Blog - The Land Down Under

Last house sit

So after the stunning beauty of the the Blue Mountains we travelled down to warmer weather at North Richmond in the Hawksbury River Lowlands

Looking after Murphy the crazy ball chasing black Labrador

The house was the parents home of the farm owners – if that makes sense . It’s a complicated

The hills around are Apple and Cider country

The farm looking across the paddock on Murphy’s favourite walk

Our last night of house sitting visitor . Thank goodness I am the only one with a mild fear of spiders

Last few days

After we left the chooks in Shoalhaven we headed up to the Blue Mountains and a cold surprise. No house sits so a few days in an Airbnb cottage

Our first Blue Mountain experience is a Tiger Snake – too cold to attack us

I can’t make any excuses , the next few days we spent our time walking found the mountains and bush

Start of The National Trail – not for me

View over to the Three Sisters and Katoomba

Last shots from Wentworth

Evans point and the end of the Blue Mountains for the moment

Luna and the chooks

As we approach the end of the trip , it’s time to visit old friends . After a while on the Northern Beaches with a few days spare and a very kind offer , we head back to Yarrawarrah

Back in Yarrawarrah first thing to see is burnt bush . Fortunately it’s a controlled burn and the bears are safe

Fleur and Andre let us spend a few nights in her mums flat , with a chance to visit old haunts with Luna

But the main reason for the southward trip was a final trip with Matt and Heather

Who had free run of the kitchen and garden

And a posh night out in my OP shop shoes and trousers

Just down the road from Mona Vale , lies the swamplands of North Narrabeen, home to Maya the cat . So it’s back on the antihistamines for me and another 10 days in the Northern Beaches , this time a little further inland

A cosy little house & very kind owners , who spent a fair amount of time in a hotel in Sydney waiting for the wind to change and their flight to set off for Lord Howe Island

With no dog to walk and a painful shoulder preventing swimming , exercise was still on foot & this part of Sydney has tracks aplenty

So whilst Anita swam I trod the cliff tops – this one terminated in terrific downpour

However, not all walks were solo . Just next to the house were the Warriewood Wetlands & every morning we did a 2.5k loop

Plenty of wild life , I think this is an Eastern Brown Snake

Usually early morning walks after a night of listening to poor old Maya the cat scratching on the bedroom door and crying

Another one off my dangerous Ozzie snakes list , a Red Bellied Black

Last wild walk on the Northern Beaches , up to the Ku – Ring – Gai NP and views down to Smiths Creek

Mona Vale

Staying in Sydney , but heading back to the Northern Beaches . Our first house sit there . And they are not that easy to get . Summer moves into Autumn , but the days get hotter

What the Northern Beaches do best is sand

With temperatures rising up to 39 c , this was the best place to be

Bella the Labrador had a few favourite walking places . The first was a dog park on top of the cliffs South of Mona Vale . Dogs are banned on the beach

Of course I found places dogs are also banned away from the beach

This was the Angaphora reserve near Avalon

And great coastal walks up and down the coast

Blue tongued skunk

Bella was well known in the local cafe – Ruby’s, especially for her big appetite

One of Bella’s longer ventures to Warriewood Beach

Our house was a beautiful weatherboard cabin

Bella’s other favourite walk is to Bay View dog park , with Scotland Island behind

Bella liked a bed time walk through the park and around the life saving club

Some creatures were keen to get out of my way

There was often a great surf out , Warriewood beach from the Sunrise Kiosk

One morning we took a risk and ventured onto the beach

But Bella knew Bay view dog beach was legal and swimming allowed

Gordi and Alison visited with their friends Simon and Gail on the way to Tasmania . A fleeting visit to Palm Beach after a long lunch in Avalon

With my dicky shoulder , Anita was dropping me off on her way to the swimming pool

Our house had a rather long and thin drive

Sunny evenings we often spent above the beach , catching the last few rays

Whilst Anita was swimming I wandered into the surrounding bush

Last few of Bantry bay and desperate for a drink

Ed Sheeran and Stanmore

Having splashed out on Ed Sheeran tickets whilst in a bar in Brisbane, we needed a Western Sydney sit . Stanmore is Inner West , Bohemian and we had 3 dogs including a 3 legged Huskie

Out with Rory the Bordoodle at Glebe Foreshore

The back garden and pool of Cardigan Road

When the Whites arrive you know it’s group selfie time

Matt and the dogs . Neither keen to dive in

The inner West is great for breweries. So with the Sinclairs in town , what better than a brewery tour

The Grifter I think . We nearly bought shares

Dobby and Rory’s favourite game

Drive back to Sydney

Leaving Anita behind to look after Coco and the figs and do online training, I set off on the long drive back to Sydney . Three days later I was to pick her up at the airport and take her to meet the next house owners

Again I am not ashamed to say this is mainly my walking blog

To break the journey up I planned five hours driving a day with a food and walking stop halfway

First stop was Banrock Station winery and wetlands walk

Due to heavy early summer rainfall the lake had destroyed most of the walk and some of the vineyard

And being a vineyard they had wine – fizzy red

Having loaded up with fruit from Frank’s garden , I forgot about the fruit quarantine rules . This was the only quarantine bin !

