Hello!
The only other trouble with these pre-booked tours (apart from Sly-Sid of Travelbagdom's grey hair fetish) is that when you finally come round to going on them, you have no idea what to expect and it become a serious case of await-your-magical-tour-tomorrow-at-[insert pick up time].
Today's mystery tour collected us at the more respectable time of 9:15 (Darren shouts hooray). We boarded the Quicksilver at 9:30 for our outer Barrier Reef Cruise and arrived at the pontoon at 11:30. Meanwhile, we were informed that out ticket included a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef. What?! You're kidding?! Well Sid, for all our whinging, you really have pulled it out the onion bag in Port Douglas.
As we journeyed out to the pontoon, we were also sold on the Scuba Diving Into upgrade, which allows non-certified scuba divers (like Darren and Myself) to do a little more than snorkeling.
It didn't take long for the Supervisor to sniff out my asthma and promptly informed me that it would prevent me from diving in Queensland (and thus the GBR) as regulations are very strict in this part of the world. (I have since found out that you can take a diving medical exam at the surgery down the road and are permitted to dive a certificate to prove your lung capacity bla bla bla. Grr.)
I insisted that Darren did it anyway and I joined the back of the Guided Snorkeling Tour.
After the most impressive helicopter flight I have ever experienced (I can say that now I've done 2!) We grabbed a quick bite to eat before donning our Stinger Suits (I can't remember if I explained this already - We're in stinger season so you have to wear tight Lycra suits to stop you being attacked by a jellyfish) and heading to our respective meeting points.
Can you imagine it? ME! Scaredy-Sharky-Pants-Louise - Actually going snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef!! Something I NEVER thought in a million years I would do! But there I was, boarding the boat with several other snorkelers and 2 marine biologists. Jumping out of a plane rids you of many fears it would seem! Agincourt Reef 4 was 10 minutes away and the snorkel tour was MUCH better than I expected. I even got to see a shark!!!! ...... only a small reef shark that wasn't the slightest bit interested in taking a bite out of me but still!! And I saw real life Nemos!!!!
Darren also had an awesome time diving and obviously got to watch things for longer than me but the reef where he was diving was a lot deeper so I'd like to think that our experiences were equally enjoyable.
Better still were the DVDs we got to watch of ourselves looking silly on the trip back to land!
We're still battling with the backlog of photos to upload so keep checking them! We also bought 2 underwater cameras so we mights scan a couple of those in when we're back home for you to look at!
Seeya! Lou x
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Is that cable strong enough?
Don't you just love it when you go on a trip that you paid for ages ago?
Gigs are a good example of this... you buy the ticket so far in advance that by the time the date comes round, all you have to worry about is getting there.
The same applies to our day trip today. Booked and paid for back in the UK with no need to hand over any dwindling holiday coffers. Bonza dans le Ragga Tip.
The Skyrail is about 40 minutes drive (on the complimentary shuttle) South from Port Douglas back towards Cairns and is the longest cable car in the world spanning Barron Falls and leading to Kuranda.
The journey itself was very peaceful but required changing from one 4 person car to another at two different stages along the way. In total, three separate journeys, with three different sets of occupants and therefore three awkward conversations. Each way. Yawn.
Pretty soon, I'm just going to start making stuff up to try and make things more interesting:
"So, where you guys from?"
"You wouldn't have heard of it... a small planet called Shnurf just outside the Gamma Quadrant. And you?"
After swooping above the rain forest canopy and checking out the stunning views, we finally arrived at the lovely little village of Kuranda, where we stopped for lunch and awaited our pick up to 'Rainforestation'.
As wildlife parks go, this one was right up there with the best of them. We had a guided tour of the animal park which explained in detail all about Koalas, Crocs, Kangaroos, Wallabies and various birds followed by another guided trip in an Army Duck (an amphibious WW II 6 wheel vehicle) around the rain forest and river.
A highly entertaining Aboriginal 'Dreamtime' show was next up followed by demonstrations on spear throwing, Didgeridoo playing and Boomerang throwing which we were able to have a go at.
WARNING: Lou is a natural. Don't get on the wrong side of her.
On the way back on the cable car, we stopped off for a mooch at both stations to take in some more of the spectacular views before being 'shuttled' back to our hotel.
Total cost today? £0.00 NICE!
Darren
Gigs are a good example of this... you buy the ticket so far in advance that by the time the date comes round, all you have to worry about is getting there.
The same applies to our day trip today. Booked and paid for back in the UK with no need to hand over any dwindling holiday coffers. Bonza dans le Ragga Tip.
The Skyrail is about 40 minutes drive (on the complimentary shuttle) South from Port Douglas back towards Cairns and is the longest cable car in the world spanning Barron Falls and leading to Kuranda.
The journey itself was very peaceful but required changing from one 4 person car to another at two different stages along the way. In total, three separate journeys, with three different sets of occupants and therefore three awkward conversations. Each way. Yawn.
Pretty soon, I'm just going to start making stuff up to try and make things more interesting:
"So, where you guys from?"
"You wouldn't have heard of it... a small planet called Shnurf just outside the Gamma Quadrant. And you?"
After swooping above the rain forest canopy and checking out the stunning views, we finally arrived at the lovely little village of Kuranda, where we stopped for lunch and awaited our pick up to 'Rainforestation'.
As wildlife parks go, this one was right up there with the best of them. We had a guided tour of the animal park which explained in detail all about Koalas, Crocs, Kangaroos, Wallabies and various birds followed by another guided trip in an Army Duck (an amphibious WW II 6 wheel vehicle) around the rain forest and river.
A highly entertaining Aboriginal 'Dreamtime' show was next up followed by demonstrations on spear throwing, Didgeridoo playing and Boomerang throwing which we were able to have a go at.
WARNING: Lou is a natural. Don't get on the wrong side of her.
On the way back on the cable car, we stopped off for a mooch at both stations to take in some more of the spectacular views before being 'shuttled' back to our hotel.
Total cost today? £0.00 NICE!
Darren
Saturday, March 24, 2007
East Coast Update
It's not that we've just been lazy with blog writing, it's just that fun packed activities are a bit thin on the ground on the East Coast of Australia. It's been cool, though, it's at least given us a chance to save a bit of money and do a pit of relaxing by the pool and tan top-up!
We left Hervey Bay (see last entry) and headed North for Bundaberg. Bundaberg is famous for making Ginger Beer and Rum. Being extremely fond of the ginger delights that come from the Bundaberg Factory, Darren insisted we seek out a factory tour. Much to his excitement, we found 'The Bundaberg Barrel', a short interactive tour on the history of Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I can hear you yawning!!!! It was actually really good! Designed for [big] kids, the museum is shaped like a giant barrel! And after you have sufficiently played around with all the gadjets and gismos and watched the slightly freaky hologram theatre show of Bundaberg's history, you get a taster of each of the 8 naturally brewed Bundaberg soft drinks. Funtastic!
A tip off from the Bundaberg giftshop assistant told us that there was going to be a whole lot of nothing from now until the Whitsunday Islands so we should use the next couple of days to do some hardcore driving. Could we handle more nothingness?? At least we didn't have any panpipes on the iPod!
2 days later we arrived at Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach is the 'Gateway to the Whitsunday Islands'. This is some of what you can expect from the 74 Whitsundays islands. Popular activities include 1, 2 and 3 day sailing trips on varying budgets, which take you around the islands, stopping at beaches along the way for some tanning action and snorkling around the inner Barrier Reef. However, weather report stated wind: 15-20 knots, condition: rough. We agreed that sailing was likely to result in hurling so we went with a half day trip from Salty Dog Sea Kayaking for the more energetic way of seeing some of the islands.
We headed out of the bay in a tandem kayak, paddling towards 'White Rock' where we'd be stopping for a light snack. Battling against a 20 knot headwind started being NOT FUN aproximately 10 minutes into the journey so you can imagine how frayed our tempers had become at the 50 minute mark when White Rock came into view. Coupled with the severly stinging eyes from salt water, wind and rain, we arrived at White Rock with faces like 2 smacked botties. But then the sun came out (hooray) and after our snack and a bit of snorkling, we had a lovely leasurely paddle back to the harbour with the wind behind us ;o)
Airlie Beach was so nice, we ended up staying a 3 nights. When the pool became too boring we went on a 5.5km bush walk. This was amazing! All was going swimmingly until we encountered a 1 metre long Goanna. Harmless to us I was absolutely facinated by him but for the rest of the 2 hour trek, I was super-paranoid one of us might step on a snake.
From Airlie we took a 3 hour drive to Townsville. Townsville is 1 notch up on the boring scale to Dargaville (See NZ blog). However, you can catch a barge over to Magnetic Island from here, which is exactly what we decided to do.
Magnetic Island is so called because when Captain Cook discovered these shores in 1770, his compass "went a big funny' when he passed by. We visited a couple of the beaches - Picnic Bay was like a Ghost Town and we ended up having an entire pier to ourselves.
We were then onto the last leg of our driving extravaganza as we headed on to Cairns via Mission Beach.
Last night we arrived in Port Douglas and checked into our nice little apartment overlooking the pool. It's a little more holiday-destination up here rather than backpacker-route so more lounging by the pool to be had methinks! We also have a couple of trips booked for the next couple of days (hopefully no grey army) and internet is quick and cheap so we'll keep you posted!
Love Lou... and Darren, who's gone in search of Moke hire ;0)
We left Hervey Bay (see last entry) and headed North for Bundaberg. Bundaberg is famous for making Ginger Beer and Rum. Being extremely fond of the ginger delights that come from the Bundaberg Factory, Darren insisted we seek out a factory tour. Much to his excitement, we found 'The Bundaberg Barrel', a short interactive tour on the history of Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I can hear you yawning!!!! It was actually really good! Designed for [big] kids, the museum is shaped like a giant barrel! And after you have sufficiently played around with all the gadjets and gismos and watched the slightly freaky hologram theatre show of Bundaberg's history, you get a taster of each of the 8 naturally brewed Bundaberg soft drinks. Funtastic!
