Packed our bags this morning for the first time in weeks. The rucksacks were both filthy from the gravel roads - somehow the dust managed to get in the boot! In Christchurch Greg said goodbye to his favourite jeans, they were ripped to shreds but he was still loathe to part with them. However, he did promise Joy that they would not leave New Zealand - Oh well at least the bag would be a bit lighter! Joy also left her white plimsoles with the hole in the sole so hopefully they'll be keeping each other company. The bus came to pick us up at 12.45 and at the airport we both had a pie as the culinary choices weren't that vast. Greg bought a DVD forgetting about the whole zone thing so we probably won't even be able to watch it at home! A reasonably short flight into Melbourne left us waiting for our shuttle bus, Greg had a bit of time to get some cash so he rushed off, leaving Joy following with the baggage trolly, in those 2 minutes we managed to part and lose each other - Greg was running around in a panic, absolutely frantic as Joy had all of his worldly belongings, including passport and tickets so after about 10 minutes he went and put out an APB over the tannoy. Greg's knee was wrecked at the time from all the running (which he's not allowed to do) but when Joy didn't appear he had another scout around. Fortunately he found her in the next building just about to put her message on the tannoy. Anyway, needless to say we were both a bit emotional and Greg promised to never, ever be in a hurry and rush off ahead again!
We eventually got to our rather grand hotel in South Yarra and crossed the road for some tasty falafels, after that we wandered towards town along the river, through Olympic Park and past the MCG until we got tired and headed back via the Botanic Gardens.
18/12/08
The worst night sleep yet, the road outside was noisy and the bed was doubly so with it creaking seemingly every time we breathed! However, we were up and at'em by 7am. A free breaksfast did us some good before jumping on a train with all the commuters, it felt really good not going into work! We arrived at our destination (the Neighbours tour shop) and headed onto our bus. The first stop was Erinsborough High before a trip to the studio to visit Carpenter's Garage. We then visited Ramsay Street which is really small in real life and has a bizarre name. It was really good to see it and it left us feeling all warm inside! We hopped back on the bus and our guide took us to St. Kilda where we met a very random previous cast member (Janay's Mum??) We left the tour there and wandered around, looking at the sea, rollercoaster and some amazing cakes before heading back into the city on a tram. We sorted out our hire car for the next few days and then headed up the Rialto Tower for some views of the city. On the way back to South Yarra a tram had broken down so we had to get out and walk for a bit but it was OK! Shower at the hotel before out for dinner at Pinnocchio's Pizza, Joy's goat's cheese, pesto and prosciutto was delicious and the dessert was even better - the most amazing chocolate mousse/cake. After dinner we headed along Chapel Street but it started raining, we made it as far as an Irish pub so we ducked in for some shelter and a glass of wine each, then back to the hostel to a new room (that Joy organised) with a creakless bed.
19/12/08
Headed to pick up our hire car, Greg's turn to drive and find a way out of the city today - Great! It was a nice big Toyota Camry that packed some real punch (Automatic again) and the hill start in the garage was very interesting! We made it out on to the Great Ocean Road at about midday. Visited Lorne and had a walk along the beach to the pier before heading on to Apollo Bay. We did a quick shop and checked into our hostel - the YHA, then walked around town before heading back for dinner and a DVD. The chinese people next door were very loud (and I think they stole our bottle of water!)
20/12/08
Up and on the road by 10am, we headed towards the Twelve Apostles where we had a nice walk around, then visited the Arch and London Bridge and finally the Grotto before turning back and heading towards the Otway Fly. Before heading in there though we had a quick look at the Triplet Falls which was quite nice. The Otway Fly is a tree top walk through the rainforest with metal walkways and tall towers to view from - the highest making Greg a little queasy as the wind was swaying us a little! When we got back to ground level we continued on to Bimbi Park and checked into our rather grand cabin. We had a nice walk around the campground and saw about 8 koalas going about their business in the trees. They're actually very big and make a hell of a noise!
21/12/08
Awoken by some very strange bird calls (Kookaburras I think) The campsite was pretty cool and it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. We drove to Cape Otway lighthouse but decided against going in as it seemed a tad expensive. Instead we drove on to Crayfish Bay, taking a wrong turn and scratching the side of the car with branches in the process - oops! When we arrived the beach was quite nice and we had our first paddle in Australia - cold! After the beach we headed back towards Melbourne and returned the car at about 4.15pm. We locked our bags in the bus station and had a walk around town in 29 degree heat. We had dinner in the Shanghai Dumpling House and Greg's pork with noodles was just the ticket before our 12 hour bus drive to Sydney.
