Aloha Everybody !!

Here’s Update #1 from Di & Rog

Our itinerary for this adventure is as follows:

Honolulu ~ Sydney & Blue Mountains ~ Adelaide ~ Kangaroo Island ~ Robe

~ Port Campbell  ~ Melbourne ~ Tasmania ~ Sydney ~ Honolulu

I had hoped to post a compilation of photo’s & memories a few days ago, but internet connections prohibited me…and besides, I was just having too much fun. 🙂

However….I do hope you will enjoy the photo’s that I have taken so far.

Not our first time crossing the equator, nor the International Date line..but certainly our first visit to Australia.

Thanks to many months of planning by Di, we would start our tour in Sydney and be re-united with many dear friends and would you believe it…. The Arsenal Football Club !

What a stroke of luck, that Di chose these dates. 😉

We started our journey at Kahului Airport with breakfast at Sammy Hagar’s Bar & Grill.

Our flight from Honolulu took about 10 hours. We had very comfortable seats with extra legroom and I seemed to settle in quite quickly.

Not long after we crossed over the Equator and into the next day,  I was able to capture this image of the sun setting and the clouds below us from my seat….

Upon arrival in Sydney, we had a good old chat with Carl our driver, as he took us to, and described, the Darlinghurst area. Di noticed straight away that many of the preserved building fascias in the district, were somewhat reminiscent of New Orleans and other parts of cities in the world that have maintained original architecture wherever possible.

We were very close to the Kings Cross District too. Carl gave us the historic background on how Kings Cross is now a very acceptable part of town, but still has anything on offer that your heart may desire at night . 😉

We arrived at our Sydney Base Camp apartment ..The Top of the Town

http://www.tott.com.au/

Here’s a photo I took from the 6th floor Gym….where I spent many hours working out……

……which Arsenal jersey to wear that day. 😉

We would be returning to the same spot in a couple of days, but the following morning we were off on a train ride, to the BLUE MOUNTAINS and the beautiful town of LEURA 

BLUE MOUNTAINS

The train ride from Sydney is  very inexpensive.. Travel Tip ..Get an Opal Card !

We checked in at our B&B very close to Leura train station and were lucky enough to have the Shakespeare Room at The Greens of Leura. http://thegreensleura.com.au/

Went off exploring the next morning…hope that some of photo’s do justice to the beautiful vistas we saw.

When it’s winter in July in the Blue Mountains, our hosts Jacky & Claudio have a wonderful tradition….

CHRISTMAS IN JULY !

We couldn’t resist a drive to Hargraves Lookout, when we saw a sign for it…

Almost the same spelling of a well known explorer from England….who had to crawl to the railings like a baby, to take this photo of his wife 🙂

Here are some more photo’s of the scenic lookouts that Di and I stopped at, during our visit to The Blue Mountains.

 

The next photo is a 200 degree panoramic composition, that I took from the same spot as the above photo near the Three Sisters at Echo Point… I would like to thank one of the many Cockatoo’s there, for remaining perfectly still during the completion of this photo 🙂

Another stop we made, was at the Botanical Gardens of Mount Tomah….

And shortly before we returned to Leura, a wonderful photo-op occurred after we crossed a bridge at this nearby river.

 

All too soon, it was time to return to Sydney……but good times and old friends awaited us there.

SYDNEY

Great to be re-united with our dear friend Becs !

There were also many other good friends in town to see the 2 matches that The Arsenal were playing at Olympic Park Stadium.

Di and Becs joined me for the first match.

Was surprised, to say the least, when I was reading the matchday programme and found a photo of myself in there !!!

I had submitted it to the club many weeks prior to the event, when they asked fans to let them know where they would be travelling from.

Another event that took place at the stadium during the week, was a fan party and training session. Some of the players were introduced to the crowd and interviewed.

There were contests for Junior Gooners too. This young lad (Henry) won a pretty special prize……he got to lead the team out on to the pitch for the second match !!!

There was also time for some great anecdotes from the playing days of Arsenal legend, RAY PARLOUR !!

The Boss and Mad Jens bringing the lads out for a spot of training.

Another fantastic event that occurred, was a boat excursion organized by The Arsenal Australia Supporters Club.

Ray Parlour was on board the cruise with us too !!

He spent the entire journey chatting with fans and was kind enough to autograph my jersey after this photo 🙂

I’m sorry that I don’t have many photo’s of the first match….I shot mostly video which is almost impossible to upload to this site when we have little or no internet connectivity.

