This is me with a Koala (I'm on the left)(click on photo for enlargement)
We have been 'Down Under' for a week. In a way it seems more than that - we certainly haven't been idle. The Emirates flight was excellent - but then that was the expectation when we took advantage of their special business-class offer. But the extra degree of comfort did not help in combating jet-lag. That, coupled with the heavy colds that we both caught, possibly during the flight, meant that the first few days was spent in a state of permanent lethargy. This was unfortunate. But we tried not to let it affect our programme.
We arrived at our apartment in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning. By lunchtime, we were heading to the outer suburb of Montmorency where two cousins of mine, Yasmin and Gina, had invited us for a barbecue. It was a pleasant and relaxing afternoon getting used to the local Australian wine, catching up with news and generally talking about our trip and of course reminiscing about the last time I had seen Yasmin in Australia, in Bendigo 23 years ago.
Late in the evening, I had a stroll along the pier in St Kilda under a full moon. We didn't sleep much that night, but were off by taxi early in the morning to the airport and onwards to Auckand. I than drove down to Rotorua, a difficult drive as night fell - it was not easy to stay awake.
We started out first day in Rotorua with a drive to 'Hells Gate' an aptly named area of natural springs, sulphurous bubbling pools and a lot of smoke. The walk around the area took us into the sort of landscape which felt that it had to have been fashioned by Hollywood, but which was completely natural. After the walk, Andrew and I had a bath in a hot mud pool and then washed off the mud in a warm sulphur pool. This is supposed to be very good for the skin. It certainly gave us both an interesting smell! That evening we went to a Mauri 'Hangi' which is a traditional welcome feast with the 'Haki', singing, speeches and food. Inevitably this felt rather packaged for the tourists, which it was, but it was a relatively educational delve into Mauri culture.
The following day, after a walk arount central Rotorua, we drove to Taupo, the town and the lake of the same name. We both liked Taupo. It was in a beautiful location with a view right across the blue waters of the lake to the snow-capped mountains beyond. The wind coming at us over the lake felt as if it had come straight from those snowfields. This probably did not help our colds which rather prevented us from enjoying what was an excellent meal back in Rotorua.
In Rotorua we were staying in the Waitawa homestay, run by a gay couple, Greg and Michael. They were excellent hosts, very friendly and welcoming, happy to chat during the evening, providing the run of their home including the hot tub. I think Michael's hot toddy followed by a soak in the hot tub finally started to dislodge my cold.
Before we left Rotorua, we drove up to the blue and green lakes, two jewels nestled below the tree clad hills above Rotorua. There we were off to Coromandel, via the Bay of Plenty where, at Waihi, we found a beach and a couple of hours of warm sunshine. The welcome at the Te Puru Lodge was not as welcoming as we were expecting, explained later by a problem the owner had had that day with having to take a sick friend to hospital. So dinner was not there, but in Thames. A good night's sleep finally began to clear the jet-lag.
It was now Friday and we were ff exploring the Coromandel peninsula. In Coromandel town we met one half of a gay couple who run a motel there, and then sheltered from a thunderstorm in the local cafe. Driving in the area in difficult - every road has a continuous succession of hairpin bends as it snakes along the coast hugging the sides of the mountains. We stopped at Hot Water Beach, where fortuitously it was low tide. This is a strange beach where a part of the beach is heated thermally from the hot rocks underneeath the sand. So, along with many others on the beach, we dug into the sand forming a pool of warm water and lay in that water until eventually the tide came in and cooled the water down. A strange experience. We changed the single-trach unpaved road across the middle of the peninsula. After the rain earlier in the day, that was an interesting drive. Dinner back at the Te Puru lodge elucidated the reasons for the chilly welcome and we warmed towards Pam the owner who is trying to run the lodge and bring up a daughter single-handedly after the recant death of her husband. But the east coast of the Coromandel is wilder and more impressive than the rather tamer west coast where we were staying.
Saturday was a rather cool and wild day, which gave little opporunity to break the journey by the shore as we headed back to Adelaide. That evening we had arranged to meet Steph, a friend from the UK who had returned to NZ a couple of years previously. However he had received an invitation to a barbecue, so we found ourselves in an Auckland house sharing a barbecue with the New Zealand gay swimming team, of which Steph is a member. It was a good evening, and maybe we will see the guys again in Sydney.
I have a cousin, Derek, who lived in Whangaparaoa just north of Auckland and today, Sunday, we have spent a relaxing day with Derek and his wife Kath. We had arranged in advance to join them for a game of golf. All was well until just after we started to play. The clouds rolled in and the rain arrived. Playing as we were in tee-shirts we got soaked. Still both Andrew and I played well in patches, so it was a good practice before Sydney. After a hot shower and dinner we returned to our accommdation, the Ponsonby Guest House, in Auckland.
