Australia cont'd: Cairns

Kuranda station

21/3/94 Kuranda Scenic Railway runs from Cairns to Kuranda, winding its way up the Macalister Range through 15 tunnels and over 14 bridges, over gorges and waterfalls with beautiful views. Passed Stoney Creek falls and stopped at Barron falls before continuing to Atherton Tablelands.

 

After lunch at Tinaroo Dam we visitied Millaa Millaa Falls

and an amazing Curtain Fig Tree followed by a cruise on Lake Barrine.

23/3/94

Glorious trip on the Ocean Spirit to Michaelmas Cay,
a very pretty bird sanctuary. It was just us and a few others who had gone over to the island so it was beautifully quiet. We swam, snorkelled and sunbathed. Had a delicious smorgasbord lunch with champagne before heading back.

24/3/94

Went on the swing bridge at Mossman Gorge and a barge on the Daintree river. In the afternoon we headed to Port Douglas. It’s a lovely resort but at the time of our visit it had suffered a major wind storm and there was a lot of debris around.

25/3/94

Reluctantly left Cairns. It was pouring with rain, which made leaving slightly better!

Overnight at Townsville.

26/3/94
Left Townsville and went to Billabong Sanctuary. Drove through Airlee beach and stopped in Shutehaven for coffee and scones and magnificent views of the Whitsunday Islands.

27/3/94

Travelled to our friend’s home in Cooroy, north of Brisbane. Cooroy is a town in the heart of Noosa Hinterland located amongst rolling green hills and mountains near Lake Macdonald and The Noosa Botanical Gardens.

28/3/94

A nice lie in followed by a stroll around Jane and Harry's 8½ acres  of orchard, veg and flower gardens, swimming pool, large paddock for the cows and a small enclosure for three ancient chickens.

During our walkabout I almost sat on a snake, it was on a small wall around a flower bed, Jane saw it just in time. I needed a stiff drink after that! After a swim and lunch we drove into Cooroy.

29/3/94

Spent the day in Noosa. Walked round Noosa Heads National Park. Tee Tray Bay, Dolphin Bay, Granite Bay, Hills Gate and Alexandra beach. It is a stunning coastline. Delicious fish n chips lunch on the bank of the Noosa river. Swam in the Pacific ocean at Noosa beach which was quite frightening as the current was very strong, I was picked up and turned over and Harry lost his hat.

We just had time for a whistle stop tour of the gorgeous shops before it rained. I liked Noosa very much, it’s like an Australian St Tropez.

Coastline around Noosa National Park. It looks overcast here but it had been a beautiful day.

Epping Forest

Lovely walk in Epping Forest this morning. Glorious weather, 
slightly chilly but the sunshine was wonderful

We came across this wigwam hide out, I’m sure it's very popular with children, 
my grandson sat inside it.

 I quite liked the composition of this.

The dogs had a great time, unfortunately there were lots of boggy areas with black sludge, leaf mould and all kinds of rotting vegetation, and of course the dogs don’t go around it they go straight through it. A lot if it was washed off when they went in some clear water but it was still very smelly in the car going home!!

January

And now we have January, such a gloomy month. Last year, to help beat the winter blues myself and a friend treated ourselves to a spa day: a body massage, sauna and jacuzzi, followed by a delicious lunch - bliss. We are going to do it again this month.
I'm not  a winter person, I like the pretty frost on the trees, virgin snow, and once I'm out and snugly dressed in my cold weather clothes I enjoy going for walks, but if I gave the lazy trait of my nature free reign I would hibernate all winter!
In my ideal world I would spend the summer months here and the winter months in Fremantle, Australia where my youngest daughter lives. I used to visit her every February but I haven't been since 2010 because she comes over here now and I have been doing other holidays. I feel the need to go back soon though, I feel a bit homesick. I look upon Oz as my second home, I just love being there, I thinks it's a great country. 

Ayers Rock & Kings Canyon

19/3/94 After a sad farewell to our friends and WA we flew to Ayers Rock. We originally booked into a very nice hotel but then realised that we would be out all day during our stay and only really needed somewhere to sleep so we cancelled the hotel and stayed in this very basic caravan.

It was all right, the site was very good with all amenities, even hair dryers! It was only for 2 nights and we saved a lot of money.

We went to the Olgas this afternoon but I didn't walk around them because it was very hot and although I love hot weather I didn't want to do anything energetic because I knew we were going to go to Uluru, the world's greatest monolith, to do the "Chicken Run" as it was called then. 

It's the first stretch of climbing the rock, it's quite short and steep and scary. If you couldn't do that bit they suggested you shouldn't attempt to climb to the top. I was very nervous but did it so we were set to climb the rock the next day. 

The sunset was stunning.

