Day 16 Tuesday March 2, 2010

Map at the entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne

View of a pond in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne

Riverside walk along the Yarra River in Melbourne

Downtown Melbourne on the Yarra River

Downtown Melbourne- railway depot is domed building on right.

After our last breakfast on the veranda we re-packed our bags and re-weighed them until we got our suitcases under 20kg and the extra duffel bag well under the limit. We missed hearing the tea bell but joined the Diggers crew before they had finished all of the good morning tea treats. It was nice to have everyone gathered together so we were able to once again express our thanks and say our good-byes.

Thinking we could do some last minute blogging we headed back to the house but the internet area was in use so we shut everything down and packed the computer up too. Clive arrived with boxes of books for his office area and we tried to give him a hand moving them in. After finishing , he invited us to tea at Fork to Fork. Although we had already had tea with the gang, who can refuse tea and freshly made scones with the boss? It was so nice to have one last visit with Clive and to thank him again for his generous hospitality. Clive's wife Penny was going to be our ride into Melbourne around noon and as we were all packed and ready to go, we were able to enjoy our last minutes at Heronswood sitting on a bench overlooking the beautiful gardens and the Bay.

Penny wanted to drive us in to the city as she had made plans to meet her grandsons there after school and later stay overnight with her daughter in Melbourne. We enjoyed each moment of our ride into town as Penny shared her experiences and philosophies with us. Unfortunately we got a later start than she had hoped and with our hotel being on the far side of the city near the airport, and some slower traffic, we did not get to our hotel until after 1 and back downtown to the Botanical gardens until almost 2. So instead of joining us for lunch in the tearoom, Penny dropped us off at the garden gate with instructions on how to reach her in case we couldn't find our way back to the hotel and then hurried off to meet her grandsons.

We had a lovely stroll through Melbourne's Royal Botanical Gardens seeing lots of new trees and birds and just enjoying the warm sunny weather. We did have a lunch snack at the tea house and bought some last minute souvenirs before leaving the gardens and then walking along the Yarra River and crossing a bridge into downtown. We found our way to the information center where we stopped and got directions on how to get back to our hotel.

At about 5PM we decided to say good-bye to Melbourne and walked to the railway depot where we bought MET tickets and boarded an underground train for Essenton station. There we switched to a bus that dropped us off pretty close to our hotel. A short walk and we found ourselves back together with our luggage. As the Aussies say "No worries."

A supper meal of leftovers brought from Heronswood ended our day. This will be our last blog entry from Australia as tomorrow morning we head to the airport and our long flight home to the states. As our new friend Rex put it, "It is nice to go away and see wonderful things. But it is nicer still to be going home again."

Thank you to all of our new friends in Australia; for your generous gifts of food and knowledge and laughter and time. We will cherish our memories of your beautiful country and share our pictures with family and friends back home. Ta!

Day 17 Wednesday March 3, 2010

View of our hotel courtyard in suburban Melbourne

The Hudson Fysh Qantas 380 that flew us home-note it is double-decker the entire length of the plane- seen here ready to load something through the side door

The sun setting through our plane window as we flew west from Chicago towards home.

Our trip home began at 7AM as we cleaned up and packed up ready for the last long road home. The Hotel van picked us up at 9 AM to shuttle us to the International terminal at Melbourne airport. We had a bit of trouble with boarding passes but were at the gate ready to leave more than 2 hours before takeoff. Our gate area was blocked off so we had to sit nearby. It soon became clear that we were going to have to go through another security check before boarding. They divided all those boarding by gender, called them into the gate area one at a time, emptied and went through all carry-ons, inspected shoes-even looking under linings, and gave each passenger a front and back pat down before we could clear security and sit in the gate area.

Anne needed to use the restroom and had to take her boarding pass and passport with her and get patted down again before being allowed to re-enter. They had a few agents working at this and added more as we neared boarding time. Despite the additional security hassle we were able to leave on-time.

We flew Qantas again to LA and for a 14+ hour flight it was very nice. The crew were polite and attentive. We were offered food and/or drink almost every half hour. We were offered hot chocolate with marshmallows or peppermint tea to help us sleep. The entertainment centers were on the seat backs and had many choices from movies, TV, video games, music, radio, flight information even audio books. We were so entertained it was hard to try to sleep!

The entire travel time from our hotel in Melbourne to Anne's home in Minnesota took 28 1/2 hours to complete. We were able to rest along the way and seem to have adjusted back to Central Standard Time without mishap. It truly was an adventure to travel down under to sunny Australia and is a trip we will never forget.

Thank you to all of our readers who gave us the chance to share our story and gave us the motivation to keep writing when we were tired and ready to be done. If you ever get an opportunity to travel to Australia, don't think twice just go and enjoy!

