A slow travel journey around the world without flying
Christmas at sea was not part of our original plan. We were supposed to have spent it with our friends in Melbourne, in the sunshine, probably around a barbeque which would perhaps have been on a beach. Sea travel, however, does not care for best…
We were due to meet the AS Carelia at the Port of Brisbane's Container Terminal, which as it turns out is quite a way out from the city centre. We took a train to an almost derelict suburban station (Wynnum North) and then after a…
There is no direct train from Melbourne to Brisbane, so we had to go via Sydney and then change. The journey to Sydney and the onwards route to Brisbane each take about 11 hours, so it's a good idea to stop overnight in Sydney if…
During our time in Melbourne we made several weekend excursions to the surrounding countryside, in an attempt to explore some of the beautiful coast and bushland that Victoria is famous for. On Melbourne's doorstep there are opportunities to spot some of Australia's extraordinary wildlife including…
As Spring gave way to summer in Melbourne, there was more and more to explore every day as new craft, food and festive markets began to explode onto the scene. Melbourne is known for its permanent markets too, however, and below is a short round-up…
Melbourne is a food lover's paradise, a fact which Sydney is all too aware of and is constantly trying to challenge in a friendly, one-upmanship sort of a way. There is an emphasis on fresh, local (or at least Australian grown) produce but not in…
Melbourne is well known for its magical laneways and street art, though city officials have not always embraced it as such. Various attempts by the authorities to 'clean it up' have all but failed and graffiti is now as much a part of the city…
Never will you look at a cup of the black stuff in the same way again after sampling Melbourne's most sacred beverage - for here it has become a form of high art - and not just where taste is concerned. Care and detail is…
It didn't take long for us to fall in love with Fitzroy and its surrounds; its streets never failed to entertain, subtly changing overnight, just enough to keep you on your toes. One day a shop-front would be filled with yarn or paintings, the next…
The YHA Central hostel is a relatively new outfit, located on Flinders Street in the building of an ex-city hotel and so it provided an ideal jump-off point to go out and explore the CBD and its surrounds. Our first day in Melbourne was bright…
The Melbourne Train was scheduled to leave Sydney's Central Station at 7.15 a.m., so we left the hostel at 6.45 and searched for a cab at the nearest taxi rank (not far from the hostel, as it happens). We didn't have to wait long before…
Leaving the boat for the last time was a strange, if not liberating, experience. Our YHA hostel was located very nearby, on the crescent of the hilly Rocks area of Sydney (which wasn't climb up to while carrying so many over-packed bags). From the hostel's…
The waters on the strait between New Zealand and the south coast of Australia are notoriously choppy, and it looks like we managed to arrive at the worst possible time. The boat was originally scheduled to stop at Eden, a popular spot on the south…
