Signs

I Thought I would add a few signs to the ones I have already posted, they were all found on our trip.



I think they have got the age wrong for this last sign!

Great Ocean Rd 3

Kangeroo Island - The Remarkable Rocks, the rocks are weathered Granite Boulders on the top of a large dome of granite, the fantastic shapes are caused by the wind whipping over the boulders.

After Kangeroo Island we caught the ferry back to the mainland and sped off to Adelaide, after leaving Adelaide we headed for the Barossa wine region for much wine tasting for one of us the olther stalwart drove! Needless to say we perchased a number of bottles from of course Jacobs Creek (yes picture showing the site of the actual creek!) Yalumba and Barossa Valley Estate. Next after looking at the route back and realising that there wasnt a great deal of interest along the way we thought Ah its only 1200km and decided to drive the whole way back!

Grt Ocean Road and Beyond!

Since we covered 4,000kms in the whole trip there are a few more photos from the epic journey.


EEEeeek, first we start with the 'Big' lobster the first of the 'big' things we have seen so far in Australia, maybe he was cross because I had already eaten one of his kind (very tasty he was too!)


Salt flats off the Princes Highway Vic, near Salt Creek! We avoided temptation to try and drive on it to set a land speed record in our Pajero with bikes ont he back(?!)
Parts of the coast line near the 12 (ish) Apostles perhaps these are some in the making

the Obvious sign!

Start of the Great Ocean Road trip

We started with some off Roading on teh NSW Victoria Border, saw a furtive Lyre Bird
Kookaburra in Lakes Entrance
No honest we are in Australia even though the river is also called the Avon and they have a Shakespere festival!
Signs on Philip Island

Birthday celebrations

Just thought I'd add these photos that are from the beach in Port Douglas, where all these amazing patterns of sand balls are made by the crabs burrowing and getting rid of the sand (as shown in the second picture).

We had 43 people round on Sunday to celebrate my 40th Birthday and what a great experience to have a BBQ, it was lovely and sunnny the prawns were on the barbie and I made cocktails with an Australian theme (thanks to the Diffords Guide), we had 'Sunstroke' and 'Red backs' which understandably everyone was wary of! But did taste good!

Last night we went to the revolving restaurant in the Telstra tower on the Black Mountain, what a great view of Canberra!Yummy food as well.

Justin has bought me a Balloon trip over Canberra followed by brekkie and fizzy so that will be good.

Holiday photos

This is a Peppermiont stick insect, called so because if threatened they excrete a pepermint like liquid (we didnt test this!)
A street in Launceston
Lake Lilla in Cradle Mountain

Holiday Round Up

We met up with Mikey and Liz at the Airport and headed into Sydney, with a fab postion obtained (thanks to Katie) in Circular Quay we got to see both sets of fireworks (9pm and 12) very spectacular albeit a bit fuzzily remembered having been sat (and drinking) in our postions since about 5pm!

Off to Tasmania, landing in Launceston, a quaint town in the North of the island (we had to go and pick up our bags from the baggage trolleys - no conveyor belt here!).
we walked to the stunning Cataract Gorge and passing the very 'British' gardens Peacocks and hydrangers and roses, there was a great outdoor swimming pool and of course the gorge itself which we paddled in (didnt have the swimmers with us!) Justin was able to get a hair cut.
We then went onto Cradle Mountain and stayed in stylish indivual lodges which had a fire and a stereo with various 'tranquil' CDs for you to use (no TV or phones here!). Dinner was really yummy accompanied with a bottle from the walk in cellar! (very dangerous!). We walked to a good viewpoint to see down to Dove lake and Cradle Mountain then we walked around the lake, this was the first bit of real exercise we had done for a long while and our leags ached the next day. Justin also regretted having his hair cut as he burnt his head!

We then headed off to Hobart, which was much more developed than Launceston, we went to a great market on Saturday and bought a few bits (including a hat for Jus!) made from Kangeroo skin (very soft).
We had a great curry in a restaurant where apparently the Indian cricket team eat when they come to tasmania, Justin was very happy having been hankering for a curry for a long time!
we visited Freycinet Penninsula with the famous WineGlass bay (another hike in the heat phew!) but well worth it, the waves were so rough that swimming was not an option, so we had a splash about instead - quite chilly, certainly not as heated as in Queensland!

Now we are back to normality (of sorts) back home