Travels in Australia 2009-2010 Summer-A/Winter-C

Hi! Hope all is well with all of you. Here is finally a report of my travels since December 23,2009-2010. You don't have to read all of this at once. Good reading. Photos will follow on Facebook soon.

On December 23 we left for Dalysford, ( 3.5 h drive) from Balmoral where Gilles F and his nephew Kevin met a friend who picked them up for the Xmas period. On December 25 I left Dalysford for Melbourne airport to pick up Terry a friend of ours arriving from Winnipeg. I waited and waited no Terry and finally he came out and his luggage had stayed behind in Chicago. 

We left to undertake the Great Ocean Road( one of the most famous road in the world) for 5 days. I had made reservations at hostels before and it wasn't easy to find places for Xmas week. We had a beautiful trip and WOW what fantastic scenery along the coast and wonderful weather. I hadn't seen that part of the coast. We finished in Portland, beautiful little city. We went there before Xmas, Gilles F and Kevin did some surfing for the first time. A teacher friend had brought wet suits for them since the water can still be cold at that time. You will see pictures on Facebook soon.

We spent my birthday on Dec 30th and 31 on the beach there in Portland.

We came back home for a few days and got ready for our trip to Hobart on the Island Of Tasmania. On January 2nd , we left Balmoral, drove to the airport in Melbourne met our friend Danielle from winnipeg who arrived, left the car at the airport and all 5 of us, Gilles and Gilles, Kevin, Terry and Danielle took a plane the same day to Hobart where we spent 2 days with friends we had meet before. Then we rented a car and travelled for another 4 days around the Island and for sure making at least one walk a day. What a time and the weather was great.We followed the east coast up to the north end of the Island. We hadn't visited that area before.

We returned on Januar;y 9 late at night  picked up our car at the airport and drove home, Balmoral for 3 days & to do one walk in Hall'sCap(1.5 hours from Balmoral) and get ready for our next trip. The day we did our walk it was 42 degrees and at the info cengtre they told us it would be 50 degrees  on top. We went anyway with a lot of water and we made it to the top but it  wasn't as hot as they had told us, yet hot enough. We were all happy to reach the top especially Gilles F, Kevin and Danielle who took the long way up.

January 13 we left Balmoral for our next trip to explore the north east part of the state of Victoria which is a montaneous region. Victoria is the state where Gilles F lives, they call them states instead of provinces. Another 7 hours drive. We all fitted  is Gilles's small car and had taken a limited amount of baggage to fit in the trunk. Imagine we travelled in the next 10 days over 5000 klms in that small car. Gilles F had made reservations in Caravan Parks where they have cabins, the parks are very well organized and they are more affordable than motels or hotels especially at Xmas time, since they raise their prizes for the Summer Holidays,December 18 to end of January etc. 

We explores the Australian Alps national parks: Mt Buffalo National Park, Alpine National Park, Kosciuszko National Park. In Mt Buffalo Park we explored Mt Beauty, Mt Feathertop, Mt Hotham and Mt Bogong.

Mt Beauty we drove to the top, unfortunately we couldn't see very much because of the fog and rain. We still did a walk of 2 or 3 hours with our raincoats in a valley which was very beautiful. The next day we travelled up to Mt Hotham(very high and windy narrow roads) and left Gilles F, Kevin and Danielle to the start of Mt Feathertop walk and they needed to be picked up at the other many klms away. On the way up a very slow winding road we realized that we had forgotten to fill up with gas before we left so hoping to find a gas station on the way up and sure enough no gas station. So will we make it back down???? So no gas. Luckily we made it.Terry and I saw them disappear in the clouds and very windy at the start. Terry and I explored Mt Hotham by car and what wonderful scenery and views. We then drove  down to the other side of the Mt and we started climbing in the mountain until we met them coming them(3 or so hours). The most difficult part for them seemed to be coming down a very steep mountain for a long time. We had driven them to start from the top and at one point they climbed Mt Featherhop from there and came all the way down. Wow what another experience.

