Holiday of a lifetime

Before I continue with the update on our time in Hong Kong I must clarify that GMF is a name we use in the Keech household for a viral infection e.g. heavy cold/cough. So I must reassure you that Taylor didn’t have a tropical disease and was suffering from a bad cough.
She was well on the mend when we left and was going back to school on Tuesday! When I said we had been in quarantine for 36hrs since we arrived at Hong Kong that was also another attempt at humour!
However the veiled attempt at humour was topical because when we got off the plane we had to hand a disclaimer to health officials stating we had no signs of symptoms of any illness (particularly coughing and high temp).
A lot of people both officials and travellers walk about wearing surgical masks – it was like being an extra on a series of Casualty! Even outside the airport and in Hong Kong every other person seems to have a surgical mask on or some sort of cloth wrapped around their face!
When I was doing the research for the blog I read that Hong Kong has previously suffered badly from bird flu and SARS – so I guess that is they are extra cautious about the Human Swine Flu.
Even the hotel we are staying in has the lift sterilised every half hour! On Tuesday morning when I went for an early morning dip in the hotel pool, I was met with a sign stating ‘anyone with coetaneous or contagious diseases is prohibited from using the pool’!
I thought to myself ‘Well I haven’t anything contagious apart from a terrific thirst due to the outrageous heat but as for a coetaneous disease I may well have one of those!
However I have since looked it up on’th tinter web and it means in plain english 'the mange' - so I was just about okay to go in!!
Now I 'bigged' up Australia on the blog and particularly Brisbane and wondered whether Hong Kong could usurp it.
The answer is most definitely NO! Or as Bev Wolfe would say ‘No Way’!
We are having a great time but it is the complete antithesis of Australia in every way and as such a complete contrast!
But I suppose we should remember that we have travelled from a very large country with absolutely loads of space for everyone to one of the most densely populated places in the world!
The weather in Hong Kong is absolutely baking hot, and when I say hot I mean hot! Far hotter than Australia - even Gympey – remember the land of gimps!
And unlike Australia there are relatively few places to get any respite from the searing heat - unless you are prepared to burst into Harvey Nichols or Hugo Boss whilst carrying a rucksack and pretend you are about to by a Gucci suit whilst dripping sweat all over the clothes worth $120000!
Anyway to give you an idea of the heat it has been in excess of 36C each day with extremely high humidity. The sun has been scorching hot and there is barely any wind! So combine these conditions with a place absolutely rammed full of people – who generally walk as if they are in a funeral procession whilst balancing their sun umbrellas or talking on their mobiles – whilst we were on a mission to see as much as we could in three days and I am sure you can visualise the scenario!
We have had a very interesting time and seen loads in the last two days – we had a joke with Murray before we left about trying to see as many of the top 25 things it suggests seeing in Hong Kong in our guide book! Thanks to Magoo Everidge Tours we have probably seen about 12 so far – and we have all day tomorrow as well! We don’t fly until 2300hrs HK time on Friday!
On the first day we went up Victoria Peak (via a funicular railway) and had a superb view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon beyond! A superb vista and a great way to get your bearings (see photos).
We have also been to the Botanical and Zoological Gardens, Central Plaza, Hong Kong Park, Kowloon (via a Star Ferry), Man Mo temple, Temple Street and seen the Symphony of Lights!
Not bad in two days in outrageous heat I suppose – tomorrow we are off to Aberdeen for lunch! It’s a harbour on the south of the island famous for its fishing and humungous floating restaurants. We have a late check out at the hotel at 1900hrs – so we will have a full day before we set off back home!
It has been an interesting two days in a place steeped in history involving Britain in the past. The place is changing fast with huge high rise structures sprouting up all over, not two the same (unless they build two).
These fantastic examples of modern engineering and architecture are often separated by some squalid looking structures on the outer perimeter of the CBD. But the main CBD is absolutely top notch and very up market – with some very unusual and spectacular high rise buildings and swish shopping malls. I have attached some photos to give you an idea of the architecture and the heat!
But I think you need to read about Hong Kong and its history; so that you can put our experience into context!
Hong Kong is officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and is a largely self-governing territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south.
Hong Kong is a global metropolitan and international financial centre, and has a highly developed capitalist economy.
Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842, reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983, and remained so until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy in all areas with the exception of foreign affairs and defence, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. As part of this arrangement, Hong Kong continues to maintain its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from those of mainland China.
Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, its identity as a cosmopolitan centre where the East meets the West is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions.
The city's population is 95% Chinese and 5% people of other ethnicities. With a population of 7 million people but land area of 1,108 km2 (428 sq mi), Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
During the first half of the 20th century, Hong Kong was a free port, serving as an entrepôt of the British Empire. The British introduced an education system based on their own model, while the local Chinese population had little contact with the European community of wealthy tai-pans settled near Victoria Peak.
In conjunction with its military campaign in World War II, the Empire of Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941. The Battle of Hong Kong ended with British and Canadian defenders surrendering control of the colony to Japan on 25 December. During the Japanese occupation, civilians suffered widespread food shortages, rationing, and hyper-inflation due to forced exchange of currency for military notes.
Hong Kong lost more than half of its population in the period between the invasion and Japan's surrender in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony.
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly as a wave of mainland migrants arrived for refuge from the ongoing Chinese Civil War. With the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more migrants fled to Hong Kong in fear of persecution by the Communist Party.
Many corporations in Shanghai and Guangzhou also shifted their operations to Hong Kong. The colony became the sole place of contact between mainland China and the Western world, as the Chinese communist government increasingly isolated itself from outside influence.
With the lease of the New Territories due to expire within two decades the governments of the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China discussed the issue of Hong Kong's sovereignty in the 1980s. In 1984 the two countries signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration, agreeing to transfer sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997,[ and stipulating that Hong Kong would be governed as a special administrative region, retaining its laws and a high degree of autonomy for at least fifty years after the transfer.
The Hong Kong Basic Law, which would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer, was ratified in 1990, and the transfer of sovereignty occurred at midnight on 1 July 1997, marked by a handover ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Hong Kong's economy was affected by the Asian financial crisis of 1997 that hit many East Asian markets, and the lethal H5N1 avian influenza also surfaced that year.
After a gradual recovery, Hong Kong suffered again due to an outbreak of SARS in 2003. Today, Hong Kong continues to serve as an important global financial centre, but faces uncertainty over its future role with a growing mainland China economy, and its relationship with the PRC government in areas such as democratic reform and universal suffrage.
Hong Kong is subdivided into 18 geographic districts for administrative purposes. The 18 districts can be split into three areas, often used for statistical purposes. Hong Kong Island is the original 1842 colony, and contains Hong Kong's financial core on its northern coast.
As much of Hong Kong's terrain is hilly to mountainous with steep slopes, less than 25% of the territory's landmass is developed, and about 40% of the remaining land area is reserved as country parks and nature reserves.
Most of the territory's urban development exists on Kowloon peninsula, along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island and in scattered settlements throughout the New Territories. The highest elevation in the territory is at Tai Mo Shan, at a height of 958 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level.
Hong Kong's long, irregular and curvaceous coastline also affords the territory with many bays, rivers and beaches.
Despite Hong Kong's reputation of being intensely urbanised, the territory has made much effort to promote a green environment, and recent growing public concern has prompted the severe restriction of further land reclamation from Victoria Harbour.
Awareness of the environment is growing as Hong Kong suffers from increasing pollution compounded by its geography and tall buildings. Approximately 80% of the city's smog originates from other parts of the Pearl River Delta.
Situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer Hong Kong's climate is humid subtropical in summer there are occasional showers and thunderstorms!
So now you know all about Hong Kong – I would say a great place to experience as a stop-over but perhaps time your stop-over outside the summer months!
This will be the last overseas blog entry – the summary and final entry will be an entry from Bolton on Saturday!

