Down Under Revisited

by Lynn Hurton

I was based in four cities at different times, though I did venture out. They made excellent bases for exploration. All long distance travel around Australia was carried out by train. Fun! You never know who you might meet.

Perth is the fabulous capital of Western Australia, with the famous port of Fremantle a mere 19 km. down the coast. It is sunny for a mere 9 months of the year and the winter temperatures average a balmy 18 degrees Celsius. Perfect! As for Fremantle...it is one definite alternative place. I love it! Try Prescos or The Hubble, both in East Freo, for a delicious and very cheap breakfast too.

Sydney never sleeps... the noise in the centre is testimony to that. It is vibrant, yet fascinating, with something for all tastes. I was in my element sitting under shady boughs in the Botanical Gardens, eating my lunch and watching the masses teem out of the nearby offices and Government buildings to capture fleeting moments of winter sunshine, before returning to fulfil their roles as cogs in some well-oiled machine. The city has some of the most amazing free lunchtime concerts.

Melbourne remains my favourite city. I stayed in the centre and was never at a loss for things to do. The Yarra River offers superb tours too, right past the MCG, (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

Adelaide is almost the city that time has forgotten. It feels 30 years behind everywhere (well it is 30 minutes behind Sydney and Melbourne), but that is a huge part of its appeal. It is a shame that the taxi drivers have no desire to come to the train station since they consider the 3 kms into the city to be too short a journey to gain a decent fare. Thank goodness for one very crowded shuttle bus...

Motels and a hostel

The Sydney Central YHA is exactly what it says...opposite Sydney Central rail terminal. It has brilliant laundry facilities, a restaurant on the ground floor, a travel bureau and Internet access. Perfect for me... the down side was that one has to share a dorm and the iron frames of the bunks are so easy to bang one's head on, not once, not twice, but three times.

The City Square Motel on Swanston Street, Melbourne is in the very heart of the city. I had a back room, weirdly the same one as two years ago, and did not notice the noise. It had easy access to everything and everywhere and I stayed out late most evenings, as there were so many people around. One had a feeling of total security. I did not care that the room's hairdryer was unusable, as it could not possibly reach any electrical socket. Apart from that small inconvenience, it was by far the cheapest motel in which I have ever stayed and one of the nicest, in an uncanny kind of way.

The Festival Lodge in Adelaide had clearly not decided whether it was a motel or hotel, but it only had one washing machine and no microwave/cooking facilities in the room, and it was the gloomiest room in which I had ever had the pleasure of staying. The bed was rock hard (and I had nightmares every night), I had to show ID that I was me before even starting to book in and one had to pay bonds for everything. It was pretentious and unnecessarily so. It was close to North Terrace and Rundle Mall, but so are many better places in Adelaide.

City Waters Motel, Perth has a good laundry and dryer. It was green, very dark green and oh so gloomy. The heater did not work and the window did not close...fine until a huge storm descended! It was noisy too. Even worse: its beds were on very loose castors which loved to roam across the floor. The only problem occurred on the night that I tried to read in bed and change position. The bed flew one way and the mattress a second and me a poor third. I banged my head twice on the brick wall and once more on the floor (along with certain other parts of my anatomy) for good measure. I developed concussion, although only realised it a week later when I stopped wanting to sleep all the time and having a feeling of complete unreality. Scary! The walls were hard, but were also thin. I could even hear bags being zipped up in the next room, not to mention conversations and other things...As for taking messages...all too often the retort was "ring back later".

By contrast Bailey's Parkside Motel was undergoing renovations in Perth, but it was still welcoming and very professional. I felt totally at home there. The rooms are a decent size, the bed is mega-comfy, and there is a restaurant on site. It is opposite a lovely park and it is close to the free CAT buses. No problem there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Music

I saw, and heard, so much music: from corny buskers ("How much is that doggy in the window?”) to pan pipers, pianists, guitarists, violinists, accordionists and the downright out of tune. There was even the piano that played itself. Then there was the jazz combo across which I stumbled when I had intended to frequent an Adelaide cinema. All such thoughts flew from my head. I bought a hot chocolate, sat on a comfy sofa and indulged in 3 hours of an excellent 5 piece band. Later, youngsters were playing outside the museum... a worthwhile initiative by Adelaide City Council.

