Adelaide

I stayed in Cannon Street Backpackers. The place was a bit of a dive and the toilets stunk but I did like my room so didn't bother moving.

I did the Adelaide City Walk from the Lonely Planet to get a good overview of the city. I visited the Art Gallery and Museum and walked around the Botanical Gardens. The Aboriginal stuff in the museum was quite interesting as I didn't know much about Aboriginals - I learned that they are the oldest race of people on the planet!!

I went on a day trip to the Barossa Valley with Groovy Grape. I got picked up bright and Early from the hostel. The group for the day was really small which worked in our favour as we got more wines at each of the stops.

Before we got to the Wineries we stopped off for morning coffee at the World largest Rocking Horse (Seriously!). We also stopped at a dam called the Whispering Wall. At first we didn't know what the point of stopping there was but it turns out that the dam was accidently built as a perfect sound arc. Some people walked right over to the otherside of the dam whilst some of us stayed on the nearside. They talked right next to the dam wall and it sounded like they were right next to you - Amazing!!

Our first winery of the day was quite a posh one - The Jacob's Creek Orlando Interpretive Centre. The tour started with the history of the brand then we got to the tasting.

Our next stop of the day was Vinecrest Wines. We tried more wines here including a Sparkling Shiraz which I never knew you could get (it is served chilled).



Just before lunch we called in at the Richmond Grove Winery and learned about how the wine was made before another tasting. We had a BBQ lunch on the grass outside and as well as traditional steak and chicken we also got to try an Aussie specialty of Kangaroo!

We then headed into the town of Tanunda for an ice cream and a look around. In the afternoon we visited our final winery for the day, the Bethany Winery. After trying the wines we climbed to the Menglers Hill lookout.



Everyone fell asleep on the ride back to the city.

I also took some time to plan the next stage of my trip. I went into the Travel Agents to book something for the East Coast and ended up re-planning my entire trip. I'd been planning my trip around the two flights I got on my Round the World ticket but decided as they didn't really cost me anything I could re-plan the trip to see more of the country and do some more overland stuff.

To see my new agenda see my new Itinerary.

On my last day in Adelaide I headed to the beach at Glenelg. You catch the tram from the city. The beaches were pretty quiet as there was lots of repair work going on to replace the sand. There were lots of up market restaurants there too.





I left Adelaide to catch the India Pacific train to Perth.

Tasmania Part 2

DAY 4

With some new group members and a guide we headed West to the Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park. We stopped to pick up supplies for that evening and headed to our cabin in the park itself. After settling in we went to Dove Lake for some lunch. You could choose the walk you wanted to do and I chose to do one of the harder ones up to Marion's lookout for some great views of Cradle Mountain.



I took a different route down which took me alongside another lake and waterfall, through some forest and out along a board walk. I also stopped to see Waldheim - a replica of the first lodge built in the area by Gustaf Weindorfer for guests visiting the area.



In the early evening there were loads of animals on the walk back to the shuttle bus including Bennet's Wallabies and Wombats.



That evening we all cooked a group meal and lit a fire in the cabin as it was pretty cold. We also saw a big Possum wandering around outside the lodge.


DAY 5


Next day the weather was pretty bad as we headed towards Stahan. We still did a walk along an old railway line to Montezuma Falls and some old mine workings before going on to Henty sand dunes on the very edge of the west coast. It was very windy on top of the dunes so we didn't stay there long. Our last stop before Strahan was to see the longest stretch of ocean on the planet from Ocean Beach. The waves were crashing in all directions and it was very windy.

Back in Stahan we visited a saw mill and art gallery and all got an off cut of Huon Pine. Huon Pine is is one of the best boat-building timbers known to man due to its durability and its strong oil, which makes it resistant to water penetration. The felling of Huon pine is now restricted and only naturally felled timber is used.

That night we headed to the pub for the cheapest pint I've had so far in Australia - almost half the price I'd been paying on the mainland.


DAY 6

On the last day of the tour we visited the Nelson Falls and Franklin River.



In the afternoon we stopped at Lake St Claire and finally at Mt Field National Park and the stunning Russell Falls.



Finally we headed back to Hobart via the picturesque Derwent Valley.

That night I went out with some of the group for a beer in Salamanca Place then had another great steak meal at the Ball and Chain restaurant.

