Trip to the Red Centre

9 March

After waking up early, catching our flight to Alice Springs and eventually picking up our rental car, it was  time to drive the 440km to Yulara.  I think it came as quite a shock to Dad, just how sparse this part of the world really is.  I remember mentioning that we'd not seen one single car on the road for 2 hours!! Thankfully the journey eventually came to an end.  We pulled in to take photos of what we thought was Uluru but infact was Mount Connor and eventually arrived at the hotel about 6pm.  

We stayed at the Desert Sands Hotel.  It was so nice to be back in a hotel after months of sleeping in hostels and campervans.  The hotel was lovely and a welcome bit of luxury!  Yet one thing became clear from the off, the flies were out of control!  From speaking to the hotel staff, the was the worst they'd seen them in a good few years.  Although we didn't want to buy a fly net, as, well, they looked ridiculous, we had no option.  Yes we became one of those tourists.  At the same time, I opted to buy a hat.  An investment piece.  I looked like something out of a western cowboy movie but do you know what, I didn't care in the slightest!

10 March

Today was the day that we finally got to see Uluru.  In order to gain access into the park, you have to pay a park entrance fee of $15 per person.  Not bad considering it allows you unlimited access for 3 days and pays for the upkeep of the park.  Our first stop was the cultural centre which is just inside the park gates.  I'd highly recommend popping by if you're interested in learning about why Uluru is such a sacred site for the aboriginal people.  In the afternoon, we took a drive around the rock to grasp how BIG this rock really is!!

In the evening, we headed for the sunset.  Unfortunately, we were probably 20 mins too late.  Although we got to see the sunset itself, I felt we missed the beginning which was probably the best bit! For dinner, I persuaded Dad to cook an Aussie Barbie.  We headed to the Outback BBQ where we tried beef, kangaroo, Emu, Buffalo and  Crocodile skewers with a bowl of salad.  Crocodile tasted similar to a "meaty" fish similar to hailibut and kangaroo tastes very "gamey". 

11 March

I'd been advised via various sources including my lovely friends Anne and Alan Smith that we should do both sunrise and sunset at Uluru, so we did!  An early wake up at 5am wasn't great fully received I can tell you!!  This being said, it was worth it.  The thing that fascinates me about Uluru is the fact that it can change colour almost every 30 secs.  Simply, the longer you stare at it, the more you see...

In the afternoon, we headed to Kata Tijua also known as 'The Olgas' meaning 'many heads'.  In all honesty, these were as impressive as Uluru. 

12 March

As an avid walker, I jumped at the opportunity to go on a base walk around Uluru.  The walk was conducted by the local park ranger who provided insight into what makes uluru so sacred. It certainly makes you look at the rock in a different way.

In the afternoon we set off on our drive down to Kings Canyon which was a 4 hour drive.  It was a fairly easy drive.  We were staying at the Kings Canyon Resort which was worlds apart from Yulara.  The room was just as expensive and reminded me of a prison cell.  Awful!  In the evening, we watched the sunset.  A little bit of an anticlimax after coming from Uluru but okay all the same.  

13 March

After waking up early I decided to tackle the rim walk at KC.  Dad started the walk with me but opted to turn back after confessing his fear of heights.  The walk was really enjoyable but much harder than I thought especially in the heat.  At times the rock was so slippy it was difficult to find any grip and a times you needed to pull your whole body up to get to the next bit.  Signage was also diabolical.  It's so easy to get lost up there as everything looks the same.  This being said, I completed the walk in just over 1hr 45min which I was really pleased with.

In the afternoon we commenced out return back to Alice Springs via the Myreenie Loop road.  We'd ordered a 4x4 but when we went to collect it, we'd been given a Rav4.  A good car for normal roads but not for one which was so bumpy, it was 'like driving on corrugated iron'.  At times Dad and I both felt like the suspension of the car was about to give way.  We cringed every few seconds as we heard the bottom of the car hit the floor.  To say it was a stressful few hours drive is an understatement.  Frankly, I've never been do happy to see a Tarmac floor.

