Durman in Van Deeman's Land

Some pics from Brown Brothers, Ned Kelly, the Ferry and a surprise inclusion!



















The tour has moved to its final state - Tasmania - used to be called Van Deemans Land. Remember if you are reading this, post a comment - it is easy peasy.

Thursday morning before breakfast my legs were killing me from having descended the mountain yesterday so I ran up to the longest station platform in Oz - Albury between Melbourne and Sydney - where the broad gauge railway met the standard gauge. The station master timed me at 3 minutes 21 seconds to run up and back - it is nearly a kilometre, so both trains could be on a platform end to end and the passengers could transfer. Scintilating stuff eh!

Off we went in the good old coach again stopping in the lovely little town of Beechworth for some famous custard cake thing in a smashing patisserie. Then to the world famous family owned Brown Brothers for wine tasting - well we had to even though it was only 11am. It was really off the beaten track in a small village beset by the dreaded Aussie flies. This was by far the best wine tasting I have ever been to - we learnt loads of stuff about wine from a really enthusiastic young man who was passionate about the brand and extremely generous. We all bought some.

Lunch was taken in the village famous for the gunfight and arrest of Ned Kelly - can't remember the name. It was to say the least commercialised, but quiet when we got there.

Then we went down 200k down the freeway to Melbourne. I had to help navigate into the city docks because Robert our coach driver lost the plot - he doesn't believe in using the satnav. I have not mentioned the 'Coach Captain" before, but he and his wife Sheree have become an integral part of the tour with their terrible jokes and calm efficiency. They pretend they are working, but we all know they are on holiday too - don't tell them I said so!!!!!

We boarded the Spirit of Tasmania. Cabins were comfortable and about half of us booked into the A La Carte restaurant after the ferry departed. Lawrence and I were into the Brown Brothers purchases by then and after sharing two further bottles of lovely wine I was sailing, I was sailing, cross the clouds, far away. From what I remember the meal was nice. Others had to get stoppy because they took so long to serve them, but we were fine.

6.30am reveille after a calm crossing and about 6 hours sleep - someone called it drunken stupor! We are all being hosted now and I went off for a two hour cycle with my host, Peter. We got diverted into a Heritage Railway Centre where we clambered all over some very big steam engines and I explained to Peter all about a 2-8-0 and the joys of trainspotting when young. He said he did not know the extent of the site, but I don't think he will want a repeat visit for a while!! Lovely beaches around here with hardly anyone on them. Blue skies and about 23 degrees so have been sitting in the garden topping up my tan - no flies here - phewee.

Thats all for now
Hi to the Virgin two, in the even quieter zone.
Hi to Simon the rodent catcher
Good luck to Nicola for your exam next week
Happy Reading to Rachel
Hi to Lawrences mum - hope you are well in hospital

Off to dinner with June and Ken, Vlasta and Ian

Snowy Mountain Blog - Tassie here we come

Hi readers,
Walked a way to find this internet cafe in Albury NSW. It is 10.52pm as I start after our evening meal and a couple of wines.
Yesterday was a coach drive from Sydney to Canberra, the Capital. Had a very good tour around the Capital buildings and saw the chambers - especialy interesting after the change of
Prime Minister to Kevin Rudd, which officially still had not actually happened. It is all based upon the UK system with Black Rod, the Sergeant at Arms and the Governor acting on the Queens behalf.
Then we split - some went up a hill and had more coach travel - the rest of us went round the War Memorial/Museum, which was very good indeed. Lancaster bombers, Messerschmits etc. They played the last post to close it - quite emotional - lots of Aussies got killed in the wars.
Canberra was different - average age 34, so I felt at home again. The city was designed and built over 50 years - quite good - I always wanted to come here after my friends Dad was chief chef on the Canberra in the sixties!
Today was a bloody long journey into the Snowy Mountains. The highlight was a trip in a cable car up the mountain - no snow so it was quiet. I did not enjoy the trip up (too high) so decided to walk/run down this exceedingly high mountain - it took about 50 minutes at fell running speed. Quads were very wobbly by the end. Lawrence hitch hiked down, Sue and Angus also came on foot.
That brings us up to date. Tomorrow night I will be on the ferry to Tasmania, so do not expect a blog. Good to see more comments come in. Keep it up - it makes me laugh

Personal Ads
Neil and Pat - you win the password competition, but Peter needs a haircut - what should he do - wait or get Sue to do it
Eleanor - how is your toe
Rachel - thinking of you lots
Pat - the Jaccarado trees are really bright
Marie - glad Wyong are following our progress
Sinon - mice at home eh - never happened when I was there - can you fix my number plate please - whats this I hear about Ben being attacked by an Alsation
Nic - keep up the work - not forgotten you - glad you sold your car
Colin B - your Blues need a miracle worker not a manager - invitation to speak accepted
Carol - just got your email a minute ago - chin up
Shares Club - good shares cost less at Sainsburys!! Glisten to me won't you.
Colt - no posts from you - aren't the telecoms lines working - Joey is having fun still
Tablers, Circlers, 41ers, Tangent members - hi from Barry in Oz

Internet Cafe - 11.30pm Monday Night - over half way now

If anyone reads this please post a comment - it is so easy and makes me feel it is all worthwhile.

