FIFTH VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

CAN’T believe that nearly 16 years has passed since my last visit to Oz and that I hadn’t seen sister Jennifer for 13 years and what a reunion we had as she celebrated her 75th birthday just a few days after I arrived. No stopovers for me this time just a couple of hours changeover in Singapore after I had left Heathrow on the evening of February 6th to arrive in Sydney early on the morning of February 8th flying with the excellent Singapore Airlines in Premium Economy which was well worth the extra money. After settling in it was out and about time with visits to the Botanical Gardens at Mount Annan just outside of Campbelltown and a train ride into Sydney to take in the sights and travel out to Manly on the ferry. Then it was down to Kiama to see the blow holes and to enjoy a lovely lunch overlooking the ocean. During this first week Jennifer and I also hit the shops in Campbelltown and I booked my flights to Melbourne as well. Having the use of my nephew’s car we also had a nice ride out to the Borragorang lookout to get an excellent view from there plus we also had a rare sighting of a Lyre bird. All this was intermingled with meals out, coffee and cakes and the excellent cooking of my sister (and she wouldn’t even let me help with the washing up!!). Into week three of my holiday and it was time to visit my other sister, Cherry, who lives up the mid-north coast which I travelled to on the train. It took six hours but it was a lovely trip as the train wends its way up the coast (I treated myself to a first-class ticket!). Had a great week up there in their home at a place called Johns River which is a small village surrounded by mountains and forests and only a short distance from the coast. I had not been to their new home before so it was great to see it all. We travelled all round the area and further afield, again enjoying much eating out, etc, etc, and seeing all the contrasting landscapes that Australia provides including all the waterfalls that can be seen up on the Great Divide. All to soon it was back to Sydney on the train and “home” to Jennifer’s to spend a few days just lazing around before I was off once again. This time I flew down to Melbourne, a city I had not visited before, where I had arranged to meet an old colleague from work who emigrated back in the late 80s. We had a good catch up, a couple of beers and of course and enjoyable lunch. I also had a good look around Melbourne and was most impressed with the place . . . Well worth the visit. During the rest of my holiday it was a mixture of things with only one partial disappointment when it rained all day on a visit to the Blue Mountains which were shrouded in clouds. It was still an enjoyable day however with good company (Kay and Clive, friends of Jennifier’s, who had driven us down) and, guess what, we all enjoyed our coffee and cakes and lunch!! Getting close to the end of my six weeks one final highlight for me was my climb up and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Truly a great experience with magnificent views of all around Sydney Harbour and it was such a lovely hot day and so clear that you could even see the Blue Mountains from up there!!! Then all too soon it was time to get ready to come home. One more trip on the train out to a place called Bowral (Don Bradman came from there I think) and this day turned out to be the hottest of my holiday at 41 degrees!! Finally Jen and I took a trip into Sydney one last time and did the Red Bus tour all round the city which was excellent. Then on day 43 of my holiday it was time to catch the long haul flight back to London!!! Go to my photo galleries page to see plenty of pix!

SIXTH VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

EIGHTEEN months later and I am back in Oz once again. Leaving home on October 8th and travelling Premium Economy with Singapore Airlines I arrived in Sydney on the morning of the 19th to be met by my sister Jen and nephew Richard for the start of another adventure. One of the main reasons for this trip was to celebrate my sister Cherry’s 80th birthday which was on October 20th. The first week and a bit of my holiday was spent with Jen and with the use of Richard’s car we did a bit of sight-seeing around and about and enjoyed some nice meals as well as having a relaxing time catching up with everyone including a coupe of rounds of golf with nephew Allan. On October 19th I travelled up to Johns River with nephew Neil and his wife Kate to Cherry’s home. We stopped for a nice meal halfway into our five-hour journey and then had a great reunion with Cherry and brother-in-law Brian. The 80th birthday party went off a treat followed by a bacon and egg barbecue breakfast the next morning. Then it was off with Cherry and Brian on a trip down to Canberra with a stopover at Gosford and then a delightful journey on a very scenic inland route to Canberra which took in the crossing of the Hawksbury River via Wisemans Ferry. Not having been to Canberra before this was much enjoyed with visits to the Australia Museum, the old and new Houses of Parliament, the Telstra Tower and the magnificent War Memorial. After two full days in Canberra we then drove across to the south east coast for a two-night stay at Kioloa where nephew Neil has a holiday home, a very quiet and peaceful site with a lovely beach nearby and with kangaroos leaping around all over the place! Then is was back to Campbelltown to sister Jen’s for the remainder of my holiday. We packed in a few moresthings including a trip into Sydney to visit Bondi Beach and other sites by travelling on the open top hop-on hop-off red bus. We also visited Bulli and Wollongong and also went to the theatre in Wollongong. We also took a trip on the train to Bowral where we enjoyed another lovely lunch at the Elephant Boy cafe. Then before you know it it was time to come home and I wasn’t really looking forward to the long flight but then I decided to treat myself to an upgrade to Business Class and thus enjoyed a really comfortable journey home arriving back in Heathrow on the morning of November 12th. Click on the link below to see all my Oz 2019 holiday pictures.

February-March 2018

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October-November 2019

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MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

HARRINGTON LIGHTHOUSE. NSW

HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB

BURROGORANG LOOKOUT

THE WAR MEMORIAL, CANBERRA

SYDNEY RED BUS TOUR

Back for yet another visit downunder which was a bit delayed because of all the Covid restrictions. I had originally intended to travel in September/October 2021 but the Aussies were not letting anyone in. In February of 2022 they eventually relaxed their rules and after a bit of form filling in and various tests I was allowed to travel. I decided to take the more comfortable option this time and flew business class with Emerites and it was really comfortable and also included chauffeur driven limousines to and from the airports. It’s the only way to do it!!! My trip this time was to last almost six weeks and during that time I was able to catch with all my extended family in Oz. After a bit of pottering about in the first week in Sydney, etc, with sister Jennifer and family with ferry trips on the harbour, dining out, etc, etc, it was up by train to see my other sister Cherry on the north mid coast at a place called Johns River, Travelling first class on the train the journey took around five and a half hours and Jen and I had a good catch up with Cherry and also did a bit of sight seeing and more meals out, etc. The third week saw us spending some time down at a place called Kioloa where Neil and Kate (nephew) have a holiday home and where they were the most excellent hosts. Very, very nice down there on the coast south of Sydney with lovely beaches, food (again), etc, and plenty of kangaroos hopping about all over the place. Then once again it was back to Jen’s in Campbelltown before, in the fourth week, we took to the air again and flew down to Hobart in Tasmania to spend some time with Allan (Jen’s son, my nephew) at their lovely homestead just outside of Huonville which is south of Hobart. Again Allan and family were brilliant hosts and I got in a couple of games of golf with Allan and again we enjoyed some good food and some scenic tours around that area. However the time goes by quickly and the final week was spent around the Campbelltown area and into Sydney for another brilliant cruise on the harbour, more meals out with all the family, etc, etc. Then all of sudden nearly six weeks had gone by and I was back in business class on the long haul home but all in all it was a fantastic trip which I thoroughly enjoyed. Here’s to the next time!!!!

THE TASMANIAN HOMESTEAD

A TASMANIAN VIEW

A FRIENDLY MAGPIE

THE COLIN MOTH WEBSITE

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