What do you know about our next destination - Australia Zoo? Apart from the Wolfes’ and John & Genna; probably about as much as I did before I was instructed we were going.
As you know we have seen plenty of wildlife in their natural habitation this holiday (remember the businessmen at bluefish point in Manly) and I was a bit worried a Zoo might be an anti-climax.
I’ll give you the advantage of looking at the history and background first then you can get the ‘zoo’ in context!
Australia Zoo is located on the Sunshine Coast near Beerwah and the Glass House Mountains. It is now owned by Terri Irwin, the widow of Steve Irwin, whose wildlife documentary series ‘The Crocodile Hunter ‘ made the zoo a popular tourist attraction.
If you aren’t aware of the ‘late great’ Steve Irwin, then you need to get a copy of ‘The Crocodile Hunter’ – he was truly amazing!
A bit of history about Steve's untimely death from the local newspaper: Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died from a stingray wound while filming off north Queensland. Friends believe he may have died instantly when struck by a stingray as he filmed a sequence for his eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new TV series.

Irwin's friend of 20 years, Ferre De Deyne said Irwin had been struck by the stingray while filming. "The stingray just happened to be swimming around and out of the blue whacked his tail at him," he said.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, 44-year-old Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!"

Irwin had been filming a new documentary called Ocean's Deadliest with friend and manager John Stainton at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas about 11am.

"He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart," Mr Stainton said.

"It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain.

"He died doing what he loved best."

Irwin was pulled aboard his research vessel, Croc One, for a 30-minute dash to Low Isle, where a Queensland Rescue Helicopter had been summoned, his Australia Zoo said in a statement.

The crew of the Croc One performed constant CPR during the voyage to Low Isle, but medical staff pronounced him dead about noon.

"It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries," said Dr Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin at the scene.

"He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest.

"He had lost his pulse and wasn't breathing."

Dr O'Loughlin said it appeared Mr Irwin had suffered a "form of cardiac arrest" but a post-mortem examination would be conducted in Cairns.

