As I mentioned in my previous post we had an apartment on the 59th floor! I’ve never stayed in an apartment so high before. We had floor to ceiling windows in every room with fantastic views over Melbourne.
One of the views from our balcony on 59th floor
First night in Melbourne – Korean BBQ
The next four days were going to be relaxing and taking it easy, with good food and plenty to drink! Lots of walking and definitely not much driving.
Although Melbourne is so busy and teeming with people, it still has a laid back feel to it. So many tourists going through all stopping to enjoy the beautiful sights Melbourne has to offer.
On the South Bank overlooking the Yarra RiverView of the CBDSculptures on the Yarra
Ludlow Restaurant, South Bank
South Bank
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While we were in Melbourne The National Gallery of Victoria was exhibiting the works of M.C. Escher (a renowned Dutch artist) with the works of Nendo Design Studio from Japan, Escher X nendo. I took some photos of M.C. Escher‘s works while walking around with Maddy. I hadn’t heard of Escher before and it was something Maddy wanted to see. She was very knowledgeable so didn’t need the audio guide!
I would like to have posted some of the fabulous prints we saw but when I checked on the website you needed to fill out a copyright request form in great detail. If you do go to Melbourne before 7 April it’s really worth a visit to see his works.
Sculpture from a wall down a lanewayMore artwork from a lanewayOne of many art deco buildings – Manchester Unity Building
Love a red door!The General Post OfficeRoyal ArcadeGaunt’s clock, Royal Arcade
St Kilda’s
St. Kilda’s is a coastal suburb not too far from central Melbourne. It has a completely different vibe to it than the city. Over a hundred years ago it was a very ritzy resort for the rich. Many palatial mansions are still standing, now converted into hotels. It’s great for a day or night out with so many restaurants, from cafes to fine dining.
The restaurants of Acland Street
Enjoying a glass of sangria
Dinner at Rococo’s
We ate and drank at fabulous places over the last five days and enjoyed every one. Food and service are always exceptional in Melbourne.
Tsindos Greek Restaurant, Lonsdale Street
Our last dinner together for a whileFather and SonOne of the many tasty tapas we enjoyedThe famous neon sign of Lucy Liu
And that my friends was that! This was where we left them and carried on with our epic journey onwards and upwards towards Brisbane. Next stop Canberra then Sydney in Part Four.
A very long drive ahead of us today, 786 km and over 8 hours driving time. I know we wouldn’t have very much time to stop along the way if we were to get to Glenelg in time for dinner. Also we would be losing an hour during the drive. After breakfast at our hotel and a walk along the foreshore we managed to get away by 9 am, although not before Anthony had given the car a quick wash.
As I said before I wasn’t doing any of the driving just being the photographer, but Anthony’s not about the journey only the destination. I did manage to persuade him to stop sometimes but other than that I had to be quick to get photos from a speeding car. Being in a car that long makes you very sleepy and also can get a bit boring, I honestly don’t know how Anthony does it. Lucky I had my iPad for reading and in the trip from Perth to Melbourne managed to get through two books.
Our first stop was Kimba for lunch. We had a great curry at the local service station, very authentic and traditional. They were so busy though that they could only serve us on paper plates, never mind it still tasted good.
Lunch stop at KimbaA lovely painting on the side of this grain barnTrying to overtake a very slow moving hay truck.
After Kimba it was back in the car and straight onto Glen Elg. We arrived just after 7pm at the Glenelg Watermark Hotel
We were staying in Glenelg for two nights so we could have a good rest and actually explore. After checking in we sat and waited for Laurence and Maddy to catch up. We really like Glenelg having stayed here previously. Our hotel was just a few minutes walk from the beach and the marina.
A quick drink before dinner
Glenelg is a beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent
It’s a gorgeous place to spend a couple of nights with a beautiful coastline and fantastic restaurants located in the marina. Established in 1836, it is the oldest European settlement on mainland South Australia.
