Australia

Jan 24th - Feb 11th 2007

Wednesday 24th January 2007

Home to Hong Kong

Huw:- Interesting start to the day - SNOW! Naturally the assumption is that all flights in and out of the UK will be cancelled. Thankfully one road is closed in the whole country and the snow disappeared by 10.00. Nikki went to work while I stayed at home and ticked things off the ever growing list. It is truly amazing just HOW many wires 2 people need to take on holiday for 3 weeks. We needed the iPods, iPod chargers, camera (video and still), camera chargers (video and still) laptop, laptop charger, Skype phone and that's without mobile phones and phone chargers.

Anyway we left Marsh Gibbon at 16.00 - needing to be at Heathrow for 18.00. Figured that with the traffic etc it would be good to leave a bit of time - got to Heathrow at 16.50. So stopped at one of the airport hotels for a coffee. 2 lattes = £7.30 PLUS £4.00 for the pleasure of parking in their carpark. Bloody rip off.

Go to the airport and met by Purple Parking and checked in at the Virgin desk. No probs there - all went very smoothly until we got to passport control. Chappy said I couldn't take my laptop bag AND my carry-on suitcase. I argued for a bit and then said I'd pop the lap-top bag into my case - needless to say I didn't and the people scanning the cases didn't say a word. Fascist BAA.

Virgin Lounge in T3 was good - really attentive people and everything was free. Had a lovely meal before having a proper wet shave and Nikki had a manicure. And so on to the plane.

Boarded around 21.00 and got our big, big seats. Very friendly crew - nothing too much trouble. One did spill some champagne in front of my seat which stank for a bit but hey ho. Watched The Queen - Helen Mirren very good indeed. Had some dinner - very forgettable Welsh Rarebit followed by a nice blackberry and apple crumble and then they made up our beds! Very exciting but discovered when I lay down that it wasn't quite long enough - plus we needed to keep our seatbelts on which made turning over in bed a bit of an effort!! Managed some dozing but bloke next to Nikki was in training for the Hong Kong National Snoring Championships - think the chap next to me may have been his stand in.

Nikki:- Nothing much else to report, except I had the broccoli soup - v. nice, and sweet & sour tofu with noodles, again v.nice. Had to cancel my blackberry and apple crumble - too full!!! In all, managed approx 2 hrs sleep - reasons detailed above!!! Did enjoy my sleep suit though, and I also got to have Huw's pillow as well; as his trusty pillow of course made an appearance.

Thursday 25th January 2007

Hong Kong to Sydney

Huw:- Feels like a lifetime but we finally arrived in Hong Kong - 11 hours and 25 minutes. It was 18.35 by the time we landed and got herded through customs and off to the gate we were picking up the next leg from. And then Nikki spotted the Virgin Lounge - HURRAH.

Managed to get a shower and loads of coffee which made things feel a bit more human. Spoke to Ann via Skype which was very odd and then chatted to 2 blokes who were heading to Oz on business. The hour and a half lay-over went VERY quickly indeed and then we were back on the plane.

New crew and not a patch on Connie Cheung - the fab stewardess from the first leg. This lot were Brits and Aussies and weren't as quick to bring me things. Look at that, one taste of Upper Class and already I'm a member of the ruling classes, demanding things from the serfs. Quite right too.

Watched a few films and then had a sleep for about 3 hours before we started our descent into Sydney.

Friday 26th January 2007

Sydney

Huw:- Landed at Sydney Airport at around 07.00 and after being sniffed by various dogs, caught a cab to the hotel. Was prepared for a long wait for our room but it was ready on arrival so we could get into a well needed shower and relax for a bit.

Took a wander down to Circular Quay to see what was going on for Australia Day and made it once round the Opera House before the tiredness totally whacked us. Found a restaurant overlooking the harbour and had a lengthy lunch involving coffee, water, risotto and a Panini with salad.

Then back to the hotel around 12.30 for a kip. Set alarm for 15.30. At 16.15 I was still in bed being nagged to get up. Felt like zombies but a shower and a coffee woke us up and we headed out again around 18.00

Went round to Cockle Bay for the Australia Day Celebrations which were out of this world. Before the fireworks, we had a traditional Aussie Pie and Peas dinner with a less than traditional Chocolate Cheesecake with ice-cream and then waddled around the quay. They reckon there were about 150,000 people there and I think most of them were standing next to us. It was like the busiest pop concert I've been to - magnified by about 100%. Worth it though.

First up a boat came round the Harbour brining a few people who'd just done the Citizenship Ceremony. They were introduced to the crowd which was very friendly. No Daily Mail readers here!

Then we had four Tall Ships come in. They dropped their masts to get under the Cockle Bay Bridge and then were towed around the Harbour. Very spectacular. And then we had the fireworks - just incredible. The whole sky was lit up and the bangs were echoing off the nearby buildings. Went on for about 20 minutes to an "oooohing" and "aaahhhing" crowd. At the end it was a bit of a crush getting out and Nikki had somehow got her eye impaled on a passing firework. Got some eye drops and that sorted that out! Then back to the hotel via one of those damn Starbucks places - god they get everywhere and, as you know dear reader, they are places I find abhorrent - but, when in Sydney etc.

And so to bed.

Saturday 27th January 2007

Sydney

 

Nikki:- Bit of an early start today as we needed to get going!!! Things to do, places to go...Thankfully jet-lag seems to have been overcome after a decent night's sleep in a proper bed!

07.00 got up, showered and dressed in appropriate clothing - (walking shoes, shorts, t-shits and our new Aussie Bush hats). Most importantly - loads of sun tan lotion, as EVERYONE keeps telling us; just after kindly reminding us that Australia won the cricket....again.

Breakfast at the Marriott was brilliant - as expected. Went with the healthy option, opting for fresh fruit and then muesli, somehow managing to walk past the omelette bar, bread and pastries. Hope you are suitably impressed.

Walked the 2 minutes to Circular Quay, and caught the ferry to Taronga Zoo. Glorious sunshine and perfect blue skies, accompanied by wonderful views of the harbour, opera house and bridge. Lovely breeze crossing the harbour - couldn't be more perfect!