Thankfully the car made it back in one piece and we arrived safely in Alice Springs.  That night we stayed at Chifleys Alice Springs report which was thankfully a return to luxury after we got complimentary upgraded - result!  

I'd been wanting to pick up some authentic aboriginal art since arriving in Oz but hadn't found any that I'd quite liked.  After doing some research online, I found a gallery which sold local art.  After driving round in circles, we eventually found it.  My initial thought was that I couldn't afford any of the pieces on display but after talking to one of the gallery assistants, I soon realised I was wrong.  He showed me to a table full of small non-framed prints and explained exactly what each symbol meant.  What's more, he could tell me about the artist and how he came into contact with them.  The gent impressed me so much that I ended up buying 2 prints off him.  Both of which I am extremely happy with.  I just now need to sweet talk Uncle Steve into framing them and then there's the small matter of renting somewhere where I can put them up!  A tiny insignificant detail, I'm sure you'll agree.

Driving The Great Ocean Road; another thing crossed off my bucket list!

5 March

After a morning of driving down from Yarra Valley via the town of Yarra Glen, we eventually reached Torquay, the first town on the Great Ocean Road but also the home of Quicksliver and Billabong.  For these two multinationals,this small seaside resort is where it all began.  

Unfortunately the weather was grey and wet, so stopping off at the famous surfing Mecca of Bells Beach to find no surfers due to giant waves, wasn't quite what I had envisaged. So, we opted to head down to Anglesea, a small town by the sea.  In fact not much different to rhe Ynys Mon I know from back home!

6 March

Day 3 of our Roadtrip took us to Aireys Inlet.  There isn't much to see or do here but it's certainly worth stopping off at the lighthouse if you are old enough to remember 'Round the Twist'. We then headed onto Lorne and enjoyed some delicious fish and chips before driving the final leg to Port Campbell where we managed to catch the 12 Apostles at sunset.  It was a fairly cloudy day so not a perfect sunset but I think I managed to get a few good snaps!  The Apostles themselves are quite spectacular sandstone structures and certainly worth a visit. The council have cleverly set the main road back from the coast to stop people pulling in to take photos meaning it's impossible to see them whilst parking at the designated site and walking the underpass.  It's amazing to watch the new formations begin to take place as at the moment you can only see 8 out of the original 12.

In the evening we set up camp at the Big4 campsite down the road in Port Campbell.  A great little site with all the amenities you need!

7 March

All in all we have been pretty lucky with the weather.  Thankfully we'd done the 12 Apostles the night before as the weather turned against us.  The wind was howling and the rain hammered it down.  I felt sorry for the drivers of the classic car rally who were doing a rally along the GOR.  They clearly hadn't come prepared!  Still, we managed to make the most of the hour respite of torrential rain to take a few snaps at Apollo Bay and Erskine Falls before heading back to Anglesea for our last night in the campervan.

Personally,  I LOVED driving the Great Ocean Road.  It was everything I expected and more....

It was challenging, scenic, and coastal.  It surprised me at times, just how twisty it became but most of all I was surprised by the terrain.  I expected it to be coastal the whole way but the middle section goes quite far inland meaning that you are almost driving through forests.  Funnily enough, that bit reminded me of driving from Chiang. Mai to Pai in Northern Thailand.

All in all a truly GREAT Ocean Road drive!

Yarra Valley Vineyard and our first night in a campervan!

4 March

After picking up our campervan in the outskirts of Melbourne,we decided that we'd pay a trip to the Yarra Valley.  It had been our intention to go to Hunter Valley but we just didn't have the time.  The drive heading north-east was fairly easy but as with most Aussie roads, signs were poor.  This resulted in a very expensive 2 mile journey down a Toll Road resulting in a 25$ charge; so my advise would be to take an alternative route when travelling in NSW.

