Back home

The return flight wasn't at all pleasant - travelling with BA means being packed in like sardines at an unacceptable level with no room for anything. A very large person (twice my size, half my age) simply overflowed into my space - much to her discomfort and mine.
I later heard that Cousin M, flying by Singapore Airlines, had three seats to himself and under better conditions. (NB - next time be more selective with whom I fly!)

I got to Heathrow, then a few hours wait, then onto an Aer Lingus 'bus' to Cork - this short haul plane was clean, with efficient staff and plenty of leg room!!

The Cat Sitters (looking after the real Little Grey Cat and the Floozy) met me and we caught up with what we'd all been doing.

Ireland looked so very green and fresh with early summer foliage, after the autumn colours of Victoria and the all year round tropical green of Singapore.

Good to be back - but would like to do it all again - or similar!

End of Holiday!

23rd May
Bags now packed and I am taking advantage of my last half hour of using the computer in my room.
I would certainly like to return to all the places I have been on this holiday - the time has passed so quickly. I've met some interesting people and the rest away has been excellent. There is so much more to see and do both in the US, Australia and here in Singapore.

The plan for today is for Cousin M and I to meet up at lunch time, then later go onto Raffles for afternoon tea. The Hotel bus will take me to the airport about 19.45 and then I catch the 22.40 to Heathrow and onwards to Cork. That's the plan!!

Later
Here I am at Chani Airport and have 10mins free internet! Also got tax back on a wide angle lens I bought today for my camcorder - I've done well as items in shops are such a reasonable price here.
We went to Raffles and had a very pleasant afternoon tea - although Cousin M and I felt we knew as much about afternoon teas as any of the staff present as we remembered 'proper' English afternoon teas at Rectories in our childhoods!
I've clocked in but the BA flight isn't departing until 23.00 - another delay!!! Just had a delightful Japanese shusi snack.

East Coast and Changi

Monday 22nd May

After a healthy breakfast of fruit and rice balls, I booked up a tour from a seller of tours in the hotel foyer.

Cousin M and I meet up with no problems this morning - I took a walk from Hotel Pheonix to his hotel at Robertson Quay. We both then walk towards a Chinese bridge and happened to meet up with a charming German woman who had lived one time in Singapore. She takes us to a Chinese temple in Magazine Road. We were allowed to ring the temple bell, see where prayers were burned, admire the koi fish and were given a cup of tea each.

An early lunch at Liang Kee Teochew restaurant of delicious prawns next to the river by Robertson Quay. We sat outside; we were the only non Malay people there.

We are then picked up outside M's hotel for the tour. We are the only English amongst lots of Australian folk.
Visit the 'Arab' quarter with an attractive old mosque and many old shops. Go onto a Malay ethnic area and the Changi Chapel and Museum - an interesting (but harrowing) interpretation of World War II and the atrocities under Japanese occupation. Back via Tampines New Town with a lovely market. We had an excellent guide, a comfortable air conditioned bus and a safe driver. The guide told us all about the rules and many regulations for living in Singapore. Drug trafficking is virtually nil as there is a death penalty which is carried out. I noted this on a form I and everybody had to sign before entering the country. Better the death of a few drug sellers than the death of many is the attitude. It was good to see more to Singapore than just shopping Malls.

Back to Hotel Pheonix. Mike and I rest (I type some of this) whilst a thundery storm passes over. We then found a eating mall - a collection of different stalls selling all kinds of Asian food in a great big eating place. we settle for a Japanese box full of assorted vegetables and fish.
Today I have developed a liking for iced green tea, flavoured with jasmine and sold in tins!
Walk along Orchard Road - very much the place to be at night as it is crowded with pleasant young people and late night shoppers.

Singapore

During my last full day in Australia the Robs and I did various things. One thing which stood out in my mind was the wonderful walk through a park called the Briars; and my looking round and suddenly seeing the most enormous Koala in a tree above!

On Saturday on the way to the airport enjoyed views from the waterfront from Williamstown. Robyn and I found a place where we sat and enjoyed drinking hot chillie chocolate!

Sunday 21st May
Got here (Singapore) at last!! I say 'at last' as there was a dreadful delay in the flight. Instead of a pleasant afternoon trip over Australia starting at 3.30pm and arriving comfortably in the evening, we (the passengers) had to wait until 9.50pm before taking off. Got to my hotel room at 4.30am - bit of a waste of valuable time! Nevermind - it is lovely to be here in lush tropical steam. Had a late breakfast of something fishy with noodles (delicious) instead of the European usual.