Once at the quay, there are 3 ways up to the zoo. A mile uphill walk; a bus ride or a cable car....obviously we went for the cable car. More fabulous views of the zoo itself, and back over the harbour.

At the zoo, we met with our personal guide, who walked us round the Australia animals section, taking us inside the enclosures and explaining all about the animals. We got  right up close to 3 ADORABLE koalas, one of which (Norman) managed to sleep through the whole thing. The other two did have a good look at us though, while they munched their way through their breakfast. We then met 3 very friendly Echidnas, which we were able to stroke - one was very partial to Huw's foot (see photos). We then got to stroke some lovely little Quokkas.

Behind the scenes, and we watched the food being prepared for the animals. We were then shown into the darkened enclosures (for the nocturnal animals). Once inside, we hand fed some of the critters, who just clambered over us as soon as they sussed we had bowls of food. Quite an experience!

After the guided tour, we made our way round the rest of the zoo, and then caught the ferry back to Circular Quay - had to catch the bus back down the hill, as the cable car was closed - due to the now very windy conditions.

Back in the Quay, we wandered back towards the hotel, stopping off for a healthy lunch - toasted spinach wraps with ricotta, salad, carrot and egg. OK.... once back at the hotel Nikki did succumb to temptation and have a TimTam (Aussie chocolate biscuit, that we just happened to have in our fridge).

Huw:- Headed over to Manly Beach on the 19.00 ferry. Pretty good crossing until we were about 5 mins outside Manly and the sea sickness started to hit. I think we were dealing with AT LEAST Force 10 gales and I'm surprised the entire boat didn't capsize. I'm told they were "very gentle swells" but I don't believe that for a minute. Didn't think much of Manly - seems pretty run down and reminded me of beaches described in novels set around New Jersey. Loads of street pizza and kebab places - I can hear Danny saying, "...and the problem was what exactly???" Had an instantly forgettable meal - in fact so forgettable I wrote it down. I had pizza, Nikki didn't. Didn't fancy the ferry back - Herald of Free Enterprise still fresh in my mind - so we got a taxi and came back over the Harbour Bridge. Took a walk along the harbour front and took some excellent pictures and after coffee, time for bed.

Sunday 28th January 2007

Sydney & Blue Mountains

Nikki:- Once again, a pretty early start - after another yummy breakfast (involving scrambled eggs this time....well it is Sunday), we collected our hire car from Avis. We had pre-booked one with sat-nav, which proved to be both useful and interesting!!! More of that later....

Lovely drive out of Sydney - through the suburbs and up into the Blue Mountains. Truly beautiful scenery. Some cloud cover, but sky getting bluer the further up into the mountains we went!!!  Found Karumba, and parked up for a bit to get our bearings. Echo point is at one end of the town - breathtaking (lots of photos taken). And it's true - the mountains really do look blue in the distance - that's to do with the eucalyptus oil in the air. 

Stopped for a quick coffee and to buy a T-shirt (believe it or not....I was COLD!!!). We then asked at the Tourist Information for a nice walk - they suggested walking down by the Three Sisters Rocks, down to the valley floor and then taking the cable car back up to the top. This was supposed to be a "really good walk". Well we geared up (loads of sunscreen and bug spray - BILLIONS of flies round the place). I can really see where the idea for corks on the hat come from! 

Well, the climb down to the valley floor turned out to be 40 minutes of practically vertical descent on very steep steps - some metal, but mostly hewn out of the rock. Looking down at your feet was scary enough, but the drop made you really take care with your footing! There were loads of people doing this climb - lots coming up (poor devils!), so there were lots of stops to allow people to pass by (that's our excuse anyway!)

Very relieved to reach the valley floor for some walking on the flat for a bit - legs were severely shaky at this time! Lovely walk through the trees, looking at the fabulous scenery - I had warmed up a bit by now! Walked over some waterfalls - but they weren't as dramatic as we had expected - probably due to the near drought conditions they are experiencing at the moment.

The scenic railway was a dinky little ride, where you face down the vertical hill, with just a bit of mesh above you. I thought it was excellent - Huw not so sure!!!

At the top, we climbed onto one of the trolley buses over to the car park where our car was, and we went in search of a VERY well earned coffee and lunch!

We lunched at a great little vegetarian restaurant called Niche Nosh (see photo). Lovely food and very relaxed atmosphere.

Drove back towards Sydney, taking a detour North to Palm Beach (where they film Home and Away). Bit of a drive - but well worth it. Stunning beach and scenery.

Arrived back at the hotel, after driving over the Harbour Bridge - again brilliant views. Looking forward to coffee and a sit down, when we suddenly remembered that we needed to fill up with petrol. So, we headed straight back out in search of a petrol station - had to drive for a while before we found one. That achieved, we headed back for the hotel - but stopping to be breathalysed by the nice policemen first! We then got a bit lost, before realising that there were 6 Pitt Streets in Sydney....we rocked up outside somebody’s house. Thought about going in by this stage and ordering room service, but sanity prevailed and - after another re-jiggle of the sat nav, we made it back safely to the hotel about an hour after we had initially got there!  Isn't technology wonderful (when it works!).

Monday 29th January 2007

Sydney

Huw:- Had a bit of a lie-in this morning and after breakfast grabbed a taxi to Bondi Beach. Took about half an hour and what a view when we arrived. Got a coffee on the front and watched the world go by for a bit before getting some beach supplies and heading down to the sea.

Got 2 sunbeds from a very patronising man who told us we were very pale and needed sun cream. I gave him my, "No shit Sherlock" look. Sat and watched the sights for a bit and then went into the sea. HUGE waves which knocked both of us off our feet and dumped us in the surf. Stunning fun! Went and lounged around for a bit more before going back into the sea. This time the waves were bigger and my sunglasses were claimed by the ocean! Hoping they'll wash up in Portsmouth sometime in 2012. Headed back to the hotel mid-afternoon and had a shower, leaving most of Bondi in the bath afterwards. Then went to Circular Quay for a late lunch ahead of the Bridge Climb.

