Christmas down under...

Imagine a Christmas morning waking up to bright sunshine, blue skies and 35 degrees (95 Fahrenheit). That is what we had - and while we certainly enjoyed the beautiful weather, we did miss coming down in flannel pajamas with a warm dressing gown and a fire in the fireplace. Don't worry though, Santa knew right where we were and the presents were under the tree...

Christmas festivities started on the 23rd when we all took a tour of the Mandurah Canals looking at homes the have been decorated for the season. This competition has been running for the past 10 years or so and believe me when I tell you that the people whose homes are on the canals take this VERY SERIOUSLY, even though the prize is only a few bottles of very nice wine. Its a shame we forgot the camera. Riding the canal boat, looking at the lights on the homes was a very different experience and really put us in the Christmas mood..

Then, Christmas morning started out at 6:30am. Everyone got into the act and spirit - even Sam (their Golden Retriever) enjoyed showing off his present prior to opening it - which he did on his own. Than off to Steve's family friends 'The Knowles' for breakfast. In Australia, a large number of the population are immigrants, who live long distances from their families. Because of this, they seem to define family quite differently in a very wonderful way. The first Christmas they were here in Australia, Steve, Carol and Zoe spent it alone and decided - never again. From then on, traditions were established, relationships formed and you realise that family is so much more than blood ties.

After breakfast we had a lot of fun in the pool. It was back to Steve and Carol's where Christmas lunch was prepared for 20 people. What a production line and what a wonderful day. Many thanks to Carol who worked so hard to make it a very memorable day - and the food was delicious.

On Boxing day (Dec 26th for those in the States reading this), we were off again to Karen's sister Shirley's. We thought that Christmas was hot at 35 degrees until the next day when it soared to over 40 degrees. We spent as much time in Shirley's spa as possible - just to try and cool down.

Christmas is behind us, New Year's eve looming - but it is certainly one we shall never ever forget.

Rottnest Island...

We apologise for being slow to update the blog - but here we are...finally bringing it up to date with all of our adventures since we last posted...

Just before Christmas, Steve, Carol, Danny, Karen, Helen and Lei all visited Rottnest Island - a holiday spot just outside of Perth. Originally found by Dutch explorers - who noticed a local species called the Quokka - an animal that looks a lot like an overgrown Rat (but isn't I hasten to add - since they are marsupials) and so they named the island Rottnest (or Rat nest in dutch). The island was used as a prison from around 1838 to 1931 for Aboriginal men and then in the 1940's it was a defensive position in WWII protecting the west coast of Australia. A long and checkered history for this place - but now, it is used as a holiday destination for WA inhabitants who love it's beaches.

Other than the flies and some dodgy food when we first arrived, the weekend was great. When we checked in - we found that we had been put into an old army barracks built prior to the war that was named 'Kennedy'. Originally we were very impressed that they had been efficient and had the key's labelled with the last name of the party who had booked the accommodation - but soon discovered that it was truly named 'Kennedy' although we never got the history behind why.

We spent the two days on the beach - and while the ocean breeze was blowing the sand pretty fierce, it was lovely. Rottnest is a holiday spot that you go to for the awesome environment around you - not for the accommodation which is pretty basic, but that is one of the charms of Rottnest since the Australians want to keep it as original as possible - right down to the army blankets. There are no cars, although they do have bus transport to get you around the island to the 63 beaches, where you can hop on and off all day if you like. There are no fancy hotels - just lovely beaches, a small outpost for shopping and relaxed living. At one bus stop we saw a snake heading for us so we STAMPED and fortunately it turned around and headed off. Steve told us later it was one of the more aggressive species.. phew!

Lionel Richie, Margaret River and family holidays.

We have definitely been busy for the past few days. On Sunday Shirley, Emma, Lei and Karen, Carol and her friend Denise went to an outdoor Lionel Richie concert in a Vineyard near Perth. The setting was picturesque, the weather great, the company fun and music nostalgic. It was a magical night.

Then, for the past few days as many of the family who could arrange the time off have been staying in a lovely chalet in the woods in Margaret River. There were 10 of us in all, but you didn't even notice the number of people around as the chalet was perfect for large groups. It was a beautiful setting, lots of trees and a couple of friendly Kookaburras who shared our sausages (when they could keep the magpies away).