Quite a sad end to poor Steve's life but in his honour the zoo currently sits on about 45 acres of lush rainforest with the Glasshouse Mountains and the Sunshine Coast hinterlands as a backdrop. It is a place where conservation lives through exciting education. Over 750 rescued, exotic, native animals and reptiles — including crocs, and lots of them — call it home
The Zoo's story began way back in 1970 when Steve's parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, decided to start a wildlife sanctuary. Their home had grown too small for their collection of rescued reptiles and family of five. So they moved to the Sunshine Coast and purchased four acres of land where they opened the Beerwah Reptile Park.
From the very beginning, the main aim was to promote conservation through education. By choosing to display predominately reptiles, the park was always fighting an uphill battle when it came to public opinion. Never ones to back away from a challenge, Bob and Lyn took on the job of educating Australians about local reptiles and they soon became well known for their knowledge of native wildlife.
Bob was recognized and respected globally as a herpetologist who helped pioneer reptilian husbandry in Australia. Lyn also became one of the first people to rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife in southeast Queensland.
Throughout the years the zoo expanded and eventually became known as the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park. In 1992, there came yet another change when Bob and Lyn retired, leaving the management of the facility to their son Steve and his wife Terri, who renamed the park Australia Zoo.
Steve and Terri Irwin were quick to follow in Steve's parents' footsteps promoting dedication to conservation. They became involved in different zoological associations leading to breeding programs and conservation efforts, including the establishment of the Australia Zoo Endangered Species Unit and Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Unit.
The Endangered Species Unit has been established to develop and implement breeding and management programs for endangered species, not only from Australia, but from around the world.
Known as the Australia Zoo Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Unit, they are called upon every day to rescue and treat the sick, rehabilitate the injured, raise the orphaned, and release healthy animals back into the wild (we were going to put their number up at Bolton Rugby Club but we thought better of it because with this criteria the zoo would be bankrupt within 12 months).
Since Australia Zoo began, its aim has remained constant, to promote: "Conservation through exciting Education!"
So now you know all about Australia Zoo – it’s not really a zoo in my mind it’s an animal conservation park! Even though Steve met an early and untimely death the staff often refer to him (as if they feel he is watching over then). They all appear to be genuinely proud to be carrying on his ethos and attitude towards educating the public about how to ‘live and get along’ with the indigenous reptiles’!
The staff aren’t trying to copy Steve but because they all dress like him (safari shirts, shorts and hats) and because they are also so enthusiastic in their delivery of their information about the animals - makes it seem like you are surrounded by scores of Steve Irwin replicas!
Well we had a great day at the animal conservation park even though Caz was hyperventilating most of the time – I just had to tag along and follow her. It was a bit worrying at times though e.g. before we went to see the feeding of the tigers Caz insisted that we wash all the scent off our bodies in the zoo toilets and then construct a hide to sit in and not speak for over two hours!
The peace and tranquillity was brilliant but after a while I wondered why everyone else was in the grandstand eating ice creams and chatting away! Come to think of it I realised we were sat behind a 4 metre high glass wall which was 15mm thick!
I think she has read too many Wilbur Smith novels and the heat had affected her brain, so much so that she thought she was with Sean Courtney in the African Bush (if this doesn’t mean anything to you then you haven’t read ‘ A Time to Die by Wilbur Smith)!
Great day with loads to see and very educational – now in the 4 weeks or so I have been in this great country called Australia I have now fixed my fear of heights, sharks and now crocodiles and snakes! I even saw a Cassowary up close and dangerous and it didn’t scare me – that armour plated glass is great though when you want to be brave!
In all seriousness what the zoo did for me was to give loads of info about the animals and also tell you what the animals don’t like about humans and what we do to them to make them angry!
So if you follow the advice and behave in the way the ‘mini-me Steve’s’ say – you would be damned unlucky to be the victim of an ‘attack from one of these animals’!
So a long educational day came to an end when we trudged wearily out of the zoo (it had been about 29C all day) and we became the victims of the classic great crocodile hunter snare – you had to exit via the shop!
So after loading up the Mitsubishi flying machine with plastic crocodiles, boomerangs, candy floss, Australian liquorish and candy bars we were off!
We arrived at the Ryan household via the drive in ‘Bottle Shop’ (a drive in ‘off licence’ – now that’s a new one on me but a brilliant idea). We sat in the back yard and chatted over a few beers - got the update from Saturday’s sporting activities i.e. Taylor’s netball team lost narrowly in the final of the season and DD’s soccer lost 1-2 on penalties (he scored the only Westside penalty)!
We chatted away and swopped anecdotes about the zoo and had another sensational BBQ with Murray & Kath producing and cooking some exquisite steak, chicken and veal kebabs!
What a great day – now what about tomorrow i.e. Monday?
Well we had already discussed the previous week with Murray and Kath that we would like to see more of Brisbane City. So our cunning plan was that when Taylor and DD went to school the four of us would go for a sight seeing trip of Brisbane! Well it nearly worked out but unfortunately Kath had to work and Taylor got ‘green monkey fever’ (GMF) and had to have a day off school (I think DD had gassed her – I have now discovered another of his secret diet ingredients –vegemite!).
So ‘plan B’ – Murray outlined a plan of a Brisbane city tour on our guide book map and gave us some top tips. He then dropped us off at the train station and off we went – a whole £2.50 each to travel 12 miles on a train and ride on as many river boats as you want in the city! Amazing value for money on quality transport i.e. new trains and boats with plenty of seating!
So what do you know about Brisbane then, other than what I have mentioned in previous blog entries? Well as you have probably guessed you are about to find out a bit more before I tell you about our day in the city!
Brisbane staged the successful 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1988 World Exposition. These events were accompanied by a scale of public expenditure, construction and development not previously seen in the state of Queensland. Since these events Brisbane's population growth has exceeded the national average every year since 1990 at an average rate of around 2.2% per year.
The city of Brisbane is hilly and the urban area, including the central business district, is partially elevated by spurs of the Herbert Taylor Range.
The city is on a low-lying floodplain, many suburban creeks run across the city, increasing the risk of flooding. The city has suffered two major floods since colonisation, in 1893 and 1974.
Central streets are named after members of the royal family. Streets named after female members (Adelaide, Alice, Ann, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary) run parallel to Queen Street and Queen Street Mall (named in honour of Queen Victoria) and perpendicular to streets named after male members (Albert, Edward, George, William).
The city has retained some heritage buildings dating back to 1820s, The Windmill in Wickham Park and the Old Commissariat Store on William Street are considered to be the oldest surviving buildings in Brisbane, and both were built by convict labour in 1828. The Windmill was originally used for the grinding of grain and a punishment for the convicts that manually operated the grinding mill.
The Windmill tower’s other significant claim to fame, largely ignored, is that the first television signals in the southern hemisphere were transmitted from it by experimenters in April 1934 - long before TV commenced in most places.
So now you know a bit more about Brisbane - well we had a great day – a fantastic city with loads of variety and a superb museum and art gallery.
The whole city appeared very clean and well structured and organised - as expected quite busy but not oppressive – the ‘river cats’ i.e. huge sleek catamarans’ were fantastic and kept time like a Swiss clock!
So I can definitely recommend Brisbane as a place to visit and although I have only spent about a relatively short time staying here I think I could most definitely live here (don’t worry Murray – if we did move we would get our own place)!
So back to the Ryan household for the ‘last supper’ – quite a sad day really! We were lucky though because Murray had not been idle whilst monitoring Taylor’s GMF, he had been doing his cookery as well as his gardening!
He had made his signatory ‘pudding’ dish of apple crumble and we were also fed a magnificent main dish of lovely slabs of corned beef and spuds & various veg! The best meal we have had without doubt since we have been in Aus (just pipping the BBQ’s at the Ryan household)!
We sat around the dinner table in the house for the ‘last supper’ and it could well have been a somber affair - but there was no chance of that with D’Arcy around! Double D came to life big time (no not trumping but doing impersonations) -he was hilarious – completely animated and full of witticisms! If for no other reason you don’t fancy coming to Brisbane you should come just to see D’Arcy Ryan – then you can say ‘ I knew him before he was famous’!
We had a lovely evening and all retired to bed pretty early mostly due to belly laughing at Double D!
Up bright and early on Tuesday morning, cases packed, and the dreaded goodbyes! Well around the breakfast bar at about 0730hrs or so things were pretty relaxed as usual – D’Arcy was still I his ‘jim jams’ making a statement ‘ I am not a morning person’ and Taylor was up and about full of energy (the GMF had subsided) – was it a coincidence that it was sports day at school – I wonder?
So we had a group hug (we all wore gas masks when we hugged Double D) said our goodbyes and off we went to the airport! Murray kindly took us there again and as we have become accustomed he made sure we were well sorted in the airport itself. We checked in and just made the 23 kilos baggage allowance and then went and had a cup of coffee.
What an airport – absolutely amazing – huge and airy with no queues or smells – best airport of any I have ever been in – so there is another reason to come to Brisbane!
Finally we said our goodbyes to Murray – what a great guy and what a superb host – it was almost like a scene from Brokeback Mountain!
So onwards and upwards – no pun intended – ‘what was in store for us in Hong Kong’? Surely it couldn’t usurp Australia and in particular Queensland – well you’ll have to wait to find out!
Because even though we have been here for almost 36 hours we have only just come out of quarantine – apparently they thought we had signs of GMF! How very dare they!

