Day 64 Hong Kong (2) 21st April 2011

Weather wise, today started out  pretty much like yesterday in that a grey misty cloud seems to be hanging over us reducing visibility and making everything look grey & drab.  However, Full English buffet in the hotel perked us up a little and by the time we got outside the sun was trying hard to break through the early morning mist.  Yesterday we purchased open top bus tickets to go round the main areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon and they were valid for two days, so today we decided to take a bus trip over to the South of Hong Kong Island.  Leaving from the Central Ferry Terminal we passed through the financial area and headed out towards the famous Happy Valley racetrack, where millions of HK$ pass hands every Wednesday evening and some weekends when the horseracing is on.  From Happy Valley we dived into the relatively new tunnel that cuts off about 20 minutes travelling time to Aberdeen on the South of HK Island.  We had the option of taking a Sampan ride through Aberdeen harbour, but didn’t take up the offer as we wanted to return to the bus terminal in order to catch a bus to the Peak Tram.  The bus tour passed the fish market in Aberdeen then on to Deep Water Bay then round to Repulse bay, which is a complete misnomer as it is anything but Repulsive.

 It is one of THE places to live in HK and property prices are sky high even in the huge tower blocks that dwarf the beach front properties.  Onwards to Stanley and the famous market, where we decided to get off the bus and have a look round.  Like most markets in HK it sells almost everything, but in this one there were some stunning art shops with a number of very different works of art in both water colour and acrylics. 

Unfortunately, the bus driver on the way into Stanley told us that the next bus to Central HK would be 1.00pm, so after visiting the market and getting a drink, we were heading back to the bus stop at 12.45 when the bus rounded the corner and headed off to Central HK without us!!  There was also a group of Germans who had just missed the bus and they also thought it was going at 1.00pm.  The next bus did not arrive until almost 2.00pm, by which time Fritz and co. had got fed up with waiting and opted for a taxi back to Central HK.  

We got off the bus when it stopped at the Lower Peak Tram Terminus and picked up our complementary tickets for the tram ride up to the Peak.  The queue for tickets was fairly long, but as we had been given ours we did not have to join it.  Once on the cable car we were soon being dragged up the hill.  Under any other circumstances, this would have been quite exciting but for the fact that we went up in a cable car at the Blue Mountains which makes this ride about as steep as a sloping roof on a Swiss chalet.  Once we arrived at the top there were various restaurants, the obligatory souvenir shop and many other establishments as well as a 360 degree deck from which you can take photos.  Unfortunately, you had to pay for the privilege!  It wasn’t that expensive but the views from the top of the Peak are fantastic even though the mist was still lingering despite the sun making a valiant effort to burn it off.  Having completed the Kodak moments we descended in the next available cable car and went out to the bus stop to catch a bus back to the ferry terminal.

Over to Kowloon on the Star Ferry to catch the night tour, but not before indulging in a cup of Starbucks, which whiled away the 45 minutes that we needed to kill.  It was fun sitting on the harbour front drinking coffee and people watching.  Some of the poses that the young oriental boys and girls do when they are having their pictures taken are quite amazing.  At 8.00pm every evening there is a laser light show across the harbour and the tour bus is schedule to arrive back in order to see the show.  We departed bang on time, then after a few minutes driving we were stuck in gridlocked traffic and crawled most of the way round the circuit.  By 8.00 we were miles from base and missed the show, which means we will have to get out tomorrow evening to see it.

Driving through Kowloon with all the street signs blazing is quite an experience and one that I’m glad we did not miss.

After returning to the Avenue of stars on the waterfront we decided to go back to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon and dine at one of the many eateries overlooking Victoria Harbour.  Then it was back over on the Star ferry to HK Island and back to the hotel via the underground train.  What was really surprising was that the train was packed and it was after 11.00pm.  When do these people sleep?

Day 63 Hong Kong 1 20th April 2011

We arrived into Hong Kong Airport almost 30 minutes ahead of our scheduled time of 06.00 after an uneventful flight.  The little man with a board bearing our name was present as we exited from immigration and he hustled us into a corner, slapped stickers on our bags and arms.  We were then ushered to take a seat and wait for some more arrivals.  Just enough time to visit the boys room and a trip to the currency exchange.  Soon we were on the bus taking us to downtown Hong Kong, through the tunnel from Kowloon to HK Island.  As we exited the tunnel there was the Excelsior Hotel where I stayed 36 years ago, still standing and overlooking the Typhoon Shelter.  We had two other groups of people to drop off before we reached the Grand Harbour Hotel, our home for the next three days.

