Steeles B&B

While we were in Darwin stayed at the Steeles B&B, 10mins walk city centre in the suburb of Larrakeyah. I've agonised long and hard over this review, having stayed in someone else's home it takes on a personal dimension. However, I feel a less than complimentary review is warranted.

Now, don't get me wrong, there were lots of positives about the B&B. It has a good location for the city, Cullen Bay and Mindil Beach. The beds were comfy and the rooms were nicely furnished. There was an abundance of fresh towels for both the bathroom and swimming pool.

My main gripe is that, in my opinion, the B&B was bad value. Here's why:

In a B&B you're paying for a Bed and Breakfast. Breakfast is half of the bargain, its supposed to be a bit of an event. Sadly it wasn't an event, there was only toast and cereal of offer. Not a sniff of a cooked breakfast in sight.

We had booked into the B&B for two night (were away for two night on in the Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks) and then again for the final night of our time in Darwin. Before the end of our first two nights we were asked if we could stay our final night back in Darwin at a different B&B, due to this other B&B having stairs and having booked in a guest with mobility problems. It was made to sound as if this other B&B had got themselves into a bit of a mess and could we be part of the solution. A bit of an inconvenience, but I agreed being in laid back holiday mode.

When we arrived at the second home we got a completely different story. They didn't even run a B&B, but their granny flat was used as an overflow for Steeles B&B when they were full. Steeles had made it sound like it wasn't their fault at all, but it felt obvious to me that it had been a booking error on their part. Just one of a few intangibles that just didn't feel quite right.

Finally, when we went on the National Park tour we left a bag at Steeles B&B under the assurance it would be kept under lock and key. When we returned to collect the bag it was sitting on the patio. Anyone could have stolen it!

I could mention a few more things, but I've been told I was waffling.

*For the record I want to say Sue, who we stayed with second, could not have been nicer. Despite not being set up as being a proper B&B or having a pool (a refreshing dip in the Top End is almost mandatory), there was a really friendly, personal service and an obvious effort to make sure you had everything you needed.

Kuranda Skyrail & Scenic Railway

While Ruth and I were staying in Cairns we took the Skyrail to Kuranda and the Scenic Railway home again.

The Skyrail (effectively the bubble car from a ski resort) is the longest cable car in the world at 7.5km. The cable car drops you off at two stations within the forest. From the first there is a (very) short walking loop through the forest, with guides departing every 20-30mins telling you more about the fauna that you can see.

The second stations has a slightly longer walk and viewing platforms over the Barron Falls. Reduced to a trickle in the dry season, the photos of torrents of water gushing over the falls in the wet season are an impressive sight.

After the second station the cable car descends down into the tourist mecca of Kuranda village, filled to the brim with day trippers. The village itself was pleasant enough with lots of cafes, markets and gem shops. We took a rainforest walking loop that meandered on boardwalks through the forest, down to the river and then back into the village.

On the way back to Cairns we took the Scenic Railway from the olde worlde Kuranda railway station. The only thing missing from the idylic scene were the steam engines. The train winds its way back down to Cairns following the opposite side of the valley, giving you a different perspective on the views you saw earlier from the Skyrail.

Great Barrier Reef: Sea Sickness

While we were up in Cairns, Ruth and I did a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Quest. Four years ago I visited the Whitsunday Islands and was blown away by the coral and sea life. I was hoping for more of the same, unfortunately it was not to be............

Most of the boat trips seem to be to the outer reef which is about 60km off shore. To get there and back inside a day the boats have to surge out to the reef at incredible speed. Bouncing across the waves was even more nausea inducing than the American women who sat down next to us and tried to engage us in conversation.

We snorkeled at the first dive site and sadly the marine life wasn't as vibrant as that I remembered from the Whitsundays. The coral was largely brown (not exclusively, but a sign it is often dead) and there wasn't an abundance of fish.

As the sea sickness set in we didn't manage lunch, the second snorkeling session and the journey back to shore was excruciating.

