Cape Bridgewater - VIC

After Christmas with Mr Mel's family in Sydney, we packed up the pug and hit the road to Warrnambool, to spend a week with my family.

After a couple of days catching up with friends and family, Mr Mel & I headed over to Cape Bridgewater for a drive, I hadn't been there since school trips back in the 80's, so it was great to visit again.

Cape Bridgewater is around 100km west of Warrnambool, around 20kms west of Portland.

The bay is actually an old extinct (please stay that way!) underwater volcano, which is why the bay is surrounded by high cliffs.  We didn't have time to do the walk, but you can walk around to a fur seal colony, we could spy quite a few tourists there clicking away with their cameras.

Cape Bridgewater beach

A short drive from the main beach is a petrified forest, freshwater springs, and a blowhole.

The Blowhole at Cape Bridgewater

The Cape can be very very windy, which makes it an ideal spot for a windfarm, and I was so happy to see that a local co-op had got together and funded the erection of around 30 wind turbines, merrily zipping themselves around.

Wind Turbines at Cape Bridgewater

Have to mention the lovely coffees we had at the cafe on Cape Bridgewater beach, while they were slow coming, they were worth the wait, a good barista there, woohoo.  Now if we could only get one here at home!

I've been a bit slack getting the rest of our trip photos online, it won't happen overnight but it will happen!

Till next time,

Merry Christmas Everyone - 2010

Yesterday was the first day of my holidays, I don't go back to work until 10th Jan - yay!!

As we will be on the road driving firsto Sydney today for Xmas with Mr Mel's family, and then on the 27th Dec to Warrnambool in Vic for post-Xmas & New Year with family, I'm not sure if I will be able to post anything, I've promised myself to try and stay offline!!  yeah right!

So to everyone who has passed through, stayed a while, made a comment or joined to follow my blog - THANK YOU & I wish you and your family a very merry & safe Christmas and a terrific start to the new year, may all of your dreams come true.

Until 2011,

A Week Off - Nice!!

With my last holiday (more than a long weekend) having been in 2001, I had a week off, with today being my first day back at work.

We had Monday/Tuesday at home, catching up on some housey stuff, and getting my hair cut. Then Wednesday we headed off at 7.30am, dropped the pug at the kennel, then hit Sydney.

We left our car at Mr Mel's parents, and caught the bus into Sydney (about 1/2 hr trip), we got a good deal on a hotel in The Rocks - the Holiday Inn Old Sydney  ended up getting 2 nights for $415, a bit of a splurge, but we don't do it often (remember 2001 last break heehee)

We dropped our bags at the hotel, then walked down to Circular Quay (about 5 min walk), wandered around, had a look in the window & at the menu of ARIA restaurant. We were suprised at the prices, we thought it would be astronomical, given the location (a couple of hundred metres from Opera House), and the profile, Matt Moran.  A 2 course dinner is around $67, which for a very special occassion isn't totally over the top. One day we might venture in the door!! :-)

My pathetic attempt to get a self portrait of Mr Mel & I at the Circular Quay Ferry Dock!  

It was Australian Fashion Week, so there were plenty of skinny pretty young things, and plenty of hangeroners wandering around, we had a peek in a makeup tent, but Mr Mel wasn't overly interested!

We had dinner at the Lowenbrau restaurant, a Bavarian Bier type of setup, excellent service and the food was delish, Mr Mel had a Swinerhaxen or similar, a pork knuckle, and he could hardly walk afterwards :-)  I had a goulash and it was yummo.

Thursday we hit the ferry (my first ferry ride) and went to Taronga Zoo, was a great day. We saw the little miracle elephant baby, soooooooo cute!! Will add some photos and more info shortly.

We went to a little Italian restaurant on George Street for dinner, basic and a bit pricey, but nice.

Friday we caught the ferry to Manly, walked around the beach, had a peek at the Hugo's menu, run by Pete Evans, it seemed very expensive, especially for lunch, so we skipped it and went to a little cafe over the road, very yummy, cheap and pleasant.

We caught the bus back to Mr Mel's parents Friday afternoon, and prepared for a big weekend of family birthdays and Mothers Day.

Shall be back to update :-)