~ Perth to London with Qatar Airlines ~

The day finally arrived when we flew to London to visit my dear mum and enjoy some side trips during our stay in Essex.

We flew Qatar as I believe they are the best airline for long haul flights, and it is indeed a long journey from Perth. I wanted to sit upstairs and Anthony wanted to be on the lower deck, so we comprised and did one leg on each. The way to travel such long distances is to research the best pillow, I took my trusty Turtl again and it worked a treat. We had around two hours in Doha and I was amazed as to what had been constructed since last year.

There is a place now called The Orchard and is a 6,000 square metre indoor tropical garden. There is a huge water feature plus over 300 trees and 25,000 plants. It was a treat to walk around and immerse ourselves in nature while in a busy airport.

Finally arriving in Heathrow after 11 hour and 7 hour flights, we decided to stay one night at an airport hotel to recoup our strength.

After dropping our cases at my nephew’s we went straight to the home, sadly my mum did not recognise me at first but then just couldn’t believe I was really there. We sat and chatted for a while but her memory obviously has got that much worse. We promised to be back the next day.

The next morning brought clear sunny weather to my amazement as I was expecting cold and rain. I had a short walk down the lane and across the fields.

After this walk we drove to the home again and borrowed a wheelchair to take my mum for a stroll up the high street. She was over the moon to be wheeled out into the sunny day and kept asking me if I wanted a turn.

We stopped for lunch in an olde tea shop after buying her new shoes and clothes. There is a lovely old church in the high street so we had a wander around.

I couldn’t find out much about this church except that it dates back to the 15th century. I believe there was a church here during Saxon times and the building has a Norman chancel. I thought it looked very grand in the sunshine and the stone and brick work were beautiful.

My mum said she had a lovely time with us and couldn’t believe how wonderful it was to be out. It does make me sad to hear this but such is life and I’m glad we are able to do such a small service for her.

We have a fairly full itinerary planned for the next four or five weeks and I’ll be sharing all of this very soon.

~ Hong Kong – Day Trip to Cheung Chau Island ~

Finally we have reached our day of freedom so that means we can eat out in restaurants and cafes. Today I decided we should leave the urban jungle behind us and head to one of the outlying islands. I last visited Cheung Chau in 1989 and unbelievably Anthony had never been in his 45 years of living in Hong Kong.

We caught the 11.15 ferry and grabbed a seat on the outside top deck to enjoy the sea air and sunshine. The slow ferry takes around an hour and no need to buy tickets as we could use our Octopus Card which is used for all transport in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is a country of contrasts; steel, glass and concrete skyscrapers dominate the skyline with dense green hills and mountains behind. Many visitors are surprised by the abundance of greenery and countryside that Hong Kong has to offer. It is a great place to hike in the cooler months.

There are no cars allowed on Cheung Chau, the narrow alleyways are not big enough for vehicles to pass through. There are mini fire engines, ambulances and police cars for emergencies. I did see an ambulance and it was very tiny, if you were a tall person I think your feet would be hanging out of the doors! Everyone rides bikes here and bells are ringing from every direction and you have to be on your lookout as they speed through the alleyways and around corners.

After disembarking we walked along the harbour front looking for a place for lunch.

Anthony was very surprised to find an Austrian cafe serving pork knuckle, one of his favourite dishes.

I had looked on the map before getting here and thought it might be nice to walk to the Mini Great Wall. A leisurely stroll is what I had in mind! Almost an hour and a half later, up many stairs and steep hills we ventured back into the village. It was one of those walks where I thought we can’t walk much higher and with Anthony up ahead saying we have to keep going.

Cheung Chau has many sandy coves and beaches, even though it is December we saw a few people swimming. It is home to around 20,000 people and has apartment style buildings designed for school camps. I remember both my children went to Cheung Chau for their year 4 camp when they were 8 years old for four nights.

Above are images of the different rock formations dotted around the island. Also part of the “mini Great Wall”.

There are many houses up in these hills and we were wondering how difficult it would be for the occupants to bring shopping up. Not just that but how furniture is delivered and how on earth they were built in the first place. There were also many abandoned buildings.

Finally making it down again we walked back to the ferry through the labyrinth of streets and alleys.

Below are some more photos I have taken of various murals, small shops and stalls.

It was a fabulous day exploring Cheung Chau and a great place to visit if you have an extra day or two in Hong Kong. There is a completely different way of life here, where a more leisurely pace is encouraged.

Cheers and thanks for reading – have a great Sunday everyone!

A Rainy Day in The Dandenongs – Part 2

Sunday

For our last day in Melbourne I was determined to get out and about away from the city, much to the disappointment of hubby, who just wanted another shopping day. So we drove up to The Dandedongs on a grey, cold and rainy day! They’re about an hour out of Melbourne so it’s the perfect day trip.

We stopped first at Puffing Billy in Belgrave to have a look at the old steam train and just as we reached the top a train was pulling in. Luckily I didn’t book us a ride through the hills and forests as it was too rainy and windy.

Puffing Billy was constructed in the early 1900’s to open up remote areas. In 1953, a landslide blocked the track and, because of operating losses, the line was officially closed in 1954. It was re-opened again in 1962 due to the tireless efforts of volunteers. Today it is just a tourist attraction taking visitors through the leafy hillside of The Dandedongs.

A few from the official website

Once we’d had a quick look around and read about the history we jumped back in the car to look for a good place for lunch. There are so many cafes, restaurants and pubs we didn’t have to go far. We stopped at Micawbers Tavern for a traditional Aussie lunch, Parmis and schnitzels all round. It reminded me of a cosy country pub in England.

Parmis and schnitzels all round

Enjoying a pint in Micauber’s Tavern

We then went further up into the hills to Skyhigh Mount Dandenong, but the rain had set in for good so there was absolutely nothing to see! This is what you can see on a clear day. This will definitely be another day trip.

The road ahead

On the drive up to the top

Back home we warmed up and dried off before setting out for our last dinner of this trip. We headed into town for a favourite place of Laurence and Maddy’s, a Korean BBQ place in Chinatown called Bornga. A very busy and lively place where it’s quite difficult to book, but it’s worth just turning up and leaving your phone number, there’s normally only a five to ten minutes wait.

A quick cocktail before dinner in a bar called Storyville

A great feast for our last dinner!

And once again all too quickly our four day weekend was over! Until the next time.

Vineyards and Valleys on a Sunday afternoon

The Packing Shed, Bickley, WA

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.

Bickley Valley Wine Trail

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.

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!