My Tokyo t-shirt caused lots of exclamation from the Japanese tourists. However, even a Japanese girl called Mii trying to chat me up couldn't rescue the day.

Cairns: The Verdict

I'm going to come right out and say it. I didn't think Cairns was that great. The place has been over-run by backpackers and consequently all of the decent shops and cafes (I'm sure that they must have existed once) have turned into places desperately trying sell your a tour of some description, tacky souvenirs or over priced and bad quality food. It probably explains why nearby Port Douglas has taken over as the destination of choice for the more discerning traveller.

There were some highlights.
The Cairns Regionally Art Gallery is definitely worth a visit. It is pretty small and seems to have no permanent collection of its own, but contained some interesting exhibitions by local artists and from the wider Queensland area. The attached cafe was nice, but over priced.

The slick Art Gallery is in complete contrast to the Cairns Historical Society Museum which is totally disorganised. My personal favourite were the displays boards that had Biro revising the printed dates and correcting spelling mistakes. I am sure there are some gems in the museum if you could only find them amongst the clutter.........

The local council has been pouring money into The Esplanade over the past few years and this has created a very pleasant sea front to Cairns, stretching from the Marina in the south a couple of kilometers northwards. The highlight is a large free lagoon / swimming pool, pictured above, which is perfect for a dip during the heat of the day. Promenading along the Esplanade in the cool of the early morning or evening was very pleasant too.

Tandoori Oven was a decent local Indian restaurant that we found. One of the few places that seemed to serve decent food at sensible prices. Surprising because it was a bright spot in Cairns and also because I have generally found the standard of Indian cuisine in Australia to be pretty bad. On our second visit we had a pumpkin curry which was fabulous. I am going to have to do some searching for recipes and experimentation.

Reef Teach is supposed to be an excellent talk on the Great Barrier Reef and marine biology by an eccentric Cairns resident. Unfortunately the location has changed since both Ruth and my guidebooks were written, and we didn't discover it's new location until it was too late to fit in a visit. Included as a highlight because all the reviews I have read eulogise about Reef Teach, even is I didn't experience it personally.


One of the highlights of the trip. Getting to hang out with Ronald who was wearing my latest purchase, a Top Aussie Bush Hat:

Australian Tourist

Not content with a whole five months off already this year, I have just been on holiday again. My sister has come over to Oz for three weeks and I took a fortnight off work to do some travelling with her.

We've just got back from a five days each in Cairns and Darwin. There has also been a bit of sightseeing in and around the Sydney area too.

I'm planning to write up a few posts letting everyone know what I have been up to. Planning a couple of controversial posts as well. Controversial for me anyway.........

REDOAK

Last night I went to Redoak Beer Cafe here in Sydney. There are many things to like about the place, but my favourite is the English style bitter that they serve.

Australia has a great, regional, beer culture with lots of different styles and varieties to try. But one thing that they lack, and I have been missing, are the bitters from back home. I was very pleased to stumble across one!

I can't quite decide how to describe Redoak's operation. Checking their website they seem to only have one bar / restaurant and I don't recall seeing their beers in any other pubs. But they have such a wide selection brewed under the Redoak label, I can't believe they are all for the one bar. I'll have to stay on the look out to see if I can see them on sale somewhere else.

Whenever I've got a yearning for home or fancy a European style beer, I'll be making a pilgrimage here. Their tasting platters of food and beer look pretty good too.

Sydney Swans vs Essendon, AFL

On Saturday I went to Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to see the Sydney Swans vs Essendon in the Australian Football League (AFL).

A slightly baffling game, played over four quarters which is a cross between gaelic football and rugby league. Despite the fact there were at least four referees on the pitch rules seemed to go un-enforced and there were a number of unpunished off the ball incidents.

I'm not sure AFL is my game, but I'm looking forward to going back to the SCG to see a game of cricket in the summer.

We had a very pleasant post match drink at the Beresford Hotel in Kings Cross, which is a very funky pub.

