Explore with Fran

A few thoughts on a cold, wet Monday morning in Sydney

March 16, 2020 by Fran 1 Comment

Calm is contagious. And staying calm amidst all this madness is something we would do well to keep doing. No doubt, across the world, we are getting information from every direction, and it can feel overwhelming. In our hyper connected world, someone’s opinion is only a click away. Don’t fall prey to the information overload. Limit your consumption of news to a few sources that you trust, and filter out the rest of the “noise”. Stay healthy. Stay hydrated. And look out for each other.

Not a day, maybe even an hour, goes by without someone asking me the question, “what does this mean for your travel plans?” I wish I had an answer that I was confident of. But I haven’t. Like everyone else, we are watching the events unfold, across the globe, and taking it one day at a time.

Today, Monday March 16th, the very few confirmed plans we have can still go ahead. The first couple of weeks are a road trip within Australia. Road tripping will allow us to keep our “social distance”, as is the current recommended advice from the Australian government. But 2 weeks from now, and every day in between, we know the situation could change, and we will have to change with it.

The tricky part of the situation for us, is that from next Monday, 23 March, we will be homeless. Our apartment has already been re-let, and our meagre belongings will be collected and put into storage. We will, literally, be nomads. The positive part is that without any time constraints, we have flexibility built into our “plans”. Today’s plan is history tomorrow. In my work with organisations, I often quote Dwight D Eisenhower, who said that “plans are useless, but planning is essential”. Never has that been more true than at the present time.

So, ask me today whether we are still going travelling, then the answer is a resounding yes. We have little choice. We will be homeless. But, ask me tomorrow whether our plans remain the same, the answer could be very different. We are remaining calm, because this is the type of contagious we want.

If you want to lift your spirits, go and watch the videos from Italy and Spain, where whole neighbourhoods are bursting into collective song. The human spirit is strong. Let’s be strong for each other.

Preparations continue

March 13, 2020 by Fran Leave a Comment

Looking around the apartment, you could be mistaken for thinking we had been burgled. No television. Bookcase bereft of reading material. And a patio area that now looks a lot larger without the outdoor table and chairs.

Picture of the living room minus the TV, in readiness for travelling — The evenings are much quieter

Thankfully, we haven’t been burgled. We are downsizing as much as we can in readiness for packing up our Sydney life, and starting a new adventure. What we don’t sell, or give away, we will put in storage. By the time we see our stuff again we will no doubt wonder why we paid to store half of it.

Bookcase, minus books — I hope I remember where I have stored them all

Once the removal van drives away from our little home in Mosman, we won’t be far behind. With what we have left, packed into a small backpack each, (Victoria is still in shock at just how small), we will pick up our hire car and head off on the start of our travels. A road trip, starting with a drive to the nation’s capital, Canberra, somewhere I haven’t been for over 20 years. Knowing Canberra, it is unlikely to have changed much in the intervening years. What I have discovered is that there are numerous wineries en route to Canberra, so we are sure to sample a few, in the name of research, obviously.

From Canberra we will head in the direction of Melbourne, breaking the 8 hour journey up with an overnight stop at Albury, for a slice of Australian country life. Pressing on to Melbourne, we will spend a couple of nights in beautiful, beach side St Kilda before (hopefully) picking up a campervan to explore the Great Ocean Road.

Koala at the wildlife centre in Hamilton Island — Who can resist these cuddly little things?

The wishlist for the Great Ocean Road is:

1. Koalas in the wild

2. Whisky from Timboon distillery

3. Beach front camp sites

4. Fresh, local produce

5. Sleepy coastal towns

Current plans have us overnighting in Adelaide, having dinner with friends, before heading over to the west coast. Our flight from Perth to Singapore is on April 3rd, and of course, in light of the ever evolving global situation, we are taking each day as it comes. Qantas is still currently flying into Singapore, a country that has seemingly managed to contain the virus due to early, strict measures. Travel advice seems to change daily, and we will change with it, as needed.

The impending change to our lives is bittersweet. Mosman has been good to us. We have loved living here. And we will be sad to leave. But a little sadness shouldn’t get in the way of starting a new chapter in your life. Change is needed if we are to grow as humans. We need new experiences. We need to learn new things. We need a new challenge.

Beautiful Mosman, down by the water — Who wouldn’t be sad to leave this beautiful village?

And for us, that challenge is excitedly accepted.

Follow along as we start our journey. It is sure to be a roller coaster!