A tip off from the Bundaberg giftshop assistant told us that there was going to be a whole lot of nothing from now until the Whitsunday Islands so we should use the next couple of days to do some hardcore driving. Could we handle more nothingness?? At least we didn't have any panpipes on the iPod!
2 days later we arrived at Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach is the 'Gateway to the Whitsunday Islands'. This is some of what you can expect from the 74 Whitsundays islands. Popular activities include 1, 2 and 3 day sailing trips on varying budgets, which take you around the islands, stopping at beaches along the way for some tanning action and snorkling around the inner Barrier Reef. However, weather report stated wind: 15-20 knots, condition: rough. We agreed that sailing was likely to result in hurling so we went with a half day trip from Salty Dog Sea Kayaking for the more energetic way of seeing some of the islands.
We headed out of the bay in a tandem kayak, paddling towards 'White Rock' where we'd be stopping for a light snack. Battling against a 20 knot headwind started being NOT FUN aproximately 10 minutes into the journey so you can imagine how frayed our tempers had become at the 50 minute mark when White Rock came into view. Coupled with the severly stinging eyes from salt water, wind and rain, we arrived at White Rock with faces like 2 smacked botties. But then the sun came out (hooray) and after our snack and a bit of snorkling, we had a lovely leasurely paddle back to the harbour with the wind behind us ;o)
Airlie Beach was so nice, we ended up staying a 3 nights. When the pool became too boring we went on a 5.5km bush walk. This was amazing! All was going swimmingly until we encountered a 1 metre long Goanna. Harmless to us I was absolutely facinated by him but for the rest of the 2 hour trek, I was super-paranoid one of us might step on a snake.
From Airlie we took a 3 hour drive to Townsville. Townsville is 1 notch up on the boring scale to Dargaville (See NZ blog). However, you can catch a barge over to Magnetic Island from here, which is exactly what we decided to do.
Magnetic Island is so called because when Captain Cook discovered these shores in 1770, his compass "went a big funny' when he passed by. We visited a couple of the beaches - Picnic Bay was like a Ghost Town and we ended up having an entire pier to ourselves.
We were then onto the last leg of our driving extravaganza as we headed on to Cairns via Mission Beach.
Last night we arrived in Port Douglas and checked into our nice little apartment overlooking the pool. It's a little more holiday-destination up here rather than backpacker-route so more lounging by the pool to be had methinks! We also have a couple of trips booked for the next couple of days (hopefully no grey army) and internet is quick and cheap so we'll keep you posted!
Love Lou... and Darren, who's gone in search of Moke hire ;0)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
(Where's) The Sunshine Coast
As you might have gathered, we've been a bit slack with the blog entries of late and are playing catch up today!
After a lovely couple of days with Fay and Ted, we bid them farewell and headed north for our tour of the East Coast.
First stop: Australia Zoo, founded by the legendary late Steve Irwin. This in an amazing zoo - definately one of the best I've been to - and the feeding talks and shows at the Crocoseum are really good! All made even better when Darren volunteered to have some parrots fly out of their cage onto his arm! He won himself a cuddle with a Koala (WAS I JEALOUS?) and photo to prove it for his participation in the show! Brilliant!
We stayed the night in Caloundra before driving The Sunshine Coast to Noosa yesterday. Noosa is a lovely seaside town but with an air of 'elite' about it. Boutiques, Cafes, that kind of thing. Nice for a romantic weekend away I'd imagine! Again, geographical reference for all Aussie places can be found on the wonderous Map de Google.
Today we're in Hervey Bay and having snooped around the 4WD self-drive options and tours, which allow you to discover the world's largest sand island, Fraser Island, we decided to leave this one out of our trip. When you've travelled to the other side of the world, it easy to throw all money-sense to the wind shouting "You're only here once!" But as any backpacker on a budget will tell you, you can't do everything.
We're gonna keep driving north until we come across somewhere we'd like to stay for a few days... We'll follow the blue sky cos it's been a bit cloudy the last 2 days. We'll be back when we have something more exciting to report!
Lots of love, L + D xxx
P.s.We've also got loads of photos to upload but trying to find a decent cafe to do that is no mean feat! Check back soon x
After a lovely couple of days with Fay and Ted, we bid them farewell and headed north for our tour of the East Coast.
First stop: Australia Zoo, founded by the legendary late Steve Irwin. This in an amazing zoo - definately one of the best I've been to - and the feeding talks and shows at the Crocoseum are really good! All made even better when Darren volunteered to have some parrots fly out of their cage onto his arm! He won himself a cuddle with a Koala (WAS I JEALOUS?) and photo to prove it for his participation in the show! Brilliant!
We stayed the night in Caloundra before driving The Sunshine Coast to Noosa yesterday. Noosa is a lovely seaside town but with an air of 'elite' about it. Boutiques, Cafes, that kind of thing. Nice for a romantic weekend away I'd imagine! Again, geographical reference for all Aussie places can be found on the wonderous Map de Google.
Today we're in Hervey Bay and having snooped around the 4WD self-drive options and tours, which allow you to discover the world's largest sand island, Fraser Island, we decided to leave this one out of our trip. When you've travelled to the other side of the world, it easy to throw all money-sense to the wind shouting "You're only here once!" But as any backpacker on a budget will tell you, you can't do everything.
We're gonna keep driving north until we come across somewhere we'd like to stay for a few days... We'll follow the blue sky cos it's been a bit cloudy the last 2 days. We'll be back when we have something more exciting to report!
Lots of love, L + D xxx
P.s.We've also got loads of photos to upload but trying to find a decent cafe to do that is no mean feat! Check back soon x
Monday, March 12, 2007
Izzie, Whizzie, let's get Brissie
After escaping the panpipes and general odour of old folk and grumpy bus drivers, it was time to head over to Brissie and say G'Day to Auntie Fay and Uncle Ted who had kindly offered to put us up for a couple of nights.
After an evening of catching up, a healthy chicken salad and one of the best nights sleeps so far on this trip, it was time to go exploring again.
Later that night we were to discover that we had chosen the hottest day in the year to buck the advice given by Fay to catch the bus round the corner and instead walked 3K to the main bus terminus where more frequent buses departed. 38 degrees!! Fools. Mind you, it wasn't as bad as the heat in the desert so we were grateful for that.
Brisbane has its own man-made 'Inland Beach' on the river. Why? Probably down to the amount of sharks frequenting the seas on the Sunshine Coast. Yeah, that would be it.
Apart from 'The Beach' and as we were limited on time, we only really got to see the usual hustle and bustle of the city. As you may have gathered, it's the usual heady mix of culture with a fair bit of pollution thrown in for good measure.
That night, we took Fay, Ted and Vikki, their daughter, out for a really nice Mexican meal as a thank you for looking after us.
Today, we've picked up the car and are heading off up the Sunshine Coast on our way to Cairns and Port Douglas. It's a nice one too - a sporty Ford Falcon XR6. Sure is better to drive than the camper and no mistake!
Darren
After an evening of catching up, a healthy chicken salad and one of the best nights sleeps so far on this trip, it was time to go exploring again.
Later that night we were to discover that we had chosen the hottest day in the year to buck the advice given by Fay to catch the bus round the corner and instead walked 3K to the main bus terminus where more frequent buses departed. 38 degrees!! Fools. Mind you, it wasn't as bad as the heat in the desert so we were grateful for that.
Brisbane has its own man-made 'Inland Beach' on the river. Why? Probably down to the amount of sharks frequenting the seas on the Sunshine Coast. Yeah, that would be it.
Apart from 'The Beach' and as we were limited on time, we only really got to see the usual hustle and bustle of the city. As you may have gathered, it's the usual heady mix of culture with a fair bit of pollution thrown in for good measure.
That night, we took Fay, Ted and Vikki, their daughter, out for a really nice Mexican meal as a thank you for looking after us.
Today, we've picked up the car and are heading off up the Sunshine Coast on our way to Cairns and Port Douglas. It's a nice one too - a sporty Ford Falcon XR6. Sure is better to drive than the camper and no mistake!
Darren
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Ayers Rock Bonanza
We said our farewell to Sydney by taking 2 little sightseeing buses around the city. The first one took us to the famous Bondi Beach. For somewhere so infamous for it's surfing culture and beautiful scenery, it's seriously over rated. Nevertheless, We found a lovely little cafe to have lunch and walked the coastal path to Bronte Beach to pick the bus up back to the city.
The second bus was just a city bus with a commentary pointing out all the famous sites. It was a nice way to say goodbye - We'd had an awesome time here and could have easily stayed another week.
So for the next three days we had a trip to Ayers Rock (or Uluru... or Oo-la-roo!) planned so we made our way to the airport in the morning for the 3 hour flight to Uluru.
It was an amazing thing for me to fly 3 hours and not see the sea! Even more strange was that once we'd escaped the airspace of Sydney's suburbs there was ......nothing. Nothing but red sand and a few shrubs. the desert's an amazing phenomenon... more on that later.
Pick up for the first excursion wasn't until 3pm so that left us a few hours to settle in and get some lunch.
For those of you who have spent an hour or so or more with Darren in the summer months will know that he's not a fan of flies. He HATES them. We were tipped off at the airport to buy a fly net. Flies that love the dry heat of the desert, seek out moisture wherever they can and ears, noses and eyes are a nutritious and delicious source for this.
At the resort, I popped into the small supermarket to pick up some lunch and left Darren outside. Only to return less than 15 minutes later to find Darren sat on a bench like a scolded schoolboy. He was already sulking about the flies. Bless.
We'd booked this trip before we left the UK and it had been recommended to us by Syd at Travelbag. So 3 o'clock arrived and we boarded the coach for the first part of our sightseeing trip.
Enter the Grey Army and Gordon, the grumpiest bus driver in the outback - our company for the next 3 days. Thanks Syd! I'll try not to dwell on this too much because it detracts from the amazing things that we actually did see but we'd basically been booked onto what can only be described as a SAGA holiday.
