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13/09/202402/11/2024

Europe 2024

This entry is part 1 of 11 in the series 2024 Europe

Lisbon, Portugal

Tuesday, 3 September – Thursday, 5 September

We left Brisbane International Airport at 0155 after having dinner with Ben who kindly dropped us at the airport. We were both tired by the time we boarded but waited until after the meal service to get some sleep (about 4 hours for me).

We landed in Dubai at 0930 local time (1530 in Brisbane). 5 hour wait for our connecting flight to Lisbon where we arrived at 2130. That was 32 hours after we arrived at the airport.

On Wednesday we bought a Lisbon Card and then caught the bus to the Monastery of Jeronomis. Long queues so we decided to move onto the Maritime Museum. Wonderful museum with lots of the history of the golden years of Portuguese exploring. Vasco de Gama is the most famous of these explorers having been the first to discover the sea route to India.

Next stop was the Belem Tower on the Tagus River. Built to shore up the defences of Lisbon, it later served as a prison and now a popular tourist attraction – so popular we couldn’t climb the tower.

Back to the Monastery of Jeronimos to admire the cloisters and the church.

Day 2 began with 2 metro rides to the Lisbon Oceanarium (advertised as best in the world!)

After this it was back to town to visit the Lisbon Story display. An interesting presentation on the 1755 earthquake that destroyed most of Lisbon.

Next was a walk around the old parts of town using a Rick Steves Audio tour.

Funicular not working so a steep walk up the hill instead

Our last morning in Lisbon we caught the famous 28 Tram through the narrow streets. Close calls aplenty and stopped at one point by a car parked on the track.

Next was to catch the metro to the train station for a 3 hour trip to Porto!

11/08/202417/08/2024

New Zealand Road Trip – Queenstown to Christchurch

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series 2024 New Zealand

Tuesday, 23 January to Saturday, 27 January 2024

Tuesday was a day to sleep in, do some washing and generally recover from the last 5 days. We did catch a bus to the Frankton shops but it was an early night as we were picking up our hire car in the morning.

On our previous trip to NZ in 2018, we travelled the interior route to and from Christchurch. This time we decided to head south to Invercargill and then follow the coast to Christchurch with a stop in Dunedin to visit friends. The first few hours followed the road to Te Anau before we continued south towards Invercargill, a total of 200kms. We stopped for morning tea at Lumsden where they have preserved an old train and carriages and the old station.

Next stop was Invercargill where we arrived early afternoon and checked into our motel. We then headed down to Bluff, the southernmost town in mainland NZ. We visited the Maritime Museum before getting the obligatory photo at Stirling Point (and yes it was cold and windy).

From Bluff we made our way back to Invercargill to see the “World’s Fastest Indian” – made famous in the movie starring Anthony Hopkins. It is on display in a local hardware shop and we got there about 15 minutes before closing. A staff member kindly gave us a guided tour and told us some of the stories for the next half hour. If you haven’t seen the movie, we highly recommend it.

On Thursday, we drove the 250km to Dunedin via the beautiful Catlins beaches. Lots of sunshine but I had no desire to go for a swim.

After checking into our hotel, we were picked up by our friends Carmel and Bill and given a tour of Dunedin and their beautiful house perched on the Hill overlooking St Clair beach. Dinner after on the esplanade with beautiful views of the beach capped off a great day.

On Friday, we did the return trip to Pukerangi on the Taieri Gorge train starting at the stunning Dunedin Train Station.

This popular trip goes through hand-made tunnels and across the Wingatui Viaduct, the tallest wrought iron structure in Australasia. After crossing the viaduct we could get off the train while it reversed and crossed again so we could get photos.

On Saturday, we covered the final 360km to Christchurch with lunch at Oamaru on the way. We dropped the car off and had an early night so we were ready for our next adventure – the Otago Rail Trail.

