Left the City of Sydney and headed north towards Newcastle. Not the Tyne version but Newcastle Upon Hunter. It's much the same as it's namesake back home except for the fact it's 30 degrees warmer and the girls wear more clothes. Oh and you can understand the accent which helps. It's a bit more industrial than Sydney, instead of Cruise Liners in the harbour there are Oil Tankers creeping out between the heads. On the way up dropped in at the Australian Reptile Centre where they have a big Alligator breeding programme. Obviously they think that Australia doesn't have enough dangerous species already and they want to up the numbers by breeding non indigenous reptiles as well. And very successfully by the numbers in the lake. They also had the usual deadly serpents and spiders to thrill the kids.

Yesterday left the heat of the city and ventured west into the Great Dividing Range and more specifically the Blue Mountains, so 60KM west of Sydney. The last time i was here, in 2000, it was thick fog and I couldn't see a thing, but Friday you could see for miles, a truly spectacular view. From Katoomba you can gaze over a vast basin filled with millions of Eucalyptus trees, all giving off that peculiar blue haze which gave the region its name. You can be dropped down the worlds steepest incline railway 415m to the bottom where there is a forest walk, or for the intrepid the start of the climb back out. I took the cable car out. Today just wandered around the city taking in the views. It was to hot to do anything else.

Back in Sydney, still the most stunning city in the World. It certainly is anyhow on a day like today, with glorious sunshine lighting the effervescent Quay framed between the steel gray of the colossal Harbour bridge and the pale white sales of the stunning Opera House. Arthur Philip hit the nail on the head in 1788, when he declared Port Jackson the finest harbour in the world, having the previous week turned his nose up at the port suggested by Captain Cook, Botany Bay to the south..I did all the tourist things today, starting with the Bridge Climb. Yes I did it before, but that was 10 years ago. Once every ten years is not excessive and it is one of the great events you can do in the world. It takes three hours, but feels about 30 minutes as there is so much to see. The views are amazing, from the Blue Mountains in the West to the Heads at the mouth of the Harbour. In the afternoon I had a tour round the Opera House and then caught the ferry back to Darling Harbour. I had the Bridge on my left, the Opera House on my right and someone changing a babies nappy right in front.

Left Victoria and entered New South Wales as i head up the coast towards Sydney. It's not for nothing that it is called the Sapphire Coast as every turn on the road reveals another stunning vista of rolling green forests reaching down to golden sands and Sapphire seas. Stopped at Eden for a look around the killer whale museum. It holds the bones of old Tom, a killer whale who, around the turn of the century was renowned for helping whale hunters track down humpbacks for harvesting. He used to drive them into the bay where the whalers would kill them and then allow Tom to feast on the whales tounge as a reward. Onward to Sydney now.

Headed west from Melbourne into Grippsland, home of the ninety mile beach. On the way out of Melbourne popped into Pinoak Court in South Vermont. Just an ordinary suburban which looks much the same as any other, you may think, although the fact it has a load of ‘Road Closed’ signs stored at the bottom of the drive, ready for action, give a clue to this areas claim to fame. For this road has seen so much tragedy and heartbreak over the last quarter of a century it has a solid place in the history of Australia. For it was here that Lucy started choking requiring an emergency tracheotomy from Clive the Doctor. It was here that Daphne went into labour and gave birth without even removing her knickers. And it was here that Scott changed heads before catching Charlene the mechanic, breaking into her mums house, launching the romance of the eighties. Who needs Gold Fields and Colonial History when you can visit Ramsey Street itself. Weather was overcast so decided against heading into the mountains and so stayed at water level exploring the scenery around the great lakes, Wellington and Victoria. Now at Lakes Entrance which surprisingly has the entrance to the lakes at its centre. Fantsitic view over the coast from my motel room.

Headed into the Gold Fields with a trip to Ballatt in the interior of Victoria. Exactly 150 years ago this was the place to be, when in February 1851, Gold was discovered in them hills and a mad dash to grab a piece of it saw thousands flock to the area. It’s a much calmer city now, with a very eclectic Gold Museum filled with interesting snippets. There is a man made lake in the North of Town, where the rowing events took place for the 1956 Olympics, something they are keen to remind you of. According to the Lonely Planet the lake is just a dust bowl now after many years of drought. Well update. After all the rains of recent weeks it is now overflowing, much to the delight of the swans cruising on it. Took a detour to Hanging Rock on the way up. A massive slab of rock giving tremendous views over the countryside. Climbed to the top and had a small picnic.

Made the crossing of the Bass Strait to arrive in the capital of Victoria, Melbourne. Often eclipsed by Sydney, Melbourne has a lot going for it, a very cosmopolitan city with a distinctly continental feel. It has its own part in history, despite being not being created until 1835, when John Batman purchased the land from the Aboriginal occupiers for a bit of flour and a few clothes. Boy did they get the wrong end of that deal. The Old Melbourne Jail was where they hanged criminals, the most notorious of whom was Ned Kelly, who met his end in the jail at the age of just 27. The original gallows are still there. A rather macabre practice in the jail was to take death masks of all the executed bodies so you can see exactly what the condemned looked like as they departed this world. Took a trip 88 floors up the eureka tower for a 300m view above the city. Fantastic looking down on the clouds below.

