18.05 Rakaia Gorge

Day trip to the Rakaia Gorge with a stroll along the Rakaia River and a little picnic!

27.04 Day Trip to Akaroa

We went for a day trip to the French settlement of Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula, just outside Christchurch.

Our journey took us through the Hilltop, where we had views over the hills and sea inlets, and a little someone poked their head through the fence!

We then stopped at Flea Bay for some pictures of the boat houses.

12.01 Dandenong Ranges: Ramsay Street

On our return journey home from the Dandenong Ranges, we thought that we'd pop in on a certain street, Ramsay Street to be precise! If you look in the Melways, you won't find it under that name, but Pinoak Court!

We drove up and I tried to turn round, and then realised why a Magna had never featured on Neighbours, as it results in an Austin Powers moment! The turning circle of the Magna is probably the same as an old London Routemaster double decker! I've just read that the Mitsuibishi 380 that replaced our model isn't any better - perhaps one of the reasons why Mitsubishi has ceased production in Australia!

Anyway, back to Ramsay Street... it was a bit of a weird experience to be honest. Joanna had been here before, so she wasn't particularly interested in getting out of the car. So off I went to see the security guard (24 hour, 7 days!), who told me that I could take photos but I wasn't allowed if the owners were in their front gardens.

So I managed to take these photos before the camera batteries went flat, and the embarrassment of it all overcame me!

12.01 Dandenong Ranges: Mount Dandenong

We took a return trip to the Dandenong Ranges for the day, where we visited the William Ricketts Sanctuary, renowned for it's beauty, tranquillity and sculptures hidden among the trees & ferns.

Nathan enjoying a nice cup of tea on Mount Dandenong.

Joanna on Mt Dandenong with Melbourne in the distance.

Melbourne emerges out of the haze!

The view from SkyHigh on Mount Dandenong.

'So what can you do Joanna?' Joanna replies 'I can sing the theme tune!'

Some of the sculptures at the William Rickett Sanctuary, with us in various poses!

25.11 You Yangs Regional Park & Brisbane Ranges

We took a day trip out to the You Yangs Regional Park and the Brisbane Ranges, which are situated just outside Melbourne.

The walk up to Flinders Peak. It's the highest point in the You Yangs. It was a fairly clear day so we could see the Brisbane Ranges, Geelong, and our 'city by the bay'!

We had read that the Brisbane Ranges were the place to see the largest concentration of Koalas in Victoria. However, I think that was before the bushfires had swept through! You can see the burnt remains of the trees amongst the rejuvenating vegetatation. The stark contrast between the bright fresh greens, charcoal blacks and the bright blue sky don't quite come out in the photos here.

06.11 Mornington Peninsular: Ocean Beach

A little detour took us to Ocean Beach, as we headed along the bottom of the Peninsular.

Landing on the beach!

Rock pools and lots of green seaweed!

The amazing rock formations found on the beach and in the cliffs.

06.11 Mornington Peninsular: Mornington

Another sightseeing adventure as we spent the day driving around the Mornington Pennsiular. The first stop was Morninton Harbour for a cup of tea, a walk along the pier and stroll on the beach.