I did it my way

On arriving in Darwin, I had one week's accommodation booked and my Pet Shop Boys ticket for 06 June in Sydney. I had my ticket home from Melbourne for 10 July too. But that was it, to quote Mr Sinatra, the rest "I did it my way":

And now, the end is here

And so I face the final curtain

My friend, I'll say it clear

I'll state my case, of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full

I traveled each and ev'ry highway

And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few

But then again, too few to mention

I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption

I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway

And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew

But through it all, when there was doubt

I ate it up and spit it out

I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried

I've had my fill, my share of losing

And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing

To think I did all that

And may I say, not in a shy way,

"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself, then he has naught

To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels

The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

[instrumental]

Yes, it was my way

And it's been a bloody good holiday too.

Nearly a week has gone by!

The Great Ocean Road trip part two was scenic and rocky. The weather was mixed but held up pretty well. The third most visited natural location in Oz was busy but the guide assured me it was nothing like it is in Summer. I can believe him. We popped in to a rainforest boardwalk (another one!) and yes it was me who found the carnivorous snail. Small, shiny black shell, snail-like. It was amusing to watch tourists trying to get excited about a snail. Some of them even took photographs. I took one but it was blurry! Damn fast these creatures. A long bus ride back to Melbourne and my last YHA of the whole holiday - Melbourne Metro - and what a hostel. Fairly new, good rooms, great bathrooms (including a bath!), a rooftop lounge and terrace, a cafe and well equipped kitchen. And it was completely non-smoking. I submitted and had a pizza and chips from the cafe for dinner and wasn't disappointed. In fact, I couldn't even eat all the chips! I spent the evening chatting to a Kiwi who writes travel reviews and collects old books. Shows what you can find out if you offer someone a share of your chips! Probably the best hostel in my travels.

Tuesday I made my way over to West Brunswick (I believe the 'west' is important) to see out my days in Oz at Lauren and Michael's place. It was lovely to stop and sit down, chill and chat, catch up over a cuppa.

Since then, I've been mooching about, dropping in on what Melbourne has to offer and getting ready mentally to come home. Normally, if you've got ten days to go that's pretty much a whole holiday but that's not how it's been feeling. To be honest, I'm suffering separation anxiety! I want to go home but don't want to leave Australia. I have managed to visit Queen Victoria Markets more than once; the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia branch); botanic gardens x2; St Kilda (the seaside in Melbourne); Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Zoo. General shopping has happened and I have to finish my pressie finding this week! I've discovered the source of a most amazing carrot cake, ploughed my way through an over-sized slab of Death by Chocolate and eaten a couple of pizzas. Fruit and vegetables have also been consumed. Of course.

Staying with Lauren has been great. Not having to share a room being one feature but a cat to play with is an added bonus. I can even cook in a kitchen, on my own, and find things in the cupboard that I can use. Melanie lives only round the corner so she and I have also spent some time together, putting the world to rights. We went to the Winter fireworks on a Friday thing in Docklands which was good. Having given up on watching football in the middle of the night once the Socceroos and England failed to escape the first round of the World Cup, I've had nocturnal tennis to watch. I stayed up for the local interest, Nick Kyrgios beating Rafa Nadal, and then last night I watched the amazing final between Federer and Djokovic.

So, my time here is drawing to a close. Hopefully, my next posting will be more upbeat.

Rain - it's the new way

Friday morning I checked out of Melbourne Central for the last time and went off on the Great Ocean Road tour. Our guide warned us that high winds were expected along with rain as the day progressed. However, as we ventured nearer the coast it seemed that we would perhaps be lucky.

Tea break by the beach at Anglesea was breezy but sunny. This (or nearby Torquay) is where Rip Curl the surf company invented wetsuits for surfing. We did some ooh look at the sea ocean stops and went to find some koalas. This was not so easy; seems like they've been scared off by all the tourists. I spotted one, high up in the very top of a very tall eucalyptus tree. It's almost like he was doing it on purpose - yes I'm here but your photos will be rubbish! Returning to the minibus, I ambled past a group of three small trees and found another beastie, much lower down and photo friendly. I quietly mentioned it to people who came our way, so as not to overwhelm the poor creature. One tour driver was very happy that I told him! Made him look good, I suppose. A French girl from my tour said yes, I saw him already and took lots of pictures. Hmmmm so you didn't think to share your good fortune with anyone else? I've learned a lot about myself and other people on this trip (I think you always do) but sometimes I'm just lefting shaking my head.

