I was so fortunate to be able to travel to the Gold Coast to see my family for Christmas as I know many other people both in Australia in other states and around the world cannot travel at all. I flew from Canberra to Coolangatta Airport where one of my best friends picked me up. I booked accomodation in Coolangatta overlooking the beach and ocean and it was lovely to walk inside and see the fabulous views especially at dusk.
On the day I arrived, my friend Sandy and I met up with another friend who I have not seen for over three years so he took us to Kirra Beach Surf Club; interior is rather old but a couple of vegan options on the menu so I ordered a pasta arrabbiata which was very good. Best part were the views!
I got up early nearly every morning and took a walk along the beachfront; one one occasion for over two hours. You had to get up early as the sun was very warm, actually starting just before 8am. But this meant skies were usually a vibrant blue well apart from one day when it was very overcast but that afforded me the opportunity to walk a little later.
I had breakfast out a couple of times at various cafes but I think my favourite was the cafe under my apartment block which served a very nice mushrooms on toast and great fruit juices.
I think my lasting impression of Coolangatta will be the beautiful beaches and fabulous ocean.
But an interesting impression will always be of a local home that has both the animals from our coat of arms guarding the entrance; they must be about six foot high (180cms)!
Hope everyone was safe and well over the Christmas period and I wish you all a very happy 2021 (and please let it be better than 2020).
Well it seems such a long time ago that I was in South Africa even though it was only the end of last year and I think that’s because so much has happened around the world and we had dreadful long and devastating bushfires here throughout our Aussie summer. In my current isolation I thought I would peruse my photos of my trip and compile a travel post, so here goes…
It was a lovely day so we took a walk along the boardwalk. A lovely surprise was to see the many coloured beach huts. 
My guide told me that the huts are based upon a cart like structure from the 1800’s which allowed ladies to change into their chin-to-ankle bathing wear and dip their toes into the water. I could picture this (amusingly) in my mind and found a couple of interesting pictures on the internet of the carts and also ladies’ bathing suits over the years. Boy have bathing suits changed! I don’t think these lovely ladies would feel comfortable on Bondi Beach.
Our next stop was Fish Hoek Fishing Town which is only a few kilometres drive. This was an unexpected stop and whilst I certainly did enjoy looking at the lovely homes and the waterfront area plus the seals, there were a lot of fishermen scaling fish which meant lots of fish blood and guts; not my scene.
But did love the fat seals; some with babies!
We then drove a little while to Simon’s Town, a naval base and one of South Africa’s oldest towns. In particular I wanted to see the Penguins at Boulders Beach Penguin Colony. This is a great set up with boardwalks along the hillside and no access to the beach area where the penguins live – this means no-body can touch the penguins. These little cuties were either waddling around or just sleeping in the sun and of course you have to smile every time they walk.
And how cute are the fluffy babies and interesting these ones are bigger than their parents…
And the lovers (or ones that look like they are holding flippers)…
So after that lovely stop off, I walked back to the car and passed some great markets where I bought a few gifts for friends in Australia. I like to have fun bargaining but genuinely never mind paying a little more at international local hand-made markets.
We hopped out of the car at the beach area and I was told by my guide that this was the southern most tip of Africa. 
However after a bit of internet research I found unfortunately it is not…contemporary knowledge is that Cape Agulhas is the most southern point. Actually this didn’t worry me one bit as it was such a beautiful area to see.
My lovely guide did point out a connection in the sea where the currents of two great oceans meet; Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean which I could see. Now that to me was also worth the visit! 
And that was the end of this fabulous day; back to my hotel then off to, of course, drinks and dinner!
A little bit of background: Robben Island is located 6.9 kilometres west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town and takes its name from the Dutch word for seals, hence the Dutch/Afrikaans name Robbeneiland which translates to Seal Island (thank you Wikipedia).
I really love Cape Town and its surrounds! A fabulous place to visit.