I'll keep the itinerary as brief as I can as I think that the photos will do the experience the most justice.
Yulara, the town that homes Ayers Rock is also home to The Olgas (or Kata-Tjuta... or Catta Joota) The Olgas are a cluster of smaller rocks rather than one huge rock and combined are actually far bigger than Ayers Rock. Our first stop was a 2.5km walk down a gorge created by the Olgas. The heat of the desert is SO intense and you quickly realise how lethal it would be out there with no shade or water. Even after an hour walking with 2 litres of water we started to flake and I got the shakes. It's quite a scary experience.
We then moved on to see Uluru at sunset, quite a spectacular sight.
At 5:30!!!!! the next morning, we travelled back to Uluru to see it at sunrise. In my opinion, less spectacular as we didn't get the ever changing shades of red on the rock as we had done the previous night and it was FAR TOO EARLY to be appreciating anything other than our tiredness!
After a sneaky peak at some ancient cave paintings on the side of the rock, we headed north to Kings Canyon. This is a minor distance when you look at a map of Oz but still took us 4 hours or so. 4 hours of red sand and shrubs is mind numbingly boring and it's amazing how boring things become exciting when you're bored. After a short lived game of 'I spy' (sky, sand, rocks, shrubs, trees, coach) I caught myself saying things like "There's more trees here" and "This area's more shrubby isn't it?"
Phew!
Kings Canyon is Australia's answer to the Grand Canyon and it was here we were able to break free from the slow paced coffin dodgers to partake in a 6km trek round the canyon rim. Which was great and even better for my tan!
We left KC at 11am and began our mammoth journey back to Alice Springs where we would catch our flight to Brisbane. On the longer portions of our trip, Grumpy Gordon had done what he could to try and relieve some of the boredom and so far, this had arrived in the form of documentary DVDs on Australia's Flora and Fauna. I like nature programmes so this pleased me. However, these soon ran out and when he uttered the words "So I'll just put on some 'relaxing' music for you to listen to as we continue our journey" our faces filled with dread. Considering the demographic of our party, we knew this was not going to be your mainstream Coldplay or Snow Patrol.
We gazed out the window as the strings began to liquefy our brains... and then it started... panpipes.
7 HOURS OF DESERT AND PANPIPES LATER we arrived in Alice Springs before our flight to Brisbane in the morning.
Despite being in the middle of nowhere, it was a great trip and we're really glad we made it out to the 'Red Centre' as the rocks are truly amazing. We also like to look back on it as an endurance exercise and practise of tolerance for Gordon who was honestly the grouchiest Scotsman we've ever encountered.
The second bus was just a city bus with a commentary pointing out all the famous sites. It was a nice way to say goodbye - We'd had an awesome time here and could have easily stayed another week.
So for the next three days we had a trip to Ayers Rock (or Uluru... or Oo-la-roo!) planned so we made our way to the airport in the morning for the 3 hour flight to Uluru.
It was an amazing thing for me to fly 3 hours and not see the sea! Even more strange was that once we'd escaped the airspace of Sydney's suburbs there was ......nothing. Nothing but red sand and a few shrubs. the desert's an amazing phenomenon... more on that later.
Pick up for the first excursion wasn't until 3pm so that left us a few hours to settle in and get some lunch.
For those of you who have spent an hour or so or more with Darren in the summer months will know that he's not a fan of flies. He HATES them. We were tipped off at the airport to buy a fly net. Flies that love the dry heat of the desert, seek out moisture wherever they can and ears, noses and eyes are a nutritious and delicious source for this.
At the resort, I popped into the small supermarket to pick up some lunch and left Darren outside. Only to return less than 15 minutes later to find Darren sat on a bench like a scolded schoolboy. He was already sulking about the flies. Bless.
We'd booked this trip before we left the UK and it had been recommended to us by Syd at Travelbag. So 3 o'clock arrived and we boarded the coach for the first part of our sightseeing trip.
Enter the Grey Army and Gordon, the grumpiest bus driver in the outback - our company for the next 3 days. Thanks Syd! I'll try not to dwell on this too much because it detracts from the amazing things that we actually did see but we'd basically been booked onto what can only be described as a SAGA holiday.
I'll keep the itinerary as brief as I can as I think that the photos will do the experience the most justice.
Yulara, the town that homes Ayers Rock is also home to The Olgas (or Kata-Tjuta... or Catta Joota) The Olgas are a cluster of smaller rocks rather than one huge rock and combined are actually far bigger than Ayers Rock. Our first stop was a 2.5km walk down a gorge created by the Olgas. The heat of the desert is SO intense and you quickly realise how lethal it would be out there with no shade or water. Even after an hour walking with 2 litres of water we started to flake and I got the shakes. It's quite a scary experience.
We then moved on to see Uluru at sunset, quite a spectacular sight.
At 5:30!!!!! the next morning, we travelled back to Uluru to see it at sunrise. In my opinion, less spectacular as we didn't get the ever changing shades of red on the rock as we had done the previous night and it was FAR TOO EARLY to be appreciating anything other than our tiredness!
After a sneaky peak at some ancient cave paintings on the side of the rock, we headed north to Kings Canyon. This is a minor distance when you look at a map of Oz but still took us 4 hours or so. 4 hours of red sand and shrubs is mind numbingly boring and it's amazing how boring things become exciting when you're bored. After a short lived game of 'I spy' (sky, sand, rocks, shrubs, trees, coach) I caught myself saying things like "There's more trees here" and "This area's more shrubby isn't it?"
Phew!
Kings Canyon is Australia's answer to the Grand Canyon and it was here we were able to break free from the slow paced coffin dodgers to partake in a 6km trek round the canyon rim. Which was great and even better for my tan!
We left KC at 11am and began our mammoth journey back to Alice Springs where we would catch our flight to Brisbane. On the longer portions of our trip, Grumpy Gordon had done what he could to try and relieve some of the boredom and so far, this had arrived in the form of documentary DVDs on Australia's Flora and Fauna. I like nature programmes so this pleased me. However, these soon ran out and when he uttered the words "So I'll just put on some 'relaxing' music for you to listen to as we continue our journey" our faces filled with dread. Considering the demographic of our party, we knew this was not going to be your mainstream Coldplay or Snow Patrol.
We gazed out the window as the strings began to liquefy our brains... and then it started... panpipes.
7 HOURS OF DESERT AND PANPIPES LATER we arrived in Alice Springs before our flight to Brisbane in the morning.
Despite being in the middle of nowhere, it was a great trip and we're really glad we made it out to the 'Red Centre' as the rocks are truly amazing. We also like to look back on it as an endurance exercise and practise of tolerance for Gordon who was honestly the grouchiest Scotsman we've ever encountered.
Monday, March 05, 2007
It's a Small World!
We woke up this morning to rain. I can forgive Sydney for raining since on this entire trip we had only one or two days of drizzle in New Zealand and much of the heavier downpours occurred while we were driving (or should I say Darren was driving and it wasn't me who got to negotiate mountain-top lanes. My job was simply to scream "Careful!" and "Slow Down!" where appropriate) .
I can't, however, forgive the rain for its timing as we still had our mudguard-less bikes till 1pm and short of caking our behinds in street gunk, cycle-siteseeing wasn't going to be fun today. Nevertheless, we donned our trusty cagouls and cycled to the Opera House to book our behind the scenes tour for 11:15. With 30 minutes or so to spare, we cut our losses and returned the bikes to their home in the Opera House underground car park.
The Opera House Tour was fantastic! I've come to realise that if you book guided trips or tours, how much fun you have is largely determined by 2 factors:
1 - The livliness and sense of humour of your guide
2 - The livliness and sense of humour of your tour party
I feel that this theory works regardless of the actual trip content.
Our guide for the Opera House was very passionate about the building, it's history and architecture and despite the seemingly obligatory argy-bargy between members of the party when moving from one room to the other and a few angry words, which I can only describe as 'Tour Rage', it was an excellent tour. Sweeter still was our 20% off voucher, we'd presented on arrival.
We had a few hours to kill before our prebooked Sydney Harbour Bridgeclimb so we did a bit of Lunch 'n' shopping. Sweetiedarling.
So the Bridgeclimb was booked for 5:30pm. This involves climbing up to the very top of Sydney Harbour Bridge, crossing over the top and then climbing down the other side. The whole experience takes about 4 hours from start to finish. Having watched people do the climb earlier in the week in the 30°c /100% humidity midday heat, I was thankful that we'd booked the Twilight Tour... All except... that rain I was talking about? Yeah-that got worse and brought the wind with it.
We pretty much conquered our fear of heights while skydiving so the actual climb didn't really phase either of us but the pelting rain and galeforce winds resulted in fits of giggles. The rain is so hard you can barely see and the struggle to keep your balance while 134 metres up in the air over Sydney Harbour provided the subject of much amusement for Darren and I and also the couple in front, Ash and Vicki
Ash & Vicki (Won't you guys be pleased you get your own paragraph!)
Isn't it strange that you can be on the other side of the world and bump into people with some spooky coincidences:
I can't, however, forgive the rain for its timing as we still had our mudguard-less bikes till 1pm and short of caking our behinds in street gunk, cycle-siteseeing wasn't going to be fun today. Nevertheless, we donned our trusty cagouls and cycled to the Opera House to book our behind the scenes tour for 11:15. With 30 minutes or so to spare, we cut our losses and returned the bikes to their home in the Opera House underground car park.
The Opera House Tour was fantastic! I've come to realise that if you book guided trips or tours, how much fun you have is largely determined by 2 factors:
1 - The livliness and sense of humour of your guide
2 - The livliness and sense of humour of your tour party
I feel that this theory works regardless of the actual trip content.
Our guide for the Opera House was very passionate about the building, it's history and architecture and despite the seemingly obligatory argy-bargy between members of the party when moving from one room to the other and a few angry words, which I can only describe as 'Tour Rage', it was an excellent tour. Sweeter still was our 20% off voucher, we'd presented on arrival.
