Paul and Janet's Travel Stories

Wednesday 15th April Hong Kong to Martlesham Heath

paulfirman — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:20:00 GMT

On Tuesday afternoon, after we picked up Paul's custom made shirt from Sam the Tailor, we cooled off with another swim in the roof top, pool at our hotel. The outside temperature there was 28C and the pool temperature was 26C.

For our evening meal we decided to sample a local French Restaurant and had a very nice three course meal with coffee.

Wednesday morning began very early. We were up at 4.00am for our 5.00am pick up to take us to Hong Kong Airport, where we boarded our Air New Zealand flight bound for London Heathrow. The 13 hour, 6,522 mile journey was in a Boeing 777-200ER (for the plane spotters. Last one for now!). The time passed very quickly with the 3 meals and many drinks we were served. Paul watched another 5 films which kept him happy and we arrived on time at Heathrow.

It was then onto the underground to Liverpool Street Station, where we had pre booked tickets back to Ipswich. However we arrived there a couple of hours earlier than we had anticipated, so had to pay an extortionate amount of money to travel to Ipswich on an earlier train.

Nicola and Holly were waiting on the platform for us, Holly with her whistle again, just as she had when we left. It was so nice to see them again and they brought us back home, with a quick stop off for a KFC on the way. We got into our bed 25 hours after we left our bed in Hong Kong.

WE HAVE DONE IT – WE HAVE COMPLETED ONE OF OUR DREAMS AND TRAVELLED AROUND THE WORLD. We feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to make this journey and we have so many happy memories of the wonderful places we have been to and people we have met.

Facts, Figures and Observations

We travelled 26,649 miles by air, in 10 different journeys, taking a total of 57½ hours.

We travelled 1,397 miles by train, in 5 different journeys.

We travelled 895 miles by hire car.

We stayed in 17 hotels (including Valda’s!)

We travelled in many different types of transport – Plane, train, Hire car, 4x4 (SUV), Taxi, Underground train, Mono rail, Cable car, Tram car, Local buses, Luxury coaches, Mini bus, River boat, Steam Ship, Cataraman, Cable Ferry, Car and Passenger Ferry, Gondola, Inclinator, Escalator, Lifts, Walking (many, many miles), Valda's Trusty Truck and Pete’s Trendy Honda Jazz.

We are very grateful to everybody who has taken an interest and followed our travels via our journal, and for all the comments we have received. We hope that if you ever make a journey to any of the Countries that we have written about, that our observations could help in some small way.

Well that’s all for now, until our next adventure…………….

Tuesday 14th April Hong Kong

paulfirman — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:43:00 GMT

Last night we had a swim in the roof top swimming pool at our hotel which was very refreshing. We felt that, while we are here, we really should try one of the local restaurants. So it was with a bit of fear and trepidation that we entered unchartered territory and visited a local chinese restaurant. We chose one which was full of local people and not another westerner in sight. We ordered five different dishes from the menu and waited to see what arrived!! We were advised by someone we met in the swimming pool that you never ask "what is that" in a chinese restaurant. There are 2 reasons for this - (1) you would probably not want to know and (2) you would offend the chef!! Anyway we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and it was delicious.

Today we have followed a suggested Walking Tour of the Local Markets. We took the local train to the first market. Two things we noticed about these very modern trains - firstly there is a glass wall all the way along the platform edge, with doors built in that open when the train has arrived (no suicides here). Secondly the carriages do not have doors between them and you can see from one end of the train, right through to the other end.

Our first market was The Bird Market where there were hundreds of different birds of all shapes, sizes and colours for sale, along with maggotts, live grasshoppers and other unknown birdfood (we now think we may have identified one of last night's dishes!!) There were also many local people here with their own birds in their cages, just taking them for a walk.

We then went on to The Flower Market where again many, many shops were selling flowers of every variety you could imagine. The fragrances were lovely. You could buy a big bunch of orchids for as little as 1.50p. Pam - you would have loved it.

It was then onto The Goldfish Market where hundreds of colourful fish of different species were for sale, along with other animals such as guinea pigs, mice and rabbits. This was amazing sight (a second dish from last night has now been identified).

Next market was Fo Yuen Street Market where we browsed for well over an hour with hundreds of stalls selling everything you can imagine and more, from clothes to elctronic goods, and trinkets of all sorts.

