Sydney, N.S.W.

As we headed north to the Sunshine Coast, the temptation to visit old friends was too great, even though we had only visited them a year before. The itinerary repeated itself from our previous journey northbound with a stay in Rylstone with James and Joanne, and a cruise on the Hawkesbury River with Mike and Denise.

We explored more of the Rylstone area that we hadn’t done last year, including a couple of wineries and the township of Mudgee. The fabulous Pioneer Museum at Gulgong was a huge place, covering an entire block. Room after room of clothes, kitchen appliances, and household items like radios, televisions, cameras and telephones, while outside were tractors, horse-drawn carriages and steam engines, all from bygone eras. It took us three hours to see it all, as we were transported back in time.

There was also a tour underground of the magnificent Jenolan Caves. Although a massive system of many kilometers of tunnels and caverns, the one small section that we visited was astounding. A world within a world.

The possibility of another cruise on the Hawkesbury was a luring temptation as we left the van at Rylstone and ventured into Sydney to see Mike and Denise. It’s a great lifestyle living on the water – quiet and peaceful amid beautiful scenery – all conducive to relaxation, conversation, and old friends catching up. The boat was moored at a marina within the Ku-ring-ai Chase National Park, which is north of the city, and is surrounded by hills covered in dense forest that obscures any view of the large metropolis beyond. We could just hear the gentle hum of the city in the still night air. There’s a John Williamson song that encapsulates these few days perfectly – “Hawkesbury River lovin’, good Aussie wine. Working hard at being lazy, no bait on the line”. Just a beautiful few days,

Cowra, N.S.W.

The cities of Wangaratta, Wodonga and Albury were bypassed by the Hume Highway as we ventured further north. A large sign told us that we were travelling though Wiradjuri Country, recognising the indigenous history of the area. We called into Holbrook for a spot of lunch and fuel, and were amazed to see a large submarine sitting in the main park. The HMAS Otway was decommissioned in 1995 and the hulk was purchased by the local council to commemorate the town’s namesake, Lieutenant Holbrook, who was a submarine captain in the First World War. Prior to 1915, the town was called Germantown - I can see why they changed their name in 1915.

Further on up the road, as the countryside became undulating and hilly, and we came to Gundagai. Five miles north, as the song says, was indeed a little statue of historical significance, depicting a drover’s dog sitting on a large lunch box. I was interested to see that the “Dog on the Tuckerbox” was unveiled by Tasmania’s only Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons, in 1932 as a tribute to pioneers. Jack O’Hagan wrote the famous song in 1937.

Foundations of  Cowra POW camp.

We travelled through Wallenbeen, Young, and on to Cowra for a couple of days. We learned that this fascinating little city (population ten thousand) has a strong Japanese connection from the Second World War, due to a large Prisoner-of-War prison in the town. We wandered through the remains of this sad and sombre place, amongst foundations of accommodation and toilet blocks. It held many thousands of captured Japanese, Italian and Indonesian soldiers in the early 1940s. The Japanese staged a breakout at 2am on August 5th, 1944, and of the 545 who made the attempt, 231 were killed as well as four Australian guards. We visited where they were buried, which is apparently now the only Japanese war cemetery outside of Japan. In a nice twist on the war, these graves have been looked after by the local RSL, and accordingly Cowra has had a symbolic link to Japan – and peace.

A large Japanese garden was developed in the late 1970s and today it’s the largest such garden in the southern hemisphere. While there, we rang a Japanese Peace Bell, and it’s note resonated for many minutes with a beautiful tone. We then spent hours walking the many paths and sitting under shady trees in beautiful surroundings. I struck up a conversation with a young lady who was pruning a weeping cherry tree. She had graduated as a horticulturist and had worked in these gardens for five years, being responsible for a specific section that gave her a sense of ownership. She loved coming to work every day, and what a wonderful office she

Glenrowan, Victoria.

Tahbilk underground cellars.

The time came to head north as we have appointments to meet in coming weeks, so we left the precincts of Melbourne and hit the Calder Highway. What always grabs our attention is the flatness of the countryside. Perfectly level paddocks, fields and forests extend in all directions, eventually giving way to hills in the far distance. We drove through Lancefield, Kilmore, Euroa and Benalla, stopping for lunch at one of our favourite wineries, Chateau Tahbilk. This was the third time we’d visited this magic place, and wandering through its underground cellars, built in 1860, was still as magical as the first time thirty years ago. The musty smell and low light, the cobwebs hanging from the arched roof, the huge century old oak barrels – were matched outside by the gnarly old vine trunks in the vineyards – they too were a century old. Simply amazing, and the latest vintage red wines were still exceptional.

