I arrived in Perth and was collected from the airport by Jacqui MacKinnon (friend of the family) who has very kindly let me stay with them while I was there. It is so nice to be back in a lovely home (they have a swimming pool!!) and this time I don't have to work 4 hours a day - yeah!!! The McKinnons have been great. They have taken me around Perth and shown me the sights - it has been wonderful. I have also visited Rottnest Island which is a 30 minute boat journey from the mainland. It is a beautiful island, where they have these animals called the Quokkas (a really small version of the Kangaroo). When Dutch sailors first came here many moons ago they thought they were rats so they called the island rats nest (or Rott Nest in Dutch). See you learn something new everyday!! Anyway, I did a tour around the island and saw loads of different animals - the best was seeing the Dolphins jumping around in the surf - or as the locals like to say - the Dolphins were surfing!! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of this as my camera isn't that good as some of you might know. It has this fantastic ability of always taking photos of blue sea with nothing in it as it always takes so long to take the photo the dolphin/whale has always disappeared!!
Anyway, I have been taking it easy in Perth - recharing my engines before I start the long-haul north along the coast towards Darwin. First I am doing a quick trip south down to Margaret River which is supposed to beautiful - plus its another wine region - you can't go wrong there!!
Where I have been...
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Adelaide/Mclaren Vale
Well after we were picked up by our new host family - Robert and Lucie Helm, we were taken back to their vineyard near Mclaren Vale. They only have a small vineyard which they are not actually cultivating this year as there has been a huge drought in the area and its costs too much to water the vines - very sad :-( But luckily for us they still have the wine they produced from last year, which I have to stay tastes very nice. So far we have tried their rose and their red which both taste great.
This time we stayed on a caravan on their property, instead of in their house. Its was small and cosy and during the day it is blazing hot - it's like a sauna really, but at night time it cooled down enough for us to get a good nights sleep. Unfortunately they had some roosters which (as Rosie will know from our trip round South-East Asia) I can't stand. They have this annoying habit of waking you up at 6am in the morning and then not shutting up till late at night, I mean seriously don't they ever get any sleep!!! They also have some fantail pigeons which are beautiful, two cats called Dominique and Mofasa and a cute dog called Rosie.
We did an assortment of activities/chores for them ranging from cleaning the house, feeding the chickens and fixing their pen, draging dead tree branches from one end of the property to the other, making pasta, bread and pizza, and of course the one you are all going to love - shovelling cow shit!! Yes we had to do that. It wasn't that bad actually as it was dry and we were outside in the fresh air. Things went ok, except on the day that I was helping Rob move the dead tree and he was using the chainsaw, he managed to cut through a supporting branch which then landed on his head. He had to be swiftly taken to hospital where he spent 3 hours being x-rayed and examined while Shannon and I continued our work and rounding up the chickens and ducks which had accidentally been let out during all the commotion!!
We also went on a wine tour of the Mclaren Vale on bicycles - a very interesting way to do a wine tour - I really recommend it. We started early and hit our first vineyard at 11am. After a few tastings Shannon was already feeling drunk (she had given up alcohol since the beginning of the year!). We then moved onto the next vineyard where we decided we had better get some lunch to soak up all the wine. Lunch was followed by 4 other vineyards and then we went back to the first two to buy some wine and then somehow we made it to a pub and continued drinking. Eventually we made it back to our hosts home in a slightly worse state than when we had left in the morning - we found it quite amusing - I'm not sure whether they did!!
We left the vineyard yesterday and are now back in Adelaide where we have been enjoying having our free time back and not having to constantly wash up or clean up after other people (I now know how my Mum felt for all the years she had to do that for us!!). Tomorrow I fly to Perth and begin my trip on the West Coast...
This time we stayed on a caravan on their property, instead of in their house. Its was small and cosy and during the day it is blazing hot - it's like a sauna really, but at night time it cooled down enough for us to get a good nights sleep. Unfortunately they had some roosters which (as Rosie will know from our trip round South-East Asia) I can't stand. They have this annoying habit of waking you up at 6am in the morning and then not shutting up till late at night, I mean seriously don't they ever get any sleep!!! They also have some fantail pigeons which are beautiful, two cats called Dominique and Mofasa and a cute dog called Rosie.