We had a few hours to kill before our prebooked Sydney Harbour Bridgeclimb so we did a bit of Lunch 'n' shopping. Sweetiedarling.
So the Bridgeclimb was booked for 5:30pm. This involves climbing up to the very top of Sydney Harbour Bridge, crossing over the top and then climbing down the other side. The whole experience takes about 4 hours from start to finish. Having watched people do the climb earlier in the week in the 30°c /100% humidity midday heat, I was thankful that we'd booked the Twilight Tour... All except... that rain I was talking about? Yeah-that got worse and brought the wind with it.
We pretty much conquered our fear of heights while skydiving so the actual climb didn't really phase either of us but the pelting rain and galeforce winds resulted in fits of giggles. The rain is so hard you can barely see and the struggle to keep your balance while 134 metres up in the air over Sydney Harbour provided the subject of much amusement for Darren and I and also the couple in front, Ash and Vicki
Ash & Vicki (Won't you guys be pleased you get your own paragraph!)
Isn't it strange that you can be on the other side of the world and bump into people with some spooky coincidences:
- Ash and Vicki live in Newbury where I grew up and where my parents still live.
- Ash proposed to Vicki that same day. Like Darren, he had originally decided to propose on top of Sydney Harbour Bridge. The weather, however had forced him to change his plans and ask Vicki earlier in the day. She said yes by the way!
- Ash works on New Greenham Park in Newbury - less than 100 metres from Liberty House (That's where I used to work)
Isn't it a small world?
So after a hectic day, Ash and Vicki joined us for a pint after the climb before retiring for the day.
Lou xx
Sunday, March 04, 2007
On Yer Bike!
As today was a bit overcast, we rented some bikes and continued our new found hobby of cycling over famous bridges.
It didn't take long for the curse of the moving part to catch up with me and within the hour, we were back at the cycle depot getting my saddle tightened. It didn't end there either... after getting to the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, my front wheel had mysteriously worked its way loose too!
The ride was excellent though. We ventured out into the city - which was pretty scary amongst all the buses - but it was a great way to see more sights like the Sky Tower, Domain, Hyde Park etc.
After grabbing some lunch, we headed over the Harbour Bridge to 'Luna Park' which is a very old amusement park that reminded me of Blackpool pleasure beach circa 1950. Oddly, it sits on what must be the best bit of real estate in the whole of Sydney with stunning views across the harbour. It has to have some sort of heritage status now which has protected it over the years from being levelled and turned into expensive apartments.
Because of last nights Mardi Gras, it was closed for a private function. Well, I assumed it was because of Mardi Gras... guys holding hands in tight PVC shorts, Kylie blaring away on the PA and some rather butch looking women kind of gave the game away a little.
Eventually, the afternoon sun and 100% humidity took its toll and we headed back to our hotel, stopping for a while to watch hundreds of fruitbats leaving the Botanic Gardens for their nightly feeding trip. We were later to witness what was to be one of the most powerful thunderstorms that Sydney had experienced in many years. It was awesome and I managed to get a good shot on the camera too.
Darren
It didn't take long for the curse of the moving part to catch up with me and within the hour, we were back at the cycle depot getting my saddle tightened. It didn't end there either... after getting to the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, my front wheel had mysteriously worked its way loose too!
The ride was excellent though. We ventured out into the city - which was pretty scary amongst all the buses - but it was a great way to see more sights like the Sky Tower, Domain, Hyde Park etc.
After grabbing some lunch, we headed over the Harbour Bridge to 'Luna Park' which is a very old amusement park that reminded me of Blackpool pleasure beach circa 1950. Oddly, it sits on what must be the best bit of real estate in the whole of Sydney with stunning views across the harbour. It has to have some sort of heritage status now which has protected it over the years from being levelled and turned into expensive apartments.
Because of last nights Mardi Gras, it was closed for a private function. Well, I assumed it was because of Mardi Gras... guys holding hands in tight PVC shorts, Kylie blaring away on the PA and some rather butch looking women kind of gave the game away a little.
Eventually, the afternoon sun and 100% humidity took its toll and we headed back to our hotel, stopping for a while to watch hundreds of fruitbats leaving the Botanic Gardens for their nightly feeding trip. We were later to witness what was to be one of the most powerful thunderstorms that Sydney had experienced in many years. It was awesome and I managed to get a good shot on the camera too.
Darren
Saturday, March 03, 2007
The Blue Moutains
Another early start (woo!) this morning to go on a 4WD adventure tour to the Blue Mountains - a trip booked for us by Travelbag before we left the UK. Tour pick ups work in a similar fashion to Airport drops offs - spending over an hour circling the city 3 or 4 times to pick up couples from various hotels before starting the 'adventure'. I'm sure you'll appreciate our annoyance when we picked up the last couple from a hotel 10 minutes walk from ours and realising we could have spent an extra hour in bed.
However, this was going to be a good trip so I forgive them.
An hours drive out of Sydney and we arrived at Featherdale Wildlife Park. I LOVE (to the point of being obsessed with) Koala Bears. I think they're the cutest things! So imagine my glee when I got to see and even TOUCH a real life Koala!! Brilliant! This park, although small was packed with native Australian wildlife - Kangaroos, Crocodiles, Dingos, Tasmanian Devils and more. So exciting! We even got a complimentary Clip-on Koala Bear toy!!! Need we continue? My day's complete!!
Just over an hour later I was dragged back onto the 4WD-bus-beast and we headed off into the direction of the Blue Mountain.
Interesting fact: The Blue Mountains are so called because the Eucalyptus trees give off an oil, the fumes of which burn off in the heat of the sun, creating a blue haze (see pictures!). Nerdy but interesting.
I suppose I would describe this part of the tour as 'the Eco-Hour' as we stopped at the Blue Mountains reserve for a short walk to smell the Tea Tree and Citronella leaves.
After stroking a Joey at Featherdale, I wondered weather my choice of Kangaroo Pie for lunch has been a wise one but I tried to put it to the back of my mind! Our lunch stop resided at a restaurant overlooking the mountains within a high-altitude Botanic Garden. Not as impressive as that in Sydney but the food was lovely and I was pleased with my Roo Pie choice! Darren's steak was a bit rare even by my standards and looked like it would start breathing again if he didn't eat it quickly. Yum.
I'm sure you're starting to realise the whistle-stop nature of today's tour!
Next stop - Scenic World, Katoomba. A great place to see The Three Sisters. At Scenic World, you take the steepest incline railway in the world to the bottom of the canyon and then walk the scenic track to the cable car, which takes you back up again. Well, we got off the railway and in the kerfuffle went the wrong way and ended up on a suggested 2-hour trek. OOooops! Good job we spotted this on the map 20 minutes in, else we'd have been in BIG trouble with the guide! Then I left my beloved cowboy hat on the cable car back to the top and had to wait for it to come back. It was still there - hooray!
On our way back to Sydney, we swung by the Olympic Stadium for a quick look before boarding the River Cat back to the Circular Quay to avoid the city traffic. The reason traffic was going to be particularly bad tonight was because it was MARDI GRAS!! That's right ladies and gentlemen, one of the world's biggest Gay and Lesbian parades was on tonight!
I was really excited about this because when you see the Mardi Gras on the TV, it's all music and costumes and dancing and general campness and I thought it'd be really fun! The Mardi Gras in Sydney is also a HUGE social event - everyone goes!
The battery was going dead on the camera at the Mardi Gras so I'm not sure how well the photos came out but check them out - it was absolutely fantastic! I wished we could have stayed longer but having been dragged around all day, we started to wilt pretty early on but if you ever get the chance to go in any city - GO! It's so cool!!
Lou xx
Friday, March 02, 2007
Touchdown in Oz!
G'Day from Oz!
Landed yesterday afternoon from NZ and were both immediately knocked sideways by the heat and general humidity of Sydney. Every pore in my body made up its mind that there was some sort of 'bush fire' happening all over my body and sent out the nescessary water appliances to put it out. Thank GOD for anti perspirant!!
Airport shuttles are strange things... a very cheap way of getting from the airport to your hotel but with the disadvantage of having to share the journey with other sweaty tourists and also taking the gambit of who gets to their hotel first. Over an HOUR later, we were STILL in this non-air conditioned, badly driven piece of plop seemingly passing the same streets over and over again. By the time we arrived at the hotel, the driver opened the door and Lou and I actually melted out onto the street.
At check-in, we were informed that we had been given a "complimentary upgrade to the best room in the hotel". Ever the pessimist I shrugged and thought to myself "Pft!, Yeah right, I bet they say that to everyone".
I was SOOO wrong! We opened the door to what must have been the honeymoon suite with 4 rooms and a spa bath! One room has already been adopted as 'The Chess Room'. I've been teaching Lou since New Zealand.
Today, we headed off into town to familiarise ourselves with everything and generally do the 'nesting' thing and of course make sure where the essential items like chocolate, pop and internet are located.
First stop - The Royal Botanic Gardens. This really is a beautiful part of the city with exotic plants and birds including Fruit Bats and moody Cockatoos. These badboys are angry. Didn't understand why they were so vocal, but at one point I was sure I overheard something being squawked about a pint and some sort of spillage.
Moving on over to the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge or Coat hanger as the locals call it.
Stunning views and plenty of photo opportunities to be had. We're booked on the 'Bridge climb' so will keep you updated with pics etc on that.
We quite liked the idea of watching a show at the Opera House, so had a browse through the events listing to see what took our fancy. "An Indian Rhythm Spectacular" Sounds cool eh? Read on...
Although very impressive and at times inspirational, I do feel there should be a law governing the length of a drum solo - especially when it's all on one drum.
45 MINUTES LATER, even I was losing the will to live. At one point, I thought Lou was in danger of slipping into a coma (At one point I actually caught myself trying to think of ways it might be possible to lick my elbow -Lou). It wasn't all doom and gloom though, later on in the show, we were graced with some lovely melodies played on violins by two brothers in a typically Indian musical scale and some 'interesting' vocal performances from a highly respected Guru - all accompanied by more crazy time signatures by the solo drummer extraordinaire.
