3 Go Global

My First Roo

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

The heat last night was unnerving – it took ages to get to sleep. Even gazing at the stars could not settle me. We are all a bit short with each other before breakfast and even I put my foot down at Josh’s choice of clothing. His unique sense of style and colour continues to challenge modern thinking on fashion and was just a wee bit avant garde for me and O today. Diagonal stripes and Hawaiian print was replaced with a quieter Hong Kong Phooey.

The kids could not stand another wine tour – as much as I tried to persuade them so it was a nice drive through the vineyards which do stretch in the hills as far as the eye can see and a trip to the cheese shop where we learned how they make it with lots of yummy tasting. The kids were disgusted at all the mouldiness in the cheese making rooms but it did not put them off tasting. The Irish cheddar made for the local pub and covered in green wax was particularly delicious but a bit out of our price range unfortunately.

The cheese had us all thinking about cheddar so the first supermarket we saw we stopped to buy a cheaper alternative – no way near as nice but halfway there. The shopping centre also had a Target producing a very excited response from O and I as we had not been in one since the USA. You have to understand that being on the road with the same clothes and 2 pairs of shoes does become a bit much for us girls. As soon as we hit the shoe section I must have tried on at least 6 pairs of heels and wandered around just to remember what they felt like. Oh how I miss straighteners, heels and dressing up to go out – it will be a highlight when we get back.

Now I have actually caught up with my diary it is off to the harbour to catch the sunset and listen to the birds – the kids are trampolining so it will be another peaceful evening!

Hunter Valley (2)

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 29th – Hunter Valley

My kind of place – magnificent scenery surrounded by vineyards. It was so hot we went straight to the holiday park and did nothing for the rest of the day. Well I say nothing I meant laundry, swimming, catching up with the diary. It was a lovely relaxing day. I got chatting to another Aussie couple who are taking 2 years to go round Oz in their caravan. They love photography and I got to see some of their beautiful work. I wish I could take photos like that but they gave me some tips so look out David Bailey. We also got talking about the wildlife here. Being a true Brit I scream every time I walk into a spider’s web (which can stretch for ages) and immediately think all spiders, bugs and creepy things in general are poisonous. After talking to them I am more worried than ever. The spider that lives in your boots and bites is found in Sydney OMG, lucky I didn’t know that at the time. Apparently though it’s not the snakes that you should worry about but bees. More people die of bee stings as they swallow them after they have crawled into cans of drink and the bee stings the inside of your throat. Something else to worry about now with the kids……………….

I would not have guessed that communication would be an issue here – so wrong. I have already been confused when someone said they liked O’s thongs – exactly I also wondered why they thought such a young girl was wearing underwear like that. Explanation – thongs are flip flops here. Crackers are also fireworks which meant a very funny conversation with misunderstanding on both sides. I have also had to work out what a dog leg is!

Strange sight today – the fabulous Wicked campervan with a blue meanie from Yellow Submarine painted all over the side! There was an older couple staying in their caravan opposite us, they had come on holiday complete with their small grey parrots who went on their owner’s shoulders everywhere. They were very spoiled and complete child replacements but we had to try so hard not to laugh when a real wild parrot made a huge noise and spooked the beloved pets who flew off much to the shock of the owners. The ample sized owners were up so quickly and running around clapping after their children. They returned eventually and got covered in kisses, in fact we were worried at one point poor Pepper was actually being strangled with love, but he survived the hugging. I wonder if after their encounter with their wild cousins the pampered pets got home and starting questioning who they really were??

Koala Sleep

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 28th – Umina

After several “excursions” around the local area we have given in and bought a road atlas. In NZ we got one straight away but with the wealth of information available we did not need one. Here the opposite applies – not really much info to be had so it’s on your own mate. We found our way pretty quickly again and spent the morning at Norman Lindsay’s pad. He was a multi talented artist, sculptor and writer and the basis for the film “Sirens”. The house and grounds are as beautiful as they are in the film but I think the kids were embarrassed at all the naked paintings so they amused themselves in the van while I took the tour. It was fascinating and of course he was nothing like his portrayal in the film. The van was also still in 1 piece when I got back.

I don’t think I have ever seen a live “koala” before and we were lucky to arrive at the Koala Sanctuary at feeding time. They sleep for about 16 hours a day so you usually get to see them squashed up in a tree fast asleep. Photo opportunities galore (if you waited behind the endless queue of Japanese tourists who were more interesting to watch than the animals) and to touch. They are soooo cute and soooo soft you can’t help but fall in love. There were Kangaroos, Kookaburras, Wallabys, Wombats, Dingoes, Emus, Penguins but our hearts were with the Koalas from the moment we saw them. We even saw some wild ones in the trees.

