Images

Sunday September 24
A weekend of discovery during our WEB in Oregon, a state of around 4 million people of which 2.3million live in the greater Portland area which takes unto itself the neighbouring city of Vancouver which is actually in the state of Washington. (The state capital of Oregon is Salem)

Today was like every other day since we arrived 2 weeks ago—brilliant sunshine—and after teaching Starbucks downtown how to make coffee we drove over to a lovely park in Vancouver which had a farmers market and a statue to George Vancouver.
What a remarkable bloke was George who sailed with James Cook before getting his own commission to circumnavigate the world, westward pulling into Albany WA and taking possession of King George Sound for the Brits and then proceeding to map the north-west American continent, being Oregon, Washington State, British Columbia and the Alaskan coast and ascertain the viability of northwest passage. ( there being none)

During the afternoon we drove 100km toward Mt Hood and got great views of the snow covered giant and all under an azure sky.

At the dinner hour Isabel chose Guiseppe’s nearby because it offered Italian meals for seniors. You can be the judge.

And the rest of the meal

Tomorrow it’s off to Olympia (the capital) in Washington State and the Governor Hotel where stayed a few years ago

Thursday September 21st
After 12 days in California we finally set sail for Oregon leaving Eureka on the coast heading on highway 101 north to Coos Bay about 350 km further toward Canada.
But before telling you about the big ‘O’ we travelled to Eureka via the Redwood Forest highway with fir trees hugging tight curving roads with a side detour to the Avenue of the Giants akin to our valley of the giants near Denmark.
Nice accommodation in Eureka yesterday before late lunch down ‘F’ street to the Bay Seafoods right on the boardwalk overlooking Humbolt Bay with enough grub served at 4pm to feed us well, with a take away box to microwave in our room for dinner at 7.30pm.
Crossing the state line in Oregon we followed the 101 coastal highway with its spectacular ocean views to either rival or better those of California——or the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. While the G.O. Road has the 12 apostles the Oregon coast has 112 apostles—quite the most sensational seaside views you will ever see.
Tonight we are again at our favourite budget motel6 chain and tomorrow make our way to Newport and from there to Albany near the capital Portland and which actually took on sister city status with Albany WA back in 1977. Personally I would have preferred the town council back then to choose Albany New York, then being the domain of governor Rockefeller.
But again the pictures can do the talking

Lunch at  Bayside restaurant overlooking Humboldt Bay

Town of Albany Oregon; a really picturesque town with a council chambers just like those in Albany WA

Back in the 1950’s the Queensland capital was thought of as an overgrown country town and helping to cast off this unstylish notion was the elusive Brisbane Bard.
The phantom poet wrote and left his verse in cafes all over the city, providing a snapshot of life in the city and his identity is still a mystery, even to this day.
Until now we have spent very little time in Brisbane which today is dashing, dapper and up-to-date

The descriptor of our snappy CBD 6th floor apartment omitted the fact it was located 30 metres directly above a freeway. But the double glazing was so effective we were completely unaware of the speedway below until we actually stepped out onto the balcony. Attempting breakfast on the verandah would have been like eating in Daniel Riccardo’s formula one pit stop.
From our balcony we could almost touch the newly installed walking bridge across the river which looked as if it was designed by John Bertram and the crew of Australia II. Only masts—no winged keels!

Over four days we took our senior’s Go card and travelled both up and down the Brisbane River on the City-Cats; took the city loop bus in both directions; ate at the Paragon fish restaurant at Eagle Pier and Italian along the Southbank and mangled with the crowds in the Queen St Mall.

Driving back up to Toowoomba we detoured to the Wivenhoe Dam which caused much havoc with its water releases during the 2011 Brisbane floods

And for something different today we drove from Toowoomba to Allora and Warwick; the former a village which was home to Mary Poppins author Pamela P L Travers at 61 HerbertSt.
Allora next week hosts an open and ‘drive-by’ garden show so today we did the lot as a simple drive by, also taking pictures of the classic Queensland architecture.

Not many sleeps until our first trip to China beginning August 22.

About 30 years ago we wanted to cycle around China, particularly Guilin and the area near the dam they were building on the Yangtze River. We wanted to see the beauty of the area before it was flooded and when 1.2 million Chinese were relocated.

But it was pretty difficult to get a permit to visit then and this time we have a private SUV rather than a two-wheeled gridley!

Naturally I’ve seen so many Sino websites over the last couple of months that Isabel says I don’t really need to go. All in the name of good planning I guess.

We go to Kuala Lumpur on August 20, overnight at the airport hotel and then the following day fly into Beijing to start our private organised tour. There are four of us on this trip, including Bill and Wendy Moodie, for what will be an exciting time. Beijing to Shanghai and everything in-between; personal guides, drivers, air flights, hotels and most meals make up a well-rounded package.

I could ask a riddle at this stage. Which Chinese soup weighs 1,000kgs? (Wonton)

Keep an eye out for my blogs, which can only be an improvement on my Chinese jokes.

While an armada of illegal boats land every day at Christmas Island the mighty Dawn Princess was unable to land it’s cargo of 2,000 eager tourists
The Captain wimped out of allowing the usual conga line of Zimmer frames to stretch their feeble legs; something about the swell; and opting instead for a circumnavigation.
But my thoughts are with the island’s 2,072 residents forlornly watching today’s hoped for cash injection float out to sea.
Today the business people invested in more lettuces ($7.00ea) and cucumbers ($4.50ea) which obviously will now be heavily discounted or sadly binned. The hugely increased order of Mrs Mac’s pies and sausage rolls in the warmer might also suffer the same fate.
Passenger excitement continues unabated, from the luxury of the Horizon Court chow house, as we watch HMAS Armadale towing today’s latest smuggler boat arrival out to sea and to be sunk in a 5km deep watery graveyard.
What a stark comparison! We float around the Indonesian archipelago for 16 days in pampered luxury at around a fifth of the cost of a smuggler’s tour offering.
As the advertising blurb says “escape completely with Princess”