Friday, April 17, 2009
Final days in Melbourne
Day 13
After a delicious breakfast prepared by our host we headed to the Botanical Gardens to do a final self guided walk. It was a beautiful day and when we stopped for lunch a harpist was playing. It was lovely to enjoy the surroundings and the music together.
We also took the tram to St Kilda where Lou checked out the Sunday markets and Joe explored the pier before heading back to the Southbank (via more markets) to have dinner with Monique and her friend Annette.
It was nice to finish off the day with a warm evening and some nice wine. We turned in early as we had an early flight back to NZ in the morning.
Day 12
We checked into a lovely boutique hotel called Robinsons in the City and immediately felt more relaxed. It was a nice change from the budget hotel we'd been staying in. The DFO shopping centre (outlet/discount stores) was just down the road so we headed down to check out the bargains. We came out empty handed and headed to the city centre to do another self guided walking tour. This one was through the famous 'Lanes' which are cute, narrow lanes with trendy boutique shops, cafes and restaurants.
We had dinner in a restaurant on the Southbank with Jeff and his wife Nora. Joe and I shared a roast lamb pizza complete with roast potatoes and peas! After dinner we headed to the Regent Theatre to attend a performance of the musical Wicked. This show focuses on the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz story. It turns out that the wicked witch wasn't actually wicked at all. Because it was not too cheesy and had a good story Joe actually enjoyed it - he's not normally a fan of musicals. We also spotted Rove McManus in the front row of the circle....our one celeb spot of the trip.
Day 11
We took the train for 1 1/2 hours to Ballarat to visit Lou's Uncle and Aunty and cousins. Ballarat is a gold mining town and Sovereign Hill, a replica of the town in the height of the gold mining era, is its main tourist attraction. We enjoyed wandering around the old 'western' style building, watching a 'gold pour' and went on a tour of the underground mine.
Afterwards we went to Lou's cousin Anna's house and enjoyed a lovely lunch and catch up with Lou's Aunty Connie, Uncle Les and family.
Day 10
Today we did a self-guided walking tour of East Melbourne. This area seemed like the Chelsea (in London) of Melbourne with very expensive properties and leafy streets. It was also a good break away from the crowds of the main shopping and tourist areas.
We had some ingredients left over from the spaghetti bolognese we cooked the night before so we cooked another batch for lunch. You have to try to save some money with the exchange rate the way it is these days. In the afternoon we wandered along the South Bank to parts we didn't reach on our first attempt. We headed over to the Casino but they were doing renovations and the fountain which we were recommended to see was not working. Casinos are so depressing, lots of overweight Europeans and Asians pushing their money into machines.
That evening we went to see comedian Stephen K Amos' show in the Comedy Festival with Mon, Michelle and Steve. We'd heard good things about him and he didn't disappoint. He was particularly good at 'localising' his material and hassling the crowd. His opening 'Beyonce style' dance number was great too.
We finished the night with a good curry.
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Thursday, April 09, 2009
Tour time
Day 9
Now our second tour was Phillip Island Penguins with Andy. We were last on the bus so Lou got to sit at the front where she enjoyed chatting with Andy. Our first stop was the Moonlit Wildlife Park where we feed wallabies and a kangaroo. Feeding a wallaby is not like feeding a horse. Horses are indescriminant and if you don't lie your hand flat it may take your fingers. Wallabies are gentle, just lightly brushing your hand with their whiskers as they eat. Some of the Wallabies were quite timid but the first one I feed came up to me, bold as anything and dug in. The younger ones were less cautious than their parents. Next up was a sub standard winery. Nick made comments about "buying a bottle and using it to run your car" and "have a little taste, throw up then continue with the tour". We thought he was joking, after our first sip we realised he wasn't. On Phillip Island we saw Woolamai surf beach and the Nobbies (across the harbour). Of course the stars of the day were the Penguins. It is very organised. There are boardwalks, grand stands and flood lights for the hundreds of people who come to watch each night. After half an hour of anticipation we watched a few small groups come up the beach. Moving up to the boardwalks you couple watch them waddle up through the dunes to their burrows. We walked along beside a pair on our way back to the visitors center. It was nice to see Melbourne by night on the way home.
