After our time in Cambodia, we spent three weeks in Australia. We first went to Melbourne to spend time with Jan, then went to Darwin with Jan to spend time up there and to visit her daughter Lucy and lastly went to Sydney to spend time with Liz. Before we left Australia, we had a few nights to ourselves in the Blue Mountains outside of Melbourne to celebrate our birthdays.
Melbourne Area
Accommodation
We stayed at Jan's house in Lara which is about an hour south of Melbourne. She has a huge home with a large yard and swimming pool. We had the 'guest' wing all to ourselves.
 |
| Jan's House in Lara |
We also stayed one night at a rental house in Healesville (in Yara Valley) that Wendy had booked for us. It was a very nicely decorated three bedroom house with one bathroom. The host left us a nice bottle of wine and some wonderful eggs, bread and jam that we had for breakfast.
Activities
We flew into Melbourne via Singapore on Singapore Airlines on an overnight flight, arriving mid-morning. We flew coach but since we had exit row, the seats were fairly comfortable. We then took the bus to Geelong where we were picked up by Meg (Jan's oldest daughter) who showed us around Geelong and then drove us to Jan's house in Lara.
While in Laura, we went for a few long walks - one through the Serendip Sanctuary which has a nice undulating trail along the river and another in the You Yangs Regional Park where we were promised to see wildlife but only saw an ant and a bird! We had dinner one night with two of the kids (Meg and Al as well as with Al's girlfriend Lana) and another night we went to see The Fall Guy at a movie theater in Geelong.
 |
| Walk in You Yangs Regional Park |
We also did the following side trips to catch up with people:
- Went into Melbourne to meet up with Sue (another Kandersteg friend) for an early dinner - before meeting up with her, we walked along the river. The city has grown quite a bit since we last were there.
 |
| Dinner with Jan and Sue at Chloe's Dining Room in Melbourne |
- Drove down to Anglesea to see Rex, Jan's father. He gave us a tour of the house and then we drove to Lorne to have lunch together, first driving by their old house which we had been to on our prior trip to Australia. The drive was really nice along the ocean rode and we had lunch on a bench right by the beach.
 |
| Visit with Rex in Anglesea |
- Drove up to Yara Valley (wine country) to spend one night with Dave and Wendy who rented a lovely AirBnB in Healesville. While there, we had lunch at a winery, where we were joined by Jan's brother Steve and his wife Lindy. We also checked out Wendy's pottery which was on display at the Tarrawarra Museum of Art and then had a drink at a gin distillery. That evening, we ordered some pizzas to go and had a relaxing evening at the rental house. The next day, we had a yummy breakfast that Dave cooked for us - bacon, eggs and bread and then went for a walk at the Maroondah Reservoir Park followed by a few drinks in town before we headed to the airport to fly to Darwin.
 |
| Lunch at Steel's Gate Winery with Jan, Dave, Wendy, Steve and Lindy |
 |
| Tarrawarra Museum of Art |
Restaurants
Cartel Roasters - Nice coffee place located in Geelong. We had a coffee and bagel sandwich here with Meg after she picked us up at the bus station.
Chloe's Dining Room at Young and Jackson's - Located in Melbourne, we had drinks and an early dinner with Sue and Jan. We shared a yummy fish and chips and pasta dish.
Captain Hooked - Cute seafood cafe in Lorne along the Great Ocean Road. We had lunch from here with Rex and Jan - tasty fish and chips which we then ate on the beach.
The Bottle of Milk - Cafe in Lorne, we had a coffee take-a-way.
Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery - Located outside of Anglesea, we stopped here on our way back to Lara to peruse all of the yummy chocolates and to get an ice cream which we enjoyed while walking in the gardens.
