A Week Away in Mildura

The long weekend in Melbourne celebrating a horse race with obligatory drunkenness seemed a perfect time to head into the Victorian countryside with my wife, Caroline and our close friends Nick and Zoe. We hired out a houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura and planned a stop in Hall's Gap on the way back to break up the journey. And a long, boring journey it is up to Mildura from Melbourne. It is about 6 hours of driving, with the last 2 hours particularly mind numbing. There are some pretty little places on the way up, such as Bridgewater on Loddon.

Bridgewater on Loddon

But the drive is definitely worth the effort. Once in Mildura, and settled on the houseboat, time stopped and we all felt the strains of life melt away. We traveled a short way down the river and were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to operate the houseboat.

Zoe and Caroline in front of our Houseboat

We spent a little time in Mildura, but most of the time we were on the houseboat. The cafe and restaurant precinct around the Grand Hotel is the place to be, and we particularly liked a cafe called The Office, though Hudak's Bakery was also great! Mainly though we had barbies and salads, which suited the climate, about 5C hotter than Melbourne, but we had one day in the high 30'sC!

Grand Hotel Mildura

Our time in Mildura was utterly relaxing. It was a combination of easy food, good drink (including beers from the local microbrewery and a beautiful Nebbiolo from Trentham Winery), great company, laughter, freedom and slow paced living that made this one of the most relaxing times of my life. On the trip back to Melbourne we stopped in Hall's gap in the Grampians which is a natural beauty spot. A drive around the lookouts is breath taking while there is plenty of local wildlife including some very friendly kangaroos!

Kangaroos on the Rec in Hall's Gap

All in all it was a total recharge of spirit and energy which has put us all in good stead for the final burst of work for the year, through to Christmas, though saying that getting back to work was tough after such a relaxing time. I was also able to run again, which I hadn't for a few weeks due to a bad back and tight chest. Running in Mildura was very pleasant, though a bit warm while running Hall's Gap was better from a climate perspective but did include some sharp climbs that got the juices flowing! It would be difficult to find a better place to relax and spend time with friends than on a houseboat in Mildura on the Murray!

 Murray River Sunset

Our great friends, Nick and Zoe with us at Trentham Winery.

First Day of Spring

Well, actually it's the second day of Spring and only if you consider Spring is a monthly based season and not one that starts on the equinox. My God, I'm sounding like an old hippy! And what better thing for an old hippy to do on one of the first 20C days of the season than go to Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens and look at the trees and flowers!

Caroline and I love walking around the Botanical Gardens. It is a total sensory experience. As well as seeing the amazing shapes and colours of the plants, there are the great smells (eucalypt gardens smelled great today, and touching herbs like fragrant sage, and mint bring beautiful scents to life), loads of different textures ranging from wispy soft ferns, rubbery succulents, sharp grasses and sticky pollen, and the sounds of birds above and around you, especially the unmistakable and haunting bell birds. I didn't taste anything, though I'm sure there was plenty edible throughout the gardens.

I guess everyone has favourite parts of the gardens. Personally, I like variegated leaves, and plants with interesting colour combinations, not necessarily pretty but for me interesting. We had a great day walking around in the sunshine and I can't wait for Caroline to post some photos.

Beautiful variegated leaves 

Beautiful colour contrasts 

Blue skies and Eureka Tower in the background 

 Magnificent!

The lakes were spectacular in the sunshine 

Furry textured Lamb's Ears :D

Melbourne Museum

I enjoyed a rare day off with my beautiful wife, Caroline, and took advantage of this by visiting the Melbourne Museum. I'm embarrassed to say that after 7 years in Melbourne, this is the first time I've been to the museum (I went once before for the Tutankhamun exhibition, but didn't go round the main part of the museum). For me, the joy of walking around a museum is being educated and inspired in whatever subjects the museum might specialise in. What I was really looking forward to was discovering Australian and Victorian history and the Melbourne Museum doesn't disappoint. The Melbourne Gallery has interesting displays charting the history of the city. To me it is most amazing how quickly Melbourne has grown. It was only around 100 years ago that new immigrants had to make new with a camp city on the banks of the Yarra River when they arrived.

Camp City

While Australia doesn't have the same historical depth as Europe, I still find primary evidence and artifacts the most inspiring details, and seeing photo's of a changing Melbourne through the ages is a powerful tool.