22/12/08
Arrived into Sydney at 7am, about an hour ahead of schedule. I think between us we managed about 3 or 4 hours sleep so we weren't feeling the best! We bought a travel pass and headed to Kings Cross which was pretty simple, getting to Potts Point didn't prove as easy as nobody was any help at all. Eventually we hailed a taxi which took us a mere 2 or 3 minutes down the road to our hotel - We could have done the journey on foot in less than 10 minutes!! We managed to check in and had a power kip for 3 hours or so before heading into the city to gather information on what to do. We managed to walk for about 5 hours and see most of the city and prepare ourselves for Christmas shopping the following day. We headed back to the hotel and Greg attempted to make an Omelette but with no oil it turned into a messy looking scrambled eggs. We were planning on going for a walk after dinner but we were so tired that we just crashed and tried to refresh ourselves.
23/12/08
Headed into the city at about 11am, we did a tour of the shops and got ideas for each others' Christmas presents before splitting up after lunch. We met back up at 4pm and tried to hide our bags from each other! We then headed home via an internet cafe.
24/12/08
We caught the train into town and walked to Circular Quay where we caught a ferry to Taronga Zoo. We didn't go in but we had a nice walk around Bradley's Head, past Cowper Bay and down into Clifton Gardens where we had our lunch before heading back to the ferry. We then walked back through the Botanical Gardens and on to Mrs Macquarie's Point to try and suss a good spot for the fireworks. We continued back through Woolloomooloo and up some very steep steps to the hotel where we had an early dinner and some celebratory beers. We then headed back into town to Darling Harbour where we sat by a huge Christmas tree and listened to the carols before wandering through Hyde Park looking for a pub. When we eventually found one we realised that Joy didn't have any ID on her so we couldn't get in! We decided to have a Krispy Kreme donut instead of alcohol and headed back to the hotel for more beers and carols on the TV.
25/12/08 - Christmas Day!
We woke up around 8.30am and opened our presents. Greg got a nice yellow T-shirt, a book, a beer cooler and some bum wash (not necessary I assure you!) Joy seemed to like her presents too - some perfume, a hat, some swimming shorts and a bag, along with all the chocolate (well it isn't Christmas without the Quality Street!) We then had a coffee before showering and heading downstairs for croissants and bucks fizz. We managed to polish off a whole bottle of sparkling by 11.30am! At midday we headed to Bondi and picked a nice spot to lie down. We had to polish off our beers first though as alcohol wasn't allowed on the beach. After a couple of hours of sunbaking (Australian term) we headed towards the BBQs where we cooked a couple of snags each and some juicy burgers. They took a little longer than expected but we were eating them by 4pm - They were really good but boy were we stuffed afterwards! The clouds cleared while we were eating so the tempreature soared and I toddled off to buy some sun cream as we weren't expecting the heat. At around 5.30 we headed for a refreshing swim and we left the beach around 6.30. We bought an ice cream on the way home, showered and then headed to the park for a couple of beers.
26/12/08
Eggs for breakfast today, Greg's attempt to poach ended in disaster with very little egg white surviving and the yolk being rock hard (the water over here is very different), he then proceeded to pour half the pot of pepper over it by accident! After breakfast we headed to Circular Quay to catch a ferry to Olympic Park, our first attempt landed us in Darling Harbour and took about an hour to return. When we got back to Circular Quay we got on the correct boat and headed west along the Paramatta River which got us to Olympic Park at about 2.30. We hopped on a bus and got off near the olympic stadium. It was pretty deserted so we found a spot to have a late lunch and Joy performed some aerobic routines before we waited for a bus back to the ferry wharf and subsequently waited at the wharf for a ferry! We headed home and decided to skip dinner and scoff tons of chocolates instead. We polished off a substantial amount along with a bottle of red and watched a film.
