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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 16, 2019 10:00 PM Canberra, the capital... Where are hitchhikers?
The longest driving on all Australian route is scheduled for today - arund 500 kms in tge strong sun and heat. The road is empty. Can you imagine that during 5 days of driving through NSW I saw only 2 hitchhikers? Yes, I gave them a lift! Because I also hitchhike... But in general hitch is not popularcin Australia - drivers do not stop, so the travellers do not try... Miserable...
I have been to Canberra during my first voyage to Australia in 1986. 33 years... But the capital remain almost the same with the Parliament in the centre, between two lakes. I found the way to the Red Hill to see the panoramic view... Not easy to drive in the capital - red lights every 200 m, roadworks - they build the tram line.
Then I was driving picturesque Illawara Hwy with the nice views. Traffic congestion in the evening - crowd of the cars are retirning from weekend. I spent thd night in Engadine, close to Sydney invited by the Couchsurfer. Thank you Pam and Neal for your hospitality - this was the only positive couch staying in Australia! I reached their place at 7 pm, tired, but happy...
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Feb 15, 2019 10:00 PM Around Mt Kosciuszko - Tumbarumba - Wagga Wagga
It was a long day... I started at 8.30 am heading to Mt Kosciuszko National Park. At the park gate they charge 17 AUD per car, but I declared that I do not stop in the park and I gor free transit pass ( valid for 2 hours, but nobody care). The famous Alpine Way climbes up around the Mt Kosciuszko giving you great, open views up to the pass called Dead Horse... So why I am going around the highest mountain of Australia?.
I have been here in 1986 hiking to the summit from Charlotte Pass and continuing to Thredbo. Then, traveling by bus to/from the trailheads I did not have a chance to see the Mt Kosciuszko from the other side. That's what I do now...
Once the Alpine Way turned north, the road became narrow, windy and there is practically only one viewpoint before you will reach Village Khancoban. But the western side view is still great and completely different. Then I was driving through the hilly, pasture countryside to Tumbarumba. What a lovely name of the little township with some old, stilish houses!
And again it was still more tham 100 kms to Wagga Wagga - the farthest point of my self-driven tour. The Aboriginal name means Many Crows, and sounds very nice...
WW is the biggest city inland NSW state. It has a nice, compact centre with couple of churches on the hill (St Andrew is probably the nicest) an elegant civic centre downon the riverside. Few kms east on the Sturt Highway you can seemilitary planes in the RAAF museum. Hot, hot, hot... Tomorrow I will rive back to Sydney - it is 455 kms....
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Feb 14, 2019 10:00 PM To the Snowy Mountains...
Eden, where I spent the night is already close to the border of the Victoria State. But today I turned to the north - heading to the Snowy Mountains. First to Bega, than the road is climbing in the hundreds of zig-zags to the level of 1000 m. All in eucalyptus forest... Then it is descending a bit to the pastures,, crossing the Great Water Divide on the level 1110 m. No trees here! I made a break in the little town of Cooma - just to grab the map in the tourist office.
Then - heading to Jindabyne I passed the meadows with a big stone boulders - see the picture. Imagine, the only today I saw on the road and roadside at least 11 dead kangaroos. No, I didn't hit them - they usualy cross the roads early in the morning or night.
Jindabyne on the huge artifical lake is well known tourist center of the Sony Mountains.
Tomorrow I plan to cross the mountains to Wagga Wagga.
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Feb 13, 2019 10:00 PM I will spend the night in the Garden of Eden!
Strong sun from the morning. Today I was driving the NSW coast from Ulladulla through the Great Pacific Drive, stopping in the lookouts. Some of them - like Bourrawarra require up to one hour hike to be on the fantastic lookout. There were many picturesque lagoons, river estuaries with the banks connected by the opening bridges... But first of all - many hours of driving through the high eucalyptus forests. UP and downhill - with the average speed 90 kms per hour! Imagine that I reached Eden (sounds like a paradise) only at 5 pm. On the outskirts of the town there is Garden of Edwn caravan park, where I will spend the night. The award is deserved - I expect beautiful dreams. By the way - it will be St Valentine's night so my best wishes of true love to all ladies who will read these words :)
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Feb 12, 2019 10:00 PM White Toyota to Ulladulla
At 9 am I said goodbye to Norwegian Jewel in Sydney cruise ship terminal. 10 min later I had a chance to connect to free internet in the old Customs House - right opposite the ferry docks. On the streets you will not find free wi-fi! Then I was walking to the William St 65. They were waiting for me in the Hertz office! The car is ready - we will give you upgrade! White, brand new toyota, automatic... I do not care about luxury cars... They are bigger and not easy to park, and the fuel consumption is also higher. But what should I do? No, I do not want full insurance - the rental cost became 100 percent higher in such a case.