Beautiful sun setSt Peter’s Anglican ChurchGlenelg Town Hall
On our way to dinner
Day 5 – A trip to Hahndorf
It was nice today not to have to rush off early, so after a walk around town we drove to Hahndorf for lunch. Hahndorf is a very quaint village located in the Adelaide Hills and just 30 minutes from Glenelg. It is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, dating back to 1838. The beautiful tree-lined street offers many shops, galleries and studios, a cheese maker, leathersmith, jeweller, candle makers, a craft brewery, winery cellar doors, gin distillery, chocolatier, sweet shops, restaurants and cafés. It still has a very traditional German feel to it.
With so many restaurants and cafes it was a difficult choice to make for lunch. In the end we opted for the German Arms Restaurant. The meals were enormous, typically German portions!
The German Arms
Slow cooked crispy skin pork belly with apples
Slow roasted pork hock with German bread dumplings
Trio of German Wursts
We could barely move after this gastronomic feast but there were things to see and photos to take.
Anthony already looks like he’s wearing lederhosen
An old blacksmith, now a cafeHahndorf street artTree lined street of HahndorfHahndorf AcademyMy chauffeur looking the partSomeone’s had one too many schooners!Shopping again in the leather shop
Driving back to Glenelg we had a quick photo stop over Mount Lofty lookout.
Mount Lofty Lookout
Our last night in Glenelg we had dinner at Sammy’s Seafood overlooking the beach and watching another specular sunset.
Day 6 – Glenelg to Melbourne
Onwards and Eastwards with an 8 hour drive ahead of us covering 730 km, there would be no long stops today.
Maddy eating a quick breakfast on the balcony
We had a lunch break in Bordertown and then full speed ahead to Melbourne. I managed to get some shots again through a moving car! There wasn’t much to look at just vast wheat fields and silos.
A bush fire along the highway!
Vast dry wheat fields
Silo after silo
We arrived in Melbourne at 7.45 pm again losing an hour along the way.
Hello Melbourne!
I had to pay a $50 late check in fee would you believe and notify the service manager upon our arrival. We were only given one key and fob for the lift which was not that convenient, also we had to park two blocks away. Anyway upon entering the apartment on the 59th floor, the views made up for a lot, which will be featuring in Part Three!
Deciding to go on a road trip was not a hard decision, as my dear hubby loves a drive! Also our son Laurence was driving back with his girlfriend, Maddy, to begin their new life in Melbourne, so why not accompany them and drive on a bit more. And so it begins!
Day 1 – Perth to Norseman
We started our journey on a Sunday morning and did not leave nearly early enough, as per usual. The great thing about road trips is the amount of luggage you can take, no weight restrictions here. So we loaded up the car with our stuff plus we also had some of Maddy’s and then the car was full.
The first stage was going to take us 722 km and around 8 hours with a couple of stops along the way.
Laurence and Maddy had already left two days before to spend some time in Albany and Esperance, and we were going to catch up with them in Madura.
Anthony was driving the very comfortable Mercedes which is great for reclining in the passenger seat! Sad to say I did not participate in any of the driving.
With just a quick stop in Coolgardie for a beer it was straight through to Norseman.
All the motels and roadhouses along the way tend to close at 8pm and we arrived just as the restaurant was closing. Lucky I had phoned ahead and was able to order steak and chips for two otherwise it would have been the BP station for dinner.
Old heritage building in Coolgardie
Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia. It has a population of approximately 850 people. Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it was once the third largest town in Western Australia.
Old farm machinery and sculptures made out of corrugated iron
Day 2 – Norseman to Madura
After a good night’s sleep at the Best Western we walked into town to get breakfast only to find we were way too early at 8 am. Everywhere was closed. So we walked back to have breakfast at the BP station. I wanted to have a look at some of the historic sites Norseman had to offer, so we drove up to Beacon’s Hill Lookout. On the way we passed by what was an old mining site. It looked like the workers had just downed tools in the middle of the day and never went back. So much machinery and piles of rubble everywhere. The view from the top was fabulous.