Day 8
Today was our first tour, the Yarra Valley wine tour with Nick (our guide). We stopped at four wineries; Yerring Station, lunch at Rochford Wines, Yerring Farm (boutique winery, cute) and Domaine Chandon (Moet and Chandon winery, one of four in the world). We had a nice group of people consisting of a Welsh and an Irish Woman, 3 Brits and an older American couple. We all were entertained by the American woman who seemed to want to film everything with her video camera and ask a constant stream of questions (many of which she would not have had to answer if she was listening to the guide). They were constantly complaining about how the could not take any duty free liquor home because of the border restrictions in the US. So pretty typical Americans. The Yarra Valley was one of the areas affected by the Victoria bush fires earlier this year. I was expecting to see burnt trees along the way but there were none. The people working in the wineries told us how the smoke was like pea soup and it is absorbed by the leaves of the grape vines and taints the fruit. Upon return we went for a drink with our tour mates at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow. While we were having a good old chat we were interrupted three times by comedians trying to get us to go to their shows. These were obviously not the sell out acts of the comedy festival.
Day 7
Mon's apartment is close to the Botanical Gardens so we headed up there to see the war memorial. The WWI memorial is very impressive with marble columns etc. The main area has a central stone set into the ground with the inscription 'Greater Love Hath No Man'. On 11am on 11 November (Armistice Day)there is a ceremony and a ray of light passes over the word 'Love'. Pretty moving. There is a smaller memorial for WWII with an eternal flame. After a nice lunch at Peko peko we trammed back to our hostel and did some washing!
Day 6
Today was a bit wet so we weren't sure whether or not to go to the Melbourne Garden and Flower Show as planned. In the end I persuaded Mon and Chelle to come with me as I hoped it would be similar to the fabulous Chelsea Flower show in London. It was pretty good but not as impressive as the exhibits were smaller and not so beautiful and extravagant. Joe didn't partake in the garden and flower appreciation and went shopping instead. He bought a nice pair of Tiger shoes. Our shopping philosophy so far has been to look for items that we couldn't get at home. We are finding the prices pretty expensive...I'd hoped for end of summer sales but no such luck. Mon and I cooked up a delicious roast lamb dinner in the evening which we and her flatmates enjoyed. It was nice to hang out in a home for the weekend and chat with her nice flatties.
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Now our second tour was Phillip Island Penguins with Andy. We were last on the bus so Lou got to sit at the front where she enjoyed chatting with Andy. Our first stop was the Moonlit Wildlife Park where we feed wallabies and a kangaroo. Feeding a wallaby is not like feeding a horse. Horses are indescriminant and if you don't lie your hand flat it may take your fingers. Wallabies are gentle, just lightly brushing your hand with their whiskers as they eat. Some of the Wallabies were quite timid but the first one I feed came up to me, bold as anything and dug in. The younger ones were less cautious than their parents. Next up was a sub standard winery. Nick made comments about "buying a bottle and using it to run your car" and "have a little taste, throw up then continue with the tour". We thought he was joking, after our first sip we realised he wasn't. On Phillip Island we saw Woolamai surf beach and the Nobbies (across the harbour). Of course the stars of the day were the Penguins. It is very organised. There are boardwalks, grand stands and flood lights for the hundreds of people who come to watch each night. After half an hour of anticipation we watched a few small groups come up the beach. Moving up to the boardwalks you couple watch them waddle up through the dunes to their burrows. We walked along beside a pair on our way back to the visitors center. It was nice to see Melbourne by night on the way home.
Day 8
Today was our first tour, the Yarra Valley wine tour with Nick (our guide). We stopped at four wineries; Yerring Station, lunch at Rochford Wines, Yerring Farm (boutique winery, cute) and Domaine Chandon (Moet and Chandon winery, one of four in the world). We had a nice group of people consisting of a Welsh and an Irish Woman, 3 Brits and an older American couple. We all were entertained by the American woman who seemed to want to film everything with her video camera and ask a constant stream of questions (many of which she would not have had to answer if she was listening to the guide). They were constantly complaining about how the could not take any duty free liquor home because of the border restrictions in the US. So pretty typical Americans. The Yarra Valley was one of the areas affected by the Victoria bush fires earlier this year. I was expecting to see burnt trees along the way but there were none. The people working in the wineries told us how the smoke was like pea soup and it is absorbed by the leaves of the grape vines and taints the fruit. Upon return we went for a drink with our tour mates at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow. While we were having a good old chat we were interrupted three times by comedians trying to get us to go to their shows. These were obviously not the sell out acts of the comedy festival.