I asked the clerk about access to Princess Highway. -Easy, left, left, right 1 block and left again and there will be the sign showing didection to the airport.... I did it, but there was no sign to the airport - only M1 highway. How can I, the stranger know about M1, Mr Idiot? You go this way every day since years and You think there is a sign... I had no choice and soon I found myself in the North Sydney. Than back... I will pay for double crossing the tunnel and commission fee.
The rest of the day was fantastic. Once out of the monster city I went to coastat Royal National Park with fantastic view points, high on the cliffs. Than I visited Nan Tien - the biggest Buddhist temple on the Southern Hemisphere. Then I was driving to 7 Mile Beach... Uhhh...
The evening found me in the little town of Ulladulla. There is something like a poetry of geo names. Ulladulla sounds very nice, don't you think?
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Feb 10, 2019 10:00 PM Memories of Auckland
Our departure from Auckland in the middle of tha day, in the full sun was very spectacular - see the pictures in my gallery.
Today we have day at see - it is sunny but windy and the sea is choppy.
I have a chance to meet two great atists from the Ukraine. Nastya and Sergey perform on the ship's shows a mixture of the gymnastics and baller. I like their production very much. -Ukraine should be proud of you! - I congratulate them...
The a/c on the ship is too good - I am already sneezing...
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Feb 09, 2019 10:00 PM Last day in Auckland
Our ship stayed overnight in Auckland and since the cuise berths are here just in downtown I had a chance to see how the city is illuminated, how they change the color of the bridge every few minutes.
Today I was walking around the center... Sorry, the cost of the lift to the terrace of Sky Tower is too high for me (29 dollars) so I took only the picture of this attraction - It kis 192 m high. St Patrick Catholic Cathedral is just nearby,. It is cozy and nicely decorated inside - quite a lot of people came to attlend the Sunday mas.
Then it was already the time to return to the ship. In the afternoon we are sailing back to Australia. It will be 2 days at sea, so do not expect any messages since the internet on board is very expensive. Ahoy, dear friends - keep your fingers crossed for the calm Tasman Sea! :)
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Feb 08, 2019 10:00 PM Meeting friends in Auckland
The sea was rough in the night when we was sailing around the nonth tip of New Zealand. In the morning Looking into the monitor in my inside cabin I recognized, that the bow of our ship is almost on the street. We are already in Auckland - the biggest city in New Zealand!
Once I climbed to the upperdeck I saw a wall of the high buildings ahead of our ship. Auckland downtown changed a lot since my last visit 9 years ago -thd line of the old building facing the waterfont almost disappeared and they built instead the skyscrapers....
My friend was waiting for me in tge terminal and I was wery happy to see her. We met in October oo Camino de Santiago in Spain walking thes historic pilgrims route. She took me out of the city - one hour drive from Auckland there is black-sand beach of Muriwai. It is a nice place, but the real sensation was for me the huge ganet marine birds colony at the rocky end of the beach. We were climbing first the hill to the observation balconies. Can you imagine few thousands of birds nexting on the little rocky terraces just few meters from you? Adults cleaning their chickens, eggs in the nests, youngsters trying to fly? She really made me happy - the place was unforgettable...
Back in Auckland we went to the fish market to try "the best fish & chips in the world" Yes, they are very tasty... Local Chinese Colony celebrate Chinese New Year so the noisy, dancing dragons were also around. Thanks a lot dear Friends!
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Feb 07, 2019 10:00 PM Tauranga & Maori people.
I am still in New Zealand - today in the Bay of Plenty. Tauranga is a huge port located in the bay. Not much to see here except the panoramic views from Mt Mauao (or Maunganui) - a conic like a volcano peak just 10 min walk from the port gate. From thd bottom it will take you an hour of hike to climb to the summit. The path is steep, bu once you will be on the level 232 m the view will be breathtaking on the sunny day like today...
Well I decided also to take the organized tour to the Maori marae - community center in the nearby Bethlehem. Maori people from Bethlehem showed us their wonderfully carved meeting house, they talket about their customs, culture, traditions and present life. Then we went to the Mapri school where the youngsters in the national costumes were singing and dancing for us. And it was very good production (but overpriced -in my opinion). It was another great, sunny day!
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Feb 06, 2019 10:00 PM Napier in Art Deco
Today I am in Napier on the North Island of New Zealand. This townwas destroyed in 1931 by earthquake. They rebuilt it in the art deco style, and Imust tell you that it was a good idea! Today's Napier is a cozy, clean and bright town with many samples of nice architecture. There are araucarias or Norfolk pines in the streets and a lot of flovers. People from the ship pay 120 dollars for the excursion to the distant cliffs of Cape Kidnapers, but I just take a trail around the towntothe Botanic Gardens, East Docks and up toBluff Hill - overlooking the port, where we dock. The weather improved - we have again quite nice sun, with a temperature of 22 deg Celsius. First half of my marine voyage is over - soon we will be heading back to Australia...
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