Australia 2022 (2024)

09/01/2023

Now for my final Blog!
Our arrival back to our lovely friends Mavis and Alan’s, who looked after our five girls, who gave us a lovely welcome 😍😍😍😍😍

08/01/2023

We arrived in Singapore on our first flight home and they have put us in a complimentary hotel as our flight has been delayed for 9 hours.
Sunday 11am local time. We will now be due to land tomorrow (Monday) morning at 8:30am at Manchester.

12 noon: They are looking after us very well at the Ramada Hotel. We are going to explore now, after lunch and then dinner this evening. All paid for by the airline. Also taxi from airport to hotel and return.

21:00hrs Just arrived at Changi airport in Singapore for our next flight to Frankfurt then onto Manchester.

It’s an amazing airport (the most expensive in the world to build)! It’s very interesting, with lots of great things to look at, including a butterfly garden and huge Koi Carp fish.

23:15 Just about to board our plane.

Next blog will be a video of our dogs being reunited with us, (hopefully tomorrow morning) if there are no more delays ! 😊

07/01/2023

Our last evening in Australia, with my lovely family. We went to the casino for dinner. Had a little gamble on roulette and won $130 (that’s a good start for spending money for our next holiday here)!

Finally boarded our flight for the first part of our flight home (1st stop Singapore).
Missing my sister Tracey Price already, so much 😥
Those 5 weeks went so fast! But we had an amazing time. Now really looking forward to being reunited with our dogs 😍

06/01/2023

Australia's Parting gift to me!!!! Mosquitos love me big time!!!

06/01/2023

The local neighbourhood 😎

06/01/2023

Today I went swimming in the Swan river, which was very refreshing! Saw a beautiful Goldie too.
Tomorrow is our last day in Australia as we fly home very early on Sunday morning!!!
We are going out for a big family farewell meal tomorrow evening. I know it’s going to be emotional 😩😢❤️

06/01/2023

Saw some kangaroos today 😍

04/01/2023

Out for dinner with my lovely family last night

04/01/2023

Its been much hotter here this week. 36 yesterday and 38c today! I have been bitten so many times by Mosquitoes!
Sam and I had a wonderful time at the theme park yesterday. Finishing my Christmas gift list to take home for everyone!!. So off to the Mall with my sister today and then onto the Pet shop, where I would like to get the girls some things;)
The final photo is of the moon on news eve! pretty amazing i thought xx

31/12/2022

Met up on the doggy beach with the lovely Joanne McMurray and had my Goldie-Fix with her 3 beauties: PoppyMay, BarneyBoy and EllieRose today 😍

30/12/2022

Just had 3 wonderful days in an apartment down the coast from Perth in a small town called Rockingham, where we went fishing 2 of the nights, but no luck with catching any this time 😥
But it was good to take my sister Tracey away for a break from housework etc!
Also to catch up with our dear friend Raechelle and her daughter Caterina.
I am really looking forward to today when I am meeting with Joanne McMurray and her Goldens at the beach (early before the heat sets on)!
Photos are of various food in a local Costco, just to show everyone in the uk, the different things they have to us.
Sam cooked us a lovely meal in the apartment last night, of steak, sweet potatoes, salad and Halloumi fries. Then we played Balderdash and Monopoly Deal and had such a laugh

27/12/2022

A mixture of photos today. Taken over the last week! The cockroaches are huge over here and really give me the shivers. Luckily it’s not poisonous like the red back spider that Sam found!
We did a lot of cooking over Christmas and of course a lot of eating!
We went to see my brother and his wonderful garden Xmas decorations.
We are off tomorrow on another 3 day fishing trip near Kwinana.

25/12/2022

Christmas Day here in Australia for the third time! It always seems so strange being such hot weather!
We havnt done much to report in the last few days, as been getting ready for Christmas, preparing food etc and shopping.
I thought I would post this really funny video of my sisters dogs singing.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! Xx

22/12/2022

We drove back from Busselton yesterday. On our way back we visited Mandurah, which is steeped in Aboriginal history. Some local artists created these huge statues representing some of the local tales! Mandura is made up of a lot of canal type waterways, not unlike Venice, but it has a huge American flavour about it. A lot of very wealthy people live there and there are some amazing houses!
Yesterday it reached 37 degrees (but felt like it was well over 40)!!! its such a dry heat compared to the UK
Tracey (My sister) made us a beautiful roast dinner with all the trimmings! With the air con on, it was lovely.
Beginning to make arrangements for Christmas with all the family coming round. Its just so not Christmassy with it being so hot though!!!

