Mandatory pre-departure airport shot. \240The aircraft our home for the next 13 hours.

From Heathrow to Hong Kong. 12.5 hours for 10.800. \240Smooth enough flight although it takes an hour to get through is migration. No passport stamp but instead, in a quite Comminist way we get a small receipt to be given in when we leave.

Chunking Mansions - notorious backpackers hostel location 30 years ago when I stayed and same still today

History/ Politics

Busy day spent exploring Hong Kong. It’s hot and humid (30C) and it’s the mid autumn festival national holiday. \240Not sure whether that makes the city busier or not, but there sure are lots of people sitting out in the open air, even right inthe mains streets of Central, the business district. This is surely holiday behaviour?

Travelling day from \240Hong Kong to Melbourne

Uber to the super-efficient AirPort Express train which is an eye-opener. Fast comfortable and pretty cheap 140HK$ for two )£7 each)

Noticeable numbers of “helping” staff directing people on and off trains. Beginning to see how these folks are also policing behaviour, for example stopping people boarding when train ready to depart.

Melbourne exploring day

Tram then 6km walk

The graffiti

Flinders station

Arts quarter with tickets booked for a concert

Botanic gardens with Mynah birds and lovely snax

Back past the Laver Tennis

Happy family in house cookery eve with Cat and Dev

Puffing Billy Railway excursion day organised by Cat and Dev.

Walk leaving the apartment 7.45 to meet up at Richmond stations, then Longish train ride from Richmond where we are staying to Belgrave to catch the Puffing Billy to Lakeside - an eventful journey of about an hour.

Melbourne exploring today. Sadly just Julia and me as Clare looking after Nigel who is unwell today and resting at the apartment.

We visit the fab Immigration museum which tells the atory of how )non Aboriginal) people arrived here over the years. Includes some great interviews with younger \240first generation immigrants about the difficulties they have, partly a handover from the “White Australia” policy only abandoned in 1966 whereby people’s rights to remain depended on where they had arrived from.

Pick up hire car - Mazda CX5 - lovely. Drive 315km to Lakes Enterance on the Tasman Sea.

400km drive from Lakes Enterance to Jindabayne in the Snowy Mountains.

Early in-room snack breakfast and 8.15 departure makes it possible. Fill-in breakfast snacks at the bakery at Cann River. Excellent coffee, veg pasty and huge muffin.

Canberra scenes

Drive today: 200km from Snowy Mountains to Canberra then 300km to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountians arriving 6.30 after dark.

Breakfast surprise at the Lake Jindabayne Hotel - there is breakfast, and it’s free. Functional arrangements, eg cartons of milk in a standard domestic fridge, but it does the job.

We park in the. National Archives visitor car park in Canberra and head towards the rarest coffe shop. \240It’s park of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office building but we are welcome to sit amongst the workers in their plush environment.

On to the Parliament Building (1988) throughly modern but with plenty of “Commonwealth” overtones, eg a parliamentary Mace donated from London. The whole set up seems modern and good, suitable for a modern democracy. Unlike our crumbling faux Gothic parliament and its building.

Snacks en route at Sutton and a stop for petrol. The last 45mins ont he Great Western Highway are pure Scalectix. The one where all the Straights have been used up and the road up the hill has all Curves, plus many returning commuters make a busy end to the drive.

A very cloudy and wet \240day in the Blue Mountains.

Superb breakfast at our bijou accommodation. Local walk to the actual Wentworth Falls which are barely visible but it’s fun to explore.

From the Blue Mountains to Sydney

Say to say goodbye to Silvermere GH and hosts Lew and Catherine. Slightly less rain and a little more visibility. \240

Sydney and Bondi Beach

Local bus from right outside the hotel direct to the beach. \240Interesting to suburbs on the way as we’ve been downtown/CBD \240so far.

Sad to leave lovely Sydney but a lovely drive with sunshine and the sea makes it ok. 288km to Melua Bay where we have a fab room overlooking the sea and can hear waves break after dark.