The hot tub on the deck was a big hit all around. On the first night when Billy (Karen's nephew) and his friend Mick got back from some very disappointing surf - they spied the hot tub and that was it. It almost took a bomb to get them out of it so that the adults could have a try.

We also had a wood fire pizza oven on the deck that Lei and Steve had to give a go...Suffice it to say that while we may have required further practice after our first attempt - by the time Danny had a go at cooking we had seasoned the oven and got it to the optimal cooking temperature and the product from the oven was better than Pizza Hut (except for the additives they put in to get people to keep coming back...) We have downloaded a picture of the oven in action for everyone's entertainment. It may look like a steam train under full steam - but the pizza inside did survive (barely) to be sampled by the brave.

We spent the day visiting Olive Groves (Steve's request), Wineries (Shirley's request) and Chocolate factories (Carols and Lei's request)...and sampling all of their products. As you can imagine, the free samples of the wineries and chocolate factory went down a treat with some of us sneaking back for seconds, thirds, fourths...

Margaret River is where people in Western Australia go for holidays and you can see why. A lovely small town, on a beautiful River near the sea...what more could you ask for?

The Flynet does work!!!

All yea doubters take heed - if the flies get to you too much - just buy a flynet and WHOOSH!!! they disappear. Or so it seems to us since once Lei got the flynet - the flies vanished. Of course - it could also be because the weather has taken a considerable turn to cold and windy and we defy any self respecting fly to come out in this weather.

It seems that we have brought with us some of the most unusual weather that Australia has seen for some time. We had floods in the middle of a drought in Victoria, cold weather in the tropics of Queensland in the summer, and now in Western Australia, we have rain and cold in Kalgoorlie - which normally experiences dry and 30+ degrees in the summer months. Go figure!!!

But we have also had fun. We left Albany behind on Thursday morning and travelled to Esperance. A beautiful little town in the middle of nowhere which has some of the most stunning beaches we have ever encountered. You can view from the shoreline the Recherche Archipelago which is comprised of over 100 islands. They also have a 'Pink Lake' so named because of the algae which grows in it and gives it a pink tint in the summer months (although we have to admit - it didn't look pink on the day we went). We participated in the town's Christmas Pageant - parade and all.

On Friday morning - we were off again in the early morning and on to Kalgoorlie. A western town, first founded with the discovery of gold in the late 1800's. There are working gold mines there today - including what is called the 'Super Pit', a large open cast gold mine on the outskirts of town. This pit is enormous - too big to describe. All I can suggest is that you go onto 'Google Earth' and search out Kalgoorlie - you can see the pit from there.

Karen, Shirley and Lei visited a working Brothel for a tour and spoke to the current Madame about it's history (this is a legal profession in Australia). The building is over 100 years old and has too many stories to describe here. Also this is a family site, so if you want more information about that - you shall have to contact us directly...

This morning we set off back for Secret Harbour and the comforts of home. We ended up driving about 2300 km over the past 4 days, spent 28 out of the last 81 hours in the car - and saw an amazing amount of open space. It is so vast and so empty. We used to think that driving across America was open - but it is nothing compared to this. Australia has more land mass than the US - but with less than 1/10th the population. Once you go 100km inland from the shore - it just opens up and doesn't stop until you hit the other side 4 days later...

Finally, we'd like to thank all of you who have commented on the blog. We love reading them and look forward to seeing the comments stack up. At times, it feels like we are talking to ourselves (which is fine as this will be a wonderful travel record when we are back and the nights are cold and dark in Scotland) and then we receive a comment and know that you are all enjoying our travels with us. It is quite a feeling knowing you are taking so many people with you around in your adventures. So this is just a note of thanks - and to say - keep them coming.

We're off again...

Well, we have been in Secret Harbour (south of Perth situated between Rockingham and Mandurah for those keeping track on the map) for almost a week already. This holiday is going so much faster than we ever expected.

We decided to leave early on Wednesday morning (around 5am) on our next adventure. For this we have been joined by Karen's brother Steve and sister Shirley. I don't think that they have been on a holiday together in over 20 years, so this is quite the experience for them.

