29 August - Tewantin Qld

We left the Gold Coast last Thursday 25 August for our drive to Gympie to catch up with Saskia and Peter and Tilly. We had a great time with them and this included a visit to Poona to have a look at all the work Pete and Sas have done on their holiday house here. We arrived at lunch time on Saturday just as the plumber was finishing up installing the toilet and the hot water service. The place now looks absolutely spectacular. Also had a chance to fly the Phantom out over the water ad above the caravan park. Also did some aerial photography of the house in Gympie.

Yesterday, Saskia's neighbour Brendan offered us to take his MG two seater sports car for a spin so Rosa and I took the opportunity to experience the wind blowing through our hair as we cruised around Gympie in the brilliant sunshine. A bit scary taking someone's pride and joy out for a spin but we got back without any mishaps or dents.

This morning we said goodbye to Gympie to travel the short distance to Tewantin (Noosa) and we are now here for a week on a fantastic site. The weather continues to be brilliant and next Saturday Saskia and Peter, and Jake and Sally and the kids will join us for the weekend here, and we are really looking forward to that. We have quite a few activities planned including a walk in the Noosa National Park, and there are some spectacular locations for a drone flight too. Watch for updates here.

23 August - Gold Coast

We left Ballina and Jim and Irene mid morning on Sunday for the short drive to the Gold Coast. Here we are staying at the Gold Coast Tourist Park in Helensvale which, since we last visited it some 8 or 9 years ago has developed into one of the best caravan parks we have ever visited. We spent yesterday visiting Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach and scouted out some locations for a drone flight to capture the beach and the city skyline of Surfers. As the sun rises over the sea to the east, I decided that the best time to photograph was at dawn so I left this morning at about 4:30 and waited for the sun to rise. It was well worth it - the still photos and the videos are spectacular.

Later this morning we drove up into the Gold Coast hinterland and then had morning coffee at Sanctuary Cove where once again the drone came out for a fly over the spectacular boat harbour.

Tonight we will be attending the free "sausage sizzle" put on by the caravan park and then tomorrow is our last day here. On Thursday we drive to Gympie to spend a few days with Saskia, Peter and Tilly. So far we have enjoyed fantastic weather apart from a few minutes of drizzle yesterday.

19 August, Ballina, NSW

We enjoyed two beautiful sunny days in Moss Vale and made a day trip to Kangaroo Valley a spectacular drive. On Wednesday morning we set off for the trip through the Sydney suburbs via the M7, the M2 and the famous Pennant Hills Road and settled in for the long drive into northern NSW. By mid afternoon we decided to pull up in Kempsey which is Slim Dusty's birthplace. We found a great campsite in the Kempsey showgrounds - a beautiful grassy site with power and water for $20 for the night. Then on Thursday we continued north with the plan of meeting with our friends Jim and Irene in Ballina and spending a few days here. The sunny weather has continued here and this morning we woke again to a beautiful sunny day. Went out for a fantastic breakfast here in Ballina and then took a coastal drive to Byron Bay. On previous visits we have always enjoyed visiting the local French patisserie and after a few anxious moments thinking it was no longer there we located it and had fantastic coffees and Cherry Almandines - yum.

One item on my bucket list for Byron Bay was to fly the Phantom 4 over the light house and the spectacular scenery at Cape Byron, so I quickly assembled my little airborne companion and had it flying high above some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. The video footage looks amazing and I can't wait to get home to edit it. Got back to the caravan park after a very enjoyable day and sat in the fading sunlight enjoying a barbecue and a bottle of Pepperjack. More excitement planned for tomorrow - can't wait.