Tahbilk century-old vines.

Our day finished in Glenrowan, where the Ned Kelly legend lured us into a little caravan park for a couple of nights. After two years on the run as an outlaw, Ned Kelly was captured in June, 1880, near what is now the corner of Siege Street and Beaconsfield Parade, just around the corner from our Glenrowan caravan park. He was hanged in Melbourne in November later that year, aged just 25. It was quite surreal to walk around the historic site of Ned’s capture and follow the events of that day 138 years ago. Yes, he was a bad boy in a very brutal time, but Ned’s story is so well-known that it’s hard not to be overawed by being so close to the legend. This region is also a renowned wine growing district, and we visited two icons of contrasting operations – the huge Brown Brothers conglomerate at Milawa and the small boutique Baileys of Glenrowan. The slick, corporate touch was no match for the friendly, personal family business, both in the welcome and the excellent wines.

Ned Kelly's final stand.

Indented Head and Gisborne, Victoria

Our caravan had sat patiently in the front yard for a few months while we enjoyed our beautiful granddaughter. Watching her grow and develop has been a heart-warming and joyous experience. Tearing ourselves away from little Lucy Kate wasn’t easy, but we hooked up the van to the Pajero and went back on the road for three months with the intention of reaching Mt Isa in Far North Central Queensland, promising to be back for Lucy’s first birthday in October. We still have a bad case of the Travel Bug, and there is an urgency to see more of Australia while we’re still fit and able to. The caravan hasn’t been used very much this year – a few weeks at the beach over Christmas/New Year and the occasional few days here and there. I’m sure the poor old girl was feeling neglected. It was time to get her wheels turning.

Bass Strait was not kind to us for the overnight sailing to the mainland. I suppose we were due for a rough crossing as it was our third trip in as many years and they’ve all been smooth and calm until this one. It was a case of hanging on for dear life while trying not to get tossed out of bed, and the mad dash to the bathroom was virtually impossible while the room was heaving from side to side. Thank goodness for the emergency sick bags being close by.

Anyway, things calmed down after 3am and some sleep was had before landfall arrived on schedule at 6am. First port of call was a few days at Indented Head near Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula, and the home of friends Jenny and John. Having recently retired and moved from suburban Melbourne to this portside community, we could see why they’ve bought where they have. It’s a quiet and peaceful lifestyle combined with all the facilities of nearby Drysdale, Portarlington and Geelong. The foul weather that had upset our tummies on the voyage over continued for a few more days, but the sun eventually came out. We explored local wineries, cafes, beaches and scenic views. It certainly is a spectacular part of the country, and our hosts made us warmly welcome in their lovely new home.

The wreck of an old paddle steamer at Indented Head, Port Philip Bay.

When the time came to move on, the journey north began with a few days visiting Andrew and Pip in Gisborne, north-east of Melbourne. A year on from our last visit, it was like visiting old friends again, both the town and the family. It’s just another friendly, unique and intriguing part of the world.

A superb night at a little jazz club called “Wine O’Clock” in downtown Gisborne was a real treat. In such an intimate setting, it was as though they were playing just for us. And I must say it was delightful to take the dogs for a walk along the streets of Gisborne, particularly as they are flat. Just up the Calder Freeway is the delightful little town of Woodend, where the Holgate Hotel sits on the main street. After visiting there two years ago, it was very nice to re-sample some boutique beers from their on-site brewery.

We accompanied the family on a journey into Melbourne city by train to see an exhibition from New York’s Museum of Modern Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. It covered 130 years of artwork from artists such as Matisse, van Gogh, Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Dali, Pollock and Whitely. Seeing original paintings by these masters was quite amazing. Certainly not something we do very often (actually, at all).

"Winter Wednesday" at Wine O'Clock, downtown Gisborne.

Taking the dogs for a walk with Pip and Andrew.

An original Brett Whitely.

Back home

I need to wrap up this latest adventure with an update of events since our return home from Europe. Our daughter met us at the airport, looking very pregnant but radiant, and it was so lovely to hold her in our arms. It was a Friday and her due date was the following Monday. Monday came and went without incident. The irony that we could’ve stayed those few extra days in Budapest crossed our minds for a nanosecond, but we’d been away for five weeks and were ready to come home. We desperately missed our daughter.