Very hard to find the check-in for the Bridge Climb. Wandered around the Rocks for a while and eventually found it. Got checked in and suited and booted. Took about 45 minutes to go through the safety and kitting out procedure and then it was out onto the Bridge. Walked for maybe 15 minutes under the road deck and then climbed four flights of very steep ladders to get out on the bridge arch itself. Very gentle walk up the bridge - stopping every few minutes to admire the view and get a bit of history from our guide. We were wearing headsets so we could hear him. Just before the summit we stopped to watch the sun go down over the Blue Mountains. Just spectacular. I could write hundreds of adjectives to describe what we saw and it still wouldn't do it justice. Got to the top in twilight and had our pictures taken and then headed down the other arch on the opposite side. In total it took about 3 hours but at least an hour of that was the safety briefing etc. Totally worth it.

Staggered back down to Circular Quay and grabbed a Starbucks before getting some M&M's and ice-creams which we took back our room and then slowly slipped into a chocolate and caffeine induced coma.

Tuesday 30th January 2007

Sydney to Melbourne

Nikki:- Nice lazy morning - breakfast then packing. Beautiful sunny day, blue cloudless sky....nice!!!

Last glimpses of Sydney as we cabbed it to the airport. This is a really nice city.

Very relaxing at the airport, so we grabbed ourselves a window seat, some coffee and watched the world go by - also caught up with the blogging and downloaded the photos from yesterday. Photo of Huw blogging taken - also photo of a Virgin Blue plane - for the sake of a complete diary entry!

Quick flight really - just over 1 hour. Quite a bit nicer than Sleazy Jet!!! On board snack menu just about the same though.  Healthy eating took a back seat to Pringles, a sandwich between us and cookies!!! Well, we did plenty of exercise yesterday!

Flying over to Melbourne, the clouds started appearing. We also caught sight of smoke from a massive forest fire - not good. Otherwise, the ground looked pretty green and forested - as soon as we flew over more 'cultivated' places though, the ground looked pretty dry. We were very busy trying to spot 'roos. Lots of black dots - which we discovered were horses when we started to descend. No 'roos spotted (ahhh).

Melbourne airport very nice - lot like the Jet Blue terminal at JFK. Car hire was fine, and we made our way to the hotel.  Very slow going at first, until Huw realised the sat nav was set to avoid toll roads, so it was taking us all around the suburbs with traffic lights every 2 feet!!!

Hotel v nice - views not a patch on the Marriott in Sydney Harbour though. A nice little chap takes the car away and parks it for you. We just have to ring the front desk if we need the car, and said little man brings it round to the front again. 

Next: drive down to Phillip Island. The heavens opened and it absolutely poured down. Again, the settings on the sat nav weren't right, as it predicted our journey would take 3 hours - this panicked us a bit a we needed to be there for 19.30.  Huw then discovered that it was set for the wrong time zone - panic over and we arrived at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade in plenty of time.

We wrapped up warm - Huw bought himself a little woolly hat with penguins on it to keep his little head warm. The rain had fortunately stopped by the time we walked out onto the board walks and took our seats overlooking the beach.  Cameras and video recordings are strictly prohibited, so we couldn't get any piccies, so we bought some lovely post cards instead.

At just about 21.00, in the twilight, the first group of penguins appeared on the beach - they are tiny!!! No wonder they are called Little Penguins. They are absolutely adorable, and we were amazed at how many there were - hundreds of the little critters poured up the beach in groups of about 20 (to avoid predators). We were able to walk back up the boardwalk side by side with the penguins - the noise was incredible!!! All the chicks in the burrows were calling out to be fed, and the adults making a huge variety of noises. Unbelievable! It really is very difficult to describe - it was a truly awesome sight, watching hundreds of tiny little penguins parade out of the sea and making their way up the beaches to their burrows.  Some of them walked over a kilometre to their burrows - we were warned to check under our cars in the car parks before driving away, as there may have been a penguin or two under the car!!!

Very sad to leave them - totally worth the long drive and late night.  Afraid Huw was on his own driving back to Melbourne, as I fell fast asleep most of the way back. Slept VERY soundly when we got back to the hotel. What a day!!!

Wednesday 31st January 2007

Melbourne

Nikki:- Bit of a lie in as it had been a late night. Went to breakfast around 09.30.  Again v. nice breakfast buffet, although not quite as good as at Sydney. Still, no washing up and could really get used to being waited on so attentively.

After getting the car brought round for us, we made our way to Pin Oak Court aka Ramsey Street. Unfortunately they were filming, so the road was blocked off. Took some pictures of Huw by the barrier looking disappointed. Had so been looking forward to seeing Mrs Mangle’s house!

Next stop - Phillip Island to see the koalas! Much nicer drive today as it was sunny and blue skies. Took some nicer pictures of the island in the sunshine. Koala sanctuary was fabulous. You walk on boardwalks through a couple of enclosures, so you are higher up in the trees. The koalas are just in the trees - mostly sleeping, but a couple of them were snacking. They sleep for about 20 hours a day - so not surprising. These were Victoria Koalas - much fluffier than the ones we had seen in Sydney. Walking in one of the enclosures we spotted a dear little wallaby hopping around - GORGEOUS!!! Loads of brightly coloured little birds as well - took loads of piccies.

Afterwards we drove on to the farthest point of the island - The Nobbies. Here is a huge seal colony, loads of birds and more penguin burrows. Here is also where the Great White Shark had been spotted - so binoculars well and truly at the ready!!! Absolutely beautiful scenery - seals were a bit far away to see without binoculars, plus most were probably out fishing. Didn't see any penguins (out getting their lunch), but Huw did spot a big snake type thing emerging from one of the burrows - turned out to be a large lizard - tried to take photo, but he moved a bit quickly! Unfortunately didn't spot the shark (who we have named Phillip), but took some great pictures of the bays.

Off back to Melbourne - stopped for a Subway for a late lunch and then to the hotel (after another peek at Ramsey Street - but road was still blocked off). 