In Sydney my musical delights were beheld in St. Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, the home of many (free) lunchtime concerts. The RAAF band performed on my first lunchtime there. I never knew that Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition could sound so good.

My musical highlight was a performance by the Melbourne Millennium Choir in Hamer Hall: Mare Profundo. The performance consisted of singers, dancers and groups, as well as the 500 voice choir, giving a rendition of songs, shanties, medleys and dances from all parts of the globe and in languages which all had a connection to the sea. The choral music that I had encountered in Melbourne's St. Paul's Cathedral earlier that day was beautiful too...it was a shame that the congregation was so unwelcoming to a visitor. One would have thought that I had six heads!

Beaches

I loved them and had some interesting encounters on them too. The Great Ocean Road is so atmospheric, as is Mordialloc Creek in a gale. I sat on rocks in Glenelg and contemplated the roaring ocean and as for the West Coast...Cervantes, Peron Point and Shoalwater were just three of the highlights! There were interesting rivers too...the Yarra for its sporting venues tours, the Murray for riverboat cruises where wildlife abounds and the Swan which has excellent luncheon (wine) cruises.

Tours

I underwent far less official tours this time, but I made a welcome return to the Yarra Wineries and to Puffing Billy. The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's top tourist experiences, different every time it is encountered. The Benedictine Town of New Norcia fascinated me (especially the former boys' school outdoor showers) as did the wildflowers in season and in abundance. The Pinnacles guided desert tour was both awe inspiring and eerie. I was glad to get back to the coach. One could have been lost out on the sand among those identical, and yet diverse, monoliths for ever. Wave Rock was worth a second visit too as was the delicious 5$ afternoon tea, served and prepared by the Country Women's Association members of the five house village of Babakin in the heart of the W A wheat belt. The dog cemetery visit earlier that day could have been omitted though. Some things are better unseen...

Planes

I encountered four; two to Australia and two back. Singapore Airlines were their usual efficient and professional selves. I love their Krisworld choice. One no longer feels in Economy class. Other airlines could learn a lot...one feels a valued passenger rather than one of the herd/bum on seats. I had aisle seats on three of the 4 flights. I check in early, as soon as it opens, which gives me more choice and which allows me to relax without the encumbrance of heavy luggage before the flight, even with the new security measures in place. I only had to queue and queue at Singapore Airport on my return journey, but better inconvenienced than dead! By contrast, I cleared Heathrow's passport control and customs a mere 15 minutes after stepping off the plane.

Trains

I tried the Indian Pacific across the country again (twice) between Perth and Sydney. I enjoyed the food and the company and the novelty of my own tiny single cabin/cell, but the staff ranged from good to functional. The Overland train from Melbourne to Adelaide was much more fun and had much more character. I had my own compartment, containing pull down bed, pull down toilet and pull down washbasin. I realised that the walls were reasonably thin, so people would be able to hear me doing anything personal. Good job there was no one in either adjacent compartment and that one can play one of the three channels of piped music at whatever volume one desires. Why a bed in the daytime? Well, the trip is a mere 11 hours, give or take, so one might want a siesta or two. In fact we were given morning scones, a superb luncheon and afternoon cheese and biscuits and one could make endless cups of tea or coffee too. I was in seventh heaven. The lounge had plenty of daily papers & comfy seats... and one's fellow passengers. I spent a pleasant time there too, chilling out, holding some incredible conversations and forgetting about life for a while, in between. The Sydney to Melbourne train, by contrast, happened! I gained a double seat courtesy of the fact that a passenger got muddled. I did not complain. By the time the mistake was realised we had been travelling for 6 hours and she refused to move! Can't say I blame her and I did not object.

