black hole

The Snowy Mountains are not really that snowy at this time of year and neither are they very much like Mountains in the typical sense. They do occupy quite a chunk of land however, and roads linking the highlights of Kosciuszko National Park are never the most direct. Some two and a half hours from Thredbo lies Yarrangobilly Caves, but it is well worth the effort. They are in a delightful spot down a winding gravel road and lining the steep slopes plunging down to the Yarrangobilly River.


There are several caves here and one of their major draws is the fact that they are cool and free of flies!! They are also pretty spectacular, here are some pictures from inside Jersey Cave…

Glory Hole cave was somewhat different - bigger caverns but still nice and cool. I dunno if this is the ‘Glory Hole’ the caves are named after?!!

From the caves, it was back along to Cooma for a fast food stop and then on the Monaro Highway north to the nations capital. The sugar and caffiene and additive blend of McDonalds frozen cola was a godsend whizzing us back to Canberra in no time! Here’s the Monaro Highway for you, a taste of the real Straya, complete with squished bugs on the windscreen!

Get your Kozzy on

Greetings from the top of Australia! At 2228 metres above sea level this is the Australian sounding Mount Kosciuszko. You’d think climbing the highest mountain in the country would be a challenging three day trek across harsh windswept ridges and vertical escarpments. Four year olds were doing it.

The walk started in the ‘Alpine’ village of Thredbo, which is a ski resort in winter and has one chairlift in operation during summer to transport wannabe mountaineers. Here is Thredbo from the top of the chairlift.

It then rolls up and down along a raised metal path, across a barren landscape of marsh and rocks, reminiscent of Dartmoor. This is Kosciuszko view and the highest point in Australia is that rounded hill with a bit of snow near the top! You can see the pathway crossing the landscape (and going over the source of the Snowy River as it does so).


This little pond is the highest lake in Australia (Lake Cootapatamba) and is home to what seem to be millions of annoying flies.







So after about 5 kilometres of this, the path ascends round the back of Kossy and to the top, which is, on days like these generally full of people having lunch! The views are pretty good, as you can imagine being higher than anywhere else in this country. It’s also a good place to get away from news of the cricket…





After lunching at the top, the route back is along the same way, taking in more of the views, getting attacked by more of the flies and getting sunburnt with the sun on your back!

The chairlift back down to Thredbo was peaceful and scenic, disturbed only by attacking flies and consequently swiping the sunglasses off my face and down into the unrecoverable grassy depths below. The previous pair I lost in the Lake District so it seems me, sunglasses and mountains don’t seem to mix.

A lack of sunnies didn’t affect my bobsled riding ability, shooting down a metal track on a piece of plastic sounds like a good deal of fun and by jove it was!

So, after climbing Australia’s highest peak ice cream and beer was well overdue and despite Thredbo’s best efforts to be quiet and sleepy ice cream and beer was forthcoming!

Down in Tasmania

Did you know that Hobart seems to have a disproportionately high number of female bus drivers? And during December they change all the signs to Ho Ho Hobart? Well, I’ll throw in a few more facts along the way…

So a small taste of the small state of Tassie where it was refreshingly cooler and cloudier than the bushfire weather up north. It’s a cute little place, reminds me very much of Wellington, New Zealand and perhaps it’s more than a coincidence that it is dominated by Mount Wellington. Then there is the quay area which is a bit like the Barbican in Plymouth!


Nearby is Salamanca Place, which is a series of old sandstone warehouses converted into all sorts of gift and craft shops and bars and cafes. Totally out of character with the gentrification of the area I had a meat pie. Just up from Salamanca Place is a pretty neighbourhood called Battery Point – all old cottages and roses and flowers.

Later on I managed to negotiate possibly the most confusing bus network on Earth and somehow got on a bus to Mount Nelson. The journey through the suburbs on zig-zagging roads was scenic, with views down to the bay and across to Mount Wellington. I spent all of five minutes at the summit of Mount Nelson as the bus back down left then or it was another two and a half hour wait. Shame I didn’t get to linger and soak up the views.

The journey back down included an impromptu guided tour by the delightful female bus driver. Apparently Hobart was the first place in Australia to have street lights. Canberra still seems to be missing a few even now. And it has the oldest casino and was the first to run a lotto. So you may lose all your money but at least you can see where you’re going when you can’t afford the cab ride home at night.

With that in mind I headed to the casino, which is just south of the main centre. I didn’t particularly go there to gamble but I was craving a bit of a casino all you can eat buffet! Nearby was this pretty little bay.

The casino wasn’t exactly Las Vegas and neither was the buffet, although the desserts were pretty darn good. Not a bad view from down here though.

So that was Tassie. I saw a little more at 5am the next day travelling to the airport and it struck me how very beautiful the place was. There were river valleys and hills to the North tempting me to tell the taxi driver to take a left turn. I could turn into one of those weird Tasmanians who grows a little shovel beard and wanders the wilderness. But today the Ashes starts and I am needed in Canberra so that people can call me a bloody Pom!