We did an assortment of activities/chores for them ranging from cleaning the house, feeding the chickens and fixing their pen, draging dead tree branches from one end of the property to the other, making pasta, bread and pizza, and of course the one you are all going to love - shovelling cow shit!! Yes we had to do that. It wasn't that bad actually as it was dry and we were outside in the fresh air. Things went ok, except on the day that I was helping Rob move the dead tree and he was using the chainsaw, he managed to cut through a supporting branch which then landed on his head. He had to be swiftly taken to hospital where he spent 3 hours being x-rayed and examined while Shannon and I continued our work and rounding up the chickens and ducks which had accidentally been let out during all the commotion!!
We also went on a wine tour of the Mclaren Vale on bicycles - a very interesting way to do a wine tour - I really recommend it. We started early and hit our first vineyard at 11am. After a few tastings Shannon was already feeling drunk (she had given up alcohol since the beginning of the year!). We then moved onto the next vineyard where we decided we had better get some lunch to soak up all the wine. Lunch was followed by 4 other vineyards and then we went back to the first two to buy some wine and then somehow we made it to a pub and continued drinking. Eventually we made it back to our hosts home in a slightly worse state than when we had left in the morning - we found it quite amusing - I'm not sure whether they did!!
We left the vineyard yesterday and are now back in Adelaide where we have been enjoying having our free time back and not having to constantly wash up or clean up after other people (I now know how my Mum felt for all the years she had to do that for us!!). Tomorrow I fly to Perth and begin my trip on the West Coast...
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Great Ocean Road - Adeliade
As I have not had access to the internet for the last couple of weeks I am trying to update everything now - so probably a bit of an information overload for you guys - sorry!!
So we arrived in Melbourne, where we picked up another rental car and then another backpacker called James who's from England. Shannon had arranged for us to do this trip from Melbourne to Adelaide with another person. So we began our trip and on the first day we were aiming for Apollo Bay. The first day really wasn't that exciting (driving wise) as it was mostly just main road. (Also for those of you who can't remember, I have actually done the Great Ocean Road before when I first came to Australia with Rosie last year, but this is actually the best way to get to Adelaide so I ended up doing it again.) The best thing about the first day was that as I was driving along, I turned a corner and right in front of us was a furry wild Australian animal in the middle of the road. So I stopped the car, put the hazard lights on, and we all got out to discover that it was a Koala carrying its baby on its back - an incredibly rare thing to see - I have not met many people who have seen this! So we tried to coax the animal back into the forest other wise it wouldn't be around much longer. Some other people joined us and eventually the Koala got off the road - phew!
We then continued our trip to Apollo Bay. Luckily for me, James (our new travel partner for the next 3 days) liked the odd drink (Shannon has given up alcohol for the moment), so after the long days drive we enjoyed a few drinks at the pub. The next day we were driving the Great Ocean Road. We stopped off and saw the Twelve Aposltes (would you believe they are still alive!!) - in fact they are '12' limestone pillar things in the ocean, although there aren't 12 anymore as they keep falling down!! Then we saw the London Bridge - again not the real one, but another 'sculpture' the sea has made out of the limestone - this has also had one of its arches collapse (London Bridge is falling down - do you all remember that song - slightly ironic in this case!!). Basically the Great Ocean Road has lots of pretty scenery along its coastline. Also for you sad individuals (I am one), who can remember the Australian TV program 'Round the Twist', we also saw the lighthouse from that (apparently Mad Max also featured it!!). I am really getting around the Australian Soap Opera TV sets (Neighbours, Home and Away and now Round the Twist). We then continued the drive and left the state of Victoria and crossed over into South Australia, where we were staying in Mount Gambier for the night. When you cross boarders in Australia, they have a bit of an issue with taking fruit etc with you, so as we crossed over, Shannon and I frantically ate the fruit we had with us, otherwise they make us throw it out - what a waste!!
