42 Days RTW

42nd and final day...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:02:00 GMT

Cinnamon french toast for breakfast in our b&b with ocean view in Half Moon Bay is followed by a final drive along freeway 92 and 101 towards SF airport. Another beautiful day in prospect and the wind is less arctic than yesterday. A checklist of all the flowering plants I've noticed and been able to name during our spring visit to California: ceanothus, bottle brush as large as a small garden tree in the UK, ice plants in various hues carpeting the ground everywhere on the coastal highways, cherry trees, Californian poppies. All kinds of succulents and huge cacti growing outdoors. Yes, a real garden of Eden looking down from vantage points on the hills, except for the snaking freeways and roads cutting through the redwoods. Plan to come back some time and stay in San Diego near the Mexican border. Our six weeks are over, no major delays or problems along the way. Some wonderful sites and sights in over-heated South Africa, Australia was a colourful noisy and humid experience, New Zealand a luxuriant damp and often cool one and California an extravagant playground of brilliant hues, of smart and exclusive neighbourhoods with a dash of downtown seediness. It's all been an education and much photographed and I've really enjoyed blogging as it's enabled me to focus on my impressions of each place as we've gone along. It is possible to travel lightly with hand luggage though you could acquire different clothes along the way to relieve the tedium of always wearing that green t-shirt. It is possible to eat fairly cheaply if you have a large breakfast and a picnic for lunch. It is possible to sleep cheaply if you use hostels and motels. It is possible to have a good time without breaking the bank. Best wishes to any and all readers from the surprisingly calm and relaxing SF Int airport and see you sometime in Norwich Norfolk.

41 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:27:00 GMT

Our last full day in the US of A. Last night we stayed in a Holiday Inn just a spit away from the canning works of Monterey. My companion wanted to come here because of John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and as we had decided to come south to Monterey luckily it was just on the way. Before that however, we'd battled south on Highway 101 from Berkeley (very unimpressed I was, thinking it would be an American version of Oxford or Cambridge university with timber-frame houses), Traffic was heavy, turn-offs a bit scarey, weather very hot. Eventually, after u-turns and much staring at the map we hit upon San Juan Bautista, a Spanish mission station used as a location in Hitchcock's Vertigo, and another of our must-see destinations. The joint was heaving as our visit coincided with their monthly craft fair but we found a neat little diner offering BLTs with avocado. The mission station itself was a simple whitewashed building of otherworldly cool and peace after the hurlyburly of the main street. On to Carmel-by-the-sea and another shattered misconception. I thought Clint was once mayor of a little one-horse decaying hicksville town of saloon bars, stables, dime a day hotels and general stores as in High Plains Drifter but in fact he lorded it over California's answer to Aldeburgh or Burnham Market. Very smart, very exclusive. And he actually lives in Pebble Beach which is even smarter and Stepford Wives-like in its neatness and conformity. Or think Portmeirion with its genteel cafes and golf buggies. Our final stopover after the scenic beauty of 17 Mile Drive around the Monterey peninsula is Half Moon Bay. The sun has been blazing down most of the day but the wind comes straight from the Arctic. After drinks and canapes (well, it is our last night of freedom) a walk on the beach was like being sandblasted. Time for pudding (chocolate chip cookies apparently), a jacuzzi and early night.
Be seeing you, probably at San Francisco airport.