Day 7
Mon's apartment is close to the Botanical Gardens so we headed up there to see the war memorial. The WWI memorial is very impressive with marble columns etc. The main area has a central stone set into the ground with the inscription 'Greater Love Hath No Man'. On 11am on 11 November (Armistice Day)there is a ceremony and a ray of light passes over the word 'Love'. Pretty moving. There is a smaller memorial for WWII with an eternal flame. After a nice lunch at Peko peko we trammed back to our hostel and did some washing!
Day 6
Today was a bit wet so we weren't sure whether or not to go to the Melbourne Garden and Flower Show as planned. In the end I persuaded Mon and Chelle to come with me as I hoped it would be similar to the fabulous Chelsea Flower show in London. It was pretty good but not as impressive as the exhibits were smaller and not so beautiful and extravagant. Joe didn't partake in the garden and flower appreciation and went shopping instead. He bought a nice pair of Tiger shoes. Our shopping philosophy so far has been to look for items that we couldn't get at home. We are finding the prices pretty expensive...I'd hoped for end of summer sales but no such luck. Mon and I cooked up a delicious roast lamb dinner in the evening which we and her flatmates enjoyed. It was nice to hang out in a home for the weekend and chat with her nice flatties.
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Saturday, April 04, 2009
Melbourne = Shopping
Day 5
This morning we all went for a swim in the pool in the apartment complex which was very refreshing. Then Monique took us to Harveys for a nice relaxing lunch and then on to Chapel St for more shopping (Melbourne = Shopping!). Michelle and her boyfriend Steve met us later on for afternoon tea. Later we went for a walk along St Kilda beach and had a pub dinner.
Day 4
We'd heard that Gertrude St and Brunswick Sts were the latest 'cool/trendy'sts for shopping. There were many quirky designer women's clothing and design stores and cafes, all were very expensive. The weather turned bad with heavy rain, thunder and lightening. We took cover in a french restaurant for lunch. Halfway through our meal the rain came through the ceiling and fell onto some people's table. We went back to Monique's apartment where we are staying for the weekend. It was great to be in a 'home' again.
Later met up with Monique, Sophie and Jeff (Joseph's ex workmates from London) for drinks at a rooftop bar. We then went to dinner at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown with yummy duck and finished with drinks at a bar called Section 8. It was great catching up with old friends.
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This morning we all went for a swim in the pool in the apartment complex which was very refreshing. Then Monique took us to Harveys for a nice relaxing lunch and then on to Chapel St for more shopping (Melbourne = Shopping!). Michelle and her boyfriend Steve met us later on for afternoon tea. Later we went for a walk along St Kilda beach and had a pub dinner.
Day 4
We'd heard that Gertrude St and Brunswick Sts were the latest 'cool/trendy'sts for shopping. There were many quirky designer women's clothing and design stores and cafes, all were very expensive. The weather turned bad with heavy rain, thunder and lightening. We took cover in a french restaurant for lunch. Halfway through our meal the rain came through the ceiling and fell onto some people's table. We went back to Monique's apartment where we are staying for the weekend. It was great to be in a 'home' again.
Later met up with Monique, Sophie and Jeff (Joseph's ex workmates from London) for drinks at a rooftop bar. We then went to dinner at a chinese restaurant in Chinatown with yummy duck and finished with drinks at a bar called Section 8. It was great catching up with old friends.
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Thursday, April 02, 2009
Melbourne
Day 3
We started off on a self guided walking tour along the Yarra river and towards the Southbank and Docklands area but the heat got to us so we abandoned the walk to visit the National Gallery of Victoria which is like a mix of London's Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Gallery rolled into one. Later we went back to The Lanes for a massive burger for dinner.
Day 2
We met up with Joseph's cousin Mark around midday. He drove us to Smith St where the outlet stores are and then to the famous Lygon St for delicious pizza and dessert. Later we explored The Lanes and looked around the shops in the GPO building and Melbourne Central station. Dinner was at Don Don recommended by Michelle for cheap eats.
Day 1
We were booked on a Jet Star flight but didn't realise that we'd fly into an airport in the middle of the desert with no grass just dirt. Once in town we rode to our hotel on the free 'City Circle' tram. Once settled in our hotel we went to Federation Square to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. We enjoyed an exhibition called 'Setting the scene' which was about production designers, how sets are designed and realised, and what effect they have on movies. Later we met up with Lou's friends Monique and Michelle for dinner at a fantastic tapas bar just across the road from our hotel.
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We started off on a self guided walking tour along the Yarra river and towards the Southbank and Docklands area but the heat got to us so we abandoned the walk to visit the National Gallery of Victoria which is like a mix of London's Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum and National Gallery rolled into one. Later we went back to The Lanes for a massive burger for dinner.