Some history about Norseman
The discovery of a rich gold reef by Laurie Sinclair in 1894 as a result of his horse ‘Norseman’ uncovering a piece of gold bearing quartz, caused a town to be established and named in honour of the horse.
A rich history of gold mining has developed with many mines operating over the years and many ounces of gold being extracted.
The early pioneers had a very tough life. Water was always a challenge with condensers being set up on the salt lakes to assist in addressing the issue and the towns people relied on camel trains to bring supplies. For the women, raising their children with very little or no medical services, providing meals with basic cooking facilities and scant fresh food, it was very hard work and often heartbreaking. Source: Norseman Info.
The photos below are some I took at the top of Beacon’s Hill.
From Beacon’s Hill LookoutMy trusty driverOld photo of the miner’s wivesMiners’ football teamTheir own bakeryEnjoying a rest after a hard day’s work
With a brief stop in Caiguna to fill up and then again at Balladonia, we reached Madura around 5.30 pm.
The only animals we saw were hundreds of dead kangaroos. It was absolute carnage and they were just strewn all over the road in various poses. A few times we saw vultures or eagles feasting on them. Apparently the vultures gorge so heavily that they can’t fly high enough after and end up crashing through a road train’s windscreen.
We were staying at the Madura Pass Oasis Motel, I wouldn’t exactly call it an oasis but it wasn’t too bad. Our rooms were very basic but at least it had a decent restaurant. We sat and enjoyed a glass of wine in the sun waiting for Laurence and Maddy to arrive. They finally arrived at 7.30 after their extremely long drive from Esperance.
Enjoying a hearty dinner and a good bottle of red. Freezing in the restaurant, hence the hoodiesThis car has obviously done a few miles!Madura Pass Oasis Motel
Day 3 – Madura to Ceduna
Madura to Ceduna 676 km – 7 hours
An early wake up today as again we had lots of driving and we wanted to stop off at a couple of places for photo shoots. Anthony went for an early morning walk up into the hills. Most of these roadhouses don’t serve breakfast or if they do it’s over by 7am! They cater mainly for the road train drivers. I had brought with me fresh coffee and a plunger a necessity for me to have a proper coffee in the morning. We set off about 9am and our first stop was Mundrabilla for breakfast.
Next up it was Bunda Cliffs for a visit to the Great Australian Bite. Then onto Border Village where we stopped to cross over to South Australia. Nullarbor was next and then onto Ceduna.
Great Australian Bite
A bit about the Nullabor
The Nullarbor Plain in latin means nulls “no” and arbor “tree”. Located on the Great Australian Bite Coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the largest straight road on the planet and it measures 146.6km in a completely straight line. You can play 18 holes of golf along the world’s longest golf course – the Nullarbor Links.
Over 100,000 wild camels roam the plain. These camels were imported from British India and Afghanistan to use as transport while building the railroads during the 19th century. Source: Nullabor Roadhouse.
We didn’t actually spot any animal other than dead kangaroos!
We arrived in Ceduna around 5.30 pm and stayed at the Ceduna Foreshore Motel. There is a pretty nice restaurant attached to this motel so we had dinner there. After we walked along the jetty to watch the sunset. Extremely windy and very cold.
We often visit a winery on a Sunday afternoon and today was no exception. We’ve not tried this one before and were not disappointed. Set in the rolling hills of Bickley and just a 35 minute drive from Perth, you could imagine that you were in the deep countryside. There are so many wineries dotted throughout these hills, many with restaurants and cafes.
This winery has a restaurant attached, where they offer breakfast and lunch. Today we chose a delicious chilli and lime bruschetta and pork belly with sweet potato chips which was just enough for the two of us to share and paired with the classic white for me and a Pinot Noir for hubby. Hubby enjoyed the red so much he took a bottle home.
With his bottle of Pinot!
Love the description
After lunch we had a walk around this beautiful vineyard and took a few snaps. There are trees and hills as far as the eye can see, it’s so relaxing to spend a few hours here.