Day 15 Monday March 1, 2010

Anne's bus to Mornington

Boat Houses along the beach in Dromana

Dromana Foreshore seen from the fishing pier

Caroline, Lou and Anne at Lou's home for dinner

Linda started her day by washing tomato seeds. Lou and Linda drove to the Boundary Road garden to spiff up the trial gardens in preparation for The Garden Australia show scheduled for this Wed. March 3. Linda ate lunch with Vicki in the gardens to avoid the long walk to the lunch area. Lou, Linda, John and Vicki came back to Heronswood about 4 PM leaving the trial gardens looking pretty darn good. This was Linda's final day working for the Diggers Club.

Meanwhile Anne headed once more back to Mornington for a little last minute shopping. The bus was 30 minutes late and she had just missed an earlier one making her wait about an hour for the bus. Main street was hopping with lots of end of the season shoppers. Her last transaction took just a few minutes too long and as she hiked up the street she could see her bus just pulling out of the bus stop. The 45 minute wait for the next bus was just long enough to find another good book at the used book shop.

Anne's original plan was to bus to the very tip of Mornington Peninsula and explore the National Park lands there, but as the bus ride from Mornington to the tip was over 2 hours, she gave up that idea when she missed the earlier bus. Instead she took the next bus to downtown Dromana where she ate her picnic lunch near the beach, explored the fishing pier, took off shoes and waded her way along the shoreline enjoying the many colorful boat houses, and snapping a few pictures. After letting her feet dry while she read a few chapters, she turned those feet towards the long hill of LaTrobe Parade and home to Heronswood.

Anne had just unpacked and straightened up a little when in walked Linda. We spent the short time before dinner gathering all of our stuff together, finding places to jam in souvenirs, weighing our suitcases and finding them over the 23kg limit. Note to fellow travelers: always carry an empty duffel bag when you are traveling internationally (you get 2 bags free) to bring home your purchases or don't buy books! With thoughts of heading back to downtown Dromana the next morning in search mode for a duffel bag, they headed out to wait in the drive for Caroline to pick them up for a dinner date at Lou's place.

Lou had made homemade hummus and Greek salad toppings for sliced pita wedges. It was a colorful and tasty appetizer that went well with the wine and views from her deck. The evening chill (the first we'd experienced since arriving) drove us inside for shark curry and apple rhubarb dessert. Another nice evening spent with friends. The only disappointments were the reluctant possum who refused to follow the trail of apple slices left by Lou to lure him up on the deck where we could see him, and that we forgot to tour Lou's garden until after dark. We did still walk around the back garden but had a hard time appreciating it in the dark.

Lou sent us home with an old duffel of hers to help us get our luggage back under 23 kg. Thanks Lou and Caroline for a wonderful evening and rides to dinner and home again.

Day 14 Sunday February 28, 2010

View of Cape Schanck from the Bushrangers Bay track

Kevin and Erika Corcoran relaxing at Bushrangers Bay Foreshore

Waves crashing as tide rushed in to Bushrangers Bay

Anne learning about sea creatures from Kevin.

Sunset over Port Phillip's Bay at Anthony's Nose, Dromana beach

Today started early especially for a Sunday. We both were up by 7 AM to be dressed and breakfasted before Erika arrived at 8 to pick us up. Erika Corcoran and her husband Kevin took us out for a day trip exploring the south side of the peninsula. We drove to Cape Schanck lighthouse parking area in the Mornington Peninsula National Park. After finding the restrooms still locked we started out on the Bushrangers Bay Track," one of the most beautiful walks in all of Australia".

We saw Ti trees, Metalucca trees, Banksia Trees(bottle brush), and Wattlebirds in the Banksias along the cliff top trail. The Park is a narrow strip of land that includes all the basalt cliffs and shoreline. Looking inland we could see pasture land where cattle were grazing. Coming out of a grove of Ti trees we saw a small group of kangaroos, silhouetted against the sky, grazing in the pasture.

The area is dry, wind blown sandy shoreline comparable to the Loess hills of western IA. The trail follewed the cliff top with some ups and downs until we reached Bushrangers Bay where the trail descended the cliffs by wood and sand steps dropping down to the shore. We crossed Burrabong Creek on our descent and once down on the sandy shoreline we crossed Main Creek on rocks and wading to reach the crashing waves of Bushranger Bay.

The day was overcast which made comfortable hiking but the wind was very strong down by the water, blowing sand in our faces and chilling our sweaty backs. The full moon made the tides big and the tide was coming into the Bay with each successive wave crashing further up the beach. We tried to walk to the big tidal pool but the water was already too high and the rip tide currents too dangerous to make the attempt.

We found a sheltered area out of most of the wind and had delicious homemade fruitcake that Kevin had carried in his pack for our snack. The rising tide helped us to decide to head back. Kevin pointed out kelp, blue bottle jellyfishes, cuttle fish(that birds rub their beaks on) and the shell of a sea urchin.