We were up bright and early on Saturday morning and were checked out of the Mantra at Uragand by 08465hrs hrs! On the road in the Mitsubishi flying machine by 0900hrs - or so I thought! Unbeknown to me Caz had spotted a ‘picture shop’ in the little shopping mall near to our hotel earlier in the week and announced she wanted to pop in to check out what they had on offer.

Well you have never seen as many fantastic photographs in your life – award winning shots of Fraser Island and the whales in Hervey Bay (almost as good as mine on’th blog)!

Well after an hour or so of browsing Caz had finally picked a picture that wasn’t an exclusive edition and winner of the best wildlife picture in Australia (her first choice). She did pick however a limited edition and winner of Queensland wildlife photograph of the year – so it was relatively cheap.

On reflection I think I was the victim of what they call ‘waterboarding’ - you know when they allegedly tortured prisoners in Guantanamo Bay until they submit and admit to anything.

Unfortunately the picture she selected wasn’t in stock but it will be sent via Securicor to the Hanging Gardens of Hamnet; whereupon it’s arrival we will be inviting the Mayor of Bolton to unveil it!

So we eventually left Uragand on the Fraser Coast off and trogged to Gympey (where all the Gimps live) and then onto the Sunshine Coast. We drove through a lovely village called Eumundi before we got to the coast and it was lunch time so Caz suggested we stop for lunch (pre-prepared at the Mantra and stored in our £1 cool bag from Woolworths)!

Guess what there was at Eumundi? Yes – you guessed right - a market! Not just an ordinary market but the mother of all markets! So not only was I a victim of waterboarding - I was now a victim of rendition!

So we parked up and sat in the 30C sun eating a few sandwiches whilst Caz stared at the market stalls salivating - I didn’t know whether she was hungry or just keen to get onto the market! So having snaffled the packed lunch in quick time, the next thing I knew we were on the market!

To be fair it was good – there were some decent stalls and not as much tat as there normally is - I got a bit worried at one point because I started to become interesting in things for sale on the stalls. Caz took a few business cards and promised that some bulk orders would be coming their way, however it go too much for me and I had to leave her when she was enquiring how much it was to charter a container on a ship!

We then set off to the coast which was only a 20 min drive away and went to Noosa Heads at the top of the sunshine coast – this was very a interesting place and reminded me a bit of Cornwall – coves where the rivers meet the sea. It was quite upmarket and full of yuppies, so we didn’t stop but carried on down the coast to Coolum.
We had pre –booked our accommodation on’th t’interweb the previous night thru yet another web site which we thought was really reasonable –same price as Mantra but a slightly smaller set up.

We arrived in Coolum and found our digs which were directly opposite the Coolum Surf Club. We checked in at 1400hrs and were once again very impressed with the quality of the accommodation. No sea view this time but our ground floor studio apartment had a terraced deck which overlooked the swimming pools. We only had a kitchen diner come lounge this time and only a single seat Jacuzzi, but we had a huge plasma TV and a lovely three piece leather suite (very important when there is football and rugby on the TV at night).

The football coverage of the premiership is far better in Australia than it is in England - with loads of live matches and highlights of games. How they manage to squeeze it in amongst the Australian sport e.g. Rugby League, Rugby Union, Aussie Rules and Cricket, is beyond me - how does that work?

We quickly unpacked and went across the road onto the beach, Caz started to read and do a spot of chillin after her market fest and I went into the sea to swim! No chance of swimming- the sea was that rough and the rip tide so strong you couldn’t go in above your waist (this was a written instruction from the lifeguards).
The waves were huge and the surf was great to play in but you have to have your wits about you because one minute you are waist deep and then there is a big hole on the sand beneath your feet and you are under water in about 8 feet of water!