I know I have said this in a previous post, but I really love Cape Town! During my stay last year, I spent one day on the hop-on-hop-off bus taking the red line tour and then returning to my hotel for lunch and then hopping back on to take the blue line tour. All included in the cost of the one ticket.
Because I didn’t hop off the bus at Bo Kaap, the next day I asked my driver on the way to the Cape of Good Hope to stop so I could take a few photos. I read in the newspapers that one week after I was at Bo Kaap, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had visited and had morning tea with one of the locals; no such luck for me.
The blue line tour after lunch was really lovely albeit the tour went past several sights I had already seen on the previous morning tour, but I didn’t mind. We travelled to Beach Road at Green Point, Camps and Llandudno Beach (now there’s a good Welsh name) looking at the stunning ocean views and beautiful homes.
My Aussie friends in Pretoria had told me that I must visit Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens whilst in Cape Town so on this one occasion I actually did hop off the bus and walked around for about forty-minutes until the next bus arrived. It was worth it; so lovely to see so many people out and about walking around the beautiful gardens, enjoying a picnic or relaxing on the grass.
And once back on the bus it was time to return to the stop near my hotel, hop off and have dinner…another great day out!
During my recent trip to South Africa, the wine regions of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch were recommended for me to visit. I decided on Franschhoek (Afrikaans for French Corner) mainly because after some internet searching the township looked lovely. It has centuries-old vineyards and traditional Afrikaans architecture as well as a lovely little tram that takes visitors to those old wineries.
Even Foliage Restaurant where I dined on my last evening had interesting statues on its tables. I pre-booked this restaurant before I travelled to South Africa as it had very good recommendations on-line and its essential ingredients are foraged plants and mushrooms; very suitable for vegans.
My entree and main meal were beautifully presented and tasted so fresh.
My second day I took a ride on the wine tram, however I woke up feeling very unwell but as I had paid the tram fee and wanted to see the wineries I decided to go. Once on the tram we were offered a glass of wine but I really couldn’t stomach it so went upstairs to enjoy the view. Our first stop on the Blue Line was the Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate. The winery is 325 years old and spread over forty-seven acres and quite beautiful. We had an hour stop-over and I decided to walk around the grounds rather than taste any of their wines; just wasn’t feeling up to it. The walk around the grounds were really lovely though.
There is a small open gallery within the grounds displaying paintings and other art from leading South African artists and an evolving sculpture garden. There is also a cheetah outreach centre within the estate where you can spend time for about R160 ($16AUD) as part of a conservation drive to help stop the reduction in their numbers. I went and spoke to the young lady but decided not to visit.
I had no idea why I was so unwell. I was trying to push through however once I returned to the wine tram I had to ask the driver to drop me back into town so I could return to my hotel. That afternoon my illness had passed which was good as I didn’t want to be unwell for my next location; Thornybrook Riverside Lodge at Kruger National Park (more on that later).
I arrived into Johannesburg after a fourteen-hour flight from Sydney (thanks Qantas). I had an overnight stay in Johannesburg and my friends who live in Pretoria advised me for safety reasons not to leave the hotel, so I didn’t …nor did I need to. I arrived around 3pm and left the next day at 8am. I stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel and having jet lag was up at 3.30am at the gym after which I took a seat to relax overlooking the indoor pool.
Next day I head off to CapeTown on South African Airways (lovely airline) and went straight to the Table Bay Hotel on the Victoria & Albert Waterfront colloquially known as the V&A Waterfront. The waterfront is situated on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and comprises residential and commercial properties, hotels, retail stores and dining. It’s a huge area with over twenty-three million visitor every year.
I sat out the back of the hotel once I had checked in as my room was not ready and enjoyed great views of Table Mountain the flat topped mountain that you can hike or take the cable car to the top for stunning views all over Cape Town.
There are quality statues all around the waterfront and the coolest are the ‘crash’ of life size sculptures of rhinoceros found all around the complex; there to bring the world’s attention to the plight of Southern Africa’s endangered real rhinos. Each is painted by artists from South Africa’s creative communities who benefit by having their work exhibited and appreciated by visitors.