The wildlife encounter did not stop there – at the park that evening we had barely got out the van when a lovely Australian couple gave us a full run down of what to see on our way up the coast. They also said there were possums around us at night and if we put out some bread and honey we could watch them from a distance. Both kids were ready for bed by the time it was dark so it was off with the lights in the van and immediately there one was right in front of us eating! What a way to end the day. O woke up twice in the night and both times saw one.

Blue Mountain View (2)

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 27th – On The Road Again

We have splashed out a bit and hired ourselves a campervan for the next few weeks. Mainly as I was worried about camping in all the rain that Australia had been having. Our little home fascinated the kids immediately and every cupboard, nook and cranny had to be explored straight away. Never mind poor muggings stuck in the branch office with all the bags, tent and sleeping bags as soon as they had the keys they were out in the car park working out which one was ours. It’s a little Toyota High Ace with a bit stuck on top so Josh can stand up inside. It comes with sink, fridge, cooker, microwave, plugs and even a gear stick which should challenge e a bit as I have got used to automatics. All this and it’s only done 245,000 miles – I wonder what sights it has seen? It will certainly be treated with respect. We really wanted a Hippie Camper – a van with flowers painted all down the side but they can only seat 2. I did consider maybe strapping Josh to the roofrack but apparently the insurance would not cover it.

Our first night was spent in the magnificent Blue Mountains just north of Sydney. They are so called as the haze of Eucalyptus in the moist atmosphere makes them appear blue. We rode the glass bottomed Skyway across the gorge to fully appreciate the view – just a short walk from the holiday park. Not as scary as I feared, I even got the camera out.

We spent the evening working out how to unpack our bags into the cupboards and sleeping arrangements. Josh was above us on boards and cushions. I did not sleep well as every time he moved (he is a fidgeter) the boards creaked a bit too much for me. O is swapping with him tomorrow night. I have to say something about the sounds here. The dusk air is filled with the chorus of crickets – so loud. We have also seen bright red and blue parrots and the nosiest of all are big white birds that look like Cockateels. It has surprised me how many birds there are here and to have no traffic noise as a backdrop just the sound of birds holding their nightly conference is blissful. Kids arguing about who gets to fill up the water tank blurs into the distance and I am at peace.

I am glad we have not relied on camping here. The holiday parks do not always have kitchens and they are huge. People seem to have permanent caravan sites here and I find myself longing for the quiet quaint NZ camps.

Australia Day Darlington Harbour

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 26th – Australia Day

Well G’day mates – stone the crows and something the lizards it’s Australia day today where we get to celebrate what it is to be Os’traylun. The festivities have been highly advertised so we decide to hit the big Aussie bbq in Hyde Park. There are food tents galore selling everything from solid Aussi fare – that’s pies to you and me – to Turkish, Indian and Sushi. O and I settle for a spinach bread thing from the Turkey tent – delicious. Josh went for a pie and was not very impressed that it had veg in it too, “I didn’t think veg was very Aussie” he moans. We walk around – beer in hand for me, complete with Aussie flag tattoos on, mine on my cheek and enjoy the vintage cars, live music, air displays and sunshine. It hits me again that we have nothing like this at home. I am proud to be a Brit and it would take a lot for me to even consider changing my passport and yet there is no celebration. The nearest thing was the world cup when every house and car was decorated with the flag – of course with our track record we did not have an excuse to leave them up for long but it was great while it lasted. I reckon we should start a small unofficial holiday one day in August and just let it grow from there………………….

The climax of the day for me was knowing there would be fireworks in the harbour. I was really gutted to have missed NYE but this would sort of make up for it. We arrived in Darling Harbour early to crowds of people. We were lucky in that just were we standing some guy off the tele was doing all the commentary so we got to wave behind him looking stupid. It was interesting seeing how all the technical aspects worked. For our entertainment there was a boat parade and live music. Some guy (who I have completely forgotten his name) sang Southern Land which got nearly all of the 150,000 people singing. I think Ice House did the original? Anyway it certainly gave me goosebumps. We had to stand for the national anthem and look like idiots as none of us had any idea what the words were – thank God it was dark by then.

The fireworks were incredible – loud – bright and enough to gain lots of oohhs and aaahhs from the crowd. They interviewed the guy who sets them up beforehand – he is 7th generation his family had been doing it since the 17 or 1800’s – amazing. We have seen some fireworks in Sydney!

Strange sight today – just next to us in the crowd for the fireworks arrived a man – 40’s. He was wearing the full Australian gear including hat with corks. Every time we had to shout “Australia” or something similar he got sooo excited his flag waving reached fever pitch, he looked care in the community but bless him when the fireworks were on he was absolutely beside himself. The only thing that worried me was the rather large laundry bag that he kept hugging to himself………………….The contents still remain a mystery.