The life guards are really switched on at Coolum and patrol an area of about 20 metres wide - if you stray outside this 20 metre area you are not supervised. Not only are there lifeguards on the beach, ready with their surf boards and little cloth caps (not sure why they wear those), but there are two rubber crafts powered by outboard motors patrolling within the extremities of the 20 metre wide area some 30 metres out at sea! It’s an amazing service and is provided from 0745hrs until 1600hrs daily. People do still play in the surf after the lifeguards have gone but they are usually people who have small brains or a death wish!

I was like a big kid playing in the surf and I managed to master the art of body surfing again; the last time I did this was in Anglesey as a 14 year old! So now I have plenty more body to surf you would think it was easier but I can assure you it isn’t - I think I probably cleared about 10 metres of the 20 metres width made available by the lifeguards - parents moved their kids out of the way when I came crashing in!

We spent the rest of the day on the beach until the sun dropped out of the sky as usual at 1730hrs and we went back to have an early night in and watch the wallabies play RSA and a bit of the Chelsea match (which was on live).
Sunday morning we were up bright and early and I went down to the beach at 0800hrs for one last go in the surf – who would have thought a month ago you couldn’t get me in the sea for love nor money!
I was amazed when I got to the beach to find it was already full of families and surf dudes going for it – Sunday morning is obviously a beach day in Coolum!

I re-enacted my childhood again and dived around in the surf like a beached whale and scared a few families - then it was a quick breakfast and off on our travels again - down the coast for a while and then to our next destination
- Australia Zoo - but that's another installment!
Now a bit of a geography and history lesson about Coolum before we go onto the zoo!

Coolum is the largest beach side resort on Queensland's southern Sunshine Coast. The area is fast growing with a population of 18,000. Although visitors will always be welcome to this beautiful resort, the population may be capped to preserve the resources and standard of the living in the area.

Coolum is approximately 90 minutes (135 km) north of Brisbane and about 15 km south of Noosa. The resort town is renowned for its quality world-class golf courses and accommodation and is home to a lively cafe and restaurant scene. South of the township, Mount Coolum sits within the Coolum National Park dominating the landscape with its rugged escarpment.

The origin of the name Coolum appears to be derived from the Aboriginal word 'gulum' or 'kulum' meaning 'blunt' or 'headless'. This is assumed to refer to the shape of Mount Coolum, which has no peak. According to Aboriginal legend, Ninderry knocked off Coolum's head and it fell into the ocean and is now Mudjimba Island.

In 1823, the first Europeans to pass through Coolum were castaways and shipwrecked sailors. The first land selection in Coolum was made in 1871 by Grainger Ward, where he ran upwards of 300 head of cattle. In 1881, Mark Blasdall selected his own lease of 252 hectares, and was the first to plant sugarcane in the area and to cut timber. He built two huts and a sawmill aswell as clearing Coolum Creek, thus enabling steampships to enter to load timber and deliver supplies. By 1882 the steampships 'Tadorna Radjah' and 'Gneering' began to regularly travel from Brisbane to Coolum creek.

The first permanent settler of Coolum was William Perry-Keene and his family in 1905. Between 1906 and 1912 many people setlled permenantly in the region. By 1912 there were eight to 12 families living in the district. In 1909, Coulsin established a mailboat service on the Maroochy River. This provided the first regular connection between Coolum and the railhead at Yandina. In 1911, a horse-drawn tramline and punt loading facilities were built at Coolum Creek.

Construction of the first trafficable road to Coolum was undertaken between 1922 and 1925. This provided vehicle access from Coolum to Yandina. In 1923, the tramline to Coolum was opened and unscheduled passenger services began. Over this time considerable expansion of the sugarcane industry took place. Cane farming provided the main source of financial stability in the distruct until the advent of tourism in the 1960s!

So now you know all about Coolum - I think everybody should visit Coolum at some point of their life for a nice break - see the photos!

