Under Dartmoor Skies and Beneath the Southern Cross

 

The view from the balcony of my rented apartment - Sydney's North and Middle Heads

 



A week ago I set out from my little Dartmoor village to make the long and arduous journey to Sydney, Australia. To start I have a four hour journey to London Heathrow, and departed from new Terminal 2, which is a vast improvement on Terminal 3 where I have previously left from.

My flight, twelve hours on a Airbus A380 to Singapore was long, boring and uneventful, which is the best sort of journey to make. No excitement for me. My transit through Changi Airport was smooth and conducted with Singaporean efficiency, with no problems about transiting for the onward seven hour flight to Sydney. I left on London Tuesday in the night, landed in Singapore early evening, and flew on through the night and into Thursday. I seemed like Wednesday lasted only about three hours! 

If there is anyone who, like me, has to take the journey travelling alone, and may have reservations about taking such a flight, please be reassured that it is not nearly as daunting as it may appear. Everyone, from airline personnel to fellow travellers, is friendly and helpful, and as is often the case, the thought is worse than the actual.

Having been in Australia for a week is like coming from the darkness of winter into light. I haven't yet been down to my favourite beach in the whole world which is Balmoral beach, and where I grew up. So for me it is like coming home.

 

Balmoral Beach from the Esplanade, looking towards the Island



 

The Tricolour and the Australian flags flying on Sydney Harbour Bridge



 

' my English friends warned 'Australia is a dangerous place.' Of course there are dangerous things here, but sadly as events in Paris have shown, in this modern world you are at risk anywhere. You just have to use common sense.

The appalling and tragic events in Paris has dominated the news since last Friday, and it was heart warming to see the French flag flying from the Bridge.

I'd like to finish on a good news story about the native koala bears. There is a large colony of koalas on Cape Otway in the state of Victoria. The population has grown so much that the bears were eating themselves out of house and home, and in fact were starving. Now wild life conservationists have captured about 400 bears and have moved them to  a national park where there are plenty of gum trees for them to feed on, thus saving those koalas who are left in Otway, and with the replanting of the native manna gum trees, providing plenty of food.   

 

 It's going to be hot tomorrow, about 39 degrees, so it's Factor 40 and to Balmoral beach for me.

Stay safe - and warm!