Exit from Sydney less than smooth roadside. A narrow tunnel and then many miles of start stop traffic lights. \240Traffic gradually wanes and we take coffee and snacks at the University in Wollongong as it’s home to Wollongong Unix, famous in elder computer science circles. :-)

There are so many nicely looked after one storey homes on the way. \240We pause at Gerringong to take a look at the sea - another fab beach - here there are posher houses, further from Sydney, but never ostentatious.

380km drive from NSW to Orbost Victoria

Gloriously sunny day, starts with a paddle together in the Ocean just by our hotel.

Some fun stops en route:

2558km driven on seven driving days (parked for \240two non-driving days in Sydney)

.

430km driven on lovely roads - except the M1 through central Melbourne which was a busy 5-lane highway which was bad enough without having crawls for miles due to volume of traffic!

Nice stops at two country towns with good little cafes!

• Cellar Door in Stratford
• Stump Tea Rooms in Darnum

440km on the ferry across the Bass Straight

Geelong to Devonport

Sunny taxi to the bait and quickly on board. \240It’s said to be a busy crossing and we see lots of cars and even more RVs and trailer board but there’s plenty of space and no sign of crowding.

350km drive from Devonport to Hobart via the East Coast of Tassie (not mountains as planned, \240as a huge rainfall forecast).

Variable weather with not much sunshine but we almost completely avoided the rain

Hobart day with Nigel Clare Cat and Dev

Comfy breakfast in the fab airbnb. Walk in to the Salamanca Market and explore.

Lunch at the Custom Hosue hotel featuring Pub Loaf with melted cheese.

Boat to MONA the unique museum of old and new art. \240A crazy experience rather than a place to study art! \240

Finish off with. Drink in the courtyard there and then back for dinner.

We’ve been out today in the ”bus”. \240We dropped Gabriel’s at pretty Richmond (quite English well NZ really) and headed to another animal sanctuary. \240Happy to see a lovely wombat and lots else. \240Team visit to the Pressing Matters winery. \240Very modern and swish. Waitress from Exeter about to start the second year in Oz.

Drop C and D at the airport then quiet times at the lovely apt. I take a half hour walk round nearby streets. \240Serenely peaceful and lovely inthe sunshine. \240U of TAs is nearby. \240

Patchwork day of adventures.

Up early (7.15) to clear out the airbnb we’ve loved and head off to fuel up the bus )£30 for 500km+ diesel - very cheap).

Drop luggage at the newsagent left luggage at Salamanca by where the market was held at the weekend. C and N stay I. Town as Clare has a toothache and can make the planned expedition to My Wellington.

Car returned smoothly and soon we’re in the Uber to start of planned walk. \240It’s a 30min drive. Sunny at first then rain starts, heavily. near the top there’s sleety snow which is starting to settle. We have a quick selfie in the cold and the wind is very strong. I take another foray out of the car and can barely get my coat in in the gale.

From Melbourne to Uluru / Ayers Rock

Skimpy breakfast then 0700 bus transfer to nearby Melbourne airport, certainly i not our favourite. Poorly organised and badly signed.

Nice flight to Uluru. \240Arriving it hot and dry (35C). \240Reminds me of my times in Central Africa and things this kind of heat I can cope with.

Transfer to the lovely Lost camel Hotel. \240Very “hot country” in design. \240Corridors partly open sided. \240Bedroom has separate loo and bathroom across the ed where a window would be. \240They shield us from the heat outside. \240Works well and does the job.

Explore the Town Square and stock up on essentials including big hat for Dave.

Surprise news that there are no Uluru walking tours available to tomorrow. \240Instead I beg if to plan a self guided route on the hop on hop off bus.

Fab trip to Uluru’s sister Kata Tjuna. Sunset with canapes beautiful.

Meal at the next door “Sails” hotel poolside thenwrre done!