We had a lazy day on Thursday and just explored the beaches and the area in and around Hervey Bay. On the beaches you can walk for long distances without seeing anyone apart form the odd beach casting fisherman (by that I mean lone and not strange in anyway).
All along the esplanade and board walks, which run parallel to the beach, there are regular areas for recreation and rest i.e. fitness trails with exercise machines (cross trainers etc) and also free BBQ’s.
These BBQ’s are gas operated and free of charge and are big enough to cater for about a dozen people at a time on them. These areas are a common feature all up the east coast of Australia (and no doubt elsewhere in the country). The ones we have seen are kept in immaculate condition and utilised by locals and backpackers alike (although I have yet to see many backpackers on the fitness trails)!
When you go in Woolworths to do your shopping there are big packages containing various cuts of meat labeled ‘backpackers takeaway’! I suppose a bit like a giant version of the butchers wrap up you could get from the local butcher for your refreshment period on early turn when you were walking the beat as the local constable (sorry, just a trip down memory lane)!
So an early night on Thurs night after a lovely ‘caravan tea’! For those of you who don’t know this meal consists of fresh salad, new potatoes and a cooked chicken! Worthy of note for Vera (my mother-in-law), the founder of the caravan tea, that you can get a ‘caravan tea’ on the other side of the world (courtesy of Woolworths)!
Up bright and early on Friday for a big day on Fraser Island – at the ferry port for 0800hrs and very soon onto the barge with our tour guide ‘Ian’. Now Ian had the usual laconic acidic wit we have now come to expect from Aussie tour guides – we love it but I am sure 75% of his comments were lost in translation on the myriad of nationalities which made up our tour party!
Fraser Island is easily reached by a short barge ride (ferry) ride from the mainland. The barge was about three times the size of the Hawkshead ferry and travels the short distance through the Sandy Straights, in about 5 metres depth of water, in 35 minutes.
Once on the island the only means of transport is via a four-wheel drive vehicle. These vehicles range from a typical family 4x4 e.g. Land Rover to huge 38 seat 4x4‘s. These monster trucks consist of a cab and on the back a sealed unit containing 36 seats - the likes of which I have never seen!
You cannot simply wait for a bus or a taxi you must have pre-arranged transport - in our case one of the monster trucks! It transpired that Ian was our driver as well as guide, once he climbed into the cabin he donned a space age headset and talked us through the safety requirements i.e. ‘strap yourself in tightly otherwise you’ll bloody well hit ya head on the roof’! Also ‘when ya get out of the truck don’t go anywhere on ya own otherwise the dingoes may get ya and if they don’t - the snakes will’!
‘Blimey’ I thought ‘welcome to Fraser Island’ ! - surely he is joking; but within minutes we were travelling at speed along a single track with him bouncing up and down on a pneumatic drivers seat - the cab is sprung separately from the passenger body. I can only describe it as a cross between the big dipper and a trip to Bolton Parish Church as a front seat passenger in my father-in-law’s car (terrifying)!
The island is about 75 miles long and has over 1,200 miles of sand track roads. The sand roads are very, very demanding to drive on and it is not unusual to see powerful 4x4’s stuck and the occupants digging and pushing to get them going again! Apparently the roads are better to drive on when there has been some rain, but we were told that there had not been any rain on the island for the last 3 months!
The island was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992 and considered to be the largest sand island in the world (it only has approx 400 residents)!It has over 100 dune lakes and these freshwater lakes are some of the cleanest lakes in the world. Lake McKenzie is a "perched" lake sitting on top of compact sand and vegetable matter 100 metres above sea level. It has an area of 150 hectares and is just over five metres in depth. The beach sand of Lake McKenzie is nearly pure silica and it is possible to wash hair, teeth, jewelry, and exfoliate one's skin.
Historically the trees on Fraser Island were logged extensively as they made excellent timber. Logging started in 1863 and continued right through until 1991, when a government backed enquiry enforced that the practice stopped!
Central Station consists of the remaining buildings from the logging industry and is the most popular tourist destination on the island. It is now surrounded by bushwalking tracks and board walks, which enable you to see some of the rarest ferns, grow amongst the rainforest near the station (see photos).
The 75 mile beach runs along most of the east coast of the island and is noted for its beauty. It has a number of highlights such as Champagne Pools, Indian Head, the SS Maheno Ship Wreck and Eli Creek (which has its own unique and varied wild life).
The beach also acts as both a highway and a runway; the hard packed sand below the high tide mark can make for quite smooth driving. Aircraft often land on the beach and the highway rules state that vehicles must give way to aircraft if they are oncoming (see photos)!
Dingoes were once common on the island, but are now decreasing. They are some of the last remaining pure dingoes in Eastern Australia and to prevent cross-breeding, dogs are not allowed on the island. Feeding or attracting the attention of dingoes is extremely dangerous and illegal.
Other mammals found on the island include swamp wallabies, echidnas, possums, sugar gliders (gliding possum) and flying foxes (bat). Goannas, snakes, lizards, skinks and frogs are all present on the island. Of the worlds top ten most deadly types of snakes – seven of them inhabit the island!
Saltwater crocodiles usually remain only in far north Queensland (several hundred miles north-west of Fraser Island,) however; occasionally during the warmer season (December through March) crocodiles do appear on beaches, in river mouths and in creeks in and around the island!
For the information of Papa T (now an official twitcher as well as a jogger); there are over 350 different species of birds on the island. Birds of prey include sea eagles, peregrine falcon, osprey and kites. Other common birds include pelicans, terns, honeyeaters, gulls, kingfishers, kookaburra and cockatoos. A rare, endangered bird on the island is the ground parrot, already extinct in some parts of Australia!
We had a great day and went to all the places mentioned above - we were really impressed with Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek – both amazingly beautiful and unique! Also the Central Station short bush walk was also very impressive – some of the tallest and straightest trees I have ever seen growing – never mind in sand!
I was also slightly indulgent and splashed out £30 for a ride in a four seat single engine plane. This was an impulse thing because as we drove along 75 mile beach it was announced by Ian that there were only three places on the plane on offer to the tour party – and it was ‘bloody good’! So having checked with Caz that she didn’t want to go up I won the scramble off the truck to a meet with the pilot and book my slot!
Next thing I knew I had paid my $60 and joined an Aussie couple, in their late 60’s, who were already ensconced in the rear seats. I later found out he had threatened to punch anyone on the truck who didn’t let him and his Shelia do the flight (he was a bull of a man who apparently used to wrestle crocodiles for a living).
Now with this couple already squeezed into the two rear seats, there wasn’t a lot of room left and I had to be shoehorned into the co-pilots seat – kindly assisted by the pilot who was shoving me into the small gap. As I cocked my leg over the seat I got cramp in my left quad and shouted out in agony ‘Arrrghhhh’!
As I shouted out in pain the pilot pushed extra hard and simultaneously the aged ex-crocodile wrestler slapped me on the back (nearly breaking my neck) and shouted ‘yehaggghhhh’! - as a cowboy would when setting off on his horse! I fell into the seat in agony but everyone was oblivious to my condition and suffering and merely thought I was shouting out in excitement! Within a split second of being in the co-pilot’s seat my attack of cramp abated and we were hurtling down the beach runway at 29mph! There no way this thing was going to take off - but take off it did!
I then experienced 15 minutes of pure pleasure whilst we were buffeted about in the wind above the beautiful Fraser Island – fantastic views! I have only ever felt such elation once before and that was when I served my last day with GMP and the pension commutation was placed in our bank account!
So all in all a great day was had by all – hard one to follow but we will try! We have John & Genna to thank for the ‘top tip’ – they were lucky and had three days on the island when they visited Australia last year!
Saturday sees us heading off south early along the sunshine coast to stay at Coolum (another surfer’s paradise)! On Sunday we are then off to Australia Zoo – poor old Steve Irwin’s place and then back to the Ryan household in Brisbane!