Time for a bath and a coffee before heading down to the Arts Centre and State Theatre to see Barry Humphries' show.  Very, very funny indeed. Sir Les Patterson was there of course, and OBVIOUSLY Dame Edna. Absolutely brilliantly written and performed show.

After the show, we walked back through the centre of Melbourne to the hotel. Got a serious case of the munchies, so stopped a little cafe en route for some sustenance. Veggie burger for Huw and spinach filo parcel for Nikki. V. nice.

Another late night - but again definitely worth it - and hey; we're on holiday!!!!

Thursday 1st February 2007

Melbourne to Perth

Nikki:- A bit of a lie in after our exciting busy evening. The restaurant in the hotel has huge windows overlooking the streets, so we had a window seat for breakfast and watched the world go by in the glorious sunshine. This is definitely the life!!!

Made some Skype calls to Danny and to Mum - let them know we're still alive and haven't been eaten by crocodiles.....yet!

Packed our now not so little suitcases and off we go to the airport again. This time we remembered to get petrol on the way! Beautiful blue skies and warming up nicely. Seen the weather forecast for Perth - 118 degrees!!! Time to get the shorts out methinks!

Very straightforward check in with Virgin Blue and not a full flight. Brilliant - that meant we had a row of three seats to ourselves, so the laptop could be put on the middle table. We watched Superman Returns, with occasional stops for coffee and snacks. 4 hour flight went really quickly. Landscape very dry and arid - completely different again from Melbourne. Still no 'roos spotted.

Arrived Perth airport on time - very straightforward again. Time now 2 hours behind Melbourne, so 9 hours ahead of UK.  Means we get a longer day today! Taxi to the hotel - views of Perth central from across the bay really nice. Rydges hotel though let themselves down, as there was no-one outside the front door. Meant we had to open the cab door ourselves!!!!! Oh the shame of it all! No-one to help with getting the bags to our room either. How the mighty have fallen!  Spent the afternoon getting sorted with the cases etc and a bit of blogging, then coffee and a cake at a patisserie next door. I asked the concierge about getting to Rottnest Island, saying that we had wanted to catch the train. He just said "you can't".  Very helpful...NOT!

The hotel pool - we discovered - is actually the fitness centre 2 doors down from the hotel. We had to ask the 12 year old concierge for towels, but he just looked at us blankly and said he didn't have any. (This was the same helpful chap that I had spoken to earlier). Huw then took a deep breath and demanded to see the manager, after said 12 year old offered us 2 small hand towels to go swimming with. He then said that the manager had gone home, and promptly went away and into the lift. Huw went and told the receptionist he wanted to speak to a manager, one swiftly arrived - and brought us 2 towels. Makes you wonder. Maybe we are just used to the Marriott staff being so incredibly helpful....there, whinge over!

Had a lovely soak in the pool and Jacuzzi, before coming back to the hotel and showering and dressing for tea. We walked up and down the pedestrian Hay Street - but unfortunately everything in Perth closes at 20.30, but the Hotel redeemed itself, as it has a 24 hour restaurant. We had a fabulous meal - very friendly staff indeed, and most helpful.

Staggered back up to our room (actually executive suite). I came up in the lift by myself, and when the other people in the lift asked me for my floor number they were all very impressed and said that I must be "really special". At this point I just burst out laughing, and they added "or just plain weird...."

And so another eventful end to the day.

Friday 2nd February 2007

Perth

Nikki:- Got up around 08.00. Breakfast in the executive lounge (sounds better than it was). Sunny with some cloud, but already warming up.

Grabbed a taxi to Fremantle - extremely friendly and helpful cabbie. Gave us lots of tips about where to visit etc.

Arrived in Fremantle Fishing Harbour mid morning - very hot! We wandered around the harbour and stopped for a coffee and a cake at "the best fish and chip shop in Australia". They had a huge fish tank/aquarium in the restaurant with coral and loads of fish in it - couldn't see Nemo anywhere though. They also had loads of newspaper cuttings around the place detailing shark attacks, so we weren't tempted to go in for a dip!

Caught the blue CAT (City Area Transit) bus, and toured the whole of Fremantle in air conditioned comfort. It is also very cheap, as bus travel in the city is free. We did get out for a wander and managed to purchase some sunshades for Huw to clip on his glasses (to replace the ones lost to Bondi).

Fremantle is a lovely little town. Lots of quaint little shops and a market. Reminded us a bit of Key West - only much hotter!!! We walked back to the harbour then caught the CAT back to the train station and caught a train to Perth. Very efficient, cheap transport system as well - cost $3.20 each (just over a £1) for a 30 minute journey.

At the train station, we caught another CAT to Perth harbour, and had some lunch at one of the cafes there. Again, very nice, and we were very glad of a sit down in the cool to watch the world go by. Huw spotted some serious looking jellyfish in the harbour - brown with loads of tentacles. He asked the barmaid if they were dangerous - but apparently she dives amongst hundreds of them all the time with no ill effects. So not as scary as they look!!!

After lunch, we grabbed a taxi to Kings Park (unfortunately the CAT buses don't go there). We walked over the Lottery West Federation Walkway with the clear bridge - fabulous views of the park and of the centre of Perth across the bay.  Walking back through the park though, it was getting hotter and hotter, around 39 degrees. In the distance - Huw spotted a bus, and we ran (OK, waddled) over to it and got on board. The very nice lady bus driver said that she was driving 1 street across from our hotel and would drop us off there. Again - no charge. However, we had managed to find ourselves on the only bus in Perth with broken air conditioning (figures!).

Back at the hotel and cool showers and a change of clothes were called for, before heading off again into the heat (you don't realise what we put ourselves through!!!). It really feels like we are in Australia now - in the heat and the baking sun.  Apparently tomorrow is going to be even hotter (42 degrees). We have a busy day of travelling again, but a lot of it will be in air conditioned surroundings (fingers crossed). We'll have to leave at 06.00 for the airport. Our Skywest flight leaves at 07.15 to Kalbarri, then we fly on from there to Shark Bay. There we pick up our hire car and drive to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins. According to helpful bus driver lady today, they have a new baby there, and there was a competition running to name him (ahhhh).