Whilst the waterfront is still technically a working harbour with fishing boats and container ships, these days it caters more for visitors with waterfront restaurants and cafes, shops and markets. On my first day, I walked past this lovely looking restaurant and decided to make a booking. It was a seafood restaurant but as I loved the look of it, the waiter said the chef could definitely make me a vegan dish and he did; a delicious plate of warm vegetables which I enjoyed with a glass of South African Sauvignon Blanc and finally finished a book I had started some time ago whilst in China.
The V&A Waterfront is divided up into five different shopping districts: Victoria Wharf, The Watershed, The Alfred Mall and Pierhead, The Clock Tower, and Breakwater Point. There are more than 450 stores selling everything from local designers to international brands. Also the V&A Food Market was a wonderful place to spend an hour or more with so much to buy; great smells and yummy food. I bought a delicious vegan chocolate cake and some warm cashews. The Clock Tower was a particularly lovely structure as were the buildings all around the complex.
Late one afternoon I took a ride on the Cape Wheel to get a 360-degree panoramic view of Cape Town. The cabins are fully enclosed and air- conditioned and takes about fifteen-minutes for a four-revolution ride.
The waterfront has many lovely places to sit and relax. Each day I had something planned which included the hop-on-hop-off bus, walking through the Botanical Gardens, driving along the coastline, boat ride to Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned, photographing the coloured houses of Bo Kaap and a day trip to the National Park and the Cape of Good Hope which is the rocky headland on the Atlantic Coast (but more on these later). Then after a busy day I would walk around the waterfront to ensure I reached my 12,000 step minimum looking at various sculptures and wall graffiti along the way then finding a different place each day to enjoy a drink and snack.
I did dine at a South African restaurant but unfortunately I was extremely disappointed with my meal; one forkful and I didn’t eat the rest! I think when you see the photo you will understand why!
But apart from this one and only bad meal, I loved Cape Town and would recommend it to anyone visiting South Africa…it’s fabulous!
Three weeks ago I arrived in South Africa and have been travelling around a bit with a visit to Kruger National Park in the mix. My friends who live here in Pretoria recommended I visit Hermanus, a seaside town south east of Cape Town. My travel agent booked me into Birkenhead House, a gorgeous cliff top hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
I was driven from Cape Town to Hermanus which took about an hour and a half and upon arrival at Birkenhead House, I was offered lunch as my room was not quite ready. I decided to sit outside and was brought a complimentary cocktail followed by a glass of wine and freshly baked bread.
I had advised the hotel of my dietary requirements and the chef made me a delicious salad and a warm new potato dish. Both so good! 
It was then time to go to my room but first decided to take a look around the hotel. It is beautifully decorated, so stylish with huge sofas to sit in to read a book or just take in the fabulous vista.
There are two pools, one inside the building complex and the other an infinity edge pool overlooking the ocean. Bit too chilly to swim but could imagine relaxing in the pool with ocean views.
Then to top it off my room also had its own pool along with a nice outdoor area and a really lovely bathroom.
The staff had left me a small bottle of champagne as a welcome gift which was very kind and I was told the mini bar contents were complimentary as I had paid for an inclusive food and beverage package.
I decided to go out and explore the area so walked along the cliff tops for about an hour to reach the township. It was rather windy but the views were spectacular so I made up my mind that every morning I would take a long walk along the cliff tops where I was greeted by many friendly people out walking or jogging.
The town of Hermanus is quite small but has some lovely quaint paved small streets and great bookshops.
Before I arrived in Hermanus I found out it was Whale watching season so booked a tour as they are very popular and book out quickly. We were given a ten minute talk on the history of the Southern Right Whale after which we went out in the bay for about two hours. We were very lucky and followed a mum Southern Right Whale and her baby near the shore (not great photos though).
