TravelStream™ news feed for member claireandkaren on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/claireandkaren en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Mon, 20 Mar 2006 10:12:54 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1138474800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1138474800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1138474800/tpod.html Mon, 20 Mar 2006 10:12:54 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Melbourne, Australia

G'day, on our extended holiday before Karen jetted off home (leaving me all alone!) we went to the Australian Open which is held in Melbourne. A day with the beautiful people. We got tickets for the men's doubles semi's and the women's semi finals which were Maria Sharapova V Justin Henin-Ardenne and Kim Clijsters V Amelie Mauresmo. As you all know Henin-Ardenne and Mauresmo went on to the finals, was just a real shame that both Clijsters and Henin-Ardenne both retired against Mauresmo who won in the end.

We were seated in the back row (typical) but amazingly had a brilliant view, managed to get quite close to the court for some good pictures of the players.

It was a hot one that day. Lucky for us you're allowed to partake in some sparkling refreshments at sporting events in Australia, we took full advantage of that!!!!

Lots of love, Claire x x x
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Perth, Australia

Hello everyone, on with the pictures! So sorry have been slackass at uploading pictures but Karen's super-dooper camera has got a million mega pixels and it takes around half a day to download one photo! It's worth the wait I promise.

From Ayres Rock we flew to Perth to visit Emma, a girl I used to work with in sunny Paisley. Her and her lovely hubby Bob and their unborn child (due 31st March!!!) kindly showed us around Perth for a few days then we travelled down to the Margaret River and sampled a few of the local tipples! Well it is wine country and would be rude not to!

Perth is a beautiful city, a little smaller and quieter than Melbourne. We stayed with Emma and Bob in Cotteslow on the beach, little bit jealous that their beach is nicer than ours and their sea side residence has air con!

The week we flew to Perth a great white shark was spotted about 1k down the beach from where Emma and Bob lived. Funnily enough I was a little hesitant about dipping into the Pacific Ocean, I like my body without shark bites! Emma and Karen where a little braver than I, I call it foolhardy!

We had some amazing weather, but still a little cooler than Ayers Rock thank the lord! Emma and Bob have a massive paddling pool in their garden, called Mr Blow! Thought about getting one for on the balcony but reckon it might be tight squeeze.

Enjoy the photos folks! Thank you Emma and Bob for putting up with us and showing us around, only wish we could have stayed longer!

Lots of Love, Claire x x x x
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Western Australia, Australia

Hello again everyone, still valiantly trying to update this thing!

Margaret River is about 2 hours south of Perth in Western Australia, most famous for it's abundance in Wineries (Karen and I were understandably most excited by this!). There were 8 of us all who travelled down from Perth, Emma, Bob, Viv, two Karen's, Kevin, Karen and I. Lots of Karens, not too difficult to remember peoples names! We hired a house in Margaret river which turned out to be massive.

Needless to say we spent a whole day touring the numerous wineries, lost track of how many we visited in the end, they give you free drink! Spent a few bob on some plonk and had a most excellent time. Some of the wineries and the grounds were so beautiful, would need another few days just to get around them all. Poor pregnant Emma was a most gracious chauffeur of our drunken bums but she assures me she had a good time.

We spent two night in Margaret River and travelled back via Yallingup which has one of the most amazing beaches I've ever seen. Was still a bit wary of venturing into the ocean given the number of shark attacks and sightings that month but Emma, Bob and Karen braved it. This part of Australia is famed for some of the best surfing in the world. You'd need to be a brave soul though, the waves were enormous, too much for our amateur surfing efforts!

If anyone travels to Australia please make time to go to the Margaret River, it's so beautiful and with so many wineries and so much free drink it is possibly the best place on earth (apart from Celtic park!).

Lots of love, Claire x x x x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1137427200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1137427200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1137427200/tpod.html Mon, 27 Feb 2006 10:24:52 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Ayers Rock, Australia

Hi di hi everybody, still valiantly trying to update all the pics from our adventures over the last few months, soooo sorry for the delay but I'm sure it's worth the wait!

And then there was one...... Karen has now sadly departed Australia to return to the motherland, leaving me on my lonesome! But not to worry, there are lots more pics to put on the site which she features in. It's just not the same without you Cheese!!!