Melbourne in the 1950's

The natural history part of the Museum is also fascinating with dinosaur skeletons and bug and animal displays. But I was particularly interested in the geological exhibition which went a long way to explaining the formation of our continent. It is a subject I remember studying at school, but I don't recall much about it. I am inspired to look into this subject more. I also found the exhibition on the mind very interesting. Of course, this might have something to do with Caroline's work in the mental health sphere, though thought, emotion and the workings of the brain are subjects which I find fascinating anyway.

Situated in Carlton Gardens on the site of the 1880 Melbourne Exhibition the Museum is a stone's throw from Lygon Street with it's famous strip of Italian restaurants and cafes. This is where we went after the Museum, for a coffee and cake at Brunetti's. Like all big cities, the art and history in Melbourne is not limited to the galleries and museums. Melbourne Zoo has situated 50 fibreglass elephants around the city to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Of course, Melbourne Zoo's baby elephant, Mali, is a star attraction.

 Mali in Carlton

Caroline and Mali

This was one of the most interesting things I saw, a medal given to a seaman on the Carpathia for rescuing survivors of the Titanic

Third Wave Cafe

The more good places to have a coffee and something to eat, the better in my mind. A 'local' is a must with familiarity being a nice comfort zone. However, it's also good to try new places, or even to go back to places that you visit once in a while. So I had a very pleasant surprise while I was walking around Port Melbourne the other morning when I came across a cafe advertising excellent coffee and great food. Big claims often fall down, so I had to try it out, especially as it has a Russian ethnicity to it. So I ordered a long black and had an absolutely delicious coffee, great texture and smooth flavour. It was so good, that I went back a few days later with my wife for lunch.

The Third Wave Cafe is modern, clean with indoor and outside seating areas. It's friendly and the food and drink is great. The staff are not hovering over you but are attentive to your needs, and it was an even bigger surprise that I actually knew the people running the cafe. Caroline wasn't feeling 100% so she had some fruit toast, but I decided to try something different and went for a cheese and cherry blintz. These thin Russian style pancakes were filled with cherries and mascarpone and were more like a dessert than the breakfast/lunch pancakes that I'm used to. However, the taste was amazing! And for the second time, the coffee was fantastic.

I will definitely be going back to the Third Wave cafe when I'm in Port Melbourne. There are plenty of other places to try out in the area, but I think I may have found my 'local' by the bay.

Maling Rooms

The Maling Room Cafe

My work follows school terms here in Melbourne and generally the term starts easily, sets into a rhythm, builds to a crescendo and eases off towards the end. Well, at the moment we are in the middle of the crescendo and work is fairly hectic. After next week it will ease off considerably and then the following week will see the school holidays. My working week runs from Tuesday to Saturday and each morning before I start work, I stop at one of my favourite cafes to pick up a coffee for work. If I'm heading south, I'll drop in Saloop in Gardenvale, while if I'm heading north I'll drop into the Artful Dodger in Elsternwick. The coffee in both of these is excellent, strong and flavoursome. So it was very disappointing when I picked up my coffee from Artful Dodger on Thursday morning and it was terrible. The coffee tasted awful, was not hot, and the wrong lid was on the take away cup so it didn't fit on properly. I drank some of it, and not long after felt pretty ill. This incident won't stop me going back to Artful Dodger as I reckon it was a one off, but when something like that happens from somewhere you expect high quality it seems worse than when you're getting something from somewhere you don't know or don't expect much from.

Sunday is my day off with my lovely wife Caroline so we try to make the effort to go somewhere or do something. Sometimes that effort is beyond one or both of us, and sometimes we can manage a quick trip out. Today we headed to Canterbury and Maling Road. I'm often in this area as one of the biggest chess clubs in Melbourne meets walking distance from Maling Road, but I don't often go there with Caroline. Besides the cafe scene, there is also an excellent antique market in Maling Road where we dropped into today. It is an eclectic mix of antique dealers wares all housed under one roof. You can find the weird and the wonderful in a place like this with old jewellery, glassware, furniture, collectibles, earthenware etc. We were on the lookout for an old perfume bottle, which Caroline collects. We saw some, but none that caught the imagination. I did, however, see an attractive amethyst ring which I bought for Caroline.