Of course I must mention Puffing Billy, the lovely old steam train that ventures through the Dandenong Ranges close to Melbourne. I have been on that train three times now and would do it many more times if I could. It is special and spectacular.

Boats

I went on a few of them too...the Swan River luncheon cruise (twice), the Yarra River and three hours of pure pleasure down the mighty Murray in the M.V. Jester with only six other passengers, one coach driver (Prime mini tours, Adelaide) and the husband and wife crew. The lunch was delicious and the commentary incredibly informative. I took the ferry to South Perth a few times too: just seven minutes for the crossing.

Trams

Melbourne has them in abundance and I love them. Hopping on and off is easy with a day pass. The pressure is off and one can explore with gusto. Adelaide has a single tram.. .to Glenelg. It's fascinating, but I wanted more! The Perth Explorer Tram seemed expensive at 24$ but it has unlimited use, so I was able to use it on consecutive days and then over a month later. It does give an excellent tour of King's Park too (wildflowers, wow!). I loved the Fremantle tram tour with its chocolate factory tasting session! Then there was the Melbourne free tourist tram...

Flora and fauna

I saw so many animals, birds, flowers and trees etc. in the wild, (as well as more animals in Perth zoo on my final full day in the country) Kangaroos at dusk on a golf course, seeing whole families waking up and doing all the things kangaroos do, was rather special and has to rate as the top sight. However, there were wombats, dingoes, emus, wallabies, eagles, koalas and so much more. The W A wildflowers in spring are legendary and they didn't disappoint me. Botanical Gardens in each state came in very useful as far as really seeing an abundance of trees and flowers was concerned. The slow growing ferns fascinated me too, especially seeing how much, or little, one planted in Adelaide by Princess May of Teck (later to become Queen Mary, wife of King George V), had grown in 105 years.

Food and wine

I tried wines in every state I entered, with the Western Australian ones being my favourite, especially a Rockingham verdelho. I spat a fair few out too in tastings, but that is all part of the fun. My favourite food remains things with pumpkins, unusual breads, a decent steak, fresh fruit and vegetables, pavlovas and Lamingtons! Vanilla milk shakes in Perth seemed to taste rather good too! Then there are the legendary breakfasts, particularly in Sundays, at Good Reasons, in Mordialloc, a fascinating Melbourne suburb.

Activities

I visited museums, Art Galleries, Old Melbourne Gaol (Ned Kelly was so tiny, as his armour and death mask demonstrate), churches and so many other fascinating buildings. Shame about the overpriced Picasso Exhibition in Melbourne! I saw films, exhibitions and concerts, visited friends, had meals out and in, walked along empty beaches, traversed the land twice (and the Nullarbor Plain), met an abundance of friendly souls, had vignettes of incredible conversations which all add to life's rich tapestry, saw markets and inns and, yes, even went shopping! The weather was brilliant, an ambient 18 degrees, and I shone. I even featured on Channel 7’s pre-advertisement shot one evening before the weather forecast, when I'd been sitting in a T shirt in a South Perth park overlooking the jetty one winter's afternoon. The locals had been muffled up in coats and scarves, but for me, 18 degrees signals hot and I was! Shame no one else knew of me or saw my moment of fame (2 seconds!) Weird how I had to travel 12,500 miles to appear in TV!

Of course, not everything ran smoothly on the trip. The fall from the City Waters motel bed had to be the low point in all senses. Then there was the time I booked a tour with APT and awaited a courtesy pick up from my motel for 35 minutes near the busiest and most polluted intersection in Adelaide. It never arrived and the retort was "Well, you can do the same tour on Friday, can't you!" No I couldn't! I was crossing the Nullarbor by train by then. I did not even get an apology. As for a refund... I'm not holding my breath! Then there was the morning that I was awoken at 7 am in my Melbourne motel room by a very loud radio. Painters and decorators had descended on the room next door. My old fleece coat met its end too, over the Nullarbor, when its zip got caught in the train carriage door & was irreparable. I had to find a rapid replacement once I had arrived in Sydney, but a poxy blue fleece sporting an "Australia Outback logo" and a debatable Uluru picture is not quite the same thing. Still, it was cheap and it did serve its purpose.

