Melbourne and Sydney

Melbourne and Sydney.

Ah yes, we were primarily here for the cricket, the ashes, which the Brits lost in a 5-0 whitewash. But anyhow, the scenery is stunning. We had a two-centre stay, Melbourne and Sydney.

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Melbourne was a really fun place, We took a little penguin bus tour to Phillip Island to see the Little Penguins. They picked us up in central Melbourne and drove us to Phillip Island. At dusk, they emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach past the viewing area to their burrows. It was a truly magical thing to watch.

Melbourne Aquarium also deserves a visit too. Tam is obsessed with penguins, hence the Phillip Island trip so the Aquarium was a must see too for their King and Gentoo penguins. It’s not just penguins there, I was particularly impressed with the enormous Salt Water Crocodile they had there too.

From Melbourne, we also took a tour to the Yarra Valley and sampled some of the excellent wines at Yerring and Chandon. As you know, the wine in Australia is really rather good. We had friends take us around the Yarra Valley but I’m told one of the best people to use to visit the Yarra Valley are https://www.winecompass.com.au/yarra-valley/wineries/

New Year

We also did all the touristy things. See kangaroos and emus in the wild, Melbourne parks and Sydney Zoo. Sometimes the tourist attractions are really good. That’s why they are the tourist attractions!

Also, we did a fair amount of Geocaching while we were there. Yes, it’s a bit geeky, but I find it really fun. Click the link to find out more and join in the fun.

For New Year’s Eve, we were lucky enough to be on a boat in Sydney Harbour for an amazing front row seat for the fireworks display on Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was truly mind-blowing! There are some pictures of the fireworks in the gallery. And, in the words of Baz Luhrman, wear sunscreen!