Landed yesterday afternoon from NZ and were both immediately knocked sideways by the heat and general humidity of Sydney. Every pore in my body made up its mind that there was some sort of 'bush fire' happening all over my body and sent out the nescessary water appliances to put it out. Thank GOD for anti perspirant!!
Airport shuttles are strange things... a very cheap way of getting from the airport to your hotel but with the disadvantage of having to share the journey with other sweaty tourists and also taking the gambit of who gets to their hotel first. Over an HOUR later, we were STILL in this non-air conditioned, badly driven piece of plop seemingly passing the same streets over and over again. By the time we arrived at the hotel, the driver opened the door and Lou and I actually melted out onto the street.
At check-in, we were informed that we had been given a "complimentary upgrade to the best room in the hotel". Ever the pessimist I shrugged and thought to myself "Pft!, Yeah right, I bet they say that to everyone".
I was SOOO wrong! We opened the door to what must have been the honeymoon suite with 4 rooms and a spa bath! One room has already been adopted as 'The Chess Room'. I've been teaching Lou since New Zealand.
Today, we headed off into town to familiarise ourselves with everything and generally do the 'nesting' thing and of course make sure where the essential items like chocolate, pop and internet are located.
First stop - The Royal Botanic Gardens. This really is a beautiful part of the city with exotic plants and birds including Fruit Bats and moody Cockatoos. These badboys are angry. Didn't understand why they were so vocal, but at one point I was sure I overheard something being squawked about a pint and some sort of spillage.
Moving on over to the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge or Coat hanger as the locals call it.
Stunning views and plenty of photo opportunities to be had. We're booked on the 'Bridge climb' so will keep you updated with pics etc on that.
We quite liked the idea of watching a show at the Opera House, so had a browse through the events listing to see what took our fancy. "An Indian Rhythm Spectacular" Sounds cool eh? Read on...
Although very impressive and at times inspirational, I do feel there should be a law governing the length of a drum solo - especially when it's all on one drum.
45 MINUTES LATER, even I was losing the will to live. At one point, I thought Lou was in danger of slipping into a coma (At one point I actually caught myself trying to think of ways it might be possible to lick my elbow -Lou). It wasn't all doom and gloom though, later on in the show, we were graced with some lovely melodies played on violins by two brothers in a typically Indian musical scale and some 'interesting' vocal performances from a highly respected Guru - all accompanied by more crazy time signatures by the solo drummer extraordinaire.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Goodbye NZ :o(
Sorry we've been a bit rubbish at posting the last few days but there hasn't been an awful lot to report... We've been chilling out for a change... and trying to save the pennies!!
We left Queenstown having had our fill of adrenaline and began our 5 day trip back to Christchurch to catch our plane to Sydney. So far, Darren had been doing a fair amount of driving, so I really wanted us to take it a bit easier before Oz.
A couple of hours up the road from Queenstown is Alexandra where we stayed a night before taking the slightly longer trip to Dunedin. It is here where I developed the mother of all chest infections, which I still haven't been able to shake off. Grr.
Dunedin is, apparently, the furthest city from London. At first glance, it looks the same as all other Kiwi cities but went up dramatically in Darren's estimations when we discovered it was home to NZ's Cadbury's Factory. We finished the Cadbury's tour laden with free chocolate and I'm now engaged to a 'Perky-Nana' addict .
East of Dunedin is the Otago Peninsular, a bit of a wildlife haven and more specifically, home to a colony of Blue Penguins. If you're patient and are dressed for the cold winds that blow off the South Pacific, you can watch the penguins come in from their daily fishing trip and walk up the beach to their nests for the night. These guys are soooo cute! They stand about 30cm off the ground and will waddle right past you if you stand still enough. Best if you bring night vision goggles, though, as it's mainly their white chests that you can make out in the darkness.
From Dunedin we carried on to Oamaru for the night and then on to Akaroa, situated on another peninsular south of Christchurch. A quaint little town on the side of a harbour - nice for a kayak trip around the bay or swimming with dolphins if you have the money.
It's our last day in Christchurch with the camper today. THANK GOD. They've been good times, and it's been a better experience than I had anticipated, but I'll be glad to be back in a bed that you don't have to prepare each night and dismantle every morning. I'll also be glad to see the back of the sink that never really drained properly (stories too gross for this blog will have to wait for our return) and a toilet you have to empty by hand (stories even more revolting will be saved for those with a strong stomach!).
Last but definitely not least, we finally settled on an engagement ring yesterday and picked it up from the Jeweller today. The ring that my mum gave to Darren was meant to be a token until we found something that we both liked. It's absolutely beautiful and very sparkly! (Nikki, I have finally discovered diamonds!!). I shall show you all when we return.
We're off to Sydney on the 1st March so expect much more exciting stories then!
Love, Lou xx
We left Queenstown having had our fill of adrenaline and began our 5 day trip back to Christchurch to catch our plane to Sydney. So far, Darren had been doing a fair amount of driving, so I really wanted us to take it a bit easier before Oz.
A couple of hours up the road from Queenstown is Alexandra where we stayed a night before taking the slightly longer trip to Dunedin. It is here where I developed the mother of all chest infections, which I still haven't been able to shake off. Grr.
Dunedin is, apparently, the furthest city from London. At first glance, it looks the same as all other Kiwi cities but went up dramatically in Darren's estimations when we discovered it was home to NZ's Cadbury's Factory. We finished the Cadbury's tour laden with free chocolate and I'm now engaged to a 'Perky-Nana' addict .
East of Dunedin is the Otago Peninsular, a bit of a wildlife haven and more specifically, home to a colony of Blue Penguins. If you're patient and are dressed for the cold winds that blow off the South Pacific, you can watch the penguins come in from their daily fishing trip and walk up the beach to their nests for the night. These guys are soooo cute! They stand about 30cm off the ground and will waddle right past you if you stand still enough. Best if you bring night vision goggles, though, as it's mainly their white chests that you can make out in the darkness.
From Dunedin we carried on to Oamaru for the night and then on to Akaroa, situated on another peninsular south of Christchurch. A quaint little town on the side of a harbour - nice for a kayak trip around the bay or swimming with dolphins if you have the money.
It's our last day in Christchurch with the camper today. THANK GOD. They've been good times, and it's been a better experience than I had anticipated, but I'll be glad to be back in a bed that you don't have to prepare each night and dismantle every morning. I'll also be glad to see the back of the sink that never really drained properly (stories too gross for this blog will have to wait for our return) and a toilet you have to empty by hand (stories even more revolting will be saved for those with a strong stomach!).
Last but definitely not least, we finally settled on an engagement ring yesterday and picked it up from the Jeweller today. The ring that my mum gave to Darren was meant to be a token until we found something that we both liked. It's absolutely beautiful and very sparkly! (Nikki, I have finally discovered diamonds!!). I shall show you all when we return.
We're off to Sydney on the 1st March so expect much more exciting stories then!
Love, Lou xx
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Things to do before you die - in one day
So here we are in Queenstown - the adventure capital of NZ. Not ones to just sit back and watch the world go by, we decided to get stuck in with a full days worth of activities.
Being distantly related to a bunch of gypsies bodes well occasionally when blagging a good deal, so we opted for a 'combo' package which was called the Shotover Free Fall. The clue for at least 2 parts of the day are in the title but I'll give you a low down on the rest:
Being distantly related to a bunch of gypsies bodes well occasionally when blagging a good deal, so we opted for a 'combo' package which was called the Shotover Free Fall. The clue for at least 2 parts of the day are in the title but I'll give you a low down on the rest:
- Up again at silly O'clock (Bah!) to go on the Shotover Jet. Another crazy paced jet boat that hurtles down a river in the bottom of a canyon narrowly avoiding various obstacles along the way including rocks at head height & semi submerged trees, branches and more rocks for good measure
- Next up: White Water Rafting. This was to take place at the top of one of the nearby canyons and would normally take 45 minutes to drive to it. Our package however included the Helicopter trip to it. Nice.
Now, the helicopter only took 4 people at a time and the helipad was a ten minute drive up the mountain road. Regaled in full wetsuits and carrying hard hats & life jackets in the blazing sun, we looked a right bunch of Muppets sat on a log alone in the middle of a field next to the main road waiting for the helicopter to return from its first drop off. Anyone passing must've thought we were bananas. I'm not sure what I prayed for more - not to crash while we were in it, or not to crash on the first run thereby leaving us to die on a hillside looking like penguins.
Fortunately the helicopter ride was awesome and the pilot, who was either some kind of part-time stuntman, or Mad Murdoch from the A-Team swooped round, up and down the canyons seemingly beheading anything living on the ground below us. I love it when a plan comes together. - Joining 5 other people in a rubber dinghy (including the guide) with nothing but a wooden oar and a limited set of instructions and being launched down grade 4 rapids can feel a little daunting at first but was nonetheless very enjoyable - until we found ourselves dragging people from another up-turned raft into ours who, without our help, would have just sailed off down the rapids. Good fun though. Honest!
- The cherry on the cake... The absolute highlight of all days... SKYDIVING FROM 12,000 FEET!!
Oh yes, you heard that right Brothers and Sisters, Lou and I embarked on a trip that we'll remember forever. I won't lie to you readers, every emotion filled our heads and very nearly our pants in the run up to the jump, but once briefed and kitted out, we were bundled into a plane, taken up to 12,000 feet above Queenstown and in what seemed no time at all, were free-falling towards the ground at over 200KPH. This lasted for about 45 seconds before the canopy opened. If you've ever done it, you'll know how it feels. If you haven't, do it. It's awesome. I've never felt so alive.
Today was spent chilling out and taking a trip up the mountain in some cable cars and having a go on the Luges but after yesterdays excitement, it all seemed a bit tame!
Check out the pictures, we've posted the ones from the Caving and Agrodome up too.
We'll be heading off tomorrow to pastures more calm and serene!