01/04/202417/08/2024

New Zealand – Fiordland Part 2 – Milford Sound

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series 2024 New Zealand

Saturday, 20 January to Monday, 22 January 2024

On Saturday it was onto the bus again on a rainy day for the trip to Milford Sound. On the way we stopped for a couple of short walks as well as hiking a short section of the Routebourn Track. It was wet – very wet!

After lunch we drove through the Homer Tunnel and onto Milford Sound to board our vessel, the Milford Mariner. One of the reasons we chose this trip was the chance to spend the night on Milford Sound. The ship was larger than we expected with room for 60 passengers in private ensuited cabins.

Photos from our guide, Rob, as we returned to dock

After boarding we had a quick circuit of the inner sound to admire the many temporary waterfalls. There are only 2 permanent waterfalls in Milford Sound (Stirling Falls and Bowen Falls). As it had been raining all day there were literally hundreds of temporary falls to be seen.

After picking up our mooring for the night we had the option to kayak or go for a ride in the tender. As it was still raining and we were all finally clean and dry we declined the offer. After a very tasty buffet dinner, we enjoyed a slideshow about Milford Sound.

The next morning, we motored out to the mouth of the fiord. The winds were light and the swell slight – you couldn’t ask for a better morning. The Captain told me that 2 weeks before our trip, boats had experienced over 100 knots in Milford Sound.

We were lucky to see both seals and dolphins on our cruise.

After disembarking, we boarded our bus and headed back towards Te Anau. It was a beautiful day so we stopped after going through the Homer Tunnel to allow some of our group to cycle down the busy, steep and windy road. The rest of us met them at the bottom to cycle 15kms along the quiet Hollyford Road to our lunch spot near Humboldt Falls. After the rain of the last few days this was a magical ride in sunshine beside the creek.

A short walk up to Humboldt Falls was followed by a beautiful lunch beside the creek.

Before dinner in Te Anau, we went to the small local cinema to see the movie Ata Whenua – Shadowland. Mostly filmed using local helicopters, it gave a unique view of the area we had just visited.

On Monday, we were driven to near Mavora Lake to ride some more of the Around the Mountains Trail.

The first 20km were tough going with a slight gradient and a strong headwind. There was no relief on the wide open plain and morning tea couldn’t come fast enough. At this point I was regretting not having an e-bike!

After morning tea we had to ford a couple of creeks (shoes off for me, some cycled through) before we reached the stunning Von valley and an exhilarating downhill.

Lunch in the valley with spectacular views was followed by a great cycle down to Lake Wakatipu and then on to Walter Peak Station. We had cycled 54 km today and enjoyed a celebratory drink with our fellow cyclists before heading off to the sheep shearing exhibition.

Our tour ended by loading our bikes onto the steamship TSS Earnshaw for our return across the lake to Queenstown. We packed a lot into 5 days and were lucky to spend them with a diverse and friendly group of fellow cyclists and 2 knowledgeable guides. Special thanks to Rob for some of the photos in this post.

27/03/202417/08/2024

New Zealand – Fiordland Part 1

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series 2024 New Zealand

Wednesday, 17 January to Friday, 19 January, 2024

We flew into Queenstown on Wednesday afternoon and checked in to Blue Peaks Lodge. By the time we had settled in and went for a walk around town it was 6pm as you add 3 hours going over to NZ. Town was busy with lots of tourists and bike shops.

The next morning we met our guides, Rob and Sam from Adventure South, and the 8 others in our group (6 Americans, 1 other Australian and one Kiwi). We boarded the bus and headed towards Glenorchy to start our adventure with some kayaking on Lake Wakatipu. It was a beautiful calm morning that wasn’t spoiled by the cloud giving way to some light rain.

Our guide explaining how glaciers formed the lake

We paddled across to Pigeon Island, a predator free island on the lake that has given birds a safe haven away from rats and stoats (a small ferret like animal).

Next it was off to Arrowtown for our first cycling of the trip. After getting our bikes sorted, we headed off on the busy Queenstown Trails.

Very pretty tracks but unfortunately, I had a fall just before the end. Luckily nothing was broken but I did have quite a few cuts and grazes to remind me to be more careful for the rest of the trip.

