This post fills in some gaps.
I spent most of the summer in Australia. There was a lot of bouncing around. I have already posted about being in Melbourne for the tennis and taking a trip to Phillip Island
Sydney
I arrived back in Australia on the 7th of December, landing in Sydney. It was good to be back.
I caught up with my daughter for dinner. This was great. Lunch with an old friend from my school days was also great.
I also caught up with some of my Friday Night drinking mates at the GPO Bar. It is good to see that this is still a tradition.
Byron Bay
Next stop was Byron Bay. I flew to Ballina and caught the shuttle bus to Byron Bay
I like Byron Bay and have often thought what it would be like to live there. There is a lot going for it. The beaches and hinterland are beautiful. There is always something going on – threatre music etc. It is also relatively easy to get to Brisbane if you need the ‘big city’ thing.
The local council have been very strict on development in the town. Of course it has changed a lot over the past 30 years or so, but not nearly as much as other coastal towns.
In many respects the ‘fabric’ of the CBD streets is much the same. It is just that the use being made of the shops has changed.
There are heaps of cafes and restaurants.
The Beach Hotel hasn’t changed since it was built. They have a very recruitment policy. It was particularly good in 2009. It is unlikely that that standard will ever achieved again.
One of my Bath hosts will attest to that standard.
Friday through Sunday in the place is amazing. There are people everywhere. There are tourists (seeming mainly from Germany, the UK and Scandinavia), young Australians (many from Brisbane), hippies, oldies like me and a few bogans. I don’t know where they all stay.
While I was in town, I caught up with an old school friend who owns and operates a blueberry farmer with her husband in the hinterland. I was great to catch up with her. We not only went to school together, but we lived opposite each other in the same street after we were born. I moved a short distance way went I was one.
Xmas in Brisbane
I headed to from Byron Bay to Brisbane for Xmas.
On the way I stopped off in Tweed Heads for lunch with my Canberra hosts. They were in Tweeds Heads to see their daughter and grandson.
I have a thing a seeing friends in places other than their home town. It is really good to do this in exotic places oversees, but it also good to do it in Australia.
Xmas was at one of my cousins places. It was a great day.
A couple of days after Xmas I went out to the northern beach suburbs for lunch with one of my cousins. She took me to Redcliff. One of the suburb’s claim to fame is that it is where the Bee Gees started their musical career. To commemorate that fact, the local council has built the Bee Gees Alley. Check out the Flickr Link. It was opened by the sole surviving brother, Barry. My cousin was at the opening.
New Year In Noosa
I headed to Noosa after Xmas. I stayed Halse Lodge which is on the hill overlooking Hastings street. It is an old time quest house that was built from the 1880’s to the 1920’s.
It was put on the ‘Heritage’ list in 1997.
It is a classic ‘Queenslander’ timber building.
Noosa was the location of numerous family holidays from 1994 to 2008. I call them the ‘ground hog’ holidays. They all seemed to be much the same. They were still fun though.
I headed back to Brisbane for a couple for a couple days. It was great to catch up the ‘girl with the funny name from Cooma’.
Back in Sydney
I left Noosa and headed back Brisbane and on to Byron and then to Sydney for a couple of days. . I also had lunch with some friends at the Oaks Pub in Neutral Bay. I really like that pub. We ate under the Oak Tree. It was a great lunch with great company.
I also had dinner with my Journalist mate that I went to pre-school with, and his wife. We ate at the Willoughby Hotel. There was a really annoying bloke who was trying to talk to all in sundry. He was the classic ‘village idiot’. My mate’s wife is Croatian. To put the ‘idiot off talking to us, she started speaking Croatian.
It worked, he left us alone.
To Melbourne
I took the train to Melbourne. As I noted above, I have already posted about the tennis and Phillip Island.
Canberra
I took the train from Melbourne to Canberra.
It was great to be back in Canberra. I caught up with some old school friends and their wives for lunch.
We have had a number on these lunches over the years. This was typical of such a lunch. It started at 12.00 p.m. and finished at 11.00 p.m. As people with close friends know, you may not see the close friends for ages, but the conversations start as if you saw them yesterday.
Before the lunch I had a coffee with the journalist who I have posted about writing a Quarterly Essay. She had some very interesting things to say, including some comments on Tony Abbott.
While in Canberra I saw a number of other friends.
There is a real possibility that when I finally stop travelling for a while, I will stay in Canberra. There is a lot going for the place.
Sydney
I took the train back to Sydney. The train is slow, but it is so much more comfortable than a bus.
Back in Sydney, then was another Friday night drink. There are constants arguments as to the venue. I suspect things will never change.
I was great to catch up with my daughter. She always likes to have dinner with me at the same place. It is becoming a bit of a tradition. I like that.
Byron Bay Again
I caught the train to Casino and on to Byron Bay yet again.
Brisbane
After Byron I headed back to Brisbane again. The main purpose was to see my Aunt. She is inexorable heading to the age that she get the ‘telegram’. Let’s hope she does.
I also caught up with a school friend who teach English as a Second Language. She reminded me that I have been promising to do the TESOL or similar course for ages. It will happened. I told that my London host had between me to it.
Gold Coast
My flight to Singapore was leaving from the Gold Coast. I stayed that night in Coolangatta. That gave me the chance to catch up with the aunt of my god daughter. It was good to hear that her father is doing Ok.
Flight
The Scoot flight to Singapore was really good. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is really good aeroplane.
Flickr Links
Byron Bay
https://www.flickr.com/gp/twwilko_photos/486625
Noosa
Brisbane – Bee Gees Ally
https://flic.kr/s/aHskrgpYfo
Surfers Paradise
https://flic.kr/s/aHskuWi8Yo
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