Darren
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Wanaka - comedy name, great town
So we made our way across more mountains to Wanaka today. It's really hard to drive around this beautiful country without the risk of spinning the bus off the road 'Italian Job' style while checking out the awesome views through the mountains. Of course Lou was always on hand 'Mrs Bouquet' style telling me to "Watch out for the mountains" so you can rest easy that I at least was in safe hands.
When we finally arrived at Wanaka (stop tittering), I immediately declared that this was a town that I would be happy to live in. It's fantastic. A huge lake with a spectacular snow-capped mountainous backdrop. The comedy address would be worth the move by itself to be honest.
As it's so nice here and we've done quite a bit of driving, we both decided to take the weekend off and chill out by the lake. Of course there being a Curry House just off the main street had nothing at all to do with it...
Darren
When we finally arrived at Wanaka (stop tittering), I immediately declared that this was a town that I would be happy to live in. It's fantastic. A huge lake with a spectacular snow-capped mountainous backdrop. The comedy address would be worth the move by itself to be honest.
As it's so nice here and we've done quite a bit of driving, we both decided to take the weekend off and chill out by the lake. Of course there being a Curry House just off the main street had nothing at all to do with it...
Darren
Friday, February 16, 2007
Haastalavista Baby
We got some pretty good views of Fox Glacier from afar this morning as we ate our burnt toast (damn grill) and then took a stroll around Lake Matherson. On a calm day, you can see the reflection of Mount Cook in the Lake but luck would have it that there was a bit of a breeze today so no reflection.
With feet itching, we got in the car to make a start on our next big venue - Queenstown - Adrenaline Capital of the South. We're not gonna get there for a few days yet but we chose Haast as the next town to stop at.
...And we thought Dargaville was bad!
I don't think I need to say much more than:
Shop count: 1
Signal on mobile phone: none
Nearest ATM: Fox (117km and 2 hour drive North) or Wanaka (146km and 2 1/2 hour drive South).
Nearest Filling Station: See above.
To say this place is remote is an understatement. We leave early tomorrow morning!
Lou
With feet itching, we got in the car to make a start on our next big venue - Queenstown - Adrenaline Capital of the South. We're not gonna get there for a few days yet but we chose Haast as the next town to stop at.
...And we thought Dargaville was bad!
I don't think I need to say much more than:
Shop count: 1
Signal on mobile phone: none
Nearest ATM: Fox (117km and 2 hour drive North) or Wanaka (146km and 2 1/2 hour drive South).
Nearest Filling Station: See above.
To say this place is remote is an understatement. We leave early tomorrow morning!
Lou
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Franz Josef - Fashion Capital
So we woke up bright and early this morning to hike Franz Josef. They advise you to bring 4-5 warm upper body layers, quick drying trousers (not jeans). Everything else they will provide.
Darren left the camper this morning looking like he'd been dragged backwards through a dressing up box:
Feet - Two pairs of contrasting stripy socks, the yellow and brown pair pulled down slightly lower to reveal the lime green and black. Yellow, red and blue DC trainers.
Legs - a pair of beige Adidas swimming trunks
Top - a red and black stripy jumper with a black death-metal style t-shirt pulled over the top.
I love my handsome fiancée!
The hiking itself was far more energetic than either of us expected it to be and with hindsight, were quite thankful that the full day tours were booked up. We were taken on a 2.5km power walk to the Glacier 'Terminal' (base) and then spent 4 1/2 hours negotiating treacherous walls of ice. The views we got were spectacular once again and was well worth the trip.
We were back in normal clothes by about 2pm and we've just cruised through the winding roads and arrived at Fox for the night.
Lou xx
Darren left the camper this morning looking like he'd been dragged backwards through a dressing up box:
Feet - Two pairs of contrasting stripy socks, the yellow and brown pair pulled down slightly lower to reveal the lime green and black. Yellow, red and blue DC trainers.
Legs - a pair of beige Adidas swimming trunks
Top - a red and black stripy jumper with a black death-metal style t-shirt pulled over the top.
I love my handsome fiancée!
The hiking itself was far more energetic than either of us expected it to be and with hindsight, were quite thankful that the full day tours were booked up. We were taken on a 2.5km power walk to the Glacier 'Terminal' (base) and then spent 4 1/2 hours negotiating treacherous walls of ice. The views we got were spectacular once again and was well worth the trip.
We were back in normal clothes by about 2pm and we've just cruised through the winding roads and arrived at Fox for the night.
Lou xx
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Happy Lou Lou
So a very happy Fiancée-Lou and Fiancée-Darren left the beach and headed further down the Coast to Greymouth this morning to call my Dad on his birthday and break the news. He was really happy and so was my mum. Apparently my mum has been bouncing off the walls :o)
Since Greymouth doesn't have an awful lot to offer, we carried on down to Hokitika - a lovely little town on the beach but seemingly obsessed with the Jade carving industry. We watched one lad carve a small whale tale pendant. It amazes me the level of patience some people are blessed with.
Today was a bit hectic on the driving... And we've ended up in Franz Josef about mid afternoon.
New Zealand has two large glaciers on the South Island. Franz Josef and Fox, each with a township of the same name. Aside from the snobbery that surrounds Franz Josef as the visually superior of the two, they both are pretty much identical. Since we've done enough driving, and don't want to drive another 27km south to Fox, we've chosen to book in for a 3/4 day Glacier Hike for 7:30 tomorrow morning. Loving these early starts!! ...Darren not so much ;o)
Lou x
Since Greymouth doesn't have an awful lot to offer, we carried on down to Hokitika - a lovely little town on the beach but seemingly obsessed with the Jade carving industry. We watched one lad carve a small whale tale pendant. It amazes me the level of patience some people are blessed with.
Today was a bit hectic on the driving... And we've ended up in Franz Josef about mid afternoon.
New Zealand has two large glaciers on the South Island. Franz Josef and Fox, each with a township of the same name. Aside from the snobbery that surrounds Franz Josef as the visually superior of the two, they both are pretty much identical. Since we've done enough driving, and don't want to drive another 27km south to Fox, we've chosen to book in for a 3/4 day Glacier Hike for 7:30 tomorrow morning. Loving these early starts!! ...Darren not so much ;o)
Lou x
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Hanmer time!
Drove from Kaikoura to Hanmer Springs yesterday and stopped off near another thermal springs resort. This time, not quite so smelly and very nice indeed. In their Winter months, this place would be a ski resort so there are plenty of aptly named lodges like 'Aspen ski retreat'.
After our early morning dip, we were under way again heading across the mountains to the West coast to Westport where we were reliably informed was a great place to see more seals. The drive along these mountain roads was simply breathtaking. With rolling mountains to our left and rolling waves to our right. Although there weren't that many seals about, we were happy that we'd got much closer to seals in Kaikoura.
We stocked up again at a local supermarket and headed to Punakaiki to have a look at the Pancake Rocks and blow holes. Caused by years of sea erosion and compressing plates, these rocks give the appearance of looking like a stack of pancakes. Mmmmm... pancakes.
On the way we came across even more stunning scenery and beautiful beaches. One beach in particular was so beautiful, that we stopped to go for a stroll...
At this point, months of planning finally came to fruition and while Lou was out of sight, I penned the words "Will you marry me?" into the sand...
Fortunately she said YES!!! and I presented her with a ring that once belonged to her German Grandmother - big thanks to Lou's parents for giving me permission too!
So there you have it. Lou and I are getting married! No dates or places set yet but we'll keep you all in the loop. Who knows, this place is so fantastic that we may come back and get wed here! Get saving those pennies people :o)
A very happy Darren!!
After our early morning dip, we were under way again heading across the mountains to the West coast to Westport where we were reliably informed was a great place to see more seals. The drive along these mountain roads was simply breathtaking. With rolling mountains to our left and rolling waves to our right. Although there weren't that many seals about, we were happy that we'd got much closer to seals in Kaikoura.
We stocked up again at a local supermarket and headed to Punakaiki to have a look at the Pancake Rocks and blow holes. Caused by years of sea erosion and compressing plates, these rocks give the appearance of looking like a stack of pancakes. Mmmmm... pancakes.
On the way we came across even more stunning scenery and beautiful beaches. One beach in particular was so beautiful, that we stopped to go for a stroll...
At this point, months of planning finally came to fruition and while Lou was out of sight, I penned the words "Will you marry me?" into the sand...
Fortunately she said YES!!! and I presented her with a ring that once belonged to her German Grandmother - big thanks to Lou's parents for giving me permission too!
So there you have it. Lou and I are getting married! No dates or places set yet but we'll keep you all in the loop. Who knows, this place is so fantastic that we may come back and get wed here! Get saving those pennies people :o)
A very happy Darren!!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
THAR SHE BLOWS!!
This morning we were up at 6am for the morning journey out to view whales off the coast of Kaikoura. Read that again folks. 6 A M.
The only times I've ever been up at that time have been as follows:
The only times I've ever been up at that time have been as follows:
- Catching a plane
- Helping a school friend out on his milk round on the assurance "It'll be fun". Duration 20 minutes (I cut my hand open falling over onto a milk bottle). Still half asleep
- Doing a paper round that I tolerated for exactly three days until Sunday when the supplements were so heavy I couldn't even ride my bike
- Working a 6-2 shift when I was 19 in a poor effort to gain a bit more cash due to a 'shift allowance'. This lasted as long as my first pay packet. The early mornings driving to work half asleep in an unreliable car resulted in me sometimes forgetting that I'd driven to work. I'd catch the bus home and then think my car had been stolen. Once I actually reported it to the Police
- I fouled myself in my sleep
In a nutshell, I'm no early bird. But this morning was a bit of an exception. The thought of catching a glimpse of these magnificent creatures was enough to get me up without too much complaining.
Thinking that getting up early was going to be the most harrowing part of the day, we made our way down to 'The Whaleway Station' (no really, it was ACTUALLY called that).
At this point we were warned that the sea was very choppy and they issued a 'sea sickness alert'. Lou and I had anticipated this and had stocked up on Ginger Nuts and Ginger Beer.
