These last few days in Melbourne have been great, it's such a relaxed city. Having bashed on about that before I'll let it lie but from a city-hater it's a decent place. That said I really have done very little these last few days, a wee bit of shopping and exploring but that's about it. I got accosted by several charity fundraising people hogging every street corner, I don't contribute to those in the UK so wasn't about to start here, besides one of them seemed more interested in flirting than getting in my wallet.
I find a "traditional" English pub for lunch, the first time on the trip. It's nice enough but at $9.80 for a pony, I stick at the one. Nearby was a fantastic guitar shop where I and played instruments worth thousands of dollars thinking how much I'd love to add them to my collection. I resist much to the shop assistants bemusement and before I decide I want a go on the drum kits.
With apologies for it all being abit last minute I manage to contact my family living near Melbourne and arrange to meet them Wednesday lunchtime before my evening flight out. Ill be visiting my great aunt and uncle and their daughters family, the latter I've never met and the former some 15 years ago when they visited the UK. After all that time here I come wearing unironed shorts and tshirt, and lugging my backpack packed ready to fly. This is me representing the whole UK side of our family, haha ah well. I'm sure all will be well. I should probably try to buy some flowers or something before I get there, what else do you buy long distance relatives?
My flight leaves at 830pm local time and I arrive back in the UK 4pm Thursday UK time. Probably beyond tired, all on the proviso that the heathrow weather lets us land. Else I'll be stuck in Beijing or some European airport until the backlog clears. I can't see any problems, fingers crossed. I'll have my fleece to keep me warm, may consider stealing the airplane blanket for the fridgid car ride home.
Ciao
Monday, February 6, 2012
Back to Melbourne
So today (saturday) I begin the epic 27 hr journey back to Melbourne from Jason's house just north of Brisbane. The first, and shortest, of the 3 legs is a coach transfer from Brisbane to Casino, that's 3 1/2 hrs. It's an interesting bunch on the coach an i feel I need to keep up the tradition of making a few humorous observations regarding my fellow travellers. There's a young couple up front with a baby, they really look very very young themselves, id suspect the baby was an accident the grandparents didn't approve of. She has ridiculously strong ginger hair too, come to look at it so does he. Not a great start in life. Looking into the overhead racks I swear there's someone sleeping there. On closer inspection it's just an arrangement of bags but the suggestion is not as outrageous as it may seem. Previously I have seen signs warning against sleeping in the overhead luggage compartments. You'd think that's stating the obvious really.
Spending the last few weeks relaxing and exploring around southern Queensland was great, definitely a required chill out. Hugely indebted to jason for putting me up and feeding me, hopefully I repaid that somewhat with supplying gallons of ice cream and a brand new ice cream scoop! J has two children, the youngest of which seems intent on constantly calling me "mummy" and everything else "car". Bless her, she's just very confused and foreign! Her present to me on the morning I left was dropping a full nappy on my lap whilst I was eating breakfast. Delightful!
There slowly getting over their sunburn. Tbh I don't think it's as bad as they claim, if you poke them without their knowledge miraculously it doesn't hurt. The "owww" goes on auto-pilot it seems.
Now on the train from Casino to Sydney I get approached by the steward who must be a country folk, the Australian version of a Somerset farmer, she admonishes me for being in the correct seat and orders me into the next carriage where I can enjoy a double spread to stretch out on. She was acting in my interests definitely but was rather authoritarian. Thatcher on steroids. Once moved I find myself chatting to Martin from Germany, Joseph who I think is an aboriginal and a Aussie lady, actually glad I moved now, these seem like nice folk for a change. Just after I settle and start to doze off, thatcher comes along again and tells me I can't occupy both these seats because "there's lots of other passengers" coming on later. Later on there are still only 6 people in our whole carriage and I hasn't slept a wink. Bloody idiot!
By contrast the final leg of the journey from Sydney to Melbourne was absolutely packed, every seat taken. I seemed to land myself in the crying carriage. There was a young toddler bawling and screaming her eyes out in front, parents seemingly not giving a toss much to the disgruntlement of the whole carriage. Then directly behind me was a older child just moaning and whimpering. Shut up both of you!!! There should be rules or provisions for noisy kids on trains. Either ban them or give them their own carriage away from everyone else. I arrive at the hostel around 8pm absolutely exhausted.
Spending the last few weeks relaxing and exploring around southern Queensland was great, definitely a required chill out. Hugely indebted to jason for putting me up and feeding me, hopefully I repaid that somewhat with supplying gallons of ice cream and a brand new ice cream scoop! J has two children, the youngest of which seems intent on constantly calling me "mummy" and everything else "car". Bless her, she's just very confused and foreign! Her present to me on the morning I left was dropping a full nappy on my lap whilst I was eating breakfast. Delightful!