Uluru walk day

Some worry for me about the trip, what, when, where and whether the team are up for it. All goes well and much appreciated.

4am alarm for 4.45 bus. Sunrise is 6.17 but we get the fab experience of seeing the world from dark to light in so many stages. \240Sublime

Walk 10.5km in 3.5hrs including a few stops and a bit of sightseeing. We finish befor 11 as hoped although it’s already 31C

Back at hotel one ish and rest of afto recovering and snoozing

Out at 5 to meet the others army Sails hotel bar next door. \240First I take a picture of Ann’s stone for Will

A other great poolside meal

To Melbourne

Concert

Melbourne exploring

Morning in hipster Fitzroy which is much nicer than its label. As well as

• fab hipster breakfast and coffee (Acocado is optional)
• Huge Patagonia outlet shop
• Crumpler Bags shops - the original including their bag repair workshop

There is the old fashioned Greek run cobblers for j’s shoe repair- ready tomorrow

Trams to Victoria Market for snack and knick knacks. \240The.n separate (d+j) ride down to the river and view with Arnold Laver tennis centre plus extraordinary amount of rowing practice by local schools.

More chats at 130 George St then off to local Italian for really nice food a deux.

Chat to lovely Anna too

Melbourne day 2

Apartment breakfast. Trip to the oval cobblers to get Julia’s boots

5998km Melbourne to Singapore flight

A long day

• 0800 get up
• 1000 Uber arrives
• 1040 arrive MEL airport - one of our least faves
• 1110 through security
• 1300 due to depart
• 1400 boarding
• 1515 push back from gate
• 1530 take off
• 2245 (1945 local -3hours) land SIN Singapore Changi
• 0000 (2100 local) hotel check in Paradox Singapore Merchant Quay
• 2334 (2034 local) board Grab (aka local Uber)
• 0040 (2140 local) fish and chips arrive on room service
• 0140 (2230 local) lights out

Quantas downsides

• we wanted premium economy but none available
• We booked and paid for extra legroom in Economy but none actually available. Refund pending
• We wanted Veggie meals but Trialfundrrs booked Vegan which were pretty terrible when veggie option was standard for all

Quantas upsides

• nice human friendly staff )Julia love the Tom—like steward)
• Senior Steward aplogises for flight delay and says “Pilot has promised me he’ll fly the plane like he stole it” :-)
• 2-4-2 seating on A330 Airbus means we don’t have to climb past other passengers, even in Economy
• happy to serve Dave three cans of excellent Pale Alr en route
• Lots of snacks post meal
• Massive choc ice crean lolly
• Spicy rice crackers (twice)
• wrapped Tim Tam Ozzie penguin biscuit
• Nicer Truple Choc biscuit

Singapore in the (decreasing) rain

Pouring this morning but then eases off

Taxi to the Asia Civilisations Museum as recommended by Maxine who volunteers there. Amazing

Hotter and mostly drier day.

MTR to Chinatown and explore, walking back to hotel. \240Lots to see but it’s soo hot \240and quite humid.

Afternoon siesta then off on yet another grab (not Uber taxi) to visit Jonty and Maxine along with young Freddie (16) who will start sixth from in Bath next autumn. Also John-Jo 21 now Durham graduate (elec eng) and fresh back from a month learning to sail in Sydney. He’s planning to join the RN spring next year.

Nice low key suppe at the polo club and back for final \240drinks befor Grab taxi home.

Final Singapore day

It’s hot and we’re both aorrt the flight is earlier than 23.20. Especially as the duration is apx 14hrs

To Botanical gardens via Little India.

Lovely lunch finally finding somewhere less than totally hot to shelter.

Sit in the Orchid Gardens a while.

Lounge around, est, then final Fran to the fab airport. \240Taxi can drop us at the right door of Departures to be right by the BA checkins!!

Ready for home now after our okg adventure which we think we managed well and seen so much variety.

Meet up with Anna at Paddington for coffee:-)