Meet Me at Mary's - Located in Geelong, a cute restaurant where we had dinner with Jan, Meg, Al and Lana (Al's girlfriend). We chose the "Feed Me" option which is where the chef sends out a bunch of dishes to the table. We had several yummy starters and then lamb with potatoes, broccolini and salad for our main course. The food was very tasty.
 |
| Dinner at Meet Me at Mary's with Jan, Al, Meg and Lana |
Steel's Gate Winery - Located in Yara Valley near Healesville, we met Jan, Wendy, Dave, Steve (Jan's brother) and Lindy (Steve's wife) for lunch. The place was really nice with great views of the vineyards. We had a fixed price menu with a few choices of appetizers, entrees and dessert. We also each got a wine flight to try a few different wines before we landed on which glass we wanted with our meal. All of the food was really nice and fresh and the service was great.
Four Pillars Gin Distillery - Located in Healesville, we stopped here with Jan, Wendy, Dave, Steve, and Lindy for a drink. Great gin!
 |
| Four Pillars Gin Distillery |
Smoking Joe's Pizza - Located in Healesville, we got pizza to go that we ate for dinner at our house rental. Really tasty.
Healesville Hotel - Located in Healesville, we stopped here with Jan, Wendy and Dave for a couple of beers and some chips. We sat outside in their garden at the back at the hotel.
Darwin Area
Accommodation
Ramada Suites - We stayed for two nights in Darwin for free using Shawna's credit card points. We got a two bedroom, two bath suite. Definitely not a fancy place but it was clean and had a nice rooftop bar.
Aurora Kakadu Lodge - We got a two bedroom, one bath cabin in the town of Jabiru on the northern side of Kakadu Park and stayed here three nights. It was a rustic place but comfortable. There was a nice pool on the grounds which Keith and Jan tried out one afternoon. We had all of our breakfasts and dinners in the cabin. For dinner, we each took turns each night - Shawna made a pasta, Jan made soft tacos and Keith grilled steaks with corn and asparagus.
Salty Anchor Airbnb - We stayed in Darwin in this two bedroom, two bath apartment. It was very nice - clean and nicely appointed with great views of the water.
Activities
We arrived very late in the evening (a bit past midnight) - Lucy (Jan's daughter who lives in Darwin) picked us up from the airport and drove us to our hotel. The next day, we slept in and then walked along the waterfront. We also went into Darwin Museum Underground WWII Oil Storage Tunnels where we learned about the oil tunnels and how WWII impacted Darwin. That evening, we had dinner at Lucy's apartment with her roommates - Lucy made a yummy bangers and mash!
 |
| Walking around Darwin |
 |
| Dinner at Lucy's |
The next morning, we packed up, got the car from Lucy (she let us borrow her car for a few days), stocked up on groceries and then drove up to Jabiru where we stayed for three nights to explore Kakadu National Park. Jabiru is a small town with limited facilities but served as a good base for the park. While here, we explored the following:
- Nanguluwurr Art Site - A 3.4km walk to Aboriginal rock art with beautiful views of the surrounding rocks.
 |
| Nanguluwurr Art Walk |
- Anbangbang Billabong - Most of the walk was closed so we walked around for a few minutes to see the marsh and the birds.
- Nawurlandja Lookout Walk - This is a short 300 meter climb to the top of a rock with nice views of the valley.
- Marrawuddi Arts Center - We looked around this art gallery in Jabiru with art from local people. There is a nice coffee shop attached.
- Cahills Crossing - We went to the lookout platform that overlooks the river to see if we could spot any crocs - we didn't see any here.
- Ubirr - This is a short 1km walk that goes by some Aboriginal rock art and goes up the rocks to have beautiful sunset views of the rocks and the valley. We did this walk with a park ranger and heard the stories about the art and the local people. As we watched the sunset, we had a small picnic of crackers and cheese. Definitely the highlight site of the trip!
 |
| Ubirr |
- Yellow Water River Cruise - We did this cruise in the early morning (started at 6:45) on the South Alligator River. It was fantastic. We saw so many varieties of birds and about 10 different crocodiles. The guide was both informative and humorous! The views of the marsh and the river were beautiful at this hour. Another highlight of the trip!
 |
| Yellow Water River Cruise |
- Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Center - We stopped here to check out the artifacts and to learn more about the local culture. Pretty interesting museum.