Another early start to see the sunrise over Uluru and climb the rock. It's stunning: remote, sacred to the Aborigines and patrolled by dingos. It's a kaleidoscope of colours, crimson at sunset, burnt umber at dawn and dusk, and silvery grey in the rain, which thankfully we didn't see. 
Before the climb we had a saftey talk, no hats or bags because it was too windy. We were allowed to take small cameras that could be put in a pocket. I can't remember how long it took to to get to the top but I can remember being terrified, it was windy and at times very close to the edge, some parts were very slippery and it was completely open, so we felt very exposed to the elements.

View from the top. The Olgas in the distance

We did it!

I was very relieved to get back down

20/3/94 Very early start for a trip to the breathtaking Kings Canyon.
We were waiting for a coach to pick us up, it was 6am, dark, a little way away from the campsite and we heard what we thought were dingos in the distance! They seemed to be getting closer so we were relieved when the coach arrived!

We had a guided tour up and over the top of the Canyon. It was awesome, I preferred it to Ayers Rock.

After all that activity we had a relaxing flight to Cairns to meet some other friends.

Australia, Monkey Mia & The Pinnacles

15/3/94 We all set off for Monkey Mia. Our first overnight stop was at Kalbarri beach resort, a very pretty place with lovely bays and beaches.

Visited Red Bluff on the Indian ocean

and Hawkshead Gorge. Note the genuine Australian outback hat! I loved wearing it. I still have it.

16/3/94 Journey to Denham. Saw wild emus and kangaroos. Stopped at Shell beach, an amazing beach made up entirely of shells. Overnight at Shark Bay, a beautiful World Heritage site. As we travelled around my love affair with this beautiful country began.
17/3/94 Arrived at Monkey Mia. It was very quiet and the dolphins were in so we were able to get quite close to feed some of them. They were beautiful, so trusting and friendly. The Rangers explained how to behave so as not to cause them any stress or harm.

Pelican and Cormorants waiting at the kitchen hoping for some titbits

I wonder what it is like there now, I hope it hasn't become commercialised.

18/3/94 Left Geraldton and travelled to Nambung National Park, Cervantes to see the limestone formations known as the Pinnacles. One theory is that in an earlier era they came from seashells rich in marine life. These shells were broken down into lime-rich sands that were blown inland to form high mobile dunes. It was an amazing place and beautifully quiet and the weather was glorious.
From here we returned to Fremantle. Our last night in WA L

My First Trip to Oz

Oh my word, my first trip to Australia was 20 years ago!! visiting friends who had emigrated. It was such a wonderful holiday, I remember it in detail. There have been many changes since then, although looking at these photos the buildings are the same, just the exteriors are more modern and of course my photography is better. This was long before I made the transition from 35 mm to digital so the images are reproductions of my original photos. 
12/3/94 Arrived in Perth. I vividly remember how I felt as I stepped off the plane - I loved the feeling of being enveloped in warmth. We spent the first few days at our friends' home in Fremantle.

South Terrace and my friend Sue's Saab.
I loved that car, she picked up a few speeding tickets in it! 

Town Hall

Fremantle hotel

And sightseeing in Perth. Perth is a beautiful city. 
I'm sure there are some areas that are run down and not very nice, every city has them,
but each time I have visited I have found it very clean, welcoming and modern,
combined with history as well.

WA Police Pipe Band

Bell Tower

Black swan on Swan River

Perth by night

A Muddy Walk

I don’t like cold weather, but one advantage of frosty mornings is the mud takes longer to soften, so the dogs don’t get too dirty.  A couple of days ago we met some friends who have a beautiful white Husky cross, and while we were talking the dogs were playing. They were up on their hind legs sparring like boxers. Ours got dirty but the Husky was literally covered in mud, the only white part left of him was his rear end!

Don’t they look sorry for themselves? This wash down was going to be the bucket and sponge instead of a quick hose down! But they do get warm water with the bucket!

The End of Christmas

Well I have taken down the lights, re-cycled the cards, and the once beautifully adorned Christmas tree is now naked and forlorn in the garden awaiting preparation for the re-cycling bin. 
As a child I was heartbroken when Christmas was over, the house looked so bare when my mum took the decorations down and it was such a long wait for it to come round again. Nowadays there is such a long build up to it, and then all of a sudden it’s been and gone almost before you realised it was here! I don’t get heartbroken now, just a little disappointed. 
Mind you, one thing I’m not disappointed about is throwing out all the rubbish that accumulates over the Christmas period – the odd cracker or bauble that has fallen off the tree, nuts that you know have fallen on the floor and rolled under the sofa but forgot to pick up, party hats or wrapping paper wedged in the side of a chair, not to mention all the Christmas paraphernalia that migrates to the kitchen. 
I’m not usually one for New Year resolutions, I can’t see the point in setting unrealistic goals which are usually abandoned within a few weeks, however this year I am making an exception. I am determined to maintain the 1st 1½ stone weight loss I have achieved since last September. So if you would like to help keep me on track you could check in with me now and again and ask how I’m doing. 
Thank you for reading and let me know how you feel about the End of Christmas.