I have just been outside into the steamy rain - no need for an umbrella or a mac as everyone rushes from shop to shop under cover. Even if you did get wet you'd soon dry out in the wonderful heat.

Well... it is midday and I am now waiting for cousin M. in the foyer of the the Hotel Pheonix as arranged.

Later
Always reconfirm arrangements made! My day somewhat wasted by the fact my mobile phone isn't operating here (in Cork I had been assured all would be OK) and that Cousin M decided on another venue. He said go down to Harbourfront. (I can receive messages but not reply to them.)
This meant I had to get to grips with the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) system - the underground railway. However it is clean and easy to use. The Harbourfront sounded rather nice but turns out to be yet another shopping mall - the whole of Singapore is full of shopping malls where ever you go. No sign of cousin M. No way can you get to the water's edge at the Harbourfront.
I decide to go on to Raffles Hotel (via MRT.) Raffles Hotel - under that lovely colonial architecture there lurks even more shopping mall culture (apparently it is now American owned. I wander around rather vacantly and observe a wedding party in one of the gardens.

Taxi then to Robertson Quay Hotel to prise out one hidden cousin who had come all the way to Singapore to coincide with my being here! We decided we'd both had an odd sort of day!

Tonight we dine together at the Hotel Phoenix - a rather tasty Malaysian buffet, lots of fruit and vegetable and fish. (I'd been given two vouchers towards the cost of this meal.)

Victorian Holiday ending

Thursday 18th May
A restful day but we still end up going to the vets (Percy's bandaged foot) and an enjoyable trip to the east of Mornington Peninsula. Flinders is a quiet retreat by the sea; populated by an older fishing community and by the very wealthy/the very famous, needing a getaway existance but in striking distance of Melbourne. From the beach and also a higher lookout we can see across the Western Port Bay to Phillip Island and the Nobbies! Cannon fire from a nearby naval base. A delicious lunch of fresh mussels and prawns
Onto Hastings which is another small fishing village - now more of a marina for pleasure craft. more mangrove swamp and pelicans swimming in the harbour. Pelicans have curious cartoon-like eyes. Great to see them in a normal habitat (although they knew how to hang around the fish shop on the quayside!) not in a zoo.

Friday 19th May
My last full day here before setting off to Singapore. My cousin M has decided to have a week's holiday in Singapore and we will meet up there.

Today (a fine autumn day with early mists) the Robins and I are off for a farewell meal at the Waves and sometime I must pack.

Having a holiday here in the State of Victoria has given a whole new meaning to the word Victorian - a place so similar in some ways to the UK (white culture and certainly its autumn weather) but so very different in so many other ways with all its natural wildlife.

Penguins

Tues. 16th May(continued)
Robyn and I drive down to Phillip Island over looking the Bass Straight. We have sunny bright weather and the countryside on the way is flat containing mangrove swamps as well as much reclaimed fertile farming country.
Phillip Island has many Isle of Wight names like Ventnor and Cowes. We stop at Cowes and walk along the beach there.
We drive to the furthest point - to the Nobbies - a series of small islands/rocks created from sea erosion of the land. Once the resting place of over 200,000 seals before settlers came (sealions, walrus and seals noted for their fur.) Seals where reduced to a few hundred but now with protection are increasing again and now number some 20,000. A very sensible wooden walkway (managed by Parks Victoria) now protects the cliffs from visitor erosion.
On to the Penguins' Visitor Centre. This is a magnificent place managed by a separate Trust (the Penguin Foundation) for school tours and coach loads of tourists. We are in the low season and enjoy comparative peace and space.
At 5pm we (a number of tourists) are escorted by a Ranger down to a platform and are told to be quiet and not to use photographic equipment etc. so as not to frighten the penguins. At about 5.55pm (late dusk) a 'raft' of about 10 miniscule penguins bounce out of a wave and start their waddling up the beach. They are the smallest penguin breed in the world (used to be called 'Fairy' penguins: but in the light of political correctness are refered to as 'Little' penguins.) Then another raft arrive - perhaps 80 plus and they too start their nightly tortuous waddle to their burrows - some of which are high up in the cliffs, up steep penguin pathways. We see about 800 in all. The nearly mature chicks who have stayed at home all day in the burrows, screech a loud welcome to their parents (full of fish to regurgitate) and there is much chattering and noise as they all settle down for the night. At dawn of course they all set off into the ocean for another days fishing. Some of the penguins look at the humans looking at them - it is a curious interaction.
Tonight the sky was clear of cloud and bright. For the first time I get a full sight of the Southern Sky at night. Orion is at an angle I had never personally witnessed before, as are all the other stars and the moon is now waning but again 'upside down' to what I am used to.