Most afternoons I would sit on a day bed reading my book and enjoying uninterrupted views of the ocean and on one occasions saw a whale breaching. Now that was a magnificent sight.
All meals at Birkenhead House were delicious and made with fresh local vegetables and on my last evening I had my dinner inside with an American couple then stepped outside to watch the magnificent sunset.
And so after four days it was time to move on…taking with me my beautifully presented clean laundry!
Canberra is pretty cold in the winter so it’s always nice to travel interstate mainly north to Queensland for a few days of warmth. That is what I decided to do last month and took my brother and nephew along too. I booked an Airbnb home at a suburb called Biggera Waters which is about an hour’s drive from Gold Coast (Coolangatta) Airport.
It was too cool to swim in the pool so we spent many an hour on the patio reading and just watching the swans and ducks swim by. The swans would arrive at 8.30am every morning; you really could set your clock by them.
I had made plans to catch up with friends who have a holiday home at Sanctuary Cove and my friend Steve kindly offered to come and pick us up in their boat so we could sail along the river to their home. How lucky were we!! So Steve and his son Ryan arrived on our private mooring and off we went…
Until we reached the open waters the boat is legally only able to travel at six knots (no wake allowed) so this afforded me to time to check out houses and gardens that back onto the river…wow some people have gorgeous homes! Once away from residences we could go a little faster which was really nice with the wake behind us.
Also nice to see the Gold Coast skyline behind us as well as views along the shore.
After a glass of wine at my friend’s home we took their golf carts and drove to Sanctuary Cove restaurant area where we had a wonderful lunch at a local Italian restaurant which had a lovely wine bar and to enter you walk through a huge wine barrel. Definitely my sort of place. 
Along the way we drove through the golf course and were fortunate enough to see a mob of kangaroos and one mum with her baby!
After lunch we returned to my friend’s home to watch the sunset – I never grow tired of watching either a sunrise or sunset…beautiful anywhere around the world.
And I love it when the sky changes colour whilst the sun is setting…
One other day we took my nephew and godson to MovieWorld on the Gold Coast. Rather expensive and really not what I like to do but I hope my nephew and godson enjoyed themselves. It was my godson’s first time to eat a snow cone; he loved it and enjoyed some rides.
And the sweetest thing about the trip was my godson absolutely loved my nephew (they had met some three years ago) so followed him around all weekend and just wouldn’t let him out of his sight…very lovely and my nephew even though he is seven years older, was incredibly patient and loving!
We also had a meal at a local Chinese restaurant on our last night with another friend (my godson’s mum) and as usual I enjoyed an eggplant dish and some dumplings…delicious. A great long weekend away!
During my visit to Phnom Penh earlier this year, my friend Tracey and I took a Tuk Tuk to the Royal Palace as it was our last day in the country and we wanted to take a look around. The palace opens at 8am but we arrived around 9am and even by this stage it was about forty degrees celsius; with humidity. Yuck!!
All visitors must conform to dress standards; shoulders and knees covered which meant a top with sleeves and a mid-length skirt or three quarter pants as long as your knees are covered.
We particularly wanted to see the Royal Stupas and The Silver Pagoda so checked out our trusty map to find both. From outside the walls of the Royal Palace, it looks like the palace compound and The Silver Pagoda are located in the same area, however they are two distinct compounds, separated by an alleyway and gates but your entry ticket gets you into both areas.
The Silver Pagoda (Wat Preah Keo) is a Buddhist temple and contains an emerald Buddha. It’s known as The Silver Pagoda because of the 5000 silver tiles that cover the floor. Unfortunately, these are hard to see, as the floor is covered up by carpet that protects the tiles from being damaged by foot traffic but there is a particular area that is off limits where you can see them – absolutely stunning!
The Royal Palace is still the royal residence for the King of Cambodia and while parts of the palace with its golden roofs are closed to the public others like the Throne Hall can be visited. Topped by a 59m-high tower that was inspired by the Bayon in Siem Reap’s Angkor Thom, the Throne Hall is used for coronations and other ceremonies.