There slowly getting over their sunburn. Tbh I don't think it's as bad as they claim, if you poke them without their knowledge miraculously it doesn't hurt. The "owww" goes on auto-pilot it seems.
Now on the train from Casino to Sydney I get approached by the steward who must be a country folk, the Australian version of a Somerset farmer, she admonishes me for being in the correct seat and orders me into the next carriage where I can enjoy a double spread to stretch out on. She was acting in my interests definitely but was rather authoritarian. Thatcher on steroids. Once moved I find myself chatting to Martin from Germany, Joseph who I think is an aboriginal and a Aussie lady, actually glad I moved now, these seem like nice folk for a change. Just after I settle and start to doze off, thatcher comes along again and tells me I can't occupy both these seats because "there's lots of other passengers" coming on later. Later on there are still only 6 people in our whole carriage and I hasn't slept a wink. Bloody idiot!
By contrast the final leg of the journey from Sydney to Melbourne was absolutely packed, every seat taken. I seemed to land myself in the crying carriage. There was a young toddler bawling and screaming her eyes out in front, parents seemingly not giving a toss much to the disgruntlement of the whole carriage. Then directly behind me was a older child just moaning and whimpering. Shut up both of you!!! There should be rules or provisions for noisy kids on trains. Either ban them or give them their own carriage away from everyone else. I arrive at the hostel around 8pm absolutely exhausted.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Noosa Fun
Yesterday I went up to Noosa with Jason and his family for a day of relaxed solitude by the beach. Noosa is still in Southern Queensland (it's bloody huge) and forms part of the sunshine coast, the prettier an quieter brother of the more famous Gold Coast. It's about an hour and a half north of deception bay then after crossing a short cable ferry a further hour of skidding and sliding along the beach to a secluded cove only accessible by 4x4. The beach driving was a laugh, I'm amazed at what the discovery can do, it looks promising for taking Charlie off the beaten track - it'll be limited by far by my ability rather than that of the car.
Rainbow beach was a large but completely unspoilt cove with lovely clean sand dunes edging a crystal clear lagoon with a thin sand bar separating that from the ocean. Views out towards Fraser Island were incredible. We played on the dunes, sliding and dune running until the sandman image started to grind and every movement felt like bum shuffling along coarse sandpaper. The lagoon was warmed by the sun and felt like taking a pleasent bath swimming amongst little fish trying to nibble your skin off. You could just about walk all the way across it to reach the sand bank and then into the ocean. The surf here isn't massively high but strong and regular, giving you a bashing. I've got plenty of awesome photos for when I'm back.
On our way back we come across a parked truck with its bonnet up and a bunch of uppie surfer idiots lazing over it. They had gearbox or clutch problems and we're up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Miles from the nearest road, no phone signal and an incoming tide added to their woes. Jason was the good Samaritan and offered them a tow, eventually back to their house about 50km away. The discovery ha little bothered pulling us and it along the beach at speed and with abit of effort bashing our way up the soft sand dune back to the road. Obstacles including getting on the ferry came and went, landrovers are amazing full stop! J got a case of beer out of it, the landrover will get a wash.
On return home and it's like we're in a lobster aquarium - the whole family suffering pretty badly from sunburn, Im the only one who escaped it, learnt my lesson from Port Mac. Today is relaxing around home and I need to sort out my travel arrangements back to Melbourne. If I leave Brisbane Sat lunchtime I should be in Melbourne Sunday evening all being well.
Rainbow beach was a large but completely unspoilt cove with lovely clean sand dunes edging a crystal clear lagoon with a thin sand bar separating that from the ocean. Views out towards Fraser Island were incredible. We played on the dunes, sliding and dune running until the sandman image started to grind and every movement felt like bum shuffling along coarse sandpaper. The lagoon was warmed by the sun and felt like taking a pleasent bath swimming amongst little fish trying to nibble your skin off. You could just about walk all the way across it to reach the sand bank and then into the ocean. The surf here isn't massively high but strong and regular, giving you a bashing. I've got plenty of awesome photos for when I'm back.
On our way back we come across a parked truck with its bonnet up and a bunch of uppie surfer idiots lazing over it. They had gearbox or clutch problems and we're up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Miles from the nearest road, no phone signal and an incoming tide added to their woes. Jason was the good Samaritan and offered them a tow, eventually back to their house about 50km away. The discovery ha little bothered pulling us and it along the beach at speed and with abit of effort bashing our way up the soft sand dune back to the road. Obstacles including getting on the ferry came and went, landrovers are amazing full stop! J got a case of beer out of it, the landrover will get a wash.
On return home and it's like we're in a lobster aquarium - the whole family suffering pretty badly from sunburn, Im the only one who escaped it, learnt my lesson from Port Mac. Today is relaxing around home and I need to sort out my travel arrangements back to Melbourne. If I leave Brisbane Sat lunchtime I should be in Melbourne Sunday evening all being well.
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