The phrase Yin and Yang has never been more apt when describing the awesome sight of Sperm Whales breaching while trying to resist reaching... for the sick bag.
The day is still young so we have been mooching and checking some shops out and stocking up before we head off again. Where? Who knows, but we may be checking out some more Seal colonies that we checked out on the drive in.
Darren
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Caving is our new hobby
On the way out of Rotorua, we stopped at a placed called Wai-O-Tapu. To explain a bit about the Rotorua area: two tectonic plates join across the middle of the North Island of New Zealand and this makes this area particularly volcanic. However, another phenomenon is the 'Thermal Activity' which occurs in several areas - best of all at Wai-O-Tapu. This is where Gasses bubble up through the earth's crust, heating water and mud and generally making amazing colours BUT SMELLING OF EGGS!
You can genuinely believe you are on another planet when you go here. I'll let the photos do the talking, because I don't think my words would do it justice but every metre of this 3km trek was incredible.
On to Waitomo...
We were on a bit of a whistle stop tour of the North Island as we wanted most of out time down South but we couldn't leave without going to Waitomo (assuming you're looking up all these places on Google Maps!)
The Black Abyss trip was Darren and My Christmas present to each other. Again, something I'm finding really difficult to describe but put it this way - I never thought that dressing up in a half centimetre thick wetsuit and jacket, followed by baggy shorts and wellies and then squeezing through tight gaps - all at 8am, would be so much fun but it RULED!! We're totally hooked. Find us a Wookey Hole after April 1st!
Lou xx
You can genuinely believe you are on another planet when you go here. I'll let the photos do the talking, because I don't think my words would do it justice but every metre of this 3km trek was incredible.
On to Waitomo...
We were on a bit of a whistle stop tour of the North Island as we wanted most of out time down South but we couldn't leave without going to Waitomo (assuming you're looking up all these places on Google Maps!)
The Black Abyss trip was Darren and My Christmas present to each other. Again, something I'm finding really difficult to describe but put it this way - I never thought that dressing up in a half centimetre thick wetsuit and jacket, followed by baggy shorts and wellies and then squeezing through tight gaps - all at 8am, would be so much fun but it RULED!! We're totally hooked. Find us a Wookey Hole after April 1st!
Lou xx
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Agrodome!
This is what we've been waiting for... being thrown about the place like a rag doll and paying someone for the pleasure. Welcome to NZ!
On today's menu:
A 480BHP Chevy Engined Jet Boat ride?
Being strapped inside a sleeping bag and released 'pendulum stylee' from 40 Metres?
Or perhaps you would like us to contain you in an inflatable ball, throw in some water and launch you down a hill?
Oh, almost forgot...
Would you both care to partake in some 'Virtual Skydiving' by way of being hurled on top of a very powerful fan in a skydiving outfit?
"We're feeling greedy. we'll have the lot. With photos to prove our heroics"
It didn't stop there either...
In the evening we went to a traditional Mauri village and feasted on Hangi (food cooked under ground), and were presented with a demonstration of fascinating Mauri culture and history. What also impressed us was the 'add-on' tour which covered the Kiwi Discovery tour - a guided tour of the nature park next door housing many exotic birds and animals unique to NZ including of course the now endangered Kiwi bird - for 11 bucks which would have normally cost 24. Bargains ahoy!
Darren
On today's menu:
A 480BHP Chevy Engined Jet Boat ride?
Being strapped inside a sleeping bag and released 'pendulum stylee' from 40 Metres?
Or perhaps you would like us to contain you in an inflatable ball, throw in some water and launch you down a hill?
Oh, almost forgot...
Would you both care to partake in some 'Virtual Skydiving' by way of being hurled on top of a very powerful fan in a skydiving outfit?
"We're feeling greedy. we'll have the lot. With photos to prove our heroics"
It didn't stop there either...
In the evening we went to a traditional Mauri village and feasted on Hangi (food cooked under ground), and were presented with a demonstration of fascinating Mauri culture and history. What also impressed us was the 'add-on' tour which covered the Kiwi Discovery tour - a guided tour of the nature park next door housing many exotic birds and animals unique to NZ including of course the now endangered Kiwi bird - for 11 bucks which would have normally cost 24. Bargains ahoy!
Darren
Darren's luck with cars doesn't quit
So today we headed further south via Auckland. Darren hadn't been happy with the sound of the engine and gearbox from day one and so opted that we swing via the depot to do a spot of complaining!
To cut a long story short, the mechanic agreed that both were on their way out and agreed to swap our clunky campervanmobile for a whizzier model, give us $68 compensation for our troubles and let us off a quarter tank of diesel. Winner!
Up till this point I thought I'd been doing a sterling job of navigating us around hills and mountains (thank you for the maps, Jackie!!)... Anyway, today we took the scenic route to Rotorua - egg-smelling capital of the North.
It was late by the time we arrived and sneaked into a closed campsite and parked up to an open space that sounded distictly water-like. We couldn't believe our luck when we woke up to this. :o)
To cut a long story short, the mechanic agreed that both were on their way out and agreed to swap our clunky campervanmobile for a whizzier model, give us $68 compensation for our troubles and let us off a quarter tank of diesel. Winner!
Up till this point I thought I'd been doing a sterling job of navigating us around hills and mountains (thank you for the maps, Jackie!!)... Anyway, today we took the scenic route to Rotorua - egg-smelling capital of the North.
It was late by the time we arrived and sneaked into a closed campsite and parked up to an open space that sounded distictly water-like. We couldn't believe our luck when we woke up to this. :o)
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Waitangi Day
Blimey it's windy today! Driving like a stuntman, we headed down the West coastal road heading towards the Kauri Museum (recommended to us by a middle aged lady who parked near us at the native forest). Now, far be it for me to sound ageist but when we arrived the place was TEEMING with grey hair. I kid you not, they must have had their own Emergency Room in case any of the 'olds' got too excited at the thought of a massive tree museum. After we flipped a coin to decide whether or not to go in and the coin deciding we should, we decided not to. Cheats.
Another recommendation led us down to Pakiri. Big up the Frank and Kerri massive!
Off we set, on what seemed like two wheels in the wind to Pakiri beach for some horse riding on the beach. It was shut. Waitangi Day is a public holiday that celebrates the signing of a treaty between the Mauris and the British Crown and is one of the only days in the year that this place closes. Great. We headed to the beach anyway and it was fantastic! The wind blowing in from the sea was so strong, you could lean into it.
We then headed down to a really nice place called Orewa and stayed the night on a camp site that is on the beach (we even got a beach-front pitch). Cool!
Another recommendation led us down to Pakiri. Big up the Frank and Kerri massive!
Off we set, on what seemed like two wheels in the wind to Pakiri beach for some horse riding on the beach. It was shut. Waitangi Day is a public holiday that celebrates the signing of a treaty between the Mauris and the British Crown and is one of the only days in the year that this place closes. Great. We headed to the beach anyway and it was fantastic! The wind blowing in from the sea was so strong, you could lean into it.
We then headed down to a really nice place called Orewa and stayed the night on a camp site that is on the beach (we even got a beach-front pitch). Cool!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Campertastic
So today we picked up the camper and were left waiting for what seemed like an age before it finally appeared. After a brief introduction into the bits and bobs on board and a topped up fuel tank (I'm getting good at moaning), we were on our way.
Our first stop was Pahia on the Bay of Islands. Not a friendly place to be honest, boy racers in Skylines charging up and down the promenade and some shifty looking kids looking in car windows. After some cursing that the cooker wouldn't work (Turns out the fuel tank wasn't the only thing left empty. The Gas bottles were too!), we headed into town for a pizza, stayed the night in an RV park and made an early getaway in the morning for a stroll and lunch in a native forest north of Puketona.
We pulled up at Ngawha Mineral Springs at about 2pm. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the description but it was a lot more civilised that a few bubbling little ponds. We walked up to reception and were greeted by a really friendly Englishman, who explained he'd come here on holiday and stayed.
The 'springs' consisted of about 7 wooden sided shallow dipping pools. The eggy smelling gasses, which bubble up through the earth's crust heat the water in these pools and the temperature varies from 20-40°c. It's pleasant experience but the smell lingers and the swimming trunks and bikini hung up to dry in our camper have made it smell of eggs ever since.
From Ngawha, we took the scenic route to Dargaville. I believe this stretch is only 150km but it took us over 4 hours through the mountains. The weather was very windy and a times a bit rainy but it was TOTALLY worth it for the views we got. I've forgotten to bring the camera so I'll have to upload the pictures another time.
We got to Dargaville (aka Ghosttown) at about 8:30 and pitched up a another RV park before heading back towards Auckland the next day.
Darren and Lou x
Our first stop was Pahia on the Bay of Islands. Not a friendly place to be honest, boy racers in Skylines charging up and down the promenade and some shifty looking kids looking in car windows. After some cursing that the cooker wouldn't work (Turns out the fuel tank wasn't the only thing left empty. The Gas bottles were too!), we headed into town for a pizza, stayed the night in an RV park and made an early getaway in the morning for a stroll and lunch in a native forest north of Puketona.
We pulled up at Ngawha Mineral Springs at about 2pm. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the description but it was a lot more civilised that a few bubbling little ponds. We walked up to reception and were greeted by a really friendly Englishman, who explained he'd come here on holiday and stayed.
The 'springs' consisted of about 7 wooden sided shallow dipping pools. The eggy smelling gasses, which bubble up through the earth's crust heat the water in these pools and the temperature varies from 20-40°c. It's pleasant experience but the smell lingers and the swimming trunks and bikini hung up to dry in our camper have made it smell of eggs ever since.
From Ngawha, we took the scenic route to Dargaville. I believe this stretch is only 150km but it took us over 4 hours through the mountains. The weather was very windy and a times a bit rainy but it was TOTALLY worth it for the views we got. I've forgotten to bring the camera so I'll have to upload the pictures another time.
We got to Dargaville (aka Ghosttown) at about 8:30 and pitched up a another RV park before heading back towards Auckland the next day.