First off, we travelled south towards Albany on the southern coast of Australia. On our way, we stop at the Valley of the Giants and toured a Tingle Tree forest, walked on the Tree Top Walkway built above the forest, and spent time touring this magnificent forest. They are far short of the Giant Redwoods of California, but big nonetheless. From there, we went on to Denmark, spent some time on a beach there - where we fought off the flies. This time of year in Western Australia, the easterly breezes bring in the flies - in numbers you cannot imagine. How the people of this land can stand them, we will never know. In fact - Lei finally succumb and bought a fly net to protect herself.

From there, on to Albany - which is the other side of Antarctica across the Southern Ocean. When the breeze comes in from the south - it is enough to take your breath away. The Coastline is fabulous - and the amazing thing is you can match this coastline to the coastline in Antarctica as they were attached once about 35 million years ago. Now Australia is drifting about 5 cm north ever year further away from the cold of the Antarctic. Another million years or so - perhaps Albany will be tropic - but for now - we can assure you that it is not.

Settled into normal life...

Sorry for the delay in posting these past few days. We have arrived in Perth at Karen's brothers house. We are imposing on the family for the next 5 weeks, and will be using this as a base from which to explore Western Australia. We haven't posted for the past few days as we have just been relaxing, catching up on all the gossip and generally enjoying not having our home moving beneath us as we drive from spot to spot.

All told - we completed 5644 km of driving which equates to 3500 miles for those not familiar with metrics. We did it in a little over 3 weeks (not counting the 5 days we were broken down) and if you included the miles flown - we have travelled the length and breath of Australia and gone over 10,000 km. There were many highlights, more than we could mention.

From our experiences, it has made us decide to do it again - only this time, we shall take longer to do it, be better prepared in our planning of the trip so that we hit the right areas for the seasons that we are travelling, and perhaps travel less so that we can spend more time stationary and getting to know the areas better. All in all, for those who are adventurous - we can well recommend it.

So for the next week or so, we shall hang around Secret Harbour and enjoy the relaxation and play with the dogs. Next week we are off on a small adventure - going to see the South West of Australia - visiting Albany, Denmark, Esperance and Kalgoorlie. We shall keep you posted once we have started that journey.

The Sounds of Silence are deafening...

For those of you who are familiar with the desert - you probably know what we're talking about. For those of you more familiar with the mountains, forests or seaside - you are probably like us and had no idea what silence really was like. We went to the Sounds of Silence dinner out in the desert - arrived near dusk to the sounds of the didgeridoo (a traditional Aboriginal instrument from tribes to the North of Australia), and had champagne and canapes as the sun went down over the Olga's in the distant. Because of some cloud cover, we didn't really get the bright glow at Uluru - but it was still stunning.

Then on further into the desert, where we dined on traditional Australian cuisine such as Kangaroo. and crocodile. Just before dinner they asked for complete quiet from everyone present so that we could experience the sounds of the desert - interestingly it was such an unusual experience it sounded almost deafening! Complete silence, soundless - no animal noises at all. Finally, after dinner, with the sun fully down, all of the candles and lights were put out, and a local astronomer gave us a brief tour of the Southern summer sky. It was a memory that will remain with us forever. All in all it was a a magical night.

Then on Wednesday - we spent the day immersed in local culture - starting with a two hour workshop on dot painting that explains a bit of some of the history behind this art form (which is really a story telling tool for teaching the young) and gives us a better understanding for interpreting the pictures. The workshop was taught by two elder women from the local tribe for this area, the Anangu. One of the women (Elsie) is thought to be around 85 (no birth records are kept from this time) and the other is her niece Bonnie who is around 70. From there, they took us on a walk to the Rock, explaining cave paintings in the area and talking about life prior to the white man's arrival. They didn't speak English, so the afternoon was done through an interpreter named Jimmy. We finally ended up talking about local foods, and getting an understanding of what daily life is like, and how as a people, they use to follow the food sources. Then, our last morning at Uluru we were up at 4:30 and out to check out the Sunrise. Unfortunately again the cloud cover prevented any exciting colours against the rock, but as Karen's nephew Danny noted - it must have been fun watching hundreds of fools (us included) up before it was even decent to be awake, standing there watching and videoing a ROCK!!!