A very modern dining area in the old packing shed
Old rustic rusty farm machinery
Cute toilets!
On our drive back I asked Anthony to stop so I could take a photo of the road behind us, as I stepped out of the car I saw two kangaroos hopping through the bush. I couldn’t believe it when one stopped and looked at me and actually waited while I adjusted my camera to take a photo of him!
Even after living in Perth for 14 years, I still get a thrill when I see a kangaroo in the wild!
As I live in this beautiful city of Perth I thought it was about time to do a post on Kings Park. It’s great for a short stroll or a longer walk, a picnic or a play with your kids. There are a few cafes and restaurants there where you can eat and enjoy the fantastic view over the Swan River. There are many memorial services performed here each year and it’s here they have the Remembrance Day Service in front of the Cenotaph.
Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the largest inner city parks in the world and is visited by over 6 million people each year. It’s larger than Central Park covering 400.6-hectares.
It first opened on 10 August 1895, and was originally called Perth Park and was renamed in 1901 to King’s Park – the apostrophe was later dropped. This was to mark the ascension to the British throne of King Edward VII and the visit to Perth of George, the Duke of Cornwall and Princess Mary.
State War Memorial
Elizabeth Quay
Looking over the Perth Hills
Rooftops of the Swan Brewery
Native Flora
Native Flora
Water Garden
The Swan Brewery
Lottery Federation Walkway – 52 metre steel and glass bridge
Causeway
The children’s playgrounds are also a great place for an afternoon visit with your kids.
The photos below are from Google Images
Make sure you visit this amazing park if you’re ever in Perth!
I was born and grew up in the UK but now live in the beautiful city of Perth, WA, however we always get back to the UK at least once a year to visit my parents in Essex. As it’s normally for a month we like to travel around visiting friends and relatives. There are also some great country pubs in Essex where we go for gourmet lunches and dinners!
The Peter Boat, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, is one of our favourite pubs. Sitting on the banks of the Thames Estuary it’s a great place for lunch and then a walk through the High Street. Although there are at least four other pubs in this small street, The Peter Boat is always the most popular. I started going here when I was 17, and over 40 years later it’s still a number one choice for me!
Catching up over a gourmet lunch
Part of the Thames Estuary
Cockles and Jellied Eels
West Mersea, Essex
We had lunch here one day at a place called The Oyster Bar. What a great find this was. A very casual cafe but serving gourmet seafood. There are some cute houses around here as well.
Hubby’s favourite – jellied eels
Fresh crab and prawn salad
Waiting for their fish and chips inside The Oyster Bar
An old house in West Mersea
Cute little house
Overlooking the River Blackwell
These boats no longer look seaworthy!
Southend on Sea
We had been recommended the next place by my uncle who like my hubby is a great seafood eater – they see food and eat it! Sorry couldn’t resist. Anyway this “restaurant” is called Billy Hundreds and I’ve added a link as the history is fascinating. Briefly:
“Over 140 years ago my Great Grandfather William Pullum worked as a fish porter in the famous Billingsgate Market in London, his porters badge number was 100.
He was known as Billy Hundreds..” to read more click on the link above.
It’s a Spanish tapas place, just a small shack on Southend Beach and on a windy day sitting underneath the alfresco blinds you almost feel you could be blown away. The menu is adventurous specialising in fish tapas but also with many other fishless dishes. Also the wine menu is pretty decent too.
I’ve taken the liberty of adding a photo of my Auntie Val eating alfresco at this restaurant!
Tilbury Fort is a great place to visit and somewhere I had never visited before, even after all those years living in Essex. It’s located on the Thames Estuary and was built in the reign of Henry VIII in 1539, due to international tensions between England, France and the Holy Roman Empire.
Is someone locked in?
Overlooking the Thames Estuary
The entrance to Tilbury Fort
Looking out onto the moat
Old Wooden Bridge
Up on the ramparts
Tunnel underneath the fort
There is a lovely pub for lunch nearby called The World’s End.
