Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum

 In Kedah, on the coast just by Sungai  Patani,  is this extraordinary site with 30 + Hindu Temple dating from the fourth century AD. 

 Buddhist artifacts have also been unearthed here.

All this is a result of the trading activity for which this part of the Malaysian coast was well known 1500 years ago.  Trade between India, Indonesia and China.  This at a time when Europe was entering the Dark Ages.  For more info, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bujang_Valley.  Also You-Tube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnJvV2vV7nI

I have still to find out what these worked granite stones are for.  Looking at the accuracy with which they were made, I would suspect they are modern. (?)

Anniversary

T'was in the hills behind the Glass House mounts that we celebrated our third wedding anniversary. 

Beautiful day, marvellous view.

Friends and relatives met.

Adelaide.  Khishgee and Alima our Mongolian friends, both of whom are researching at the Flinders University here. 

We also met up with Cecilia  and Weng Sing together with Lay Lee.  Sorry, no picture of Lay Lee.

Melbourne.  David Ribchester,  my cousin and his kids. We last met in 1965 on the eve of his emigrating to Australia.

Melbourne.  Peter, Kathy and Rebecca Creamer.  Peter was a Ngee Ann colleague in Singapore 1983/5.  We are just good friends really!!!!

Sydney.  Stephen and Annie Ribchester with Joyce, my auntie and Stephen's daughter Melissa.

Melissa with husband Damian and their 6 month old baby Tahliah

Sydney.  Timothy, a colleague of Gek's from her early days in Peat Marwick, Singapore.

Sydney.  Meow, Gek's ex colleague from CCS, Ngee Ann Poly last met in Sydney 10 years ago.

Brisbane.  Vicki,  my mum's cousins daughter.  We also met in Singapore in 1983/4.

Brisbane.  John and Lyn of Mongolia fame.

Trip end, Coolangatta

 The end.  5800 km since we landed in Adelaide 57 days before. 

 The start of the Gold Coast.

Another city sky line at dusk.  This is where we will pick up the trail next year.

The Glass House Mountains.

 Cook saw these through his glass from the Endeavour in 1770.  They reminded him of glass furnaces as seen from the sea off the coast of his home in Yorkshire, England.

 Now nicknamed the Gorilla,  these lumps of granite are the cores of long extinct volcanoes.

This one more obviously so.

Brisbane

 The high way by the city is raised on stilts next to the north bank of the river.  The sweeping lines of the road seem to fit some how.

 There are a number of river bridges, of which this has to be the most elegant,

 linking to the South Bank.  If this looks  familiar to Londoners, then no surprise.  Art galleries, theatres etc live here.

In the Botanical Gardens are the water heights of the recent,  the lower red box and the 1974 floods,  the upper red box.  IE,  all the South Bank was under 10's of metres of water.  Hence the newly decorated under ground car parks!!

Yamba

 Enjoy.

Winter in this part of the world looks amazing.  More inspiration than you can shake a stick at.

Port MacQuarie

 Desert dunes.

 The harbours and bays along this coast have very tricky entrances with treacherous currents running.

At sunset over these troubled waters are quite something.

Port Stephens - Nelson Bay.

Port Stephen's was a one night stop over.

Sun sets again.

The bay water being totally calm,  unlike the hammering waves round the head land.

The headland stands at 161 mts above sea level.  To reach the top is a 1 km climb.  Do the math!!  In the gathering dusk and a threatening sky we made a dash for the top.  Good to know me old heart can still cut the mustard.  Mind you my calf muscles were a bit stiff for the next couple of days.

Magic again.  Can the rest match up to this east coast?  Going to find out in the not too distant future!!

Ferries.

 Crossing the bay on the Manly ferry.

 The ferry's have a bow at each end.  Saves having to turn the boat round on the return.

 The bosts are quite old and on our trip accross the bay entrance from the sea,  it rolled quite alarmingly.  Fortunately,  only for a short while.

 Loads of other ferry and taxi types in bay.

Same colours as the Penang ferries.

The Bridge.

Ok, Sydney bridge must be the most photographed bridge in the world. Hope this is just a little different image. Taken from the ferry to Manly.

The CBD.  Cities have become so samie in profile. The quest is still  on for a distinctive sky line

The clouds had the day this day.

Sydney's other bridge.

A beautiful suspended bridge.

Sydney - Olympic Site.

The 2000 Olympics were in Sydney and the sprawing venue is still very much here.

You get the impression of an abandoned sci fi flim set.

Complete with aliens.

Still the buildings are quite spectacular,  even if they aren't sure whatn they are here for now.