Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 13 (of 18): Sightseeing in Canberra

SUNDAY the 3rd March. Evening Emus! (sorry, I’m running out of animal-names – it is Day 13!). A day of sight-seeing is planned! 😉 7.00am: At last, a proper night’s sleep. I think by the time we leave Australia, I will have got my sleep pattern sorted! 9.35am: Breakfast isn’t included with our Hotel package, …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 12 (of 18): Coaching for Beginners

SATURDAY the 2nd March. 6.15am: Welcome Wombats! A better night’s sleep (thankfully) so I’m almost ready to take on the world. So far this holiday, we’ve used planes, trains and automobiles PLUS boats, taxis, hire-cars, the Metro – and our own two (four?) feet. It’s now time for something completely different, and only two options …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 11 (of 18): A Busy Day in Sydney!

FRIDAY the 1st March Morning Skippy! “What’s that Skip, another day in Paradise!?” 06.30am: Uh-oh, another bad night’s sleep! But who needs sleep anyway! Onwards and upwards (hopefully!) But Sydney waits for no-one – especially an ‘inPOMniac’ – and as it’s our final full-day here, we have people and places to see! …and stuff to …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 10 (of 18): Life’s a Beach!

THURSDAY the 28th. 6.45am: Morning Beach-Bunnies! 😀😀 Ahh! a proper night’s sleep, that’s a good start to the day! Life’s a beach and then you fry… (With apologies to NAZ for butchering his lyrics) Today, we’re walking! We’re starting at Coogee Beach and walking via the purpose-built coastal walkway to Bondi Beach – more details …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 9 (of 18): Sydney with Manly Pursuits

WEDNESDAY the 27th. 6.30am: Morning All! ?? In spite of the very comfy bed, it wasn’t the best night’s sleep we’ve had since we arrived. In my case, I blame the late night cheese pie! ? and that crowing cock that began its operatic aria at 3.30am! Definitely a case of Nessun Dorma… The mathematicians…

Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 8 (of 18): Lazy Morning and a Liquid Lunch

Tuesday the 26th. 08.00am: Greetings Wombats! Wow! That’s what I call a sleep – it must have been all the stress yesterday! After Monday’s tyre tantrum, today we’re keeping it local, and we’re not going anywhere unless there’s a tyre shop within view! 😁😁 Oh, and if there’s also a Restaurant nearby with some wine, …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 7 (of 18): Launceston for the Retyred

MONDAY the 24th. Morning Kanga, Morning Roo! (Sorry it’s a bit late – see later!) 06.30am: An extra thirty-minutes in bed this morning! This must mean our bodies are finally switching into ‘holiday-mode’. 07.45am: Ahh, the legendary Meredith House Breakfast experience is well documented on various feedback sites, so we just couldn’t wait for 8am!! …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 5 (of 18): Hobart – Day 2 (Salamanca Market and Port Arthur)

SATURDAY the 22nd. Morning Bruce, morning Sheila 😉 6.00am: Up before the Lark today! It’s our last full day here in Hobart and we’ve two attractions planned. After yesterday’s adventure at sea, we’re firmly on terra-firma today! We’re taking the short walk to Salamanca – the famous Saturday Market – and afterwards, we’re motoring to …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 4 (of 18): Hobart – Day 1 (Bruny Island)

FRIDAY the 21st. Morning Cobbers!! 7.45am: Up and about at ‘silly o’clock’ (must be the jet-lag) that ensured we were ready to leave in good time. We’re off to Bruny Island, located off the south-east coast of Tasmania – an island off an island! It’s an organised tour, courtesy of Pennicott Wilderness Journeys that we …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 3 (of 18): Arrival in Melbourne, then onward to Hobart

THURSDAY the 21st, 6.30am local time. Morning loyal Reader… At last, we’ve arrived! But although we’ve reached Australia, we’re not quite done yet! But before any more travelling, a quick fuel-stop was required! That’s better! Now back to the globe-trotting. It’s now just one more hop (I think I AM turning into a kangaroo!) and …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 2 (of 18): Singapore to Melbourne via Jakarta

WEDNESDAY the 20th, 8am local time (that’s Midnight, back home!) Morning All! We’ve just landed at Changi Airport, Singapore. And after a challenging journey trying to find the Garuda Business Lounge (it’s past all the other Lounges, behind the lifts, near the toilets!). Classy huh! Not being labelled ‘Garuda’ didn’t help at all, but after …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 1 (of 18): Singapore (briefly!)

TUESDAY the 19th… Morning Reader, Today is another day of travel – almost 13 hours on a Plane! Then, guess what?, once we’re back on terra-firma in Singapore, we’re waiting for another Plane! But at least our first hop is Business Class with Singapore Airlines! Satisfaction guaranteed! 😁👍 But before all that flying, it would …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 0 (of 18)

MONDAY the 18th… Our holiday begins! – Today, it’s the first of our travel-days and we’re heading back to where shrimps are nervous and Barbie remains popular with these prawn-like crustaceans! (Warning! weird humour alert!) It’ll be our third visit to Australia, having first visited in 2011 – for our Honeymoon – and THEN again in …
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Lunch: Return to the Lamport Swan

It was a welcome return today to The Swan at Lamport (or the Lamport Swan as it’s also known). We haven’t been there for about a year (1st February 2018, in fact) and today we were catching-up with Ian & Ann, Alan & Mags for Lunch. And our verdict? An impressive experience all-round! 😉 Julie, …
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Easy PC!

Off to Cambridge today to meet up with Sally B. We’re on a mission to seek out a replacement Laptop to replace ‘Isla‘ (who has enjoyed a great innings since February 2015, but it’s time to retire her!) 👍 First stop was to be John Lewis who had some cracking good deals and where we’d …
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Normal Blogging Service Resumed?

Phew! After another very techy week problem-solving, I think things are now back to some state of normality with my Blog posts. It’s taken far too many hours days weeks getting it all working again – and I hope I never have go through all this again! 🤬 The Short Version It’s now working! If …
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Laddies (and Ladies) who Lunch – Part 783!

We never need any excuse at all to enjoy a good Pub Lunch – and today was no exception! It was another of our regular gatherings with local friends (and fellow retirees). Step forward then, Geoff, Rhonda, Paul and Sue – and of course, Ann – to sample the delights of The Swan at Braybrooke. …
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Cirque de Soleil – Totem

A welcome return to the Royal Albert Hall today! After my last visit for Prog Rockers, Camel, back in September, last year, today was a complete contrast – Cirque du Soleil‘s Totem. We picked up Janet, Jo and Carol and headed for Kettering Station and the 12.51. An hour-and-a-half later, we were taking our seats …
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