Wednesday 17th May

Today (after yet another necessary trip to the vets with Polly as her lumps are growing rather too quickly for our liking) we set off on a day trip (with Polly and Percy and Robin this time.)
Travel north to Olinda - an attractive country place in hills and forest and onto Hamer Arboreatum where we get a good view of the Great Dividing Range. Dogs enjoy a walk.
On to Yarra Valley and lunch (in a sumptuous setting: Chateau Yering!) at Yering Station. Yering Station is a well established winery - producing excellent wines of many different grape varieties. We enjoy the extensive gardens and buildings. Again we are in the low season - the grape harvest is in and there is not much happening.
On to Sylvan Reservoir - another walk for the dogs.
Today we see excellent autumn colours in the trees - but all these trees are 'imports' - the natural indigenous trees shed all the year round without autumn colours.

Local

Monday 15th May
Another dull day - Went to Frankston to Dan Murphy's - an enormous wine supermarket selling all kinds of Australian wines - as well as a good selection of Greek Wines reflecting the fact there are many Greeks living locally. I buy a Retsina - a new label I'd not come across (those who know me well know my love of Retsina - and my story of it being first made 6,000 BC.) I can't believe how cheap wine is here - cheaper than beer - there seems to be a real glut of it!
A pleasant walk along the beach and coffee at 'Waves.' Walk around the second block pm. (a vague attempt to keep fit after all the lovely food and wine here.)

Tuesday 16th May
Wake up to bright sunshine! We film parts of the garden (including possum poo) and find a lovely owl (what sort?) basking in the bright sunlight - tonight we plan to go to see the penguins on Phillip Island

Melbourne on Sunday

14th May

Cheap ($2.50) tickets to Melbourne via Connex (railway) and to the free Trams around Melbourne which operate for tourists along a specified route right around the city - which we do.
A very secular Sunday (only fourbells from a ring of eight from St Paul's Cathedral) - but very cultural with people heading for the art galleries and eateries.
Today is Mother's Day as in the US - not to be confused with Mothering Sunday. We go to the new wing of the NGV - the National Gallery of Victoria - at the Federation Square. www.fedsq.com
I am particularly interested in the Aboriginal (the first peoples of Australia) Art and enjoy the many paintings and carvings there.
Lunch at the older NGV which is another architect's dream with water features and a stained glass roof in one area.
We also explore the redeveloped Waterfront, with its expensive yachts - and another (new) Aboriginal art gallery.

Weather - dull and overcast!

National Trust

Sat 13th May

Quiet morning in and I listen to some of my didgeridoo CDs! (Just to annoy Robin!!)

After lunch we all go to the McCrae Homestead - a National Trust (Australia) property. If you are a member of the UK NT you can get entrance here in Australia. It is wonderful peep into how early pioneers lived - 1844 to 51.

We then go onto Sorrento via a place called Rosebud. Have tea at a wonderful place specialising in quality cakes and they sell my favourite - chilli chocolate!

Watch the Sorrento to Queenscliff ferry set off - the quickest way to the otherside of the bay but costly.

The Great Ocean Road

Robyn and I have just come back from a superb trip along the Great Ocean Road.

Wed 10th May
We hired a reasonable car from Budget at an amazingly low price - a Hyundai Getz.

Set off on Wednesday to Geelong. I did some of the driving and found Australian roads etc OK - the only thing was I wasn't used to an automatic - everyone drives an automatic over here - but I was OK. Robyn however does most of the driving so that I can do plenty of 'looking.' Robyn of course knew this area from previous trips especially from her childhood. (She was living in England some 30 years. Then Ireland of course!)

We find a wonderful Aboriginal Cultural centre complete with shop on the way and I do my 'souvenir' shopping here - called Narana Creations. A great place for school parties as it is an educational centre as well. All sorts of didgeridoos and where you can learn all about different boomerangs and how to use them.

We hit the Great Ocean Road - built in the 1920's as something to keep ex-servicemen occupied after the First World War. The road connects the different coastal settlements and was made under difficult circumstances through wild territory.