19/12/2022

We have travelled south to one of our favourite places "Busselton" which is around 3 hours drive from Midland (Perth).
It has the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere! (just over 1 mile long) )But is great for fishing, and we all love fishing!
We have got a beautiful apartment for 2 nights.
Busselton has changed so much since we were here last (9 years ago). We caught a few fish, including 2 squid that I caught!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busselton_Jetty

18/12/2022

On board plane. (Right at the front, viewing the pilot)!!!
Flying back to Perth, after a wonderful week in Queensland 😍
With Rob Johnson and Sam Johnson

17/12/2022

We were up early to be at Freshwater Train Station for our trip on an old Heritage Train and then spent 2 hours at the markets in the mountains, then down by Cable Car. We had a torrential downpour of hot tropical rain for about an hour as we were getting on the train. But just before we reached the top, the rain stopped and out came the boiling hot sun! On descent, the cable car views were spectacular! A thoroughly enjoyable day (and thanks Liz Healing for recommending to us to go there) ;)
Flying back to Perth tomorrow afternoon, sp probably no Blog till Monday.

16/12/2022

Today was AMAZING! Sam and I went on the Quicksilver Catamaran to the Great Barrier Reef, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling. No photos in the water I am afraid, but got a hilarious photo of me all ready to go snorkeling (check out the ladies face on the left behind me)!!!! 🤣😂 It really needs a caption!!!!

After having an intense safety training session, we were kitted out to go in the sea with jellyfish protective suits.
Once we went down 10 metres, the sights were breathtaking, the colours of both the 100's of different fish were stunning, from brightly coloured to stripes - from Sharks to Barracuda! what amazingly stunning species we saw! We even found Nemo!!!! 😁

We had nearly 9 hours aboard, including a wonderful lunch that was included with our tickets. I will remember this forever. Just a shame that Robs health wasn't up to coming with us :(

Tonight its 30 degrees but forked lightning and very warm rain!!!!

Tomorrow is our last full day in Queensland! Mixed feelings as cant wait to get back to my sis in Perth, for a few days before we are off on our next adventure (Fishing - down South a bit)!

15/12/2022

Today has been a bit different.
We left our apartment in Port Douglas to go to another one (for the last 3 nights we are in Queensland). But as we couldn’t book into the new one till 3pm, we decided to go south along the coast. We found the most beautiful deserted beaches! I dipped my toes in the sea on one, but as there were no shark nets and I remembered the dangerous jellyfish from yesterday, I didn’t swim. The water was so incredibly warm though!
We went out for lunch at a pub, which was good. (See photo of Rob enjoying his Katsu curry)!
Our new apartment is really lovely!
Sam took me out for dinner tonight at a highly recommended restaurant nearby. I had beef tartare for starters Sam had spicy halloumi fries and we both had porterhouse steak for main course! It was beautiful 😊 Sam told me I couldn't pay as it was his Christmas present from him as he didn’t know what to get me 😍
Up early tomorrow for Sam and my scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef! ☺️☺️ so excited!!!

14/12/2022

This noise is what we heard when booking in at the complex where we are staying. The Queensland frog is apparently no more that 1-2 inches long and this is their mating call!!!

14/12/2022

Today was another hot day in Queensland Australia! 39 and not much breeze!
We decided to go for a swim on Port Douglas beach only to find that the beach was closed to swimmers, in spite of there being a shark net to protect swimmers, there was a notice up saying no swimming allowed. I asked the lifeguards that were there and they explained to me that a lady had been taken to hospital the day before after being stung by a Irukandji Jellyfish. Since then, they had found another 2 of the same species (which is the third most deadly jelly fish stings in the world)!
So Sam and I went in the complex pool that we were staying at, which was beautiful. It had a bar with stools under water so you could have a drink up at the side of the pool 😊
All three of us had a walk round Port Douglas.
And had a lovely pistachio ice cream!
Then Sam and I went on a long drive, whist Rob had a rest.
We drove just over an hour into the mountains and the views were amazing.
We saw lots of termite mounds and looked down from the top of the mountain over the rainforest (I believe this is very close to where
”I’m a celebrity, get me out of here” was made!
We then returned to Port Douglas after doing a bit of shopping and getting Barramundi and chips from the local fish n chip shop, which amazing and tasted so fresh.
Such a beautiful place where we are staying for 2 nights, with a lovely feel about it, called the Oaks Hotel & Resort.

14/12/2022

This might look like a lovely spot to spend the night at (it was called the “Rainforest retreat Motel”), but it was more like something from a horror movie!!!
I booked it for one night through booking.com (I did do it in a rush and didn’t notice that it only had 3 stars). We had to pay £40 to get there on a very old and rickety car ferry.
Then we made our way through the rainforest tiny dirt track. We found the Motel, which was quite literally in the middle of nowhere. Reception was unmanned, so I walked through the corridor past all the rooms that had their doors open, no aircon, but just a ceiling fan in each room! Mosquitos were in epidemic proportions!
I came out at the back to be confronted by a very ferocious snarling Jack Russell! Making it known that he wasn’t welcoming me! Eventually the Piraña dogs owner came out in ripped shorts and half a T-shirt with stains all over. He said I must be Mrs Johnson - and introduced himself as the manager! He apologised about the swimming pool (which looked a bit like a giant bowl of mushy peas)! He said he had been unwell and hadn’t been able to clean it, but he had managed to put in the chlorine, so it was still safe!!! And we were welcome to use it 🙈
I asked him if there was somewhere near to get something to eat, to which he replied that the nearest place was about 7kms up the road, which was owned by his best friend!
He asked for payment up front, and our room was number 2 - whilst he was doing something in the back room, I glanced in the room. There was insects everywhere, from mozzies to cockroaches! It was busier than Piccadilly Circus!!!
I just ran for it - came out to our hired car and told Sam to drive! Luckily the guy didn’t come running after us!!!