After the tour I had some time left in Hobart to chillout and catch up with my blog and emails. On my last day I went back to the Saturday market at Salamanca before flying back to Melbourne.

It was the start of the racing season in Melbourne and it was entertaining watching the people dressed up to the nines who had been to the races all afternoon drinking.

I caught the Greyhound that night to Adelaide. The bus journey was a killer as it left Melbourne early evening and got to Adelaide at 5 in the morning. It was cold and I woke up at every stop. I'd arranged to check into a hostel at 6 am. The hostel opened at what I thought was 6.30 and was just about to have a go at the bloke working on reception when he pointed out that there was a half hour time difference between Melbourne and Adelaide!!

Tasmania Part 1

The flight from Melbourne to Hobart only took an hour and I was so glad I'd gone for this option rather than the ferry. I was pretty tired and couldn't check into the hostel straight away but was able to leave my bags and go for a wander. I headed to the art gallery and museum which was free to look around.

It was nice to be in a good backpackers again and I had a good nights sleep. I was up bright and erly to do the Mt Wellington descent by mountain bike.

We drove by bus to the top of the mountain and had excellent views out over Hobart. We could still see some of the forest fires burning in the distance (see top left of picture below). Apparently the day before there had been a big scare as the fires were headng towards the city. What's worse is that the fires had been started deliberately then later someone had vandalised the fire truck.



After taking in the views we got on the bikes and raced down the mountain - we did some of the sections on the road and some on off road tracks. I managed to get a flat tyre on the second off road section but the support vehicle gave me a brand new bike so I could continue.



We stopped at the bottom of the mountain next to the Cascade Brewery for a snack before cycling back into the city to Salamanca Place on the Waterfront.

That afternoon I headed back to the Brewery for a proper look around. Cascade is definately my favourite beer I've tried so far in Australia.



Cascade Brewery is the oldest brewery in Australia. The brewery was founded in 1824 by Peter Degraves, an entrepreneur who emigrated from England. It is now owned by Foster's Group. The animal featured on the logo is the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger.

I tried a tasting paddle of beer which included:

Cascade Premium Lager
Cascade Premium Light
Cascade Pale Ale
Cascade Draught (Only available in Tasmania, where it is the state's highest selling beer).
Cascade Extra Stout
Cascade Blonde (my favourite!)

On my way back into Hobart I stopped at the Female Factory. The Cascades Female Factory operated in South Hobart from 1828 to 1856 and was a prison for female convicts. There's not much to see on the site today but there are information boards telling some of the womens stories.

I'd booked a Six day tour around the island with a company called Under Down Under and I started this on the Saturday.

DAY 1

Our first stop still in Hobart was the famous Salamanca Market. I'm not usually a big market fan but this one was pretty good as all the stuff seemed to be high quality.

We then headed off towards the famous penal colony of Port Arthur.

Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. Known for its harsh conditions, dark history and stark beauty.



Port Arthur was named after Van Diemen's Land lieutenant governor George Arthur. The settlement started as a timber station in 1830; it is best known for being a penal colony. From 1833, until 1850s, it was a destination for the hardest of convicted British criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here, a quite undesirable punishment.

We had an introductory tour when we arrived before doing a harbour cruise which takes you near to the Isle of the Dead. Between 1833 and 1877, about one thousand burials took place on the island. The majority were convicts and ex-convict paupers who were buried mostly in unmarked graves on the lower part of the island. The graves of free people were located on the high side of the island and were sometimes marked by elaborate headstones cut by the convict stonemasons.

We had some time to look around the building but the site was huge and I would have liked to have some more time there. There was lots to see including:

The Penitentiary
Separate Prison
Officers Row (including the Parsonage which is suposedly one of the most haunted houses in Australia)
The Commandant's Residence
Churches and Hospital

There was also the'Lottery of Life' Interpretation Gallery where each visitor gets a playing card relating to a convict and you have to follow a specific path through the exhibition to see what happens to him.

After Port Arthur we headed along the coast to see the nearby natural geological attractions of Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and took a walk to Remarkable Cave.

We headed back to Hobart that night and stayed in Allports hostel in North Hobart. We found a good local pub with a live band.

DAY 2

Day two was spent exploring the Freycinet Peninsula National Park.

