a very particular hatred of the bird shooing it away and cursing people if they dropped any food for it. He told us that one of these birds had personally caused him about $1200 worth of damage to his equipment. While camping on the ice one bird had literally shredded his tent with its talons, out of pure malice he said. The same bird then shredded his boots that he had left outside his tent! Another bird had once locked his mate in a bothy he was staying overnight in, drawing the bolt across, and he had had to break a window to get out. They are known to be one of the most intelligent birds in the world with the intelligence of a 3-5 year old! Since the walk I have read that they are attracted to shiny objects, and have been known to peck at your eyes!!

Physically, I found the walk pretty easy. It was only about 10kmin in total, and I think our day resting helped me recuperate. I definitely do much better in the cold than the heat, and it was absolutely freezing. The first thing I am going to do before going walking again in the cold is buy some over trousers – much more flexible than salopettes and they kept me toasty warm and dry – even when wading through the rivers. We completed the walk safely. I did draw blood though – my little finger was grazed on the ice! On the downhill stretch we came close enough to the kid’s group to shout over to them and their smiles let me know that they were absolutely loving it.

I think this may well be the walk of my life…….

 

 Before we set off!

Looking anxious – but hanging on Adam’s every word!

Nearing the top and beginning to feel the relief

Wet but happy!

Looking up (and using the zoom to see the kids alive and happy!)

Adam clearing the way!

And this one is especially for my bird-phobic friend Cathy!  The arctic parrot!

New Zealand at last – Orksome!! (get it?)

As I write this we have been in NZ for exactly one week and we have travelled quite a few km already. We have one more week to go here in NZ before bidding Rose farewell and travelling to San Fran with the boys on the first leg of our trip home.

I am writing this after a day spent in the most torrential rain in the Franz Josef glacier. Internet access here is based on how much you use in kb so uploading photos is a non starter, so forgive the gaps again!

We flew into Christchurch and were there for two nights. Don’t believe the Lonely Planet guide description of it – we didn’t find any gothic architecture, or really anything much of interest. It’s a pretty boring, bland town with a few interesting shops, but high prices. We arrived on a Sunday and it appeared deserted so we were quite taken aback to be kept awake until gone 4.00 am by the noise from the bars behind our apartment. Having slept well in quite a few major cities on our travels, it was pretty ironic to be unable to sleep here! The kids btw loved the apartment as it was the only place to have free internet, and 2 out of the 3 slept on unbothered by the noise. On our second day here we abandoned the town and fled to the countryside. Within 10 minutes of leaving the town we suddenly were in the most spectacular scenery you can imagine, the type I had always associated with NZ and the reason I had wanted to come here. In this place, Lyttleton, the lush greenery, clear blue sky and blue of the water seemed especially dramatic after the burnt out colours of much of Australia.

We drove on to a town called Akaror which was established by French settlers who arrived on one boat back in the 1840s. The French influence is still very apparent with boulangeries and French road signs.

 

But Maori too?

 

Our destination on this day was the Banks peninsula (so on the East coast of the South island). We reached a beautful beach but the sea was freezing and I stepped out after getting my ankles wet, being made of sterner stuff the others made it in for a game of ball. I think most of the others on the beach were locals as they had boats with tractors, not pulled by cars!

After another sleep deprived night, we left Christchurch for our next destination Queenstown, in the centre of the South island and on the edge of the Fjordland National Park. Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of NZ and J had thought it would be a good place to spend new year. The drive there was long, but spectacular. When we stopped the drop in temperature was immediately apparent even though the sun was still shining. You can tell by the mix of apparel that some felt the cold more than others (TJ), and even Rory sported his recent purchase of a a NZ beanie hat! Here we are at Lake Tekapo, where the water was such a deep glacial blue, all around the lake were beautiful flowers. As we drove on we saw fields full of lupins in every shade of mauve, lilac and pink, with a very few white ones. These colours combined with the deep greens and blues were really wonderful.

