Relatives of mine live in one of the world’s magical spots. I may be exaggerating but that’s how it affects me. Aireys Inlet is on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road, about 120 kms north-west of Melbourne. I’ve been dumping myself on them periodically for years, to clear out the cobwebs of the city and take advantage of the cliffs, the beach, the trees and birds and the quietness of nature, not to mention the free accommodation and some very nice cooking.
Tag: lone travel
Point Nepean National Park, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Having explored the Point Nepean Quarantine Station, I wanted to continue to the tip of the peninsula. A fine day was forecast, so I headed out early and was in Sorrento for a coffee by 8am.
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Point Nepean Quarantine Station, Mornington Peninsula
Having braved Sorrento in the rain, I returned the next weekend in the sunshine. This time I passed straight through and stopped a short distance along at the Portsea Pier, in Weeroona Bay, for my morning coffee.
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Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula.
Sorrento is at the far end of the Mornington Peninsula, one of the two arms that almost enclose Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay.
They were having one of their street markets, and though the weather looked ominous, I decided to risk it and go down for a look.
Chichester’s City Walls
On my first morning in Chichester, I was up before breakfast. I wanted to walk the old city wall, running directly behind my hotel and encircling the heart of the city.
The Romans invaded Britain in 43AD. In around 44AD, they built a fort on the site of Chichester, as being a good source of water from River Lavant and close to a harbour for the bringing of supplies from France.
Springtime in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens
A few days ago, mild temperatures and sunshine were forecast. I took the opportunity to head into the Royal Botanic Gardens for some much needed exercise and sun. I had never properly explored them before, sticking mainly to the edges along St. Kilda Road, or climbing the hill to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, an outdoor entertainment venue that’s hosted hundreds of performers over the years. The Bowl sits in a valley surrounded by hills.
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Minack Theatre Cornwall
I had to decide what to do with my third and last day in Penzance before heading back east. I’d heard about the Minack Theatre, set into the side of a cliff looking out over the ocean. Having a love of live theatre, I just had to check it out.
Botallack Mines, St. Just, Cornwall
I was told by all the brochures that a lovely spot to go just out of Penzance was a village called Mousehole. So I decided to catch the bus there, rather than a train to St. Ives, an unfortunate decision because, though Mousehole was cute, I’d just spent three days in Port Isaac, so a fishing village wasn’t new to me. I ended up running out of time to see St. Ives, which I’m now devastated about.
St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall
One of the main reasons I stayed in Penzance while in Cornwall last year, was to walk the causeway across Mount’s Bay to St. Michael’s Mount. I’d seen photo after photo of it, rising from the water like a fairytale castle from a story book.
Penzance, Cornwall
Back in England last September, I dragged myself away from Cornwall’s lovely Port Isaac and headed down to Penzance, thinking it would be a good spot from which to explore various places on my list: St. Michael’s Mount, Poldark’s mines, the Minack Theatre and St. Ives.
Planning to the Nth 