And so a week has passed. I think we are both impressed by New Zealand. Andrew is hoping to add it as a destination features by Amro Holidays, and I hope it will sell well. I am relaxed and ready for the continuing adventure here 'Down Under'
Thursday 31st October
A new exhibition of Sir Edmund Hilary's conquest on Everest and his continuing work in Nepal has opened at the Auckland Museum, so we visited it on Monday and found it to be extremely interesting and well presented. Then we went down to the harbour to view some of the boats taking part in the Louis Vitton Challenge for the America's Cup. That took up more of the day - I had a quick late stroll to the water near where we are staying, we had an excellend dinner and fell asleep to the sound of rain drumming on the roof. Tuesday morning we did some work meeting an inbound operator specialising in the Gay travel market in New Zealand who could be helpful for us in asrranging tours for our clients. In the afternoon I went off on my own and did some shopping. The weather in Auckland remains cold and wet, but it is a beautiful city and New Zealand is a really excellent place. I am excited about Amro Holidays featuring this country and I hope to return one day. We left very early on Wednesday, getting up at 3.15 am for a flight to Melbourne, where we had an afternoon siesta before the start of the IGLTA symposium. We began with a welcome cocktail party before a dinner hoster by Quantas. Despite being a bit nervous about my participation in a group like this, I enjoyed the evening. Next day we had a full programme being taken to Daylesford for a visit to the convent art gallery and a lavender farm, before lunch at the Daylersford Springs Hotel and a meeting with local business represntatives, including a number from the gay community. Daylesford is a relaxed and bohemian place with a large residential gay community. It hosts an annual gay summer festival after Sydney Mardi Gras and Andrew and I think that it would make an ideal chill-out and get-over-jet-lag destination for a couple of days for arrivals from the UK. In the evening Victoria tourism hosted an evening at the Victoria Arts Centre to see a show in the Melbourne Festival. The show, 'Same, Same but Different' was not wonderful, but the eveing was fun and afterwards standing on the bridge over the Yarra watching the reflection of Melbourne's skyline in the water was worth the visit to town. An interesting end to October.
Sunday 3rd
We had an early start on Friday, but this was okay since we were on our way for a smoked salmon and champagne breakfast at the Chandon vinyard. And an excellent breakfast it was, in the heart of the Yarra valley. Then we had lunch at a tourism expo in Melbourne where we had the opportunity to meet a number of people representing different aspects of tourism if Vicoria. In the afternoon Andrew went on a hotel visit, but I ducked out of that. Andrew is getting very good information and very good contacts for Amro Holidays in the future. I went to the beach at St Kilda in the afternoon, then tried a gently jog in Albert Park but my ankle is still very sore and I doubt I can compate, as hoped, in the track and field in Sydney.
The evening saw us at a final dinner and cabaret hosted by Tourism Victoria. It was an excellent evening. I have found the IGLTA symposium to be hard work but enjoyable.
Saturday represented an even earlier start for the airport and the flight to Sydney. It was great to be in Sydney again, though I had little time to see it today as we had to be accredited for the Games and then rush off to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the opening ceremoy at the adjscent Aussie Stadium. We were kept there for nearly four hours before we were finally given the go-ahead to march across to Aussie Stadium and be part or the parade at the opening ceremony. That wait was forgotten as the opening ceremony unfolded. It was spectacular. Absolutely amazing. Music, dancing, pageants, lighting, foreworks and not a little emotion. It was so well organised adn so well enacted. Well done Sydney.
On Sunday we played a practice round for the golf competition which starts tomorrow. I didn't play very well, but appreciated the opportunity to see the course. And then in the evening there was the sunset party held at Mrs McQarrie's Chair, a part of the Botanical Gardens overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. I defy any city to provide such a wonderful backdrop to a party.
The party was fantastic but then came an incident which spoiled the evening and will have ramifications for some time to come. Martin was apparently wearing a jacket though I didn't know this. At one point in the evening he went to the toilet - again I didn't know this; he had been coming and going all evening. Andrew and I went to dance, as did Peter and Keith. When Martin returned to the table his jacket and camera had been stolen. We went home after the party knowing nothing about this. When we got to the apartment, he was irrationally angry claiming that the loss of his jacket was our fault. He said some very hurtful things to us. On reflection, of course, I wish that I had known he had a jacket and had looked around our table. But none of us did this. We don't even know if it was stolen then or before. However Martin is claiming that it was our fault and is being very agressive about this. Andrew and I were extremely upset by this allegation and got very little sleep. And in the morning Martin remained agressive, boorish and thoroughly unpleasant. I am very sorry he lost his jacket. I wish we had seen it before we left the table. I do not know if it was there. But I am sure in my mind that he is responsible for his own property, expecially since we did not know he had it with him. So I do not believe that it was our fault; but that does not lessen the exteremly unpleasant atmoshphere he has created. Basically he is refusing to speak to us, which is somewhat tricky since we are sharing an apartment and playing golf together tomorrow in the same team. So my preparations for the first round of the golf tomorrow have been blown completely off course. And an event which I have looked forward to for years has been soured. I am tired, upset and miserable. Hardly ideal preparations.