Winter Berries

My eldest daughter is a cake architect, she designs and creates fabulous celebration cakes, all manner of cakes – wedding, christening, birthday, anniversary. Any occasion and any theme or design.

She has made hundreds of cakes for all occasions. This is one of my favourites for a winter wedding. I think it's exquisite. Cream, gold and burgundy with sprays of pretty sparkly berries and gold gypsophilia. Amanda has captured the essence of a beautiful sparkly, luxuriant winter theme.

A few of my favourites are: Mickey Mouse, Blissful Bath, Pink & White Quilted Diamond Wedding Cake, Mad Hatter, Jimmy Choo Shoe & Tiffany boxes. 

Grumpy Old Man

Buster is four now and in danger of turning into a grumpy old man! Bless him, he does have his moments though. When Rufus first arrived they used to play fight all the time in the garden, but lately Buster hasn't been as keen, mind you they don't stay out in the garden very long in this weather. They do have fun playing and chasing each other when they go our for walks though. 

Ice Cream

There is a video on you tube showing two dogs Cooper and Daisy eating ice cream. Daisy has to eat first while their owner tells Cooper to wait. Daisy eats elegantly, savouring every mouthful. Why does Daisy have to eat first? Because when it’s Coopers turn he demolishes the rest of it one go. Buster is like Daisy and Rufus is like Cooper. Rufus is fine with dinner and anything that is put in their bowls, but if we have just one of something to share between them we have to hold Rufus back until Buster has had his share! I will do an ice cream video one day.

New Year

Meet Rufus

Rufus is a rescue dog and is about two years old. He is a real character, crazy and funny. He is very handsome, all legs, never walks, runs everywhere and leaps over the sofas! He loves to have something to play with, mostly old footballs, he's great at playing throw and catch.
His previous owner had let him sleep upstairs so when he first arrived he bounded upstairs and went to make himself comfortable on one of the beds. We quickly pointed out that that wasn't allowed here and now he knows that upstairs is out of bounds.
His universe revolves around food. Every day around 5.30 he starts asking for his dinner by walking around and looking at one of us as if to say "come on I want my dinner" He keeps this up until he gets fed.
He loves his toys and has had a variety of them since he arrived. During the summer when doors were open all the time he tried to smuggle items inside. He would trot in quickly with a manky chunk of wood or one of his toys that had been rotting in the undergrowth for weeks. We knew by the pace of his trot what he was doing and when he was confronted he would stop with a "oh oh I've been rumbled" look on his face, turn around and take it back outside, only to repeat the performance a few minutes later not realising that someone was waiting for him. It was like groundhog day!

Meet Buster

Buster was such a cute puppy but he was a little devil in the garden. He used to sit beside me while I was gardening and I thought how sweet was that, watching while I was planting shrubs. However what was really happening was that he was planning his MO. As soon as I had finished, put everything away, gone indoors and the coast was clear he would pull out some of the newly planted shrubs, throw them around and generally have a good time chewing them to pieces! He also enjoyed digging holes in the lawn where the turf had gone brown from his wees. No matter how much I scolded him he just carried on trashing the garden. So we put some small green fencing around the garden borders and covered the re-seeded holes with chicken wire, and as he got a bit older he calmed down and I was able to re-claim a nice garden. Now he’s as good as gold.

Reached My Target

When I returned from my safari holiday in September I was horrified to see photos of myself, I had put on so much weight, not all of it on holiday, it had been creeping on for a while, but seeing those photos was a shock, so I took myself off to Slimming World and set myself a target of 9st 12lbs by Christmas. On Christmas Eve I weighed in and reached that target, a loss of 1st 1.5lbs. Yipee, I look and feel so much better. Thank you Slimming World, I couldn't have done it without you.

Meet The Dogs

 Rufus and Buster are Lurchers, Rufus has more greyhound in him, Buster has more terrier. 
Rufus was a rescue dog, we've had Buster from a puppy.

Here is Buster as a pup, the black and white one on the right, with his mum and siblings.

Merry Christmas

Rufus

Buster

Merry Christmas from the dogs (and me). The plan was to get Buster and Rufus to pose nicely together with Buster wearing the red santa hat and Rufus wearing a gold paper crown, my daughter and grandson were going to be just out of view bribing them with bits of cheese. What actually happened was chaos! Buster sits very well when told to, Rufus has never sat (he's a rescue dog and apparently it’s a greyhound thing) but he will lay down when told to. However with the scent of cheese in the air they were on full alert. They would sit for a few seconds and then get up hoping for another titbit, then sit or lay down on opposite sides of the room. They kept shaking the hats off and the paper crown broke! So although I haven’t got the one photo I hoped for I am pleased with these even though they do look a bit fed up!

I will introduce them properly at a later date.