As to my head, I bumped it too many times to mention! Then there was the day the wheely chair decided to slide across the tiled floor rather too fast whilst I was trying to sit down in an internet cafe...it was only my pride that was hurt on that occasion! One Saturday morning I fancied a film in Perth's Cinema Paradiso. The receptionist/usher failed to turn up for work. A popular preview was no more!

Still, as Ned Kelly said at the moment of his execution: "Such is life!"

First published in VISA issue 75 (Oct 2007)

Land of Miracles

by Lynn Hurton

What exactly can I say about a country that I have just visited for the fourth time in my life? It is a magical land; so much has been untouched by the majority of humans. One finds so many species that one can experience nowhere else. The beauty and yet desolation of the place is immense and one leaves uplifted, but also with a sense of awe at its vastness and its majesty.

I travelled by train and plane for the most part. A rail pass can be a good idea as long as one does not mind sleeping upright and one chances one's arm about just who will share one's carriage or even sit next to one. There is no such luxury of a double seat to oneself, on the whole, apart from when there has been an administrative error, or when one moves for one's safety/peace of mind. One can meet many fascinating characters and have some amazing conversations. Many vignettes of conversation are long remembered for a myriad of reasons, as are the times when one has bitten one's tongue rather than have a strong political argument with very determined characters. Discussions are one thing, but sometimes it is easier to agree or simply to nod one's head sagely. Keeping the peace at all, or almost all, costs can be vital when one is to spend 30+ hours seated next to someone.

Victoria was in the throes of quite a bad winter, but still with minimal rain, so their severe drought continued. Having the reservoirs just over 30% full in the middle of winter is not a good sign. However, I still enjoyed the time I spent in that State and the activities I undertook.

I saw the magnificent Healesville Animal Sanctuary, even visiting its hospital and meeting a koala who was afraid of heights and therefore wouldn't climb trees. It took a whole day to see everything there and I loved the experience in spite of the torrential rain. Despite the drought I still saw some incredible waterfalls, including my favourite at a remote spot called Snob's Creek! I tasted some fascinating wines in the Yarra Valley (all the better for me not being the car driver) and even brought a bottle of one type home to the UK in my suitcase.

I stayed at the eerily beautiful Black Spur Inn at Narbethong in the middle of the Black Spur region, awakening to find frost and ice enveloping almost everything. The rooms were spacious and the beds the comfiest I have ever experienced. The only snag was the poor lighting upstairs and the hidden step. For once it was not me who tripped over and went flying, but... Then there was the Eildon Dam which emerged out of the mist, seeming the loneliest place on earth and the very slippery walk at Steavenson's Falls, not to mention the shady occupants of an old white banger at Maroondah Dam.

In Melbourne itself I perused an excellent Art-Deco exhibition, saw the musical Guys and Dolls and the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, went to the cinema (an excellent way to cope with jetlag, particularly when viewing the film Mamma Mia), visited museums, art galleries, the State Library and even the Old Melbourne Gaol (one can see parts of Ned Kelly's armour and exhibits in the latter two) and travelled at will up, down and around the CBD on its extensive tram network. Trams run through virtually all the central streets and some inner suburbs, are normally frequent and are relatively inexpensive. They are also very well frequented. Melbournians definitely know when they are on to a good thing!

A walk along a deserted beach is a must and beaches really do abound around the city suburbs and down both the Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road. To have a beach all to oneself on a bright, clear winter's day is totally exhilarating. One can rarely do that on England's crowded shores!