Darren and Lou x
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Touchdown in Kiwi land
So here we are in Auckland. Quite a cute place and a lot smaller than we thought it would be. The town centre consists of just two main streets it seems.
Today we just chilled out and booked into our hotel and in the evening went up the city sky tower (which is just across from our hotel).
Tomorrow, we pick up the camper!
Darren and Lou xx
Today we just chilled out and booked into our hotel and in the evening went up the city sky tower (which is just across from our hotel).
Tomorrow, we pick up the camper!
Darren and Lou xx
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Blazing Saddle Sore
Nothing could have prepared us for the gruelling regime that was in store for our legs today ... and nothing could prepare me for the curses that were to come out of Darren's mouth in my direction.
Alex and Sarah had suggested that we hire a couple of bikes and cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge. What a romantic notion was my first thought until flash backs of saddle sore came into view and I wondered whether 'biking the bridge' was worth 'sitting the sore' for 12 hours to Auckland.
'You only live once' is the conclusion I finally came to as we tossed caution to the wind (once more) and headed down to Blazing Saddles to pick up 2 of their finest push bikes (Jo- you'd have been proud!).
All was well, the sun was out and as we merrily rode along the harbour front and up onto the bridge, It was clear we'd made the right choice for today.
Sausalito is a stunning little town, North of San Francisco. Once over the bridge, it's all down hill and we got there in about 90mins with a few photo stops. From here you can catch a ferry back to SF.
While still at home, my Dad had suggested that if we got the chance, to go see the Redwood Trees. According to Blazing Saddle's handy map, a forest harbouring Redwoods was a mere 30 minutes from Sausalito and I insisted we take the trip.
30 minutes came and went with a nearby miss of us cycling down the freeway on a wrong turn, and there were no Redwoods to be seen. We took another look at the map when at this point we realised that the last ferry back to SF was in 25minutes.
It's safe to say that neither of us have ever felt cramp like it as we arrived to watch the gang plank of the ferry being removed. Nice Mister Ferry Captain took pity on our desperate hollering and the plank was reinstating and wobbly-legged, we made it onto the boat. Hooray. Good job really, Redwoods were my idea and I hadn't been Darren's favourite person as we cycled a million miles an hour over bumpy concrete to the port.
Bikes returned with 5 minutes before the deadline. Bonus.
Lou x
Alex and Sarah had suggested that we hire a couple of bikes and cycle over the Golden Gate Bridge. What a romantic notion was my first thought until flash backs of saddle sore came into view and I wondered whether 'biking the bridge' was worth 'sitting the sore' for 12 hours to Auckland.
'You only live once' is the conclusion I finally came to as we tossed caution to the wind (once more) and headed down to Blazing Saddles to pick up 2 of their finest push bikes (Jo- you'd have been proud!).
All was well, the sun was out and as we merrily rode along the harbour front and up onto the bridge, It was clear we'd made the right choice for today.
Sausalito is a stunning little town, North of San Francisco. Once over the bridge, it's all down hill and we got there in about 90mins with a few photo stops. From here you can catch a ferry back to SF.
While still at home, my Dad had suggested that if we got the chance, to go see the Redwood Trees. According to Blazing Saddle's handy map, a forest harbouring Redwoods was a mere 30 minutes from Sausalito and I insisted we take the trip.
30 minutes came and went with a nearby miss of us cycling down the freeway on a wrong turn, and there were no Redwoods to be seen. We took another look at the map when at this point we realised that the last ferry back to SF was in 25minutes.
It's safe to say that neither of us have ever felt cramp like it as we arrived to watch the gang plank of the ferry being removed. Nice Mister Ferry Captain took pity on our desperate hollering and the plank was reinstating and wobbly-legged, we made it onto the boat. Hooray. Good job really, Redwoods were my idea and I hadn't been Darren's favourite person as we cycled a million miles an hour over bumpy concrete to the port.
Bikes returned with 5 minutes before the deadline. Bonus.
Lou x
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Beard man of Alcatraz
As today was the day we were supposed to be here, we thought it best to do some 'proper' sight seeing. Now I've always been a big fan of Clint Eastwood (no really I have!), so it seemed to make some logical sense to go visit 'The Rock' or Alcatraz to you and me and pay homage to the man himself by having a look around the place he managed to escape from.
At this point it's worth bearing in mind that Lou and I came away from Blighty travelling light. Real light. So light in fact, that we didn't really bring any warm clothes to speak of other than a thin hoody. Who needs warm clothes in Oz? It's summer there for crying out loud!
Enter a cold morning in San Francisco... a VERY cold morning in San Francisco. This is where any ounce of fashion sense is quickly thrown aside in favour of buying some frankly cheap comical 'tourist' hoodies. My weapon of choice? A charcoal grey effort with 'San Francisco' emblazoned on the front. Lou's however was far more offensive 'Alcatraz state penitentiary swimming team'. Genius.
Alcatraz itself was great (or as great as a high security prison can get) and the audio guide was wicked.
On our way out there was a grey haired old guy sitting at a book desk next to a sign that said 'meet the author'. Bless him I thought as I walked straight past him. Feeling a bit guilty, I decided I'd go back and make the old fella's day by having a chat about his book 'Alcatraz, the true end of the line'. Turns out he was an ex-inmate and had written a book about the place. Anyway, I'm stood there reading a list of all of his crimes and how much time he'd served and more importantly for what. The list was pretty scary to be honest but by this time he was looking at me and expecting a response...
"This you is it?" I said sheepishly.
"Yep" came the reply, non plussed by the bearded nutjob in front of him.
"erm... when did you get out?" Man, I was digging such hole to fall in to.
"1972" he said, now looking REALLY frustrated at my line of questioning.
Now, my final line wasn't meant as anything more than a "Oh I see" but I'm so used to saying it, I utter the line "Cool". Prat. With that, I made a hasty retreat to the ferry back to shore not stopping to see if he's chasing me.
Note to self: Not everything is 'cool'
Darren
At this point it's worth bearing in mind that Lou and I came away from Blighty travelling light. Real light. So light in fact, that we didn't really bring any warm clothes to speak of other than a thin hoody. Who needs warm clothes in Oz? It's summer there for crying out loud!
Enter a cold morning in San Francisco... a VERY cold morning in San Francisco. This is where any ounce of fashion sense is quickly thrown aside in favour of buying some frankly cheap comical 'tourist' hoodies. My weapon of choice? A charcoal grey effort with 'San Francisco' emblazoned on the front. Lou's however was far more offensive 'Alcatraz state penitentiary swimming team'. Genius.
Alcatraz itself was great (or as great as a high security prison can get) and the audio guide was wicked.
On our way out there was a grey haired old guy sitting at a book desk next to a sign that said 'meet the author'. Bless him I thought as I walked straight past him. Feeling a bit guilty, I decided I'd go back and make the old fella's day by having a chat about his book 'Alcatraz, the true end of the line'. Turns out he was an ex-inmate and had written a book about the place. Anyway, I'm stood there reading a list of all of his crimes and how much time he'd served and more importantly for what. The list was pretty scary to be honest but by this time he was looking at me and expecting a response...
"This you is it?" I said sheepishly.
"Yep" came the reply, non plussed by the bearded nutjob in front of him.
"erm... when did you get out?" Man, I was digging such hole to fall in to.
"1972" he said, now looking REALLY frustrated at my line of questioning.
Now, my final line wasn't meant as anything more than a "Oh I see" but I'm so used to saying it, I utter the line "Cool". Prat. With that, I made a hasty retreat to the ferry back to shore not stopping to see if he's chasing me.
Note to self: Not everything is 'cool'
Darren
Monday, January 29, 2007
Loving Haight Street
The morning of our first day in SF was spent meandering around a hippy sub-district, more specifically Haight Street. Darren was befriended by a rather camp old man on the Muni train station platform while he stared at the map. Until our train arrived 15 minutes later, this leather hat donning bank of information appeared before us at 3 minute itervals sharing more nuggets of his wisdom and advising us on what we should go and see. Bless.
Per square foot in San Francisco, the rate of weirdos, we think, is higher than anywhere else in the world, but you soon become acustomed to the singing-out-loud-to-your-ipod and general twitchy and tourettes-based comments of the local residents.
It's fair to say that today was more about stocking up on clothes we had refused to buy back home, than experiencing the city in it's full glory but now we had extra time here (thanks for threatening a strike BA) we could take things more in our stride.
Dinner was served at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (owned by Green Day's Bassist) Rock and Roll \m/
Lou x
Per square foot in San Francisco, the rate of weirdos, we think, is higher than anywhere else in the world, but you soon become acustomed to the singing-out-loud-to-your-ipod and general twitchy and tourettes-based comments of the local residents.
It's fair to say that today was more about stocking up on clothes we had refused to buy back home, than experiencing the city in it's full glory but now we had extra time here (thanks for threatening a strike BA) we could take things more in our stride.
Dinner was served at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (owned by Green Day's Bassist) Rock and Roll \m/
Lou x
Sunday, January 28, 2007
San Francisco
Well, we finally did it! Packed up and cleared off on our travels.
First stop, San Francisco. Big up my Mum for dropping us up to the aiport and word to Nikki for allowing herself to get her ear chewed the whole journey back :o)
The flight was cool and the food was surprisingly edible. Makes a change.
After landing in 'Frisco' we were met by Alex who as some of you might know is a friend of Lou's (and eventually mine) from Uni. Great guy and he even put us up for free!
After a few games on the new Wii console and full off Pizza, it was time for some shut eye.
Darren
First stop, San Francisco. Big up my Mum for dropping us up to the aiport and word to Nikki for allowing herself to get her ear chewed the whole journey back :o)
The flight was cool and the food was surprisingly edible. Makes a change.
After landing in 'Frisco' we were met by Alex who as some of you might know is a friend of Lou's (and eventually mine) from Uni. Great guy and he even put us up for free!
After a few games on the new Wii console and full off Pizza, it was time for some shut eye.
Darren
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