Australia - Part 5 and #Jusjojan 18/1/18 (Revolt)

If you're here looking for the Revolt prompt of Jusjojan, bear with me and keep reading.

The final leg of our Australian tour took us from Sydney along the East coast as far north as Noosa and then home via Brisbane.

We picked up a different car this time in Sydney - a Toyota Kluger - another tank of an SUV.  It actually felt like there was more boot space than the Audi and you had to start it conventionally with a key.  So far so good. Oh but where is the parking brake?  Hmm let me take a few minutes to work that out.  Oh it's a tiny pedal above the foot brake pedal!  Different.  Ok.  Let me indicate we're leaving the parking lot. Oh, why are my windscreen wipers going?  Oh, the wipers and indicators are on opposite sides to what I'm used to.

Eventually we got on the road and headed north.  We followed the Pacific Highway stopping overnight in Nelson's Bay, then a tiny place called Mylestom, and then a couple of nights in Byron Bay.  We stopped off at places as we passed through too. 

Mylestom

Mylestom - river side

Mylestom beach

First swim

Byron Bay

Byron Bay

Brisbane

Merthyr Park History

Not a great picture of the history of Merthyr Park but it was interesting to me as my Dad was born in Merthyr Tydvil in Wales the same birthplace of Queensland's Premier Samuel Griffith who built his home in Brisbane in 1880 and named the area Merthyr.  It was a nice walkway along the river.

Brisbane

Of the places along this stretch of coast, Mylestom had to be my favourite and we found it almost by chance.  It nestles between the shores of the Bellinger river and the ocean.  It's a small place so very quiet and peaceful.

Byron Bay is much more touristy.  More spectacular beaches and a lighthouse that makes for a good hike.

One of the things we, coming from the UK which is of course small, don't realise until you're there is how big Australia is and how far it is between places.  We didn't actually clock our mileage (a note to self if we ever do another long road trip) but we must certainly have clocked up a lot!

Our final but one stop on our trip was Noosa.  We had 4 nights here in a fancy hotel which was great as we were able to relax and recharge the batteries.  Nathan also got to go for a swim in the pool and of course there was more lovely food.  It's lucky we were doing so much walking otherwise I would have gained pounds.

Then it was off to Brisbane for one final overnight stop before heading home.  We stayed in an area called New Farm which is an "affluent inner suburb".  It was certainly nice with a large park that was well frequented on the Sunday afternoon we were there.  We also visited what was once a power station but has now been turned into an arts centre known as The Powerhouse.  

Then all too soon it was time to take the long journey home.  I'd love to see more of Australia and New Zealand but the amount of time flying does put me off a bit.

But what of the revolt you're probably asking?  Well much as I enjoyed our trip I don't think I could live in Australia.  We didn't actually see any snakes, or any poisonous spiders but just knowing they could give me a nasty shock is enough to put me off.  And then there are the bugs.  As in very large cockroaches.  We didn't see too many of them fortunately but one did take a liking to my toothbrush as in it decided to sit on the brush head of my toothbrush one night.  That had me revolting.  No way could I put up with that.  I had to try very hard not to think about what else I might not have seen!

(Participants for #jusjojan can go here for Linda's site and today's prompt etc.)

Australia Part 4 - Melbourne and beyond

Great Exhibition Centre Melbourne

After our time in the Blue Mountains we returned to Sydney and caught a flight to Melbourne.  We picked up another tank of a car (same model so we had the packing down to a fine art by now) and headed for the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243 kilometres (151 mi) stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford. Built by returned soldiers between 1919 and 1932 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial. Winding through varying terrain along the coast and providing access to several prominent landmarks, including the Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the road is an important tourist attraction in the region. (Source: Wikipedia)

We stayed overnight in Torquay and then set off.  The road is indeed a challenge.  Single lane throughout, it twists and turns, climbs and drops and there are frequent spots where you are encouraged to pull over and let faster traffic behind you pass.  I was doing that a lot!  It's not a road you can drive fast on. Long straight stretches are few and far between and then there is the scenery.  Hard to take that in when you're driving fast.  We visited an exhibition along the way of how the road came to be.  Originally done by hand and using explosives it was a perilous task for the workers which involved some fatalaties.  Even now you can see areas that have been prone to rock falls and there are works going on to protect against these.  Check out the Wikipedia article for more info on how the road was financed and completed.

We stayed in Apollo Bay for 2 nights and travelled as far west as the Twelve Apostles before heading back to spend time in Melbourne.  In contrast to some misty murky weather around the Twelve Apostles, it was very hot in Melbourne when we arrived which made sightseeing less inviting although the trams were cool.  It was a bit of a challenge keeping Nathan shaded at times but we coped.  We were also treated to a lovely meal out one evening (an early Christmas present from the girls) at a very nice restaurant.

Then we had a bit of a panic - we were due to fly back to Sydney on the Saturday morning to head off up the east coast but they kept forecasting torrential rain and high risk of flooding!  Fortunately it was the north of the state that was most affected and although we did have some torrential downpours during Friday and overnight we were able to get to the airport and catch our flight.

More pictures now:

Torquay

 

Twelve Apostles

 

Apollo Bay Accommodation

Melbourne

 

Moreton Bay Bugs, Cucumber & Honeydew

Roast Lamb Loin

Kingfish?

 

Cherry & Pistachio Tart

Chocolate Delice

St. Kilda's Beach

Australia - Part Three - Blue Mountains

After our leisurely time in Sydney we packed the car up and headed up into the Blue Mountains.  The scenery is stunning.

We stayed in a beautiful house - another Air B & B - that was definitely a showcase for the Architects who built it.  The one thing that I loved about it was the amount of storage in it.  Cupboards and shelves everywhere.  Getting in and out of the driveway and the garage with out tank of a car was not so great.

We only spent 3 nights there but the highlight had to be a trip to Scenic World - definitely worth a visit.  And I did all the main attractions:  The Skyway - essentially like a cable car but with a glass floor that travels across a huge ravine, The Cableway - the steepest and largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere, the Scenic Walkway through rain forest and The Railway - experiencing the thrill(?) of a 52 degree incline riding the steepest passenger railway in the world.  Yes I managed all of that but I still won't be going on any roller coasters anytime soon!

We also learnt about Aboriginal history and customs and enjoyed the company of our Nephew Henri who joined us there.  Nick also enjoyed an evening at a local bar with lots of ukelele players!  Sadly there is no photographic evidence of that but here are just a few (?) snaps of this leg of our trip.