The crashing waves on the Bass Strait side of the peninsula are so breathtaking. Beautiful and dangerous all at the same time. With the sand cliffs as backdrops and the rocks carved by wind and water, it is truly majestic landscape.

But enjoying time on the beach always means a climb back up the cliffs at the end of the day, and so we made our way back up to the rolling hills high above the ocean floor and another beauty-filled walk to our car. (A Ford Falcon G series that runs on auto gas-LP gas)

Erika and Kevin invited us back to their home on Arthur's Seat and took us a scenic way past the village of Flinders, a sea fishing village turned artist colony. We also drove through the bush (any uncultivated wilderness area)and through a golf course where we paused until golfers had made their shots before driving on. A filling lunch of sandwiches with fresh veg, cheese, and homemade tourene(blended pork and veal in a loaf with asparagus and pistachio nuts). We toured their garden and met their chickens.

Erika drove us home stopping on the way at the Boundary Road gardens so I could see where she and Linda worked. She also drove us on the esplanade in Safety Beach and told us a history of the area. It was so thoughtful of them to spend so much of their Sunday, sharing their beautiful peninsula with us and taking us to places too far to walk and with no public transport available. Thank you Erika and Kevin for a perfect Sunday.

The day was mostly overcast and temperatures cooler than any we had yet experienced. After a quick supper at Heronswood, eaten in the dining room for the first time(too chilly outside) we took what will probably be our last sunset walk on the Bayside beach. The clouds made a beautiful frame for the golds and pinks of the setting sun. A lone fisherman shared our beach. We turned and headed back up the track to get to Heronswood just before dark, arriving home in a light mist of rain.

Day 13, Saturday February 27, 2010

Our usual routine was broken this morning as we had two guests arrive right after breakfast. The first was Erika just checking in to set a time to hike tomorrow on one of the most beautiful trails in all of Australia. The second was Kate who needed to borrow our bathroom scale to make certain her book packages were not too heavy to ship.

First on our agenda was to book a hotel in Melbourne for next Tuesday night. It needed to be near the airport and have transportation to downtown as well. After blind searching, we found and booked one that we hope will meet our needs. It has shuttle service to the airport so we won't have to worry about getting there Wednesday morning.

Next we did computer catch-up. We read and sent e-mails, talked with Beth on Skype and Dick on the cell phone, edited all the blogs adding captions to the pictures (you're welcome Dave) and hunted and found maps and schedules to clarify things. Time raced past and Linda noticed it was after 2PM. We made a quick lunch and gathered things for a day of shopping in Mornington.

Unfortunately bus service is infrequent on Saturdays and we had to wait 30 minutes at the bus stop. We had a nice visit while we waited with a family from Brisbane who had come on Holiday just to visit Heronswood and see the gardens in person. They had been members of the Digger's Club for many years and had ordered many seeds but had never before seen the gardens. Linda had spoken with them a few hours before when they had asked to see the house. Small world.

We arrived in Main Street Mornington just before 4PM only to discover that most of the shops close at 4pm. We still enjoyed a nice stroll through town, looking in windows and shopping in the few places still open. Linda was able to find a few souvenirs so our trip was not totally wasted. We had to wait 45 minutes for our bus home, but passed the time in the pharmacy across from the bus stop where Linda bought Licorice. We read the local paper before our bus ride home.

We ate dinner at a little hamburger joint in Dromana, then picked up a few groceries and beer before the hike back up the hill to home. We spent the rest of the evening downloading photos and catching up on blogs. a disappointing shopping day but no worries.

Day 12, Friday February 26,2010

Lou, Julie, and Priscilla getting luncheon tables ready for Governor's party.

Linda harvesting amaranth amidst banana tree and Japonica.

Rosella (parrot) outside Linda's bedroom window.

Surf crashing on one of Sorrento's back beaches (Pearce Beach)

Sandstone rock formations at Capitol Street beach (Sorrento back beach) as tide pours in covering tidal pools faster than we can run.

The Governor of Victoria came today; the Queen's representative. So the morning was spent in getting everything ready for the visit. The chefs planned a meal with stuffed cornish game hens, roasted lamb, green salad and raspberries done three ways. So Linda spent the morning picking raspberries, Nasturtium and Borage flowers for the salad. She asked Skeeter the chef if he needed anything else and he said "yes, another chef."

Linda spent the rest of the morning in regular picking duties including amaranth, and golden wax pole beans. She didn't get invited to the fancy luncheon although three of the garden staff were invited to join the dinner guests. The luncheon took place on the back lawn and lasted 'til almost 3:30PM. Lou and Linda spent the final hours of work on Friday in relaxed mode, seeding out tomatoes and shelling pole beans. They even had a beer-shhhh.