We then crossed over to The Ladies Market - don't be deceived by the name, this market has something for everyone. There are lots of toys and gadgets, and new inventions, some of which were amazing to see.

It was then on to The Jade Market where there are over 400 stalls selling necklaces and trinkets from this rare green stone. We think most of them were genuine.

After leaving this market we came across another market not mentioned on our route at all. This was a fruit, vegetable and meat market for locals, and we were the only tourists amongst hundreds of people. We could not believe the sights that we saw, especially the outside pork and poultry butchers. There was parts of the animal hanging up for sale that we had a job to identify. (all dishes from last night have now been established). On this very hot and humid day we were quite glad to leave behind the aromas that this market produced, but it was great fun just watching the local people at work, and trying to identify some of the fruits and vegetables on sale. Tescos will never be the same again. Visiting these markets is another MUST DO in Hong Kong.

We have been blessed with magnificent weather since we arrived in Hong Kong. It has been very hot and humid, and we are very grateful for all the air conditioning in shops and our hotel.

Monday 13th April Hong Kong

paulfirman — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:26:00 GMT

Having completed our journal and our ice cream yesterday we went and found Sam the shirtmaker who carefully measured Paul for a custom made shirt. This was an interesting experience and we learnt very quickly that there are many carefully disguised con men trying to drag you off the street and offering you many shirts which seem very cheap and seem too good to be true - they are. We are led to believe they are actually 'off the peg' shirts with a monogram added and are not the genuine article. If you want a shirt made here, we suggest you find a local firm with a good reputation which has been here for many generations.

Having returned to the hotel for a shower and recuperation after a long day, we went and saw The Symphony of Light, which is a brilliant laser show across both sides of the harbour. It begins at 8.00pm every night and is set to music. It is in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest laser show in the world. This is again one of the MUST DO things here. After the light show, we dined at 'The Outback Restauant' - Yes we know this is an Australian Restaurant but we felt it would bring back happy memories of this time last year when we were in the Tenneessee mountians with Joe, Carolyn, John and Sam Murrow.

We then went off to find the local Temple Street Night Market. This was very interesting with lots of genuine and not-so-genuine items on sale. It was refreshing to just be able to browse and not to be hassled by the 'looky looky' men. It was a very vibrant and busy area but we did not feel at all intimidated there or during our walk there and back.

This morning we went out for a de luxe breakfast (including fresh orange juice) locally, which cost us the grand sum of HKD$39.60 which is 3 pounds and 96 pence for 2. Like most things here, be it travel or eating, it is extremely cheap. We then walked along the promenade of The Avenue of Stars (a bit like Hollywood but most of the names were unknown to us and finished in Wong!!). On this walk (approx 1/2 mile) we were amazed to see no litter whatsoever, only 2 cigarette ends and no chewing gum remnants. Since then we have seen signs and in nearly all public areas including parks and all open areas, cigarette smoking is banned with heavy penalties. Also there is an on-the-spot fine for littering and spitting in public. This place just gets better and better.

We then boarded a Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island (20p each), then onto a Ferry from here to Lantau (1.90p each), then onto a local bus to Po Lin Monastery the home of the Giant Buddah (cost 2.70p each). The whole journey took nearly 2 hours travelling on rivers, through mountains and along coastal roads manoevuring around cattle happily grazing by the side of the road. We then arrived at a remote village at the top of a mountain where we found the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze buddah and believe us, this is big, very big. You can walk around the outside free, but we purchased tickets to go inside the buddah which is a museum. Included in the cost of this ticket (cost 2.30p each) is a soft drink and an ice cream. This is well worth doing as an ice cream and drink cost approx 2.00p, so for 30p you get a look around the museum!!!! We then went round the Po Lin Monastery which is very bright and colourful but very peaceful and serene.

We travelled back by a different route. We caught a local bus to Tung Chung to catch the MTR train back to Hong Kong, and again the Star Ferry over to Kowloon. This journey cost about the same but was much quicker. As we came up the escalators from the train, we heard a familiar tune which we quickly recognised as 'A Pirate's Life for Me' from Disneyland. We realised that we were near the booking office for Disneyland Hong Kong. We have been singing "Yo ho ho its a pirate's life for me" all the way back, this brought back some happy memories.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of making our own way to this local icon, which most people would take a conducted tour to. It was great to use the local transport system and travel with the local people.

