Heading further south...........

Sunday 18th January 2009 and our last day in Australia. We have had an absolutely fabulous stay, seeing and doing some really marvellous things, memories that will last a lifetime and a computer full of photos!! Good friends made along the way (human, canine and feline!). We have been so very lucky.




















Egg rolls for supper.........our very own "wiffy" hotspot!!



As our trip Down Under came to an end we found it hard to believe that we had spent 7 months as the time has just flown by - however, we had sufficient time to see and do all we wanted and some. Although, there is always the west coast!! Maybe next time!


As our flight left Sydney airport the sun was setting over harbour bridge and the opera house - a very fitting end to a memorable visit.

YouTube - New Years Eve 2009, Sydney, Australia MIDNIGHT FIREWORKS PART 2!!

YouTube - New Years Eve 2009, Sydney, Australia MIDNIGHT FIREWORKS PART 2!!

NEW YEAR'S EVE 2008

We left the Blue Mountains region on NYE travelling the back roads to meet up with some friends in Kurrajong - the day was bright and sunny, so hard to believe it was 31 January! Think we will never get used to it being summer in January!!

The drive to Kurrajong was beautiful with yet more stunning scenery. We arrived at our friends home at lunchtime and spent a lovely couple of hours with them before leaving for Sydney.

We had an easy ride through to Sydney where we met our first housesit owners and now, friends. After catching up we headed for Rose Bay where we spent a great evening enjoying their company, some good Thai food and decent red wine. At 11ish we headed out to a spot that David said would be a great place to see the fireworks.........sure enough we had a fabulous view.

As it has always been a long-held dream to see the NYE fireworks in Sydney there are not words to describe how special it was to actually be there realising this dream. The fireworks were spectacular, the company marvellous and we had simply the best New Years Eve. Lucky girls.

Bring on 2009!

our fave aussie ad

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VlVPAq2y2EM&feature=email

For Mum and Dad

This is how a Frangipani should look.

The Australians have heard of the Smiths' gradual exodus, they are preparing for the rest of the family to come. No need to bring anything with you, it's all here!

Exploring the Blue Mountains

Day 2 and we spent the best part of the day in the Blue Mountains National Park, taking the explorer route from Leura across the ridge to Katoomba stopping off at various lookout points along the way.

We started out at Sublime Point lookout where there are panoramic views of the Jamison Valley - from here we headed to the nearby Gordon Falls - it was an easy 10 minute walk to the lookout over the falls. From Gordon Falls we made our way to Leura Cascades which were stunning in the morning sunshine - we continued our tour via Echo Point and The Three Sisters, a scenic drive to several other spectacular lookout; Eaglehawk, the Landslide and Narrow Neck - with views of both the Jamison and Megalong Valleys.

We were staying in Katoomba for our second (and last), night in the Blue Mountains so, we made our way to the biggest town in the region after a good day exploring. We checked in to our overnight accommodation (www.mountainheritage.com.au), and then headed out to explore the town. Katoomba is the area's commercial heart and it's also the best located for the major sights. There is a lively cafe culture on Katoomba Street, which runs downhill from our hotel, and the street is full of vintage and retro clothes shops, secondhand bookstores (where we spent a very pleasant hour browsing), antique dealers and giftshops.

When the town was first discovered by fashionable city dwellers in the late nineteenth century, the grandiose Carrington Hotel, prominently located at the top of Katoomba Street, was the height of elegance and it has recently been returned to its former glory, with elegant sloping lawns running down to the street - we popped in for a look around needless to say it was very impressive!

The Blue Mountains Region

We spent a couple of days between Christmas and New Year visiting and exploring the Blue Mountains, the section of the Great Dividing Range nearest Sydney which gets its name from the blue mist that rises from millions of eucalyptus trees and hangs in the mountain air, tinting the sky and the range alike. In 2000 the Blue Mountains became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Blue Mountains stand out from other Australian forests, in particular for the Wollemi Pine, discovered in 1994 a "living fossil" which dates back to the dinosaur era.

All the villages and towns of the romantically dubbed "City of the Blue Mountains" lie on a ridge and around them is the Blue Mountains National Park, the state's fourth largest.

We arrived mid-afternoon after a pleasant drive up and our overnight accommodation was at the beautiful Bethany Manor (www.bethanymanor.com.au), and based just outside the lovely village of Leura, where there are numerous cafes, antique stores and elegant boutiques. It is a very scenic spot and there are stunning views across the Jamison Valley to the imposing plateau that is Mount Solitary. The main shopping strip, Leura Mall, has a wide nature strip lined with cherry trees.

After checking in and off-loading our bags we made our way to the most famous landmark in the Blue Mountains region, the Three Sisters - three gnarled rocky points that stand above the deep Jamison Valley. The views were to die for, and the blue mist was clearly evident although did not photograph so well. We spent quite a while here simply taking in the spectacular views and the sight of the Three Sisters, the panoramic views and the deep and impressive valley of eucalypts. We just don't have the words to describe how beautiful the region is but suffice to say, we were not disappointed!

Back on the mainland.

Early in December and with the summer sunshine warm on our backs we find ourselves at our latest (and last), house and pet sit here in Australia.

Our home for the next 6 weeks is a lovely one-level brick-built house in a very quiet and secluded suburb of Wollongong. The Illawarra Escarpment rises dramatically at the back of the house and the pleasant and green area provides us with plenty of opportunity to see the local birdlife not to mention the resident Blue Tongue!

Since arriving we have explored the local area, taken a trip out to a local vineyard for some long overdue wine-tasting(!), relaxed at the local beaches, and spent Christmas at North Wollongong Beach and spending some time at the Wollongong Harbour watching the locals do Christmas ozzie-style!

A quiet but lovely Christmas came and went (as did the mountains of food we lovingly prepared in the run-up to the festivities!!), not so sure the extra kilos will disappear so rapidly!! Christmas in the sun (a first for us), and it was very bizarre to be so warm, eating Christmas lunch outdoors and seeing cockatoos fly by......an experience in itself!

Boxing Day we went to the nearby vast Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the largest in Australia.
A superb day out, beautiful, peaceful, spiritual and inspirational........









No sooner was Christmas over and we were preparing for our NYE celebrations - we were lucky enough to get cash gifts for Christmas so with some of the dosh we splashed out on a trip to the Blue Mountains for a couple of days before New Year......we had a fabulous time - read all about it in the next post!!