Lionel Bill is in Australia

You kids have fun! 

Which part do you live on, the water or the land. You know, you could be living on a house boat.

That I promise Allan.

Dave,

 

Woy Woy looks civilized !!!

Have fun with Bill and y'all come to Train Night April 5 on the Munoz Lines.

 

Scrappy 

LionelBill posting on Dave's login:

Last night Dave and Margaret, picked us up at the train station, after a long day we had a sound and comfortable rest. It's Twenty to 9 in the AM here in Woy Woy, Dave is cooking breakfast then we'll be off to see some of sights in the vicinity.  I do not miss White Castle :-) yet.

Lionel Bill, Dave has been trying to figure out what White Castels are. lol Just tell him you understand from a good source they are first cousins to DEVIN that they have down under

We had a nice day sightseeing yesterday, today Bill and Ann are resting at our local beach. These pics are from yesterday.

Dave is that FOSTER'S DRAFT?? If it is Ill have one please!!!

Dave,

 

Say hello for us. We've been friends with Bill & Ann for over 40 years. You guys have a great time and have one or two for me and post some more pic's.

 

Mike

 

Dave,

 

Ginny wants to go to Australia.

 

Ummmmmmm

Eliot that would be a long train ride

Uh Oh   Dave says Fosters really isn't beer.  Thats the swill they sell overseas.

An Australian once described Fosters draught to me as being 'recycled beer', and then went on to explain that the supply for the beer tap is connected directly to the urinals. 

Dave,

   Have fun with Lionel Bill, hope you guys and gals have a great time!

PCRR/Dave

Bill says hi to all, they are off to the airport this morning and flying to Western Australia to swim with Whale sharks and dolphins.

Enjoy Perth ! 

 

 

 

 

Why NICOLE I am in schock that you said that    
 

Sorry Popsrr.   I didn't say that it was true, or that I agreed. Although I must admit that I have made a point not to drink that beer since being told that tale. 

NICOLE WOW you have been told about a tale 

I reckon Nicole is on the money.

They left for Perth this morning. He they are at Sydney Airport.

Flying to Perth?  but they'll miss all the scenery!

 

I didn't miss a thing, your pictures saved me the effort. :-) I'll post pictures when we get back, haven't figured out how to post pic's using the iPhone app.

Lots of trains to see along the transcontinental drive. Road trains.

 

Ace 2009

Ace, you have some fantastic Aussie pics. Of course the best way to see Australia from east to west, is the Indian Pacific.

Dave, I'm afraid I wasn't impressed with the service on the Indian Pacific when I rode it from Broken Hill to Sydney in 1981. The current transcon train is really expensive for good accomodations, only runs tri-weekly, and has a lengthy back-track to visit Adelaide, as I recall. I considered it, but ended up buying a van to tour in.

 

We did the transcontinental train from Port Augusta to Perth in 1969, when you still had to change trains at Kalgoorlie. That was an adventure. The sleeping compartments were good accomodations. The Kalgoorlie to Perth narrow-gauge train had wood-body truss-rod cars with open-end platforms, like from another century. In 2009 I got to see a dining car in the Bassendean Rail Museum near Perth, just like the one I remember from 1969. We were eating breakfast in a dining car like that while travelling the new dual-gauge track through the Avon Valley, the morning before our arrival in Perth, and my mom accidently slammed the window shut on my elbow.

 

 

 

 

A few months after our 1969 trip, the standard gauge passenger trains began running all the way through to Perth, and those old narrow-gauge passenger cars were retired.

Ace, last August we traveled on the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide, and on the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to Sydney. There are 3 classes, Red, Gold and Platinum.

We traveled Gold class, and yes it is expensive, but the accommodation was very nice, and comfortable, we thought it good value, the food and service was excellent. I love the latest pics, that sure was an adventure!

We returned from OZ last Thursday, I went to work on Friday, attended my grandson's first birthday in Massachusetts on Saturday and have finally sorted through and uploaded our pictures from the trip.