 

As we drove further on we passed snow covered mountains including Mount Cook, the highest mountain in NZ. Our apartment in Queenstown was overlooking the lake and away from the centre. Once again we had floor to ceiling sliding windows and balconies – and best of all it was peaceful! The town itself, although beautifully appointed at the top of the lake, was teeming with holiday makers with concomittant traffic jams and queues so we didn’t stay long. We had thought of walking back into town to see the fireworks at midnight, but I hadn’t been feeling too well and the others, whether in sympathy or laziness, decided they would stay in with me. I didn’t even have an alcoholic beverage all night!

This was the view from our apartment!

Queenstown certainly lives up to its reputation as adventure capital, you can do the most amazing things there if you have enough money to burn – and if you are devoid of the gene that makes you think of the risks involved. The local paper for the New Year’s edition listed all the people who had died that year in the area – and how – jet surfing, river surfing, micro gliding, jet skiing, mountain climbing, heli climbing…the list goes on. Although I was very surprised to learn that noone had died from bungy jumping. Anyhow luckily none of our three had any money to try anything other than walking with ma and pa…..

We drove from Queenstown to the Southern Alps. This is true Lord of the Rings country, so I have to say the scenery was totally orksome (man). On New Year’s Eve we walked around a river to a lake. After France we were now in Scotland, crossing Mull Road and Oban Road to reach Glenorchy. After a picnic lunch we planned to go to Paradise for a walk but we had to give up. We couldn’t reach paradise!

 

The road there was unmade and very rough with clouds of dust swirling in our wake, but then we came to a ford that looked a mite too deep for us and our rented vehice. J realised that we weren’t even covered on our policy for driving on unmade roads so we figured we had better not attempt to cross it – so turned around, leaving Paradise for another day. Admire the latest headwear in these photos – J is modelling his Christmas present, genuine Australian and made of Kangaroo leather! Rose and I bought the same hat made from Alpaca wool, but I have had to promise that after NZ I will never wear it when I am with Rose again

 

New Year’s day was bright and sunny and hot, so we set off for another walk. This time an 8km ‘strenous’ uphill ascent to Sawpoint Gully. This used to be Gold Mining Country so when we reached a stream J and the kids tried their luck. A fault in our plan was that we weren’t sure whether what we found was gold or not, but we presumed not. The walk was beautiful, but exhausting. I don’t think I was fully fit, but it was a really difficult walk for some of us.

 

 

Even TJ will now wear a hat to cover up in the sun – and its John’s!!  (I can put this up safe in the knowledge he only looked at the blog once – but he looks kind of cute!).

Thomas is teaching Rory how to whistle with grass!

Another spectacular view!

Arrowtown

The best Christmas present ever!

Apart from having my children with me, this Christmas I had the most exciting and unique Christmas present EVER!! I can’t imagine that J will ever be able to top this (but therin is the challenge)…..

Boxing Day in Sydney sees the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and my present was a yacht charter for the day in Sydney Harbour!!  As those of you who are conscientious blog readers will know, I love boats and the water (a true pisces), so this was truly a special present.  The yacht could take eight so we were able to invite Joel (Rory’s friend from Vietnam) and two of his family so his Dad and younger brother joined us.

We boarded the boat at 11.00 am and sailed around the harbour in and among the yachts taking part in the race – including seven super yachts – and ofcourse all the spectator boats such as ourselves.  Our captain was a merchant seaman from Southgate originally, via Cornwall, who had been in Oz since 1969.  He had also worked most of his adult life as a type of marine policeman in the harbour enforcing the rules, so all in all we were in very capable hands.  Although apparently it was a lot less crowded than most years because of the weather, it was still dauntingly busy, though Graham was able to turn the boat seemingly on a pinhead.

It was the coldest day we had had in Oz, 17C and grey and raining, but the rain was more drizzle than heavy rain so it didn’t spoil the day.  I had worn shorts thinking that if my legs were going to get wet I wouldn’t want to be wearing trousers, but hadn’t anticipated the cold.  Luckily Graham had some spare trakkie bottoms and jackets.

