We're back from Australia! It's fair to say that we had some of the very best and the very worst times since we left the UK. We flew from Nelson to Christchurch and stayed at the airport-a family run place which exceeded all expectations! We had members of the US forces Antarctic team staying there. Christchurch was a cultural feast. The highlight (of many amazing things) was catching the Ron Mueck exhibition and finding it was one of the best things we had ever seen-up there with Van Gogh! I've just put a couple of photos on as most would be deemed unsuitable but get on the net and see more.

We landed in Melbourne to hot, sticky and wet weather. We stayed with Justin, Emma, Arthur and Isabella who made us very welcome. The following day we went into the city in pouring rain. It cleared up in time for the 20/20 at MCG much to Paul's relief! The ground is amazing but England lost.

The next day we flew to Hobart, Tasmania. We loved the tiny airport with the cute sniffer dogs who quickly pulled Paul over because we had carried a banana in his camera bag the day before! We picked up our car and headed stright out west to the farm we'd booked a cottage on. Nothing could have prepared us for what lay ahead. We arrived at the farmhouse and were asked to follow the farmer in his 4x4. Nearly 3km later across wild and beautiful rolling farmland we arrived at our vey own wilderness retreat. It was tiny but stood alone in complete isolation. There was NO sound at all. Inside was so pretty. He also pointed out an echidna-a hard to find member of the platypus family. His farm has a real focus on regeneration and environmental protection. I don't normally mention accommodation but this was incredible. We only heard birds-sea eagle, swallows, and dozens of others. The river snaked away in the sun. We actually felt the right thing to do was just to sit on the little balcony and be silent as we watched the sun go down.

The following day we drove to Lake St Clare NP to hike a bit. We chose our route and signed the departure book having been told that the snakes were very active at the moment and to watch where we walked! After a while Paul felt unable to continue but I had been so looking forward to it that I went on alone. I watched every step but it was Paul who met the snake on the way back! I walked on through some of the most beautiful bush up to Shadow Lake. Everywhere was deadly quiet but I met another walker at the lake and he took a photo for me as I can't do that thing the kids do to take your own photo! I RAN back down as I was a bit concerned about Paul but he was OK by then.

We almost cried as we left the following morning to head to Hobart via Mt Field NP-a hidden gem. This little visited park was inspiring. The waterfalls were spectacular but it was the trees that really impressed us. If you like trees then read on but if you just want the blog then skip to .....blog continued.

Eucalyptus Regnans-swamp gum trees.

Tassie's swamp gums are the tallest hardwood in the world and the tallest flowering plant. The tallest recorded is 98m! Only the Califirnia redwoods are higher (softwoods) and the record there is 111m. The French explorer, Bruni D'Entrecasteaux (why do they always have difficult names?) wrote of Tassie's trees in 1792:

'...Trees of an immense height closely interlacing with an almost inpenetrable forest, they served to support others which, crumbling with age, fertilised the soil with their debris. Nature in all her vigour seems to offer to the imagination something more picturesque and more imposing than the sight of this nature bedecked by the hand of civilised man. Wishing only to preserve her beauties we destroy her charm, we rob her of the powere which is hers alone.'

Some of the trees we saw were alive when the Tudors were on the throne but with current logging practices trees of this age are becoming rare. Although they are replanted, they are then felled at around 80/100 years old so the trees in the National Parks are very precious. We were spellbound and spent a very long time there absorbing such a unique and breathtaking display of nature.

....blog continued.

We arrived in Hobart and found our tiny apartment on the main road-it was a bit of a shock but Hobart is so fantastic that we forgave the buses and early morning deliveries. There was a free music festival on and we went to several performances and attended a couple of well structured wine tastings! I just loved the place. It was open, friendly, accepting and relaxed. After Melbourne it seemed like another world. At the music festival middle-aged ladies did ballet on their own, groups of people got together and did barn dances, kids whirled and swirled the night away, young guys threw themselves around without a care (or a partner) and everybody was accepted for whoever they were. People chatted to you and were genuinely interested in what you thought. This was an Australia that we hadn't preciously met.

The next day we walked around the harbour and up to Battery Point-a beautiful little area with gorgeous preserved homes. Inevitably we found ourselves back at the festival! On the final day we went out to Richmond which felt like being in the Cotswolds and was just too much like home. However, the jail there is a sad reminder of the horrors that we inflicted on those early 'convicts'-especially the women. It almost had me in tears. Awful as it was, it has produced a society tolerant of most things and calm in its appraoch to the world. We just loved it and felt we'd barely scratched the surface. We will return.

We flew back to Melbourne and re-entered the rat race. Even hiring the car was a stress. The roads are poorly signed and we took an age to reach Justin and Emma's. The next day we drove down the coast to a holiday resort called Sorrento. On the way there were camp sites that were actually situated on the roadside verge-never seen anything like it. Sorrento was a very upmarket seaside resort but just not for us. We drove back towards the city and found a deserted NP with lovely trails which we enjoyed to ourselves. The following day we went to the Dandenong mountains but it was a long drive to see uninspiring parks with huge houses in them. In the evening we went to the Australian Open Tennis. It was awful. They run 'sessions' rather than a ticket for the day so we couldn't get in before 5pm. By then the matches on the outside courts were pretty well finished. The main arena was lovely and we had amazing seats but we only saw 3 sets of mediocre tennis at 50 pounds a set! There were no games to ship in as only the show courts were in play. The matches are so spread out that it is quite possible to see just doubles in the main arena with no outside matches beforehand and no back-up if it all goes short. It was largely about getitng money off you because when we arrived we couldn't even find the tennis-it was all outlets and gimmicky things from the promoters-YUK. We felt truly fleeced. If that had been our first experience of a grand slam we would never had gone to another. It made Wimbledon shine out as the true tennis fan's place to be.

The next morning we left early for our flight to Adelaide and had just as much trouble with the road signs, just as much trouble at the airport and were glad to be finally underway. We were met at the airport by Debbie, my sister, and her partner, Ailsa. It was a reunion of fairly massive proportions. Debbie and I were separated at birth and only found each other later in life. Although we had spent a little time together when they lived in the UK for a spell it has been many years since we caught up. We had a fantastic time with them in a beautiful city. They took us out to Mt Lofty for a view of the city and then on to a lovely German village called Hahndorff. We wandered in the sun and ate ice cream whilst catching up on years. That night back in Adelaide they treated us to one of the best meals we have ever eaten!! We had such a great night.

The next day Paul and I looked around this fantstic city on our own as Debbie was unwell. We watched the start of the Santos cycle race final leg, took a pedallo on the lake, went to the museum and art gallery and just enjoyed wandering around the parks and gardens. It is a very special place. Then we all drove out to Strathalbyn on the Fleurieu Peninsula. It was very pretty. We spent two days exploring the area and enjoying being together. It was sad to say goodbye as we headed south to Kangaroo Island and Debbie and Ailsa headed home to NSW.

Kangaroo Island is such a special place that I have flagged it up with a blog and photo album of its own.