- Walked along the waterfront - there are lots of nice walking paths and beaches.
- Had lunch at the Parap Village Market and dinner at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market. At the latter market, we stayed there and had dinner while listening to live music and sat on the beach to watch the sunset which was beautiful.
 |
| Sunset on Mindil Beach |
- Hung out at Lucy's apartment and chatted with the girls - it was fun to hear about their work and escapades!
- Went on a sunset cruise - we opted for the Daze and Graze which was nice so that we could sit on the rooftop and watch the sunset. The food however was not the best!
 |
| Sunset Cruise |
- Danced at the local bar "Shags" - we ended up staying longer than we thought. The DJ played all songs we knew and so we danced a ton. But then the live band came on and it became very crowded as the crowd also got quite sloppy drunk - this was our queue for the old people to leave - ha!
 |
| Dancing at Shags |
- Hung out on the beach - sat on the beach for a bit with Lucy and Lana.
 |
| Beach in Darwin |
- Saw the beautiful waterfalls and waded in the pools at Litchfield National Park and Berry Springs Nature Preserve. The parks were beautiful and the pools were very refreshing!
 |
| Litchfield National Park |
Restaurants
The 1995 - Located in Darwin, this is a cute coffee shop. We had coffee and a great avocado toast.
Ben's Bakehouse - Located in Darwin, we had coffee and avocado toast for breakfast - it was OK.
Darwin Trailer Boat Club - Located in Darwin on the water, we had dinner here with Lucy. We sat outside with a great view of the sunset. We all had yummy seafood dishes.
 |
| Dinner at Darwin Trailer Boat Club |
Parap Village Market - Large market that operates during the day on Saturdays. We went here and got several food items that we ate back at Lucy's apartment. Lots of Asian food options - all were tasty!
Shenanigan's - Located in Darwin, this is the Irish pub that the girls frequent so we went there for a few drinks and dancing - fun place but gets very crowded!!
Mindil Beach Sunset Market - Large market that operates in the evenings on Thursdays and Sundays. We had dinner here - lots of options to choose from - we had paella and pad see ew - all tasty!
Oyster Bar - Located in Darwin on the waterfront near our AirBnB. We sat outside and had dinner with Jan, Lucy, Meg and Lana. We ordered several starters to share and then we split the grilled barramundi - all the food was pretty tasty but the service was slow.
 |
| Dinner at Oyster Bar |
Trampoline Ice Cream - Located in Darwin on the waterfront. We stopped here after dinner for some ice cream - we had our usual salted caramel which was quite good!
Sydney Area
Accommodation
We stayed six nights at Liz (friend of Keith's) and Neil's house. They have a beautiful two story home in Balgowlah, which is near Manly Beach and about 20-30 minutes north of Sydney. We stayed in the guest bedroom which has an ensuite bathroom.
Spicers Sangoma Retreat - We stayed here for three nights. It's a beautiful, small boutique hotel located in the Blue Mountains. We had our own large villa with an amazing bed, bathroom and views of the valley. The hotel is all inclusive so we also had all our meals here. Only downside is that it's a bit away from the main attractions - it's located on the North side of the park where all of the main attractions are on the South side.
 |
| Our room at Spicers Sangoma |
Activities
We flew into Sydney from Darwin, landing in the evening. Liz picked us up at the airport and after we got settled into our room at their house, we had a nice dinner of salad and lasagna with some wine. The girls had already gone to bed so we met them in the morning.
 |
| Playing Uno with Cerys and Zoe |
While we visited with them, we did the following:
- Met up with some friends for lunch and dinner:
- Lunch with Nick (scouting friend of Keith's) who then drove us around Manly a bit
- Dinner with Hanno (grad school friend of ours) - he had also come to reunion but we missed him
- Lunch with Lou (EYC board member) and her husband Barry
- Hot chocolate and cookies with Synoeun (EYC alumni) and her daughter at Macquarie University where she is getting her master's degree
 |
| Snacks with Synoeun and her daughter |
- Played cards (Uno and Go Fish) with the girls - it was quite the competitive sport!