We spent 2 days in Ayers Rock resort, which we have now found was ample enough time to see most things. We flew to Ayers Rock airport which is basically just a big hall with a few check in desks and a departure area with a wee shop and a cafe. There is only one place to stay anywhere near the big rock and that's Ayers Rock resort which has about 4 extortionately priced hotels and one lodge with a hostel in it. We went for the cheap and cheerful approach and stayed in a 20 bedded dorm, not quite what we're used to being used to the finer things in life and all!!!

On the first day we drove 300k to Kings Canyon. Between the resort and the canyon there's a whole lot of nothing for the whole way. Lots of red and bushes! We unfortunately decided to try and kill ourselves by climbing the canyon on the hottest day we've experienced so far. If only we had taken pictures of our faces as we arrived back at the car, would have been worth a laugh!! I never thought I could love an air conditioned car soooo much. The canyon itself was beautiful but definitely would have been more appreciated if we hadn't been sweating our entire fluid volumes and feeling like poo!

We got up around 5am and travelled the 10k to Uluru (the largest monolith in the world don't ya know) in time to see the sunrise over the rock. The pictures we've taken don't really capture the change in the colour of the rock as the sun rises, it's definitely got to been seen to be believed. Unfortunately the temperature was so hot on this day that they closed the walk around the base of Uluru early in the morning (which is about 5k) so we missed out on that. A lot of tourists choose to climb the rock which is a major no no to the aborigines as it's seen as a sacred symbol.

From Uluru we travelled 45k still within the national park to the Olgas which are a range of monoliths. The temperature had climbed to over 35 degrees even by 9am when we got there and once again we were unable to walk The Valley of the Winds through The Olgas as, for safety, they close the walk after 35 degrees. We did manage to do a shorter walk through this spectacular canyon. I couldn't begin to describe the enormity of the rock faces on either side as you walk through the relatively narrow passage. We arrived at a time when there was no other tourists around, such an eerie experience, we were a little bit scared!!! Again the photos just don't do it justice, such an amazing sight, got to see it for yourself!

By then we had nothing else to do but lounge by the pool (I know it's so hard for us!!!). We returned to Uluru in time for sunset, a truly beautiful sight, I hope you get some idea from our amateur camera work.

I'm so glad we managed to see these amazing sights before Karen jetted off home, it just astounds me how many Aussies have never been there!!!!

Enjoy the photos folks, and remember there's always time to come out for a wee visit and see these things for yourselves!!!

Claire x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136577600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136577600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136577600/tpod.html Wed, 08 Feb 2006 07:29:55 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Melbourne, Australia

Hello all, these are a few pics from when my big brother came a visiting with his mate Douglas. After spending New Year in Sydney and then a sunny 3 days sailing in the Whitsundays he decided to drop in on his wee sister. Karen and I spent a week trying to convince them that Melbourne in the best of the lot!

Experienced my first wine tour in Australia with the boys in the Yarra Valley (up until then I had been sampling all the wines in Aus in the local boozeries!). We are now officially wine experts! Well at least we think we are.

Another tour was had down the Great Ocean Road with a bit of surfing action. Keep practicing Andy, you'll stand up one day I'm sure. Karen and I stuck to the body boarding, Karen can boast that she managed to catch a wave and high five all at once!

We had such an amazing time when the boys were here, let that be encouragement for anyone else who fancies a trip over!!!!

Take care, Claire & Karen x x x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136008800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136008800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1136008800/tpod.html Wed, 01 Feb 2006 01:48:16 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Melbourne, Australia

Hello all and a very Happy New Year to you all! New Year in Australia, oh god what a difference. Gone are the days of trailing around Glasgow in the rain and/or freezing frost! Oh no, our New Year was spent in 43 degree heat!!!! The hottest New Years Eve recorded in Melbourne ever and boy did we feel it.

Karen and I had a party in McHarvie Towers. We've got an amazing view from the balcony of the city so we were able to watch the amazing fireworks display from the comfort of our own place with all our budddies.

It was still 33 degrees at 2am in the morning so we went down to the beach for a bit of a swim, be rude not to really! A far cry from Glasgow, spending New Year lying on the beach, splashing in the sea, not bad eh!?!

Tried to teach the Aussies the tradition of the first foot. We got one box of shortbread, no a lump of coal in site though!

We hope you all had a great New Year and that this year brings much happiness to all!