Our first stop was the historic town of Ross. One off the lads in the group was called Ross so he was trying to get his photo taken with anything mentioning Ross. I headed off to see the site of the Ross Female Factory. It wa built in the early 1840's, incarcerated female convicts from 1847 to 1854. Again there was not much left at the site other than the Superintendents Cottage which had a really eerie feel to it.

Next we took a walk to breathtaking Wineglass Bay. First we headed up to the lookout.



And then down onto the beach itself. The beach was fantastic but it was a bit cold for swimming. That night we stayed in the laidback surfing town of Bicheno where I had great steak meal.


DAY 3

On day 3 we explored the stunning coastline of the North East. Our first stop though was at a wildlife park.

We got to see Tazmanian devils close up. We were even there at feeding time. The devils had looked pretty harmless until then but were fed rabbit meat and quickly ate the lot bones and all.





There were loads of other animals including Kangaroos, Wombats and Wallabies.





After the park we headed to the beaches at the Bay of Fires, then head inland to the Blue Tiers region with its waterfalls and rainforests.

We also stopped off at a cheese factory and at pub in the paddock where we met Doris, the beer drinking pig!

We finished this section of the trip with a stay in Launceston. We walked accross the city hoping to try a beer at the Boags Brewery but it had clossed for the day so we went to the pub instead.

Melbourne - other stuff...

Melbourne is a great city just to wander around and I spent a few days doing just that. There's lots of free stuff to see and do. The city has different areas too including China Town and the Italian quarter on Lygon Street with tree lined avenues and lots of Pizza restaurants and ice cream shops.

There are also a lot of parks and gardens. In the Treasury Gardens I saw Captain Cook’s Cottage. Cooks' Cottage is the only 18th Century building in Melbourne. It was originally built in 1755 in Yorkshire, England, but was later purchased and transported to Australia in 1933. Often referred to as Captain Cook’s Cottage, it was actually built and owned by his parents, James and and Grace.



One day I visited the old Melbourne Gaol. Built in 1864 the gaol was the setting for 135 hangings, the most infamous being that of bushranger Ned Kelly in 1880. It was used as a US military prison during World War II. Museum displays include death masks and histories of famous bushrangers and convicts. The jail was closed in 1926 but is now open as a museum.



We also had a night out at the Crown Casino. It is a massive complex with lots of shops and restaurants as well as all the gaming lounges and bars. The Casino is on the banks of the river and every night on the hour there are huge concrete blocks that shoot flames high into the air - it's funny watching peoples reactions when they are walking past and not expecting it!! We finished the night in an Irish bar close to the Casino.

On my last weekend in Melbourne Zoe's dad Bill flew out to visit them. It was good to have some company to go into the city with. We also found the RSL club for a few pints.

On my last full day in Melbourne I visited the National Gallery of Victoria - a huge art gallery, which as well as loads of art also had some historical artifacts from around the World.

On my last night in Melbourne Bill and Stu drove me to my hostel in the city and we had some beers. I had to stay in a hostel as I had to get up to catch the 5am airport bus for my trip to Tazmania. I picked the hostel closest to the bus station - All Nations City Backpackers - what an absolute dump. The place was dirty and falling to bits - the noise from the street was so loud and I got virtually no sleep nevertheless I ws exited about my trip to Tazmania as I headed off next morning.

Great Ocean Road

Another must do from Melbourne is the Great Ocean Road. I booked a day trip and can honestly say it was one of the best day trips I've ever done.



We drove from Melbourne to Torquay (home of the Quicksilver and Ripcurl surf brands)where we drove onto the road itself.

Our first stop was at Bells Beach. We then stopped at the 'Round the Twist' lighthouse. Our next stop was at Kennet River where we saw parrots and Koalas - I was a bit scheptical that we'd see Koalas in the wild but sure enough there were tonnes of them. One even crossed the road in front of the bus. We had to stop the bus again to let an Echidna cross (like a hedgehog but with a really long nose).



We travelled on to Apollo bay where we stopped for lunch. After lunch we headed to the rainforest in the Otway National Park.



We then headed on towards the 12 Apostles where I got to do a helicopter flight right over them and up the coast for only 60 dollars! The views were incredible..






We travelled as far as Loch Ard Gorge, Port Cambell and the fallen London Bridge before heading back to Melbourne inland via Colac.





We got back late to Melbourne after a very memorable day.

Melbourne - Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

No trip to Melbourne would be complete without a trip to Ramsay Street so one day I signed up for a Ramsay street tour.