Day 2
We met up with Joseph's cousin Mark around midday. He drove us to Smith St where the outlet stores are and then to the famous Lygon St for delicious pizza and dessert. Later we explored The Lanes and looked around the shops in the GPO building and Melbourne Central station. Dinner was at Don Don recommended by Michelle for cheap eats.
Day 1
We were booked on a Jet Star flight but didn't realise that we'd fly into an airport in the middle of the desert with no grass just dirt. Once in town we rode to our hotel on the free 'City Circle' tram. Once settled in our hotel we went to Federation Square to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. We enjoyed an exhibition called 'Setting the scene' which was about production designers, how sets are designed and realised, and what effect they have on movies. Later we met up with Lou's friends Monique and Michelle for dinner at a fantastic tapas bar just across the road from our hotel.
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Sydney
Day 3
On our final day in Sydney we took the River Cat to Paramatta. This was the first settlement but has lost most of it's old buildings and was pretty ugly. Unfortunately the old buildings they still have were closed on Monday (like the historic buildings in the city centre). It seems, like in Napier, it takes a period of over development, where heritage buildings are sacrificed for new ones, to kick start a preservation movement. Paramatta is now trying to look after and cherish it's history. Unfortunately it rained as well so we didn't have enough time to even see the outside of the older buildings.
Day 2
We meet up with Ted again and took the ferry over to Manly. This is a lovely area with beaches, shopping, cafes and restaurants. We had a lovely time at Shelley beach which is more like a cove, surrounded by trees. The water is calm and the beach is more family oriented with a bbq area. We swam and lazed in the sun. Perfect! For dinner we had delicious pizza sitting outside.
Day 1
After a very early start we arrived in Sydney around 8am. Later in the day we meet up with Ted and had sushi for lunch sitting in Hyde Park. We then walked through town and enjoyed looking at the historic buildings on Macquarie St and bits of the Botanic Gardens on our way to Circular Quay. We looked around The Rocks markets and had the most delicious gelato. After that we explored further, looking at the old pubs along the way and ended at Millers Point Observatory which has a park with a great view of the harbour bridge. There was a constant stream of wedding parties along with their stretch limos and classic cars. Where we were sitting seemed to be a popular spot for wedding photos so we watched bride after bride posing in front of us. Some of the photographers were polite, others stood right behind us and shot right over our heads!
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On our final day in Sydney we took the River Cat to Paramatta. This was the first settlement but has lost most of it's old buildings and was pretty ugly. Unfortunately the old buildings they still have were closed on Monday (like the historic buildings in the city centre). It seems, like in Napier, it takes a period of over development, where heritage buildings are sacrificed for new ones, to kick start a preservation movement. Paramatta is now trying to look after and cherish it's history. Unfortunately it rained as well so we didn't have enough time to even see the outside of the older buildings.
Day 2
We meet up with Ted again and took the ferry over to Manly. This is a lovely area with beaches, shopping, cafes and restaurants. We had a lovely time at Shelley beach which is more like a cove, surrounded by trees. The water is calm and the beach is more family oriented with a bbq area. We swam and lazed in the sun. Perfect! For dinner we had delicious pizza sitting outside.
Day 1
After a very early start we arrived in Sydney around 8am. Later in the day we meet up with Ted and had sushi for lunch sitting in Hyde Park. We then walked through town and enjoyed looking at the historic buildings on Macquarie St and bits of the Botanic Gardens on our way to Circular Quay. We looked around The Rocks markets and had the most delicious gelato. After that we explored further, looking at the old pubs along the way and ended at Millers Point Observatory which has a park with a great view of the harbour bridge. There was a constant stream of wedding parties along with their stretch limos and classic cars. Where we were sitting seemed to be a popular spot for wedding photos so we watched bride after bride posing in front of us. Some of the photographers were polite, others stood right behind us and shot right over our heads!
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Thailand Trip - Day 10: Railay
For our final full day in Railay we booked a days speed boat trip around Ko Phi Phi. We got up early and headed down the beach. The boat picked us up at 9:15 and we headed out over the open ocean to our first stop, bamboo Island. We had a 30 minute stop here to do some snorkelling. There were many other speedboats already stopped on the beach and many people in the choppy water. Once in the water I found that, although many people were near the beach you had to swim quite far out to the coral to see the fish. With the choppy water and cheap snorkel I found that water continuously came down and I had to blow it out regularly.