Saturday 3rd February 2007

Perth to Monkey Mia

Nikki:- VERY early start to the day. Up at 04.45, cab came for us at 05.30 and we arrived at Perth Airport at 06.00 ready for check-in. Still dark when we arrived at the Airport - hundreds of parrots roosting in the trees lining the road - very noisy they were too!!!

Check in staff for SkyWest very friendly and helpful. We had to check in all our bags (except the laptop bag and camera bag), so we were considerably over on our 20 kg allowance, but they didn't charge us (NICE!!). We breakfasted at the departure gate (Huw had a pastry and a coffee and I had a blueberry muffin and a good old cup of tea).

Tiny little aeroplane (see piccies), and only 22 passengers. The steps were the ones that lower down from the plane - very dinky! Amazingly, breakfast was served almost immediately - and we had pre-ordered vegetarian (must admit, we had forgotten all about this). Nice selection of fruit and orange juice. After about an hour and a half, we landed in Kalbarri. Well; 'middle of bloody nowhere' could be an understatement!!! There was a runway and a shed with toilets in it. We all had to disembark the aircraft though, so we went for an explore. I popped back onto the plane to grab the camera to take some piccies, and overheard the captain asking one of the ground crew if they had a mobile phone he could borrow as he needed to make a call. He then added that he needed to let control know that we had landed as he was unable to get them on the radio!!! Didn't inspire confidence really - seeing that no-one in the world knew where we were!  The pilot was told to go the airport where there was a payphone, and he could phone the visitor centre and ask them to phone control for him and pass on the message....Strewth!!!

Twenty minutes later, we noticed we were alone outside the airport (or shed), and had to run for the plane, as everyone else had got on - the cabin crew seemed quite surprised to see us, and asked us if there was anyone else left to come, before shutting the doors!

Nice little hour flight then to Shark Bay. Very dry landscape, but with glimpses of the coast and gorgeous blue and green ocean. No 'roos or sharks spotted.

Shark Bay Airport quite huge by Kalbarri standards - they even had a check in desk and security area, and an AVIS desk - where the lady said hello Mr James. She'd only had to come in for us - bless! We then had to walk to the front of the airport, where all the bags were on a trailer - possibly the quickest baggage reclaim we have ever encountered!

334km of long straight roads followed, with very red sandy verges; dry bushes; goats; emus; lizards; a scorpion and loads of kangaroo corpses (ahh).

We stopped for lunch at a little petrol station, called the Overlander. After veggie burgers, we started off again - tiredness definitely starting to creep up on us.

Finally we reach Monkey Mia - and it was worth all the travelling to get there. Outstanding views of the beach and sea, just yards from the room balcony. Very, very hot! Blue clear skies and beautiful sunshine. After a well deserved nap for an hour, we explored Monkey Mia, swam for a little while and got some sun-bathing in. Whilst swimming, we encountered some clear stringy stuff which stung us ....we later discovered that this was 'fire weed'; kind of like an underwater nettle.  Even the seaweed in Australia is out to get you!!!

We ate at the one and only restaurant at Monkey Mia, then took a drive out at around sunset, to see if we could spot any 'roos.........no luck.

Time for bed - and it's only 21.00.  Well it has been a very, very busy day.

Sunday 4th February 2007

Monkey Mia

Nikki:- Early start again after a brilliant night's sleep. We wanted to get to the beach for 07.00 as the sun was rising, to see the dolphins. As promised 4 adult females came right up to the beach, with 3 little calves - one was only 3 weeks old. Absolutely magical to see these beautiful girls. A real privilege - what we came to see really.

After brekkie we went to book a boat trip to see the dugongs, but they were cancelled due to a gale warning (boo!). After a recommendation from the boat tour chap, we drove 20km down the road to a conservation place called 'Ocean World'.  A really small place with not many exhibits, but absolutely fascinating. The chappie who showed us around knew his stuff and we learnt a lot about Loggerhead Turtles, Sea Snakes and Sharks. We even saw some of the sharks being fed. Took some great piccies and video.

Huw:- Bought some snorkel gear and headed out into the sea to see what we could see. Very churned up because of the windy night before but still managed to see some small fish and crabs. Nikki saw a ray - not sure what type but she got so excited she forgot to watch it! Spent the early evening chilling on the balcony before heading into the metropolis that is Denham. Started to get VERY windy. We took refuge in the local fish and chip shop and had a slightly chaotic meal involving chips, potatoes and sprite.

Went back to Monkey Mia very slowly to see if we could find a Kangaroo but they continue to elude us.

Monkey Mia was very nice - I did expect it to be a bit more classy perhaps but Nikki expected it to be more aimed at backpackers. Think it was between the two. Very quiet after 22.00 as everything closed and people went to bed to get up early to watch the dolphins.

All in all a fun day and knackered again!

Monday 5th February 2007

Monkey Mia to Exmouth

Huw:- Got up around 07.30 and had a slow start. Headed off for breakfast but got waylaid by the dolphins again. Watched them playing for about 15 mins and then went for some fruit and toast. Lovely big cup of coffee.

After breakfast nipped to the supermarket for those last minute essentials like a fridge magnet and a book about kangaroos. Then did the packing and checked out ready for THE DRIVE.

734km between Monkey Mia and Exmouth - that's 458 miles. A daunting task made all the more daunting by the realisation that there were petrol stops every 200kms or so - and if you break down or run out of gas you are, to use a good Aussie expression, buggered.

Made good time from Monkey Mia to the Overlander Roadhouse and then turned north for the big long road. And it was just that. Miles of scrubland either side of the road with a long straight road ahead of you. Unbelievably monotonous. Had the iPod for some relief which made the journey go quicker. Stopped off for lunch in Carnarvon which, like everywhere else we've been in Western Australia, was closing. Lunch was again chips.

