Not far from Sydney

We’ve driven about 1200kms from Melbourne through endless miles of forest and some of the most beautiful countryside we’ve ever seen. But it’s the coast that takes your breath away:just miles and miles (one beach is called Ninety Mile Beach because …. well, yes, you got it!) of golden sandy beaches. Even on Sunday and with the sky cloudless and the temperature around 30C, they were pretty nearly deserted. Heaven on earth.

We’ve stayed in some really nice places and we’re running a competition for ‘Best Hotel’, ‘Best Shower’, ‘Best Position’ – hotel, PLEASE! Metung was a lovely marina-side location:

As we’ve journeyed we’ve taken detours to see places and take in the Australian vibe as much as possible. Central Tilba was a Gold Rush town which has been taken over by the residents to protect it totally. Sure the shops are all for tourists but tasteful and you get a good idea of what it looked like all those many, many ages back in Aussie’s history – now when was that? Oh yes, about 1920.

Another excursion took us into a temperate rain forest and we had to walk across a distinctly wobbly suspension bridge. No problem, as they say here.

Sydney next: a four night city break where we can get some washing done and ship some things back to Blighty, or is it Pommyland – we need some luggage capacity!

Melbourne to Philip Island

I promise to keep this brief but it’s hard because after Thailand we thought it couldn’t get better and the weather surely could only be wet. But the sun shines, it seems, on the unrighteous too and haven’t we been lucky.

 

Getting round Melbourne on the tram is free and easy – and when I say easy, there’s no timetable and the drivers just gets in and out at will, helping tourists find their way about. But it’s a nice, very ordered city with much to see. Even better if you’re there at the same time as the Open.

There’s a bloke called Federer somewhere in the background. This really was a dream come true for Heather! Yeah right. It was just fantastic and a bit of an upset to see Roger go out.

And so from Melbourne we head for Sydney with Philip Island our first stop. Our day is almost impossible to describe and really has to be one of those very special ones we will remember always. We went to the Island ostensibly for the Penguin Parade and that really was wonderful but the visit to see the koalas, Nobbies blow hole (don’t ask or make up your own jokes!) and so on was very expensive on the old camera cards.What a wonderful start to the Aussie part of our trip,

Paradise is Khao Lak – well almost

The resort here is just wonderful. The days are blessed with endless sunshine and gentle sea breezes until the sun sets exactly in front of us at exactly 6.30 and washes the place in pink.

The fairy lights are a bit over the top, or at least the reindeer left from Christmas aren’t quite right, but it really is the most beautiful place. Special evening buffets at the hotel end with lighting and launching lanterns to float skywards over the Andaman Sea (Indian to you and me).

 

You make a wish as you let go but we think our wish has already come true: this trip.

Our elephant trekking was wonderful because it took us into the forest on the back of a Thai elephant (note to self: arrange elephant rides only going up not down – down is very precarious!)

 

but our tour guide Tiger also took us to see a cashew nut factory (now I know why they cost so much) and the village where two very large boats were deposited by the tsunami. The story of that event just six years ago is extraordinary and very, very sad. But the Thai people smile at the drop of a hat and seem determined to make our stay a happy one. They call it the land of smiles and it most certainly is. We hope this last picture shows just how happy it’s made us.

    Unbelievably tomorrow is our last day here and it’s off to Melbourne. See you there>

Bangkok

We had a good trip out and a first evening exploring the night market. On Tuesday the Golden Buddha, the Reclining Buddha, the Marble Temple and as many other Buddha’s and representations of Buddhas as you could wish to see – maybe even a few more than that. But, for all that, it was extraordinary. Travel between each temple took us through bustling Bangkok – nowhere near as frenetic as people who have been before had led us to believe: just a busy working city but clearly of a very different culture. China town seemed to go on for miles and the shopping malls were numerous and were explored in the afternoon, starting with a ride Alton Towers wouldn’t allow. A delightful lady who helped us on a street corner hailed a tuk tuk. ‘Mr and Mrs Well-you-can’t be-too-careful’ in the back of said tuk tuk, hanging on for grim death. K: “Is your mouth shut to keep out the fumes?” H: “No. if I open it I’ll scream!” Very scary but fun for all that.

It’s some city. And I must say I like Bangkok. It isn’t what I expected because, from descriptions, I expected to feel more alien and unnerved. But the people we have come across have been incredibly welcoming and friendly, from the greeting we got at the airport, to the Skytain ticket man, to the couple in the restaurant who helped us by explaining what it was we were about to order, ask on our behalf for a spoon and fork and compliment me on my feeble attempt to manage chopsticks. Not a lady-boy or an elephant in sight, despite all the pre-trip warnings.

Ready for the off!!

We’re packed, checked in and just about ready to go. It all seems strangely unreal now: there’s no previous holiday experience to compare it with – it’s not just a case of hoping the sun never stops shining for two weeks and we don’t bump into too many children from either of our schools! Tomorrow afternoon we’ll be in Bangkok, according to everyone we’ve spoken to who has been there, dodging the elephants, clutching desperately to our very touristy cameras and avoiding situations where Heather has to buy Keith back from lady-boys!

Wish us well and stay in touch via this blog.