The news helicopters were circling overhead too – adding to the general excitement.  The race started at 1.00pm and it was fantastically exciting to see them all gathering by the start line, adjusting their sails, and then once the race started putting up their spinakers and sailing off literally like the wind.  The biggest yachts can make the race in two days or less, the little ones can take up to two weeks.  Graham had done it once 15 years ago and said although he had sailed all over the world, it was the most terrifying thing he had ever done and he would never, ever, repeat the experience.  Five years ago big storms sunk a number of boats, one with 11 crew members on board.  No trace of it was ever found again.  So this was serious stuff, the super yachts have 26 or so crew on board!  Their wet weather gear costs $1,200 or so per person.  Did you read about the yacht whose mast broke before the race and who had a replacement one made in France, and flown out for $200,000?  They had ‘rigging issues’ and had to return within five minutes of starting the race.  They passed by right next to us on their way into harbour.  Although J asked them what was wrong, they didn’t answer and not surprisingly just looked very glum.

Once the race had started the restrictions on where you could sail were lifted and Graham put all the sails up and we sped around the harbour, loving the experience and soaking it all in.  When we were younger (before kids), J and I both took our elementary sailing certificate – on the Lea Valley reservoir, surrounded by gas tanks, incinerator plants and concrete.  If we had our house on Watson’s Bay (see earlier post), then naturally I would have my yacht moored just outside.  I could even sail into work each day, although apparently there are mooring problems.  Joel’s family live not far from the coast in Greenwich, and their neighbour has a sea plane and flies out to their country house every weekend – as you would.  (BTW – celebrity gossip – Nicole Kidman’s parents live a few doors away from Joel’s family, and her sister…and Joel’s girlfriend even baby sat Isabella and Connor many years ago….).   AND she was in town when we were there…but we didn’t bump into her…..

Here are some photos of this wonderful day.  I would like to point out that my jacket puffed up in the wind, it isn’t all me!  Honest…..

One of the super yachts

The police!  They even had police in full black wetsuits (with hoods) on jet skis!  Very James Bond.

Joel wrestling with the flag!

Thomas, well protected against the weather…we agreed that if it had been 30+C and full sun we would have not have been able to be out on the boat and would have had to have sheltered from the sun!  But a few degrees warmer would have been nice…

Another competition boat

This was after the start when all the sails were up and the spectator boats had to keep their distance.

Thomas and I loving it…

Graham, our captain, waving good bye.

On shore we headed for a cafe for a warming hot chocolate.  Not part of the stereotypical Australian experience, but the end of a spectacular, unrepeatable and unforgettable day.  A fitting end to our Australian adventure as this was our last day before leaving for New Zealand.  Thank you J x

Happy Christmas everyone!

A little late though I am guessing a lot of you have been too busy to read this – or have given up on me.  I’m sorry not to have been able to send you individual greetings or speak to you.  I must admit that we are all missing you – just a bit – at the moment.

Have a wonderful time, love and kisses to you all – here are some shots of Christmas in Australia…

The bushes are decorated – subtle eh?

These four above were taken on Christmas Eve.  We went by ferry to the very exclusive and pretty Watsons Bay where I now definitely want to live.  On George’sd recommendation we went there and decided to sample the fish and chips – four times more expensive in the restaurant than the take away – so we went to the take away!

That evening we went to Darling Harbour to watch the fireworks display:

Taken from our apartment (45th floor this time – sadly no upgrade to the penthouse) the town hall is lit up with pictures:

Christmas day dawned and it was grey and raining!  Who would have thought it!  We had a lovely day at Joel’s parents house Mark and Kirstin and their family.  Joel and Rory shared a room in Vietnam for six months and then went travelling together.  Their house is in the north shore of Sydney and beautiful and surrounded by trees and bushland although only four stops from central Sydney.  The kids played in the pool – despite the rain, and the adults went on a bushwalk.  This blue lizard was on the deck!

Tune in next time for tales of our superlative Boxing Day adventures!  Off to Nz tmr and no more internet time here – bye xxxx

Celebrating John’s Birthday in Mollymook

After another fantastic drive through the Australian countryside we arrived at our next destination – beautiful Mollymook where we celebrated J’s birthday.  On the way though we saw this fab truck:

I am totally in love with the trees on this trip, from the huge banyans in Hawaii and Fiji – to these delicate tree ferns:

The beach was fantastic, beautiful fine white sand, and the sea was clear with big surf:

The day of J’s birthday was hot and sunny with the clearest blue sky ever.  Birthday presents had a strong Australian theme as you might expect.  Here is J with his Ned Kelly T shirt and the brilliant home made card Rose made him (see we do have some creative talent in the family Cathy!).