Meanwhile Anne had an interesting morning trying to help Clive but stay out of the way. Jimmie the cleaner from Sri Lanka came as usual about 10:30 AM. Clive had given Anne a list of special cleaning areas to tell Jimmie about in order to make the residence shine for the Governor. Anne sat in the gardens reading her book and staying out of the way of Clive and the reporters who were touring. But just as Jimmie arrived, Clive did also so Anne's only job in preparation was not needed as Clive told Jimmie what to do himself.

Anne made a picnic lunch to eat in the gardens making sure to shine the kitchen before exiting. She spent the next 3 hours, reading and peeping into the back garden(usually reserved for her) to see if the party was over. Clive's wife Penny had promised to take Anne hiking as soon as the Governor's party had left.

Penny finally found Anne reading on the veranda(which could give sneaky looks onto the back lawn) and they decided to skip the hike in the bush, weather being in the 90s, and instead hike the back beaches, swimming in tidal pools and studying starfish seaweeds and shells while avoiding a rushing tide and giant surf. It was quite an exhilarating experience starting with changing into bathers( swimsuits) standing behind the sandstone outcroppings on the beach.

The incoming tide forced Anne and Penny off the back beaches (Bass Strait-ocean side) to go rendez-vous with Clive and Linda who had finished work for the day and were relaxing on the Sorrento Bay Beach when we found them. Penny tried to get us in for a swim but the weather was cooling fast, and clouding up and wading felt just right. We searched the shoreline for new unbroken shells to add to the ones Anne and Penny had gathered on the back beaches for Linda and found enough to fill our hands, while Penny taught us all about the aquatic life in the bay area.

Clive left us at the beach to get supper started on the barbecue. We walked back to their house, enjoyed a warm outside shower, changed out of our bathers and climbed to the 2nd floor veranda to taste good local wine, eat pate on crackers and watch the sun setting over the bay.
Clive hustled us down to their picnic table where we had a wonderful meal of roasted lamb and potatoes. As night was closing in, Penny noticed a blue tongue lizard just feet from our table who had found a cherry tomato on the vine and zapped it off. He was about 15 inches long including tail and a little scary for us ladies from the States.

We ended the evening looking at photos of their trips to Tasmania and touring their home to admire paintings by Australian artists and Aboriginal art. Clive was tired and had to prepare for a radio interview the next day so Penny drove us back to Heronswood, sharing her views on everything from zoning laws to US health care. She is a character and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Instead of dropping us off at the gate, she came right in, talking about the 20+ years they had lived at Heronswood, sharing stories of past owners and where to spot the ghosts. Although we tried to hide our yawns she finally realized that we were tired and said goodnight. May we all have her energy and enthusiasm for life when we are over 65.

Day 11, Thursday February 25, 2010

Lou unloading vegetables from Dolly the Citroen delivery van

View of tip of Mornington Peninsula from Arthur's Seat. Bass Strait on the left, Port Phillip Bay on the right. Overlooking Rosebud, Tootgarook, Rye, Blairgowrie, Sorrento and Portsea.

One of William Ricketts' sculptures in the stone wall at Seawinds gardens, Arther's Seat St. Park

Anne resting on the gates on the Two Bays Walking Track

Linda drove with Lou in Dolly the Citroen van to the Boundary Road garden where they cleaned up the trial garden in anticipation of the arrival of a film crew from Garden Australia. Linda ate her lunch in the shade of a tree and waited for Rex to finish picking beans. Then Rex drove Linda back to Heronwood to meet up with Anne.

Meanwhile Anne had a lazy morning eating breakfast on the veranda, visiting with Clive and finishing her book on a bench in the gardens. A lazy lunch under the Morton Fig Tree in the back garden completed her morning and she was just bringing in her dishes when Rex and Linda arrived ready to drive up to Arther's Seat State Park.

Anne changed into hiking boots and joined them, stopping on the drive up at Murray's lookout for fabulous views of the bay. Rex dropped us off at Arther's Seat lookout and arranged to meet again at Seawinds in an hour. Anne showed Linda around the top of the mountain and took the paths to view the indigenous gardens, the lookouts, the rock Cairn, and Rickett's sculpture wall. The parkland was almost empty of visitors and so beautiful and restful to wander the acreage.

We met Rex as planned but instead of the offered ride back down the mountain Linda decided to walk it. Such a beautiful sunny 80 degree day with gorgeous views of the Bay and peninsula all the way back down the 800+ ft elevation drop to Heronswood. After a wander through the gardens, we reheated the leftover pizza and opened the last of our Redhill beer. Supper on the veranda hit the spot. The rest of the evening was spent in picking up the house in expectation of the Governor of Victoria's visit tomorrow, catching up on e-mails and the blog.