Another thing (bad way to start a new paragraph) about tourists and photographs is this idea of wanting a picture of yourself in front of every piece of scenery, statuary, landmark, furry creature. It makes for very irritating times when someone else ie me wants a picture of the thing on its own. I bet the enforced slide show back home is exciting too "Here's me in front of the bridge. Here's me by the sea view. Here's me by the statue. Here's me.... Zzzzzzzzzz". Ok, perhaps that's lovely for some folk. All you'll get from me is photos of things I've seen and want to remember. I know what I look like and it's not getting any better.

Anyway, we got to Apollo Bay where we had lunch and I left the group and walked a few yards to the YHA. Very similar design to Halls Gap, I dumped my things and made off to the visitor information centre. A very helpful lady there photocopied a couple of pages from her book of walks and suggested a few options. I went off to Marriners Lookout (correct spelling). The road wanders away from the coastline then heads up, nice and steeply. A few cars went past, of course I would have refused any offer of a lift but no-one stopped anyway. I reached a car park and then there was a footpath, with more storm damaged trees, to reach the 'top'. Here were glorious views out over Apollo Bay and nearby Marengo, the surfing crashing relentlessly, the sky blue and the wind picking up, just a bit (lot). I find it so calming to be able to take in the simple beauty of the environment. Anyway, no tourists in the way of my camera! Back down to earth and town, I bought some beers and checked in for my three night stay at the YHA. I was amused to find wine for sale in those squeezy sports drink packs, and reduced to $2 for 250ml too. I had to buy one just to take a picture. I'm sure my friends at the running club would have appreciated them on their 24 hour event.

Saturday and it was raining. Undaunted, I started the Great Ocean Walk once the skies had cleared a little. The day warmed up and the scenery was fantastic. Surf, sea, seals they were all there together with very few other walkers, mostly people with dogs. The path ventures inland at times and there are decision points along the way where it's up to you if you think you can get to the next bit of the path via the beach or would rather not swim for it. Eventually the rain gods woke up and by the time I was back at Apollo Bay via Shelly Beach about 10 miles later I was soaked. However, there's a bath! So I made use of that and re-appeared suitably clean and with a warm glow.

Sunday and it was raining. Undaunted, I started the walk to Paradise. Well I had to check a place with a name like that! The walk was all on roads, flat to start and then a gentle upwards drift. I passed fields and rolling hillsides, looking very picturesque and British with the rain, the green grass, sheep, cattle, donkeys and alpaca..... Well they have alpaca in the Lake District, I've seen them! Is the plural of alpaca alpaca or alpacas? I like them with their cute hairstyle and they seem slightly less threatening and belligerent than llamas although I haven't tested that theory in any way. The Paradise picnic area was a bit disappointing but it did have a toilet. Marriners Falls was advertised as closed but I decided to keep walking on as I was now in forest with massive eucalyptus trees, the Barham River rushing by at great volume, birds, sheep and road. There were occasional houses, holiday homes and what I imagine were smallholdings off this road. Many unseen but announced by their gate sign or a letterbox. Remote enough not to be heard by the neighbours pretty much unless you let off big fireworks but still on a road which was not even a dirt track. I turned back at 2pm, not wanting to be walking in the dark if I could help it. I always need to allow for distraction time! It did stop raining and I waved at the donkeys and alpaca who had moved in their field and were looking a lot more cheerful. I probably covered about a half marathon so a decent day's walking (for a holiday!).

Monday and it was raining. Undaunted, I stayed in a while and did my packing. A final walk in the wet around the harbour and I went to resume my Great Ocean Road One Day Tour.

Wow no pictures for ages!