However, here’s a few few photo’s from the second match and I will upload video of both when I add Update #2 to this journal.

All too soon, it was time to say cheerio to our friends and Sydney.

Next stop was Adelaide with a brief overnight stop and then we were catching a Regional Express flight to KANGAROO ISLAND.

KANGAROO ISLAND

 

We had a remarkable stay at Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat  http://www.kiwr.com/

Di had contacted them long before we arrived, to ask if there might be someone who might be willing to give us a guided tour of the surrounding landscape and wildlife.

How lucky we were, that Greg (A.K.A Nature) who works at the retreat, was available to do just that.

Here’s some of the many photo’s I took that remarkable day.

THANK YOU NATURE….GOOD ON YA MATE !!!

We started our tour at West Bay.

 

We then took a wonderful hike to Snake Lagoon.

Nature gave so much informative narration as we walked.

As luck would have it, we were extremely fortunate to encounter some Wallabies & Koalas ~ as we walked off our lunch, near the  Flinders Chase Visitor Centre.

 

Next stop…..Admirals Arch !

It only took me about 100 attempts to get the exposure correct for the above two photo’s as the sun was setting. 🙂

Plenty of Fur Seals enjoying the late afternoon sun too !!

Then it was time for a quick dash, back up the hill…..

Past the Light House ……

…..And dusk at The Remarkable Rocks !!!!

Finally, Nature’s day was complete….and what a day it was !!!

He deserved to take a break at the end of our wonderful tour 🙂

Now, dear reader….I must tell you a little about the danger that one can face when encountering wild animals.

I was extremely lucky to have survived a vicious, brutal attack.

My thumb, may never be the same again….A HUGE indentation and a massive scare will forever remind me of how lucky I was to escape !!!

After the attack occurred,  I consulted Di as to whether we should make an emergency call to The Flying Doctor.

She recommended some Cheese with my Wine ??….not a first aid technique that I was familiar with.

Here is the terrible scar that I am left with…..

And I am posting a reward for any person that can capture known associates of this individual ~ who like to hang out near restaurants in Wilderness Retreats.

🙂 🙂

On the drive back to the airport, we had to make an abrupt stop for one of the locals !

OK gang….that’s the journey so far….we have now moved all the way down to Port Campbell and I will do my very best to update this page with new photos as we head towards Tasmania.

ALOHA !!!

………………..

TOUR UPDATE #2

Hello again !!

We made a brief stop at Bay of Shoals Winery before leaving Kangaroo Island as we had discovered their 2015 Savignin at the Wilderness Retreat and knew we couldn’t possibly travel any further, without at least one case of it 🙂

We returned to ADELAIDE for an overnight stop and began our journey to MELBOURNE

As you can see from our handy~dandy google trip planner, that would be a almost an eleven hour drive….

….so Di planned our journey in three parts, with our first stop being in ROBE with a wonderful room at Robe House http://www.robehouse.com.au/ 

The house was built in 1847 from locally quarried sandstone and was originally the home of The Government Resident.

We spent the evening in front of a roaring log fire in our apartment and the next morning made our way to PORT CAMPBELL for a 3 night stay at Anchors.   http://www.anchorsportcampbell.com.au/ 

The villa was a perfect base to explore THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD with its amazing coastline and seascapes.

Many of the Coves, Outcrops and Bays  have descriptive names…..

 

Here are just a few of the hundreds of photos that I took while Di & I explored

Twelve Apostles…

A brief rain squall moved in, just as we were leaving.

This gave Di a chance to capture a rainbow…

Bay of Islands & Bay of Matyrs

The Grotto…

The Arch…..

LONDON BRIDGE….. is falling down !

Loch Ard Gorge….. Though many place names in Australia are named after British Cities and Towns, Loch Ard Gorge, may sound as if named after a Scottish body of water.

It is, in fact,  named for a three masted ship that left England in 1878 bound for Melbourne. She was wrecked on Mutton Bird Island after heavy fog.

The only two survivors of the wreck were Eva Carmichael, who survived by clinging to a spar for five hours, and Thomas (Tom) R. Pearce, an apprentice who clung to the overturned hull of a lifeboat. Tom Pearce came ashore first, then heard Eva’s shouts and went back into the ocean to rescue her. They came ashore at what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge and sought refuge in the caves there.

We encountered many wonderful lookouts around Port Campbell…

We also enjoyed beautiful sunsets and the wildlife in the garden, during our stay at Anchors.

And then it was time to continue our journey to Melbourne.