On Friday it was onto the bus to drive to Kingston to cycle the start of the Around the Mountains cycle trail.

With a strong tailwind the 30 km to Athol was pretty easy and I was happy to make it without difficulty. Lunch was at the Five Rivers Station Cafe where the bikes were loaded and we drove to Rainbow Reach for a hike on the lower section of the Kepler Track.

Light rain did not stop us all enjoying the hike to the Control Gates, a distance of about 10 kms through rainforest beside the Waiau River. This is one of NZ’s great walks.

The bus met us at the end of the hike just as the rain increased so we were glad to arrive at our accommodation in Te Anau.

27/02/202327/02/2023

Hobart and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series 2023 Tasmania

Thursday, 9 February to Monday, 13 February, 2023

After completing the Three Capes walk we had 6 days in Hobart to rest and enjoy the Wooden Boat Festival. This is our third time attending the festival and we have loved it every time. The festival starts with the parade of sail on Friday.

11 tall ships were joined by hundreds of wooden boats and watched by thousands of people who lined the Derwent River. It was a spectacular start to the festival.

We went on each of the 4 days as it is hard to see it all, especially as we ran into so many sailing friends also in town.

Some vessels would be more at home in an art gallery.

Radio controlled yachts (Warren’s new hobby) and other model yachts were also on display. You had to row behind the Four Foot Two boats (right photo) to adjust the sails or course.

Traditional skills – lathe and making rope

There were talks, demonstrations and entertainers roaming the precinct.

A cruise ship towering over the wooden boats

We did do a 9km walk one day up the Rivulet path to the Cascade Brewery. Very pretty and needed to get ready for our next part of the trip – hiking in the Bay of Fires.

11/02/202327/02/2023

Three Capes Walk

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series 2023 Tasmania

Sunday 5 February to Wednesday 8 February 2023

We flew into Tasmania on Sunday afternoon and caught a bus to the Grand Chancellor hotel on the Hobart waterfront. At 7.30 on Monday morning, the Life’s an Adventure guides picked us up to take us to the Tasman Peninsular for our first day’s walking.

We were surprised to find there were only 4 in the guided group and 6 in the self guided group. The other couple were late arriving and eventually our guide Abbey got in contact with them to discover they both had Covid and would not be able to come. We now had a private guide for the next 3 days!

We have been through Dunalley canal 4 times in Phase2

We had morning tea at the Tessellated Pavement near Eaglehawk Neck before driving to the start of the trail to Cape Raoul.

Nearly 5 and a half hours to complete the 16.5km track with over 600m elevation gain.

The walk started in eucalypt forest with cutting grass

Day 2 and we decided to vary the normal itinerary and see a few more of the local highlights. The morning saw us hike to Warerfall Bluff with a fantastic view to the south.

Warren and I then walked back to Tasman Arch to meet Abbey for morning tea.

We then headed south past Port Arthur to walk the Crescent Bay trail. There was a strong, cold SW wind that made for difficult walking with little protection from the coastal heath.

Remarkable Cave (supposed to look like Tassie)

We got Abbey to drop us at Port Arthur and we had a 2km warm down back to our accomodation at Stewart Bay Lodge. Another 16.5km today.

Our final day started with the tough hike out to Cape Hauy. 4.5 hours, nearly 10km, 500m elevation and thousands of steps. This is a busy track with some seriously steep stairs.

Next up was a helicopter flight over the final of the 3 capes – Cape Pillar and Tasman Island.

Perfect weather for the first flight for both of us luckily, although it didn’t stop the sweaty palms. It certainly is a spectacular coastline and a great way to finish the 3 capes.

The helicopter took off from McHenry distillery so we had a quick tour and gin tasting before the bus ride back to Hobart.