I hadn't been to an Aussie Rules Football Game for six years and "my" team Richmond's season really was in the doldrums, so a return visit to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) was a must. I was also able to enjoy a hot chocolate (a necessity on a cold winter's day), a pie at half time, a tour of the MCG museum with its homage to The Don (Sir Donald Bradman, the world's greatest ever batsman) and a tour of the new Museum of Australian Sport. The latter employed a plethora of enthusiastic guides who were only too happy to regale one with stories of Aussie sporting achievements and prowess.

However, my Melbourne highlight just had to be my lunch aboard the Melbourne Colonial Tramcar. Imagine riding the rails in a lovely old heated tram for over two hours and having a delicious three course lunch, accompanied by copious amounts of wine, good company, excellent music and waiters who actually believe they can sing as they give a superb first-class service. Sadly they couldn't (sing!) but that didn't stop them from trying, or adding to the general ambiance of merriment. The Aussies know how to enjoy their food in style.

They call Adelaide the city of culture. They are neither boasting nor joking. It really is! I managed to see four movies in three days in the Art House Nova and Palace Eastend Cinemas. For once only one of those wasn't in English...I'd decided to leave foreign languages behind for a few weeks. I also frequented museums and churches galore, walked at will (particularly around the Botanical Gardens and down the Torrens River), explored the underrated St Peter's Cathedral, paid homage to the Don at the Adelaide Oval and so much more.

 Also, on Adelaide's wettest day of the winter, I and eight other intrepid explorers of various nationalities ventured on a Prime Mini Tours Day Trip to Hahndorf and Victor Harbour. The view of Adelaide from the Mount Lofty Summit was very poor thanks to the rain, but the weather cleared from Hahndorf onwards (in spite of torrential rain in Adelaide all day) and I had a memorable experience. Hahndorf is Australia's oldest original non-English "modern" settlement. It was established in 1839 by a small group of German- speaking Lutherans, fleeing religious persecution in Eastern Europe. The 52 families sailed to South Australia on a tiny ship captained by the Dane Dirk Hahn. He helped the settlers to such an extent that they named their village in his honour.

Hahndorf soon became the food bowl of Adelaide and developed a renowned artistic heritage as both the museum and art galleries will testify. Many of the original settlers' traditional German timber and brick cottages still abound.

I took a brilliant 30 minute steam train ride on the Cockle Train from Goolwa to Victor Harbour, and viewed a picturesque mixture of beach, ocean and hills in very close proximity. Victor Harbour itself did not disappoint either. After a bracing walk to and from Granite Island I really did appreciate the fish and chips on offer. I then visited the Encounter Coast Discovery Centre and receiving a unique insight into that idyllic part of South Australia. No trip into that region would be complete without a wine tasting. Hardy's Tintara Winery in McLaren Vale provided the perfect end to a perfect day.

By contrast, my two and a half days in Brisbane were not exactly the highlight of the holiday, to put it mildly. Brisbane is normally dry and warm. It was very wet, very windy and very cold. I had to splurge on a taxi in order to reach my motel in a reasonable state. That was after I had finally located my luggage at Brisbane airport. There really was a dearth of signs at that place.

The lady at the motel reception reminded me of a fierce, bad-tempered old school ma'am. She barked out endless rules and regulations, most of which went in one ear and out of the other almost as fast as the speed of light (or so it seemed). The motel turned out to be noisy both inside and out. A fellow guest decided to put on his TV full blast at 5.30am daily and leave it on and on and on. It did go off by 10pm, but I could not watch a different channel as it was ear-shattering.

The room itself was squat and had huge, dark brown furniture in abundance. One could have suffered from very severe claustrophobia in that place, not to mention insomnia, deafness, high blood pressure...I had horrendous nightmares when I finally did sleep, including those of collapsing wardrobes and of being chased by one-eyed teddy bears!

When I did venture out to explore Brisbane, the heavens opened once more. I will only return when hell freezes over. I would not have wished my experience upon anyone (especially the teenage illegal rave in a disused city centre building). I did enjoy the Botanical Gardens until I became completely lost and came across a dead end covered by barbed wire. The river was a putrid brown colour and the Brisbane South Bank, its supposed cultural Mecca, was a concrete jungle, modelled on its London namesake. It had a few points of interest, including a very extensive Sidney Nolan exhibition, but I would not have felt that I had missed anything had I never been there.

