Sydney

Our flight into Sydney was rather bumpy and we appeared to be very, very close to the sea but Pam assured me this was ok! We were met by Pam's sister and brother-in-law and as we walked out of the airport were hit by a wall of heat - temperatures reaching 40 degrees.

We did most of the Sydney touristy bits, which mainly seem to be around Circular Quay. It's possible to while away more than a couple of days around The Quay itself. The first day we listened to the aborigine playing his didgeredoo; sat and ate ice cream whilst watching the ferries coming and going and wandered up and down the shops and bars, soaking up the atmosphere.

One of the things that really struck me was the size of Sydney Harbour. It really is vast, with many bays and beaches, all accessible uing the ferries, which are tremendous fun.

No trip to Sydney would be complete without a visit to the Opera House. It certainly lives up to the pictures we see. Of course, we had to see a show and spent a fabulous evening watching Madame Butterfly.


One area definitely worth a visit is The Rocks. Just a short walk from Circular Quay, The Rocks is a warren of streets and buildings going back many years. The area is steeped in history. Once home to vagabonds, thieves and drunks it now houses chic bars and restaurants (one being the Fortune of War, the oldest pub on Sydney, where we partook in a glass of Tooheys ale). At the weekend they have a market selling local produce but also wonderful crafts - another shopping opportunity which we couldnt miss. A visit to The Rocks Museum is also well worth the couple of hours it takes to go around.

We spent some time in Manly, where we stayed with Pam's niece, and also paid a visit to Dee Why where Pam lived for a year. Both lovely seaside towns.

The transport system is fabulous - especially the Tangara, double decker trains. You can catch a bus or use the train system to easily get around. Not forgetting, of course, those wonderful ferries.

I spent a lovely couple of days with Nicky and Sophie, who was very taken with Aunty Jo. Nicky very kindly drove me around and showed me some more sites of the Harbour: Botany Bay, were Captain Cook landed; Bundeene Bay and many more.

Pam's sister and brother-in-law really looked after us, making sure we were never without something to do. We were taken on a bush walk in the Blue Mountains and, believe me, we have never experienced anything quite like it. The heat was incredibly intense and we were exposed for much of the time. The walk started innocuously enough but soon came to see just how hardy these bush walkers are! They have a rough idea of where they want to go but don't worry about maps etc! We soon found ourselves scrambling over boulders, wading through rivers and climbing up the side of mountains. Every so often everyone would flop into the river to cool down. It wasn't until the end of the day when one of the ladies said that she was surprised that we hadn't seen any snakes that we realised just how 'bush' it was! Regardless, it was a fabulous day and next time I will be more prepared!

I was also taken kayaking for the first time. A whole morning paddling along the creek watching a variety of birds, flying fish and lizards - absolute bliss.

Sydney was wonderful, i had a fabulous time and I really look forward to returning in the future when I hope to see more of the country.

Winelands and The Garden Route

Today we leave Cape Town and start our drive around the Cape to the Cape of Good Hope, prior to our visiting the winelands and embarking on the Garden Route. Along the way we stopped at some beautiful bays: some with white, sandy beaches and others craggy with the ocean crashing onto the rocks and plenty of pretty seaside villages. All with stunning views. We drove along Chapman’s Peak, a pretty coastal pass hugging the shoreline, down to the Cape. This isn’t the most southerly part of South Africa, but is the most southerly part of Western Cape. From the lighthouse at Cape Point you have unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Point is one of the highest sea cliffs in the world, at 249 metres above sea level.

We stopped at Boulders Beach, which in itself isn't amazing, but the penguins are!

We stayed overnight on the eastern coast of the Cape in a small town named Kalk, a lovely seaside town. We hadn’t pre-booked any accommodation for this part of our journey but decided to take our chances with the Guest Houses along the way. Our first attempt confirmed this to be a very good move. All the Guest houses we stayed in were beautifully clean; the owners and staff were all extremely friendly and helpful and, to cap it all, they all had pools!

This brought us to the end of what had proven to be a truly memorable visit to the Cape, as we now looked forward to the Winelands and the Garden Route.

From the Cape we made our way to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to explore the winelands and partake in a little wine tasting. The route takes you through some stunning scenery, through the Huguenot Tunnel and past some of the many wineries open for tours and tastings.

We stopped for a short while in Stellenbosch, a pretty little town with guest houses and coffee shops galore, then drove on to Franschhoek, where we stayed the night in the Plumwood Inn (www.plumwoodinn.com), another delightful guest house, and made good use of their two pools!

There are hundreds of wineries you can visit which make it hard to know where to go. I decided to pick a style of wine and then selected the venue. I was surprised at how cheap it was: at the venue we chose it was just £8 to taste 5 wines. None of this ‘sip and spit’ malarkey either!! The staff serving were all very knowledgeable and keen to advise and inform. There are companies offering ‘hop on¬-hop off’ buses to take you on a round trip of certain wineries, which means you don’t need to worry about driving, but they are quite expensive and there is only a certain amount of wine you can sup before it all starts to taste the same!