Fortunately for us, we had our room upgraded so we are up on the 39^th floor in a very acceptable room.  The only problem this morning is that there is a layer of low, dark mist covering Hong Kong, which we were hoping would burn off when the sun came out.  -  Wrong!!!  The mist has lasted most of the day and according to the locals, in spring and autumn, it’s almost unheard of to get a clear day.  We got showered, cleaned up and decided to take a circular bus trip on HK Island and extend it over to Kowloon on the mainland. 

First of all we had to get to the Central Star Ferry Terminal in Central HK.  That involved catching an underground train just down the road from the hotel to Central.  Just in time to catch the next bus we were soon off looking at the sights of HK.  What is amazing about HK is sheer volume of people and traffic that abounds.  Having said that, the population of HK is about 6M, which is bound to create a lot of traffic and a lot of bodies in the street.  HK has to be seen to be believed.  Part of the bus tour includes a trip up to the Peak on the tram, but as it was still pretty misty, we decided to leave it until tomorrow or the day after.

 The tour returned to the Central Ferry Terminal, so we took the top deck on the Star ferry to Kowloon, picked up the bus and toured all round Kowloon.   By now it was starting to get late, so we caught the ferry back to HK Island then the underground back to the hotel.  The tickets we got for the bus are valid for two day so we can do any of the trips any number of time.  There is a laser show at 8pm every evening across the harbour from Kowloon and the tour also includes seeing the show, so we were hoping to get back to the ferry by 6.15pm,  to catch the tour.  With the time we had it was going to be impossible so we stayed in our room for a little longer and decided to do the evening tour tomorrow.

We dined in the hotel cafe this evening as they had a seafood buffet which looked pretty good.  It was good as it included fresh lobster and shrimps for starters, we both had sirloin of beef as a second course.  I slipped in third course of Lamb curry and a final one of Bread & Butter pudding, Mango mousse, profiteroles and pineapple.  Absolutely delicious.

After dinner we left to go the room, put on our trainers and go for a quick walk.  Our hotel is out of the main area of Hong Kong and therefore it was very quiet in the streets so we returned to our room to get an early night.

Day 62 Brisbane 19th April 2011

By the time we got up this morning the rain had come to a halt and the sun shone for about ten minutes before hiding back behind the clouds. After breakfast, the first task of the day was to return our hire car to Avis. We planned to return it to Coolangatta airport, which is south of Brisbane, only about 35 minutes from Ray & Lynda’s place and significantly closer and easier than the city office in Brisbane.  Why not return it to Brisbane airport you might be thinking?  After all we are departing from there this evening.  Therein lies the problem.  We are not flying until 23.05 tonight and the car has to be returned by 12.00, thus we would have to spend 11 hours hanging around at the airport.  Ray and Lynda had kindly offered to take us to Brisbane sightseeing and then on to the airport for our check in time of 20.00, so we were able to get the car back first thing, then have the rest of the day to sightsee.

After dropping off the car, we headed for Burleigh Heads, a place where Lynda used to go as a child, which is situated at the estuary of the Burleigh River.  Like most places on this coast it has fabulous soft sandy beaches and rolling waves great for surfing.  We walked up to the lookout points on the Heads and as it was not raining, it gave a great view up to Surfers Paradise and down to Tweed Heads, where we stayed a few days ago.  As you will have guessed, it was time for more Kodak moments as not only were there views up and down the beaches, but also of the flora and fauna growing on the Heads. 

 Once back to beach level we headed back to Ray’s for lunch and the final packing.  We are right on the limits of our baggage allowance and still have one more port of call to make, so we need to be very creative how we pack in Hong Kong.

After lunch we stopped at the RACQ motoring offices to pick up some free maps of Queensland and Australia so we can plot where we have been and bore you all to death when we get home.  From there we headed towards Brisbane, but before arriving there we turned off to visit a Koala Sanctuary and conservation area.  This place was essentially untouched forest full of tall Eucalyptus trees, home to Koalas.  There was also a sanctuary where sick or abandoned Koalas are looked after and thankfully there were a small number of them clearly on view.  In the trees outside, there were apparently lots of them, but they are very shy animals and almost impossible to spot in the tall trees. 