The final 340km push to Exmouth was harder but there were more things to see as we got closer - things like giant termite mounds. Very odd.

Exmouth is undergoing a major beautification programme. They obviously see it as a tourist destination of the future. New roads, a marina and new hotels seem to be springing up. Loads of "Land for Sale" boards at the side of the road. Very reminiscent of Florida in places. They're after the retirement and golf set as opposed to beach bums - and with Sky West flying in daily with a proper jet aircraft from Perth then I reckon they could be on to something.

Checked into the Novotel Ningaloo which will be nice when it's finished. Gorgeous setting and really nice rooms - very modern - flat screen TV, Jacuzzi etc. We had a power cut about an hour after arriving but it only lasted about an hour so all good things.

As I write I'm sat on our balcony overlooking the bay. Stunning views and a nice ambience in the hotel. Seems very relaxed with a nice swimming pool and very warm. Am convinced that cloud overhead is threatening a tornado. If there's no Blog tomorrow then you'll know I was right.

Tuesday 6th February 2007

Exmouth

Terrific day!!!

Nikki:- Bit of a lie in for Huw, I was up at 07.00 watching the sunrise from the balcony - lovely and warm already. Very quiet and not a sign of a breeze. Didn't see a soul until about 08.30 - lovely!

Breakfast at the hotel - back to healthy tucker again, with fresh fruit and then muesli. We then ventured into Exmouth town and found a laundromat, so were able to dump all our laundry into 2 machines and go off and explore...result! Two very nonchalant emus were wandering the streets - totally un-phased by the cars trying to drive round them.

Found an excellent internet place, which doubles as the Avis Hire place and the Dive Tour booking place - they also hire out dive gear - bit of everything really. We were connected to the internet again - felt like we were back in civilisation, even though we were in one of the remotest towns on the planet. We were able to upload several days' blogs and send some e-mails. While we were doing this, loads of parrots flew over and roosted on the telephone cables opposite - hell of a noise again. Tried to video them - but tape ran out - typical! Got some piccies instead. In the meantime, Huw picked the brains of the guy running the internet/Avis/dive centre and was given some great advice on good snorkelling sites.

After finishing the laundry, we purchased some coral shoes (on the advice from the dive man), so that we could wade in the coral, and swim without running the risk of stepping on a stone fish (very poisonous spines). We also bought a little cooler box, some provisions and a bag of ice. Ready to go now we were all kitted out properly! So we set off on our snorkelling/exploring trip, and before too long, Huw spotted.......A KANGAROO!!!!!! Until this point we were beginning to think they were a myth, and made up by the Australian Tourist Board. 2 seconds later, we saw 2 more hopping away.  Very happy! So onto the first bay that was recommended to us (Mangrove Bay). As we parked up, a kangaroo and Joey just hopped in front of us - honestly it's like waiting for a bus!!! Mostly sand dunes here going down to the beach, of the most beautiful white sand and pinkish heathers. Sea was crystal clear and surprisingly warm - about the temperature of a nice bath - lush!!! A Swiss couple were just leaving - they had been snorkelling and seen rays, water snakes and sharks - brilliant! We now had the entire bay to ourselves, and first of all we were happy to just paddle (after liberally applying sun lotion of course). Then we got a bit braver and put our swimming gear on, and saw a ray, about 3 sharks and a sea snake. We watched the sharks for a while - they were about 4 feet long, and we think they were Reef Sharks - bigger than we had expected to see. Quite un-nerving when their dorsal fins broke the water I can tell you! After realising that they weren't interested in us in the least, we went the whole hog and started swimming and snorkelling with them - absolutely magical! Will never forget this experience!

After swimming with our friendly sharks for about an hour, we made our way to the next Bay. This was the Lakeside Sanctuary Bay. We parked up and then had to walk 600m along the beach to the reef - getting v hot now. Currents much stronger in this area, and the water quite a bit cooler than Mangrove Bay - still lovely though. Huw figured that if we swam out diagonally away from the shore, we could just let the current bring us back, and we were able to just float over the coral. Saw thousands of fish, of all sizes and colours - it was like being inside an aquarium! Beautiful coral below and totally surrounded by fish - unbelievable that all this was going on just under the surface. We did this same routine another twice and then made our way back to the car - totally exhilarated! By the car was a small freshwater pool, and 2 small kangaroos were lazing by this in the shade. Then we saw a much bigger 'roo who promptly hopped away, and another one who let me get quite close to take a piccie. On the drive back to Exmouth I think we saw another half dozen 'roos and several goats and emus. By far the best day for critter watching so far!

By the time we had got back, the only place open was the supermarket, so we bought salad, rolls and cheese, and had a picnic back at the hotel - perfect!!!

Ready for bed by 22.00 - well it's hard work this holidaying malarkey!!!

Wednesday 7th February 2007

Exmouth

Nikki:- Bit of a lie in and brekkie at the Hotel. We then made our way to the internet place to do some updating and Skyping. We then headed out to do some snorkelling at Turquoise Bay.

Bit further to drive, so we packed the cooler with bottles of water and lunch. There are two sides to the bay - Drift and Loop. Loop has some VERY strong currents - so we opted for Drift! The reef edge is much closer to the shore than the other bays. Water really clear and so the coral and the fish are very visible. Currents much stronger than we had previously experienced, so we walked to the left along the beach before swimming out to the reef. Just before reaching the coral, swimming over the sand, Huw suddenly started gesticulating wildly - looking to where he was pointing, a HUGE shark swam past. He was beautiful, and about 12 feet long with two prominent dorsal fins. Absolutely stunning!!! After that, we swam over the coral, and saw some amazing fish and loads and loads of sea cucumbers. I also watched a stingray for a while as he swam over the reef. With the current, you can just float and drift back to the shore effortlessly, watching the fish. You are so close to the fish that you can even hear them munching on the reef.