We ate out in a wonderful restaurant, guess who the chef was?  Rick Stein?  Although ofcourse he was not there his chef from Padstow runs it and the food was absolutely delicious.  The location was even better.  Here we are walking along the beach to reach it:

We started with cocktails by the infinity pool:

The walk back along the beach, with the warm breeze and the stars out was even more amazing.  Thomas is clutching the signed menu J asked for!  Defintely a memorable birthday and the first J has ever spent on the beach in the warm!

Cross country – driving from Melbourne to Sydney

We have left Melbourne and are driving in stages back to Sydney. We started on the Hulme Highway driving across country until we reached Beechworth, our stop for the first night. I had expected the country to be a little like the outback we saw in Uluru – but not a bit! In places it is really fertile and green and quite hilly (like the Peak District to begin with and then moving on to Scotland, and Arizona type landscapes. (Of these references I have to say I have never been to Arizona, but I saw a bit of it on brat camp!). In some places you can see the devastation the bush fires have caused with a lot of land barren, and a lot of trees burnt but still standing. After driving for two hours or so we stopped off in a tiny village – readers it could have been Hampstead – not in looks obviously, it still looks like a wild west town, but the cafe where we had coffee and cakes, tasty and stylish, and the shops! Apart from clothing, there were some lovely home made delicatessen type foods and homeware, what a surprise!

Beechworth itself was a wonderful place. We only stayed one night in a motel and J had warned us it might not be up to much. It was on the outskirts of town and comprised a handful of bungalow type structures with decks. All set apart in lovely grounds, and totally peaceful. After the hurly burly of Sydney and Melbourne it seemed silent at first. But….it was so noisy, but in the best possible way, from the wildlife! The owner showed us around and as he took us through the gardens he gave us a warning about snakes, telling us to be careful and always keep our eyes on the ground to make sure none were around and to place our feet heavily on the ground. Hopefully, I asked him whether there were any dangerous snakes in the vicinity, he replied that they were all dangerous. I started to feel queasy but he reasured me (?) by saying he had rarely seen a snake in these parts – but the other week his wife had seen one at the hairdressers by a tree and called him up and he came and shot it! On the plus side if you get bitten every hospital in Oz has the anti-snake venom…Talking of wildlife, on the drive over after our morning coffee stop, Rose suddenly shouted to J to pull over. When he did she coolly opened the door and batted out a large, blue and hairy spide rthat had crawled in when we stopped. Luckily, I didn’t see it. I haven’t been bothered at all by mossies here, but the flies are unbelievable and I have taken to wearing the Uluru hat at times. The noise I woke to this morning at 5.00 am was a kookaburra! I have never seen one and R says they are quite small, but God it was noisy. How many of you remember the old camp fire guiding song: Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, merry merry king of the bush is he, laugh kookaburra, laugh kookaburra etc etc?? Well it really is a deep, very loud and full throated laugh. None of us had any idea what the other birds we heard were but they are so different. Rory and I agreed that in comparison UK birds are a bit weedy….

So here are some shots of the delightful Beechworth:

It had a brewery which ofcourse we visited! Here are the offspring enjoying sampling the various beers:

After Beechworth we drove through the Snowy Mountain Range to our next stop – Threadbo. This has the largest mountain in Australia and it has snow on the top (just a bit). It is also called the Alps and we are staying in the Alpine Lodge which I think must be modelled on an Austrian ski village. Now J has some fearless buddies I was able to wuss out of going on the chairlift to the top of the mountain. I thought about it but it was one of those that doesn’t stop and is open with just a bar across it. Also looking up it looked way too steep so I stayed in the hotel room writing this blog! Although I can’t post it as the internet is only a dial up connection so the photos won’t upload. Anyhow they enjoyed their trip up 2000m.

Here also are some photos we took on the way, including the exceptionally beautiful ones of the reservoir. Fifty years ago they moved an enitre village to flood the valley. The water level is really low so I guess that’s why you can see the trees. When we first saw it we had no idea what had happened and it seemed surreal. Somehow the photos don’t really do justice to it.