We dropped off our bags at The Park Royal Hotel and then returned our rental car, as the next leg of our journey would be done by air.

As you can see from this photo from our hotel room…..we didn’t have too far to travel for our flight the morning. 🙂

We made good speed on our flight ~ and before I could finish my second glass of wine, we began our descent to  Hobart, Tasmania 

Our first evening at our log cabin https://www.brunyvista.com/  overlooking Oyster Bay in Kettering was a little chilly but the scenery was incredible.

We’ve been busy exploring for a couple of days now and I’ll have lots more photos of Tasmania ready, when I finish the next and final chapter of this journal.

However… I am about to step outside and enjoy The Milky Way and Southern Cross, which are illuminating the sky outside right now  ~ and this time…. I will finish that second (and third ) glass of wine 🙂

More soon….. Rog

………………………

TOUR UPDATE #3 ~ FINAL CHAPTER 

~ TASMANIA  ~

Our itinerary for touring Tasmania comprised of a flight from Melbourne to Hobart, stays in Kettering ( with a tour to Tasman Island & Port Arthur), Bicheno and Low Head ~ then a flight from Launceston to Sydney.

When we awoke on our first morning in KETTERING Tasmania, the windshield of our car indicated that the temperature had dropped a little overnight 🙂

Undeterred, we cooked a hearty breakfast in our log cabin and took a drive to nearby Franklin.

Frank’s Cider was a perfect place to stop for some warm mulled cider and we learned the history of Frank.  http://www.frankscider.com.au/chapter-2-about-frank/

An early night was followed by a 5.30am alarm as we prepared to travel into Hobart and join our guide Phil of Pennicott Wilderness Journeys    https://www.pennicottjourneys.com.au/

We traveled by coach to Port Arthur with Phil providing fascinating narration on the history, geography and geology along the way.

Next stop would be a raft tour of Tasman Island

Needed supplies for the Light Keeper ?? First they would be hauled from a boat,  in baskets along a line that connected from a rock adjacent to the island….

…then pushed up a steep incline in rail carts by convicts.

Keep in mind that we are in ‘The Roaring Forties’ so this operation was often carried out in far worse conditions than the light gusts and occasional rain clouds that we experienced.

Penguins ?? ….nope, brilliantly disguised Black & White Cormorants  !

After lunch we began our tour of Port Arthur, home to many convicts from Great Britain from 1833.

I have ‘aged’ my photographs to give them some historical atmosphere.

A convict who possessed a skill or trade, could find good work however, those convicted of a heinous crime or those who committed transgressions after transportation, could easily find themselves in the ‘Separate Prison’.

Considered a forerunner to ‘Prison Reform’ this building was designed to give the convict plenty of time to consider the error of his ways and look to a more spiritual way of reform.

Stripped of all identity and wearing a mask in the one hour per day, when allowed to leave ones cell for chapel….

…or perhaps a stroll around the sumptuous outdoor promenade.

En Route back to Hobart, Phil was kind enough to take us to a lookout point so that we could see the Tasman Bridge at dusk.

The following day we traveled from Kettering to Bicheno .

The tell tale signs of white Penguin Poop, showed us that we had some of the little fellas nesting in the front yard of the house we were renting !

We were serenaded just after sunset, as the colony made their way home along the shore line after a full days fishing.

They wake about 90 minutes before first light and begin roll call .

We had an amazing sunrise from our balcony after being up early to listen to and watch the Penguin rush-hour.

Took some nice walks around the coastline with views from places like Whalers Lookout…

Nice view of Governors Island….

Followed by a walk to a nearby blow hole…..

We returned at dusk to await the nightly return of our little blue penguins, but alas our penguin finding skills would not he honed until later in our journey….Though hundreds could be heard around us….we actually saw more crossing the street on our walk home 🙂

The following day, I decided it was time for us to take our wilderness experience to the next level and was startled by a screaming animal that came racing towards me…….

…it was a Tasmanian Devil !!!!

Closely followed by its mate !!

My involuntary bodily emissions must have created a scent that scared the ferocious beast into a hole…

…and its mate kept an eye on me from long grass nearby..

 

As we wondered further, I was able to use my Kangaroo calming techniques, whenever I thought there was any fear exhibited by one these magnificent creatures.

One lady in particular was carrying a young’n in her pouch. In an effort calm her and reassure her I was friendly….. I said “do you speak-a my language ?”

She just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich….

As I tracked our way through the bush, I had to rescue Di from a terrifying discovery that we made near an old railway siding…

O.K. …. cards on the table time. We weren’t quite,  intrepid explorers in the wilderness.