A new Amethyst ring

Maling Road has a number of cafes and restaurants. We tried out the Maling rooms (in the picture at the top of the post) on the corner of Maling Road and Canterbury Road. The cafe used to be a post office and has an unusual shape to it, being on the corner of 2 roads and having a rounded feel to it. The coffee was excellent, smooth and sweet. I was told it was an Ethiopian blend. We also had some breakfast which was not overfacing and full of flavour. My scrambled eggs were well done (I must be old school but I don't really like to see runny eggs on my plate, whether they be fried or scrambled), and I had thick cut smoked bacon. The service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable so I'd have to say that this is a great place to try out if you're in the area. The breakfast came before buying the ring. After antique market shopping we continued the treats with a hot chocolate in Xocalatl. I would be hard pressed to think of anywhere I've had better hot chocolate than here, and even I forego my usual long black to take in the beautiful drinks they make. My choice was an orange hot chocolate, while Caroline had her favourite Chili Chocolate.

So all told, today was a day of self indulgence and being in the company of the person I love most. It was relaxing and enjoyable. It was pretty much all I wanted from my day off this week!

Autumn in Black Rock

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, and some of my most favourite memories are associated with it. It was always holiday time for Caroline and myself when we were in the UK and chief among these was a fly-drive to the North East of the USA, where we saw the breath taking colours of the fall. Autumn in Melbourne is also beautiful, especially when summer lingers like it is this year. Today was a bright sunny day in the mid 20'sC, perfect for a walk by the bay.

We drove the short distance to Black Rock, and had a coffee before walking. We tried Cafe Odo which is right on the corner of the Beach Road and Balcombe Road and I had a great long black, full bodied, decent strength, gentle, with a pleasant after taste. There were plenty of snacks that all looked good and some bigger sized meals. I think this is a regular haunt for many cyclists stopping on the Beach Road, but by the time we got there, I guess many had been and gone.

Sun glistening off the waves at Black Rock

We then took a walk along the bay to Ricketts Point which is a couple of kilometres. The bay has beaches and rocks along it at this point so it is interesting to almost anyone. There were snorklers, swimmers, people looking in rock pools, walkers, runners, dog walkers and families enjoying a glorious day in early autumn. The deep blue sky reflected off the water, giving it a beautiful blue appearance, and the combination of resting sea birds such as Cormorants, Silver Gulls, and Albatross with a group of Black Swans added to gentle feel to the day.

The view to Rickett's Point

Rickett's Point has a cafe and rest area, which was really busy, not a big surprise for a sunny Sunday afternoon. We had an ice cream, admired the view and walked back to Black Rock and the car. Taking into account that Caroline has a bad back, and that I ran 13km yesterday and was feeling pretty stiff, this was the perfect day out. A gentle walk along the bay on a beautiful autumn day.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

For many, an ideal Sunday afternoon involves a Sunday roast dinner, a glass or two of wine or beer, and sleeping it off while the TV runs a film that everyone's seen a few times, or some cheesy series (Little House on the Prairie comes to mind). The traditional Sunday lunch takes a bit of effort, though, and some cleaning up afterwards. So today, I went out with Caroline, and our great friends Nick and Zoe, in a search for a great Sunday roast dinner in Melbourne.

Now the first thing that should be mentioned is that a traditional roast dinner is not complete (at least for us English) without a decent Yorkshire Pudding. However, we've come to accept that the typical Australian roast dinner doesn't necessarily include a Yorkshire Pudding and may include some unusual vegetables such as pumpkin which we wouldn't have in England.

The crackling on the roast pork looked amazing (courtesy of The Roast Kitchen)

The natural place to look for a Sunday roast would be a pub, and it was the first thing we all thought of. You start going through all the pubs in the country you've visited that aren't too far from home. But a quick google search for "best Sunday roast Melbourne" brings up a place not too far from here that specialises in roast dinners. The Roast Kitchen is in Kew and sounded too good to be true. So with a nothing ventured, nothing gained attitude, we headed North out of Caulfield and in about 15 minutes were parked outside and salivating. Walking in the door, you are first hit by the smell which tells you that things will be good. You are then greeted by a counter which houses the meats and vegetables in hot plates and which looks amazing. Chicken, lamb, turkey all look amazing. The pork has a beautiful layer of crackling, and would have been my choice if it hadn't been for the "special board" which announced Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding! Unbelievable!! Both Caroline and I had to look no further than this. I had roast potato, carrot, sweet potato and peas as well as gravy (delicious) and wholegrain mustard condiment. I think the only difference on Caroline's plate was a roast onion instead of the sweet potato, and a small dollop of mashed potatoes. Nick and Zoe both wanted the lamb which looked succulent but they also wanted the Yorkshire Pudding. It was no trouble for the friendly staff.