Claire & Karen x x x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135613400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135613400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135613400/tpod.html Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:29:43 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Sydney, Australia

On Boxing Day I flew to sydney with the parents. Very beautiful city with it's harbour and beaches and impressive skyline. On the first afternoon we took a ferry to Manly beach to catch a few rays and hang ten with the dudes. The ferry takes you through the harbour round the opera house and past the harbour bridge. Next day we went for extreme tourism- the whole city in one day. A lot of walking. Also went up the huge tower for some cracking views of the city and had lunch at the top of the tower. After that needed a swim, our hotel had a rooftop pool, I was very excited! Last day was spent on Bondi Beach, which was cloudy but sun did make an appearance at about 5pm. Still managed to get toasted. That night we went for a meal at Doyle's restuarant (famous for it's fish and good views of the harbour).

Honest, it's still not as good as Melbourne.

Karen x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135512000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135512000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135512000/tpod.html Mon, 30 Jan 2006 08:39:09 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Melbourne, Australia

A very belated Merry Christmas once more to you all!

Christmas in Australia has to be one of the most surreal things I've experienced. Apart from the fact that it's sunny and hot all the time Christmas is so different here in so many other ways.

The Aussie's don't really seem to go for Chrimbo in the way that we do back home. Right up until Christmas Eve we didn't hear any Christmas songs on the radio or in any shops. Most shops don't have any Christmas decorations, the streets aren't decorated, in fact if you walked through most places it just looked like any other day, you wouldn't even have known it was Christmas. The Christmas tree in Federation Square in the city was made of plastic, I'm sure it had a made in Taiwan sticker on it somewhere. The tree was basically the only Christmas decoration in the city, no lights! People have BBQ's and sea food for Christmas dinner.

In an attempt to make ourselves as festive as possible we bought a Christmas CD, got a top quality tree for the flat, including some fake snow, and many fairy lights! But the best of all was our home made nativity scene made from play-do! With a little help from Mhairi (a primary school teacher) we constructed some of the finest works of art you may ever see in your life. It's still standing and we've made a pact that it'll never be destroyed. Thinking of puting it forward for a Turner prize.

Karen and her folks spent a lovley Christmas on the beach (even though the weather wasn't too great) followed by a true aussie barbie including kangaroo skewers. I opted for the more traditional Christmas dinner and headed around to Erika's house for Turkey and Ham with all the trimmings!

Christmas night turned into an impromptu ceighly (I have no idea how to spell that) out the back of Erika's house. The Dashing White Seargent, the Gay Gordans and Strip the Willow, her neighbours must have thought we were crazy.

It was a hard time being away for Christmas but I think we made the most of it and we hope you enjoy all the pics from the day.

Claire & Karen x x x

It was hard being away from home at this time of year but luckily we had one set of parents to see us through!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135209600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135209600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1135209600/tpod.html Mon, 30 Jan 2006 07:57:25 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Melbourne, Australia

Our first visitors, yipeee! Very exciting for Karen to have her Maw and Paw here with her, especially over Christmas time. They came bearing gifts for their beautiful wee lassie but also, very importantly, brought over a wee bag of pressies from my folks too!!!

Whilst in Melbourne Karen took her folks around St Kilda and the city, down the Great Ocean Road and then they jetted off to Sydney for a few nights before heading off on their own for a few days on the gold coast.

Melbournes public transport system is mainly trams (sure beats the clockwork orange of glasvegas - they don't reek o' pish!). In the evenings there's a tram car restaraunt which tours around Melbourne whilst a handsome man serves you lovely sparkly vino and some pretty damn excellent food. It's a great way to see the city, have a lovely meal and a bit merry too!

Mr and Mrs Karen's folks, it was so lovely to have you here, I hope you had an amazing time and at least got to experience a little of the life we have here. Not be long till yer wee lassie's home again in sunny Scotland.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1134406800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1134406800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/claireandkaren/glasgow/1134406800/tpod.html Mon, 30 Jan 2006 07:23:38 -0500 Glasgow to Melbourne 2005!

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Mornington Penninsula, Australia

It's a hard life here it really is. The sun shines all day, we can fall out our beds onto the beach, the wine is plentiful and there's nae neds! But just to make us feel just a little bit better we spent the day at a spa in the Mornington Penninsula, be rude no to really!

The penninsula spring spa has natural springs (funnily enough), feels amazing to bathe in but oh lord do they smell a bit wiffy! We all had an hour long relaxing massage followed by a spot of lunch and a lounge in the hot springs, not bad for a days work!

Claire & Karen x
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