Bora Bora

Arrived Tuesday. The island is beautiful..a central main island peak surrounded by a reef which is 100 to 150 yards wide in places...;our hotel is on the reef ...;15 minutes transfer by boat to the main island.
We thought our overwater bungalow on Tahiti was fabulous but the one here is immense with separate lounge area, bedroom , huge bathroom, every thing overlooking the lagoon.
Very romantic.
Jeannette is going to swim under the bungalow to have her photo taken through the glass panel in the floor....she says!
One thing we did find offputting was two life jackets in the wardrobe..not sure what thats about so we wear them to bedjust in case.
Weather has picked up considerably ....last two days very sunny, but we seam to get a thunder storm each evening
Oh well must get back to the sun

Comments

Thanks everyone for your messages...we look forward to reading them especially when its raining. We have a palatial water bungalow here on Tahiti with steps down into the lagoon and a dramatic view over to neighbouring Moorea. Food is very french and delicious....wine can be a bit iffy but its along way to Provence from here.
This morning we caught 'Le Truck" into Papeetee (capital) which was an experience. Le Trucks are the local bus service....like seats on top of a truck really.
Hope to continue with the blog but not sure from now until we return to this hotel in two weeks time.
Love to all

Weird Weekend

Saturday evening was wet, wet, wet so we dined at the hotel with a few thousand other Japanese and had a very nice meal.
Next day up at 5.00am to ready ourselves for the 10.00am flight to Tahiti which was a fairly pleasant 7 hours.
But in Tahiti it was Saturday again and we were ready for our second evening meal that day.
The other odd thing was that we did not require immigration forms for Tahiti....it belongs to France....and we are EEC citizens. They eat, drink and speak France ...really quite nice.
Weather...well we have brought the Sydney rain with us and on our second full day here we have not yet seen the sun.
Tomorrow we fly to Bora-Bora....hope it improves.

Bridge Climb

Sydney (Japan-On-Sea) is great.....we did the climb. I think we were both a bit nervous to start as you make your way along the lower cat walks and climb quite steep steps and see the upper structures towering above you but when you reach the upper arch....you walk along the top....nerves disappear as Sydney appears all round you. We climbed at dusk...the view was magnificent. Aftrewards we ate at Doyles on the Quay in the open with the bridge on one side and the opera house on the other....brilliant.
Saturday it pelted down with rain....quite a difference to Melbourne which is undergoing a drought....but hang on Melbourne...its coming your way.

Sydney

Just arrived from Melbourne and waiting for our room at the Shangri La Hotel where we are staying for three nights.
Just spitting distance from The Bridge which we are climbing later this afternoon....the braveness of six months ago is beginning to fade fast as it looms hugely in front of us.
A lot warmer and more humid here in Sydney....hope it doesn'e turn to lightening.

Happy birthday to Sybil...49 today. Great to talk to you just as you were going to sleep!

Pillar Point

Pillar Point, Wilsons Promontory National Park (southernmost tip of mainland Australia). You won't believe the views!!!!!!! Tell you about it when I get home.

Apres lunch Hastings

This photo was taken after having eaten a huge lunch at The Westernport Hotel, Hastings, where Sharon is chef. Had to have the walk afterwards (and take five pieces of gateaux back to Jane and Mick's because we couldn't manage to eat it after the meal). Yes, I know there were only FOUR of us, but we couldn't choose! I wouldn't tell everyone this, but Mick didn't eat any of the dessert - yummie. Love Mum xxxxxx

Mums Update

Hello all, greetings from sometimes sunny Cape Paterson. We have enjoyed our stay here. Relaxed a lot and had some good days out.We leave tomorrow for Melbourne, stopping at a beautiful restaurant for lunch with Jane and Mick. They will take us on to the airport.Staying overnight. Whilst we are there, Chris and Jackie Crabtree are meeting up with us for a drink. Chris used to own the post office on Alfreton Road in Selston. Thankyou, Alan, Julie and kids for your good wishes by text for Mothers Day. Also Lyndon, Karen and kids for yours as well. So disappointed Lyndon, Dad could not retrieve the photo. Thankyou Charlotte and Chris for the beautiful cards,I had a little weep when i saw the one for Granny, so cute. Lovely to receive your email, Adrian with news of home. Hope all is going well - not long to your holiday now. Have a great one! All my love to you all. Mum xxxxxx

Sea Breeze Hotel

Unfortunately our holiday with Jane and Mick comes to an end today. ....well not quite ...they take us to the airport tomorrow but hopefully we will have a nice lunch on the way. We are staying overnight at a hotel at Melbourne Airport and catching a morning flight to Sydney on Thursday.