The food was excellent, the meat cooked tenderly and succulently, the vegetables still full of flavour and the gravy thick and tasty. I don't think any of us could face the stodgy desserts that were on offer (eg, apple crumble and custard) so we took a drive to nearby Canterbury and dropped into my favourite chocolate shop in Maling Road, Xocalatl. If you want to indulge yourself in chocolate heaven, then you won't go far wrong here. There was an impressive array of eggs on display for Easter, and of course, a great cabinet full of speciality chocolates, but a hot chocolate was enough. I had an orange chocolate hot drink which was rich and to die for (in fact, I probably will die when I next run!), and Caroline had her favourite chilli chocolate.

Drool, slaver, drool (image by yourrestaurants.com.au)

It was a fantastic way for me to start my holidays, on a binge with my beautiful wife and our best friends eating great food at reasonable prices.Has our search for the perfect roast dinner already concluded? Well, I doubt that as there are always other places to try. Now, I'm off for a snooze....

A day in the Life....

I am a very lucky man. I have a job I love, I live in a place I love, with a person I absolutely adore. Life is beautiful. Take today for instance. A normal Wednesday for me starts with a class at 8am before school starts properly. This means getting up about 6.30am, getting ready and driving to wherever I have to teach. En route to my first school I pick up a coffee to start the day, and if I get to the school early, then I just sit and read a book to kill the time. So it's a pretty relaxed start to the day, and as I love my job as a chess coach, things don't get much more stressful. The first lesson, in a primary school goes sweetly enough with a mixture of kids who I taught last year and some raw beginners. Teaching groups of mixed ability is perhaps the most testing part of my job, but I've had plenty of experience and things run pretty smoothly.

9am and I leave my first school with a 4 hour break before my next class at about 1pm. Today I will not finish work until about 7.30pm, which some people would consider too long a day. However, the breaks I get in the day compensate these things for me, and during the morning break today, I visited Port Melbourne to check out the World liner which is docked in Melbourne. It was a beautiful morning, about 20C with mainly blue skies and a pleasure to walk along the promenade. While there it seemed natural to grab a coffee and some breakfast at one of my favourite cafe's in nearby Albert Park, and I was still back home for about 10.30am.

The World in sunny Port Melbourne

This gave me some time to do some admin work and preparation for my classes. Again, I got to admit that as my job involves teaching my favourite pastime, chess, preparing for classes is quite enjoyable for me. Then came the hard part of the day for me. From about 1pm through to 7.30pm I am either doing classes or travelling between classes. These were on the whole pretty good fun, as the classes had a range of different level kids. I have one toddler class, a couple of Primary School classes, and a Secondary class. These classes need to approached and handled differently, so I have a great diversity in the material I show and the teaching methods I employ. Boredom does not enter my job but with the amount of classes I do There is a fatigue factor, which can almost be described as burn out which usually starts to happen around week 7 or 8 of the 10 week terms we have in Australia. Luckily, to compensate for this I get school holidays mostly off to recharge. That works out as about 12 weeks of holiday per year, so I don't suppose I can grumble too much if my hours are slightly antisocial.

I'm currently at home writing this article and looking at some chess articles partly for work and partly for pleasure. It's 9pm and I'll be awake for a few hours more, relaxing with my wife and 2 cats and at some stage, I guess I'll wonder how it was that I became so lucky as to end up in this idyllic life.

Milford Sound

The final day of our walk in NZ fiordland took us on a 21km hike from MacKinnon Pass to the sea at Milford Sound. Although this was a half marathon in distance it was a lot easier walking than the previous day as it was basically flat, with perhaps a little descent over the day. Still 20km is a fair distance and the majority of our group were carrying aches and pains from the day before. Once over the MacKinnon Pass the climate becomes a lot wetter with metres more rainfall during the year! We were fortunate enough to have a rainy day for our walk on this final hike. I say fortunate because we were walking through rain forest and the sights and smells came to life for us. Things started well as crossing a river which leaves our lodge behind we spotted a pair of rare blue ducks. This sight even got the guides excited! The rain cooled the air which made walking easier than on the first day, and it also added to the eeriness of the rain forest. Thick hangings of moss, tree ferns and mist on the mountains around us gave the whole area a fantasy feeling.