Cairns was a complete contrast and a truly memorable four days. It provided the base for forays into the Daintree Rain Forest (the world's oldest rain forest) where I could see a completely different way of life and unique flora and fauna: bathing in an isolated creek, seeing crocodiles at close quarters, sighting the elusive southern cassowary, spotting a frog that even our guide had never seen before and then hand feeding rescue kangaroos and wallabies.

 Kuranda, by contrast, was a tourist trap where even the Sky Rail and the Scenic Railway could not entirely wipe out my disappointment. It was a town at the edge of the rainforest...too close to civilisation for its own good, and it was principally full of second rate art, for the most part, and of tourist tat. Prices were unnaturally high and the town's only saving grace had to be St Saviour's Church. That was a beautiful oasis of calm amongst a main street heaving with day trippers intent on experiencing their notion of what construed the "rainforest".

Retirees love Cairns and many over-50s head north from Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne to escape what they consider to be the "cold" winter further south. All I can say is that everything is relative! It was an experience and I loved its airport (smaller and more personal that its larger brothers) but, having been there, I would never return, no matter how pleasant the experience.

Sydney was its usual busy, uncaring self. For me it is always on the way to somewhere else, but I loved my four days there, especially a return cinema visit to reacquaint myself with Mamma Mia. I did the entire tourist route too, including the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. One Sydney highlight was the musical Billy Elliot, a long way from Geordie land or the West End, but fascinating nevertheless. Another was a lunchtime cathedral concert of the combined Australian Army and NSW Police Bands, conducted by a Scot (we British get everywhere). Sydney is cosmopolitan, big and brash.

I travelled on a train that I thought would never arrive, I had a 4.30am fire alarm about which the hotel staff appeared clueless, I met real Aussie "bushies" as well as a woman-hating ex-jailbird who had been released that morning. I experienced such a variety of life in all its senses, travelled the length of Australia's east coast (and quite a bit of its inland too), I sweltered, I shivered, I laughed, I cried, I gasped in awe and I swore in frustration. Australia is a rich land of marvels and also, at times, of frustrations. There is so much in that unique land that still remains undiscovered. One has the sense that almost anything can happen and, sometimes, it does. One feels privileged to witness this modern miracle. Even so...

 One wonders how much better things would have been had man not interfered in far too many ways. So many species would not have become extinct, or be in danger of becoming so, had non-native species not been introduced. Were rabbits, foxes, camels and cats really needed and, for that matter, did the Aboriginals ever need the white man to wreck their traditional homelands and ways of life? There is no magical solution in that area to right centuries of wrongs.

Saying "sorry" now is all very well, but the past can never be undone and the repercussions will continue into the very long term. Living in Western style cities on beautiful coasts, and closing one's mind to problems, is all very well, but it solves very little. Maybe some things can never be resolved? One can watch the film Ten Canoes and ponder how things were and how they might have been. One can reflect, but does man ever learn and, in any case, can one individual really make a difference?

 First published in VISA 83 (Feb 2009)

Australian Adventure

by Lynn Hurton

Well, my Australian adventure began in earnest on Saturday 20 July, when Josh the dog was despatched to kennels (and to find a lady dog of a similar age, who would be resident throughout his stay - he was in ecstasy). I duly caught the X40 coach to Stansted Airport, followed by the National Express Airport Link to Heathrow. Singapore Airlines allow one to check in up to 4 hours early, so I was soon able to say farewell to my suitcase for 26 hours and venture in search of some tea.

Four hours later I was safely ensconced in aisle seat 64G, refusing to swap to a far less desirable seat, just so the lady next to me (who'd checked in late) could be next to her husband. When one is on a plane in economy class for almost 13 hours, one cannot afford to be magnanimous! As it was, she disappeared never to return and so I had the luxury of a double seat. After a hectic school year, is it any surprise that I slept soundly for the majority of the journey?