If you want more information on our day out see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha

Saturday 11th April Sydney to Hong Kong, Easter Sunday 12th Hong Kong

paulfirman — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:17:00 GMT

We left Sydney on time on our Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600(for the plane spotters) and 9 hours and 4,009 miles later arrived in Hong Kong for our first ever visit to Asia. We were met at the very modern airport by our courier service and transported to our hotel, The Grand Stanford Intercontinental in the heart of Kowloon, where we have a magnificent room with white fluffy dressing gowns and free slippers!!

After a good sleep we were up early and had breakfast at a nearby cafe before walking around our immediate neighbourhood to get our bearings. We had already booked a Morning Harbour and Noon Day Gun Firing Cruise which left at 10.15am from the harbour. We sailed along the waterfront of Central Wanchai, Causeway Bay and North Point before viewing the Shau Kei Wan Typhoon shelter home of the fishing families and their deep sea fishing junks. We were also shown a series of stunning skyline views of the harbour and surrounding districts and the site of the old airport. At 12.00 midday we witnessed the firing of the legendary Jardine Noon Day Gun, which is a tradition dating back to the early days of Hong Kong. On the trip we met a father and daughter American couple Ed (from San Diego) and Lori(from Boston)and we enjoyed their company. After docking it was a quick trip to the Visitor Centre to get an idea of what we should do for the rest of the day

We decided to visit The Peak which meant a Star Ferry across to Hong King Island where we walked on one of the longest escalators in the world. We then walked past the house where The Governor of Hong Kong used to live and on towards the Tram Terminal to take us to The Peak. On the way we got chatting to an Australian family who gave us directions and took us to the terminal. Being Easter Sunday the queue was very long but kept moving steadily and soon our turn came round to board the Tram for its dramatic ascent up to The Peak where we had stunning views back over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. We came down by the Tram and then hopped on the local bus to the harbour. We are amazed how cheap local transport is here. The ferry crossing over, on the top deck, cost us HKD$2.50 (25p), but on the return journey we travelled on the lower deck for HKD$2.00 (20p).

We like, very much, what we have seen of this area so far. We have never seen so many taxis in one city before, they are everwhere and, we understand, are very cheap to use.

We have just spotted a McDonalds nearby - ice cream here we come!!

Saturday 11th April Sydney Airport

paulfirman — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:06:00 GMT

We have now said goodbye to our fabulous room at the Medina Grand Hotel in Sydney and are at the airport awaiting our onward flight. Paul cooked a fabulous Shepherd's Pie last night which we ate ravenously as we were both hungry and tired after our long busy day. This morning we say goodbye to Sydney and to Australia. We have enjoyed being in Sydney and have felt very safe and comfortable here. We also like the people a lot. They do not mince their words and are very amusing with their stories and anecdotes. They are straight talkers and say what they mean, but once you understand that, they are a joy to be around. Sydney is the largest city in Australia. It has a 20km radius with over 4 million people living here, with people from 180 different nationalities, all living happily side by side. What an example this is to the rest of the world. Australian fact of the day - In some parts of Australia the earthworms grow up to 12 foot in length and can have a body the same circumference as your wrist. Can you imagine digging one of these up in your garden!!

Good Friday 10th April Sydney

paulfirman — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 21:24:00 GMT

Thursday evening we had another swim in the hotel swimming pool and a 'Paul special' meal in, followed by a short walk.

Friday morning we were up early for our 7.50am pick up as we were spending the day in The Blue Mountains. (They get their blue haze from the vapour that the eucalyptus trees give off reflected in the sun). Having picked up all our fellow travellers from various addresses around Sydney we set off in the direction of the Blue Mountains. Our first call was to the Sydney Olympic Park, the home of the 2000 Olympics. Here we saw many of the specially built stadiums and housing for both competitors and visitors, which have all subsequently been sold off, making Sydney one of the few places to actually make a profit from an Olympic Games. Our next stop was at The Nepean River for a morning snack of juice, fruit and biscuits.