 The ones inside were very obliging and let us take loads of photographs whilst they were feeding and sleeping.  These animals are undeniably cute and cuddly, but I still wouldn’t like to get clawed by one of them. The sanctuary and conservation area was free to enter and would be a fantastic place to bring small children as you can get right up close to the koalas.  Just as we were driving out a couple of walabys jumped up the road towards us an posed for pictures.

From the Koalas we went into Brisbane and walked along the South Bank and over the river.  It is almost impossible to believe that just a few months ago the areas where we walked were submerged as there is little or no sign of flood damage.  The city has made a fantastic job of cleaning up and getting back on its feet.  We strolled past the State Parliament building, then down into the botanical gardens, then up into the city centre and the Mall.  It was now starting to get dark and it had just started to drizzle with rain.  From there we walked up to the old Treasury building, which is now a casino apparently, then across the river returning to the South Bank. 

 There is a very large Ferris wheel on the riverside, rather like the London eye, but turns considerably faster than its London counterpart. 

We were unsure what culinary delights Qantas had in store for us so we decided to eat in a Turkish restaurant that Ray & Lynda had frequented before and it was a good dining experience having never having eaten Turkish food before. 

From the restaurant, we were chauffeured directly to Brisbane airport just in time to commence check in for our flight at 23.05.  As we stood in the queue it was quite obvious that the check in staff were not taking any prisoners tonight as they were the most poe faced bunch of Qantas staff I have ever seen.  We were checked in by an Australian Asian chap whos first words were’ I’ll need to weigh your hand baggage before you check your bags’.  Not so much as a good evening sir or kiss my ****.  This guy must have come from the same check in school as the miserable bitch from Gatwick.  I knew my rucksack was well over, so it came as no surprise when he wanted something taken out from it.  Fortunately, one of our suitcases was a couple of Kilos below weight so I took some old paperwork out of the rucksack and put it in hold baggage.  Fortunately I had kept my camera on the trolley otherwise we’d have been in the clag.  Not sure what’s going to happen when we leave Hong Kong having accumulated more rubbish.  Apart from that incident, the flight left bang on time and thanks to a strong tailwind, we arrived in Hong Kong almost 30 minutes early.  However, it was just as well we ate dinner before going to the airport as the on board food was really not up to scratch and the roll at breakfast would have been more at home in a decorative brick wall as it was like a lump of stone.  Good entertainment though, we watched The Kings Speech. 

Day 61 Toowoomba 18th April 2011

Unfortunately the weather today has carried on from where it left off yesterday ie raining!!  However, we were not to be deterred from driving inland to Toowoomba to see some more of the Queensland scenery.  Ray & Lynda have again been very generous and chauffeured us around despite the miserable weather.  We left the Gold Coast and headed towards Brisbane on the M1 turning off left to make our way past the huge reservoirs that were the source of the Brisbane floods earlier on in the year.   We stopped at Fernvale for morning tea & coffee and as there was a rather fine bakery in town, we decided to buy some cakes to eat with morning refreshments.   We parked up and was just making our way to a vacant picnic table when we spotted some lorikeets (small parrots) flying around displaying their vibrant coloured plumage.  When we sat down one of the birds flew into a nearby tree and began squawking away.  Lynda went to the car and returned with some bread to feed the birds, which soon rained down on us.  Before we knew where we were, there were all sorts of birds around us including brightly coloured male & female lorikeets, minah birds and a couple of huge magpies.

 The lorikeets were noisy as they squabbled over the bread Lynda had thrown down, whilst the minahs just mucked in quietly.  Surprisingly, the magpies were like the vultures on a carcass, they waited to the end to see what was left, despite the fact that they were by far the biggest of all the birds around.

After being entertained by the birds we headed off to towards Hampton where we stopped for our picnic lunch at a spot just behind the local information centre.  Regrettably the rain was now driving under the shelter we were in, but it did not stop us from having a great picnic.  No birds here as they would probably have drowned if they were to fly around in this weather.  The rain stopped and started all day long making driving conditions less than conducive to a drive in the country.  Heading off to Toowoomba the rain eased somewhat and we stopped at one of the lookouts to enjoy what was a spectacular view across the valley, which would have been that much better if the drizzle and low cloud were not there.  Within a couple of hours driving we had gone from the Gold Coast beaches through the hinterland across areas of largely tree free landscape and back into dense tree filled valleys.  Quite an amazing spectrum of scenery really.