It was quite entertaining as the bus was just full of English Backpackers off to see the location of the TV soap they'd all been brought up on. On the bus on the way out to Pin Oak Court the actual location of Ramsay Street the driver put on some music videos made by the neighbours stars over the years.

The first stop was Erinsborough High School which I must admit could have been anywhere - Even when the driver got the School sign out of the bus and hung it on the gate I can't say I really recognised it.



We drove by the Studio complex where they also filmed Prisoner Cell Block H. We stopped in the studio car park where we got to meet a neighbours star - now not having seen neighbours for years I was hoping to meet one of the old school stars like Harold Bishop, Paul Robinson or even Dr Carl - unfortunately it was not to be so I got to meet Stingray who could have been anyone really. Loads of people were really nervous but I wasn't bothered and just had a bit of a chat with him.



(Coincidently a couple of days later we were getting a video out in Zoe and Stu's local shop when he walked in!)

From there we headed on to the street which now has a resident security guard. It's a real street and the people who live there get paid by the studio. All they have to do is park there cars out of the street on filming days and keep there curtains closed - the insides of the houses are never used. It was pretty strange to be on the street after seeing it so many times on the TV - the driver got out the Ramsay Street sign and we were all set for the photos.





We headed back into the city and watched some clasic episodes on the bus - quite an entertaining afternoon.

Melbourne - At Stu and Zoes

I had contacted Zoe and Stuart - friends of my brothers who are living in Melbourne at the moment and they invited me to stay. They live just outside Melbourne in a suburb called Highett.

Zoe and Stu picked me up from the coach station. It was great to get a room to myself and they made me feel very welcome.

Next day we took the dog, Fred - for a walk along the beach near where they live.



That night we bought a BBQ and I had my first Aussie barbie (even if it was cooked by an English man!!



Next day Zoe had a day off so we headed into the city. The place was heaving as there was a big parade for the Aussie rules football final. We walked around the Botanical Gardens and had a general look around the city. That night we headed out and had a few drinks around the St Kilda area.

Next day we headed to Phillip Island. We did a few walks around the beaches before going to the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. We also stopped for a bit at the Motocycle Grand Prix track.

That night we went to the Penguin Parade where I saw the world’s smallest penguins, the Little Penguins, emerge from the sea and waddle ashore to their sand dune burrows. It was amazing to watch but it feels more like a sporting event as there are hundreds of people sitting in grandstands waiting for the penguins to come in from the sea. You aren't allowed to take photos because the flashes confuse the penguins but you can see them as they gather into groups at the seas edge. When the group gets big enough the penguins build up courage to cross the beach. They are funny to watch as they often get part way out of the sea - then some of the group will chicken out and turn back before the whole group runs back to the sea. Every now and again you'll get one brave penguin who crosses the beach by themselves. Once the penguins are all in you can see them outside their burrows.

Next day we spent chilling out around St Kilda. We grabbed some food and looked around the market near Luna Park before walking the dog along the beach.

You can take the train from Highett straight into the city so pretty much everyday I headed in to check out the different attractions.

I visited the Observation Deck where you get some great views of the city.





I checked out the Melbourne Museum. I did a guided tour to find out what was worth seeing. The best bit was Forest Gallery which has real trees and animals including this bird who thinks it is incubating an egg (the egg is plastic!):



There were tonnes of other galleries and exhibits including:

The Robinson Kitchen set from neighbours signed by all the stars.



Bugs Alive with over 100 species of live insects and spiders.

The virtual room - This was very impressive with an eight screen, 360°, rear-projected, stereoscopic display system. You put on 3D glasses and can walk right around the scenes viewing the action from different angles. Apparently the museum is working with NASA to use the technology as part of the astraunaut training.

The museum had tonnes of other stuff including a whale skeleton and dinasaur bones.

I also visited the Australian Centre for the Moving image which had a computer games lab featuring the best of the independent games festival 2006. And Memory Grid short film exhibition. Outside Federation Square down by the Yarra river there was a free photography exhibition with huge prints of different scenes from around the World all viewed from above.

Canberra

I arrived at Canberra and instatntly began to miss the simplicity of the Magic Bus as I struggled with my pack around the streets trying to find the hostel. The hostel had been bought by YHA and was crowded as it seemed to be about the only cheap place to stay in town.

