Vash the Stampede

Here follows a brief account of Mr & Mrs Stampede's recent holiday in Australia.

We left home on the evening of July the 28th, taking a taxi to Walsall train station, a series of trains down to Gatwick, and a taxi to a local B&B.

Mrs Stampede's holidays had already begun, but for me it was the last day of work. By the time we reached Gatwick (four hours later) it was about 22:30 and I was very tired. I do not enjoy travelling by train in the UK.

We spent the night in our B&B, and had a good solid breakfast the next morning. A courtesy bus took us to Gatwick Airport (5 minutes away) where we checked in our baggage and settled down in the departure lounge.

Our flight was divided into three sections: Gatwick-Dubai; Dubai-Singapore; Singapore-Melbourne International (Tullamarine). Each stage of the journey was 7 hours long, with a 1-2 hour wait in between. This helped to break up the trip, and gave us time to stretch our legs.

We flew with Emirates (whom neither of us had used before) and I would definitely recommend them to anyone. Service was excellent, seats were comfortable; cabin crew were well-groomed and courteous; in-flight entertainment was great; food was of a high standard, and arrived at regular intervals.

During our stopover in Dubai, we refreshed ourselves with beer, cider and a bowl of chips at a pub in the airport; it was called The Irish Village, and looked completely out of place with its surroundings.

Vash the Stampede

We arrived at Tullamarine somewhere between 00:30 and 01:00. Our accommodation that night was the local Formule1 hotel, which was very cheap ($79; £31) and correspondingly spartan. Nevertheless, the mattress was firm and the window was double-glazed, so I wasn't complaining.

We used the 24-hour self-service check-in system, which was simple and easy to follow. I had booked and paid for a room in advance, but due to the odd method by which the hotel chain calculates the dates of its bookings, my reservation was deemed to have passed and my booking was no longer recognised.

Consequently, I had to purchase a new room on the spot, paying cash from my large bundle of Australian notes. This was immensely frustrating, as it wasted a lot of time and energy.

I estimate that we finally got to sleep somewhere around 03:00. Check-out was at 10:00, so we weren't able to sleep for long - but it was enough to keep us going.

At check-out, I informed the manager of the problems we had experienced with our booking. In return, I received an explanation, an apology, and a full refund for the pre-paid room. Nice one!

We walked back to the airport and took the Skybus to Melbourne. This cost us $15 each (£6).

Vash the Stampede

The Skybus was clean, modern and spacious. It belted along the freeway at a terrific rate, eventually depositing us ouside Southern Cross Station (still under reconstruction).

Our intended destination was the home of some mates who had kindly offered to lend us a van for the duration of our stay. We knew that they lived in Montrose, which unfortunately has no train station.

However, the helpful chap at the information booth pointed out that if we took a Lilydale line train to Mooroolbark, we would be able to catch a local bus to Montrose (the next suburb along). He even took out a Melway and showed me the relevant pages: "Right, here's Montrose - in the middle of bloody nowhere. And here's Mooroolbark station."

We thanked him and moved on to the ticket machine.

From a local punter (accosted by Mrs Stampede) we learned that we would each need a 2-hour ticket for zones 1-3. This cost us about $7 (£2.80) apiece.

The schedule screens at Southern Cross Station weren't very clear, so I decided that we should take the next bus to Flinders Street (an interchange station) and play it by ear. Sure enough, the Flinders Street screens made a lot more sense, and we were soon on our way to Mooroolbark.

The train was clean and spacious, but showing definite signs of age; I would say that it was more than ten years old. It was not as comfortable as the Perth trains.

Our trip to Mooroolbark was pleasant and uneventful. I noticed that the further we went, the more trees and bushes we saw, until they were closely flanking each side of the train line. It was very relaxing.

My mates picked us up from Mooroolbark and took us home, where we were fed and watered. I showered, ate, caught up with the local goss, and grabbed forty winks in the spare bedroom. Mrs Stampede was very impressed by the hospitality shown to us during that time.

We finally left in our borrowed vehicle; an early-80s Mitsubishi L300 Express van with about 300,000 km on the clock.

Vash the Stampede

The Mitsu was a 4-speed column shift; very old, very clunky, and very difficult to master if you've been driving a 5-speed Mazda Astina for the past five years.

It took two days before I was totally comfortable with it, and in that time I had to negotiate the hillside roads of the Dandenongs. Of these, the Old Coach Road (a steep, winding, unsealed track with a yawning chasm on one side) was the most difficult - particularly when driving late at night, in a van with an awkward gearbox and very little power.