We get to Torquay and on to Anglesea for lunch. (Australia full of British name places.) We pass spectacular scenery - great ocean waves crashing onto rocks on one side and temperate rain forest on the other.

Reach Lorne for the evening and book ourselves into a very clean and well appointed motel for the night. We then visit Erskine Falls (huge waterfalls deep in the forest) and Teddy's Lookout (more spectacular scenery over ocean and forest.) Go for a Chinese meal.

Thurs 11th May
After a good night's rest we continue along the Great Ocean Road to Skene's Creek. We follow this Creek up hill to Tanybryn through Turton's Pass along a 'C' road. This sort of road is known as an unsealed road (ie no tarmac) and would best be described as a dirt road. The surface is OK for the car however and we avoid potholes for 17km. (A bit like parts of Ireland again!)

We then go to Beech Forest to walk the Otway Fly - a forest walk taken at tree top level on a series of metal walkways. Fantastic views of the rainforest and looking down on myriads of tree ferns- that grow naturally here.

Drive onto Lavers Hill back down to the coast.

The coast here is under remarkable erosion - great stacks (known as the Twelve Apostles) of sandstone formed from eroding coastline, blowholes, gorges and caves. I have good footage on my camcorder. Lots of Chinese tourists here.

Drive to Port Campbell for the night - another spotlessly clean motel apartment. Port Campbell is a foreigners' ideal Aussie outback small time town. All the buildings are wooden and low. That evening we saw a little group of penguins come out of the sea on the beach near 'London Bridge' (another spectacular of rock carved by the sea.)

Friday 12th May
Return along the Great Ocean Road via Lavers Hill and Apollo Bay (where we saw a huge seal resting in the dunes - she is under observation.) Robyn remembers Apollo Bay from childhood days and is struck by its development.
Back to the Mornington Peninsula via Melbourne.

Weather - cool and sometime threatening with dark clouds but we have been lucky in avoiding rain and have enjoyed quite a lot of sunshine.

Polly the dog - the results of her biopsy prove she has a return of the cancer ....however the vet is optomistic and she is on treatment - chemotherapy tablets after a hefty injection into her lump.

Hire a car

8th May - evening - we are sitting on the sofa and discover Polly (elderly Jack Russell) has developed 'lumps' on her neck where a cancerous growth had be removed. We are all very sad.

9th May The lumps are rapidly growing and Polly goes to the vet early for a sample to be taken; biopsy. This could change our itinerary.

Back from the vets we go to hire a car. The plan is for Robyn and I to take off for a few days along the Great Ocean Road - but I feel (as much as anybody) the anxiety about Polly.

We take the hired car for a spin to the Animal Sanctuary in Healesville - an extension of the Melbourne Zoo but also a rescue centre for sick or injured local animals. See lots of different Australian animals like Duckbilled Platypusses (?plural) and kangaroos etc....... (Will put a hyperlink through when I get home.)

A good day out. I drive the hired car nearer home - it is the first time I've driven an automatic in 20 years - so much easier.

Back to Bellbird Road and all three dogs OK - but we are worried. Percy the brother of Polly is also in a poor way, having obtained a spider bite on his paw a couple of weeks ago and is slow in mending with a bandage on his paw.

I don't want Robyn to feel obliged in entertaining me with a dying dog - I might take off to the north to warmer climes next week.

The weather here is very cold and it is pouring torrentially tonight as I write. Anything could happen.

At least I feel really rested now = the whole point of a good holiday!

Christmas Day & Labyrinth

7th May
Rob and Robyn find celebrating Christmas Day in the sweltering heat of December disconcerting. They had sort of planned to do a Christmas Day Dinner in July but brought it forward for today. Sue and Ray (old friends of Robyn) joined us and brought local made Champagne. I made the Brandy Butter - my special forté. A good time was had by all!!

8th May
Percy to the vet's and I do a walk around the block - about 5km.
Trip to Arthur's Seat on the Mornington Peninsula. Lunch at a cafe that has views all around the Bay. Onto Arthurs Seat Maze Garden. A variety of mazes and a Labyrinth made of brick set into grass. All this is well documented by my camcorder.

