Sunday, January 31, 2016

Sunday 31st January 2016...a day of firsts!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it quite incredible that this is the last day of January this month just went by in a blur!!!
Woke up to still grey skies and temperatures really not normal for this part of the world at this time of the year.
Today was a road trip to a town called Lorne about 30 minutes away where I was to experience my first Australian waterfall and as you can see it is a nice high fast flowing one..

Unfortunately this was just a viewing falls no way to get any closer or to the base of the falls.
I then drove a few more miles and then hiked about 45 minutes to these nice gentle cascades..

 This is where I sat quietly and enjoyed some lunch thinking how lucky I am to have been on the road since May and all without any problems just lots of wonderful people and everlasting sights!!!

 This is the trail going back to the car park the smells were invigorating and I think this is a eucalyptus tree..

In the guide book I have it tells of a road off the beaten track where sometimes koalas are spotted so I found the road and rounded the bend and three of four vehicles are stopped with their emergency lights flashing so I stopped got out of the car to see what was going on..well it turns this is what is going on!!!!



He was just sitting in the middle of road and you could see how close I could get he looked so cute but I bet that those claws can do some damage.....I went back to the car and turned around a few yards down the road and when I came back he was where he should be!!!



So another first....my first koala bear sighting!!!

Some views of the coastal drive..



Silver streak taking in the sights and the good ocean air!!!!

I stopped at this next lookout and could not believe my eyes!!!!
 There were 1000's!!!
 The next stop my guide book told me about was a golf course where sometimes kangaroos roam freely...well wait for it another FIRST!!!!
 See the baby laying down??
What a drive it was today!!!
I came home to the cabin around 4pm and the sun was out and it was hot so I sat on the back stoop with a cool drink and my Kobo and spent an hour enjoying myself!!!
My lovely hostess knocked on my door around 5.30pm and asked if I would be interesting in coming over for supper at 7.30pm and watch the live Men's tennis finals on the big screen!!!
Well I did have to think about this for maybe a nano second.....so that is where I went tonight...they have a lovely home and I asked Andy questions about farming and sheep and learned lots...the dinner was lovely and the match fascinating..congratulations Novak!!!!, I just wished I could play at least one of the shots!!!
What a wonderful two weeks of enjoying Melbourne, the farm and the tennis!!!
So I leave the farm tomorrow and travel west on the Great Ocean road should be fun wanna catch a ride??????
Yashi Kochi!!!!

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Saturday 30th January 2016...two posts in one day!!!!

I should maybe consider raising the subscription price to the blog when you are getting great deals like two in one day!!!!
Have to confess I slept in till 8.30 am this morning after my monster day and night of tennis yesterday..the remaining matches the finals of the singles I will have to get on my computer!!
I spent the morning  doing some more work on my South Africa trip and it is slowly coming together and around noon I packed up a light lunch and went to the beach for a hike on the beach and then back on the cliff top...about 9 km enjoy the sights!!!


A surfer's paradise although I must admit for all the surfers out there not many caught a decent wave!!
 It was fun dodging the incoming waves going around this rocky headland!!


 There are a few rocks and shells on the beach but not many so imagine my delight and surprise when I saw this beauty just laying there it reminded me of the story of the man walking along a beach infested with star fish and he would pick up one and throw it back into the ocean and someone approached him and asked why he was doing this and because of the sheer number he would make no difference and the man's answer was to pick up one starfish gently throw it back into the surf and he turned to the man and smiled and said it made a difference to that one!!!


 My own private walking beach!!!
This one above is for you Linda an Aussie version of RP!!!!!!
 I enjoyed getting out and about on the beach again missed my hiking the last few days!!!
Isn't this what life is all about a Dad taking a Saturday afternoon to teach his kid to fish!!!!
I was back at the cabin around 4pm and did some laundry nice to have a washing machine and got showered and changed and left home around 6pm and went to a pub in the city of Geelong about 15 minute drive away.....I had a good home cooked dinner



 and it was good and then went to the show grounds where I had a ticket for this show!!!
 I had a front row seat and the music was typically very up beat and the peformers were really great a lot of my shots were too blurry but these ones are OK




It was an entertaining different evening for me and I was back at the cabin by 9.15pm in time to watch the last set of the Ladies final and the upset of Serena!!!!
Going to get an early night and catch up on my two late nights....
Yashi kochi!!!