39 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:25:00 GMT

Coming to America, I thought that the streets would be full of iconic American makes of cars, not large ones of course but still Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles Buicks etc. In fact, there are hardly any US motors and as many Japanese cars here as there were in Oz and NZ. Other preconceptions proved false: mostly drivers are polite and friendly and prioritise pedestrians. People engage with you on the street, not like in the UK where we pass each other in silence. We were walking near our hotel yesterday evening and the woman in front of us turned round and warned us that we were about to go into a bad neighbourhood. So we were, but for us it was home sweet home. Also, shop assistants are chatty, intrigued and pleased by our accents, though they tend to think we're Australian. Yesterday was a big walking day, taking in Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz (though that bit was actually a boat trip). We went over to North Beach to view the church Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married and to Lombard St where the smart houses cling to a vertiginous drop and the cars zigzag down the hill. Chinatown was a fascinating walk through with huge food stores of strange ingredients and a bustle of shoppers at teatime. Cable cars creaking their way up steep hills and trolley buses (street cars) make traffic watching a whole new spectator sport. On to Tommy's Joynt for another large meal and ambience. Today was another trek, this time to Haight-Ashbury to tune into that sixties vibe and then to Castro/Mission the neighbouring areas of smart Victorian houses and charm. Another hike up and down hill led us back to Union Square where you can indulge yourself at Macy's and Tiffany's should you wish and THEN a cable car ride up the hill to the cable car museum. Not a secure feeling clinging to the side but great fun all the same. The museum as well as housing artefacts is the actual working heart of the cable car system, with the massive pulleys that keep the cable running at a steady 9.44 mph. The whole network must be incredibly expensive and labour-intensive to maintain but of course an absolute SF icon which was only saved at the last moment by a public campaign. Going to the local movie theater tonight which is housed in an ornate former Cadillac showroom. Tomorrow we pick up a hire car and go south.

Be seeing you

38 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:27:00 GMT

Leaving the safety and gentility of Christchurch after a lovely walk up the Port Hills and a final lunch with our friends, I had a few qualms about the changeover in LA. These were perfectly justified as we arrived an hour late from Auckland to start with, we then queued for the next 3 hours in various locations around the airport and would have missed our flight had it not already been cancelled. A helpful checkin lady re-booked us on a 5pm flight to SF and we eventually got in to the city at 6.15. So despite all the holdups and inferno at LA we still arrived thanks to the time difference just an hour or so after we left Christchurch (our very own groundhog day). By the time we had negotiated the BART rail system (Bay Area rapid transit) to our hostel we were a bit bushed. But the fun didn't stop there because we discovered I had in fact booked us into a different hostel in a slightly dodgy part of town which we then had to walk to. However, it's a lively place with lots of young backpackers, free wifi and all new, all singing&dancing en suite double rooms. Out into the seediness of the surrounding streets in search of a beer and maybe some fries which by way of a dimly lit cocktail bar led us by total accident to Tommy's Joynt. Just the most perfect all-American diner with huge portions of pastrami, chicken cacciatore etc on rye/sourdough bread all extremely cheap and rapid service plus good beer and a terrific atmosphere. Long tables with red and white cheesecloth runners, plus little snugs at the back for the less convivial, it was originally 3 stories but the top 2 were removed after an earthquake. Tomorrow night we're going back for salmon and rice and buffalo pie, after a day of sightseeing around Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square, cable cars etc. What with the hostel's (relatively) cheap rates plus our newfound devotion to tommy and his joynt our budget is looking pretty good at the moment.
Be seeing you.

37 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:54:00 GMT

Leaving the trendy town of Queenstown after gawping at the cost of real estate we met a guy from Norwich in a local bar. He had been taking a long holiday in NZ and was intending to come back and settle in Auckland if he could ever get round to going back to the UK first. We stayed in the nicely preserved little village of Arrowtown, part of the goldmining Otago area. Round this area Lord of the Rings locations were shot but there were too many potential sites to choose from so we gave up location spotting. Weather now is cold, so my sweatshirt bought for $2 has proved a good investment. On the way to Omarama we drove over vegetation-free hills via turquoise lakes to a flat plain. Waitame was where my travelling companion had an epiphany of sorts as we fell upon a couple of Citroen car enthusiasts who had left the fleshpots of Christchurch with a collection of beaten-up 2 CVs, Tractions, Renaults and other old wrecks and set up home in an authentic old homestead bringing their menagerie of rescued animals (parrots, Newfoundlander dogs, NZ Kune Kune pigs etc) with them. We had tea in their 1840s lounge piled up with their collection of antiques. On last night to Timaru, a downbeat little port south of Christchurch. Our motel was a time warp of 70s culture ($85 for the night) and it struck me that most of the music we hear on the radio and in shops etc is similar vintage. Today I wanted to visit the town of Geraldine, just for the name. Another car museum, though more commercial than the folks in Waitame.
Be seeing you.