S Y D N E Y

Friday 17th – Sunday 19th November 2006: Sydney

Soaking up the sun on the deck of the ferry to Manly in November was one of those pinch yourself to check you're not dreaming moments. Three years ago I daresay I almost (but not quite) got tired of Sydney. Crossing the Harbour Bridge became routine, walking in the fragrant Jacaranda tree lined streets was almost a chore. I even wasn’t that fussed about going back this year…there are other places on the list to see.

But fate (aka work) conspired to take me back to the glamour capital of the southern hemisphere and I loved every minute of it. There is something about Sydney which just makes you feel so alive and brings about pure unadulterated…well…happiness I think that feeling is! At the end of the day it’s just a collection of buildings and some water and some green bits. It’s got traffic and it rains, there’s graffiti and pollution. But the bits and pieces that make up Sydney seem to fit so well together to produce probably one of the most fun-loving, spirited and beautiful cities in the world.

I could tell you every detail of my weekend, from the many ice creams, the possum in the Botanic Gardens, and the consistent habit of just missing trains. But I thought I’d just let the pictures do the talking. Keep on reading because I think the best are saved to last.

Q: What does Circular Quay have in common with the North Circular?

A: Just the word "circular"

It is the heart of Sydney, shaped like one of those horseshoe magnets and very much drawing you in like an iron filing (hmm, nice metaphor, or should that be simile?!)

From the grand Harbour Bridge along the bustling ferry wharves to the Opera House and beyond into the Botanic Gardens, the place is a feast for the eyes, ears, and noses! The pictures are pretty self-explanatory so I won't try to explain them...

doontoon

Sydney CBD is a bit like an American city, only people walk around and there isn't that underlying sense of fear and paranoia I've felt sometimes in a large city in the US. Coming from the UK with it's low rise spread of brick buildings, the skyline always catches the eye.

Amongst the high rises, there are a clutch of older sandstone buildings, such as in Martin Place, which also offered the reminder that despite the fact I am wearing shorts, Christmas is just around the corner!

Feeling Manly

Manly is a nice beachside resort-type area of Sydney but what makes it really special is the ferry ride. Probably the number one top tip to do if you ever find yourself in Sydney and all for about ten bucks. This is what you get to see on the way.

There are plenty of harbourside coves here as well as the long surf beach on the Pacific. It's a popular place (rightly so) and the fish and chips are pretty good too!

The North

If I had the luxury of a wad of cash I'd probably buy a place on the Northern shores of Sydney Harbour. There are countless little bays and coves, mostly with great views of course. And everything seems, well, fragrant at this time of year. It's also really quite peaceful, despite being 10 minutes from the city by ferry. This is Cremorne, which looks the same as Mosman, which looks the same as Kirribilli, which looks the same as Lavender Bay...

Here we are back closer to North Sydney at Milsons Point.

This is Luna Park which seems a right bundle of fun judging from the screams that sound across the bay!

I caught the ferry across from the North Shore a couple of times, which is a great little harbour tour in itself, taking in all the sights as it chugs under the Bridge. The bridge is great, what an icon.

So Palm trees in the North. It's definitely an upside-down world down here!

Harbour nights

The city buzzes at night, particularly if it is a Friday when obviously the start of the weekend is a celebration. Just hanging around Circular Key is a night out in itself.

Two familiar icons as the sky darkens...





This is the crazy face of Luna Park across on the North shore.







And the view from the North side




All it needs is some fireworks!

arrrr Devon

So today I visited Cockington village in south Devon...

Then I wandered along to North Devon to go on the Lynton-Lynmouth railway.

To cap the day off, I took in a game of footie and afterwards a pint of Old Speckled Hen.

Was my time in some small bush town called Canberra a dream? Were those bouncy animal types and multicoloured skwawking things with wings a vision? Or was I just in Cockington Green, the ACT's number one tourist attraction?!

They love us Pommies so much they build a tourist attraction about us! They can't get enough of us mate, and they admire our skills at cricket too. So England is all idyllic, with village greens, canal boats and friendly yokels. I'm thinking of opening up my own version called Cookworthy Crescent, complete with burning ford escorts, snotty nosed kids who tell you to f**k off, and pram pushing 14 year olds wearing gear from Bits and Bows! (I expect some money for the free plug for Devon's premier Fancy Dress and Fashion Accessory outlet by the way).

So I'm all off to have tea with the vicar, tally ho old chap.

so here we go...

Blue skies, 26C, a perfect day for cricket. I joined the full house at Manuka Oval, a place I walk past on my way to work everyday, to watch the Prime Minister's XI take on England.