After stopping off at a campsite just outside Healsville, we decided we'd earnt a glass of wine or rather Dad had at least!  We were recommended The Tarrawarra Estate which was a short car journey from where we were pitching up for the night.  The grounds were spectacular and the wine wasn't bad either!  After sampling all they had to offer, Dad opted for 2 bottles of red before heading back to the site to cook our Aussie Barbie.  It was the first night we'd shared such a confined space in a long time, probably over 10 years and even then it was on the boat not a campervan.  I had agreed that Dad could have the double bed and I would sleep in the hammock.  Put it this way, there is a reason it's recommended for children (the bed is so close to the ceiling I had to roll out of it!). Still I survived and live to tell the tale.

Neighbours

3 March

Dad arrived safely and settled into the hotel.  We were staying at Causeway 353 on Little Collins Street.  The hotel itself was well positioned but lacked in customer service which was a great shame.  I left Dad in the hotel so that he could have a quick snooze after his 24 hour flight and headed off on possibly the most unusual tour to date - The Neighbours set.

After eventually finding the office at the other end of Flinders Street, I caught the minibus to Erinsborough.  Our tour guide was called Gerry, a young Irish chap who was full of enthusiasm.  I had read some negative reviews about the tour and about Gerry but I enjoyed his commentary although he did become a little repetitive at times.  As we approached Ramsay Street, we were informed that they were filming 'on location'.  Apparently they’re only allowed to film on the street one day a week in order to prevent the actual residents of the street from being disturbed.  We were asked to keep quiet but were allowed to stand at the bottom of the street watching Susan and Sonya film their scenes.  It was pretty exciting, even if the scene itself was quite dull with Susan placing rubbish in the wheelie-bin.  According to Gerry it's very rare that tours get to watch filming.  Luckily for us, we didn't get to miss out on taking photos of the street either as Gerry kindly drove us back to the street once the actors had headed off for lunch.

In the meantime, Gerry drove us to 'Erinsborough' where we were able to take photos of 'Dial-a-Kyle', 'Fitzgerald Motors' and 'Grease Monkeys' before meeting the actor that plays Chris Pathos who was happy to answer any questions and didn't take himself too seriously!  All in all it was a great day.  I would've liked to have seen 'Lasciders' 'Harolds' and 'Charlie's' but I wouldn't have got to see some live filming.  

Overall it was a great afternoon out of the city and a cheesy trip for any Neighbours fan!

Working my last Beerfest

28 February

After spending the morning wandering around the shops in Melbourne (window shopping only of course, I am a backpacker after all), I headed up to help Jimmy and Joycie (Andrew) set up for the first Melbourne Beerfest.  This is the third one that I've now done so I had a fairly good idea of what we needed to do but I still underestimated just how much work is involved to set up the event!  After 8 hours and memorably attempting to move fridge...in a dress, we were finally ready to go.

1 March

It's St David's Day and what could be more fitting than a Beer festival in the sun.  It was a long day but an enjoyable one nonetheless.  I was even treated with a visit by my roommates from the hostel (Greenhouse).  It was nice to spend the evening together,drinking beer and watching the bands.

2 March

Today was day 2 of the festival.  Numbers were slightly lower but it was still a great atmosphere.  It allowed me to get to know Elodie and Kalynda a little better too which was lovely.  In no time at all, we'd packed up the site and it was time to say my goodbyes.  I am so lucky to have met some amazing people thanks to Toby.  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made such good friends but most importantly of all, I wouldn't have met Jimmy.  It's amazing how one weekends worth of work has turned into 5 months.  I will never forget what Jimmy and Kalynda have done for me and I hope that one day I can re-pay the favour in some way.  

Melbourne - what a city!