27/12/08
Up and off to Sydney Aquarium, saw lots of fish (!), a crocodile, crabs, seahorses, dugongs, stingrays and sharks! Didn't get eaten luckily and headed back to the hotel for lunch before heading back for our Harbour Bridge Walk. After the bright sunshine of yesterday, right on cue, the heavens opened just as our tour was about to begin. Kitted out in waterproofs, we hid from the lightning in a sheltered area of the bridge towers before we were given the all clear. Due to the delay we had a bit of time to make up so we missed out a little bit of the climbing and took the VIP lift instead - much easier on the thighs! Walked up to the centre of the harbour bridge arch to get excellent views of the whole city. Not quite as impressive as the Tyne Bridge of course, but not a bad second! 3 & 1/2 hours later we were back on solid ground and out of our humpsuits. Bussed it back to our hotel to relax for the rest of the evening.
28/12/08
Out by 11ish to catch a bus to Circular Quay to board a catamaran to Watson's Bay in order to catch another bus to Bondi! All journeys went smoothly - hooray! Did a coastal walk to Coogee Beach. It was hot and sunny and took us about 90 minutes, stopping for a sandwich en route. We reached Coogeee and caught some rays on the beach before having a swim, although cold, the water was lovely and refreshing after a morning in the sun. Once out, re-applied the sun screen and it clouded over! We sat it out for about 40 mins until the sun shone once more. Caught the bus back to Bondi and finally a train home - only a plane missing today! We quenched our thirst with a Magners with our dinner whilst trying to eavesdrop why the police were at our hotel with some other guests. A break in and stolen goods we think - luckily we're on the 3rd floor. Chillaxing after dinner after our long sunny walk.
29/12/08
Not much planned for today, headed to town to look for Greek restaurants, cinema and shopping for bits and bobs. Soon discovered all the Greek people have gone home for Christmas so a meal is off the cards. Got to the cinema and booked tickets for the evening and had lunch in a breezy St James Park - no sign of Shearer! Wandered along Oxford Street as we'd been told it was good for shopping, it seemed a little seedy though so we got the bus back to town to save our legs from a return walk along the street. Bought a snorkel and mask each so we're set for watching fish at the Great Barrier Reef and in Thailand. Headed home to relax before dinner and then back into town again to watch James Bond. The film was good and it was a nice change to do something different in the evening - not to mention the popcorn!!
30/12/08
Took a 2 hour train ride to Katoomba and the Blue Mountains. It was a nice sunny day to see some natural outdoors! The Blue Mountains (which make the atmosphere appear blue due to the oil evaporating from the Eucalyptus Trees) weren't very blue but were a nice change from the concrete cityscape. We thought it was a bit like the Grand Canyon but with lots of trees (and less of a canyon!) Saw the '3 Sisters' rocks and the Katoomba Falls. It was busy, especially on the 'Giant Steps' but that was good as it meant we had to go slowly up them - not too tiring! A busy train back to Sydney at 4.30. Stopped at the supermarket on the way home to get our picnic for tomorrow. Probably got enough food to last a couple of days never mind just one, but better to be safe than sorry and we have to treat ourselves on New Year! Back to the hotel for dinner - and as it had been a long day - a bottle of beer!
31/12/08
Packed our things ready for a day in the sun. Headed to the park in order to bag a good spot to watch the midnight fireworks; crisps, salad, chicken, nuts, bread, books, puzzles, cushions, change of clothes, drinks...! Planned to leave at 11ish but we were ready early so walked to Mrs Macquaries Point. We were expecting alot of people, but not as many as we saw, there were thousands! Arriving just after 10.30am, we found the front of the queue, but where was the back?! After walking and wondering just how long one line could be, we traced a route to the end of the line and finally found the back of the queue. We took our place and stood in the hot sun. After approx 2 hours we hadn't moved that much so Greg went back to the hotel to get some forgotten essentials - chocolate and beer! By the time he got back the line had moved a lot and we were making progress and kept moving steadily. We finished our beers before reaching the park gates and no alcohol zone at approx 3.30pm. The capacity was 20,000 people and we were wondering if we would make it in, so we were glad to eventually pass the security gates. The premium view spots were already taken up and towels and people covered every inch of grass. We wandered and found a spot with an OK view of the bridge and settled into our spot. Read, ate, lazed and drank (water and lemonade!) for ther rest of the day, treating ourselves to an early evening beer. At $7 a can it was only going to be the one! At 9pm it was time for the family fireworks, whetting our appetite for the main event at midnight. 3 hours to go and getting a numb bum and a little chilly! We broke up the final wait with a treat of pavlova and chocoalte covered strawberries - yum! People started moving closer to the front for the main fireworks so after picking our spot we too decided to ditch it for a better view! We found a spot next to the toilets - a good view of the bridge and sky - unobscured by tree leaves - but a slight smell of wee, ha ha!