The PMs XI settled in gently to their innings and somehow managed to make 347 in 50 overs...it never really seemed like they were slogging it around or anything. Well, I didn't care too much as the plastic beer cups were starting to stack up, the amazingly crafted chants of "Ausse Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" were ringing in my ears and I had not one, but two meat pies!

A strong England batting line up never really threatened the total. It was a shame both Flintoff and Pieterson fell cheaply as they could've livened up the afternoon. Mahmood did hit a six rather close to where we were sat, some drongo lost out on 500 bucks though by dropping it.

It wasn't all bad though, as England only arrived on Monday and have been doing the media circus, playing cricket with Prime Ministers, they must be pretty knackered! And here is Freddie Flintoff thankfully bowling again...



What it does mean is that I face a long tough summer if things carry on this way. It's almost like I've been brought in to be the token Pommie so that they can give me stick about the cricket! Still, the England flag is flying on my desk. Laters sports fans.

The race that stops a nation

Today was the Melbourne Cup and I won $2.60! I also lost $6.40...

So, yeah, the Melbourne Cup, a race that stops the nation on a Tuesday can't be bad. Come 3 o'clock the Canberra streets were deserted (what's new?!) and eyes were glued to screens, hats were wedged to heads and chicken was being digested. I watched it in work, where a big screen was constructed (a promising development for the Ashes), hot chicken and salad was brought in, along with champagne and some sweet treats. Being the new boy, I got to organise the sweepstakes and just about managed to sort it all out in between eating chicken.

Some horse whose name I have forgotten already won. It was a close finish. The top two were Japanese horses, and the post race interview was classic, some Aussie drongo trying to interview somebody who didn't speak a word of English.

So that was my Melbourne Cup experience. I guess the great thing about it is the communal aspect... everyone just stops what they are doing and gets together, has a bit of food and drink and good times roll. Next up sports fans it's the PMs XI v England on Friday, bring it on!

Wild times

I passed through Exeter today. It was drizzly and there were some backward people. Yes, I am still in Australia!

Exeter is between here and the coast and this weekend I was in Jervis Bay, home to officially (according to Guinness Book of Records) the whitest sand in the world. Now whether it is the whitest or not, I think the question on my mind is how the hell do they come up with such stupid records?! I probably could have a world record for, I dunno, having the most exclamation marks after one sentence !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Saturday morning, two pommies, a couple of Brazilians and a Spaniard braved the cloudy cool conditions and went on a boat trip around the bay and out to sea. Whales often come into the bay to shelter on their annual migration routes but not today. Instead they preferred to drag us out of the relative calm and onto the rollercoaster of the Pacific Ocean. Before I held my head in my hands focusing only on the floor and sucking one of those red and white mints, a humpback whale and her calf put on a bit of a show in the distance. This is the best image I have, not bad given that one hand was gripped on a railing so that I didn’t fall overboard…

Back in the bay, and slightly less pale, there were a few dolphins feeding by some rocks. And here’s the best picture I got of them.

Am I sounding like David Attenborough yet?!

Well, after the boat cruise it was good to get on terra firma and explore the area a bit more. The southern half of the Bay area is covered by Booderee National Park, which boasts plenty of bushland, a few endangered species, plunging cliffs and those white sandy beaches. This is the scene at Murray’s Beach.

Here a little swamp wallaby who decided to venture onto the sand.

Near Murray’s Beach was Governor Head, a rocky outcrop looking out into the Pacific and it’s migrating whales…we saw a couple more out to sea flapping about a little. Back inland were some Botanical Gardens where (keeping the Attenborough theme going) this Kookaburra posed quite happily.

So after the wildlife it was time to see the, er, wildlife in the Husky Pub. The good news is it was better than the Narooma pub (see previous post) and whilst the band didn’t have the same billing as the now legendary Nashberries, they were crowd-pleasers nonetheless. Sampling these local Aussie pubs in the back of beyond is what it’s all about.

Well, summer is here and with it came a top of 17C and rain on Sunday. The rain was good for a stop on the journey home – Fitzroy Falls in Morton National Park. The falls were plunging impressively down to something but you couldn’t see what, as the scene was a bit of a white-out. A place to go back to I think (and provide photos of something you can see).

Given the conditions, there was nothing better to do than visit a museum in a small place called Berrima. Museums in small country towns offer a taste of the real Australia. The people who run them are enthusiastic beyond belief and all for a couple of old fish knives and some old invitation to the mayor of Bowral. Some of it was of interest to be fair, there’s just only so much that Berrima can offer to the history of the world.

It was a shame in a way that we spent so long in Berrima as it meant we had to whiz past Goulburn and the Big Merino at 130kph. Some people would say that isn’t fast enough, but, I mean, it’s the home of the Big Merino, man. Anyway, as we neared the nations capital (as the road signs helpfully point out) the sun came out and all was warm and sunny again. Good old trusty Canberra!