On the way to the next stop, Tim and I sat up front. As the boat went over larger waves we got a bone jarring jolt as the boat hit the water. We went into a cove surrounded by massive cliffs, It would have been quite awe inspiring if it weren't for all the other boats and the need to move swiftly through to let other boats behind us have a go. Our next dive spot was round the corner in another cove. Here the coral was nicer and the water less choppy. It was fun jumping off the boat and floating around.
After a mediocre lunch on Ko Phi Phi we walked around the market. We saw a workshop where a group of guys were painting replica paintings on large canvases. We saw Ray Lichenstein, Kieth Harring and work from other artists. It is quite odd to see people openly forging artwork in the middle of a busy tourist market.
Onto the next stop, viking cave. This is a cave with a wooden jetty, wooden structures inside and a guy in a hamok, with a gun. Our guide said we could not stop and look around because we would be shot. I have no idea why we went there. Next up was, apparently, the location where the Leonardo Decaprio movie, "The Beach" was filmed. This was actually the most unpleasant spot. There were so many people all over the beach. We went for a walk further inland and clambered up the jagged rocks for a view of the cove over the other side of the island. It was nice to get away from all the people for a little bit.
Our last stop was the best. We went out into the open ocean between three islands. Here there was a large coral reef. It was great seeing all the different colours and shapes of the coral and the different colourful fish.
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On the way to the next stop, Tim and I sat up front. As the boat went over larger waves we got a bone jarring jolt as the boat hit the water. We went into a cove surrounded by massive cliffs, It would have been quite awe inspiring if it weren't for all the other boats and the need to move swiftly through to let other boats behind us have a go. Our next dive spot was round the corner in another cove. Here the coral was nicer and the water less choppy. It was fun jumping off the boat and floating around.
After a mediocre lunch on Ko Phi Phi we walked around the market. We saw a workshop where a group of guys were painting replica paintings on large canvases. We saw Ray Lichenstein, Kieth Harring and work from other artists. It is quite odd to see people openly forging artwork in the middle of a busy tourist market.
Onto the next stop, viking cave. This is a cave with a wooden jetty, wooden structures inside and a guy in a hamok, with a gun. Our guide said we could not stop and look around because we would be shot. I have no idea why we went there. Next up was, apparently, the location where the Leonardo Decaprio movie, "The Beach" was filmed. This was actually the most unpleasant spot. There were so many people all over the beach. We went for a walk further inland and clambered up the jagged rocks for a view of the cove over the other side of the island. It was nice to get away from all the people for a little bit.
Our last stop was the best. We went out into the open ocean between three islands. Here there was a large coral reef. It was great seeing all the different colours and shapes of the coral and the different colourful fish.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thailand Trip - Day 9: Railay
Got up late and, over breakfast, played chinese checkers for the first time since I was little. Around lunch time we rented a kayak and paddled over to Ao Nang. Ao Nang has a long, straight beach with a prominade running along it. There are many resorts, restaurants, street stalls and older people. It does not have the atmosphere of Railay.
We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Tim ordered a "vegitable" and cheese pizza. It turned out that it came with salad where Tim was expecting what we would normally get mushroom, olives, capsicum etc. He refused to eat or pay for it and got in an argument with the owner, neither backing down. In the end he did not have to pay. A minor victory but a victory none the less. It is hard not to get into a seage metality, us verses them. The best thing to do is laugh about it and realise you are not the clever and others will be scammed too.
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We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Tim ordered a "vegitable" and cheese pizza. It turned out that it came with salad where Tim was expecting what we would normally get mushroom, olives, capsicum etc. He refused to eat or pay for it and got in an argument with the owner, neither backing down. In the end he did not have to pay. A minor victory but a victory none the less. It is hard not to get into a seage metality, us verses them. The best thing to do is laugh about it and realise you are not the clever and others will be scammed too.
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Thailand Trip - Day 8: Railay
Finally we feel up to doing some climbing. Luckily the easy walls are in the shade. I guess lurning to climb is like most other things. When you start you don't have the right technique and so you waste a lot of energy. When you are climbing in this heat you sweat profusely and need to continously reapply chalk to your hands. I managed to make it up one of the easiest climbs but only half way up two others. I could make it up to a point where you needed to lung for teh next hold but my arms could not do it. It was what I should have expected considering I did no training. Tim had a great time and did 4 climbs in all. Afterward we were not exhausted, just tired so we hand an early dinner and an early night.
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