I think we had walked around for about an hour and a half and at this stage I was sure the sun was burning further into my skin, so we decided to leave. We took a Tuk Tuk and returned to our friend Naomi’s home. It was then time to finish packing and take a car to the airport…a fabulous trip away!
I think most of us have a place in the world we have always wanted to visit. Mine was Africa. After I retired at the end of 2017, my friend Jenny and I departed Sydney for a trip to three countries in Africa. I have previously written about my first visit to Chobe National Park (both East and West) but I thought I would finish with my trip with a final series of photos.
I love elephants; majestic beautiful animals…well I love all animals but was so excited about seeing an elephant in the wild [where I believe they should all be] and I certainly was not disappointed. Seeing these fabulous creatures walking/playing/bathing and just enjoying life was amazing.
And as for the baby elephants; they were incredibly [incredibly] cute…hanging with their mums!
I also saw lots of other animals of course including beautiful zebra; wow these are also such majestic creatures and was fortunate enough to capture one in a series of poses with my final photo of him/her [no idea how to tell if male or female] looking in my direction.
And then a ‘dazzle’ or ‘zeal’ of zebra [have to be honest had to look up on the internet to see what a group of zebra is called!]…
And various other beautiful animals…
I loved Africa/Sth Africa so much that I have booked a return trip to South Africa this September but this time will spend time in Cape Town travelling around and watching whales, then Pretoria visiting friends as well as a few days staying in the wild glamping rather than camping. Can’t wait for that; camping out in the wild but in a fabulous tent with en-suite!
I travelled by plane to Brisbane with a short stop-over in Sydney and took the two hour shuttle to Noosa. Initially my friends and I were going to meet at Brisbane Airport and hire two cars to drive to Noosa. But…my friends were unfortunately stuck in Canberra Airport for seven hours due to an issue with their plane. They didn’t arrive in Noosa until just after midnight so luckily there was a shuttle to drop me off right outside my accomodation!!
I decided to go for a walk to familiarise myself with the area and walked to the main shopping street which took about thirty-minutes. It was lovely how lush and green the vegetation was along the way. When I returned to the resort, my friend Mandy and her partner came over for a glass of wine before I retired to my room for an early night.
Early the next morning I did the same walk down to the beach and then met up with Mandy for breakfast at a cafe overlooking the beach called Bistro C. 
Lots of people out and about swimming or surfing or just relaxing like us enjoying breakfast.
It turned out that this was not the only time I was to eat at Bistro C. One of the girls who had arrived late from Canberra messaged me to say that a birthday lunch had been organised that day for Mandy and it was at Bistro C!!
I decided to take the shuttle bus back to the resort as I was a bit weary after my walks…and a couple of hours later, it was time to return to Bistro C for lunch. One of the girls and I chose the roasted beetroot, feta and legume salad with fig, spiced pumpkin, radish, pomegranate and pea hummus. I opted for no cheese and mayonnaise and it really was absolutely delicious. Coupled with a glass of champagne it was a great way to spend a couple of hours!!
Now I know there are many wonderful restaurants in Noosa but I had seen something else delicious on the menu. The next day I walked back into town and stopped off for lunch at Bistro C...the dish I wanted to try was the fried shiitake mushroom, water chestnut and spinach dumplings with Sichuan eggplant, sesame broccoli, snow peas, green onion and ginger broth. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with this dish. The dumplings tasted like they had been sitting around for a while and there was no Sichuan eggplant or ginger broth on the dish.
At the time of our visit the Noosa Food and Wine Festival was on so we had tickets for a four course dinner at Peppers Resort with a few guest Aussie chefs. Matt Moran whose restaurant is Aria overlooking Sydney Harbour and Matt Preston from Australian Masterchef were two I saw and had photos with. Nice to spend time with the girls but the vegan food was incredibly disappointing; so much I didn’t even stay for dessert!
Sue's Fabulous Travels 
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