After leaving Toowoomba we passed through various small towns that could easily have been used to shoot westerns.  Going through the area where there is a university that specialises in agriculture and animals, we passed through a very attractive town called Laidley which had the traditional Australian timber boarded houses, corrugated iron roofs and verandas with iron lattice work.  Again they would not be out of place in an American Western.

From here we made the return journey to Ray & Lynda’s place in rain that varied from heavy to torrential, which made the driving hard going for both of them whilst we languished in the back, occasionally imitating a nodding dog.  Eventually we reached home and Lynda then had to get stuck into making dinner, which was absolutely delicious.  After which we were able to share some of our travel experiences before heading off to bed and a well deserved sleep.  Tomorrow is our last day in Australia as we head off in the evening to Hong Kong and the final stopover of the holiday.

Day 60 Gold Coast 17th April 2011

It’s Sunday; so it was a lazy start to the day as we did not appear for breakfast until just before 09.00.  Lynda slaved over a hot cooker and produced a magnificent Full English Breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast, which we all enjoyed immensely.  After breakfast we headed out to Robina and a large shopping complex not too far from where Ray & Lynda live.  Our main reason for going was to visit a book shop in order to get a picture book of Sydney as we failed to buy one whilst we were there.  As we were about 1000kms North of Sydney, we were not that hopeful of getting one, but it was worth a try.  We did manage to get hold of one and also another for the Gold Coast, the area were we are at present.

From the shopping centre we made our way to a huge open market that sold just about everything you could ever want.  First up was a banana shake and meat pie for lunch, before wandering amongst the endless stalls, where I bought a bushman’s hat. 

Out here they have some incredible raffles, rather like the Readers Digest ones back home, where there is a very valuable main prize and a few lesser ones.  One of the raffles Ray and Lynda had through the post was for a refurbished block of flats that was supposedly valued at A$3.1Million and was just up the road from where the market was.  You could actually go round the flats as they came fully furnished and with all the white goods as well as a swimming pool. We decided to pop along and see the property and whist we were there bought 4 tickets between us.  The draw is next month, so when we win, we will have to come back out to collect our prize.

From the prize flat we headed out to the Spit, just to the North of Surfers Paradise and took a walk along the beach and breakwater.  Today the seas looked grey and sombre as did the clouds in the sky.  Even the beach looked unhappy compared to how it looked just a couple od days ago.

 By now it was getting a little breezy and the black clouds were gathering, threatening rain.  On the way back to the highway we passed the Versace Hotel where the celebrities stay in the TV programme ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’.  That had to be a Kodak moment.

 

The rainclouds were starting to look very ominous so we decided to take a drive through Surfers Paradise and head for home before it started raining too hard.  Just as we were leaving Surfers it started to pour down, so we had made the right decision not to head off hiking elsewhere.

This evening we ate out at an excellent Indian restaurant just 10 minutes drive from Ray & Lynda’s house.

Day 59 Springbrook National Park 16th April 2011

After breakfast Lynda made up a picnic lunch and we loaded our bits and pieces into their car and set off towards the Springbrook National Park. The weather was looking a little foreboding but at least it was not raining.  By the time we reached the park there was a heavy mist present but our first stop at one of the lookouts was amazing as there were views right across the valley through to Surfers Paradise on the coast.  We also stopped at Twin Falls for coffee before going to the lookout where the Falls were clearly visible. 

We had only gone a few yards into the undergrowth before reaching a picnic table where we stopped to make our  coffee.  Lynda looked down at her leg and there was a leech attached to it.  With a quick flick of the wrist the leech was detached from her leg, which then made us all inspect all our bare bits of flesh.  After the Twin Falls we departed to go to the scenic lookout called The Best Lookout of All, but it was covered by thick heavy mist and low clouds rendering visibility down to a few hundred metres at best.  Given that we were some considerable height above the ground, being able to see a few hundred metres meant that nothing apart from a few tree tops were visible.  However, with just the odd tree poking through the mist and clouds, there was a certain mystical aura about the place. Also the scenery made a change from the spectacular golden beaches that we have been experiencing for the past four days. 

We then drove some considerable distance to the Numinbah Valley where we stopped to eat our picnic in one of the designated areas.  The weather was still grey and damp but the rain was holding off.  After lunch we trekked through the rainforest to the Natural Bridge, which is a place where the river has eroded a block of basault rock through to an area of soft rock to form a cave and waterfall.  Within the cave are thousands of bats and glow worms hanging from the ceiling. The smell inside the cave is not as pleasant as it should be due the high volume of bats poo on the floor. 