 Fantasy feel at Mackay Falls

Rare blue ducks having an early morning swim

The great thing about the rain that day was the effect on the waterfalls. Mackay Falls, and Giants Gate Falls were both spectacular (I was particularly wowed by Mackay which were gushing and booming magnificently). But saying that is was just a magical way for the tour to end, and breathtakingly beautiful and atmospheric. At the end of the walk, there is a short boat ride to the town of Milford Sound where we stayed for the night. The lodge was more like a decent hotel full of luxury, and Ultimate Hikes transported prepacked bags for us which were waiting in our rooms with fresh clothes and whatever else we wanted. We had a great final evening before turning in including a presentation of certificates to everyone for making it along the hike.

The following day was to start with a boat ride around Milford Sound followed by a bus ride back to Queenstown. The trip around the Sound was again spectacular. Every day on this trip saw different scenery and each day only added to the whole. On the boat trip we saw seals, and amazing mountainous scenery. To be honest, by the end of the cruise I was about ready to admit defeat when it came down to sightseeing. I just wanted to close my eyes and savour that which I'd already witnessed. Even the bus journey back to Queenstown went through the alpine road which was pretty spectacular. I'll finish with some photo's taken around the Sound and a full recommendation to anyone to go to this beautiful part of the World. Thanks very much to Ultimate Hikes who were excellent guides and got us through it with minimum harm!

 View from Milford Sound towards the sea

 Atmospheric views with cloud shrouded mountains.

 Plenty of waterfalls lined the Sound...it was photographers dreamscape

 View from the sea looking back down the Sound

Steady rain for 2 days ensured the waterfalls flowed magnificently 

Mitre Peak, which we could see from our room in the lodge!

Milford Track: The Big Climb

The view back from MacKinnon Pass

There is no doubt that the true 'Wow Factor' on the Milford Track comes about half way through day 2, as you cross the MacKinnon Pass. The day starts out quite leisurely, but there is always the pass looming ahead, and getting bigger the nearer you get to it. The path starts working it's way up, but it is the final climb up to the pass, on switchbacks or zigzags which is the real leg burner. It is a gradient of 1 in 8 over stony ground which can be awkward to cover at times. However, the views back along the Clinton Valley and around at the surrounding mountains are truly spectacular. So the climb can be readily halted for breathtaking views, while you're trying to catch your breath. I think Caroline suffered a bit more up the hill than I did that day, but once at the top she got a second wind, and was scooting around the pass snapping photo's in every direction.

With camera in hand, Caroline looks fresh on the MacKinnon Pass

For me, and I think for many in our group, the way down was worse than the way up. Lunch on the MacKinnon Pass was followed by a steep descent to the rainy side of the mountains. This was difficult as it was very rocky and often jarring on knees and ankles. About a kilometre down (it was a 4.5km hike to our next stop) my legs were aching, and we stopped many times on the way down. Luckily there was much to see, including the reverse side of MacKinnon Pass, glacial waterfalls on the surrounding mountains, and the beautiful Margaret Falls, where we were fortunate to be shown a beautiful wild orchid by one of our guides (thankyou Mio). But the way down became a drag, and both Caroline and myself were ready at times to just stop and give in. Our rallying call, and something that quite a few in the group also used was, "it should only be another 10 minutes". I think I said this to Caroline about 5 times and possibly believed in it 3 times....ok, so I'm a born optimist!

 Great Mountain Views

 Native fauna - Yellow Marguerite

Spectacular Waterfalls - Margaret Falls

The Lodge at the bottom of the valley was a most welcome site. Caroline and I had been slow all day, partly due to stops, but partly due to not coping well going up and down the mountain. Lots of the group received first aid from the guides that evening, mainly for sore muscles and joints. The camaraderie was great that evening though, as everyone knew they had achieved something fantastic. And the following day was to be easier, even though it was longer in kilometres, a full half marathon of walking to look forward to!

Milford Track Part 1

The whole reason for going to New Zealand on holiday was to walk the Milford Track. Now I hadn't done much research before going out there, but expected extreme natural beauty. However, I was in no way prepared for quite how amazing the scenery was going to be. I also thought my recent running program would make me easily fit enough to do the walk without too many problems. I anticipated a tough downhill, which I've never been too good at, and a tiring last day at the end when we'd have to walk 20+km, but I generally wasn't worried about the hike from a physical point of view. I have to admit now that a bit of preparation would have put me in much better stead to have made the walk easier.