Then off to the airport and Perth. We have arrived here and will now start the 2nd half of the holiday. Can't wait to see what this brings. Looking forward to seeing the west coast and how it differs from the east. Stay tuned for the next chapters...

From Blue Sea to Red Sand...

The colours of Australia are amazing. From the turquoise at Whitehaven Beach, the Blue haze of the mountains, the greens of the fields and orchards and Aqua waters of the reef now on to the red sands of the desert at Ayers Rock. If nothing else we will remember the colours...

We spent a pleasant but uneventful weekend in Cairns, then off Monday morning to the airport where we caught a flight out to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Leaving the heat and humidity of the tropics in Cairns and getting off the plane in Uluru to the hot/dry heat of the desert was quite an experience. Once we were in the air for less than an hour - the scenery below changed dramatically to the wildness of the outback changing over to the red sands that Australia is so known for.

We spent the day getting acclimatised, then off this morning at 4:30am to make our rendezvous with a Camel named Jack who took us for a ride out into the desert so that we could watch the sunrise against the rock. Then back to the outpost for coffee and freshly baked beer bread - another delicacy that we highly recommend - and back at the hotel for 7:15 am and a 'nap'. Tonight we have plans for dinner in the desert to watch the sunset against the rock, and then see the night sky in all its' glory and have it explained to us by a local astronomer. We are really looking forward to that and will let you know how smart we have become in our next post.

'We're Baaack...'

Wow - 3 glorious days sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. 74 Islands off the coast of Northern Queensland - in and around the Great Barrier Reef. Can't begin to describe it other than to say that if you ever do take the plunge and tour Australia, we well recommend it.

We ended up on the ship called 'Whitsunday Magic'. It is considered the deluxe cruise ship around the Islands and we can certainly attest that the efforts made in the meals and to make us comfortable certainly took it into the 'deluxe' category.

Our cabin was small, but perfectly formed. Karen graciously took the upper bunk - and allowed Lei the comfort of the lower berth. We did a couple of bush walks, one was a 2 1/2 mile hike up to the top of the South Molle Island so that we could look around and see almost everything the world had to offer. Another was to a lookout over the amazing white sands of Whitehaven beach. This sand is so fine that you can use it to exfoliate or clean your jewelry and because it is so white, it reflects the heat and you can walk on it in the middle of the day in comfort barefoot.

We also managed some snorkelling in and around the reef. It's Jellyfish season, so you need to wear stinger suits to go into the water which we can attest to are very flattering and OHHH so much fun to put on. Imagine 100 degree heat with 95% humidity and you are trying to put on a skin tight RUBBER SUIT - Oh yes - it was fun.

The only downer for the trip was the fact that 1 day into the cruise, Lei started to experience the discomfort of an abscess tooth that just went from bad to worse. By the last night, her face was swollen the size of a basketball, and agony doesn't even begin to cover how she felt. We were lucky in that on our return to where we had parked the caravan, we noticed a large advertisement - DENTIST - and his phone number. Karen called them immediately and after some serious pleading managed to get Lei an appointment that instant. So believe it or not, we got off the boat at 1pm and by 2, we were stocked up on antibiotics and pain killers and on our way to Cairns. We needed to make the 650 Km trip and turn in the Van by 4pm on Saturday - so that meant Karen had to step up to the task and take over the driving - which she did like a trooper -

So here we are - in Cairns, minus the Van and staying at a great B&B - tucked quietly away in a small rainforest, overlooking a waterfall. We're going to take tomorrow to check out Cairns and then Monday morning we are off again - this time for the centre of Australia. We'll keep you posted...

Got our 'Sea legs' on...

Well - three days of relaxing at Cape Hillsborough leading up to 3 days of relaxing on a Tall Ship - sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. Could be worse...

We enjoyed our time at Cape Hillsborough. Definitely we can recommend the campsite to any who are travelling around Queesland. We have been here during the Australian national election where the ruling party (the Coalition) have been tossed out of power after 11 years and the Labour party has come to power. Since our TV reception is definitely limited - we have only been able to watch election reports for the past few days - so its a good things that the campsite had so much more to offer so we weren't dependant on the TV for entertainment.

Now we are at Arlie Beach, waiting on being picked up this afternoon where we will board the ship and begin the cruise. Not due to be back till Friday afternoon - so we shall not be blogging anything till then.