15 August - Moss Vale

We left Traralgon yesterday on our almost annual winter pilgrimage to Queensland. Each year the crappy Victorian winter weather gets a bit much to bear and if possible we hook up the van and head north. Yesterday we had an uneventful run to Bombala where we arrived early in the afternoon. The weather had been perfect and the skies were clear which promised a freezing night. When we woke this morning the car and the caravan and the ground were covered in ice and I had to pour hot water on to our water hose because it was frozen on to our caravan. We were on the road by 7:15 and all the way up the Monaro Highway the fields were covered in fog and frost - quite spectacular. Our first stop was the excellent bakery in Nimmatabel where we stopped for breakfast. Our next stop was for fuel in Cooma and then onward through the outskirts of Canberra and north up the Hume highway. As we approached the Moss Vale/Bowral region, the weather was perfect and we made a last minute decision to spend a couple of days in Moss Vale. We have stayed here on a number of occasions but never had much luck with the weather so this was an opportunity too good to pass up. By 3 pm we had the van all set up and headed into Bowral for a coffee at one of our all time favourite cafes - The Elephant Boy. This wonderful establishment serves excellent coffee and the decor of wall to wall bookshelves and comfortable seating  always makes it a great place to visit.

This was probably our third or fourth visit over the years and it is wonderful to see the place still thriving and still looking great. Next, after a walk around the town we visited one of our favourite restaurants called Briars. We had dinner here a few years ago and enjoyed great steaks and salad and exceptional red wines so it was great to find, when we walked in that once again nothing had changed. We immediately booked a table for dinner, and have just returned from what I would rate as one of the best meals I've ever had. Everything was simply superb.

So, after a very enjoyable day, we are holed up in our little mobile hide away reading and getting ready to snuggle into bed to experience what undoubtedly will be another chilly night.

2 April - Leaving Hong Kong

It is just after 7pm local time and we are in the departure lounge waiting for flight QF30 back to Melbourne, where we arrive at 8am. Then all that's left is a trip into the city and the 2.5 hour train ride home and will have come full circle after a great trip.

1 May - Hong Kong

This morning of our last full day in Hong Kong we were determined to take the tramway up Victoria Peak but it didn't look good. First of all we couldn't see the peak for cloud cover which meant we wouldn't see much when we got up there. Nevertheless we took a Star Ferry to the island and then the 15C bus to the lower tramway terminal. As we approached the terminal though we were confronted by enormous queues. When we checked it turned out that the queue equated to a 3 hour wait to board the peak tram and at that point we decided it wasn't to be. It turns out that not only was it the weekend but also a long weekend for the Labour Day celebration. So instead we walked into the CBD to get a look at the double decker trams which form the public transport system here.

The rest of the day was very quiet and this evening we started the process of repacking our suitcases to get ready for tomorrow. We have an 8:30pm flight which means we need to be at the airport by 5:30. Trying to fit in all the stuff we've bought in the last four weeks is a bit of challenge. We're all amazed at how quickly the time has past but we are also looking forward to being home and resting after the holiday.

30 April - Hong Kong

Another day in Hong Kong and still waiting for better conditions to visit Victoria Peak. This morning we all hopped on the MTR to travel to Mong Kok which is about 1.5 km from our hotel. John, Sandra and Rosa were off to the Ladies Market and I wanted to visit Sim City which is a three story building full of camera shops selling the latest and greatest as well as loads of second hand equipment. I've been looking for a longer telephoto lens for my Panasonic Lumix GH4 and this morning I found the Panasonic 100-300mm at a significantly lower price than what's available in Melbourne. After returning from the market I immediately took my new purchase to Kowloon Park to get some better shots of those magnificent flamingoes.

Although this lens has had some mixed reviews (hence the lower price) I'm very happy with my purchase particularly as the light was marginal and the shots were taken hand held at the full 300mm.

Later in the afternoon we walked down to the Ocean Terminal to check out the best spot to view the laser Light and Sound show which is performed on and by the high rise buildings of Hong Kong Island. 

By now the weather was quite overcast and turning somewhat chilly and we were glad we didn't venture on to Victoria Peak - maybe tomorrow.

After dinner in Harbour Town we returned to the foreshore to join thousands of other locals and tourist to wait for the 8pm light show. The harbour at night is a fascinating sight. The colourful cityscape provides a marvellous backdrop to the abundant water traffic of Star ferries, tour boats on dinner cruises and junks and the occasional cruise ship. Just as the light show was about to start the Star Cruise Line's Pisces sailed right past us.

The hazy conditions detracted a little from the experience of the laser lights but it was still a magnificent sight to behold. 

Just as the show finished the rain started and we joined the general rush to find cover and get out of the rain. Tomorrow is our last full day in Hong Kong and our activities will be dictated by the weather.