As we walked through the rain forest we saw beautiful plans and ferns growing in and amongst the trees.  The scenery in the rain forests is quite spectacular and the fact that it was damp and grey probably made it more interesting than had it been a bright sunny day.  Having said that, the lookouts are unquestionably better when the weather is brighter. 

After leaving the Numinbah Valley we headed for somewhere completely different; a place called Nimbin, which is where a commune of hippies are permanent residents.  The place is steeped in 60’s flower power culture and the shops reflect this in their unusual nature, as you will see from the picture below. 

There were lots of galleries and places selling ethnic goods as well as a few places that you would not find in the average high street.  Whilst selling drugs is illegal in Australia, we can only assume that the police must turn a bit of a blind eye to some of the strange shops in this town.  Apparently Byron Bay used to be just like Nimbin until the new youth took it over as a surfing resort.

 We are very grateful to Ray and Lynda for ferrying us around today and sharing the delights of their country with us.

Day 58 Tweed Heads to Varsity Lakes 15th April 2011

With only a short distance to go today there was no great rush to get started, so a cup of tea in bed was the order of the day.  We had received an email from Ray & Lynda last night stating that they were not returning from their holiday until today, which was a bit of a shock as we thought they were coming back from Vietnam yesterday.  We phoned before breakfast and fortunately they had just arrived in doors and insisted that we continue as planned, but left getting to their house until later this afternoon.  So after a leisurely breakfast and packing everything up we set off to take some snapshots of Tweed Heads, where we had been lodging.  I think I’m getting withdrawal symptoms from not using the communal toilets and showers as it’s getting harder to find things to write about.  They were such a good source of material and it’s all dried up now.

Like many of the places that we have stopped in since leaving Sydney the beaches at Tweed Heads are just stunning and just go on forever.  By the time we arrived at the beach things were in full swing and there were lots of surfers showing off their talent, or lack of it in some cases.

Whilst walking along a footpath we encountered this not so friendly character, but fortunately he scuttled off when some noisey skateboarders come trundling by.

From Tweed Heads we started to work our way towards Surfers Paradise, stopping off at various beaches along the way, each of which was made up of beautiful soft golden sand.  The closer we got to Surfers Paradise the taller the buildings got until they all seemed to merge into one big concrete jungle and we had arrived. 

 We parked the car on the sea front and walked down the main street, then back towards the front to find somewhere for lunch, which was followed by an Italian ice cream. We sat for a good half an hour people watching as there were some interesting sights going by.   Surfers Paradise is as its name implies – full of holiday makers, mostly younger people many of them Japanese and many of them wanting to try their hand at surfing.  It’s a little bit like Blackpool in that it is a purpose built holiday destination and has a long sandy beach.  I guess the main differences are that Blackpool has Kiss me quick hats and this place doesn’t, but then again it’s autumn here and its 28 degrees today, whereas Autumn in Blackpool is more like just 8 degrees!!  Considering it’s only Friday the beaches were relatively busy and there were a good number of people in the surf.  As we stood on the sea front a life guard picked up his surfboard,  rushed into the sea and within a couple of minutes had reached a couple of struggling swimmers clutching onto a surfboard.  Almost as quickly as he got out to them, he was depositing them back on the beach in one piece: most impressive.

From Surfers Paradise we headed back down the coast to Miami Beach and turned inland towards Varsity Lakes where Ray and Lynda live. We had a stroke of luck this morning as in the motel there was a local Yellow Pages directory and as I was reading it over breakfast (poor substitute for the Times) when I noticed a detailed street map of the area, which included Varsity Lakes.  I only hope the next guest in room 37 doesn’t want to find anywhere on maps 8 or 9 of the Yellow pages as these proved useful navigation aids in finding Ray’s house.

We turned up just after 3.00pm to find Ray  filling in the hole he had dug in order to repair a water pipe that had burst whilst they had been away on holiday.  Probably not something that they really wanted upon their return.  It was great to see them both again even though it was only last summer when they were in the UK and we were soon exchanging holiday experiences.  Again we were treated to an Australian BBQ for dinner washed down with Australian Red wine.  As Ray & Lynda have had a very long couple of days we all retired to bed early ready for a fresh start in the morning.