Saturday, June 5, 2010
June 4thNight no 1 – Melbourne
the drive was foresty and green as we got closer to Melbourne and I got to see my favourite animal, the wombat, in the wild. It was dead at the side of the road. It felt that we were reaching civilisation but even as we got to the outskirts of the city it still took a long time to drive into Melbourne. Everything is so far here; even in the city ‘centre’ the roads are so long. It is dark as well when we arrived, it goes dark about 6 o’clock here and this is worrying because I don’t think this is just because it is winter. We are in St Kilda so we could be ‘bayside’. Anyway we arrived at Ackland street after going down roads that were one way because we could just not fathom any other way of getting to our destination, to be told that we would be staying round the corner on their Carlisle street base. It is a road that has trams running up and down it and our apartment is by the road. Our ‘apartment ’is a room. It is cold and they have left only one blanket for the kids. The young backpackers like having a party outside our window. Not a great start for Melbourne. It is slipping from the no 2 spot of places we would consider living. Oh yeah, if you look up Ackland/Carlisle St in tourist guides it is the red light district....Justin? where are you?...
June 3rd Hicksville Arizona
Decided to rent a car and drive to Melbourne as opposed to getting a flight so we can see as much of Oz as possible. It wasn’t as pretty and lush as the drive from Cairns.
Gundagai -Halfway from Sydney to Melbourne, a bizarre little town that was once flooded by the local damn breaking. If you believe what they say in Gundagai it was Australia’s worst natural disaster, I think it is more of a disaster that they rebuilt it. The motel room was 4 star, I think that related to how many stars you can see through the cracks in the walls. It was definitely the kind of town where locals stopped and stared. The shop fronts were looked like they were from a movie set and were just fronts like in Blazing Saddles.
It has the oldest bakery in Australia and justin went to get us breakfast from there in the morning. Croissants? No. Anything like croissants? No. Is there anywhere I can get something like croissants? No...but they had grits.
Gundagai -Halfway from Sydney to Melbourne, a bizarre little town that was once flooded by the local damn breaking. If you believe what they say in Gundagai it was Australia’s worst natural disaster, I think it is more of a disaster that they rebuilt it. The motel room was 4 star, I think that related to how many stars you can see through the cracks in the walls. It was definitely the kind of town where locals stopped and stared. The shop fronts were looked like they were from a movie set and were just fronts like in Blazing Saddles.
It has the oldest bakery in Australia and justin went to get us breakfast from there in the morning. Croissants? No. Anything like croissants? No. Is there anywhere I can get something like croissants? No...but they had grits.
Backdating to fill you in-Sydney
2nd June
Last day in Sydney. In the morning we went through China town and to Paddy’s Market...this is Jus, taking over as Jo tucks the ‘little runt’, as Martha calls him, into bed...then we hit Bondi in the afternoon. I have good memories of Bondi; Rik and I worked at Bondi Pavillion just on the Esplanade one New Year’s Eve.
Overcast and cool, I bravely stayed on the beach to look after the clothes and take the photos while the family went into the sea (Mrs Allitt in vest and knickers, wowee!!). They all had a good splash in the water, although Martha got caught out by the current, ‘I almost drowned’ she told me.
We then decamped to a chocolatiere which over looked the beach and got our chocolate fix for the day.
Afterwards we wobbled onto the bus back to Circular Quay, which was buzzing with lots of excited children. All the local schools had been invited to perform at the Sidney Opera House and this was going to be a very special night for them.
I thought I would take the family to Doyles that night, a famous Sydney fish restaurant at the Rocks. It is an area with a perfect view of the Harbour, Bridge and Opera House. However, when we got there I was shocked to see what it had morphed into, instead of a charming little eatery; it was a four storey glass cathedral of a restaurant. It had gone all posh and expensive.
So, wanting to keep to a budget, we decided to go to the Shark Hotel for a cheap ‘all you can eat’ meal.
It was one of the worse meals I have ever had; we should have eaten at Doyles!