At midnight the new year was welcomed in with a 12 minute display. The fireworks were spectacular, massive bangs and cracks and all colours lighting up the sky. The ones coming off the bridge were dazzling and our favourite. (Joy drew a picture in her book - but you can't see that!!) After 12 mins it was all over and we wandered home - a whole day of anticipation over in minutes! With stiff legs we climbed the steps home and went to bed wondering what 2009 would bring!
01/01/2009 - Happy New Year
A nice lazy morning to start the New Year, did some washing, read and had poached and boiled eggs for brunch - yum! Joy's turned out pretty good this time too - restoring her faith in all things egg! Headed into town to welcome in the new year with a few drinks. Started with happy hour at Blackbird Cafe on Darling Harbour. It was a very hot and sunny day and we sat outside in the warm breeze! After 2 schooners (not quite a pint) it was off to PJ O'Briens in town for a proper pint, then onto the 'Australia Hotel' near the Harbour Bridge for more schooners! The guys at the table next to us started chatting and insisted on buying us a drink - it would have been rude to refuse! A couple of hours and a few free drinks later we were feeling rather merry! John from Ireland seemed to enjoy flashing his cash and we didn't mind either! We were so merry that we didn't even mind when his mate Ben told us about his New Year's Eve. A nice meal at home with friends, going out to the end of his steet at 9.30pm for a great view of the fireworks and bridge - his street also being the end of our very own street - Challis Avenue! Pah, we liked our queuing and numb bums anyway! John left the party early - and almost unnoticed and Ben stayed for one for the road - his fiance had arrived and was poised with the car ready to take a slurring Ben home. We then headed to another pub - we had to go as it had a roof top beer garden with views of the opera house! The beer garden was full so we got a view of the road instead! We then walked home (40 mins) stopping for a final and un-needed nightcap at Woolloomooloo! We then stumbled to the pie van! Joy had a tasty 'Tiger Pie' - Beef, mushy peas, mash and gravy - yum yum! Greg had a not so good, but still very tasty, curry pie. Not that Greg remembers, but we also had a cookie before climbing the steps home. We must have had the munchies as once in we finished off some pasta salad. Having drunk a little more than expected and spent a little less than expected - thanks to John and Ben, we slurred goodnight to the first day of 2009!
02/01/09
Woke up fuzzy headed - its been a while since we had a hangover! Caught a bus to Palm Beach. It was almost a 2 hour drive and we were gagging for our sandwiches when we got there. We had to wait just a little while before we ate as we took snaps of Summer Bay Surf Life Saving Club!! Humming the Home and Away theme tune we then found a spot on the beach for lunch. It was cooler today and after applying some extra sun cream the clouds came over! We sat for a little while before heading back to town on the bus. With our hangovers, we were tired and hungry. When we got back we made our dinner and looked forward to relaxing for the rest of the evening.
03/01/09
Took the bus to Circular Quay to get the ferry to Manly. Enjoyed a leisurely look around the shops where Joy bough a nice dress for a bargain. We then sat on the beach for a while before a short wander along the coast and the 5pm ferry home. Popped into the pharmacy on the way back to get them to look at a big bite on Joy's knee - looks like a 3rd kneecap! Nothing to worry about though and no spiders eggs in there!! Back home for dinner and packing before relaxing and Scrabble. Our last night in Challis Lodge - hopefully a good night sleep in the bed as we're sleeping on the bus tomorrow night. :-(
04/01/09
Checked out at 10am with a long day ahead of us before getting the bus. Went to an internet cafe to while away a bit of time before heading to town to try to dump our bags for the day, as the bus wasn't until 10pm. No lockers at the bus station and it cost $$$ to store it at the train station which shut at 5pm anyway. After 2 hours going back and forth trying to find a place cheap enough and that stayed open late we found somewhere - phew! Lunch, then a free trip to the museum, by-passing the paid entry in order to 'go to the toilet.' We only stayed to see the photography exhibition anyway so we didn't rub it in! A spot of shopping before going to Darling Harbour where we played cards for a while. After 6pm, headed for our final Sydney treat - dinner in a pancake restaurant. Pancakes and ice cream washed down with hot chocolate! A final few hours uploading photos in the internet cafe before we headed to the bus, finally working out which one of the many was ours. We waved goodbye to Sydney with a drive over the Harbour Bridge, the city lights twinkling in the background.