I am having my first session in an internet cafe just down from the hotel at 1 dollar per half hour as opposed to 55 cents per minute in the hotel.

Since my last post yesterday(Sunday) I went down to the harbour and ended up having a T-bone steak with Peter/Sue/Paul/Jean/Ray/Eileen. On to a bar with live salsa music and the Newcastle v Liverpool match. We saw the fireworks celebrating the final of Australian Idol.

Up bright and early today for the Blue Mountains tour with about 14 others. Read in the paper that Manchester United lost and that Steve Bruce is now Wigan Manager!!

Really good day seeing Echo Falls and the Three Sisters. Then on the steepest railway in the world down into the gorge, walked along a 2 k boardwalk thru the rainforest and back up in a cable car. Lunch in a lovely little village called Leura.

Tonight we all went to the largest buffet in the world at the Star City Casino - David Beckham is staying at their hotel ready to play for LA Galaxy tomorrow night, but he did not come to meet us. Posh was said to be posing for photos outside the Opera House. Did not lose any money at the Casino.

Off to Canberra tomorrow - will be sad to leave Sydney as there is so much more to see. No pictures today, cos this computer does not accept the cmera card, although I have loads.

Reply to comments
Hilary/Nigel - Kev was there and looking well - they are thinking of buying a property now
Neil(who I do not know) - Peter won both password competitions - can you make it three in a row - password today is "Tin Man". If you have a friend on this tour, text them the password
Simon - Croatia again !! - I bought you a presy today - dare you to use it/them - how is Ben?
Nicola - hope work and college is OK
Eleanor - bought you a really good little present as well
Rachel - I have left lots of stuff for us to do when we come here in a few years time
Gary Phipps - I might just have time to do a couple of Carolling duties on my return.
Marie in Wyong - thanks for your mail
Lady in the bar - told you I would put your photo on the blog!

Super Sydney - this really is wizzard!!

Pictures from dinner in Sydney, the girl at the bar, me with Maggie and the Opera House. Double click to enlarge and see your friends.
Todays password is Toto - the first traveller to tell me gets a prize. Yesterdays winner was Peter Driver - who incidentally tells the worst jokes I have ever heard(and a few really good ones)!
Barry

Yesterday being Friday we left our hosts at Wyong, 60 miles north of Sydney, and travelled down the Pacific Coast Highway in the rain and mist into Sydney. On the way we did our normal fines session to top up the beer fund and Roger noticed that Alan and Margaret had swopped badges accidentally – much merriment – well you had to be there!

We stopped actually right under the north side of the bridge by the water – it is massive. Then some of us braved the strong winds and pouring rain to walk across the footpath – it was awful, but we did it. Saw a number of people doing the bridge walk.

We warmed up the other side in a bar where we set our tea stand up outside. Met a girl from Moree who asked if we came from there! Picture of girl attached.
A city tour was followed by a trip round the bays to Bondi beach about 10 miles away. It was only just warm enough to paddle with a T-shirt on, but at least the rain had stopped. Sydneysiders said the weather was pants!

Booked in at the Crowne Plaza Hotel by Darling Harbour. I walked for nearly two hours around Sydney – it is impressive. I eventually found the Hard Rock Café only to discover that it had closed two weeks ago – so no T-Shirt or pin badges for me then. Most of the rest just lazed around in the hotel.

Drinks in a room were followed by a lovely meal – a lot of the women and some of the men got dressed up – how they keep so many clothes uncreased in a case for two weeks is beyond me.

Some of us walked around Darling Harbour, which was a huge area of bars, clubs and restaurants surrounding the water with its yachts. The back drop was the high rise office skyscapers – it looked incredible – I have never seen anything like it. What a buzz. Loads of the young women were dolled up in really fancy frocks, like they were going out to a Ladies Night, not just to a bar. Rachel, I never looked too closely, nor did any of my fellow 41ers. The blokes were quite smart as well, not many jeans.