Coathanger View

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 25th

It is so nice to have a lie in. We were right to go out and take photos yesterday as it is overcast today – still hot but cloudy. What to do today?? The famous Paddy’s markets was our first stop but you don’t really want to buy souvenirs after only one day here. There are koalas, kangaroos and boomerangs as far as the eye can see. O’s eye is immediately drawn to the displays of ovals and lots of ooohs and aaahs follow. Josh has his eye on the leather Indiana Jones type hats but O will not let him try on one with corks as it upsets her sense of fashion too much.

We decide to take the ferry again but out to Manly today. Manly beach is what Bondi was 20 years ago (or so we have been reliably informed) and it is beautiful. We enjoy a picnic lunch and watch the surfers and posing teenagers all trying to outdo each other. There is a sand sculpture dedicated to Australia day which is incredible and the generally relaxed vibe of Manly wears off on us.

I would have liked to go to Bondi but the transport links aren’t great and it is late already so we decide to go to Darling Harbour and walk round. By the time we get there it is early evening and as it is Friday the workforce is coming out to celebrate the weekend. The bars are all filling up with the well heeled Sydney workforce and it is nice to just wander round. We pass an enormous P&O cruise liner that is on it’s way out of the harbour with all onboard waving to us – I can’t believe how big the thing is. The ferry on the way back to Circular Quay stops off at Luna Park – a Coney Islandish amusement park. It’s too tempting to sideline so we finish the day watching the sun set and laughing at everyone on the tacky rides.

Monkey Hits Sydney 2

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

Early flight again – why do we do this to ourselves?? We were up at 3 and praying that our luggage allowance would not be over the 60kg allowed by the cheap airline. With the tent, sleeping bags and a chair we came in at 59. We were all so pleased with ourselves which seems so silly but being very strict with your packing has become a way of life. It’s amazing what little you actually need. A lot of our stuff is still for those just in case moments and I will never compromise on medicines etc but our clothes are now minimal as you jus don’t wear everything you carry. I have been asked what I could not do without and what has been useful…..I would have to say that our £1 Tesco aluminium bowls that we also use as plates have been a God send, our microfibre towels (but make sure you get ones that have some “napp” or fluff on them like normal towels as the flat/smooth ones just stick to you when wet), and although a heavier item – the laptop. We have used it to communicate, to do work on, store and work on photos, watch DVDs in the tent when it’s been raining and to organise. Yes it’s a pain with the leads etc but I am so glad I bought it with us.

We landed in Sydney at 7.30 and went straight to the info bureau at the airport. I had not booked accommodation as I couldn’t really tell which were the party hostels and which were more family orientated. If you are expecting the info to be as excellent as the ones in NZ forget it. I asked and was pointed to the advertising board and told to phone each one. Welcome to Oz mate! Luckily the second one we phoned sounded really helpful and had a room for all 3 of us so we got in a taxi (which I was ripped off) and headed into the city. Fist impressions? Busy – there are 4 million people in Sydney alone – the total population of NZ. It’s a young city and there were lots of homeless too. No views of anything famous yet but all of us were excited just to be here so we dropped our bags in our room and went straight out again.

I love the feeling of being in a new place. Did we have any clue where we were going and what we wanted to do beforehand – absolutely not. We just walked until we found a station – luckily Central station is about 5 mins away, bought a day pass and headed towards the Opera House. The transport links here are great – there are trains, trams, buses, metros, ferries and a monorail to choose from. We found a double decker train and headed to Circular Quay to take in a ferry ride round the harbour (free with the day pass). Getting off the train we all saw it – the famous bridge and the opera house, it was pretty obvious to everyone on the train we were first timers and tourists.

The ferry took us out to Tauronga Zoo but we didn’t want ot go there so went straight back again. The views are amazing of both the bridge and the Opera House as you go by and I can’t quite believe we are really here. The sun was shining, the temperature had risen by about 10 degrees and here we were walking around to the Opera House eating amazing ice cream. The Opera House itself is a surprising creamy colour, it looks more golden close up. You can’t beat it’s iconic status though and I had to go up and touch it. The kids are used to it by now although they still think I am a bit mad. They will understand when they are older.

You can walk around the botanical gardens (next to the Opera House) for a couple of kms, the road is right next to the harbour with views of the bridge and the Opera House. It was lunchtime by now and we were all surprised by the number of joggers out – there were loads. We think people go out during their lunch hours to jog but it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The testosterone level increased no end and many were keeping an eye out to see who was watching before putting on that extra sprint. There were people running up stairs, jumping up stairs, power walking, stretching, running, jogging – it was quite a sight.

We had a rest in the gardens (meandering can be very tiring you know) under a tree after giving it a hug. The signs in the garden say please walk on the grass, talk to the flowers and hug the trees so of course we had to. It was sitting down that I noticed strange pod like shapes hanging all over another nearby tree. OMG I think they were fruit bats – about a foot long and they kept stretching their wings out and screeching to each other. How strange as it was bright sunshine out and there were loads of them – we really are in a country far far away!