Next stop Lake Bonney at Barmera. Again flooding ended this part of the walk early

First night was at Robinvsle , a very small town on the Murray river

First stop for day 2 was Hay . After a breakfast of chewy bacon and overcooked eggs , another walk on the river

Second night of the trip is at Wagga Wagga

With storms at the coast and Sydney in the distance

Final break in the Southern Highlands at Mittagong

And the end of a road trip , slow paced and plenty of off road time . Helped on the way by Ken Bruce , pop master and podcasts

Adelaide – heat wave

With only having a cat , our second week in Adelaide was very relaxing , but also very hot . Valentine’s Day was sweet , with a little ( but dry) Italian round the corner

Being tourists and with plenty of time we did a Port River cruise

Adelaide’s port is still busy , with big containers coming in

But is famous for it’s Bottlenose Ruver dolphins. Which was the point of the cruise. We were lucky and had one swim by the boat . The local news and local people said sightings are rare – due to river toxicity

Up stream was a nature reserve and ships graveyard

Coco the cat . Much easier than dog sitting , except when he brought a live Miner Bird in during the night

Anita’s use of a stubby holder to chill wine in 38 degree heat

Two friends of Anita , Joel and Nicole , who she met in Penang took us to the local Brewery in Pirt Adelaide for Sunday lunch

Unusual clumps of seaweed covered parts of our beach

We explored some of the southern Adelaide beaches

Adelinga beach . Dog walkers arrived in their cars and parked on the beach

Adelinga Beach offered a different walking opportunity in the local bush

Early morning walk to Semophore – named after it’s signal station

That afternoon the thermometer was rising

After a cool , 1 mile swim we headed South to the McLaren Vale . First stop Shingleback for a quick tasting . Here’s your wine enjoy!

Oliver’s Taranga gave us a much better , personal tasting

Outside Ross Noble tent at the Fringe – a crazy and much overweight Geordie

Largs Bay

Adelaide wasn’t planned . But after a Melbourne sit cancelled this one came up . One cat , near the beach , so why not

Piers , at the end of which the boats sailed to and from England

But plenty of sun and a Mediterranean climate

One tom cat called Coco . Who pops in for food regularly

After 10k mileage our car needed a service . After a random local selection I found a garage with an owner from Consett and a proper jersey on the wall

Adelaide has beaches from North to South . This is our little spot on Glenelg beach

Coco likes a stretch and roll after his lunch

With a local pub quiz when we were briefly second

With so much sun why waste the walking tracks

And the biggest area is the Adelaide hills

Road Trip 1

Now begins our 15 hr , 3 day trip from Canberra to Adelaide . ACT to NSW , then Victoria & finally South Australia across the Hay plain

First stop was in Narrendera. Not much here . Most of the bars and hotels seemed shut . The highlight according to the motel manager is a fountain

Not very impressive, but made in Stoke by Royal Doulton

So I sneaked a quick 7k walk before we popped out to the RSL

First wild Koalas for me on this trip , after endless hours staring up into gums

The small town of Hay for a cup of coffee on the way to Mildura

But at 23 degrees it was too cold to open the pool

The road from Mildura to Adelaide, passes through the Barossa Valley

So a spot of wine tasting seemed sensible

Good way to end the journey

Canberra tourists part 2

With our list of things to do in Canberra gradually being ticked off , days were passing before the long drive to Adelaide approached

First port of call was the Australian war memorial

Looking down Anzac parade to the Parliament

Plenty of sun and wide views just behind M&H ‘s house

Then our for breezy fish and chips at the yacht club

Next touristy bit is the bridge to bridge walk in central Canberra

And who did we meet , blow me , the “ Angel of the North “

Poor old Matt was given a clay pigeon shooting experience for his Christmas

The result will never be published ( in order not to embarrass the Australian military) , but Matt would have had more chance with a Howitzer

For the best views of Canberra

A trip to Canberra

So after picnics and birthday parties in Manly it was time to head to meet up with Matt and Heather in Canberra

Bad news again. . After stopping for a few hours in Wollongong for a swim , poor old Norm the travelling Desert Rose sadly perished. Someone didn’t learn from previous mistakes

Stopped of in a winery at Coolangatta, NSW. In the blacksmith’s house

Then headed overland through countryside ravaged by firestorms in 2020

M &H were working so there was time to be tourists in the Capital

Starting on a wet day at the New Parliament

In the great hall with an Aussie tapestry

And as parliament wasn’t sitting a chance to see the Congress

And the Senate

And when the rain eased I did what I am best at ..

With the dog and a load of Kangaroos to the observatory

With views of the ranges around Canberra

When the sun came back next day , another walk with Luna

And in the afternoon of to the Arboretum, to see the Bonzai & see how much they’ve grown since last time Anita was here in 2017

Australia Day

Australia Day or “ Invasion Day “ as some call it , came at the end of our Northbridge sit . Everyone partied either discreetly at home or in the case of Sydney, on the nearest beach or beach park

So , while Anita and Daniel drove to the beach in Manly to snorkel. I decided to do the 12km Spit to Manly walk

Be prepared for a long series of photos of my walk to meet them

Past parks and beaches packed with Aussies

As the walk went on thunder clouds came in

Finally reached Fairlight and nearing Manly

All that walking generated a hearty appetite for a picnic on the promenade

For his last few days in Australia & ours in Sydney , Daniel joined us . And Timmy loved him ( neither liked going for a walk )

It coincided with his birthday. So back to Manly

With a few others , Charlie, Ella and Katherine

And whilst the youngsters were out partying, we got back first to tuck into his cake

Northbridge in Sydney

So finishing if this leg of the Sydney trip , the next stop was in Northbridge. A leafy suburb of Sydney, central and near the mid harbour with a lovely dog called Timmy – famous 5 !