This was a wonderfully relaxing start to our few days saunter along the Garden Route. The drive takes you along the Indian Ocean coastline, from Mossel Bay to Storms River, and has some of the prettiest and some of the most dramatic views we have seen.

The area has something to offer everyone: There are so many lovely coves and bays to visit; little towns to stay overnight and places to explore. There are lakes, beaches, lagoons, otter and dolphin trails, hiking, ocean trails, sailing, canoeing, cycle trails, Elephant Park …. the list goes on and on. Again, my only regret is that we didn’t have enough time to explore the area as I would have liked.

One of our stopovers was in Knysna, acclaimed as “South Africa’s favourite holiday town”. (www.visitknysna.co.za). Knysna is a friendly little town in the heart of the Garden Route, with many places to eat, lovely beaches and a lively waterfront area. We had one of our best meals in a restaurant overlooking the harbour, which, as the evening drew in, was such a pretty picture with all the lights shimmering.

Whilst planning our trip we decided not to visit any National Parks. Time was precious and felt we wanted to experience the culture and history of the country. However, we have not been disappointed: we have seen zebras, springbok, baboons, turtles (crossing a main highway!!) and penguins. All of these in their natural environment without visiting any specific areas.

I have omitted to mention, in these musings, the amount of shopping we have done! We thought we did well in Nepal but that was nothing compared to the two weeks in SA! We have given up counting what we have spent and just keep making trips to the post office to send parcels home! Everywhere we have been there have been good quality souvenirs, from ceramics to jewellery to recycled artwork. Bring an empty case or plenty of wrapping paper to send things home!!

In our two weeks we have only managed to scratch the surface of this vast and beautiful land. We have a mere snapshot, but one that will leave a long and lasting impression. There is a great big world out there that but I hope that I find time to return here.

Days 5,6,7 and 8 (21, 22, 23 and 24 Jan 2011)

Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town to fabulous sunshine. Our hotel, which is in the city centre, is ok. It’s a little like an old Trust House Forte (for those of you old enough to remember them!), but a little tired and shabby. However, it was right in the middle of town and within walking distance of everything you would want to see so served its purpose well.

THE place to stay is on the V & A Waterfront – a very ‘happening’ place. Here there are trendy shops, restaurants, African markets and expensive shopping malls. Plenty of live music to keep you entertained, from African bands to jazz bands, as you wander around. Luckily, the Waterfront is only about a ten minute walk from the centre, and from our hotel, so near enough for us to enjoy.

Cape Town became a refreshment station for ships travelling around the African coast and, in particular, the Cape of Good Hope in the mid-17th century. A whole support system, including a hospital for sick seamen, a church, public and private developments, a slave lodge and many more facilities, was established. As part of this infrastructure a garden was created, by the Dutch East India Company, to provide fresh produce for the sailors. This garden eventually expanded up the Table Valley. The garden was called Company’s Gardens. Today only a small section of this beautiful garden survives in the centre of the city, but is still home to 23 varieties of trees and 22 varieties of birds. Many of the museums (called Iziko’s – meaning the hearth where people go to talk and listen and to find out) are in Company’s Gardens so not only do you get to walk from one venue to another but you do so in a pleasant, tranquil setting. Here you will find; St George’s Cathedral; The Jewish Holocaust Museum; the South Africa Museum; Tuynhuys; Company’s Gardens information centre and many more.

Outside of Company’s Gardens there are many other places of interest such as the Castle of Good Hope; District 6 and District 6 Museum. All worth visiting, but be warned: check the timings they are open; most don’t open on Sundays; many not on Saturdays and some close early on various days of the week! There is a hop on-hop off bus that runs but everything is so close that unless you have a real aversion to walking or find walking difficult I would recommend taking time to plan your day and making your own way. Allow plenty of time for each as most of the museums warrants a couple of hours at least. We missed out on District 6 Museum as this was one that closed early on Mondays, the day we had planned to go, and we were leaving early on the Tuesday!

One place that isn’t at all well publicised/advertised, and thus we missed as we found out too late, is the Christian Barnard museum (www.heartofcapetown.co.za) (again, for those too young to remember; Christian Barnard performed the first heart transplant). This isn’t only a tour around the hospital, but:

"recreates the tension of the night of December 2 1967 and into the early hours of December 3; places the first heart transplant within the context of decades of international research and, finally, explores the ethical and religious issues surrounding the definition of the moment of death."

This might sound a little ‘heavy´ but is a visit that, had we been aware of in time, would definitely have taken. Tours are run with a minimum of six people, you can go around on your own but then you wouldn’t have the benefit of the exploration of the ethical issues, which I think would be an integral part of the visit.

One of the major trips I think is a must is a visit to Robben Island.