Hope you have had chance to locate Hervey Bay in Australia on the Atlas – if not I have attached a ‘j peg’ in the blog photo gallery.
As you know we arrived in Hervey Bay on Monday afternoon. We are staying at a place called ‘Mantra’ - which is a fantastic place right on the harbour front at Urangan (one end of Hervey Bay). We didn’t use Clark’s mates’ rates for this one – we used a really competitive website called wotif.com, which Murray put us onto! You can probably guess that I am going to wax lyrical about the standard of accommodation and the value for money!
Suffice it to say, just use all the superlatives I have used about our previous accommodation and add to them the fact that it is the cheapest hotel we have stayed at all holiday – and I’ll let you visualise & describe it yourself! However please note that our room consists of: one bedroom (king sized bed as per usual), huge Jacuzzi bath and a kitchen, laundry room, lounge with large TV plus a balcony overlooking the harbour and the Coral Sea beyond - all for the same price as a travel lodge on the M1!!
Hervey Bay is a peaceful and picturesque seaside city that has attracted holiday makers for over a century. It has plenty to offer for just about everyone, on the water and on the land. It is best known as the Whale Watch Capital and the home of the World Heritage listed Fraser Island.
This haven, which began as a number of seaside villages, boasts kilometres of beaches and offers a vast range of tourist attractions and activities for all ages. Hervey Bay's climate and idyllic waterways have led to an abundance of water sports activity in the area. A broad nature strip with a bike path meandering among the trees traces the entire stretch of sandy beach from the Urangan Pier (where we are staying in the Mantra), to the last of the grand old beach houses at Point Vernon.
The beaches are ideal for all ages and swimming, sailing, fishing, diving, sea kayaking and skiing are all readily available. As well as an abundance of water based activities, the area also has art galleries, theatres, a very broad range of eateries, botanic gardens, historical townships and of course - whale watch cruises!
With magnificent views, natural attractions and a wide choice of accommodation - Hervey Bay really has something for everyone. You can do as little or as much as you like in this relaxing coastal city – but you don’t come on holiday to do ‘little’ do you?
After our brief look around when we arrived on Monday, we explored Hervey Bay further on Tuesday morning in the new AVIS ‘racing’ hire car! This one is a Mitsubishi 380 SX automatic saloon; with a Jap side valve inverted double cam shaft and turbo charger! After screeching up the esplanade, whilst looking at all of the 5 beaches that make up the Bay, we plumped for Shelley Beach; which is right next door to Torquay beach!
We sat on the beach and read our books – it was unreal because we were the only ones on the 3 mile long stretch! Apparently the locals thought it was too cool and windy to be on the beach! It was actually 28C with what we would call a nice cool breeze – just like St Bees! I even managed a full 3 second swim in the sea – which was brave because I was on my own in the water as far as the eye could see! Caz had left her shark watching kit at the apartment – otherwise I would have swum for at least 10 seconds!
For the ‘twitchers’ amongst you (Papa T – you’ll love this one) - we watched a sea eagle swooping about over the sea, periodically dive bombing its prey!
A lazy day but a nice change and also good to get our bearings in the Hervey Bay area. We were very impressed with the whole set up and it was just as I described earlier i.e. something for everyone - irrespective of age or interest.
However as you have probably guessed our main reason for coming to this area was the whale watching. In preparation for our trip Caz had continued to interrogate each of the captains of the various vessels in the Harbour, who were offering whale watching tours. Eventually she selected the Spirit of Hervey Bay – a 24 metre Catamaran (painted a very distinctive bright yellow) - now as you would expect knowing Caz, apart from the colour, this was no ordinary vessel!
It was only 12 months old, had 5 levels of viewing platforms, underwater viewing windows in the hull, live video cams and a sound system where you could listen to the whales! Spookily the captain did look like Gregory Peck, the second mate like Brad Pitt and the boson like Thierry Henri. Unfortunately for me the only female member of staff i.e. the purser was Bella Emberg’s double!

So on Wednesday we set off on our voyage to see the whales heading towards Fraser Island at a fair rate of knots, eventually we settled in Platypus Bay (in the Coral Sea). Apparently this is the best time of year to watch the hump back whales, because they stop off on their migration south to rest, scrape barnacles off their backs and do some mating (I am very jealous because the flight down under for me to do just about the same was very expensive)!

The sea was very choppy and the weather was quite cool (only 26C) and the wind was quite high. En route to Platypus Bay we saw a couple of turtles and some whales a few hundred metres away, but the crew hardly flinched and were very casual about the sightings – unlike Caz who was pointing and shreaking like a woman possessed ; ‘whales a starboard’ – ‘turtles ahead’ – ‘dolphin on the horizon’!
After not too long the crew realised that Caz was just very excited and actually meant no harm – even though she had knocked a couple of small children overboard who happened to be walking past when she had spotted a whale! After about an hour or so sailing we were right amongst the whales - several pods of the 'big fellas'!!
I kid you not, when I say right amongst them, I mean right amongst them! They swam right up to the boat and breached, tail slapped and basically just ‘fooled’ around and showed off to all of us on the boat doing a variety of moves in the water!

I have attached some photos in the blog gallery but they don’t really depict the size of the whales and the speed at which they moved; but don’t worry I have 4 hours of video footage to show you when we get home! We had a bonus because we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the way home as we sailed into the harbour - not sure if my Kodak 3 mega pixel shot does it justice but I have attached it anyway!

We have done a bit of a Geography lesson and so now for a bit of Marine Biology:

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a Baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (marginally heavier than Jess Tonge at his peak).