First of all, Dave and Margaret Allen were exquisite hosts, we can not thank them enough for their hospitality.  In case any of you do not know, amongst his many talents Dave is a fine chef, gourmet IMHO.  Our first morning at his home he made omelets, most of us have, but not like these, his were perfect.  I mean size, shape, texture, and the plate presentation just blew me away, it's freaking breakfast and I felt I should have dressed up to be worthy of it :-)  Later that day Dave and Margaret took us sight seeing in the vicinity, hilly gorgeous terrain, beautiful beaches and you saw the photo of us having a cold one at a waterfront hotel restaurant.  For dinner that evening our host prepared Pizzza as an appetizer, look at this pizza, made from scratch and so good, "a meal in itself." 

 

Here Dave is pouring the wine to go with our dinner.

 

 

 

Next we had lamb chops and steak, both cooked to just the right doneness.  LOL now you know why my wife says I can only recount a trip if she reminds me of what I ate. 

Unfortunately we only had two days with Dave due to airline booking mix ups that were not resolved in our favor, so I missed going to his train club.  I did however take a picture of one of his passenger cars that he was going to take to his rain club.  On vacation in a country with beautiful beaches and many great beers, I really do not think about trains, although I did try to score a WBB Genesis that was on sales, albeit, unsuccessfully.

 

 

On our last night with Dave, he and margaret took us to their club for dinner.  All I can say is OMG.  Dave reserved a table and we saw no menu's, the waitresses brought over two sea food towers, both loaded with prawns, oysters, scallops, lobster,calamari and fried fish and chips.  Here's a picture of us all, showing what was left over, a few sips left in our wine glasses. 

 

 

On tis trip we snorkeled on the great barrier reef while on Heron Island, then on the west coast we  took an adventurous 5 day tour, we sand boarded on dunes 50-70 feet high, hiked the Kalbarri gorge where I repelled down a cliff (first time ever), at Monkey Mia we saw wild dolphins come in and swim right next to us, at Coral bay we snorkeled with whale sharks and manta rays. A bucket list item.

 

 

Further north on the west coast we swam at Turquoise bay, in pristine, crystal clear water.  At this point the tour we were on was over and we pampered ourselves and stayed for a few days at the Novotel Ningaloo reef resort.  One last snorkel trip on the Ningaloo reef and we prepared for our trip home.  We flew to Perth on Monday the 18th, had our last dinner in Australia was at "Gino's" in Fremantle, a short train ride from Perth and quite near Scarborough beach where we stayed on our last night.

Makes me want to hop a plane to Australia..... after York, of course. I'm glad you all had a great time. Model trains: The Universal Hobby!

Looks like a great time Bill   One of these years my plan is to make it down under

Dave and Bill,

Looks like you all had a great time.

If Ginny and I knew how good a chef Dave was, we would have made him cook !!

I guess we should have known by the way he handled that "knoife."

 

Scrappy

I went there in 96. Have good friends who live in Glen Roy, (Melbourne) Victoria. We went all over, flying on Quantas @ $50.00 per trip. My buddy worked @ the airlines. At the time our dollar was worth twice as much as the Aussie dollar. We were in Sydney & 2 the time they were building up the Harbour for the Olympics. Went to Manly, & then came back  bate @ Doyle's on the Que. Had a great time & all of the Aussies we met were extremely friendly. When they heard us speak they would stop & listen. They loved our "accent"

Spence, since our first trip in 1999 the dollar has steadily declined and is now less than the Australian dollar, still it's a great place to visit.  Manley beach is where we stay when we go Sydney.  We've been to all the major cities and prefer the east and west coast because of the beaches.

 

Ben, definitely put a trip on your bucket list, we will probably go back in 2015 when we have enough airline points to go business class again. 

Did I mention the beer?  So many good ones and not a Fosters in sight.

 

Is that a Sky Prawn Pizza? 

 

 

No prawns; mushrooms, sausage, tomatoes, I get hungry just looking at the picture.

Hi Bill,

 

My comment was intended as humour. There is a very famous Austrian cookbook entitled 'Cooking with Sky Prawns'. You should ask Dave to send you copy if he did not treat you to that particular delight of Australian cuisine.  (This delicacy often comes with free home delivery. )

 

ps. That Pizza does look really good though! 

I am very envious, Bill!  I love Australia and I love the people!  I WILL make a return trip at some point in the future.