Last day in Sydney. In the morning we went through China town and to Paddy’s Market...this is Jus, taking over as Jo tucks the ‘little runt’, as Martha calls him, into bed...then we hit Bondi in the afternoon. I have good memories of Bondi; Rik and I worked at Bondi Pavillion just on the Esplanade one New Year’s Eve.
Overcast and cool, I bravely stayed on the beach to look after the clothes and take the photos while the family went into the sea (Mrs Allitt in vest and knickers, wowee!!). They all had a good splash in the water, although Martha got caught out by the current, ‘I almost drowned’ she told me.
We then decamped to a chocolatiere which over looked the beach and got our chocolate fix for the day.
Afterwards we wobbled onto the bus back to Circular Quay, which was buzzing with lots of excited children. All the local schools had been invited to perform at the Sidney Opera House and this was going to be a very special night for them.
I thought I would take the family to Doyles that night, a famous Sydney fish restaurant at the Rocks. It is an area with a perfect view of the Harbour, Bridge and Opera House. However, when we got there I was shocked to see what it had morphed into, instead of a charming little eatery; it was a four storey glass cathedral of a restaurant. It had gone all posh and expensive.
So, wanting to keep to a budget, we decided to go to the Shark Hotel for a cheap ‘all you can eat’ meal.
It was one of the worse meals I have ever had; we should have eaten at Doyles!
this is Joanna -i've definately got backpackers arse and it doesn't help that we go into McDonalds to get free WI FI
5th June - Melbourne
Can't help thinking we should have spent an extra day in Sydney or Brisbane even. Melbourne is wet and cold but it has got a good aquarium though.
If you ever visit don't stay at Easy stay budget motel on Carlisle street. They are cold and full of loud people with noisy trams going past all the time!
The streets are pretty and tree lined though and there are some really cool shops down Acland street.
...Back to Martha. Today was our first full day in Melborne where we did what I really wanted to do-go to the aquariam.
If you ever visit don't stay at Easy stay budget motel on Carlisle street. They are cold and full of loud people with noisy trams going past all the time!
The streets are pretty and tree lined though and there are some really cool shops down Acland street.
...Back to Martha. Today was our first full day in Melborne where we did what I really wanted to do-go to the aquariam.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A kick and a punch to start the month...
....Having woken up bleary eyed, team Allitt went to the Harbour and ate pancakes for breakfast(we haven't been keeping up with the healthy life style) then jumped on the ferry to Circular Quay.
On the ferry we played our first game of Top Trumps of the day. The children have become grand masters in the art of Top Trumps, soundly beating both parents, although I do suspect a little cheating goes on.
As I suffered another defeat, this time to Lady Martha the ferry turned a corner and in front of us was the iconic structure of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Although I had seen it before, it was breath-taking. Then a minute later, the Opera House came into view, what an amazing building and completely bonkers, David Bailey (Mrs Allitt) was snapping away on her camera.
We climbed the fifty steps to the entrance of the Opera House and it's more impressive close up, I am amazed it was allowed to be built (Although the architect Utzon, was forced to resign before it was finished and hounded out of the country by politicians).
The afternoon saw us off to Coogee by bus. We arrived and I was, underwhelmed. It was shabby in comparison to the Quays/ Darling Harbour, there was little going on and the beach seemed small.
I was disappointed and felt a little silly about how I had built up Coogee in my mind. Even the famous Coogee Bay Hotel, which had seen many legendary escapades by myself and Rik, seemed a bit old worldy and out of step with the rest of Sydney.
We sat on the steps of the esplanade and although overcast and cool, the kids went in the sea.
But as the afternoon went on and it got busier and backpackers ran into the sea (then out again), it occurred to me that it was a Tuesday afternoon in winter and the tide was in (so not at it's best).
Later Max and I retired to the pub (Coogee Bay Hotel) to have a beer/lemonade and play Top Trumps whilst the girls went window shopping.
Towards the end of the afternoon, I took a walk up the Coogee Bay Road by myself to look at where I used to live. There were busy cafes and shops but unlike Darling Harbour, everything seemed laid back, chic and all the people in the cafes looked interesting.
It then dawned on me that Coogee Bay is the alternative to the new polished sophisticated Sydney. The Rough Guide describes Coogee as having a feeling of San Francisco about it and it has. I realised this was the Australia I knew and loved.