Day 1:

First stop on the Milford Track

There are 2 ways that this hike can be done: guided and unguided. As inexperienced walkers, Caroline and I took the guided option and paid out to Ultimate Hikes for a tour experience. In hindsight, this was an excellent decision, as we were definitely not prepared to have a go at this walk unassisted. We went to the Ultimate Hikes office for 9am and were soon on a coach heading to Lake Te Anau, New Zealand's biggest lake. The scenery on the way was pretty, with hills reminding us of Gippsland, and mountains always in the distance. We crossed rivers on narrow road bridges, followed lakeside roads, and passed deer and alpaca farms. At Te Anau, we stopped for lunch and then picked up a boat which took us to the start of the Milford Track.

A short walk, maybe 10 minutes took us to our first stop, Glade House. The lodges on the tour were excellent with bunk facilities and full time staff through the season. The rooms are clean, and food is provided on the guided tours, and the food was generally excellent. Constant hot water for showers is another big plus! There are bars where you can buy beer and wine, and teas and coffees are provided. I have to admit to going rugged man and drinking beer in the lodges.

We were offered the choice of chilling, going for a swim in the nearby Clinton River, or going for a short nature walk where a guide would show us some flora and fauna. Caroline and I went on the nature walk to Dore's Pass (yep, up a mountain, but only about 45 minutes round trip) where we were taken to a river that was completely clear. Caroline filled her water bottle from the stream which was the first time of many on the trip. It was fantastic that the water in rivers was clean enough to drink from!

Back at the lodge, we had dinner and an introduction session where we all got up (about 50 people in the group) and said something about ourselves and why we were doing the hike. It was a good laugh, and everyone joined in but it was a bit worrisome that there weren't many others beside us who hadn't hiked before. The guides gave us a briefing of the next day's hike, which is something they did every evening. This would include some housekeeping things about the lodges we were staying at and some things to look out for on the next day, including plants and animals. A few drinks later and we were all in bed aware that it was a 7.30am get up for an 8.30am start.

Sun tipped peaks in the morning

Day 2

When I looked out my room in the morning, there was sun on the tips of the mountains and there was a chill in the air, but the air was clean and fresh. This was our first full day of walking where we were going about 10 miles (16km) mainly on the flat and following the Clinton River. Straight off, we had to cross a swing bridge, which Caroline didn't like, but after that the day warmed up and it was like a summer stroll along the riverbank.

Unbelievably, that is a river behind Caroline and not just stones! The water is clean enough to drink from!

It took us about 5-6 hours but there were plenty of stops along the way including a few side paths leading to points of natural interest of great views. There were walks to wetlands where sun orchids grew, and to lakes that were fed by glacial waterfalls. It was a relatively easy introduction to the track although by the end of the day, there were a few with aches especially seeing it was so warm that day. At our stop, we had dinner made for us by the lodge staff and the guides offered first aid assistance for sore joints or muscles. And then again, it was a couple of beers and again it was a couple of beers and off to bed as it was an even earlier start the next day and a big climb to come.

Our first view of Mackinnon Pass, where we'd be walking over the next day!

T- minus 10 hours

That's how long it is until we leave the house and head off on holiday! Caroline and I are flying to Queenstown, New Zealand, and then taking a trek around Milford Sound. We will be out of phone and internet range for 5 days, but hopefully will have some amazing memories and images to bring back with us. We have decided to go with a hiking company who will guide us through the fjords and mountainous regions that were the inspiration for much of the scenery in The Lord of the Rings films.

Lord of the Rings Country

It will be quite an effort as we have to average over 10 miles of walking per day, including a tough climb up to the MacKinnon Pass. But also included in the trip are boat rides on the fjord and a helicopter ride back to Queenstown.

Great views at MacKinnon Pass

Luckily Caroline and I have both been getting fitter, which should make the walks bearable. While she is cycling and plans to ride the Bay in a Day ride later in the year, which will be at least 50km, I have been running, and have some plans of my own. Since New Year I have run three times, a 7.5km run on New Year's morning, a 9.5km run that had to be split up after about 7km as I ran out of puff. Mind you, it was about 26C when I was running and I was probably going a bit quick. I actually thought it was cool because the temperature had dropped from the 40C day we had just before, but 26C is still too hot for good running. Then today I went out at a very conservative pace and ran 10km in 59 minutes. I ran a bit further, but 10km was the aim.