Things to Do in Mollymook in Summer

February 1, 2020 by Fran Leave a Comment

A weekend down the coast

Things to do in Mollymook in Summer include spending the day on Mollymook beach — Beautiful Mollymook beach

Having an extended weekend, thanks to Australia Day, we were heading down the coast. We were off to find out the answer to the question, what to do in Mollymook in Summer. Driving down the Princes Highway, and towards the historic NSW town of Milton, the devastation caused by the recent bushfires is evident everywhere.

From the illegible road signs, melted by the ferocious heat of the fires, to the forest of blackened trees, a lot of which have had to be chopped down due to the danger of them falling across the busy highway. It is hard to imagine the fear that homeowners in the area must have felt as the fire raged closer and closer to their properties.

I am glad to report that as of the time of writing, the bushfire danger has eased, and locals are returning to their properties, to assess the damage. Harder to assess is the unseen damage to the numbers of local wildlife that call this area home.

Holiday Here This Year

Now, more than ever, our regional communities need support. Many local businesses rely on tourists visiting the area, and the drop off in numbers recently has been nothing short of a catastrophe. A movement has started up under the hashtag #holidayherethisyear. This is exactly what we were doing over the long Australia Day weekend, taking an extra day so we had 3 nights to spend in the Shoalhaven region.

Things to do in Mollymook in summer include a weekend at Bannisters Pavilion hotel in Mollymook — Bannisters Pavilion, with swimming pool above

Some 3 and a half hours from Sydney, the little town of Mollymook hugs the southern NSW coast. It is the place that Rick Stein says makes him “feel 10 years younger” each time he arrives. And it is here in Mollymook that he chose to open his first Australian restaurant. More on that later.

Where to stay in Mollymook

We were to spend our 3 nights at the Bannisters Pavilion hotel (bannisters.com.au/mollymook ), one of two Bannisters hotels, within 800 yards of each other. Quite why there is two, so close to each other, and no other hotels is rather curious. They certainly have the market covered. And with no pubs in Mollymook, at least what we could find, the only drinking options seem to be in the bars of the respective hotels. Somewhere, I can hear the sound of tills ringing.

Bannisters Pavilion, spread over two levels, is very light and airy. Rooms open up to small balconies, with the the rooms at the back getting the better deal, facing all the eucalyptus trees, and none of the traffic. For an expensive hotel, I was very disappointed to find the only option for coffee in the room was those little sachets of instant, that you see in very dated motels, and Travelodges. In a coffee obsessed nation I found this a little short sighted. Definite points dropped there.

In the morning we made our way up to the pool area which is where the breakfast was served. The included breakfast was a wide selection, continental buffet style. As this was turning into something of a foodie weekend, it was a pleasant change to eat a little lighter, and a little healthier at breakfast. Plates of fresh fruit, delicious homemade granola, and yoghurt made for a good start to the day. Oh, and I finally got a real coffee, the usual strong latte to kick start my engine.

The food theme continued at dinner, at the hotel’s “Rooftop Bar and Grill.” I was told that the prawn linguine was up there with the best ever. Perhaps THE best ever. By this point much wine had been drunk so I made a note to ask again in the morning. My chicken schnitzel was the size of a small boat, which in case you’re in any doubt, is a good thing in my book.

Returning again for dinner, on our final night, Victoria stuck to the script, and ordered the prawn linguine once more. I went for the burger. Again, top marks. Pink patty. Melted cheese. Messy to eat. Ticks all my boxes.

The hotel was very popular with families. The sheer number of small people I saw filled me with dread. However, as the pool area was quite small, I think most decided the beach was the best option. That left us in relative serenity to chill in the pool, and lounge the afternoon away with a cold drink, and our books.

The relaxing pool area at Bannisters Pavilion hotel in Mollymook

Things To Do in Mollymook in Summer – Dining

Rick Stein first visited this beautiful area on a trip in the 1960s, and with his wife Sarah having connections to the area, they opened up the first Rick Stein Australian restaurant in Mollymook in 2009. Visiting for dinner on a busy Saturday night we got to experience why this restaurant remains so popular. Being so close to the ocean, the menu is very heavily weighted towards the excellent produce freshly caught in the waters nearby. But the menu does also have a steak option should you decide that you can only each so much seafood in one weekend.

Our entrees were Hervey Bay scallops in the shell, and a dish of sashimi, which included tuna, salmon, and swordfish. Main course saw me having a fragrant, flavourful, and quite spicy salmon Sri Lankan curry, with pilau rice and a small naan bread. Victoria had a delicious fish pie. If only we were staying an extra day then I could have come back and tried the perennial favourite, fish and chips, which are served with mushy peas. As it should be.