The Sky Tower beckoned to us so up in the lift and round the tower to check out the cityscape. Sydney just seems to go on for miles and miles. I was also surprised by the cliffs that are so close to the city – I don’t know why but I didn’t expect any. The tower also has an Oztrek attraction, a simulator ride and quick introduction to all things Oz which the kids enjoyed and it was fun walking through the caves there. We saw the monorail from the tower and it goes over a bridge to Darling Harbour so we decided one more thing before going back to the hostel and crashing, well we had been up since 1am local time. We found a supermarket on the way home but were too tired to cook so found a really friendly Turkish pizza place next door to the hostel, ate and found bed. I was asleep before 9.

Penguin Feeding Antartic Centre

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

Our last night camping and it rained – a little joke I feel. The weather has seemed to turn today. It is also Sir Edmund Hillary’s funeral today so maybe a bright sunny day would have seemed wrong. He is so well respected here by all ages, graffiti walls have been dedicated to him. He sounded like a real character and will be sadly missed by NZ. Here’s to you Sir Ed and your spirit of adventure, may a little bit of the adventurer live on in all of us.

We have treated ourselves to some luxury for our last few nights and have a motel room in the holiday park – luckily the last one available. We even braved the rain and went into town to ride the tram around. It’s like stepping back in time as soon as you step onboard. The carriages are all leather and polished wood and the driver rings the bell and provides a commentary as you go along. Christchurch is more like England than any town we have come across here – the architecture, the rain and the annoying one way system. It feels a bit like Cambridge as there is even punting on the river. The town is hosting the World Busking Festival but no shows today – even the deserted information tent had blown over in the wind and the scattered programs were all soaked by the rain. No worries for us as we got to watch TV inside and sleep on a mattress!

January 23rd – A Sad Farewell

The car had to go back today. The chipped taillight cost us $140 which is annoying as I only noticed it after a few days hire – it could so easily have been missed by me at the pick up inspection. We managed to squeeze in the Antarctic Centre beforehand. Seeing penguins being fed was funny and experiencing the ice storm very chilly! It feels strange to lose your wheels and we had to catch the bus back. Again it surprises me how good the transport is compared to our own and how friendly the drivers are.

We are all a bit quiet today. One because we have seen how much stuff we have accumulated and has to be stuffed into our backpacks and two we are all sad to leave this beautiful country and laid back people. We have had such a great time here – it is like the perfect touring country and I shall always remember it with a smile on my face.

Road Crossing

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

We explored the city today. Well we walked round and did a bit of souvenir shopping. Some of the architecture here is impressive and yes a lot like Edinburgh but honestly we did not fancy to going to see any of it in more detail so we headed north.

Omaru has colonies of blue penguins. The town even has “Beware Penguins Crossing” road signs! We stopped off at the colony but the penguins come out mainly at night and the cost to watch was quite steep so we decided to keep on moving. O got very excited on the way out as we passed a wooden pier covered in wildlife but no penguins just lots of birds!

We stopped for the night in Timaru. This is not really a touristy town but I have worked with people who come from here and wanted to pay the town a visit. The holiday park had 3 Italians who were just starting out cycling round the South Island. They each had a tiny tent, a bike and a little trailer to carry all their stuff. They were still all in high spirits and ate enough for a small army. I wonder how they will fare?

Traffic Jam NZ Style

Originally uploaded by roupiesontour

January 20th – Dunedin

The journey from Invercargill to Dunedin takes you through the beautiful Catlins. There are so many sites to see here you could spend a week meandering but time was running out for us so we stopped to see a couple of waterfalls and lookout points and the boulders of somewhere I have forgotten the name of. They are huge cyclindrical shapes millions of years old just in the sea. They look like dinosaur eggs and as much as I tried I could not persuade the kids to sit on any of them for fear of getting drenched in the surf. The names here are great, we visited Niagara Falls – a humorous name for a tiny creek – and Cannibal Bay – where human bones were once found.

I love driving in NZ. They drive on the normal side of the road and even in the highest season on the busiest roads you can be by yourself. There is no pressure to driving as if you want to enjoy the scenery slowly you just pull over and let the locals pass. The concept of road rage must seem peculiar here. Our traffic jam today was sheep. Hundreds of them were walking down the road and you just had to stop to let them pass.

We arrived in Dunedin early evening and were surprised by all the hills, it’s up and down everywhere. The holiday park even had terraces but we got to pitch the tent next to a stream surrounded by trees – really pretty. We decided to take the car back into town (legs not quite up to the huge hike back here) and ate out as it was Sunday. We found a cafe – Metro with a huge UK subway map on the wall – the food was amazing and we took away some home made muffins for later too. Have I mentioned that the muffins in NZ are the best anywhere?