Melbourne: Day Seventy (28 December)

Our last day in Melbourne.

It was another lovely, sunny day so we went for a walk in Carlton Gardens before catching our lift to the airport.

The flight was fine and we had a smooth journey into the centre of Sydney. We are staying in an apartment this time but still near Darling Harbour so we had dinner at the Great Aussie Pie Place.

Barnaby

Ballarat: Day Sixty-Nine (27 December)

Ballarat was the site of the Australian Gold Rush in the nineteenth century and, after a quick look round the town as it is today, we went to Sovereign Hill, an open air museum recreating what it would have been like to live in those days.

It was a bit like the Wild West then and soldiers were needed to make sure people didn't behave too badly. Australia was still a British colony so we saw Redcoats marching down the Main Street.

The Sovereign Hill school wasn't open because it is the Australian school summer holidays but during term time children from today can find out what it would have been like to be taught in the Victorian era. It was much more strict and they used the cane so I wasn't too sad to miss that.

Instead we went on the Red Hill Mine Tour and saw how wheels are made at the Wheelwrights. We also had a coach ride and tried our hand at gold panning but we didn't find any.

Here I am in my prospector's hat.

Barnaby

Melbourne: Day Sixty-Eight (26 December)

Boxing Day morning was so lovely we had breakfast on our apartment balcony.

We explored the Southbank of the Yarra River and then caught the free tourist bus to the Botanic Gardens.

Then we walked along Flinders Street to Fitzroy Gardens, where there was the most beautiful conservatory full of gorgeous flowers.

We also saw Captain Cook's Cottage, the model Tudor Village and the Fairies Tree.

Barnaby

Phillip Island: Day Sixty-Seven - Afternoon (25 December)

The main reason for visiting Phillip Island was to see the Penquin Parade.

The island is one of several places where the world's smallest penquin - the Fairy Penquin - breeds. Special boardwalks have been built near the site so people can watch the birds come ashore without disturbing them.

It was a magical sight: a perfect special memory of my Christmas Down Under.

Barnaby

Phillip Island: Day Sixty-Seven - Morning (25 December)

We had our turkey dinner last night but we celebrated Christmas Day with a special breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and gave each other chocolate as presents.

At 12.45pm we were picked up for our tour. This Christmas Day is definitely going to be different from usual :-). First stop was Warrock Homestead where we had afternoon tea - with mince pies - and then we drove over the bridge to Phillip Island and the Koala Conservation Centre. We were lucky to spot several koalas including a baby.

Barnaby

Melbourne: Day Sixty-Six - Afternoon (24 December)

We caught a train from Melbourne's famous Flinders Street station to the suburb of Williamstown. This is where another Australian friend lives (her English daughter-in-law used to be our hairdresser) and she had kindly invited us for Christmas dinner.

We enjoyed a fabulous three course meal, including roast turkey with all the works, before going to their local Midnight Eucharist service.

Barnaby

Melbourne: Day Sixty-Six - Morning (24 December)

Christmas Eve and we went on the Neighbours' tour!

As well as visiting the studios- we couldn't see the inside sets because they were closed for the holidays - we visited the location of Erinsborough High and then Ramsay Street itself.

Afterwards we went to St Kilda to meet Nell Feaney who used to play Janelle. She was ever so nice and answered all our questions as well as signing our commemorative postcards.

Barnaby

Melbourne: Day Sixty-Five (23 December)

Today we met up with relatives of friends from England. Alan and Lynda emigrated to Geelong many years ago.

We had a coffee in Lygon Street and then drove out towards the Dandedongs for lunch. It was still chilly and misty so we didn't stay long at Mount Dandenong Sky Lookout.

Back in Melbourne we went to the evening service at St Paul's Cathedral and then had dinner in Chinatown.

Barnaby

Melbourne: Day Sixty-Four (22 December)

It was still overcast and rainy today so we explored Melbourne on the City Tram and Tourist Shuttle (both free). The shuttle is hop on, hop off but we chose to stay on all the way round so we could see the whole city.

Afterwards we explored St Paul’s Cathedral and booked some tours. As you might know from Neighbours, there are lots of Italians in Melbourne. They have their own precinct - like the Greeks - so we went there for dinner this evening and then opted to watch ‘Carols in The Domain’ on television rather than being out in the cold. I still can’t believe Christmas is only three days away!

Barnaby

Great Ocean Road: Day Sixty-Three - Morning (21 December)

Our route today took us through the Great Otway National Park. First stop was Maits Rest where we followed the Rainforest Boardwalk. The rainforest in Victoria is cool and temperate, quite different from the tropical rainforest we visited above Cairns.

Further along the Great Ocean Road we stopped at Kennett River, hoping to see koalas in the wild. Even though the weather was murky we were really lucky and managed to see thirteen! They looked quite ethereal in the gloom.

Our last stop before lunch was Erskine Falls at the other end of the park. It stayed misty all day so we weren’t able to see the view from Teddy’s Lookout in Lorne. We did have a photo stop at the Great Ocean Road Arch though and learned how the road was built as a memorial to Australian soldiers killed in World War One.

Barnaby

Great Ocean Road Tour: Day Sixty-Two (20 December)

Our first stop today was Mount Gambier and the Blue Lake. Apparently it only looks blue in the summertime so it's just as well December is summer in Australia.

Not long afterwards we crossed the border between South Australia and the state of Victoria. and officially joined the Great Ocean Road.

We stopped at the Bay of Islands, the Bay of Martyrs and London Bridge - a rock formation which looked like a double-span bridge until part of it fell down just like the song says.

We had lunch in Loch Ard, which is named after a famous shipwreck, and then saw the famous Twelve Apostles (except there are only eleven now because one has collapsed due to erosion).

Our final stop was Apollo Bay where we spent the night and went on a glow worm walk.

Barnaby