35 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:14:00 GMT

Arrived in Christchurch and met by friend and her little boy. Struck by the lack of traffic on the way to friend's house, though rather concerned by the rule allowing priority to drivers turning right - one to watch out for.

Next day we wandered around the city centre. It's quite an arty place with some lovely craft shops in the arts centre and a relaxed pace of life (sunnies and fleeces are de rigueur as the sun is hot but the wind is cold).

It's autumn and the leaves are falling (been a very good summer apparently, unlike Australia which had a poor summer). New Zealand is familiar and yet strange at the same time, a parallel universe of neat schoolchildren and litter-free streets. The Port Hills lie at the back of our friends' house. We hire a car the next day and set off for the south and west, through the mountains. It's not long before the landscape changes to barren rock and dried-up riverbed. Or before the rain comes on in sheets as we arrive to admire the Pancake Rocks and blowholes of Punakaiki.

Our next destination is the Franz Josef glacier further south which comes right down to temperate rainforest.

Our motel room was subject to some intense bargaining as the manager accepted that he wasn't likely to rent many rooms in the later afternoon driving rain. So we got it at a bargain of $100.

Another huge meal tonight so the budget may be small but the waistlines are not. Glow worms tonight on the way back to the motel.
Be seeing you.

31 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:12:00 GMT

Thoughts on leaving Oz.

Pokies pokies everywhere - the gambling industry is huge in small and large town Australia.
Roads not as good as I had imagined, those freeways and highways of my imagination don't exist.
Drive-thru bottle stores (off licences)
BYO restaurants.
Mangrove swamps.
Hermit crabs and stingers.
Queenslander houses on stilts (for the coolness as much as the damp).
Exotic butterflies as big as your hand and huge dragonflies.
Wicked camper vans (somebody's making money out of backpackers).
Heat and humidity!

31 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:36:00 GMT

Leaving Mackay we set off down our old friend the Bruce Hwy in the direction of the town of 1770 where Capt. Cook first made landfall in May 1770. Held up by an accident on the highway (not a good road and very busy with campervans and huge semis - menacing American-style articulated trucks) we arrived late to find only a kern of stones marking the spot and some upmarket real estate. Called in en route at Emu Park east of Rocky to admire the beautiful beaches. My kind of place entirely. Moving swiftly onwards to the next village of Agnes we checked in at a turquoise blue motel (quite decent and cheap) and decamped to the nearest pub for Aussie fish and chips. F&C are a safe bet in Oz, the fish is fantastic and plentiful and you can have it battered, crumbed or grilled so that 's one up to the land down under. We had red snapper, each meal was enough for two. Did I mention that there are some large people in the southern hemisphere. Today I wanted to re-visit Bundaberg, scene of our earlier rescue, to confirm my impression that it's one of the most appealing towns of its size around. It still looked good with a wide main street, atmospheric hotels and shops from the early days and shade-lending trees in the middle of the road. Had my glasses mended and cleaned for the huge sum of 3$. After a Ned Kelly pie in Childers, another historic town with charming 19th C facades (the pie was composed of every conceivable kind of meat with a quiche topping) we set Porky off in the direction of Maryburgh, home of the writer of Mary Poppins. Decided that was its main claim to fame and left town for the general vicinity of Tin Can Bay (a dreary drive through miles and miles of pine forest but worth it for the harbour at TCB). A relaxing warm-bath of a swim in the municipal swimming pool to the raucous accompaniment of rainbow lorakeets. Yet another motel (again very pleasant) and more fish from the reef, not endangered we hope. A glorious sunset and starry night, though still having difficulty in picking out the Southern Cross. Tomorrow we have an early start as they feed the dolphins at 7.30 on the quay. Must also find out why it's called Tin Can Bay. Expenditure so far today c. 40 pounds each (not including petrol).
More from Brisbane airport day after tomorrow.

28 Days In....

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:51:00 GMT

Tomorrow we leave tropical Mackay after 6 days with cousins and aunts and uncles. It's been an action-packed time of family get-togethers, photos and visits. The recent floods have been THE topic of conversation around here. My cousin John has an engineering workshop and it was flooded to a depth of 4 ft with all his equipment inside. Some of the cars started up okay after the flood but after a day or two the starting motors had seized. He has to replace a lot of gear-making equipment. The flood came up really quick and subsided again as quickly but the mess it left behind will take months to clear away.