Restaurant Review: BBQ King, Sydney

I’ve wanted to go to BBQ King ever since I heard the story of Penne and Clint drunkenly telling Anthony Bourdin that he had to visit. If it was good enough for one of food’s bad boys it was good enough for me.

I’ve walked past the outside of BBQ King a few times since arriving in Sydney and it could only be described as a bit, well, underwhelming. Penne and Clint clarified that it is the type of place you visit late at night, after a few drinks have been consumed and part of its charm are the sullen staff and chipped plates. Ahhh, now it is all beginning to make sense……

As you walk in there is the same feel as a Brick Lane or Rusholme curry house. It’s a bit shabby, but with a good atmosphere of people enjoying their evenings out. The only glamour comes from the pictures hanging on the wall of two models sitting at various tables throughout the restaurant. They look a bit out of place, yet at the same time add to the eclectic nature of the restaurant. Places like these often have the best food, so I’m full of anticipation.

We started with duck, for which BBQ King is famous. Half of the duck was served as duck pancakes. The sticky but delicious hoi sin sauce getting all over our fingers. The other half of the duck was served as san choi bao wrapped in lettuce leaves.

Served after the duck we had salt and pepper tofu, which was surprisingly spicy, some steamed pak choi and a prawn curry. Far too much food for four people, but it is always nice to try a few different dishes.

It wasn’t the greatest chinese food I have eaten, and I still don’t think ducks in Australia are as tasty as back home, but that didn’t matter. Sometimes you don’t go out for meal for the ultimate dinning experience. Friends, atmosphere and something a bit different can be just as good.

The staff weren’t at all sullen and they now have plastic plates, with the old chipped crockery nowhere in sight. Best of all, it was only 10 minutes walk home.

Hat tip for the photo.

Restaurant Review: Hamachi-Ya, Pyrmont

On Saturday night I had dinner at Hamachi-Ya which is a Japanese restaurant in Pyrmont. Every time I have been passed the place has been packed, so when Kren and I were looking for somewhere to go for dinner I was quick to suggest we try there.

They didn’t have any tables when we arrived, so we gave the chirpy waitresses my mobile number and popped to the pub for a quick drink while we waited.

Sushi and sashimi is a speciality of the restaurant, but there were also bento boxes, katsu, tempura and noodles in a surprisingly varied menu.

We started by sharing some mixed sushi. Then a tasty miso soup arrived (I’m not sure if this was part of our bento box or a welcome freebie). The miso was a lot better than your average. Clint has become a recent critic of the standard of Sydney miso, but I think this is one might be up to the challenge.

For the main course we both had bento boxes. Mine had katsu, chicken teriyaki and seafood & vegetable tempura. The teriyaki was my highlight, succulent and moorish. I was so busy munching through my bento box that I can’t remember what Kren had to eat!

The portions were generous, next time I think I’ll order a bit less and share. I’m looking forward to taking Clint back for the miso challenge and sampling more of their menu!

Internet Trials and Tribulations

I'm back! The blog has been quiet for nearly a month now, and very touchingly a few of you have been in touch to check that I am still alive. To which the answer is a resounding "yes"!

What has kept me away for so long? Well dear readers it has been all about getting my new internet connection set up. First Telstra took two weeks and a couple of visit from an engineer to install my phone line. Once that was working I signed up to a broadband supplier, and it has taken just over a week to get my line activated.

Activation took place yesterday and I couldn't get anything internet related working last night, apart from Skype. I bought my work laptop home tonight to see if it was PC related or something to do with my broadband / modem set up. My work laptop has been working since the moment I plugged it in.

My home laptop is misbehaving. I don't think it is firewall related, as Skype is working, but I turned it off anyway and no joy. Attentive readers might remember my virus troubles. My laptop has never really been the same since. I have a horrible feeling either a virus, or my rather cavalier approach to quarantining and deleting offending items might have broken something.

Has anyone got any suggestions on how to repair the damage? I'm not looking forward to the prospect of formatting my hard drive and re-installing everything. For a start my recovery disk is back in the UK.......