Edi – Page 5 – Over 50 Aussie female solo traveller USA road trip and beyond

London

Wow!! How amazing to visit a city which has so much history and so much to see and do. I wanted to start with the most famous of all places, Buckingham Palace. I took a bus from Watford to Watford Junction, then the overground train to Euston and then the underground train to Green Park. It took a little over an hour from where I am staying, including walking time to the bus stop. The bus cost £4.80 ($AUD9.60) for a day pass. Then a day pass for London was £20.10 ($AUD40). Quite expensive although London is huge. I did not hesitate to take several trains to various places and still managed to do a phenomenal amount of walking. I am annoyed at myself for not taking my fitbit as I was going to use Strava to map my walking but did not think about how quickly my phone battery would deplete. Even with a backup battery it would not cover a day of adventure. I left Watford at 8:30am and got back to my airbnb at 10:30pm. Enjoy my day.

Buckingham Palace is a 7 minute walk from Green Park station.

The Queens’ Life Guard Dismount Parade also known as the “Four O’Clock Parade” and “Punishment Parade” was an unexpected surprise. In 1894 Queen Victoria found the entrie guard drinking and gambling while on duty so she ordered that they be inspected every day at 4pm by an officer for the next 100 years. That ended in 1994 but the parade continues as a tradition. I don’t think there is any fear of these guards drinking, they look like they are 12 years old.

obligatory pic with the local police (bobbies)

Covent Garden was another unexpected surprise where you will find top class “buskers”. I loved the classical buskers in the Covent Garden Market area. A snippet of the talent and this fabulous group and this from above.

And more exploring Chinatown, 10 Downing Street, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. There is so much to see.

The fashion for a “bucks” night in London is very different to Sydney.

I ended my first night in London at a West End show, Choir of Man. What a wonderful way to end the evening. Must go and see these talented men. And you get free beer.

Tomorrow will be a rest day. What a great introduction to London. I have to thank a Tinder date, Howard, who offered to show me around London. I did not realise I would be doing so much in one day.

My first English Pub

Yesterday I was a bit ambitious thinking I would go to London today. It is only my 3rd day and jet lag is still slowing me down. I will need a lot more energy to explore London. Perhaps tomorrow.

Today I walked to the closest pub to where I am staying. A typical English drizzly cold 20 minute walk taking in the various styles of homes in Watford.

Google maps took me on a back muddy path at times I thought I was in the Hansel and Gretel woods.

And then I was at my first UK pub. The Royal Oak Watford Heath. It was perfect. Warm welcome by the locals. No open fire but lovely and warm.

I enjoyed a delicious bowl of potato and leek soup. Exactly what I needed to warm up.

Just down the road I popped into my second pub, Load of Hay.

Day 1 United Kingdom – Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio

I imagine most people would choose something very different for their first day in the UK. But, I am a little different. I took the Number 8 bus down the road from my airbnb, into Watford Junction (£3 one way and found out later that I can get an all day pass for £4), where a Harry Potter shuttle bus takes you to the studios.

Entry is £49.95 and seems a little steep, although the sets are very elaborate.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people who dressed up in their favourite characters. Their joy at being at the studio was a pleasure to experience.

This gentleman oozed delight at being here

I spent 4 hours enjoying all the displays. It is fascinating to see how much work is involved to produce something like Harry Potter. Some of the memories of Harry Potter brought on tears. I remember going to the first movie with my friend Sue Biber. We were worried that the movie would not live up to the book. When the doors of the Great Hall opened, tears started in my eyes as they had captured the Hall exactly as I had expected. Today, walking into that Hall brought on those tears of joy once again.

This scared a few children

The photos do not do it justice. If you get a chance, go.

I got the Harry Potter shuttle back to Watford Junction where I purchased a day bus ticket and went exploring Watford High Street.

Is it just me or does an old English style building look wrong for a Taco Bell?

I am happy to ease myself into this culture but tomorrow I will go into London and see what history I can find.

United Kingdom

I left Sydney with some apprehension. The Russian war on Ukraine is worrying and the East coast of Australia is being ravaged by floods. I am a volunteer for the Red Cross Emergency Services and had received requests to assist in evacuation centres or in the Public Information Centre and felt guilty I was going away on a “holiday” while people are suffering. I don’t think my travel insurance will cover my guilt though. So with a couple of farewell dinners with the too much Sambucca I kissed my family and dear friends goodbye for 6 months.

My Singapore Airlines flight included a 2.5 hour stopover in Changi. The 8 hour flight was comfortable. After a 14 hour second flight, I arrived in London on 2 March 2022 for the first time. Had a giggle when propositioned by an airport worker who thought I was an American. Getting through border control was quite easy although it took 40 minutes. I was expecting Covid to have made it difficult but completing the passenger locator form before flying made the process of entering the UK very efficient.

To get to my airbnb at Watford, I had the choice to take an Uber or start my adventure testing my skills with the public transport system. Adventure won and I walked to Heathrow Central to get the 724 bus to Watford Junction at a cost of £12. Unfortunately my UK SIM card did not yet work and I didn’t have any wifi to get an Uber from Watford Juntion to the airbnb so I took a cab for £9. I did pretty alright. An Uber from Heathrow to Watford would have cost £67 and although 20 minutes longer, the bus and taxi trip saved me £46 or $AUD92. I think I will be ok with UK public transport.