It’s always nice to get back for a visit, but nothing beats our home in Perth, WA
We always visit my native country at least once a year for around a month from Perth, WA which is now our home. I was born in London, worked in London for 16 years and lived there in my twenties for a while, however I was brought up in Essex. So Essex is not far from London around 35 minutes by train into the City, Fenchurch Street, and we always like to spend a few days there. We only go for day trips and mostly to shop and eat! We usually go to the East end of London for the markets, very rarely venturing into the West.
Although I used to know London pretty well it has now changed so much I find it hard to navigate around without using Google Maps! There are so many new buildings and streets its getting more like New York every year. I love it though that there are still the old churches and pubs dotted about in between all the new buildings. The food is not like it used to be years ago, just the basic Egg and Chip cafe or the more upmarket Steak houses. You can now eat anything at any price and it will always be great.
The photos I’ve added are from days out over the past couple of years.
Pubs and Bars
Lunch at Davy’s Bar, just outside Fenchurch Street
sign inside the bar!
Outside The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
The Prospect of Whitby, as you can see from the sign, is said to be the oldest riverside pub in London dating back to 1520. It has been used in many tv series. All that remains of the original building is the 400 year old stone floor. I used to go here in my twenties and wanted to revisit. I was quite disappointed that it now only served the basic pub food, whereas many years ago it was a “white tablecloth and silver service” establishment. Still the views are amazing across the river.
I zoomed in across the river to snap this with my Canon Powershot SX730
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Having a quick pint!
The Ship in Talbot Court, EC3 dates back to 1895. A great traditional pub hidden in a little alley.
After spending the night in Kumamoto we boarded the car ferry to Shimabara and then heading over to Nagasaki.
Had a very interesting stop in Shimabara to have a look at the castle. It was built in 1615 and took around four to seven years to complete. After 250 years it fell into disrepair and restoration began in the 1960’s. You can go inside and have a look at the old warrior costumes and weapons through the years.
Looking at the route above we then drove to Nagasaki via Unzen. This is where Anthony’s mum used to go for holidays when she was a young girl. A sentimental journey for Anthony. Unzen seafront had the feel of a 1930’s resort, so not much had changed since his mother had visited it seemed.
Then finally to our hotel in Nagasaki.
Very quaint hotel within walking distance of many interesting places. Stayed here for two nights.
I had read about the Dejima Wharf and what a good place it was! So we headed over there for dinner. Its very picturesque but lacks atmosphere. Our dinner was a disappointment. Supposed to be a seafood bbq – but we had to cook it ourselves. Luckily we found a great little bar upstairs with a live band so had a good song and dance with some locals who were celebrating a birthday.
5 June 2017
Off to a fairly early start as there was lots to cover today. First off we had a look at the old colonial settlement within walking distance of our hotel, where Dutch, Portuguese and English houses still stand.
I was very interested to go and have a look at Glover House.
This was a house built by an English guy who first came to Japan when he was 21 in 1859. He built the house and gardens in 1861. We are both really interested in travellers who left their native countries to establish themselves in other countries many years ago. These people would not have known what to expect only hearing about different places through word of mouth.
Anyway Glover Gardens and house did not disappoint.
I popped to the ladies and when I came back found Anthony deep in conversation with this lady who was gardening just outside one of the buildings. She was amazed that Anthony could speak so fluently. They found out that they were not only the same age but had the same birthdays! She asked Anthony why he was so old with such young children – so direct . She was very reluctant to let him go.
Its interesting to note that Mr Glover still liked to be surrounded by his English furniture.
Onto the next stop – the Foreigners Cemetery – where we spent at least an hour looking at old gravestones.
We spent ages looking for this place going up and down alleyways.
anthony looking round so many gravestones
The day was still not done and there was time to visit the Peace Park and A Bomb Museum. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the only places to this day that have had atomic weapons used against them. It was very moving to wander through the museum and find out the history of what actually happened.
Standing in front of the Peace statue built to commemorate the people who died in the disaster. The face is not Japanese but the face of a “Person who goes beyond human races.”