The view from Telstra Tower, Black Mountain, Canberra

 Sovereign Hill

 Redcoats, Sovereign Hill

Ballarat these days

 View from the kitchen, Halls Gap YHA

View over Halls Gap

 Of course there's a path here 

 This is what kangaroos do - lounge about

 Trees and branches down all over the place

 Kangaroo pausing in the middle of ear scratching

Still raining

The second full day in the Grampians was still a bit middling as far as the weather was concerned. I put off going out until lunchtime and finally headed off down to Brambuk, yet again. This time to do a return leg 'the other side of the creek'. Storm damage was very much in evidence with branches, bark and general debris all over the place. As the walk progressed, the wind picked up again and I was left thinking that once more potentially this could be dangerous. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that perhaps all the dodgy branches and trees had already fallen down overnight. I met only three people on the way and they were right near the beginning. The power of nature is incredible at times. The impact of the high winds was obvious but I was pondering rock falls, looking at cracks in the rocks above me, admiring ancient distributions of huge boulders as if involved in a game of marbles in some long gone era. But then, we still see cliffs crumbling and boulders going through Italian farmhouses, so I stepped out, just in case. That night, I enjoyed the luxury of the room to myself, my previous room-mates having moved on. I keep having to remember that this is Winter in Victoria, not Summer in the Lake District.

My final morning was spent exploring the 'first' bit of town, as you approach by bus. I found a pub, hotel, houses, building plots. There's quite a bit of space up for building in the area. It would be interesting to see the council's plan for what's to happen in the next few years. The area is very beautiful walking and hiking country. I hope they're trying to balance conservation with economics.

The journey back to Melbourne, by three buses, went well although I did try to leave my sunnies at the milk bar in Stawell where I had to buy my 'train' ticket.

I wasn't happy with the Melbourne Central YHA and I'd heard good reports of Melbourne Metro so I changed my single night next week to the other hostel. Central has no real social space, the televisions are in the two, very cramped kitchens and the rooms are really dingy and not nice. I was back in the same room as last week with the nocturnal Dutch girl still slumbering through the days.

I had a very lovely, sociable day on Thursday. I met up with one of the WEC ski team aka one of the people in the group we go on holiday with. Darren's been working in Melbourne for 3 years so it was interesting to get his perspective on living here as well as having a catch up. I walked around Victoria Markets for a while and bought a few things - a gift for a small person, some blue cheese (it's definitely worth the tastings!) and some fruit (two apples and two mandarins for about 40p). You can buy pretty much anything there, I may well return on my present-buying quest. Does anyone want real or pretend uggs? They're everywhere!  In the evening I met up with Melanie and we briefly visited Lauren's place to drop off some of my stuff and then enjoyed a couple of hours chatting over dinner. I hadn't seen her since she stayed 2-3 years back so it was good to spend time together. I've now met up with the whole family again!

Back again!

Wow, doesn't time and the world (cup) move on?! Last you knew, I was in Melbourne, now you find me in the Grampians of Victoria, having spent three days in Ballarat on the way.

I enjoyed Ballarat, a proper town with history, a community, real life going on around you. But strangely very poor wifi reception in the YHA! It's a tiny place of four rooms in a single building hosted by the Sovereign Hill Comfort Inn. I think the actual building is fairly old. It's a bit of a hike from the station - uphill as you might guess - but then very convenient for some of the major touristy things one of them being Sovereign Hill.

Sovereign Hill is a reconstruction of Ballarat in the 1850s following the discovery of gold. There's a small village of shops, hotels, two mines, a stream for gold-panning, horse carriage ride, school houses and simply lots to see and get involved in. All the staff are in costume, signs are written as of old even if they do confirm that "...contemporary forms of credit are accepted". There were school groups there on a Friday enjoying all that was on offer. Even the opportunity to sit in a class in  one of the school houses. Put your hand up, stand to speak, be polite and so on. I saw one class learning how to form their letters to write properly. It would be interesting to know how much of that they keep. I thoroughly enjoyed it all, even the slightly too realistic sound effects on the Red Hill mine tour.