But we must go on and tomorrw marks the first round of the golf tournament in the Gay Games. I would like to do well.
Monday 11th November
The golf competition at the Gay Games started on Monday. I have looked forward to this day, and prepared for it, for a long time. What I could not have anticipated was last night’s incident. The result was that I had very little sleep and have to play golf with a team member who basically is not speaking to me. It added a difficulty to today’s game that I could certainly have done without and which did not help my concentration.
I had set myself a target of 60 points from the two rounds, so in the end I had to be satisfied with my score today of 30 points. What is amazing, is that this put me in joint first place at the halfway stage. So I have a good chance to land a medal.
This evening we went down to Circular Quay and the Opera House and had dinner with Peter and Keith outdoors overlooking the Harbour Bridge. They were very supportive over the incident and the evening was a very enjoyable one.
The difference between success and failure can be such a slim one. On Tuesday I scored 32 points to finish with 62 and more than reach my target. That was satisfying. Then I found that I was third equal but placed fourth on countback. So I have missed a medal by the slimmest possible margin. That is hugely disappointing. Especially since I missed a three-foot put on the 17th and three-putted the last hole from only 12 feet. I had the bronze medal in my grasp and let it slip away. Yes fourth is a good position. Yes I met my target score. But missing out on a medal will be a disappointment that will always remain with me.
We had a good evening at the Golf Club, meeting and mingling with the other competitors and exchanging email addresses with a view to perhaps arranging international matches in the future. So despite the disappointment, it has been a rewarding experience.
After the golf, Wednesday was a chill-out day. We visited a couple of hotels for Amro Holidays and then went off to Bondi Beach where we lay on the beach in a cool wind before doing the walk over the heads to Coogee. Finally we had a pleasant dinner in Oxford Street after visiting my old haunts in Paddington.
We decided to spend Thursday doing the one-day trip to the Blue Mountains. I’ve been there before but I felt that Andrew should get out of Sydney and see this spectacular area. A bonus was that we stopped at a wildlife park and saw Koalas, Kangaroos and other native species. Andrew did not want to leave Australia without cuddling a Koala and he got his wish. I had a snake draped round my neck which was a less-relaxing experience! I loved the Blue Mountains as ever, particularly the walk along the bottom of the valley at Katoomba.
This is me with a Koala (I'm on the left)
(click on photo for enlargement)
That evening we went to the Gay Choirs concert at the Opera House. It was a very enjoyable evening, and marked the first concert I have ever attended at the Opera House, which made it even more special. The performances were excellent even if rather too many choirs decided to sing specially-written pieces rather than the standards I was expecting.
I have been pondering all week whether or not to enter a running event. I still have a sore ankle after jogging in Auckland and have done no further training. Finally I decided that I really wanted to have the experience of taking part in a track and field event, even though I knew I would come last, so Andrew kindly accompanied my to the Olympic Park for the over-50s 1500 metres. The temperature was 36C. There were five competitors – four trained athletes and myself. I kept up with them for nearly 2 laps, but inevitably I fell behind. But I did finish, albeit in last place as I had expected. I am pleased and proud that I took part. Afterwards I needed a few hours to recover and my ankle is even more sore.
And this is me before my 1500 metres.
(Click on photo for enlargement)
That evening we met Eugenie, whom I first met in Sydney in 1979 when she was the purchase-ledger clerkess at a company I was auditing. We had dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top of Sydney Tower. It was great to see her again, and she got a little emotional at one point. Who would have though when she used to bring me coffee 23 years ago, that we would be having dinner together all these years later?
Finally to end a full day, Andrew and I took the ferry to Manly, surely one of the world’s most spectacular commuter journeys.
I discovered Redleaf beach and pool by accident at the end of my stay in Sydney in 1980. On Saturday morning we visited it again. It hasn’t changed and I still love it. The right hand side of the beach is where the boys go. The bay is calm and the swimming is safe. In short it has all the ingredients I like in a beach. So both Andrew and I went swimming in the sea – well we couldn’t leave Sydney without having done that.
Then came the closing ceremony for the Games. A rather quiet subdued affair compared to the opening ceremony. One of the earliest entrants for the games never made it to Sydney – he was killed in one of the hijacked planes on 11th September and his mother was there to make a speech to the closing ceremony which was a moment of real emotion. Finally the games were declared closed and we were all invited to Montreal in 2006. I will be there. There was time for a final dinner on Oxford Street and our final full day in Sydney drew to a close.
We had time on Sunday morning for some last-minute shopping and for lunch in Darling Harbour. Then we had to bid a reluctant farewell to Sydney and head off for the airport.
The Emirates flight was very pleasant, made more so by travelling Business class. And on Monday lunchtime, 17 days after we had departed, we were back in London.