Little Lucy Kate arrived the following weekend, and announced her entry into the world with a healthy set of lungs, a pair of sparkling dark eyes and a beautiful crop of black hair. All fingers and toes were accounted for, and we welcomed this new human being into the world with adoration and wonderment. It was really just a continuation of the amazing journey that we’d set out on earlier in the year. We were still learning about the world around us and gaining unforgettable memories along the way.

 

Welcome to the world, Lucy Kate.

Since being home, we’ve seen some recent news items from places that we fondly remember. Angela Merkel won the German election that was raging when we were there, but she had to enter negotiations with minor parties to form a government. Many Germans I spoke to were not fans of Mrs Merkel. In Austria, we saw billboards and election placards everywhere, and the most striking ones pictured a handsome young guy called Sebastian Kurz, leader of the Austrian Peoples Party and only 31 years of age. He eventually won the election after again forming a coalition with other parties. There seems to be political upheaval all over the world.

We experienced seven European countries on this journey, each one had a cultural individuality. We only had pleasant exchanges with everyone we met while in these countries, and we never met anyone who was nasty or hostile. No matter what political unrest or religious trouble exists in the world, the vast majority of people just want to enjoy their life, look after their families and live their lives in peace.

Where to next? This is a big country, and it’s in a big world. There are no plans yet but there are still dreams. If Cruise Director Werney were here, he’d still be saying “It’s showtime”. 

Budapest, Hungary.

It’s strange where life leads you – we never thought we’d ever get back to Vienna after our first visit in 2009. Saying goodbye to this fabulous city for a 2^nd time had us feeling quite sad. It’s such a friendly and liveable city, with wide open spaces of grass and trees, lakes and pathways, while also having tall buildings of glass contrasting with the old monuments and stone structures. The blue Danube stretches wide and long through the middle of the city. It’s just a superb place to be.

But our ship sailed on towards our journey’s completion. In the evening after departing Vienna we crossed into Slovakia as the Danube snaked its way towards the Black Sea. We very quickly came to the country’s capital, Bratislava, a city that I had toured briefly earlier in the day. Vienna and Bratislava are two of the closest capital cities in the world (the only closer capitals are Rome and the Vatican City). Both cities being so close to their country’s common border, it was less than an hour by road, and similar by river. And the two cities are certainly a contrast, as are the two countries.

Walking the streets of Bratislava made me think that I was in a previous communist country, and indeed Slovakia, when part of the former Czechoslovakia, was behind the Iron Curtain and was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops in the late 1960s. The country split with the Czech Republic in the early 1990s and Slovakia’s economy has been booming ever since. This strained recent history was quite evident in the buildings and monuments, and even the people were reserved and tentative while still being friendly and obliging. It was a fascinating few hours visiting such a different city to those of Germany and Austria.

Parliament building of Budapest. 

 We had our Farewell Dinner that night, with the usual fantastic food and wine in the plush restaurant. The entire crew came to bid us goodbye, and it was an emotional celebration. Much singing, dancing and partying was had late into the night. We went to bed in Slovakia and woke up in Hungary, and we made a spectacular mid-morning entry into the capital city, Budapest. It was so spectacular that the captain of our ship sailed up the Danube past the Parliament before doing a U-turn for another sail past. We docked directly opposite the Parliament, which meant that this incredible building dominated the view from our cabin window. Floodlit at night, that view was simply breathtaking.

Our home for two weeks, the Scenic Jade.

 Strangely, our final full day of the cruise was rainy, the first rain of the entire cruise. The crew were astounded that these past two weeks had been such good weather. The rain and poor visibility hampered our excursion, but we saw enough to know that Budapest is yet another beautiful European city. And again it has a chequered past in recent history, being the centre of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. We heard stories of how life was so difficult when under the Nazi occupation of WW2, and then communist Socialist rule. Today it’s a vibrant and sparkling city, perfect for our tour to finish on a very high note.

The best waiter in Europe - Kristjan from Macedonia ...

... and the best Cruise Director, Werny from Rudesheim, Germany.