We were in fact at a wonderful sanctuary in Bicheno that rescues many orphaned and injured animals…… NATUREWORLD  http://www.natureworld.com.au/

 

 

Many thanks to all the dedicated staff who work tirelessly to maintain this large property and care for all the animals whilst trying to prepare many of them for return to the wild.

That evening, the sky was incredibly clear and I was able to take this picture of the waxing moon.

The following morning we left Bicheno and began our journey to Low Head

En Route, we made two stops ~ first was for some wine tasting at nearby Devils Corner.

The second was a serendipitous stop as we pulled off the highway in a forest and followed the windy road to Lake Leake Inn. http://www.lakeleakeinn.com.au

We hadn’t planned the detour but are so glad we did !

We were the first customers of the day and enjoyed great conversation with the owner as she prepared a roaring fireplace.

There was even a corner that would be very apt for me and some of my compatriots at Lahaina Coolers. 🙂

While the fire warmed up inside, we took a drive to the boat ramp at the lake.  Alas….I had missed the start of Trout Fishing season by just 6 days 😦

 

Enjoyed a local beer and some Bangers & Mash before wishing our hosts a good day and headed back to the Lake Leake Highway.

One last stop before Low Head, was made at Batman Bridge. We walked along the banks of the river ~ but could find no signs of stately Wayne Manor.  Further research showed the bridge was named for John Batman ~ a controversial  Australian grazier, entrepreneur and explorer who led an expedition from Van Diemen’s Land (later named Tasmania) and formed a settlement on the Yarra River . That settlement was the site of what is now known as The City of Melbourne.

By mid afternoon we arrived the historic village of…

Low Head

The Pilot Station in Low Head was started in 1805 to assist vessels navigating up the treacherous River Tamar to Launceston.  Many of it’s workers and assistants were transported convicts.

The cottage we rented for the next 3 nights is known as The Queenslander and was originally the Light Keepers Quarters No.2 

The sunset we witnessed from our veranda on our first evening was simply awesome in every sense of the word……

After a bottle of one of Tasmania’s many fine wines, I had a brief conversation with one of the sheep whom I named George 🙂

After dusk , we saw the lights from a nearby guided visit to the Penguin colony that we planned on visiting the next night.

The following morning we traveled into nearby Georgetown for a stroll along the waterfront….

 We had a chance to visit The Bass & Flinders Centre in Georgetown  http://www.bassandflinders.org.au/ and Low Head Pilot Station Maritime Museum  http://museum.lowhead.com/ before returning home and preparing for our adventure with the ‘ Little’ Penguins.

As you can see, focus and light are a little tricky to work with but this is for the benefit of the penguins so that the filtered light does not disturb them too much.

Di was selected from our group to have some homeward bound penguins pass right through her legs !! 🙂

The crew at Low Head Penguin Tours http://penguintourstasmania.com.au/  have watched and taken loving care of this colony for many years.

So much so…that there are even a few that WAIT outside their nest to say G’night. 🙂

As we walked up the road after our adventure, we laughed and listened to hundreds of our little blue friends ‘ jibber-jabbering ‘ away to their hearts content in the surrounding rocks and shrub land.

Then, as we climbed the hill to our home away from home,  a popular catchphrase could never have been more appropriate…“We’ll leave a light on for ya”

And what a night sky it was !!

The Southern Cross and Milky Way shining brightly over us and the Tamar Estuary.

This idyllic setting was the perfect location to relax and contemplate all the wonderful history and scenery that Tasmania offers.

But sadly it was time to say goodbye to Tasmania….. and my drinking buddy George 😦

We took off from Launceston ……

 

….and were heading back to Sydney for one final treat.

A corner room on the 33rd floor of the Shangri-La Hotel.

Having spent several days exploring Sydney at the beginning of our journey, we were quite happy to enjoy the amenities of the hotel and take some last chance photos.

As we waited for our flight at Sydney Airport,  I couldn’t help but notice the moon was almost full and had completed a full lunar cycle since we spent our first night under a full moon in The Blue Mountains.

In total, our trip comprised of….

12 …… Hotel or Rented House Accommodations

9  ……. International & Domestic Flights

2  ……. Train Journeys (plus local commutes)

4  ……. Car Rentals and hundreds upon hundreds of kilometers driven on the open road enjoying a trip that we will NEVER FORGET.

I hope you enjoyed the ride-along and may Di & I be among the first to wish you….

MERRY CHRISTMAS 🙂