We found a beautiful apartment about an hour away in Port Douglas, where we have stayed for two night.
I am so glad we didn’t stay at the motel, I would have had nightmares for many months to come!!!

13/12/2022

A lovely hot day (well maybe a bit too hot at almost 40 degrees today)!
We drove up to the rain forest and visited a wildlife park where we saw some crocodiles and kuala’s and other animals.
We had crocodile and chips for lunch! Which we really enjoyed and then we drove to port Douglas to our apartment (where we will be for the next few nights)
It’s really lovely here 😊

12/12/2022

We flew from Perth into Cairns arriving just before 2am this morning. Then onto our apartment that we are staying at for 2 nights.
Perth was impressive as the sun went down, as we left WA, but we will be back in a week.
Today we got up late and collected our hired car- then had lunch at kfc then walked around the shops!
Sam and I got some groceries and then cooked a lovely dinner of steak and sweet potatoes and salad,
We have booked in our scuba dive for this Friday at Port Douglas. Going to do some amazing exploring the next few days.
The apartment here in Cairns is amazing, with a beautiful swimming pool.
Driving North tomorrow to Port Tribulation.
It’s a little hot at 37c but mustn’t complain 😎

10/12/2022

Kangaroos!

10/12/2022

Today was different - we went to a Christmas pageant and Christmas fair. It was very enjoyable. We went with my sister, nephew John and his partner and 2 of my great nephews (and my sisters grandsons).
We had a great day which finished with an amazing display of fireworks.
Sam enjoyed his kangaroo burgers.
Tomorrow we are flying to Queensland for a week (flying to Cairns) then doing some travelling around the Great Barrier Reef and hopefully scuba diving 😍

08/12/2022

Not much to blog about today - sorry!
I spent half the day and lunch with our son Sam, in the mall, where I had to take a photo of this Covid test vending machine 🥹
Then all evening I spent laughing with my sister! Havnt laughed so much in a very long time! 🤣🤣🤣

07/12/2022

We arrived last night and woke up this morning to that familiar very warm weather that Perth has every time we visit, even though it was gone midnight when we landed in Australia!
Perth is expecting temperatures of 44c this week!
It was so great to be reunited with my sister Tracey after 6 years of not seeing her! 6 years was too long to be apart from my Sis!

Today we had a lazy day and unpacked and chilled. A lot of talking with Tracey and visited her daughter Megan and her lovely family Her partner Joel and their gorgeous 3 boys, (the boys, who we met for the first time today). Also their beautiful litter of Rottweiler Pups who are now 6 weeks old! Who of course I just had to force myself to cuddle!🥰🥰
They really are a beautiful breed and a close second favourite breed of mine ;)
Tomorrow we are going to do a bit of shopping in the mall.
Rob is enjoying the heat! Our son Sam is enjoying seeing all the new scenery of Australia for the first time!
We had Snapper and chips for dinner this evening, from "The English Fish 'n Chips shop" ;) which was very yummy!

Hope everyone is not getting too cold back home 😁😁😁

05/12/2022

Welcome to our page -which is basically a blog of our trip to Australia! (We are Dee, my husband Rob and our eldest son Sam).
We will post all our adventures as we travel around.
We are flying from Manchester today (Monday 5th Dec) around 6pm flying in to Perth arriving about 23:55 which is around 3:55pm uk time Tuesday 6th,
Perth will be our base as that’s where my sister Tracey lives. We have 3 nights there initially before our first adventure, flying to Cairns (east coast) and renting a car to explore local sights.
On our itinerary is scuba diving, skydiving over the Great Barrier Reef, visiting a conservation animal park and much more 😊
I am planning on doing a daily blog, and posting lots of photos 😍🇦🇺❤️

Australia 2022

09/01/2023

08/01/2023

07/01/2023

06/01/2023

06/01/2023

06/01/2023

06/01/2023

04/01/2023

04/01/2023

31/12/2022

30/12/2022

27/12/2022

25/12/2022

22/12/2022

19/12/2022

18/12/2022

17/12/2022

16/12/2022

15/12/2022

14/12/2022

14/12/2022

14/12/2022

13/12/2022

12/12/2022

10/12/2022

10/12/2022

08/12/2022

07/12/2022

05/12/2022

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