I was in Singapore for a mere 2 1/2 hours before heading off for Melbourne. This plane was not so luxurious, but for 6 1/2 hours I really didn't care. I had an aisle seat and I fell asleep yet again. It just shows how exhausted I was at the end of the school term!

Melbourne arrived at 5.35am on Monday 22 July. I was out of the airport a mere 35 minutes later and shivering in the car of my (pen)friend Sue. It was a mere 2°C and the coldest night of the winter so far. Thankfully it was NEVER repeated during my holiday. It really was a very mild winter, with little rain, which was excellent for me, but not so for the Aussies, as the country is in the midst of a drought in many areas. So much for global warming....

Monday began with a long walk along the deserted Mordialloc beach (the suburb of Melbourne in which Sue lives). That was followed by chocolate cake & cappuccino beside a huge log fire. An afternoon nap proved beneficial, but I still slept well that night. That was the end of my jetlag. I had expected to suffer as I had in the past when visiting New Zealand, but I didn't - weird! I definitely wasn't complaining!

Tuesday was spent exploring the centre of Melbourne, as was Wednesday daytime. I had a pizza supper on that evening with Sue and two of her former workmates and sampled some delicious Australian wines. The next day saw me taking a morning tour of the Dandenong ranges (close to Melbourne) and having a ride on the Puffing Billy steam train from Belgrave to Menzies Creek. We had a brief craft stop in Sassafras en route for the City, before I treated myself to a fish and chip lunch Oz style. I had small portions, but boy was it huge!

Shopping followed, and I marvelled at the exchange rate - it made everything super cheap for the Britons. It was almost A$3 to £1 instead of the usual two. Needless to say I did not complain! It allowed my spending money to stretch far further and I was able to do far more than I'd originally intended to - BLISS! I also purchased the first of the 'few' CDs that I brought back from Oz that day. All I will say is that my collection is just a little larger now!

Friday evening saw me with three football-mad Australians, among thousands of other fans, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (otherwise known as the MCG). There was not a cricket ball in sight. I was about to be initiated into my first experience of an Aussie Rules football game. Soccer is far too tame for the Aussies. It was lovely to see whole families watching the game together and huge numbers of females there too. It certainly wasn't a male only preserve. It's fast and furious too, with no body or head padding for protection as in the USA version. The rules are incredible and I wouldn't claim to comprehend them all, but I do know that I enjoyed the experience, even though Richmond - the team for which Sue barracks - lost to old rivals Essendon by a single point. I had a pie at half-time too - a tradition apparently! It was good, that's for sure.

Saturday saw me take the train for Sydney and a marathon 13 1/2 hour epic journey. That was 11/2 hours longer than advertised, due to engineering works at Bargo. Sydney is interesting, but I preferred Melbourne of the two. It's more welcoming, less sprawling and has a nicer feel about it. But Sydney does have its good points and was an excellent base for further exploration. This included a visit to a wildlife sanctuary, where I was bowled over by both the colour and the variety. I took two rolls of film at that place and do not consider that I went OTT there. There were kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, dingos, wombats, possums, the Tasmanian devil, kookaburras, penguins, pelicans and so much more...I could have spent my whole day there, but that was followed by a luncheon cruise on Sydney harbour. I was able to take snaps of the famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House from all angles and to see so much more, not to mention have a delicious buffet lunch (as much as one could eat). A beaches and bays tour followed that afternoon, for two people only - an American lady and me! Talk about individual attention! All tours were with AAT Kings. There are discounts if one multi-books tours with them - very useful!

I ambled around Sydney under my own feet too, but it does sprawl and one can easily walk for mile after mile. I found the monorail useful for getting around many of the Central sights too.