When I get back from new Zealand, I am going into heavy training mode in an attempt to develop longer distance runs and more stamina at faster times. But I'll start to think about that when I've finished trekking in New Zealand!

Melbourne Cafe Culture

It has been my absolute pleasure to have a week off work with my wife, Caroline, this week. We have spent Christmas with our great friends. chilled out, and trawled around a few of Melbourne's fantastic cafe's. Coming originally from England, it is a big surprise to find the European style cafe culture on the other side of the globe in an English speaking country. But for those of us who loved travelling across the English Channel, and equally loved the European cafe culture, Melbourne is very appealing, from this perspective.

Dundas Place Cafe

Open frontage at the Dundas Place Cafe

For us it is a short drive to the bay where we can easily choose to spend time anywhere from Port Melbourne to Black Rock (in fact we've walked from Brighton to Port Melbourne, about 10km). A couple of days ago we had breakfast in Albert Park Village at the Dundas Place Cafe. Albert Park Village is a beautifully located place, with loads of cafe's and restaurants walking distance from the bay, and from Albert Park. As a long black drinker, I really enjoyed the coffee which was full bodied and yet smooth of flavour, and although it was strong, there wasn't a bitterness about it. For breakfast I had porridge (yes, it was fairly cold in Melbourne that morning, only about 15C) and it was the best I've had in Melbourne, made with almonds and butterscotch banana. Caroline and I have been here before, and there's always plenty to choose from, the staff are always friendly without being in your face, and to beat everything, the quality is great at cafe prices!

Being close to many places, the only difficulty after having breakfast in Albert Park Village is choosing what to do next! We went to Port Melbourne and walked around Beacon Cove where the Dawn Princess Cruise Ship was berthed. For those interested in cruise ships, there's a schedule for Port Melbourne, the highlights being the QE2 in February and Queen Mary in early March, while for those who want to watch decadent luxury, The World comes to Port Melbourne on February 20th.

Beacon Cove: Caroline with the Dawn Princess in the background.

Brunetti's

Plenty of outdoor seating at Brunetti's in Carlton

It may be one of the most touristy places in Melbourne, but Caroline and I love hanging out in Lygon Street once in a while. Today we spent a bit of time there, and had a coffee in the legendary Brunetti's. The first thing that hits you as you walk in the door is the cakes! There are hundreds of cakes, pastries and biscuits, and they are all calling out to you and saying choose me. Brunetti's has 2 full counters of sweet things, and a savoury counter as well (and I'm not talking about a couple of feet long with a few slices!). I couldn't resist an almond tart and Caroline had a pesche (peach shaped pastry filled with custard). The coffee was smooth, but for me not as full bodied as it could be. Brunetti's is huge with loads of seating inside and outside and again a very relaxed atmosphere, typical of little Italy!

Brunetti's is not the place for those on a diet!

Running Diary 20/12/2011

I felt tired before running today. I didn't sleep well last night. So I decided to take it easy and run as far as my body would allow. Actually, the run kind of energised me, and soon into it, I felt pretty good. In the end I ran just short of 9km and was running quicker at the end than at the start. The conditions were better for running as it was only about 18-20C when I went out. There was a bit of breeze but that didn't really bother me too much, and it wasn't coming off the sea towards me so my bayside part of the run was really good.

I have also recently got some running gear. I now have shorts and shirts made to keep me cooler during my workouts. To be honest I don't really understand the technology and am happy just to go with the flow. But what I do know is that if I sweat less, I will be able to run more efficiently as I will not be heating up so much. Actually, the choice of clothing and the technology used is pretty amazing!

A great motivator is having other people training with you, or around you. Recently my wife has started cycling, and is rapidly increasing her speed and distances. We now spur each other on and support each other. Having a training partner, or a person who can act as your conscience when you don't feel like training is an excellent motivator. It works both ways. Today it was Caroline's birthday (Happy Birthday Darling!) and after work she was quite tired. However, when she saw me come in from work and get ready to run, she perked up and got herself ready to cycle!

My beautiful wife, Caroline, is also getting fit!