Word of the week - Walks (Australia) Part One.

We've walked a lot in Australia averaging around 8 miles a day.

Each walk we complete is a walk for Stephanie and a practice for the sponsored walk I'm doing on September 27th in the Chilterns for Bowel Research. I'm at 60% of my set target. I'd really appreciate it if you could share this post.

We can walk 3-4 miles just getting to and from places to start our walks.There's an excellent bus service from our accommodation and a great network of buses, trains and trams to get us around the city and to and from our sons and his girlfriends. 

We're out by 9am and don't get back till late. On top of these walks we've also been out in the evenings.

I'll update the walks as the rest of our holiday goes on in Part Two.

So far we've walked 115.9 miles.

Thursday 21st August Clovelly to Paddington. 6 miles

I caught the bus to Bondi Junction then I walked to Paddington to see my son and his girlfriend.

Friday 22nd August Clovelly to The Crypto Castle. 6.4 miles

Despite the pouring rain we managed half of our walk.

Saturday 23rd  Haymarket and Darling Harbour. 7.6 miles

Sunday 24th Centennial Park. 8.3 miles

Monday 25th Clovelly to Coogee. 10.1 miles

Tuesday 26th Bondi Beach to Clovelly. 6.4 miles

Two buses to Bondi and a walk back.

Wednesday 27th Sydney. 9.6 miles

Thursday 28th Maroubra Beach to Coogee. 9.1 miles

A bus to Maroubra and a bus back from Coogee. The hill to Clovelly is just a step too far as we discovered yesterday.

Friday 29th Spit Bridge to Manly. 11.1 miles

Three buses to Spit, a long walk. A ferry from Manly to Circular Quay and two buses home.

Saturday 30th Paddington and Clovelly Beach. 6 miles

A day walking around Paddington Markets and the town, followed by a walk to the beach and back for sunset.

Sunday 31st The Blue Mountains. 8.6 miles

A 90 minute drive away.

Monday 1st September Manley. 6.8 miles

A bus, ferry, walk, ferry and a walk to the bus home.

Tuesday 2nd Sydney Harbour Bridge. 5.4 miles

A bus and a walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a walk to Wendy Whiteley's Secret Garden. Ferry back into the City and a bus to sons, then a walk home from the pub.

Wednesday 3rd 

Bus to Bondi Junction for some shopping and lunch, bus to Bronte Beach, walk to Clovelly. 5.9 miles

I'm promoting my fundraising as we go for Bowel Research in memory of Stephanie.

Bondi Beach, Coogee and Palm Beach (Home and Away) and Goodbyes

 

We ended our 4 week trip to Australia with saying Goodbye to child 3, Jamie. He's been out in Australia since 2017 and has no plans to return to the UK. 

Our last 3 days were spent in Bondi Beach as a base and we still had several places to explore.

One final trip to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge

Arriving in Coogee after a walk from Bondi Beach

A Facebook memory showed us we were walking this route, exactly one year ago to the day, but in the opposite direction.

The coast line is amazing and we saw whales and dolphins off the coast.

Despite it being winter it didn't stop people swimming in the pool and the sea, but not for us, too cold.

A kookaburra came to say hello

Sunset over Bondi Beach from the roof top

Coastal walk in Manly

A water dragon

A diamond python in the tree above the footpath.

Ferry back from Manly

Cruise ship in Sydney Harbour

Bondi Beach

On the set of Home and Away at Palm Beach.

The lighthouse at Palm Beach

The best Thai meal I've ever had. Chicken and Prawn with pineapple rice from Bangkok Bites in Bondi

That's the end of our road trip in Australia, 3 states, 11 hotels/air b&Bs/apartments 5 flights, car hire, trains and lots of walking. 

It'll be a few years before we plan to visit again. If I had could I'd spend every summer out there, visiting our son and there is so much more to see, explore and experience.

A long weekend in Sydney.

Arrived in Sydney at 6am on Wednesday morning. By 2pm, child 3 had whisked me round the City he's called home for the past 2 years.

79% of the steel used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge was imported from England.

Thursday we walked the Coast from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.

Surfing on Bondi Beach.

Friday we visited the Blue Mountains.

Yes, this climb was as scary as it looks. If you slipped you could easily hurtle over the edge.

With a 52 degree incline this is the steepest passenger railway in the world. The Scenic Railway. By the time we got a 3rd of the way up we were in the standing position and holding onto the roof bars.

Saturday a boat trip around the bay to Manly and dinner in Darling Harbour.

Sunday we're on our way along the coast towards Melbourne.

A long weekend in Sydney

Our trip from Sydney to Phillips Island

Phillips Island

Phillips Island to Port Fairy

Port Fairy to Melbourne via the Grampians

A week in Melbourne

Flora and Fauna in Australia

Accommodation in Australia

Going Green in Australia

Australia 2019