25 February

Arrived in a Melbourne safe and sound via the Skybus.  If you ever get a chance to visit this city then this is the best way to get from the airport into town, it even provides a free hotel shuttle bus which includes hostel drop offs as well!  That night I caught up with Rachel (friend of Charlotte's).  As always it was great to see her and she was a superb guide. Rach has been living in Melbourne for 6 months so knew all the best places to go including a great rooftop bar where we had cocktails and dinner in Chinatown at a cheap dumpling restaurant. $14 for dinner and cocktails is pretty cheap for Aus.  I've already noticed how much cheaper food is here in comparison to Perth or Sydney.  Restaurants midweek are packed with locals which is a great sight to see.  I even managed to get a free Krispy Kreme on my way back to my hostel.  I think it's safe to say that I will enjoy my stay in Melbourne...

26 February

It's easy to see why Melbourne is #2 most desirable city to live in; great food, great people, great atmosphere but not so great weather.  It's true what they say, you can often see 4 seasons in one day in Melbs.  This certainly was the case on my first day.  I opted to do the free walking tour which is run by the same company as the one I did in Sydney.  The tour encompassed the main city sights including:

- State Library

- Old Gaol

- State Building

- China Town

- Royal Arcade

- Centre Place

- Laneways - street art

- Flinders Station

- Southbank

My personal highlights were Centre Place which is an alley at the back of Royal Arcade, a fairly upmarket shopping precinct.  Centre Place is filled with little coffee shops and the unlikely setting of business meetings.  Yes that's right, it's filled with men in suits sitting on beer crates.  Quite bizarre.  Another highlight was the large number of alleyways that are decorated in street art.  One that stood out is called Laneways which is funded by the state government meaning that street artists have a place to express themselves but in a controlled environment.  

In the evening, I visited "The Rooftop Bar" which is just above 'desserts' on Swanston Street.  It's a great bar, reasonably priced and has a wicked atmosphere.  I then headed up to the Queen Victoria Market for their late night opening.  This is the one day of the week where the market opens up at night and becomes a flea market serving worldwide cuisine.  I opted for South American lamb which was sublime but the coolest part about it was watching 'Masterchef' being filmed.

27 February

One of Nick and Cheryl's recommendations was to visit Brunswick Street, Smith Street and the surrounding area of Fitzroy.  The area reminded me a little bit of Shoreditch/Farrington with its rugged buildings and hippy vibe.  Take Tram 112 up Brunswick Street then walk back down stopping off at one of the nearby cafés.

In the afternoon, I took another tram down to St Kilda stopping off at the famous F1 circuit in Albert Park.  Unfortunately for me they weren't allowing anyone on the circuit but I was still able to see the grandstand and the straight.  It was then time to head down to St Kilda via Luna Park and Acland Street.  As per Cheryl's recommendation, I stopped at one of the local bakeries for afternoon tea which was delicious before attempting to burn off some of the calories with a walk down the famous St Kilda. beach.

'The Irish' and my last few days/final thoughts on Tasmania

24 February

No blog on Launceston or Tasmania would be complete without a post on the place that I've called home for the last month - Irish.  This pub is a very special place in many ways; the people, the locals, the food and most important of all the atmosphere.

The pub has cheered me up when I felt lonely and allowed me to make some great friends.  Those nights that I could've spent on my own sitting upstairs were spent witnessing the legendary 'Tommy & Timmy Show' or watching some great bands with people I'd only met that night.  It's the kind of place where you walk into on your own and walk out of with friends.  

My last night was spent waiting for Luke Parry to arrive for his set and saying farewell to new friends.  I'm so grateful to all those for turned out to say bye - Ceri, Timmy, Lauren, Tommy, Emma, Matt, Beth, Pat and Benny.  It was a night like no other and the perfect way to end a great time in a great state.

25 February

The next morning was a bit of a mad rush to the airport but we made it...just!  Thank you to the lovely Louise for driving me there and to Joanny for helping carry my bags.