In Mount Gambier they have a very blue lake - its in an old Volcano and it is very blue so there you go!! We then drove up to Victor Harbour - the drive was pretty boring - just a straight road where you can't go very fast along. We spent the night there and then we drove to Adelaide, where we had to drop the car off as well as James at his backpackers. Shannon and I were then picked up by our new helpx hosts who live on a vineyard.....
So we arrived in Melbourne, where we picked up another rental car and then another backpacker called James who's from England. Shannon had arranged for us to do this trip from Melbourne to Adelaide with another person. So we began our trip and on the first day we were aiming for Apollo Bay. The first day really wasn't that exciting (driving wise) as it was mostly just main road. (Also for those of you who can't remember, I have actually done the Great Ocean Road before when I first came to Australia with Rosie last year, but this is actually the best way to get to Adelaide so I ended up doing it again.) The best thing about the first day was that as I was driving along, I turned a corner and right in front of us was a furry wild Australian animal in the middle of the road. So I stopped the car, put the hazard lights on, and we all got out to discover that it was a Koala carrying its baby on its back - an incredibly rare thing to see - I have not met many people who have seen this! So we tried to coax the animal back into the forest other wise it wouldn't be around much longer. Some other people joined us and eventually the Koala got off the road - phew!
We then continued our trip to Apollo Bay. Luckily for me, James (our new travel partner for the next 3 days) liked the odd drink (Shannon has given up alcohol for the moment), so after the long days drive we enjoyed a few drinks at the pub. The next day we were driving the Great Ocean Road. We stopped off and saw the Twelve Aposltes (would you believe they are still alive!!) - in fact they are '12' limestone pillar things in the ocean, although there aren't 12 anymore as they keep falling down!! Then we saw the London Bridge - again not the real one, but another 'sculpture' the sea has made out of the limestone - this has also had one of its arches collapse (London Bridge is falling down - do you all remember that song - slightly ironic in this case!!). Basically the Great Ocean Road has lots of pretty scenery along its coastline. Also for you sad individuals (I am one), who can remember the Australian TV program 'Round the Twist', we also saw the lighthouse from that (apparently Mad Max also featured it!!). I am really getting around the Australian Soap Opera TV sets (Neighbours, Home and Away and now Round the Twist). We then continued the drive and left the state of Victoria and crossed over into South Australia, where we were staying in Mount Gambier for the night. When you cross boarders in Australia, they have a bit of an issue with taking fruit etc with you, so as we crossed over, Shannon and I frantically ate the fruit we had with us, otherwise they make us throw it out - what a waste!!
In Mount Gambier they have a very blue lake - its in an old Volcano and it is very blue so there you go!! We then drove up to Victor Harbour - the drive was pretty boring - just a straight road where you can't go very fast along. We spent the night there and then we drove to Adelaide, where we had to drop the car off as well as James at his backpackers. Shannon and I were then picked up by our new helpx hosts who live on a vineyard.....
Tasmania
Well I have begun my travels again. I am spending the next month with Shannon, a friend I met through working at Citibank. Our first stop was Hobart in Tasmania. Shannon had organised for us to stay with a family for our first three nights. This was through a great website called coughsurfing.com. Basically people sign up as travels or people who will have travellers to stay for free - brilliant or what!! The family we were staying with were Gai and John who lived up in Mount Nelson - just west of the CDB. They were really lovely (and we didn't have to sleep on their couch - we got proper beds - actually they were nicer beds than what we had both been sleeping on the last 7 months in Sydney!!). We spent 3 nights with them and in that time we set about discovering Hobart and its surrounding areas. On our first day we went to the Cadbury's factory - at Shannon's request - she is a chocoholic. It was interesting - although I am sure the one in Birmingham is probably better - as it is the original, plus the chocolate is apparentley better - as the one they produce in Australia is just not up to scratch!! On the second day we went to Port Arthur - where there is loads of history about the convicts - just up my street as that was one of the modules I studied for my degree. We (or I in particular) had a lovely day discovering more about the history of the convicts and seeing where it all actually happened. We also drove around that area and saw some lovely beaches and views. For those of you who don't already know Tasmania is very similar to England and New Zealand with its landscape. On our third day we drove up to Lauceston as Shannon had arranged another activity for us. This time it was through another website called helpx.com. This is where you stay with someone and do 3-4 hours 'work' for them a day in exchange for a bed and all your meals. We stayed with a lady called Yvonne who lives in west Lauceston with two of her four children, her mother and up to 5 helpx people at once. When we were there there was us two and two Taiwan girls. On our first day there we went to a park to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the local Chinese community - the food of course was great!! Our 'work' has not been that strenuous at all. So far we have done some cleaning around the house (it desperately needed it), picking fruit from her orchard and making jam and cooking a dinner - it definitely beats working at Citibank!!! Yvonne is a lovely lady, although very crazy - she even admits it herself. She has some amazing stories including the time she climbed half way up the Sydney Opera House!!!!