After drying off, we went back to the car intent on driving to the next bay....but the car thought differently!!! The doors couldn't be unlocked by the remote, but even more of a problem - the car wouldn't start. Huw read the manual and tried several things to no avail. A couple in the car park very kindly offered to drive us to the information point a few miles away, where there was a telephone (no mobile network availability where we were). We phoned AVIS (fortunately it was a freephone number, as it was a pre-paid phone card phone only). They were based in Perth, and said they would try and get someone to us (!!???!!!). We went into the information centre, but they were closing, so we bought a large bottle of water, as it was getting very hot, and we didn't know how long we were going to be stuck there. We were there for two hours, sitting in the shade as much as possible and swatting away the mossies, before the breakdown truck drove up.  He gave us a lift back up to Turquoise Bay and started the car first time with a new key - he said it was just "a duff key".  So, extremely relieved, we made our way back to the hotel and had a nice long shower each and lots of coffee.

Spent the evening putting Aloe Vera gel onto poor Huw's burnt legs.  Had a salady tea again in the room and then to bed.

Thursday 8th February 2007

Exmouth to Perth

Nikki:- Early start - another beautiful day in Exmouth! Breakfast at the hotel, and Huw also arranged for us to have a late check out (16.00 instead of 10.00) as our flight to Perth wasn't until 18.00.

We packed the cooler with water, ice and sandwiches (OK, there may have also been some chocolate squeezed in as well), and set off for our last morning snorkelling on Ningaloo Reef. As we were so terribly organised, we arrived at Mangrove Bay before the sea!

Huw:- Miles upon miles of mud flats - not really what you need to be swimming in first thing in the morning. We then headed off towards Turquoise Bay where the tide was already in and did some excellent snorkelling. Saw a huge ray and loads of other fish but sadly not a Sharky. We were the first on the beach and felt like the local experts when other pasty Poms arrived and asked our advice!

Headed back up to Mangrove Bay via the now infamous Visitor's Centre. Dropped in to say thanks for their help yesterday and made a donation to the CALM fund which looks after the wildlife in the Park.

Mangrove was quite choppy but we still waded out to our knees and watched the baby sharks swim by. Saw a White Tipped and a few Black Tipped - nowhere as scary as on Tuesday when I first saw them. Also had an inquisitive Ray swim past.

Had a delicious picnic on the beach of petrol station sandwiches and crisps from the wonderful Eski we bought and filled with ice - then headed back to the hotel for a dip in the pool there. Then it was off to Learmonth International Airport. Surrounded by BLOKES from the oil rigs off-shore waiting for their helicopter and drinking and drinking and drinking.

And so to Perth - again!

Friday 9th February 2007

Perth

Huw:- An early start as we head off to Rottnest Island. Had brekkie in the hotel then grabbed a cab just up the road from the Rydges Hotel to get us to Fremantle. It's an hour on the boat to Rotto from Perth - or half an hour from Freo. You can guess which one I went for!

Fast ferry crossing and seas not too bad. Felt a bit ill but got off before anything sick related happened.

On Rotto we wandered down to the bike hire place and got ourselves kitted out before setting off on the 4.5 km ride down to Parker Point. My bike broke down half way there so we had to hail a bus and the driver radioed the bike people who brought me out a new one. Took about 15 mins. Seems my original bike had no oil on the chain so it simply snapped off. Deep joy.

Got to Parker Point and sat on the beach a bit. Trouble is we've been spoiled by deserted beaches up in Exmouth. There were too many people and a few whinging kids. Went snorkelling and again disappointed. Nowhere near as beautiful as the Shark Bay beaches - limited fish and generally quite rubbish.

Headed back to the bike and cycled round to the next bay and saw some Quokkas on the way. Nikki headed over to them and gave them some water. Two of them crawled all over her, taking the water and trying to take the bottle!

Had another swim before heading back on our bikes. Saw some more Quokkas on the way so stopped to give them some water as well - as you can see from the pictures. Cycle back was quite easy with only a few hills. Took the bikes back and got a row for not wearing helmets as it's the law in Australia. As Nikki pointed out, they let us cycle off without helmets - bloody drongos.

Got the ferry back to Fremantle and then caught the train back up to Perth. Both pretty exhausted by this time so spent a quiet evening watching England win the cricket in the hotel room. Not IN our hotel room, you understand - actually on the TV.

Saturday 10th February 2007

Perth to Hong Kong

Huw:- Had a pretty quiet start - pottered around the hotel room after brekkie before check-out.

Headed off to Perth International Airport for our Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. Flight was at 13.40 so we got there at about midday and checked in. Decided that we had probably better get some Hong Kong Dollars for the next part of the trip - exchange rate confusing, as it was done for us from Australian Dollars. Eventually we worked out that 1 Hong Kong Dollar is worth about 6 pence Stirling. We were  previously in awe of the man in front of us -  who was getting out 1.5 million Hong Kong Dollars - wasn't nearly so impressive once we'd worked out the exchange rate! Long queue to get out of Australia. Immigration check you out as well as in. Discussed what the opposite of Immigration was and decided it was probably Ex-migration.

Decent enough flight - just over 7 hours 30. Not bad seats and the staff were very nice. Had a veggie curry for lunch which I enjoyed so much I smeared on my white shirt for the people in Hong Kong to admire as well.

Arrived in Hong Kong around 20.00 local time and discovered it was the biggest airport we'd ever seen. Started walking from the gate and were still at it half an hour later. Got to Chinese immigration and had to fill in a form before presenting it along with our passport for the Chinese border guard to ignore. Also passed through an automatic machine that took our temperature as we checked out - I guess to see if we were carrying SARS, Bird Flu or any dangerous right-wing thoughts.

Eventually found the taxi rank. They have this great system in Hong Kong - different coloured taxis depending on where you're going. It was decided that we needed a red taxi - but NOT one big enough for all our luggage. That was stuffed in the boot which was then tied down with a bungee rope. So our arrival in the great city of commerce was heralded (or could have been) by two white devils in a red taxi with our undies flapping in the wind. Thankfully the bungee rope held.