It was then back into our coach for a photo opportunity at Kings Tableland with fantastic views of the mountains, and to The Wentworth Falls, which our Guide and Driver, Hayden, insists are "taller than Niagra Falls". Our lunch stop was at Leura - The Garden Village, where we enjoyed our picnic and had a walk around the village. Another "Kodak" moment followed at Katoomba and The Three Sisters rock formation, the home of the two Blue Mountain icons. Then followed a visit to Scenic World, where we went down the side of the mountain by Cableway, walked along in the rainforest and returned up the mountain by The Scenic Railway - the world's steepest inclined railway.

We visited a National Park in the hopes of seeing some kangaroos, but they were not at home, so we had good views but no roos!!!!. Our trip finished with a River Cruise back to Circular Quay, passing under The Harbour Bridge and next to The Opera House. Entering the city by river in the dark was very impressive. We enjoyed our day very much. The company we used was Oz Trails and our guide and driver Hayden kept us amused with endless tales and anecdotes about The Bush, the indigenous people and The Blue Mountains. see www.oztrails.com.au

As we arrived back into Circular Quay, we found ourselves in McDonalds ordering ice creams. Yummy.

Australian Fact from yesterday(sorry we forgot) Aboriginies were not included in the National Census until 1967. In other words they did not exist.

Fact for today - Until the 1960s Aboriginal parents did not have legal custody over their own children, the State did. They took children away from their parents whenever they felt like it.

Thursday 9th April Sydney

paulfirman — Wed, 8 Apr 2009 17:38:00 GMT

Having completed our journal yesterday, we returned to our hotel and went for a swim in the hotel swimming pool which was very refreshing. After that we had a welcome shower to get ourselves ready for our evening out with Peter and Laura. Peter is the son of our friends in Kesgrave, John and Angie, and is over here with his fiancee Laura, whose family live in Holbrook. They are both working over here as Peter was transferred by his London company 15 months ago.

Pete picked us up from our hotel in his new Honda Jazz car and whizzed us over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to their wonderful, Harbourside apartment where Laura was waiting. Thank you John and Angie for providing the wine for the evening. A bottle of sparkling was opened as we looked around this fantastic apartment and gave them their Easter presents from John and Angie. These had travelled 16,118 miles on 8 plane journeys, 1,327 miles on 4 train journeys and 895 miles in our hire car. We had to tell white lies at 8 airport check ins, when asked "did anyone give you anything to carry on their behalf?". Thankfully they both loved their presents and did not ask us to bring them back again!!!!

We then carried our glasses outside and down onto their patio. WOW We were stunned when we realised that their apartment faced the Sydney Opera House and was almost next to the Sydney Harbour Bridge which were both lit up and looked fabulous in the night sky.

It was then off for a stroll along the riverside path, under The Bridge to Ripples Restaurant where we all had a great meal and thankfully this was a BYO so we could take our own wine and beer. What a lovely evening we had chatting and laughing non stop with this great couple. All their parents should be really proud of them and how they have settled into their way of life here in Sydney, and are obviously enjoying it very much. We were sad when the evening came to an end and we had to say goodbye to Peter and Laura. Thanks to you both for a great evening and your wonderful company.

The sun was shining again as we woke up on Thursday morning. Peter and Laura told us about a walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach, which is one of the Top 25 things to do in Sydney. So we caught the 333 Express Bus to Bondi Beach, where we enjoyed a cup of coffee sitting on the promenade of this vast golden beach, to which 35,000 people are attracted on a hot day in summer. Thankfully they were not all there today!!! The temperature was showing 27C and not a cloud in the sky as we went for a walk on Bondi Beach before setting off on our 4 mile coastal walk which passes a number of beaches each different in character, as well as traversing dramatic clifftops and passing probably the best appointed cemetery in the world, Waverley Cemetery which was established in 1877 and is absolutely enormous. During our walk we stopped at Bronte Beach (named after Lord Nelson as he was Duke of Bronte) and had our picnic lunch.

When we arrived at Coogee Beach we were grateful to find the bus stop for our return journey to Circular Quay and just had to have a McDonalds ice cream when we arrived there!!! Again we strolled around Circular Quay, there is some kind of magic attraction about this place and we love being a part of it. The sun has not stopped shining all day.

Wednesday 8th April Sydney

paulfirman — Tue, 7 Apr 2009 17:58:00 GMT

Paul cooked fabulous sausages and mash for supper last night and we sat at our dining room table, watching television, eating our meal. We were both so full that a walk along Darling Harbour was called for. It was interesting to see so many restaurants on the harbour and none of them very full. Darling Harbour seems to us a very gentle place, not at all threatening and a lovely place to just stroll around and 'people watch'.