I loved its novelty value, although the Melbourne trams are much nicer, and its red tourist tram is totally free! Sydney aquarium proved useful for a wet morning and the boat show was on during my stay, so I saw yachts in abundance - and plenty of wealthy people too. I had two day tours out from Sydney - the first to the Blue Mountains (through the mist) and the Jenolan Caves and the second to Canberra, the purpose-built capital of Oz. I actually fell in love with that city in spite of its modernity and artificiality. The views around that city are incredible too. My tour included a guided tour around the Canberra Museum and the new Parliament House, as well as a drive around Embassy Avenues. Some are very colourful and really do represent their country, whereas others are little more than a red brick building!

I travelled down to Adelaide on the Indian Pacific train. It is supposed to be one of the world's great rail journeys, but a derailment 200 kilometres west of Parkes meant that we had to travel via Melbourne and we were warned not to take long showers as there was a dearth of water! FUN! I was in first class due to the favourable exchange rate and the food and choice of it, were superb. The crowded champagne reception was another matter.

Michael Palin once did the same journey on one of his BBC trips, but he spent 3 days on the train, whereas I was glad to return to terra firma after 24 hours. I do have a certificate to say that I've been on that train, however, even if we did go on a different track to arrive at our destination, and even if I was deprived of my tour around Broken Hill - one of my main reasons for choosing this mode of transport over a much faster internal flight. Still, things can't he perfect all of the time, but one does tend to expect more from luxury.

So, Adelaide beckoned and a weekend in the company of another penpal. She'd booked me onto two tours whether I wanted to go on them or not, so I never did get the chance to explore the city. The most I saw of that place was the railway station. The tour of the Barossa Valley and the wine tasting that involved was superb, however. I was not enamoured by the Sunday harbour tour by coach and foot, though. I would have preferred to do my own thing, but not everything can be perfect in such a holiday. It was an interesting, rather than a spectacular day.

Melbourne by train followed, and a shop up and a lunch overlooking a bay with a view to die for. A plane ride with Sue from Melbourne to Launceston, Tasmania, followed. So began our epic week's tour of Tasmania by hire car. The Port Arthur ghost tour has to be the highlight, around the ruins of the 19th century convict settlement. I didn't see any ghosts, but it was very atmospheric and one can really imagine how awful the conditions were for the prisoners then. It really was totally barbaric. Tasmania is such a varied and beautiful island. We travelled and saw so much and I did my fair share of the driving too, even on unsealed roads. Thank goodness they drive on the left, as in Britain.

All too soon it was time to fly back to Melbourne, although I did not have a quiet final 5 days in Oz. I went to a reconstructed gold town and Sovereign Hill, and panned for gold; went shopping in Melbourne; was let loose on JB Hifi shop (where I'd never seen so many CDs in one shop in my life before - the choice was awesome); had a 'yummy' wine tasting tour of the Yarra valley with Sue and her friends Cate and Kim; went to an incredible old-fashioned lolly (sweet) shop where I bought musk sticks and a sherbert dip (I was in seventh heaven); had a Sunday morning breakfast out (a huge fry up) with Sue and friends Mike and Kim and Kim's 8 year old son Nicholas; tours around (and beyond) specific parts of Melbourne and generally a lot of fun. I loved experiencing shows on Oz TV too. It was time to go home.

The return journey was painless. I slept well, had no swollen ankles and had no jetlag when I got home. Don't ask me how! Maybe it was the pure euphoria of the whole experience. All I know is that I loved my holiday and have no regrets. Even at its lowest points, it was all part of life's rich tapestry and I have seen and experienced so many new things. It really was the holiday of a lifetime. I had wanted to visit Oz for so long and it was well worth the wait! I'd love to return one day, as it's such a vast land and I only saw a mere fraction of it. That'll be for the future though. For the moment, it's back to work and to reality. But I can at least dream and I do have so many beautiful memories. It was worth the three year wait for a holiday (apart from a brief sojourn in Barcelona in June) - that's for certain.

First published in VISA issue 49 (January 2003)