I headed out to watch some football at the pub. I had to move rooms next morning but it actually worked out well as I met Dan, an Australian who wanted to look around Canberra too. He was kind enough to give me a lift as Canberra is quite spread out. We headed off to our first stop - Old Parliament House home to Australia's Federal Parliament from 1927 to 1988.

This turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought as it was like stepping back in time as we took a tour through the different rooms. A lot of the rooms were decorated to fit a particular time period. Some of the best rooms were the Prime Ministers Office:



And the Press Gallery:



The House of Representatives and the Senate looked a lot like the British Parliament:



Inside the Old Parliament building we also saw the National Portrait Gallery with an exhibition by Karin Catt.

Next we headed over to the Australian War Memorial. This was a monument and a museum but we only had time for a quick look around before the place closed. However we did get to see the Last Post closing ceremony and decided to come back and have a better look the next day.



That night we checked out a few local pubs - The Wig and Pen and P.J. O'Reilly's. Next morning we headed back to the War Memorial a little too bright and early as we had to wait an hour for it to open.

To get a better overview of the place we took a tour. The guide was really good and took us around a number of galleries and exhibits. We started in the Commemorative area which has a huge wall with all the Australian soldiers who died in the World Wars. The Hall of Memories was an impressive building with huge stained glass windows and sculptures. From there we visited galleries about the First and Second World Wars, the Hall of Valour and the Aircraft Hall before finishing the tour in the ANZAC hall. In the Anzac hall we watched two shows - Striking by night and Sydney Under Attack.



Striking by Night was about a night operation by a Lancaster bomber, G for George, that took place over Berlin in December 1943. Sydney under attack was about a Japanese mini sub attack on Sydney harbour.

The museum had an excellent layout and there was so much to see including planes and vehicles from the wars.

Our next stop was Parliament House where we did another tour.



It was good to contrast the old and new Parliament buildings. The New Parliament house has an ultra modern design but the House of Representatives and the Senate still keep the red and green colours.



There is a spectacular view around Canberra from the roof as you can see back accross Old Parliament house up to the War Memorial.



Next day after changing rooms in the hostel (again!) I headed for the National Museum of Australia. Dan had moved on as he couldn't get a bed in the hostel so it was quite a walk to get there!

The museum building itself had a very modern design to it and although I wasn't keen on it at first when you start to walk around the design makes a bit more sense. The jigsaw-like building wraps around the central "Garden" of Australian Dreams:



The route around the museum starts with Circa which is a revolving Theatre which introduces you to the museums 3 main themes of Land, Nation and People. You then walk through the 5 main galleries:

Eternity: Stories from the Emotional Heart of Australia.

First Australians: Gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Horizons: The Peopling of Australia since 1788.

Nation: Symbols of Australia explores common expressions like "g'day'"and "mate" and symbols of national identity from the flag, to Anzac, the kangaroo and Vegemite.

Old New Land: Australia's People and Environment.

On my last day in Canberra I had a quick walk around the park and the free Floriade festival which had some great nature photography exhibits. After my cultural overload I set off on the Greyhound to Melbourne.

G'day from OZ

I arrived in Sydney and stayed in Big Hostel. It was strange to be in a big city and the weather was really hot. I met a lad travelling from the airport to the same hostel as me so we decided to have a look around together. We headed straight down to the harbour to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. I forgot my camera but as I'll be in Sydney for Christmas I'm sure I'll be back to take quite a lot of photos. From there we headed to the Rocks and found an old bar that was a bit like an old English pub and had a beer. We headed back through the city and grabbed some food before finding an Irish bar with a live band.

Next morning I got up to decide my route around Australia. I headed to the Greyhound office and bought a Coast to Coast pass. The pass gets me from Sydney to Perth via Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide. The final part of the journey from Adelaide to Perth is on the Indian Pacific railway. From Perth I'm planning to fly back to Sydney before travelling up the East Coast to Cairns where I'll use my around the World ticket flights to Ayres Rock then back to Sydney. I'll spend Christmas and New Year in Sydney.

After sorting my tickets out I headed down to the Paddy Markets and Darling Harbour where I watched a didgeridoo show at the Outback Centre with images of the Outback projected on the wall behind the performer.

That night I had a walk up to Kings Cross before heading back to the hostel.

I left Sydney next day and caught the Greyhound to Canberra.