Not far away is the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka which is frustratingly abbreviated to M.A.D.E - where's the last bloody full stop? It's a new museum dedicated to Australian democracy but on the site of the Eureka Stockade which arguably had a profound impact on the development of workers' rights. It was good to learn more about various aspects of Australian history. However, I have to question yet again whether people who design these places actually do a usability check themselves. For example, the central information display area is 'interactive' in that you prod a big screen to read up on different things represented in the picture. Fair enough, you get to read what you want. But only you get to do that. If someone else is interested in that particular display they have to wait until you've finished or read over your shoulder, at your speed the things that you are looking at etc. It's alright when the place is quiet, which it was for my visit but I can't think that a school group say, would be able to get the best out of all the information that is available. Apart from the history section, there were also thought provoking sections on how change happens. Again, I was a bit flummoxed by some of the 'interactive' things. One encouraged you to stand on footprints to see what happens when one person acts and then asks you to look at what happens when people act together. But how you did that through the display was lost to me. A face recognition thing decided I was male which then made the following discourse a little confusing.

I did also visit the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the oldest and largest regional art gallery in Australia. I'm presuming they mean town-based rather than state level because the Art Gallery of NSW seems a lot bigger to me. It was quite good but did contain a lot of dreary landscape pictures which seem quite common. And the cafe had free wifi!

And then on to Halls Gap in the Grampians. This was always going to be a bit of a journey and it ended up involving the downhill version of the hike to the station, followed by three buses. Not quite as horrendous as it might sound as the buses are meant to link up. So, the last driver waited for the second bus to turn up even though it was late and no-one had called to let him know. All for only two passengers but we both appreciated it. He even dropped me right opposite the hostel rather than go on to the bus stop which actually wasn't that far away.

The hostel is an Eco Lodge, with all sorts of environmental attributes, including its own chickens (chooks). I went for a walk to discover the 'town' and went down the road to Brambuk as that was the nearest tourist information centre while the old one is being redeveloped. Pretty quickly I decided that this is a lovely place. Beautiful scenery, wildlife and chances to do some walking. There are kangaroos everywhere too! Over dinner I worked out what walk I would do today.

Then the weather went a bit nasty, so Plan B swung into action. This involved a shorter, more local walk. Off I went, in the rain. It was easy enough to find the path and follow the signs. The weather even started to ease a little. I found Clematis Falls and they were fine. I went on, towards something called Chatauqua Peak, promising an excellent view out over the area. The path wandered upwards until I finally reached the 'rocky' bit that the guide had promised. It was also pissing down by now, so it felt very British and Lake District like. Although not quite so cold. There is something different to being caught in the rain when it's not freezing cold at the same time. I did well, clambering over rocks, avoiding large puddles, admiring the views, generally making progress. That is until right near the summit where I simply could not get up the last bit on my own in the rain. There was this slab of stone which looked too smooth with a tricky corner at the top, possibly with a cliff on the other side. Ah well, I did my best but I didn't feel the need to test the rescue services. I turned and made my way down, which was occasionally even more challenging than the upward journey. It was still raining.

My return to Halls Gap was going to be via somewhere called Bullaces Glen which was very pretty and reminiscent of Scotland. Still on the way down I realised I could do a mini diversion to some rock pools called Venus Baths. Again, an extremely picturesque spot but by now I really was pondering my safety. I wasn't up on the hill anymore but the wind was blowing up a storm, and the trees were really thrashing about. It was still raining and at quite an angle. The decision not to do the Plan A walk for the day had definitely been the right one. Through the botanic gardens (I didn't stop) and to the shops to find somewhere dry for lunch.

At the Black Panther cafe I ordered a pizza and coffee. I wouldn't normally have a cooked lunch but felt I earned it and perhaps should after my exertions. They were not extreme but I was very wet and slightly cold. The pizza was really good, the best I've had in ages. Good thick base with plenty of topping. Almost like you might make for yourself. Not this measured out, two bits of this, half of one of those jobs. And not too expensive at all.

It seems that the weather has turned generally with reports of blizzards and snow elsewhere in Victoria, so I'll wait until the morning before I make any plans for the day. It might have to be the local zoo! In the meantime, come on Socceroos!

Quick post

I am now in Ballarat with access to very ropey wifi at the YHA. Moving on to Halls Gap in the Grampians tomorrow, Sunday. Let's hope it's better there.