On the ferry we played our first game of Top Trumps of the day. The children have become grand masters in the art of Top Trumps, soundly beating both parents, although I do suspect a little cheating goes on.
As I suffered another defeat, this time to Lady Martha the ferry turned a corner and in front of us was the iconic structure of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Although I had seen it before, it was breath-taking. Then a minute later, the Opera House came into view, what an amazing building and completely bonkers, David Bailey (Mrs Allitt) was snapping away on her camera.
We climbed the fifty steps to the entrance of the Opera House and it's more impressive close up, I am amazed it was allowed to be built (Although the architect Utzon, was forced to resign before it was finished and hounded out of the country by politicians).
The afternoon saw us off to Coogee by bus. We arrived and I was, underwhelmed. It was shabby in comparison to the Quays/ Darling Harbour, there was little going on and the beach seemed small.
I was disappointed and felt a little silly about how I had built up Coogee in my mind. Even the famous Coogee Bay Hotel, which had seen many legendary escapades by myself and Rik, seemed a bit old worldy and out of step with the rest of Sydney.
We sat on the steps of the esplanade and although overcast and cool, the kids went in the sea.
But as the afternoon went on and it got busier and backpackers ran into the sea (then out again), it occurred to me that it was a Tuesday afternoon in winter and the tide was in (so not at it's best).
Later Max and I retired to the pub (Coogee Bay Hotel) to have a beer/lemonade and play Top Trumps whilst the girls went window shopping.
Towards the end of the afternoon, I took a walk up the Coogee Bay Road by myself to look at where I used to live. There were busy cafes and shops but unlike Darling Harbour, everything seemed laid back, chic and all the people in the cafes looked interesting.
It then dawned on me that Coogee Bay is the alternative to the new polished sophisticated Sydney. The Rough Guide describes Coogee as having a feeling of San Francisco about it and it has. I realised this was the Australia I knew and loved.
1st June, Justin
So it was with a sense of excitement and nerves we flew into Sydney airport last night.
We grabbed a cab to our hotel, The Rydges World Square, located in the Central Business District, next to China Town and a stone throw away from Darling Harbour.
Having dispatched our bags to the room we walked our first steps as a family through Sydney in the rain to Darling Harbour.
We were met by an array of sculptures, water features, bars and restaurants. Darling Harbours lights shimmered in busy yacht-filled waters and I realised how much Sydney had gone and grown up and got sophisticated since my last visit all those years ago.
We ended our stroll with a glass of red wine and bar snacks over looking the Harbour.
As we sat there admiring the lights, Max about to have a sugar rush from his lemonade, my mind wondered to those early years I spent in Australia, in Coogee and Randwick. The plan was to go back there tomorrow.....it was going to be emotional.
We grabbed a cab to our hotel, The Rydges World Square, located in the Central Business District, next to China Town and a stone throw away from Darling Harbour.
Having dispatched our bags to the room we walked our first steps as a family through Sydney in the rain to Darling Harbour.
We were met by an array of sculptures, water features, bars and restaurants. Darling Harbours lights shimmered in busy yacht-filled waters and I realised how much Sydney had gone and grown up and got sophisticated since my last visit all those years ago.
We ended our stroll with a glass of red wine and bar snacks over looking the Harbour.
As we sat there admiring the lights, Max about to have a sugar rush from his lemonade, my mind wondered to those early years I spent in Australia, in Coogee and Randwick. The plan was to go back there tomorrow.....it was going to be emotional.
1st June, for sure
We are staying at the hotel Rydges World Square. Arrived last night, went round Darling Harbour took the kids to the pub...we are on holiday.
After seeing the Harbour Bridge and the Opera house Justin took us to Coogee and pointed out his old haunts and where he was born and I hoped we responded appropriately with our nods and mms. He can tell you more about it but it is a lovely place.
After seeing the Harbour Bridge and the Opera house Justin took us to Coogee and pointed out his old haunts and where he was born and I hoped we responded appropriately with our nods and mms. He can tell you more about it but it is a lovely place.
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