Freycinet is such a lovely word to roll off the tongue. But how did a picturesque peninsula on the east coast of Tasmania gain such a French name? For thousands of years the Indigenous Oyster Bay tribes lived there. In 1642 Abel Tasman sailed by mistaking the peninsula for an island. Then in 1802 a […]
September 15, 2014
Today I had a look at the new “Merewether Aquarium”. The pedestrian tunnel from Ridge Street to Merewether Beach has been transformed by local artist Trevor Dickinson. The artist has included some of the local icons including the Merewether Ocean Baths pavilion… The diving blocks from the baths… and the old surf house… My primary […]
December 31, 2013
Standing at the edge of Dove Lake we are being lashed by freezing sleet and an icy wind. It’s nearly the end of September but it feels like winter. Our planned two-hour trek around the lake has diminished to a 10-minute stagger to the boathouse but even that is revised to a quick photo before […]
June 2, 2013
An hour and a half west from Sydney are the Blue Mountains. In 2000 the Greater Blue Mountains became listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When you stand at one of the many scenic lookouts in the area you can see why. And what makes the Blue Mountains blue? It’s the masses of Eucalyptus […]
January 28, 2013
Christmas and New Year in Australia. It’s hot, it’s summer. The kids are on their long holiday for the year. The days melt together as we mooch from the pool to the beach. We always try to have a long weekend in Sydney after Christmas and New Year to catch up with friends & family. […]
August 4, 2012
Here are my suggestions of 5 ways to see Sydney. 1. Get out on the harbour One of the best ways to see Sydney is from the water. Head to Circular Quay and jump on one of the Sydney Ferries. Any ferry. Arrive at Taronga Zoo by ferry. Even the short ride to Darling Harbour […]
August 1, 2012
Unless you are sailing in on a luxury yacht or slashing your way through the tropical rainforest of Cape York most visitors arrive in Port Douglas by driving north from Cairns along the Captain Cook Highway. Getting out of Cairns is fairly low key but just past the turn off for Palm Cove the highway […]
June 20, 2015
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