Return to down under

Over the past few weeks I headed down under to catch up with friends and family, including several new additions who have been welcomed into the world over the past 15 months. The primary purpose of the trip was to celebrate three new marriages including Ben & Bec, Ivan & Belle and my very own brother’s wedding. I’m pleased to announce I have a new sister and am very happy to welcome Sue to the family!! Below are a few snap shots of the happy couples who are all currently enjoying their respective honeymoons…










Although the majority of my time down under was in Sydney, my sister and I also went on a road trip up north via Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Burleigh Heads, Brisbane, Tenterfield & Tamworth. It was a good chance to spend time with my sister, enjoy the vast Australian countryside which I love as well allowing me a little time to relax.

Highlights of the road trip include:

• Catching up with family & friends along the way, in particular meeting my two cute 2nd cousins in Coffs Harbour


• Soaking in the sun, having a swim in the ocean and eating fish & chips at Byron Bay


• Watching the surfers tackle the waves at Burleigh Heads


• Camping in the back of my sister’s car at Bald Rock National Park… and rising early to climb Bald Rock itself. The streams of colour of the granite rock were impressive. It was just a shame we had limited visibility up the top to see the panoramic views. Driving in the area at dusk & dawn was also good fun - there was plenty of roo spotting & dodging on the roads and the corridors.

I’m now back to reality and ready to bunker down for my second winter in the northern hemisphere. Stay tuned for more blogs coming soon!

There is one thing that I do love about my work - I never really know where I'm going next! My latest trip has taken me abroad to the USA, amid times of economic instability, presidential elections and Halloween preparations.

All work and no play is not good for anyone, so I did manage a little time out on the west coast. I chilled out with a friend in Reno (a mini Las Vegas) and took the car for a drive over the Sierra Nevada ranges. With fresh dumps of snow on the peaks, it was definitely the fresh air I needed. The road also took me along the north tip of America's largest Alpine lake - Lake Tahoe – very pleasant.

Here are some quick pics from Sacramento, California's state capitol, including the Tower Bridge nestled next to Old Sacramento and the State Capitol building.

Gower challenge

With my hiking boots on hand (thanks to my folks who brought them over for me!), I headed to Wales over the past weekend. With 11 others from my firm, I went on a charity hike along a 36km stretch of the Gower peninsula. The fact we had brilliant weather was a definite bonus and made the trip all the more enjoyable. I am more than happy to test my wet weather gear another time.

It was pretty hard to become “geographically embarrassed” on this hike – all you had to do was ensure that the sea was on your left! The only problem with the one way walking is that we were burnt only on one side of our faces. Can spot the token Aussie in the group photo?? It’s not just because of my socks… I was the only one who brought a hat!

Anyway, walking along the Welsh coastline was fantastic, with various terrains to test the leg muscles. It is a popular walk for silver DOE hikes. With the sensational weather there were plenty of people (& dogs) out and about making the most of the sunshine. Our trek started at Mumbles, just west of Swansea. We weaved around the coastline crossing several beaches including Oxwich beach which in itself was a long 2.5 miles in length. Some sections of the the trek were pretty dramatic with the sheer cliff drops. We passed many rock climbers who were clambering the various rock faces. We camped next to the beach at Carreglwyd, following our well deserved dinner of fish & chips.

After a good night sleep in our pop-up tents and further strolling along the countryside, we arrived at our final destination, Rhossili Bay. We rested at the pub with grand views of the three mile beach and Worm’s Head which is accessible during low tide. As we waited for our ride we treated ourselves to the local ice cream and randomly watched four planes practicing their aerobatics in the skies above.

Windsor

And with that it’s over… it is arguable whether it actually began, but there is no doubt that it has now well and truly finished. You may be wondering – “What on earth is she talking about” – well I’m referring to the British summer or lack there of... In any case, the fact I found the need to don my scarf for the first time this season signalled the end of the summer for me.



With the folks in town for a last blast of Europe before heading home, we headed to west of London to Windsor Castle. Whilst the castle is one of the official royal residences, the Queen was unfortunately out of town for the day. As one would expect, the property is grand with the Round Tower prominent in the centre of the fortress. We wandered around the castle, including the state apartments (which have been meticulously restored to their former glory following the devastating fire in 1992), Queen Mary’s miniature doll house and St George’s chapel.

To continue on with our Windsor theme, on Sunday we headed into town for brunch and a matinee performance of Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor”. The Shakespearian re-enactment at the authentic playhouse was fantastic – certainly a must for anyone visiting London. Although my father didn’t realise, it was also Fathers day back in oz. It was good to be able to celebrate the day with him and we topped off the day with a chocolate cookies & cream cake (thanks Lonni for the inspiration!).

May the 'fort' be with you

For the last remaining bank long weekend before Christmas, I headed to Plymouth (in the county of Devon, south west England). With six fellow comrades, we prepared ourselves, ready to face to enemy… We stayed at the Crownhill Fort, built in the late 19th century to protect the Plymouth naval base. In the late 20th century the Fort was acquired by the Landmark Trust and restored to its former glory. Sadly, the site is no longer open to the public, but can be hired for corporate occasions, weddings & other events.

Our Fort experience started when we arrived on Friday night. We crossed the moat of the fortress and entered through the grand red gates. The accommodation was fabulous – all of the rooms were immaculately restored and luxurious in size, with the added benefits of modern comforts (including a fantastic kitchen).

As with most old haunts, there were many ‘stories’ about ghost activity within the Fort. Although we didn’t see any activity of the little drummer boy, there were many unexplainable mysterious sounds over the weekend – enough to make all of us twenty-something’s jump at some stage. During the days we explored the port area of Plymouth including the Plymouth Gin distillery. Back at the fort we pulled out the deck chairs to soak in the 23 minutes of sunshine that the weekend offered. In the evenings we dined with some hearty home-cooked meals followed by a few rounds of Balderdash – I was impressed by the quality of deceit we could all come up with.

In addition to the various cannons on the open perimeter, we were able to explore the various passages, tunnels and hidden cannons underground. The previous guests had left a treasure hunt for us in the guest journal, so an expedition was coordinated with six eager explorers heading underground. Without the aid of illumination devises, the number of explorers dwindled. With the help of our cameras, the two remaining explorers (Anne & I) carried on with the expedition. After being lead down some diversions, we eventually found the room – No. 10 Equipment Magazine – which apparently held the treasure. Unfortunately, the treasure was no longer there! We figured the site caretaker may have had a head start on us… or was it the little drummer boy???

All in all, it was a great weekend. We will certainly be looking to enjoy the use of other Landmark Trust sites in the future!