The Sea Breeze Hotel is pictured on the right and Mr and Mrs Denton continue to provide their quests with excellent quality accomodation and food.
They act also as first class tour quides and have shown us the beauty of their part of Australia.

Cape Paterson beach is a ten minute walk away and is usually as crowded as in this picture.

Weather has been on the cool side but has really encouraged us to do quite a bit of walking and probably seen things which we would have been too exhausted to attempt on hotter days.

My little Possums

Well possums.......whats this?
Yes, its Jane's nightly visitor arriving for its evening meal.

Message from Granny

hello lauren hannah callum jordan anais george edward and bump ,
missing you lots.we are having a lovely time though.sorry you have not had any cards yet. I posted one to each family on monday at the airport in Cape Town. I will buy some tomorrow now we are in Aus. we have met Rocky..... The Poodle. A real cutie . Yes George Granny and Da Da will sponser you for five pounds. Hope you enjoy the bouncing. Your holiday is getting nearer Jordan and Anais , have awonderful time.Hope the football and rugby is going well Callum. What about the Sats Hannah.... are you doing lots of homework for them/. Lauren, I hardly dare say this..... no spiders as yet. I bet Edward will be saying lots more words by the time we return home. And Bump, I hear you are letting your mummy know you are there. Hope you are not keeping mummy awake too much. Tea and cakes are ready now ....must go.

All my love Granny.xxxxxxx

Arriving in Australia

A very long but not too stressful flight. A 2 hour delay in Johannesburg meant that we arrived in Sydney two hours late and missed our connection to Melbourne but we did get there in the end. Jane and Mick were there to meet us ......thankful to see us at last.

We have both suffered from jet lag but are now beginning to catch up. we had a relaxing day yesterday with just a walk on the beach.

To-day we were taken to a town called Hastings to visit Sharon who is chef at Westernport Hotel and were treated to lunch....fairly large portions these Aussies eat....!

Adrian.....Mum has pinched the menu.

Leaving Cape Town

Last view from the back of the house over Hout Bay before leaving for Australia

Ruyteplaats Estate

View of Judas Peak from front of our house on Ruyteplaats

Chat Room

Have just read everyones comments.......its like our own personal chatroom...terrific.....keep it up everyone.Particularly like advice to Ashley regarding French sailors

Last Few Days

On Monday we leave Cape Town for Oz and I must say we are really looking forward to seeing Jane and Mick again particularly Mick who we have not seen for sone time. Total journey time will be 24 hours...our longest leg....but it will be worth it.
Last night we dined out in Camps Bay at the Bayside Cafe....thanks Melanie and Brian to introducing us to this superb restaurant.
Tonight....we visit friend Derek (Lord Brock to Linda) and are going out with his three adopted black children....it will be nice to see how much they have grown.
Tomorrow is a braai with cousin Noreen and Jerry and kids.
Sunday.....final braai with Mike and Val before leaving Monday
So no cooking for us.

Sir Cliff

Wednesday night saw us back at the Kirstenbosch Gardens to see the open air concert of Sir Cliff Richard. Cannot describe the scene because we were on the front row with all the screaming grannies and within knicker throwing distance. To do this you have to be there EARLY. We arrived at the gardens at about 2.30 but did then have a nice lunch at the restaurant....joining the queue for the enclosure at 4.00pm for the 8.00pm show....not as bad as it sounds because you sit on the grass and sunbathed until 6.00pm when we pushed and shoved with the rest of them to gain our sitting area. Then ...this time we were prepared with a good picnic and wine.
It was a good show.....the bottle of Pinotage helped somewhat.

Celebrations

1st March was 'auntie' Vals birthday....all the girls went to the theatre to see Menopause the Musical. while Mike showed me some of the more cool bars of Cape Town.
Last night me and Jeannette saw Last King of Scotland....oh and Saturday night a party of ten of us went out to dine in celebration of our 40th

The days have been taken up by more mundane matters like cleaning up but all workmen have now left and I have sneaked off to the internet cafe leaving Jeannette with the Mighty Maids cleaning crew getting the house shipshape.

Life at Ruyteplaats

The estate is really looking quite beautiful dispite the long hot summer. I would like to post photograph but not sure if I can do that from Internet Cafe but if you enter Ruyteplaats into Google thare is a good website showing the estate and the luxury that surrounds us.

Got the barbeque up and running....I have to say that I prefer the fire and drama of a proper fire but I would hate to go down in history as the Pom that set fire to Ruyteplaats.

All our inside workmen should have finished tomorrow and then the big cleanup begins. All our windows and doors have been replaced with alumium and in true inprovement fashion it was pointed out to us that our roof was sagging and we have had to have that sorted.
Next week the outside is to be redecorated.

Gooh holiday so far....rain today!

Richard