A good nights sleep was followed by another masterpiece breakfast from 'Paul's Kitchen' to set us up for the day. We left the hotel just after 9.00am and walked to Circular Quay, then onto the check in area for THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB. Yes, today is the day we have been looking forward to ever since Nicola and Steve came home 4 years ago talking about it.

WOW WOW and a few more WOWs. How many more WOWs have we got left in our adventure?

After we checked in we were kitted out in jump suits, safety harnesses, radio receivers and head phones so our guide Kelly could communicate with us. Also we were given handerkerchiefs with wrist bands, hats that were clipped on and our spectacles had straps attached to them to prevent them falling off. We were breath tested for alcohol and scanned for metal items as we were not allowed to take anything onto The Climb in case it fell onto the road below. It would be like a falling missile and a camera would easily penetrate the roof of a car.

We were given a full briefing and safety instructions, and had to climb a sample ladder both up and down in the correct way. Then our harnesses were clipped onto the never ending line and we were off on our way.

It took 3 1/2 hours in total to complete the climb during which time we walked for over a mile and climbed over 1400 steps (ladders and staircases). What fantastic sights we saw of Sydney and the surrounding districts. We even saw The Blue Mountains today as the weather was so clear, sunny and warm. To give you some idea how high we climbed - the top of our climb is the same height as the Giant Pyramids in Egypt and the top of the London Eye. A 10 storey building could easily pass under the Bridge.

The arch alone weighs 30,000 tons. The span of the Bridge is 503 metres long, 134 metres high and 49 metres wide. The total length of the Bridge is 1.15kms. It was designed by Dr J J C Bradfield. Construction started in 1923 and it was officially opened in March 1932. Today the Bridge carries many lanes of traffic, railway lines and a pedestrian footpath.

This is one of the MUST DO THINGS in your lifetime - you will not regret it. It is an extremely well run organisation and you feel very safe in their very capable hands. See http://www.bridgeclimb.com

After The Bridge we again wandered around The Rocks and Circular Quay (McDonalds ice cream in hand) and walked back into town to the free Apple Mac shop which we have found, where there are well over 100 computers connected to the internet, which are all free to use.

Australian fact of the day - Australians are the biggest gamblers on the planet. There is less than 1% of the world's population living here, but more than 20% of the world's slot machines are here in casinos and in 'pokies'. We kept seeing signs saying 'Pokies' and have now discovered that these are Poker slot machine arcades.

Monday 6th April Brisbane to Sydney, Tuesday 7th Sydney

paulfirman — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 18:54:00 GMT

Having completed our journal on Sunday, we called in at the Casino (housed in a building that used to be The Treasury, but now makes more revenue for the council than it did before!) Unfortunately we have contributed to their coffers as we lost $1 on the fruit machines, but had good fun watching people lose a lot more on the tables.

Paul created a wonderful cold chicken and salad meal which we had in our hotel room on Sunday evening, before retiring to bed ready for an early start on Monday morning.

We were at the Train Station by 6.45am for our XPT (Express Passenger Train) to Sydney which left at 7.30am. We travelled first class for our 14 1/2 hour, 615 miles journey which meandered through lush green countryside, rolling mountains, banana plantations and many forests. We saw lots of wildlife including our first sighting of kangaroos in the wild. What a wonderful sight these animals were bouncing along beside our train. We saw giant anthills, flocks of Ibis birds, along with many herds of cattle, but very few sheep. For more information about Ibis see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibis. The first 2 hours of our journey was taken up with some good fun with some fellow passengers in our carriage. We had some good laughter especially with Betty who had just attended her grandsons wedding in Queensland and recounted many stories from her weekend. The weather was again excellent for the whole journey, but we were very tired at the end of it and decided upon a taxi to transport us to our hotel.

What a fantastic surprise awaited us. We decided to upgrade our hotel room to a studio apartment with a view of the river and we have the best apartment ever. We have a large lounge/diner, kitchen, separate bedroom and bath/shower room. We also have a dishwasher, four ring hob, large oven, fridge/freezer, washing machine and dryer, and a balcony with table and chairs. The whole hotel is very new and very modern.