Airbnb – my home for the first 7 days to get my bearings

I chose this place in Watford as it was well priced, had a separate granny flat with a garden in case I got Covid I didn’t want to be stuck in a hotel room in London with no window. Watford is known for Elton John purchasing their football team many years ago and the Harry Potter Studio which I am going to tomorrow.

Kimba South Australia

Driving back to Adelaide for New Years Eve I found a night stopover in Kimba. What a cute little town. It claims to be the the town in the Middle of the Australian east and west coasts. First had a rest stop in a place called Wirulla, population 104.

They have a “secret”. A dry jetty which was erected as a joke but is the 5th tee on the Nullabor Links golf course. Said to be the longest golf course along 1365 kilometres of the Eyre Highway across Western Australia and South Australia on the Nullabor Plain.

Wudinna is the home of a granite sculpture celebrating the spirit of farming life communities ” The Australian Farmer”. 17 years in the making by a father and son team Marijan and David Bekic represents the sun, grain crops, sheep farming and commemorates the early settlers.

Kimba from the aboriginal word for “bushfire”. Population around 600. Has “The Big Galah” which marks the halfway point between East and West coasts of Australia.

The town also provides low level Radioactive Waste storage. The facility provides 25 ongoing jobs for the community.

Lovely silo art.

Local art

Edward John Eyre was an English explorer, the first to cross Australia from Sydney to Swan River in Perth Western Australia. The sculptures located at Whites Knob Lookout represent Edward Eyre and his indigenous tracker Whylie.

Mallala has a population of around 900 and is home to an impressive World War 1 Memorial in the centre of town

It also has an international Motor Sport Park.

I arrived in Adelaide on 30 December and the previous evening I was notified the Masquerade Gala to be held in Glenelg was cancelled due to COVID19. So, after another marathon drive for 6 hours, I returned my hire car, went and had a rest at a friend’s home before getting an 8pm flight back to Sydney to celebrate New Years Eve in my home town. May 2022 bring the world some normalcy and better health.

Ceduna/Nullarbor/Head of the Bight

I had a marathon day today. Drove over 600 km exploring a place I did not imagine I would drive alone. The Nullarbor means treeless in Latin. Although I found the changing landscape not as barren as the name suggests but is ever changing. Although I am aware this is the Eastern part of the Nullarbor and it gets more and more arid further west.

Leaving Ceduna I stopped off at Penong for the windmill museum.

Along the way I snapped some cute Christmas decorations at the entrance of several properties.

Roadsigns and you know you are in the outback

The Great Australian Bight. I had no idea the Bight would be so turquoise and violet. Breathtaking. At the bottom of the centre of Australia.

Nullarbor Roadhouse

would not be the Nullarbor without a roadtrain

Ceduna

What a pretty place!! A population of around 2000 friendly people. Great feed at the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel Motel Bistro. Lovely beach. Only problem is that it is soo windy at this time. I understand that it is not normally this windy. Walking along the jetty is very scary. There is a railing on only one side and down at the end, there is no railing at all and I was too worried I would be blown into the ocean. Taking photos I thought my phone would blow out of my hands. The water is so clear with changing colours.

Some indigenous pavement art

Fossiking for treasure for my daughterinlaw

What a sunset!!

Port Lincoln

3 days in Port Lincoln over Christmas with my son’s inlaws. They live in Point Boston, 20 minutes out of Port Lincoln. There is nothing here but a few locals and a private beach. The beach is 20metres from their home.

I am staying in a quaint motel called First Landings complete with a four poster bed.

Walk into town

Whyalla to Port Lincoln

Whyalla is a steelworks and mining town and parts look a little old and disadvantaged but the area near the jetty has lovely old homes. I did a quick drive through and a little stroll. I love the smell of the beach in this part of the world. Even when low tide, it is a clean ocean smell. It is very windy and I wonder if this is why there are no people on the beach.

Next stop was Cowell. Known for their crabs. Apparently it is so easy to find blue swimmer crabs. When I have more time I would like to explore this. I stopped off to snap a photo of the silo art.

I bought a lovely pair of earrings in the Jade Shop. Cowell has the largest deposit of Jade in the world. The mine is run by Japanese but you can pick up some locally made jewellery from the Jade Motel where the stones are cut, polished and set on site.

Then on to Arno Bay to check this beachside village.

Tumby Bay silo art.

Adelaide to Whyalla

On my way to Port Lincoln for Christmas and I have broken up the trip a little. First stop was Lochiel to see the Pink Lake (Lake Bumbunga). Lochiel has their own legend or a sense of humour with their own Lochness monster known as the Loch-Eel.

Next stop was Port Germein to walk what was once the longest wooden jetty. I had a blustery 3 km walk on a very hot day. I should have stayed overnight in this quaint fishing village. Perhaps on the way back to Adelaide.

View from the Sea end looking back to shore 1.6km away

On to the Arid Botanical Gardens. I had a very quick stop here as I didn’t have much time but the gardens had a very particular scent I would liken to herbs and pine trees.

On the way the Port Wakefield tank art required a short stop.

Overnight stop at Whyalla. Very, very windy but the cabin I am in is very warm. I am too tired to check the new jetty in town but I did capture this pretty sunset.