Time to be leaving.

Well after Sydney we headed to the Blue mountains. we went west via Penrith then north to Richmond and along the Botanists way, stopping to partake in some home made apple pie.

After this refreshment we continued on to Bell and then south to mount Victoria and then arriving at Katoomba late afternoon where we sorted out accommodation and I got a few nice photos of the three sisters which i will put up later.

whilst at Katoomba we went to the Scenic park, which has a cable car, Sky car, and funicular railway which is at about 52%, so steep.

A great morning was spent on these which provide access and views of the rain forest below the sandstone walls and the Katoomba falls.

The blue mountains getting their name from the blue hue which comes from the eucalyptus trees.

From the Blue mountains we headed for the great western highway back down to Penrith then to Wollongong.

The the sunny day that heated the car to extremes as we trundled down the highway past pebbly beach which was well worth the 8km detour along an unmade rd through the bush to view the parrots and wallabies playing in the evening light on the grassy fringes of the beach as the temperates dropped to a more bearable level and we made for the picturesque town of Batemens Bay.

I even went for a run around the bay which was nice as it rained a little that evening.

From Batemens we headed via Tilba Tilba, a nice historic town which is almost unchanged for over 100years. We stopped at Lake entrance that night and the following day went past 90 mile beach, then along the Gippslands highway to the Mornington peninsular. and up via St Kilda into Melbourne city.

last night we indulged in a wonderful gastronomic delight on Lygon st, with Melbourne's latest resident and old friend Maria.

Today mum flys home and this time next week i will be in China again, for more adventures although not in an automatic. I need a while off driving after the past 6 weeks and 8000km.

Latest news from Down Under.

Well after the Great Ocean rd we spent a few days in and around Adelaide. we hired yet another car for two days, this was a little Toyota Yaris,

We went to Mt Lofty and Hahndorf which is a major tourist attraction in the Adelaide Hills est in 1839 and as you can guess by Germans.

We stopped on final night at Mt barker and the following day on the 7th flew to Brisbane.

After two days sampling the delights of this wonderful city we headed down the car in the latest hire car. unfortunately i ended up with an Automatic Toyota corolla. as all the smaller cars with a clutch and proper gears were out. So once again i find myself having to put up with this annoying car without a clutch.

We headed down the coast past surfers paradise, which was once nice but is now a bit tainted by high rise and commercialism. past Burleigh heads, and stopped at Byron Bay, and on departing the following day we visited the lighthouse and most easterly point in Oz, Cape Byron, so I'm told.

We then travelled thorough several national parks, one of which named Guy Fawkes, and visited Ebor falls, then made for Kempsey where we stopped on the night of the 10th.

The 11th was spent driving the remaining 400 or so km to Sydney via the Pacific Highway and Port Macquarie where it would have been nice to linger a bit loner however we needed to get to Sydney where we were splashing out and stopping at the Waldorf, its only $120 or so per night.

We visited the Opera house and Botanical gardens today and then got the ferry over to Manly which was really nice and we had a late lunch of fish and chips. unfortunately the beer wasn't up to much to wash it all down with but the food was great and the views stunning as we came back into the harbour at sunset, getting great views of the bridge and opera house.

Tomorrow we intend to head to the Blue mountains , and then its back to Melbourne.

Back in Oz, The great Ocean road

Well after over 4000km in an automatic in New Zealand i decided to jump back in yet another car....
Thank god it was a manual, otherwise this time i would have driven it into the Ocean. being so close.
After a few days in Melbourne which we saw lots of rain but also some of the great parks and buildings of this historic city, including James Cooks cottage, we decided it would be nice to travel the Great Ocean Road which traverses the south of Victoria into the Southern Territories, taking in some breathtaking views and seascapes.
We headed out of Melbourne on the 1st and went south west before a small detour to Queenscliff and Pt Lonsdale, we then took up the great Ocean road proper at Torquay and sped along the coast through Anglesea, Airleys inlet, Lorn and onto Appol Bay on the edge of cape Otway National Park, where we stopped for the first night.
The next day was spent going through the national park and up the coast to where the clouds broke long enough for us to see the twelve Apostles. well only seven of them actually, the other were hidden from view.
We continued along dodging rain past two mile bay, the Arch, and London Bridge although these you need to rely on the imagination to see even when the clouds lift as they have log since fallen into the sea, which is eroding the coast at an alarm rate.
We made it to Warrnambool hopeful that we may spot some of the Southern right whales which are visible at this time of the year around the cost but unfortunately we were not to be that lucky.
after a stop of at Port Fairy we headed north and inland to the Grampians National Park, which pleased me somewhat , although unfortunately climbing would be of the cards on this whistle stop visit i could at least check out the area for a return visit.

We stopped at a wonderful place in Halls Gap. Brambuk Backpackers. and the owners were only to happy to inform me of the area and climbing and hikes, they also came up with a few things for mum to do whilst i did a small walk up to the pinnacle viewing point over the valley in which we were stopping and back in time for a cup of tea and to drive via Mt Gambia, which is a town situated on an old Volcano and even has some magnificent gardens in a sink hole,

and then onwards to Kingston, a very quiet town but home to the largest lobster I'm likely to see.
Today we drove from Kingston to Adelaide which on appearances seems a most pleasant town where we can spend a few days before flying to Brisbane on Sunday the 7th, and most likely some more driving. but providing its not an Automatic i don't really mind.
I will get the photos onto flickr when i get a chance, I have photos of New Zealand on their already.