The city of Mackay is fringed by some lovely beaches empty of people but full of sand crabs and insects. That was the first full day. Then we decided on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef via the campervan/hippie resort of Airlie Beach. We did the full tour - semi-submersible where you get in close to the reef and watch the fish in detail, a helicopter trip which gives you the overview of the reef and a snorkelling half hour which had it been an exam I would have failed dismally as I parted company with my mouthpiece early on in the proceedings. No sharks up close but huge wrasse and groper fish. A really enlightening experience (the food was pretty good too). Next up a trip up country to the Eungella National Park where - to our great pride - we spotted a duck-billed platypus who obligingly put on a good display for us though even the best photographer amongst us (my cousin Esther) managed to cut off his tail in her close-up. My uncle ran various sawmills round this area as a young man after emigrating from Ireland just before the war. Today we've been to the Sarina Sugar Shed which is a mini sugar mill providing a snapshot of the sugar cane industry. A couple of my relatives are involved with sugar, it's been the backbone of the Queensland economy for 150 years but times are harder now for the growers and the new big industry is coalmining. Volumes of coal mined are truly enormous and the coal jetty at Mackay is one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere. Tomorrow we go back over the Tropic of Capricorn back towards Brisbane. It's a fascinating area, though very high humidity makes it difficult for visitors and insect repellent is a top priority. (Animals checked include one or two snakes, tree frogs but the elusive kangaroos remain, well, elusive). Staying tonight with another cousin in her modern suburban-style house. Porky now has to be packed up again along with our smoko (morning snacks) and bottles of water for the trek south. Hope that clutch is okay.

Be seeing you.

21 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:45:00 GMT

We're now officially in the Tropics, having crossed the Tropic of Capricorn at Rockhampton (or Rocky to Aussies who like to abbreviate). It's been a nervous trip up from Brisbane as Porky the Landrover is unhappy with its clutch and we've been trying not to change gear too often. Amazing that you can go long distances in top gear in these parts. After an unscheduled stop in Bundaberg we made it as far as Gladstone on Saturday night only to find the city was in party mood at the end of a week of yachting celebrations. And the fair was in town, a nostalgia trip of kamikaze rides and deep fried sausages on sticks. The restaurant we ate in was heaving with young things looking to party and the queue for food was long. You get an electronic pager to let you know when your food is ready (large quantities but a bit bland). Afterwards we wandered down to the harbour to watch the bands – Killer Queen was playing to a large audience. This morning we called in at Mount Morgan, an old gold mining town very drowsy and run-down now the gold has gone. The hotel was a great goldrush-type establishment with a gaming room and free teas and coffees. The road up to Mackay is bordered by sugar cane for hundreds of kilometers. Now at Sarina, just south of Mackay and a little motel right on the beach. Tomorrow we spend a few days with the relies before the trip back in Porky to our friend in Brisbane. No more kangaroos spotted, unless you count the dead one on the side of the road.

Be seeing you in a few days.

19 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:28:00 GMT

Brisbane is an ever-increasing city with new developments springing up everywhere. We stayed with a friend in the south west suburbs - most Australians seem to be suburbanites. Long low bungalows with wraparound verandas, outside barbecues, screen doors and mostly tin roofs. The birds outside in the forest beside the house start up a swanee whistle and kazoo clatter every morning. For the first time on our trip rain fell! In fact, it more or less rained all day as we explored the city and its numerous cafes, bars and restaurants. The crack was good and we came back via taxi to sit on the veranda for more liquid refreshments. The next day we were borrowing our friend's 4x4 to go further up the Queensland coast towards Mackay. But as my nearest and dearest know I am a jinx when it comes to borrowed cars and the dear old discovery's battery duly gave up the ghost at a rest and revive stop near Gympsie (I love Australian placenames). Luckily our friend's brother lives in Bundaberg and he rescued us after we limped into the nearest service station (by this time, the clutch had gone as well). So who knows what tomorrow will bring? Fraser Island may have to be cancelled if we can't get the car fixed. Oh yes, and it's Easter so everything's closed. But I have finally spotted a kangaroo so things are looking up.
Be seeing you.