29/06/201901/11/2019

Zagreb and Budapest

This entry is part 14 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

Sunday, 16 June 2019 to Thursday, 20 June 2019

We were driven back to Zagreb on Sunday morning in a minibus organised by the boat tour company. After taking our bags to our hotel, I was dismayed to find my camera missing. After calling Willy who checked the boat without success, we tracked it down to the minibus. Luckily the driver hadn’t returned to Krk and Warren collected it from him. While waiting for our room, we visited the Museum of War with its photo exhibition of the Croatian Homeland War from 1991 to 1995. Very moving and confronting images.

After wandering through a market in the park, we had a short visit to the Art Museum where we saw the Baska Tablet which dates from about 1100.

Originally in a church on the island of Krk, it is the first mention of the Croatian name in the Croatian language. From that time, Croatia was ruled by Hungary, Venice, Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Empire, Yugoslavia (after WWI) and Soviets (after WW2) before gaining independence in 1991. Any wonder many Croatians we spoke to wanted to move on from the turmoil of the past.

After a night in Zagreb it was back on the bus for the trip to Budapest. We were booked into Callas House on Andrassy Boulevard next to the Opera House. This street is similar to the Champs Elysees in Paris and terminates at the impressive Heroes Square.

No crowds at Heroes Square in the early morning

On Tuesday we visited the Hungarian National Museum which is housed in an impressive Neoclassical building.

We then walked across town to the Great Market Hall, which sells locally grown fruit and veg, meats and souvenirs.

Our last stop for the day was a tour of the Opera House, which excluded the main theatre which was undergoing extensive renovations. What we saw was opulent and our tour finished with a short concert on the main staircase.

On Wednesday it was time to leave Europe and face the long flight back to Brisbane. It had been another great trip where we managed to pack a lot into our 6 weeks away.

29/06/201912/05/2020

Croatia Bike and Boat – Part 2

This entry is part 13 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

Thursday, 13 June to Sunday, 16 June 2019

On Thursday morning we were awoken at 6.30 as the Andela Lora set sail for the island of Pag. After a leisurely breakfast we set off on our bikes from Novalja, cycling 20kms along the island to the small port of Lun where our ship was waiting.

Not as much wind today but a lot of dead snakes on the road. This is quite bleak countryside as the Bora winds have blown away the topsoil leaving rocks exposed. These rocks have been used to build walls in the fields to protect the olive trees and sheep from the winds which can reach 200 km/hr.

*Andela Lora* motoring to our rendezvous

Mary, one of the legends without an ebike

After boarding our ship we have a short motor across to the island of Rab. We anchored in a small bay for anyone who wanted to swim and then moored in town for the night. The fortified town of Pag was built in the Middle Ages on a wedge shaped headland and is easily recognised by its 4 bell towers.

We had a tour around the city in the afternoon and then a demonstration and taste of Rab cake. This cake was first served in 1177 to Pope Alexander III when he consecrated the Cathedral in Rab. It is usually shaped into a spiral and lasts up to 2 months.

Old crests got recycled when the town was invaded

On Friday morning we rode our bikes 21kms to one of the few sand (coarse) beaches we have seen in the Adriatic.

This is the home island for our guide Petra whose family has lived on the island for over 200 years. We cycled along the promenade most of the way and enjoyed our swim.

School kids celebrating the end of school

Back on the boat it was across to the mainland again so we could visit Zavratnica fjord. This involved a 4km hike in HOT conditions but it was a beautiful spot.

Swimming off the back of the boat afterwards cooled everyone down.

Lastly we motored across to the town of Krk on the island of (you guessed it) Krk.

Our last bike ride was 44km across the island to our starting point for this tour, Omisalj. It had 650m of climbing and was again a hot day. The e-bikes have been great as I have had a cold all week and wouldn’t have been able to ride without them.

We saw some sheep being sheared and had lunch in a small cafe en route in the small village of Dobrinj. We decided against the mud baths unlike some of our intrepid friends.

Celebrating the end of the trip with our Canadian friends Cate and Del

Our final night dinner was an opportunity to say goodbye to friends and thank our crew for looking after us for the last week. Our week’s riding covered 179km with over 2300m of climbing.