The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head (once again not dissimilar to Jess after a game of rugby). It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water 9the antithesis of Jess). Males produce a complex whale song, which lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and is repeated for hours at a time (back to Jess again). The purpose of the song is not yet clear; although it appears to have a role in mating (Mrs Tonge will confirm that this is true - usually after a few pints of bitter at the rugby club)!

Humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. The species' diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique (jess just goes to the Far Pavillion for an indian take away)!

So now you know all about hump back whales and a bit about Jess Tonge (ex prop forward for Bolton RUFC & the biggest and heaviest man I have ever played rugby with)!

So where to next in Hervey Bay? Well wait for it – another ‘day off’ tomorrow i.e. just doing wheel spins and hand break turns along the esplanade before reading on the beach! However we are not that idle because on Friday at the crack of dawn we are off to one of John & Genna’s favourite places – Fraser Island!

Well sadly I returned the 'racing' hire car in Cairns on Friday morning - 'Phil Bailey' you would have loved the car - it was very, very quick - and you had every excuse to open it up to beat the 'sugar cane' lorries (they were huge and travelled at 70mph plus) - well you have to accelerate out of danger don't you!
The resultant G forces on Caz's face made her look permanently surprised wherever we went in the rain forest!
Anyway after returning the car at 0830hrs (late in the morning by Cairns and Aussie standards) - we had toast and coffee in the local cafe and then strolled along the esplanade observing the art displays (there were some magnificent pieces on view)!
We weren't aware when we went to Cairns that there was an art festival planned, it started on the Thursday and was due to finish the following Friday! On the Saturday night there was going to be a huge firework display - which would have been great from our balcony!
Then it was off to Cairns Airport for the return flight to our 'surrogate home' - where the dangerous D'Arcy (DD)
resides!
The return flight was good and before we knew it we were with the Ryan's catching up on their latest sporting activities - Taylor won her netball semi by 2 points and DD lost 4-2 (Westside FC are very similar to the world famous BWFC - loads of potential but!).
Murray produced some more huge steaks for the BBQ again and quite large sausages - we now know Malcolm has been bragging about his sausages for years - but when challenged we all know he will rely on his (and many other men's) mantra - 'its quality that counts not the quantity'!
Well we had a superb night at the Ryan's - eating, drinking and making merriment and then we had another long lay in, until 0730hrs.
Then we went off to the Gold Coast via a massive shopping mall en route - 'end of line/last season sports wear' being the main type of clothing they sold!
We had a good look around and bought a few 'snippets' - which included a neoprene jock strap and a bra for the impending 'whale watching trip' (you can work out who had which)!!
The crucial thing to do whilst at the shopping mall was stay out of the sun - which was in excess of 30c by lunch time - a good ploy for the shop keepers to increase their sales had nothing to do with their goods, but to ensure that they had the coldest air con!
We went onto drive to the Gold Coast which is an amazing place - it reminded me of the Costas in Spain - where very high rise accommodation meets the sea!
I was very relaxed driving along the esplanade to find a cafe, until Murray casually mentioned that someone had been shot there the week before! However I relaxed when he said the victim hadn't known what type of fish to order in the cafe!
I got worried though when the cafe owner said they had no cod but we could have 'dory' instead for the same price -I casually nodded like a local fish expert and said in a Newcastle accent ' that's great mate - 6 dory and 5$ worth of hot chips' ! Anyway we got the fish supper, I am still alive and we buried DD in sand! So 'hey, all's good'! As they say in Queensland!
We had a couple of hours on the beach and I swam with the sharks again (I had Taylor on Shark spotting duty this time); whilst DD surfed on his body board!
For those of you that have never been to this part of the world- it was marginally better than Fleetwood, almost as good as Blackpool but nowhere near as good as 'bloody' St Bees! (Apologies Vera for the profanity - but it’s a quote & Wolfie knows why)!
Now for the geography and history lesson:
Brisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. With an estimated population of approximately 2 million, it is also the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane is named after Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825!
The city is situated on the Brisbane River on a low-lying floodplain between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Queensland. The local indigenous people knew the area as Mian-jin, meaning 'place shaped as a spike'.
The first European settlement in 1824 in Queensland was a penal colony at Redcliffe, 17 miles north of the Brisbane central business district,(next door to Murray’s House).
That settlement was soon abandoned and moved to North Quay in 1825. Free settlers were permitted from 1842 and Brisbane was chosen as the capital when Queensland was proclaimed a separate colony from New South Wales in 1859.
Presently at a municipal level, the city is now governed by the Brisbane City Council. In 1925, the City of Brisbane Act was passed by the Queensland Government, abolishing 20 local government authorities in the city and forming the largest local authority in Australia, with a population of over a million.
It is worthy of note that the city played a central role in the Allied campaign during World War II, as the South West Pacific headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur (known as Big Doug to his friends)!
The Gold Coast is a city and local government area in the southeast corner of Queensland. It is renowned for its sunny subtropical climate, popular surfing beaches, expansive waterway and canal systems, a skyline dominated by high-rise apartment buildings, a peaceful rainforest hinterland in the west of the city, active nightlife and its wide variety of tourist attractions!
So there you go - got yourself orientated? Well so you should - cos on Monday we are off to Hervey Bay - pronounced Harvey (as in Clugston - named after a former PC of some repute from Farnworth)!
The purpose of the visit is to go 'whale watching' - I have ordered another racing car from AVIS - this time I will have 4 hours to race sugar cane lorries (don't worry I am writing the blog respectively and we have arrived safely)!
We stopped for coffee on the way here at a service station after 2 hours driving, in a place called Gimpy, and the temp was 35c - and its winter! Told you it was like St Bees!
Chillin day tomorrow because Caz is going interviewing the captains of the whaling boats personally - I reckon the one that looks the most like Gregory Peck will get our business!