Melbourne City

Having a had a couple of days rest and exploration of the local 'Bush' - the Robyns take me into Melbourne.
6th May
It is a fine new city nowadays but Robyn remembers it as a child being very monochrome and fairly dull.
In the 50's Australia was still 'The British Isles down under' (ten pound poms - I remember exodus of folk from Britain) Now there is a new identity.
We visit the Shrine which is a huge monument to the Australians who served in the First World War and there is much about Anzac Day and Gallipoli. Brilliant views from the top. We walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, have lunch there (spoke to a representative of the aboriginal peoples trying to retain something of their own rights to an area of the park land) and onto Federation Square. A ten bell peal rings out from nearby St Paul's Cathedral (a wedding) and is an interesting contrast to the very modern architecture of Federation Square. I enjoy the Australian and aboriginal art.

Resting up

Relaxing and resting up at R and R's lovely home.

5th May

The dogs have got used to me Percy, Polly and Poppy and ...me to them! I had met them before in West Cork. Poppy the Beagle (an adopted Irish 'stray') has taken a shine to me - and I'm such a cat person!!!

Heard my first Kookaburras (spelling?) yesterday - one can shout at them and they cackle back. The house is in a very wooded area and I'm enjoying the exploration of the surrounds. There is a bit of natural uncultivated scrub land nearby and I took a walk though it yesterday.
Been to local shops and well stocked library; also to local Farmers' Market. This was more like the Farm Shop between Highnam and Gloucester (England) rather than the stalls in the new one in Bandon (Ireland.)

Felt a rush of jet lag yesterday and awoke at odd hours in the night otherwise I'm feeling very well.

Neighbours?

MAY 3rd

Robyn and Robin (plus Percy the dog) meet me. It is still early and Melbourne is coming to life and I keep half thinking I'm in SFO - only it is a flattened version and they drive on the same side as England/Ireland.

We travel back to the Mornington Peninsula via Safeway's to stock up on a supply of herbal teas for me and other groceries.

An exchange of news of West Cork (R and R lived about 4 miles from me in West Cork.) They said I didn't look at all jet lagged ánd I had got a good tan from SFO.

Where R and R live is just like Ramsey Street in Neighbours!! Same sounding birds - same sort of houses in lovely wooded and shrubbed gardens.

They are not far from the sea either - bit like an Aussie West Cork.

I'm taking these first few days easy but am suprisingly OK so far with the time change and body clock.

The sun goes around the north so must get used to this!

From SFO to MEL

Well I caught that flight from SFO but it was two hours late in leaving. I really got to know SFO airport intimately - modern clean and with some interesting exhibits all about The Sea. The flight to LA was in the dark so I didn't see the land and sea below as hoped. I was a bit panicked by the fact that my boarding pass (issued at SFO) for the flight to Melbourne said 22.40 and we arrived at LA at 22.20 and I had no idea how long it would take me to get off one plane onto the other. So within 15 minutes I had to get out of the domestic terminal, run along the side of a carpark and into the International Terminal - I somehow gatecrashed an orderly queue into the security area - put my rucksac and shoes etc through the electronic scan and ran most of the way to gate 121 (HUGE airport) and arrived only to find the time 22.40 was for boarding not for take off so that was OK! We depart at 23.40!

Fifteen hours later we are circling over Melbourne.

The flight was uneventful - I dozed on and off; exercised; watched Narnia in German (didn't have too but it was a good exercise for my German) and Casanova (in English!)
A local to Melbourne sitting next to me points out landmarks as we circle around and arrive at 8.30am

May 3rd

(May 2nd has been non existant for me as I have crossed the dateline at night but I will have experienced three or four extra long days on this trip.)

Leaving SFO

Grey Cat's World Trip leaving SFO

I'm at SFO airport - if I stay any longer I will definintly get that local twang by way of an accent.

Bag Handler set off earlier to Denver and to do a bit of American exploring.

I've said goodbye to Sr Cecilia and now waiting at the airport.

Enjoyed Alcatraz yesterday - mostly because of the wonderful sunshine and warmth and fantastic views across the Bay. The inmates of old would never have seen that. Excellent audio tour around the main prison areas - one infamous inmate called Hubbard!!

Eating far too much - I'm really into Barritoes (spelling?) Veggie ... all good stuff.

The plane I'm due to get is 2 hours delayed - but if all goes to plan I still have enough time to get the Melbourne flight from LA. It is going to be one very long flight as well as night. This evening is 1st May tomorrow will be 3rd May. It takes some thinking to get around the dateline!!!

I do recommend San Francisco - the humming birds are a delight!