Nikki:- The taxi driver couldn't understand a word we said, so rang his mate on the mobile phone who translated for him.  Guess he has done that once or twice before. It's the best part of an hour drive from the Airport on Lantau Island to Hong Kong Island, via some pretty serious bridges and tunnels. Cab fare is best part of 400 HK Dollars. We pulled up to the front door of the Ritz Carlton in our little beat-up red taxi, with luggage hanging out everywhere, and immediately wished we had gone for the limo service.....v. v. posh!!!

Immediately, 3 nice men from the hotel leapt to open doors, and carry all bags for us. I'm sure they would have given us a piggy back into the hotel as well if we'd asked. Extremely efficient and polite service from the second we arrived. The hotel is in the 'Central' region of Hong Kong Island - just round the corner from the very recognisable Bank of China building, and overlooking the harbour, and over to Kowloon Bay. Absolutely wonderful hotel - very elegant, and just the best service ever. As soon as we had checked in, I had received 4 letters of welcome (one hand written by the Manager), and everyone then addressed us by name - even chappies in the lobby that pressed the buttons for the lift for you. We were on the top floor (25th), overlooking the bay - with absolutely spectacular views from a huge picture window. The lights were well and truly lit up by now, as it was dark. The top two floors in the hotel are the executive suites with their own lounge with complimentary food and drinks. We were given a special key each for the lift, with which to access the top floors - as there are no  buttons to press for them. Disappointingly, the rooftop swimming pool was closed for maintenance - from it you have one of the best views of HK - oh well; just means we have to go back!

The room was fabulous - remote controlled lighting and curtains, so Huw very happy (more gadgets with buttons to press). After a quick wash and brush up (and Huw thankfully changed his shirt), we headed out to explore and take some piccies. Even took the tripod so we could take some good night-time pictures. We then ate a late dinner in the hotel (again, impeccable service) and then had drinks and cookies in the executive lounge. We then went up to our room, and put our shoes out for their complimentary polish before retiring - exhausted again, but very content!  

Sunday 11th February 2007

Hong Kong

Nikki:- I woke at about 07.30 local time (1 hr behind Perth, and 8 Hrs ahead of UK), and read some of the guide books, dinking Jasmine tea (LOVELY!!!). Little bit foggy first thing - so visibility not so good, but improved throughout the morning. Apparently this is quite common, due to the pollution.

We had a bit of a lazy morning - making the most of the luxurious surroundings (wonderful white fluffy bath robes, marble bath etc). Decided against ordering a bath from the bath menu...I kid you not. Someone comes and runs you a bath, with specific oils and accompaniments, depending on what you order. For example - the 'Gentleman's Bath' comes with a glass of cognac and a cigar. 

We ate breakfast in the Club Lounge - where again all the staff addressed us by name, and couldn't have been more helpful. Quite an assortment from Rice Krispies to sushi.

After breakfast we ventured out again, after (very reluctantly) checking out of our room. The hotel were happy to keep our luggage for us though, as our flight wasn't until 23.35. We walked over to the tram station to catch a tram to the summit of the Peak (a MUST DO in all of the guide books and Tripadvisor). All the street corners, squares and subways were full of Phillipino women - it's called "Maids Day". They congregate on a Sunday to chat, play cards, dance and pray together on their day off - they were everywhere!!! Once on the tram, it's a very steep climb up to the summit for about 20 minutes.  Fog was starting to clear a bit by now, to show some fabulous views of the city and the bay. There are a couple of very modern plazas at the summit, with loads of shops and restaurants. We had a really nice lunch there - tried vegetarian sushi (Huw not so keen), followed by an Asian vegetarian curry for Huw and grilled asparagus with wheat and lentil cakes for me - scrummy!!! Even used chopsticks....well; when in Rome etc etc.

After lunch we took the tram back down the hill, and just wandered around through all the little back streets and market places - very much how you expect Hong Kong to be. Very bustling, and lots of strong spicy smells emanating from the various cafes and stalls.

Quite hard work, this 'wandering', so we took refuge in a Starbucks (Huw was getting withdrawal symptoms), and then Huw went for a foot massage and reflexology session - took about an hour, and he seemed very rejuvenated afterwards!  I declined - don't like the thought of anyone playing around with my feet (!!!)

At 19.00ish, we tried to find the Virgin check in desk at the Central Railway terminal - with no luck, so we returned to the Ritz Carlton for a lovely peaceful cup of green tea and to pick the brains of the concierge. It turned out that we had gone to the wrong terminal for the check in desk. He gave us directions, and even wrote them down in Cantonese and Mandarin for us to give to the taxi driver. Refreshed, and armed with a new map and our instructions, we cabbed it to the station and checked in all but one of our bags (excellent!). We then caught another cab to Kowloon Bay to watch the evening spectacle - again on the advice of the concierge. All the high rise buildings in Hong Kong put together an amazing light show at 20.00 - lots of neon and flashing lights from all the high rise buildings, with musical accompaniment. After watching this (plus some videoing and photos of course), we caught another cab to the airport and checked into the Virgin Lounge for some tea and a nice shower and change before the flight. We also had plenty of time to do a bit of shopping, before boarding for the 14 hour trip back to London.

On the plane, we watched a film each; had our evening meal, and then put the beds down for a sleep. Utterly exhausted again, but neither of us managed more than a couple of hours sleep. Still - lots of good TV, films and games to play - so we weren't bored!

Monday 12th February 2007

Hong Kong to Home

Nikki:- Flight arrived in good time - about 04.30 local time I think. Still dark, and a lot cooler than we were used to by this time! No problems with immigration and customs, but a bit of a wait for our luggage and our car.

Huw then drove us back to Oxford - still dark, and I was CONVINCED it was 18.40 in the evening, and wondered why all the traffic was pouring into London!!!

We stopped off for some provisions before arriving home - EXTREMELY tired by now.

After the traditional coffee and toast, we had a 2 hour nap before unpacking, washing and downloading the last of the pictures. 

And there it is - 9 flights, 24,964 miles, one bridge climb, one breakdown, several critter sightings, 5 ferry rides, one cycling trip, lots of steps and walking later - home to bed, to rest, perchance to dream.

And so to planning for the next trip.........