15/06/201912/05/2020

Croatia Bike and Boat – Part 1

This entry is part 12 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

Sunday, 9 June to Wednesday, 12 June 2019

On Sunday we drove from Pula to the Island of Krk. This trip travelled through some mountainous terrain and the road infrastructure of bridges and tunnels would have impressed my Dad, the engineer.

We arrived at Omisalj to find the Andela Lora and our guides Petra and Vili there to greet us. As we had some time until we could board, we wandered along the foreshore admiring the crystal clear water of the Adriatic Sea.

At 2pm we cast off and motored to the town of Cres on the island of Cres. To make it easy, the capital of each island has the same name as the island.

Before dinner, Vili took us for a town walk and pointed out the medieval and Venetian landmarks. We have a multicultural group with cyclists from Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, Australia, England and a lone American. All briefings and talks are in both German and English.

On Monday morning, we motored to the town of Martinscica where our bikes were off loaded and we cycled 23 kms to the town of Osor. We have e-bikes for this trip as it is quite hilly around here. I was glad for the help as I had a cold and I enjoyed cruising up the hills as if it was flat!

Unfortunately it was very hot and several people suffered from heat exhaustion. We were glad to arrive back at the boat and go for a swim off the back.

We then motored to the island of Losinj where we anchored for another swim before tying up in the town of Mali Losinj.

On Tuesday morning, we did a loop ride of 17km to Veli Losinj.

After lunch we motored to the small island of Molat where we cycled the length of the island (14km) before rejoining the ship at Brgulje. There were the remains of a concentration work camp here from WW2.

On Wednesday, we motored to the Island of Dugi for our longest ride so far, 40km from Bozava to Sali. Very hot, very hilly and very windy. I love my e-bike!

Once we were all back on board we sailed to the large city of Zadar on the mainland. We stopped for a couple of hours in the bay for those who wanted to swim before tying up in the centre of town. We had a city walk with a local guide who showed us the Roman, Medieval and Venetian gates, columns and walls. Zadar also has a Sea Organ in the seawall where waves create music in the pipes.

Old Roman columns used in the foundations of the church

We had dinner in town and stayed to see the sunset which Alfred Hitchcock in 1964 described as the best in the world. Lots of haze on our visit so Lizard Island sunsets still hold top spot for me.

10/06/201901/11/2019

Croatia road trip

This entry is part 11 of 14 in the series 2019 Europe

Tuesday, 4 June to Sunday, 9 June 2019

After breakfast, we took a cab to the bus station for the 4 and a half hour trip to Zagreb. All went well until the Croatian border where all our passports were collected and we sat in the hot bus for over 30 minutes wondering if we would ever see our passports again. Croatia is part of the EU but is the only country so far that has wanted to see our passports. We eventually got to our hotel, a beautiful old building that was the first hotel in Zagreb. Only 1 night here but we enjoyed some of the sights.

The cathedral is being renovated stone by stone, after years of neglect by the Nazis and Communists and resultant erosion as shown above.

On Wednesday morning we picked up a hire car and drove to Plitvice Lakes. On the way we visited the small water mill village of Rastoke. Once 22 mills were used for grinding grain while linen and carpets were washed in big baskets under the falls.

Plitvice National Park is UNESCO listed and after a day exploring the park I understand why. Entry to the park includes bus and boat rides so you can see all the sights in less than a day.

On Friday, we drove to Pula on the Istria peninsular. On the way we passed a number of memorials to the Homeland War (Croatian War of Independence) waged from 1991 to1995. There are still a lot of damaged and burnt out properties in the areas we drove through.

Warren was keen to see the Roman Arena in Pula and was not disappointed. It is the sixth largest left in the world at 135m long by 105m wide. The Colosseum for comparison is 189m long by 156m wide. This Arena however has had better conservation and has much smaller crowds visiting.

Under arena area used to be where animals and gladiators waited to enter arena

Also in the town are one of the Roman gates, a triumphal arch and a temple. The Roman theatre was off limits as they are doing renovations on the museum.

There was also a Venetian fort built on the hill.

There was certainly lots to to see in this small town!