A really good nights sleep was followed by a quick visit to a local supermarket to stock up on essentials for Paul to cook a superb breakfast. We then ventured out of our hotel and headed for the local Information Office at Darling Harbour where the assistants we extremely helpful. You need to look out for a yellow and blue "I" for Information as these are the local council run information centres, who will give you unbiased advice.

We set off on the free Green Bus for a quick trip to Circular Quay where we sat and had a cup of coffee on the river side, just looking at two famous icons - The Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Sydney Opera House and what fantastic structures they both are. We had to nip ourselves to make sure that we are really here and not dreaming.

It was then off for a tour of The Opera House with Declan our guide who gave us an enormous amount of information about the planning, building, construction and running of this now 8th Wonder of the World and World Heritage Listed Site. Construction started in 1959 but it was not completed until 1973, at a cost of 102 million dollars (australian) and was opened by The Queen in 1973. The original architect was danish born Utzon whose design was chosen from 220 submissions. Sadly he fell out with the government half way through and never saw the completed building, but thankfully he was asked, just before his death last year, to redesign some of the interior, together with his son. His original design was based on seashells and segments of a sphere. It is a stunning design and is a building that is always immediately recognised. It consists of 6 theatres - 4 minor theatres and 2 concert halls mainly for operas and ballet. We could not go into one of the concert halls as tonight there is a world premiere of Star Trek see http://www.flickr.com/photos/camoby/3419980468 also for more information on The Opera House see http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com

It was then off to The Royal Botanic Gardens and we jumped aboard the Choo Choo Train for a 30 minute tour around these magnificent gardens, including the area where 20,000 Fruit Bats hang out in the trees!! These huge bats have to be seen to be believed, so much so that after our train tour we walked back to see them again, and on the way we were pleased to see 4 white Cockatoos.

We then walked around the area known as The Rocks (eating our McDonalds ice cream which we have become addicted to!!). This area was going to be demolished in the 1970s but thankfully wasn't. It is full of some of the oldest buildings here in Sydney. This area is full of character and a great place to wander round in.

Australian fact of the day - Captain James Cook called this area 'New South Wales' and no one has any idea why, as it is mostly on the east coast.

Sunday 5th April Brisbane

paulfirman — Sat, 4 Apr 2009 19:26:00 GMT

We returned to the City Centre for a very good meal and bottle of wine at Jimmy's Restaurant on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning again the sun was shining, but we were sorry to hear that Ipswich Town lost their Saturday Football match away to Sheffield United. We walked the five minute walk into the City Centre and purchased tickets for the City Sights Tour. This is a 1 1/2 hour circular tour with commentary of Brisbane and the surrounding areas. Our driver/guide told us many interesting facts about Brisbane and showed us sights such as home of The Castelmaine XXXX Brewery and the factory that builds a new bus every 3 working days. The tour took us through 2 Botanical Gardens and to the top of Mt Coot-Tha where we stopped for 5 minutes to take photographs of the magnificent views over Brisbane. We saw road signs to Ipswich which took us by surprise!! We learnt that Brisbane started as a penal colony in 1872 and the convicts built many of the buildings that are still standing today. Today it is the 3rd largest city in Australia with 1.8 million people living here and is, at the moment, still in a drought period, as it has been for the last 7 years!! We saw many "Queensland" type houses. These are houses built on stilts to allow the air to flow underneath them. This means that they do not need air conditioning when the temperatures reach 40 degrees C in summer.

We left the bus for a coffee by the river, and a look round the Sunday Market before boarding the City Cat Ferry, which also comes in the ticket price of the City Sights Tour. We had a 90 minute journey up the Brisbane River calling at many stops on the way, as this was also a hop on, hop off ferry. This was a great way of seeing the City from the water, and seeing it from another aspect. Another very hot and humid day here in Brisbane, who said it was Autumn here at the moment.

For more information about our tours see http://www.citysights.com.au/home/default.asp

Today's Australian Fact - The Great Barrier Reef covers over 280,000 square kms. and stretches 1,200 miles which is the same as the distance from London to Moscow. The Great Barrier Reef contains at least 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral and 4,000 varieties of molluscs.

Plughole report - The water here in Brisbane spirals clockwise. More checks will be made at our next destination.!!