Friday, January 29, 2016

Saturday 29th January 2016...catch up time!!!

But first my beautiful and special Sister in law has just celebrated a birthday and I want to wish Janet a great day and the huge medal for putting up with my Brother is in the mail....I know you will celebrate with family and wish I could be with you but glad we just spoke on Skype!!!




After the late night I slept in till after 8 am but I did not have to rush as I was not leaving the cabin till later in the morning..... So I relaxed and had fruit and yogurt and porridge for breakfast... I am trying to finalize some dates for South Africa in March but having some issues with dates issues.....
I packed up for the day and was at the train station for the 12.30pm free train into Melbourne and then the tram to the stadium and I was in my seat for the start of the first match at the wonderful Rod Laver arena and the ticket I had gave me a great view I was on one of the corners so a good seat.

The first match was a mixed doubles semi final
And the action was fast and furious those players have such good and fast instincts and it was a great game!!

The next match which followed right after was the final of the women's doubles and I was happy to see that Martina Hingis was in the final

 funnily enough her partner was the girl who beat her in the mixed doubles yesterday... They were seeded number one and it was a fascinating contest powerful shots, short fast rallies and Hingis was victorious in two sets...it was a thrill for me to be on a stadium where a grand slam winners are presented with their trophy.....





There was about an hour to kill before the final game of the night so after I had my sandwiches and drinks I walked around the concourse and took in all the flavor of the event..there were many Canadian flags and faces
 and the ball girls and boys that are so well trained and add a joy to the watching of the matches..


 .as I was walking past a doorway who comes towards me and goes into the doorway but the man himself....Rod Laver and his wife... They were waiting in this passageway and were just a few feet away and I took a photo


 and his wife smiled at me and she beckoned me forward and Mr. Laver turned to me I just put my hand out and he shook it immediately and I told him it was just such an honor to meet him he smiled and said thank you!!!

 I am lucky or what..how many people of the 15000 in the stands got that thrill??

I found my way back to my seat and it was occupied by four boisterous and funny Scottish girls... They knew one of them was in my seat but it turns out the four of them bought tickets off the same I did and they asked me if I minded moving down two seats so they could sit together and of course I moved...... It turns out I did get a deal with my ticket as they paid 325 dollars each.....

So here is the preview to the game Andy Murray is Scottish and proud of his heritage and is seeded number two in the world there was some talk about him not playing the full tournament as his wife is back home expecting their first child and he told the press that he would leave the tournament to be with his wife if she went into labor.,... His opponent tonight is Milos Raonic from Canada but with roots from Monte Negro and he is ranked number 13.....

It was going to be a battle about power as Milan has one of the fastest serves in the game today!!
Well it was a fascinating contest sheer power and Milos took the first set and deservedly so....The experienced Murray figured out to get some returns of serve back and he took the next set...it was a great contest and the girls next to me will have sore voices tomorrow!!!

With his serve still pounding away Milos took the third set before Murray came back and took the fourth set so it headed to the final and deciding with set.
With my knowledge of the game and knowing a bit about the physkie of these athletes I think I can tell you where Milos lost the game....
it was  two p0ints that changed the game and began the downfall of Milos.....he was up on a very important game in the fourth set and he had two break points to his advantage but instead of breaking he lost that game and his demeanor and his spirit was broken.
Murray raced away to easily win the deciding fifth set.

 the game was just about four great hours and a thrill and a memory for me to be there!!!
I just had time to get out of the stadium onto the tram to the train station for the last train at 12.15am and I arrived back at the cabin at 1.30am tired but thrilled and content because this part of my journey was to be about tennis and it was I attended 4 times and shall not forget the second of my Grand slams!! !!!!
I will do another post tonight as this one was too late to write last night!
Yashi Kochi!!!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Photos for the post below!!!

Managed to fix the little glitch so these are the photos from the post written below...





 Check out this man..he is the real hero..not only no legs but only one arm and boy could he play!!!!

 This is how I watched Serena...
Back on the show case courts told you I had a great seat even caught a ball that come over the policy is that spectators throw the ball back but not before i snapped the shot!!!!

 Nestor through to the finals!!!
 The Swiss legend Hingis
 and her partner Paes
The festive crowd getting ready for the big game

Happy Serbs!!
Please now read the post below...les

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