Originally a leper colony but more famously known as Nelson Mandela’s ‘home’. Our guides were former prisoners so really know what they are talking about. You get to go inside the prison; into one of the communal cells and can see Mandela’s own cell, where he was incarcerated for 27 years; you see the lime quarry where they were made to work and the cave where they were able to have clandestine meetings to discuss political matters and to educate younger prisoners.

Of course, Cape Town has Table Mountain as its truly stunning backdrop (www.tablemountain.net). On our first evening we watched a cloud tumble over the top of the mountain like a waterfall – no photograph or video could possibly capture the sheer beauty. We could only stand and look in awe at this spectacle. We had planned to walk to the top, but having seen how quickly the top of the mountain can become enveloped in cloud, and with clouds in the sky most days, we decided the cable car was probably the better and safer option. We may think of ourselves as intrepid adventurers but we still want to come out of this alive! The views from the top are definitely worth the journey. Table Mountain is not a pretty mountain – it is rugged and quite barren but has its own particular beauty. The views from the top are breath-taking. The 360° vista emphasises the contrast of the crashing of the ocean's waves; the mountains; Cape Town city and the flat of the land.

As in J'Burg, we had expected to feel threatened and that we wouldn’t be able to walk around the city freely but this wasn’t the case. We were careful and there were some places we wouldn’t want to have been once it started to get dark – no different than being in England really!

Tomorrow we set off on the next stage of this adventure. We pick up our car to drive around the Cape, to visit the wineries and make our way along the Garden Route.

Days 1, 2 and 3 (17, 18 and 19 Jan 2011)

Monday (day 1) after many months of planning this great adventure our day of departure has arrived. Can you believe that I actually slept through the alarm this morning despite all the excitement! The bleep bleep just became part of a really weird dream!

Off from the Royal Well bus stop (really big thank you to Carole for taking me)and we’re waving goodbye to Cheltenham for eight weeks. Terminal 5 Heathrow, we board our 747 and off we go – no turning back now!

Tuesday (day 2) Johannesburg – yes we really are in South Africa. After a short drive through Johannesburg we arrive at our hotel.

We are staying in a Protea Hotel just out J’burg in Sandton. This is probably the better area to stay in – neither of us have felt threatened whilst here, though it is fair to say that we haven’t ventured too far away from the hotel at night. There appear to be good restaurants, though this area isn’t cheap. The majority of the buildings are fairly new with a mix of design. Most of the buildings are new, skyscrapers, but much thought appears to have been given to the detail of the buildings making the centre an attractive place to be. One particular building caught our eye, the Michelangelo building. A very imposing building built in a slightly art-deco style. This building is home to the Nelson Mandela Square in a courtyard setting in the middle. At one of the entrances is a bronze statue of Mandela, which must be at least thirty feet high and is a favourite tourist photo spot.

J’burg was once the financial and business capital of South Africa but in recent years the Stock Exchange and big financial houses have all moved out of the city centre to Sandton, a new, purpose built town.

Wednesday (day 3) and we have booked a tour to Soweto. Wow what a full and emotional trip. We started off with a tour of Johannesburg. TK, our guide, talked us through the history and how Johannesburg got its name – after four gentlemen who founded the city all called Johannes. We then travelled on to Soweto. Now, we had heard such horror stories about this black township that we thought we were in grave danger of being attacked, mugged or even murdered. What a surprise then, driving around to find an attractive developing town, home to Winnie Mandela and Desmond Tutu. You can see still the tin huts so often presented by the media but this is such a small part of, what is now, a delightful township with houses we would be proud to own. The residents are hardworking people using their skills and talents to make livings and the area is beautifully kept.

Today we also visited the Hector Peiterson Museum and monument. I cried is all I can say!

From there we moved onto the Apartheid Museum. Again, it was incredibly emotional when reading excerpts from transcripts and documentation explaining how apartheid worked and the oppression of the black people: how people were categorised – black, coloured, Asia; how they could be changed from one category to another at a whim and then whole families split up; how they could be stopped for no apparent reason and if found without their identity card they would be taken immediately and imprisoned.

Thursday(day 4) we decided to book TK again to take us to Pretoria – another area we had been warned against!

Here there are so many fine, historical places to visit: the Voortrek Monument – dedicated to the four Johannes mentioned earlier. Inside the monument there is the most wonderful, carved frieze around the wall depicting the struggle along their routes to their final settlements; the Melrose Monument, where the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging was signed on 31 May 1902; the Union buildings, the current parliament buildings: a truly impressive building with equally impressive gardens and finally President Kruger’s house, where he lived from his election to President until his exile at the beginning of the 20th Century.

I can’t possibly give you all the detail of the history of all these places – that, my friends, I leave to you to find out for yourselves. I have far too much to do exploring and having fun. What I will say is that, contrary to the guidebooks, which describe Johannesburg as a jumping off point to other parts of South Africa, this is a city with much history and soul. We had three days – one for orientation and two for historical/cultural tours – I would suggest that anyone visiting spends three or four days just to allow time to take in the museums and tours. We felt a little rushed. I would recommend allowing two to three hours for the apartheid museum alone.