- Dropped off Cerys at preschool and walked Zoe to her school.
- Did several walks:
- Across Manly Dam and around a part of the Manly Reservoir (park near Liz's house) - the trail is rocky and hilly but it was also muddy since it had just rained.
- Around Manly, including Sydney Harbor National Park with Neil where we saw views of Sydney Harbor and a few whales in the ocean; coastal walk from Shelly Beach to Manly Beach; Fairlight Walk from Manly Harbor to the end of the North Harbor Walk; and Manly Wormhole with Neil. All really pretty with nice views.
- Up and around the Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Palm Beach and West Head in Ku-ring-gai National Park with Neil and Liz.
- Around Narrabeen Lagoon while Neil and Zoe biked - nice flat path.
- Around Balmoral Beach to Rocky Point Island while having an ice cream with Liz and the girls.
 |
| Manly Wormhole |
 |
| Barrenjoey Lighthouse |
- Saw the Vivid Light Show around Sydney Harbor with Liz and Neil - really cool light displays on the buildings.
 |
| Vivid Light Show - Sydney Opera |
- Went to the Sydney Zoo with Liz and the girls - was later in the day so some of the animals were not out but we saw a gorilla, some lions and zebra, a tiger, a few monkeys and our favorite, the red panda.
 |
| Acting like lions at the zoo! |
- Hung out in the hot tub at Liz's house with Liz and the girls.
- Went to an AFL game with Liz, Neil and the girls - Sydney Swans vs Geelong. Before the game, we walked around Centennial Park and then grabbed a quick meal at one of the food trucks near the stadium. The game was very interesting to watch - sort of a cross between soccer, football and rugby. The Sydney Swans won!
 |
| Sydney Swans AFL Game |
- One night, Neil made us two yummy curries - one chicken and one lamb. And another night, Liz made us a great salad with a veggie pot pie. And of course, Liz had a great carrot cake for Shawna's birthday!
 |
| Govetts Leap |
 |
| Three Sisters |
Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club - We had lunch here with Nick, located on the harbor in Manly. We had a yummy fish dish with a few beers.
 |
| Lunch with Nick at Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club |
Hugo's - We had dinner here with Hanno, located on the harbor in Manly. This is a great restaurant - we had some nice cocktails and then shared a few dishes, all of which were tasty.
 |
| Dinner at Hugo's with Hanno |
Manly Pavilion - Great restaurant located on the harbor in Manly. We had lunch here with Lou and her husband, Barry. We shared a great fish dish.
Cottage Point Cafe - We had lunch here with Liz and Neil - cute little place. We shared the fish and chips which were tasty.
The Glenmore - Located at the foot of the Sydney Harbor bridge, we stopped here for a beer with Liz and Neil and drank it on the rooftop with views of the bridge and opera house.
Lord Nelson - One of the oldest pubs in Sydney, we had dinner here with Liz and Neil. We shared a few appetizers for the table and had a curry dish which was very tasty.
 |
| Dinner at Lord Nelson with Liz and Neil |
Hotel Palisade - We had a drink here with Liz and Neil, sitting in one of the lounges.
Kazzi Beach Greek - Located in Balmoral Beach - we got an ice cream from here.
Amara - The restaurant in our hotel at Spicers Retreat. We had all of our meals here since it was included. Really great food. For breakfast, we had a choice of six dishes - the breakfast bowl was really tasty. For lunch, they served one course with bread and for dinner, they served five courses with a wine pairing. Everything was delicious!
 |
| Amara |
No comments:
Post a Comment