Port Arthur, on the Tasman Peninsular, is a place full of history, situated in a tranquil spot overlooking a beautiful bay. Not that it would have been tranquil when the colony was at its height in the mid nineteenth century. The Port was a secondary prison, a place where those found guilty of some offence after Transportation, were sent to further isolate them from society, and over 12,000 passed through between 1830 and 1852. Modern visitors, on entry, are each given a playing card representing a real person who ended up here. I was the seven of Diamonds which equated to Joseph Carpenter, a 15 year old Gardner's Apprentice from Somerset, who was transported in 1836 for stealing a few coins. Unfortunately I fell into bad company and ended up in Port Arthur after trying robbery in Hobart. I haven't found any ancestors who were transported yet, but knowing our family history there may be on of two lurking. To get to the settlement you have to cross a 100m strip of land, with sea each side and which once featured the Dog line. It was where 16 savage dogs were kept chained up, guarding the only exit by land. There is just a bronze one now as a reminder. Port Arthur was the site of another tragedy just 15 years ago. It holds the unfortunate record of being the place where the World's worst killing frenzy took place, when, in 1996, 33 people were shot dead by a madman armed with automatic guns. There is a memorial garden now, where several staff lost their lives.

Now in Hobart airport waiting for my flight back to through mainland, i love airports where you have to cross the tarmac to get your plane. You really feel as if you are going somewhere.

Arrived at the capital of North Tasmania, Launcestone, which has a lovely position on the banks of the Tamar River. Stopped at Devonport on.the way over and visited the former home of Joe Lyons, former prime minister of the commonwealth. His wife, Enid lived there until 1982 and did all the decorating herself. Although not the paper mache model of Joe, that was done by local schoolchildren. The Tamar valley has some wonderful views and some history. George Town was the third settlement of Australia, after Sydney and Hobart.

Left the west coast and ventured north, arriving at the town of Burnie situated on the coast. They reckon Tasmania was once hooked up to the rest of Australia, but these days it's a bloody long way to swim. Called in at Cradle Mountain Park on the way over. Stunning scenery and a beautiful day to enjoy it. Being Saturday it was rather packed and more like a walk round ikea than a wilderness adventure. But beautiful all the same. Burnie is very well equipped. I am staying at the Burnie inn, where else. It even has a highlands pipe band. Mind you they are situated on the end of the prom behind loads of protective wire. Maybe pipe players are a persecuted minority on north Tassie.

Left Hobart and headed west into the wild interior.  Destination was Straun on the west coast, once one of the most isolated parts of the world, and still a long way from everything. It used to take two weeks from Hobart, battling against the roaring forties, to get here, now there is a road. The harbor is massive, far bigger than Sydney, but home to just a single township. There uses to be a penal settlement on an island in the bay but now there are just tourist encamped here. Took a late night trip out to the harbour mouth, the optimistic named Hells Gates, to see some very cute Fairy Penguins return from sea. The other couple who booked the trip, wimped out as the water was a bit rough so i had the boat, and the Penguins, all to myself.

Ventured south to explore some of the bays and inlets south of Hobart. It's surprising how much there is south of Hobart, given its position at the bottom of the continent. In fact there are some gorgeous bays and abundant valleys filled with bountiful apple orchards. It has a laid back feeling with small communities dotted about the valleys. Didn't get down as far as Hastings, which is at the end of the road, but took a trip into the forests to visit the ariel walkway which takes you 20 meters above the trees for a look down on river below. Heading north tomorrow.

Spent today exploring the delights of Mount Wellington, the huge slap of rock which stands guard over the city. It was named after the Duke and first spotted by Captain Bligh, before the mutiny I guess, when things were still looking promising for a career in the navy. Charles Darwin climbed up in the 1830's and pronounced the view splendid although he thought the guide was a bit of an idiot. He was right about the view it is marvellous, overlooking the whole south of the Island and acting as a massive windbreak protecting the capital from the storms whipped up in the Southern Sea. Did some walking on the slopes and only afterwards saw the note about all three of Tasmania's venomous snakes being active. Hotel is right on the river although there are a large colony of Cockatoo's in a tree a couple of doors down.

Hobart is about as far south as you can go in Australia is Hobart, capital of.  Tasmania, and a very long way from London.  it  has that distant feeling of a city at the end of the world with spectacular views of sheltered bays and secluded coves, as you come into land.
The settlement near Hobart was the second in Australia and must have been like going to another planet for the poor wretches sentenced to end their days here. It's a bit more civilised now with posh restaurants where the prisons used to be.