Today my early morning run was just what I had hoped. Thru the gardens, around the harbour area, with a really fantastic view of the bridge, past the opera house and back. I was out running for an hour.
Then later I caught the catamaran to Manley – again brilliant views of Opera House and Harbour Bridge. There I met up with ex Shirley Tabler and ex Shirley Circler, Kevin and Maggie Mitchell, who moved out here 4 years ago. They showed me around and we walked up the brilliant beaches and cliffs right near their house. Thanks for a lovely day – they asked to be remembered to all in the Shirley 4 clubs - and yes the weather has finally improved – sunny and 28-30 degrees and I am actually looking bronzed and a tiny bit sore.

Cannot do much more blogging because it is 55 cents per minute!!
Gudday mates
PS The Aussies have a new Labour Government and a new PM

I wonder what the poor are doing today?

View from our hosts lounge, our gang at the Christmas Party of Wyong Apex 40 in a fabulous cliff top house and Father Christmas surrounded by our ladies. A good time was had and we sang our tour songs again. This house could take over 60 people sat down at tables of 8 spread around the ground floor. Lovely gardens. It really was a case of wondering what the poor are doing today.
Off to Sydney tomorrow for a tour round then a swim on Bondi beach and then three nights in the Crowne Plaza, Darling Harbour.

Dolphins and Coals to Newcastle

Everyone on the coach has this blog address now so that their folks back home can keep up to date without them having to text/phone/email. I think I will start charging them all. If anyone's friends are loggin on please can you text/phone them today's password, which is "Judy". The first fellow traveller to tell me the password will get a prize. Watch out for tomorrow's password.

We took another coach journey north for an hour to see the dolphins. Went on board a quite large boat and out into the bay. It was blowy and overcast, but not cold. There were dolphins but none of them jumped out of the water, so it got a bit boring after a while. There were some fellow passengers to talk to which helped pass the time! Once back on dry land some of us(not me) had fish and chips. Others inc me had a Subway. Angus decided he was going to live a healthy lifestyle from today onwards. Peter found his repertoire of jokes cut in half because of political correctness. Sheree led the singing of some silly Ossie ditties. Someone at the previous hotel lost all our passport photocopies.

We then set off south to Newcastle, passing Hexham, Gosforth, Stockton and Swansea - spot the odd one out!! Newcastle is the mining capital of Oz, with coal coming from the Hunter Valley and being loaded onto these huge bulk carrier ships. Amazingly there are loads of these ships all anchored about 1-3 miles offshore. I just counted 28 of them sitting out in the bay in the sunshine from where we are staying. They are far enough offshore not to be intrusive. We thought it was rather funny that Australians carry coal to Newcastle.

Then we hit the fantastic beaches, driving past lovely houses etc. Came back for scrummy banana and sultana muffins and tea with Denis and Marie our hosts.


Seem to be struggling to add more photos so here is just the one - you can double click it to enlarge I have discovered.

We are all off to one of our hosts houses tonight for a spit roast - all 36 of us plus the Apex 40 club members. Should be fun and we will do our tour songs, plus our explanation of the English Class System courtesy of Peter, Paul and Ray. Glenys will be on keyboards again trying desperately to keep us in tune

It's Raining it's Pouring

Hi Everyone,

Wednesday was spent mostly in the coach, but we did stop to see some wild Koala bears in Gunnereah and have two wine tastings at Tempus2 and McGuigan. Hotel for the night - hurrah - very posh. We had the most amazing thunderstorms yesterday evening in the Hunter Valley. Came down to Newcastle today and 5 of us are staying at a fantastic house high up overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Pouring down with rain again and the Aussies are blaming us pommies for bringing our weather over.

Here are a few pictures. One of our coach, one of me at the most easterley point of Oz and one of Joey and a Christmas Koala friend he met along the way. Having a great time. Arranged to meet an old friend - Kevin and Maggie Mitchell - on Sunday in Sydney.

We've been going Nuts Today

Visited the biggest Pecan Nut farm in the world. It was huge - we drove around it for ages in our coach and had it all explained to us. The trees - all 70,000 of them are about 40 foot high and all the harvesting is done by these amazing machines.
Other than that a restful daywith a big party on a "homestead" this evening.Tomorrow we are off in the coach again heading towards Sydney. See ya all real soon, with some pictures I hope.

It's Getting Hot Hot Hot

Hi Everyone,

It's my birthday and I have spent it in the coach travelling inland from the coast, over the great dividing range, on to the plains to the west. Temperature today 32 degrees and they do have a few too many flies. I understand it is snowing for my birthday back home - shame.