The next day we drove to False Creek area to climb the highest mont in Victoria Mt Bogong. There we met Peter , Gilles's friend in Mitta Mitta and in 3, 4X4 we started driving up to Mt Bogong in a very rough fire trail for about 2 hours. We were a group of 13 people doing this hike.Then we had another 2 hours hike to do( 4 hours return). Again  we soon reached the clouds and walked in the clouds and very windy , sometimes using the snow polls in the ground to guide people when it is snowing or cloudy. We had a few experienced people from the area who had done this walk many times. We finally reached the top and couldn't see anything and it was very windy and cold. We had our lunch and started by down. We were very lucky because soon after we started our way down it cleared up and we were able to appreciate the scenery again and WOW  was it worth while. We drove back down in our 4X4 on the same rough road.The poor drivers had to do all the driving. We sure enjoyed our swim and dinner at the Mitta Mitta hotel that night followed by a very good sleep.

The next day we left the Alpine National Park and drove to the Kosciuszko National Park( 4 to5 hours beautiful drive  in the mountains and also very slow in some areas ,very windy). We reached 

Threbo , very beautiful weather and very high in the mountain . Apparently they had had some snow high on Mt Kosciuszko. The next day we woke up and sure enough it was raining,  as we drove near the start of the walk we started seeing snow on the cars. For the rest of the day the rain on and off turned into snow. We explore the area and went shopping for hats and gloves because it was only suppose to be -5 on top of the Mt.(Remember , we left Balmoral it was 43 and now it is snowing). We decided not to go up that day and do a smaller walk in the rain and snow. After the walk we were all wet and cold so we went to the gymn  and pool to warm up. The next morning, not a cloud in the sky so we undertook the hike to the top of Mt Kosciuszko. The first part is with a ski lift and then  you walk the rest of the way. We were glad again that we had our hats and gloves and sure enough there was snow going up. Another beautiful hike up. Finally we made it to the top and again what a 360 degree view, here you are on top of the highest mountain in Australia WOW!!!! It was sure worth while to wait one day to see this wonderful scenery.It sure was windy and cold. It was suppose to be -4 on top that day. What a joy!!! Here we had another adventure . Sometimes in our walk Terry and I would let the younger people go ahead at their speed and sometimes they would do little extra side walks on the way. So here they did a side walk on the way down and we were suppose to meet at the top of the ski lift. So we arrived earlier and had our lunch and somehow when they came down they didn't see us so they took the lift down and didn't find us at the bottom. After half an hour latter, worried ,Gilles decided to come up to lift in case we were still up waiting for them. We also were starting to be concerned that they weren't coming down. So Gilles found us having coffee in the restaurant waiting for them at the top of the ski lift. So we were all glad to find each other. I guess we were fortunate enough along the walks not to lose somebody and always be a the meeting places all 5 of us.

The next day we left for Wodonga where Peter lives and get ready to leave for the city Melbourne for 2 days where Gilles F , Kevin and Danielle attended  the Australian Open where you get the opportunity to see the great Tennis players from around the world. I guided Terry around the city, in other words I showed him what I knew of Melbourne. One day we went  on  a tour to Philips's 

Island where you get to see some Australian wild animals such as the cute little  Koala's, kangaroos, wallebees(small kangaroo, penguins' colony at night when they come back from there day of fishing) etc. 
 

On the Friday we drove home for fews days before Danielle leaving after 4 travelling weeks.

We had the opportunity to do another walk before she left in the Grampians just 1 hour away. The following Tuesday(January 27) Terry, Danielle and myself left for Melbourne again to spend another day in the city before we drove her to the airport. Terry and I then drove to Geelong city and did the Geelong peninsula again what beautiful scenery along the coast. Just 2 days and drove home.
 

On February 4th, Terry, Kevin and myself left again for Melbourne(4Hours drive) ' airport on our way to visit Sydney. Kevin wanted to go to Sydney before going back to Quebec at the end of April so Gilles asked if I could bring him to Sydney. So  again we left Gilles F's car at the airport and flew to Sydney, 1 hour flight where some of Gilles's friends picked us up and took us to their home. For the next 4 days they guided us around Sydney. What a wonderful time. I only had spent 2 days in Syndey the first time I came to Australia. On Tuesday February 9th We g ot up early (6am) to be on time at the airport, when we arrived the plane was 4 hours late. So we had to wait 6 hours at the airport that day before flying back to Melbourne and drive home( another 4 ours) This made for a very long day. We left Terry in Melbourne since he was leaving the next day for Winnipeg after traveling on and off for 6 weeks.

Sure glad to stay home here in Balmoral for a while, and relax, enough traveling for now. I will have gone through Melbourne at least 7 times during my 3 months stay in Australia.

Time has gone by to fast, only 2 weeks left  before I go home. Take care