Newcastle | Diary of an Adventurous Retiree

After experiencing cool and sometimes cold weather in Victoria and Tasmania we have returned to Cardiff to very hot and humid conditions! It is very much like the climate in Durban, KZN, in South Africa and as we often visit KZN we are used to this kind of heat in summer.

We had a relaxing morning until just after 10 and then went shopping with aunt. I needed to get a ‘dongle’, Earl needed a barber and he also wanted to check our the Australian Woolworths. The barber quickly put his ‘hair’ to rights, I got the Dongle from the Post Office shop and after one or two hiccups with MTN and Telstra clashing with each other I am now have the internet up and running on my laptop.

We then drove to Newcastle to drop off the hired car and to deliver a parcel. (Marilyn we found Brad with ease – mission accomplished). A pleasant morning was then spent exploring the waterfront and beaches of Newcastle. Earl’s boat and water fetish was well catered for. We started with a walk along Queen’s Warf, watched a ship being pushed out by tugs, climbed the observation dome and got magnificent views of the surroundings. We had a drink on the deck of one of the many eateries and then went to put our feet into the Pacific Ocean. At Nobby’s Beach I threw a coin over my shoulder, into the sea and yelled “Marilyn will be back!” fulfilling my promise to her that I would declare this on her behalf! Marilyn has visited Australia seven times and loves this wonderful land. She is soon to retire and wants very much to come back. Marilyn – I know your dream will come true.

We were amused to hear a warning to bathers coming over the public address system at the beach – “Will those bathers over there please make their way back to the area between the flags. This is for your own safety as it is the only area monitored by the life guards!” The beaches were lovely – and not overly crowded. It’s a pity we left our costumes at home – but we will be visiting beaches closer to home soon.

Bird of the day captured in the garden – Topknot Pigeon

Queen’s Warf

Aunt and me on Queen’s Wharf

A smart eatery on Queen’s Wharf

The Ferry

View from the Viewing Dome

A drink on the deck

Nobby’s Beach – “Marilyn will be back!”

Dolphins in the Bay

Newcastle Beach

Australian Surfers

We are being so well taken care of here with Leonie and Colette. They are treating us with so much love and hospitality and we are having the time of our lives. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and the cousins will be arriving in Cardiff for the holidays. Looking forward to seeing them all.

It was a very early wake up time this morning. Earl was not feeling well last night and getting up at 3:00 a.m. did not help either. By four o’clock we were on the road with Aunt in the driver’s seat. She did not need the Garmen to find the way. It was a perfect morning and after dropping off the hire car and checking in – quite a mission because of the distance one has to walk – we checked in. Do you know you have to pay for a trolley at Australian Airports? I thought $3.00 was a bit steep! I was a little nervous when I saw the terminal was like it was used to be in the olden days when you walked onto the tarmac to board the plane. The first one I saw had propellers and Earl almost had me convinced that this was ours! The name Jetstar put me at ease!

A day to depart from Newcastle to Melbourne-

Dawn departure from Newcastle to Melbourne on a Jetstar Flight

It was a bit of a shock to land in a wet and windy Melbourne. I was so sure that Australia was a hot country that I didn’t pack any long sleeved shirts or warm jerseys – my jeans, fleece and school jacket would have to do!

It was a long drive to Warrnambool (Maria I promise this is really how you spell it!) Fortunately Earl was feeling better and took the wheel. We stopped for coffee at a quaint little coffee shop in one of the small town en route – excellent and Aunt assured us that $3.00 for a long black was cheap by Aussie standards.

It poured most of the way so stopping to sight see was not on the agenda. It cleared up when we arrived and so we explored the town and surrounds for an hour.

Water everywhere

Birds abound. This is a Blue-billed duck

Our accommodation is a two bedroomed, two bathroom, open plan livingroom/kitchen apartment and very comfortable. It has all the mod-cons of home including a washing machine!

After a rest we set off along the Great Ocean Road and took in the compulsory tourist must dos. And boy were they worth it. The weather was awful but the beauty was still sensational and it was well worth travelling all these miles to see these incredible natural phenomena. Also there were no crowds and no entrance fees to spoil the experience. We could just take it all in and enjoy. Of course we looked out for birds en route too!

We stopped at an old fashioned diner for delicious take away ham, cheese and tomato rolls.

Still need to find out what this bird is

Me at The Bay of Islands

Bay of Islands

Amazing rock formations

The gale nearly blew us away at the view point of The Twelve Apostles

The photographs do not do justice to the magnificence of these rock formations. I would also love to come back on a sunny day although I think that the wild weather added to the beauty of the experience in many ways. The sea was turbulent, the wind blew through our hair and we felt both awed and invigorated. It was good to feel the rugged beauty both in the rocks, the sea and the weather.

Australian Wood Duck

Spur Lapwing

Wood duck again

Australian Black Bird (type of thrush)

Black Swans

We got home quite late and went straight to Beu Jangles for pizza. I loved the Christmas hat sported by one of the chefs. Typical Aussie – the prettiest bush hat I’ve ever seen!