St David’s Day passed without note in Australia, especially in Leura where it was once again pouring with rain as we packed up the car for the next leg of our trip.  We left the Blue Mountains as we met them on Saturday, in the wet.  Strangely as we descended towards the south, the weather…

It’s Saturday morning and our first day in the Blue Mountains and finally our weather luck has run out. As we awoke and drew the roller blinds back (a yucky fawny brown colour to add to the misery!) we saw………fog. Yes, after the journey up yesterday in lovely sunny weather, the cloud has come down…

Fans of 70’s Punk may remember the above hit by the Ruts. This is the story of our trip into the Valley……The Hunter Valley. Home to a huge number of Wineries and the odd brewery, the Hunter Valley lies about 2.5 hours North West of Sydney by car. We picked our new hire car up…

No, not a new film of outakes from Sid James films, but more on the melting pot that is Sydney.  Having done the history, and the walking tour, we set about discovering Sydney for ourselves.  This would involve many miles of walking, ferries and meeting friends. Circular Quay is the main ferry terminal for Sydney….

The Manchester stand-up comedian Mike Harding (of “Rochdale Cowboy” fame) once quipped to an Australian audience that it cost him £600 to get to Sydney; his forefathers got there for stealing 2 loaves of bread and a sheep. The origins of Sydney are well known and are rooted in the transportation of convicts from the…

For some reason I can’t explain I have always wanted to visit Sydney.  Whether it is the iconic structures like the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House that appeal, or the attraction of watching an Ashes cricket match at the Sydney Cricket Ground I’m not sure, but my ambition is about to be fulfilled.  There…

There are a number of highlights from our Byron Bay week which stand out.  Although we spent some time out and about, we also spent much time in Byron Bay itself, enjoying the coffee shops, the cafes and the people watching.  Below are a few thoughts and some more pictures. Byron Bay is predominantly a…

Since we started the East Coast Tour from Noosa to Sydney, one thing that has been relatively consistent is the heat.  Regular temperatures above 32deg C are common.  (I’m not complaining, honest!). The locals are very concerned because this is the rainy season in Queensland and Northern New South Wales and the rain has largely…

Please Note:- The first edition of this blog was published in error.  This is the finished version.  Apologies for the inconvenience. “Cheer Up, Slow Down and Chill Out”. So said a sign as we approached Byron Bay.  As we drove in we could see why.  Surf bums and backpackers everywhere and not a tower block…

In the last blog I described Noosa Heads and what it is like to be here. (Great).  But there is no point in staying somewhere if you don’t explore the surrounding area to get a feel for the place and we had a whole list of places to visit that we had researched ourselves, friends…