And so we are sitting in the lounge of the Scenic Jade waiting for our transport to the airport to begin our long journey home. Our friend Kristjan from Macedonia has just served us our final champagne, and we toasted a fond farewell to this ship that we’ve called home for 15 days. We’ve said goodbye to our new friends from the cruise – Derek and Sheelagh from Manchester, Dale and Rob from Saskatchewan, and Greg and Janelle from Brisbane. Then there was our room service lady Mina, butler Namanji, hotel manager Nemmin, barman Boris, receptionist Milli, waiters Paul and Almir, musician Marton (what a great pianist he is), from all different parts of the world. The crew have been so friendly, the ship so comfortable, the scenery so spectacular, the food and wines delicious, the service exemplary, the organisation like clockwork. We have nothing but praise for this tour, it’s been something we’ve never done before and difficult to imagine how we could ever better it again.

While we wait, clients for the next cruise are coming on board. There’s no rest for this crew, they will sail back to Amsterdam as the final cruise for the season. They’ll earn their holidays. We’re excited to be going home – we desperately miss our pregnant daughter. The latest is that she’s still in one piece. Just two more days and we’ll be together. But we’re also sad to be leaving our new friends on the Scenic Jade. As Cruise Director Werney would say prior to each day’s adventure – “Life is not a rehearsal. It’s showtime.”

Vienna, Austria

Passau was the final German city to host our ship, but we all loaded on to buses to be driven across the German-Austrian border and into the Austrian Alps to the historic city of Salzburg. The guided tour of the old city was fascinating, and it was followed by a short drive into the hills to an authentic hillside restaurant to be wined and dined with delicious Austrian fare, including apple strudel. What followed would probably be expected for this region of Austria, as the hills came alive with the sound of music. A small orchestra of strings, brass and percussion provided backing to some exceptional singers performing songs from the 1965 film “The Sound of Music”, as well as some other traditional tunes. Earlier in the day we saw several locations from the famous Julie Andrews film. Afterwards the bus returned us to the ship that had by now moved further down the Danube to the Austrian city of Linz.

The staircase where Maria and the children sung "Do-Re-Me".

Part of the "Sound of Music" orchestra

The last Saturday in September for 2017 will always be a memorable day for us. Our incredibly resourceful Cruise Director, Werney, was able to locate and set up an internet connection and a large television screen to enable a bunch of Australians to watch the AFL Grand Final between Richmond and Adelaide.  The minor issue of it being screened live at 6:30 in the morning was not a problem – beers and German sausage were available and plentiful. We had a couple of Tigers supporters on the ship who took front row seats, and they were ecstatic by the end of the game. It was a momentous win by one of the original Melbourne football clubs, ending a 37 year drought.

The game finished just in time for a 9:30 departure to tour the massive Melk Abbey, a baroque Benedictine monastery in the quaint little medieval village of Melk. Founded in 1089, there were parts of this building that were a thousand years old. It was quite the spectacle, with statues, painted frescoes, and 800 year-old printed parchment, and an incredible library of antique books in a huge room with a balcony on the second level.  Leaving the abbey, the walk back to the ship took us through the old village of Melk with its narrow cobblestone streets and tiny one-room stores and cafes.

The birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in Salzburg.

After lunch, a large group of us each took one of the ship’s bicycles for a guided tour of the Danube valley. It was a one-way trip, as the ship met us downstream in another quaint little medieval village called Durnstein. Things that made this ride very special – it was flat (which was simply heaven for a bike rider from Tasmania), the bikes had a little electric motor on the back wheel, and the scenery was varied and beautiful. Whenever you became tired of pedalling, you simply turned on the motor and enjoy being taken for a ride. We rode through several small villages, with the front doors of some homes opening directly onto the narrow cobblestone street. We rode through a large vineyard, with grapes dangling in all their fullness ready to be harvested. Indeed there were several workers in between rows with buckets of freshly picked bunches. The Danube River was always nearby, as if guiding us, and on the other side were rocky cliffs or steep vineyards or farm houses or a church spire. It was a quiet, peaceful, leisurely and scenic 32 kilometre ride.

Biking on the Danube.

We had an a two-day stay in Vienna, which was a bonus for us because it enabled us to spend a day with two special people, and locals as well. We met Alice when we first visited Vienna 8 years ago, and that chance meeting has grown into a wonderful long-distance friendship that has lasted. Alice and her partner Matt met us dockside in Vienna and the four of us spent a lovey day exploring Vienna, catching up and making the most of the nine hours we had together on this Sunday afternoon. It being Alice’s birthday was an added bonus