The chilling sound of tyres spinning uselessly on gravel as the Mitsu - struggling to find purchase on loose gravel - slipped backwards in the dark, is one that will remain with me for many years. :scared:

First stop was the home of Mrs Stampede's cousin and her husband, where we would be staying for the week.

Mrs Stampede's cousin (Tash) is a physio, while her husband (Russ) was originally a plumber but now a consultant for insurance companies and does a bit of freelance work on the side. Tash's parents are British ex-pats who came to Australian over twenty years ago, while Russ is 100% Australian born and bred.

Tash and Russ live in a beautiful house designed to their specifications by Russ himself. It's a weatherboard and colourbond construction with double glazing, insulation to the ceiling and walls, UK-style central heating, a rainwater tank and roof sprinklers to protect the house against bushfires.

After 3 years of sporadic construction, the house is still a work in progress but it's a wonderful place with a character all its own.

Vash the Stampede

There's a nice little cafe at the junction near Tash & Russ's place. We visited it several times, for breakfast and lunch. I found the prices unjustifiably dear, but the food exceptional.

Our first visit was on a wet, foggy, overcast day. Later trips were blessed with warm sunshine. Other trips (to Sassafras and Olinda) were spent enjoying the scenery and buying stuffs from the local shops.

Anyone visiting Sassafras should take the time to have lunch at Miss Marple's. If you visit Olinda, be sure to browse Mangana Arts & Crafts, which has a dizzying array of gifts and curios.

Our best purchase was a couple of beautifully warm pashmina scarves, which we found in Sassafras and wore almost continuously for the rest of our trip!

Vash the Stampede

From Victoria we made our way to Tassie on the Spirit of Tasmania.

We had a 2-berth cabin with a porthole on the way over, with a free upgrade to a higher standard on the way back. The Mitsu travelled in the hold. Total cost was around $700 (£281).

It took just over an hour to drive from Devonport to Launceston via the Bass Highway. This is an excellent time, especially when the age and condition of the Mitsu is taken into account.

Launceston is a pretty little city, with many old buildings - including its own Albert Hall! We stayed at Airlie on the Square, a 19th Century house formerly owned by the government but now run privately as a B&B (the last building in the thumbnails below).

The cost was $115 (£46) per night, which included a continental breakfast. Accommodation was of a high standard, but I would have preferred a cooked breakfast for the amount we were paying. Airlie is ideally located for visitors who wish to tour the city on foot.

During our time in Tassie, we caught up with many of my old mates. On Sunday afternoon we visited Car Villa Cemetary and paid our respects to my grandparents' graves.

Vash the Stampede

More photos of Launceston. Mrs Stampede was impressed by the cleanliness of the city, and the obvious care with which its historic buildings had been maintained.

Vash the Stampede

On Monday I took Mrs Stampede to Brady's Lookout, a historic State Reserve in the Tamar Valley. Its name is derived from from its association with John Brady, a famous Tasmanian bushranger born in Manchester and transported for life after a forgery conviction.

The lookout commands an unrivalled view of the Tamar Valley and its river. From here, Brady would monitor the passage of ships down the Tamar River and keep an eye out for local authorities. It is a beautiful place, with a haunting atmosphere.

I have fond memories of refilling the Mitsu's radiator here, after it overheated and threatened to die on us. Using two 700ml soft drink bottles (the only containers we had at the time) it took me many trips back and forth from the barbeque facilities before the radiator and overflow tank were both full.

sunbather

I'm really enjoying this

Vash the Stampede

On the weekend, I had taken Mrs Stampede to the Cataract Gorge in Trevallyn.

We spent about an hour there, between 16:30 and 17:30 - so the light was quickly fading. But it did make for some nice shots.

Fiona&malc

me too, the pictures are awesome as well

Vash the Stampede

More Gorge photos. The peacocks are a much-loved feature of the reserve, and perfectly accustomed to human company.

We were lucky to get this photo of a little wallaby from just a couple of metres away! Mrs Stampede thought he was adorable, and I had to agree.

Vash the Stampede

On Monday we visited the Roman Baths, where we spent nearly three hours for the very reasonable cost of $20 (£8) each.

Tuesday was our last day in Tassie. In the afternoon I took us back up to Devonport via Rosevears (in the Tamar Valley) and Exeter (the little town where I went to school as a child). We also swung by Swan Point, where my grandparents used to live.

In order of appearance, the photos attached are:

• Rosevears scenery
  
  
• The old Rosevears Pub, down by the riverfront
  
  
• The house in which I lived as a child during my Tassie days
  
  
• Swan Point

Vash the Stampede

Have to dash; will continue when I get home from work at the end of the day.

Lord Pom Percy

Launcestons great, the river area, fantastic, Tasmania has the best scenery anywhere in OZ in my opinion.