We spent 5 days with Yvonne - which I think was about all I could handle in the end. She was lovely but she is a very erratic person!! Shannon and I then met up with our two friends from Sydney, Craig and Amo. We then all hired a car together and spent the next 3 days driving around Tasmaina. We first went to Bicheno on the East Coast where we got to see Fairy Penguins at night - they were very cute. The following day we went to the Nature Park where we got to stroke Wombats Kagaroos and of course Tasmania Devils (the babies were sooo cute). We also got to feed the Kagaroos - who if you didn't put you hand down to the group stood up high on their back legs and tried to grab your hand - quite scary!! Amazingly we also saw a mummy kangaroo with her joey in her pouch :-) We then drove down to Wineglass bay where we did a 4 hour walk and saw some beautiful beaches and lots of wallabies (a smaller version of the kangaroo for those of you who don't know). After that we drove down to Hobart where we went out for the night. Craig, Amo and myself stayed out till 6.30am (unfortunately we forgot we had to get up at 9am to check out in time - we did not feel good!!). We then drove back up to Lauceston past the Great Lake, which unfortunately now is not so great due to the drought that this country is going through - it was now in fact about 4 lakes as the water levels had dropped so much!! We then dropped Amo and Craig back at the airport and Shannon and myself made our way to Gowrie Park (a very pretty place in the mountains where I saw a wild baby wombat) where from there we went to Cradle Mountain the next day (the main sightseeing place in Tasmania). We had a lovely walk around Dove lake, taking in the magnificent view of Cradle Mountain before heading back to Lauceston. Then, unfortunately, we had to leave Tasmania for Melbourne.
We spent 5 days with Yvonne - which I think was about all I could handle in the end. She was lovely but she is a very erratic person!! Shannon and I then met up with our two friends from Sydney, Craig and Amo. We then all hired a car together and spent the next 3 days driving around Tasmaina. We first went to Bicheno on the East Coast where we got to see Fairy Penguins at night - they were very cute. The following day we went to the Nature Park where we got to stroke Wombats Kagaroos and of course Tasmania Devils (the babies were sooo cute). We also got to feed the Kagaroos - who if you didn't put you hand down to the group stood up high on their back legs and tried to grab your hand - quite scary!! Amazingly we also saw a mummy kangaroo with her joey in her pouch :-) We then drove down to Wineglass bay where we did a 4 hour walk and saw some beautiful beaches and lots of wallabies (a smaller version of the kangaroo for those of you who don't know). After that we drove down to Hobart where we went out for the night. Craig, Amo and myself stayed out till 6.30am (unfortunately we forgot we had to get up at 9am to check out in time - we did not feel good!!). We then drove back up to Lauceston past the Great Lake, which unfortunately now is not so great due to the drought that this country is going through - it was now in fact about 4 lakes as the water levels had dropped so much!! We then dropped Amo and Craig back at the airport and Shannon and myself made our way to Gowrie Park (a very pretty place in the mountains where I saw a wild baby wombat) where from there we went to Cradle Mountain the next day (the main sightseeing place in Tasmania). We had a lovely walk around Dove lake, taking in the magnificent view of Cradle Mountain before heading back to Lauceston. Then, unfortunately, we had to leave Tasmania for Melbourne.
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