Prior to that we came down from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, thru the impressive high rise buildings of Southport, over the border from Queensland into New South Wales to Byron Bay. There we went up to the lighthouse which is the most Easterly point of Australia and then came down for a swim in the Pacific at a lovely beach.

We then had another two day stay, at Ballina, which is a town built on a relatively small island. It was smashing and my hosts had a 100 year old restored property, with lovely period furniture. We had some nice meals and a trip around the area.

This brings me back to today. We arrived in Moree and it was so hot we went down to the local spa baths for a swim. The water comes out of the ground at 42 degrees!! I swam in the cooler pool and had a really good massage. Seven of us are staying with this couple in their big bungalow and we just had a meal. I got one candle on a scone!

We had some excitement today with two of our number announcing their engagement - Peter Watts and Jane Fornear have decided to tie the knot after 10 years together. They bought the ring at a little Sapphire place today and then bought champagne for the whole coach this afternoon at a little winery we visited.

Now for a few messages:
Richard Halstead - I have only seen one topless lady so far - but have had too many beers
Joseph - Joey is fine, clean and is the star of the show - everyone wants their picture with him
Nicola Durman - Oz is 11 hours AHEAD of the UK
Eleanor Clarke - I have not seen any presents yet and have not really spent much money - hope Oliver goes well
41 Clubbers and Tablers - do an international trip - it's fun
Hayley Clarke - that suntan cream had tanning agent in it - I look bloody ridiculous
Simon Durman - thanks for the weather and football reports
Rachel Clarke - I love and miss ya lots

No pictures as I am not on my computer - see ya all soon
Gudday

Up the Yellow Brick Road with Joey

I am writing now from the land of Oz. Judy and the tin man have yet to join me, but I am now in a position to reveal my companion on this journey down the yellow brick road. Its Joey the snowman - I don't think he will melt on our travels. Here he is ready to leave home with his suitcase. I told him not to pack so much.

Then he's at the airport ready for take off - let's see if he gets a seat! He seems to be travelling first class, it's cooler up on the top deck. Good job Colt Telecom are not paying this fare. He says it is much more fun being in Oz than in the Land of Colt

Emirates did us proud. Three flights all on time and in comfort with free food and drink and the most sophisticated TV Audio systems I have ever seen on an aircraft. We flew Birmingham to Dubai - fantastic duty free shop there - then onto Singapore. We went to a smashing hotel on the resort island of Sentosa where we saw pink dolphins. Sunday we went to Orchard Road shops, Little India, Sun Tec City and the Chinese Quarter. Then back to the airport for our trip to Brisbane.

Our tour started on Tuesday and Joey has got a brilliant seat on the coach. We have been all over the place starting with Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. We went up to the Sunshine Coast for a couple of days.
Weather has been brilliant - sunny with a light breeze and only 25 degrees. Brooke, John, Ben and Ami please note. Everyone here says it should be warmer. Severe drought in Brisbane at the moment.

Hi to all family and friends who might be reading this - if you do make your comments by registering a post - it is easy and it would be nice to hear from you. I am thinking of you all. There is only another 26 days to go. Oz is a bit like America from what I have seen so far. Brisbane is a great city - modern and thriving with a smashing river. Loads of young people - average age is 33 believe it or not. So I feel quite at home being ** and quite lively.

Brisbane Blog - We're off to see the Wizzard

This is a quick one because I am running late. Suffice it to say that the tour is starting in half an hour. Journey on Emirates was great and my day and a half in Singapore was fine. Going to Steve Irwin's zoo today so that should be good. I cannot yet load a picture of my travelling companion on this trip

I'm Off to see the Wizzard - with a guest

Stop Press. I have been joined at the last minute by a fellow traveller who is going to accompany me around the Land of Oz. He is more at home in colder climes, but I hope those of you at Colt Telecom will be pleased to see him on his travels over the next month. For anyone who is worried about him I can assure you "he will be back".

Taxi coming(well it's John Strutt on his day off now he is a part timer) so I must blog off. See you all real soon

I'm off to see the wizzard - Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Getting Ready - cos here I go

Here is a picture of yours truly, so that you can see that I am a handsome ** year old 41 Clubber.

Don't you just love that jacket! When I get to Oz I will replace the picture with a new one of me on the beach, or at a BBQ, or at the wine tasting, or on Sydney Bridge.

I finish work at Colt Telecom on Thursday and my fellow Virgin Traveller, John Strutt, has offered to drive me to Birmingham Airport on Friday morning.

Rachel is urging me to pack, but there is plenty of time yet. I am staying away in London tomorrow night so all the packing will be done on Thursday evening. Getting very excited now. Bye for now. Must send the URL to everyone so you can all see the blog.