16 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:52:00 GMT

Left Sydney in a hire car (easier said than done with the traffic on the northern suburbs) and took Pacific Highway in the direction of Brisbane. Mourned the loss of our wonderful bookshop on Oxford St - 2 floors of secondhand and antiquarian books and a small funky cafe to boot! A pleasant journey though not with a view of the Pacific as the name might lead you to imagine, just the Great Dividing Range in the distance. Headed for Port Macquarie expecting to find a sleepy little resort of run-down fishermen's cottages but found instead a smartish resort with golf clubs and motels. We stayed in the Craggy Beach motel, not quite Bates but atmospheric enough. On towards Byron Bay, expecting hippy paradise but this time a very pleasant, busy seaside town with great beaches, restaurants and plenty of places to stay. Blew the budget on a zen space near Belongil Beach. Tomorrow we arrive in Brisbane – no expectations so a clean slate for impressions this time. Still no kangaroos or koalas.
Be seeing you.

15 Days In...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 07:40:00 GMT

And so we arrived in Sydney to stay in the Paddington area, a lively verging on the seedy neighbourhood with a very nice little hotel next to a bookshop, like all the best hotels. I love Sydney, the situation on the bay, the orange-segment opera house and vertigo-inducing bridge (won't catch me climbing up there). We did the touristy thing of eating opposite the opera house and just as we were finishing fireworks erupted over the bridge in welcome. But what I didn't expect to see are the nineteenth century terrace houses with delicate ironwork balconies and pot plants. I can picture myself living in one of those. Major cities are best understood from their back streets and Sydney has a lot of history tucked away from the hue and cry of the harbour and Rocks. A ferry over to Manley and back is de rigueur and we even tried out the toytown monorail system. Next stop up the coast is Port Macquarie before we cross the border into Queensland.

A note on the budget: some days are definitely better than others. A friend took us out last night so we have been fairly restrained but tomorrow we hire a car so expect to blow our 90 dollar limit all in one go.

Be seeing you.

13 days in...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:08:00 GMT

Hello from South Australia, the festival state. Temperature since we've been here: 40C. But a very dry heat so not so tiring. We're staying with Tom's cousin who has a little house in the south of Adelaide near the hills. Bush fires raging almost out of control. Yesterday we took the ferry to Kangaroo island. Like Australia used to be I imagine before all the ribbon development along the coast. Fantastic beaches totally deserted. Found a natural sponge washed up on the beach (but you can't remove any items from their original environment). I fondly imagined to see kangaroos boinging around everywhere but it turns out all species including wallabies, echidnas (like anteater/hedgehogs) are nocturnal. But we did see an 18 inch long gooana (iguana). I like the original Australian homesteads with zinc roofs and verandahs and these are apparently becoming more appreciated here now. South Australia is unlike western Australia, seems less modernistic, more traditional. Now at the airport en route to Sydney so it will be interesting to see how different NSW is.

Be seeing you.

Eleven days in...

rosemarydixon@hotmail.com — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:04:00 GMT

Headed down from Perth on the metro-type train to the sleepy seaside resort of Mandurah. Except that it is actually a glitzy marina resort of over 60,000 citizens. Stations on the way: Burdock, Holborn, Banana and Mallard – in reality, Murdoch, Cockburn, Kwinana and Wellard. Ears go funny in the heat it seems. We were staying with an old friend of Tom's who actually worked for the EDP in the seventies. Sally picked us up from the station and lent us her car for the afternoon. We took a dolphin viewing cruise which was a revelation. No dolphins but a new network of Venice-style canals with opulent waterside residences. Have we ended up in Dubai by mistake? No, Western Australia really is this affluent, a car-oriented air-con existence in semi paradise. Multi-coloured parakeets in the trees and anti-bug screens against the enemy mosquitos. Temp this am in Perth 28C, temp in Adelaide our next destination 37C. But apparently it's hotter and more humid in Queensland whither we are bound next week.

Be seeing you.