So what are my final thoughts on Tasmania:

Tasmania is somewhere that has surprised me.  It's a place that I knew very little about before I went there.  To be honest the only thing I associated with Tassie was the cartoon character called "Taz" the Tasmanian Devil who spun around.  My brother loved him as a child.  Sadly the real Tasmanian Devils are nothing like the cartoon image I remember.  

Jokes aside, Tasmania is a truly beautiful island, where each town has something unique about it.  Other than the above, Launceston's highlight was certainly The Gorge and one of my favourite places to relax and chill.  For the first time in this trip, I found somewhere that reminded me of home.  Launnie couldn't have been anymore like Llandudno if it tried.  It's for that reason that I will hold it quite dear to my heart.

In Hobart, I enjoyed the Salamanca Market and walking along the harbour front at night.  Cradle Mountain was a special memory as it reminded me just how much I miss getting out into the mountains.  This is something that I will endeavour to do more of with my Uncle Steve once I get home.  Lastly, I visited Wineglass Bay which is by far the nicest beach I've been to thus far.  I will never forget the clear blue waters and soft white sand.  The beach could've easily been in The Seychelles if it weren't for the deceptively cold water!

Top tip: rent a car - you will struggle to get anywhere without one!

If you ever get a chance to head this way then I would strongly urge you to take the short flight over to Tassie.  You won't be disappointed!

Next stop: Melbourne

Day out around the wineries of Tazzy with the ladies from Beerfest

23 February

The ladies I met at Beerfest in Launnie kindly invited me out for lunch on Sunday.  We agreed to meet at Irish then head out to Rosevears via "the lookout" which provided stunning view across Launceston.  We organised to eat lunch at Rosevears which is a restaurant on the river.  Unfortunately for us, the service was poor, awkward and one meal was even over cooked!

Thankfully the day improved when we went to the vineyards.  I've yet to meet a group of ladies who are  as passionate about wine as I am until I met this group.  The first vineyard was 'Marian's Vineyard' which offered an interesting owner and less interesting wine.  The second vineyard was 'Holm Oak' a large estate which even had its own pig named 'Pinot'.  Thankfully the wine was delicious and I picked up a bottle of Sav Blanc for Dad.  The last stop of the day was 'Goaty Hill' or 'Sheepy Hill' as it was renamed by Kelly as apparently the goats looked more like sheep than goats!!  I'm not a fan of Rieslings normally but their wine was the nicest one of the day.  It's no wonder that is what they are most famous for.  If only I could get it back in the UK.  Therefore it only seemed appropriate that we ended our day sampling their #1 wine and the incredible view of their vineyard.  

After taking a few shots of the girls sitting in the goats, we headed for dinner at a local Indian restaurant in town.  The food was okay but very sweet and we even accidentally made a family move tables as we were too noisy - oops!  Overall if a was a great end to a great day out and a very sad farewell.  I wish I'd met these ladies sooner as I think we would've been great friends.

Thank you again Rachel, Sarah, Toni and Kelly xx

Next stop: Melbourne

Freycinet National Park & Wineglass Bay - simply paradise...

11 February

A week after our Cradle Mountain Roadtrip, we decided it was time for another.  Ceri had already visited Wineglass Bay with his host family and had insisted I saw it before I left.  

I picked up the rental car but unlike last time, he only had one car available and it was bright...pink.  I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Ceri's face when I pulled up outside his house!

The drive to Freycinet takes approx 3 hours down countrylanes and A roads.  As someone who loves driving, it was a lot of fun. Upon arrival into the National Park, we picked up our access passes and headed towards the car park.

The first stretch of the walk was to up to Coles Bay lookout then onto Wineglass Bay lookout.  Both these walks were steep but nothing in comparison to the decent down to the famous Wineglass beach. Thankfully it was worth it and the most beautiful beach and clearest blue water I have ever seen; simply paradise!  The crystal clear water and soft white sand will take some beating!

We also headed to Honeymoon creek which is completely opposite to Wineglass Bay as it's a flat calm.

Honeymoon Lookout