Things to do in Mollymook include lunch at the excellent Cupitt's vineyard — Restaurant at Cupitt’s

Australia Day, which fell on the Sunday, saw us heading out to Cupitt’s (cupitt.com.au) winery. And what a good decision that was. Of the many things to do in Mollymook, this is another of my recommendations. Set in a beautiful location, with sweeping views across the hills of Milton, we had a lunch reservation in the restaurant. On site there is also a cellar door, a brewery (making excellent pale ale), a fromagerie, and large picnic areas.

Lunch was an “Australia Day special”, costing $85 each for 3 courses, with $5 of every meal going to a local charity. Providing the entertainment out in the picnic areas was a local band, Soul Tonic. The entertainment was part of a ticketed event, with all proceeds going to the same charity. A definite feel good afternoon. The food in the restaurant was excellent, and was complemented by a bottle of Cupitt’s own Pinot Gris. Suitably stuffed, and with an elegant sufficiency, we made the short drive back to Bannisters Pavilion.

Things to Do in Mollymook in Summer – Spa Day

Spa day at Bannisters by the Sea in Mollymook — And chill…

In a list of relaxing things to do to start your day, surely a spa morning would be right up there. An hour of pure relaxation, being gently pummeled, making you forget all your worries, and that you have only managed to have one coffee so far.

The spa is located at the sister hotel, Bannisters by the Sea. A short stroll from the Pavilion, the spa was just the ticket for my tired, and tense muscles. It is easy to forget how working at a laptop all day can affect both your posture, and the muscles around your shoulders. The next hour was spent having this tension slowly teased out of my body. The facial, and hot oil head massage was a great way to finish.

Things To Do in Mollymook in Summer – The Local Area

Just 5kms back up the Princes Highway, the historic town of Milton is well worth a visit. Park up, and spend the afternoon browsing the boutiques, local craft shops, and the very good food and drink options. Be strong, drive straight past the Heritage Bakery without stopping, and save your appetite for something a little more adventurous than a meat pie. Even if said pies are delicious.

We had lunch at Annabels cafe which had much more of a country town feel than some of the more, hipper looking cafes. There is a reason this area of the South Coast is saturated with visitors from Sydney, and the number of establishments that cater to this market is high. Annabels was a little more down to earth, serving “proper grub” and a delicious mango smoothie.

Holiday on your doorstep

What the weekend highlighted, without any doubt, is that we don’t always have to get on a plane to take a holiday. Putting aside the concerns for the environment, just don’t tell Greta Thunberg I said that, and the associated carbon footprint of flying, there are a multitude of other reasons to holiday at home. Local businesses need as much tourism as possible if they are going to recover from the devastation of the bush fires. And the beautiful places, quiet beaches, and world class food available to us here in the lucky country made a holiday at home a no brainer.

The only question remaining is, where next?

My little love affair with Mudgee

January 13, 2020 by Fran Leave a Comment

Mudgee, in the time before the drought, and the bush fires. When my love affair with Mudgee started — Beautiful Mudgee, in the time before the drought

Driving up the highway it was clear to see that there had been bad fires. Both sides of the Castlereagh highway, the fields were scorched. Razed. Fields of green had become fields of black. It didn’t take too much imagination to picture how scary this must have been, just days ago, as bush fires ripped through the region. This fear was made real when Sharon at the cellar door at Burundulla vineyard shared a video on her phone of a Mudgee local and his partner driving through at the exact moment the fire jumped the highway. Frightening, even at a distance of some days. Even the roadkill, so prevalent on drives through the country, look to have suffered in unimaginable ways.

Coming to Mudgee, in the midst of the bush fire disaster taking over large swathes of Australia, family and friends understandably had lots of questions. Is it safe to travel to Mudgee? Is Mudgee affected by the bush fires? Are the Mudgee wineries affected? We are able to answer these, and other questions, including what there is to do in Mudgee and the surrounding towns. Where to stay, and why it is now more important than ever to visit regional towns like Mudgee, when every dollar spent in local businesses is critical. My little love affair with Mudgee was to continue.

My love affair with Mudgee started at Lowe Wines. — Lowe Wines – a firm favourite

We had come to Mudgee to escape the madness that is New Years Eve in the city. In the years I have lived in Sydney I have, like hundreds of thousands of others, joined the crush around Sydney Harbour. Trying to get a birds eye view of quite possibly the best fireworks display in the world. So, whilst I know first hand how impressive this spectacle is, I also know that I no longer want to spend the last day of any year down there again.

If there is an antithesis of the new year carnage on the Harbour, it must be the little country town of Mudgee in regional New South Wales. I have previously written about celebrating my Australian citizenship in Mudgee. Insulated from the city of Sydney by a 3 and half hour drive, up through the Blue Mountains, once here you could be on a different planet. A planet blessed with abundant wildlife and some of the best wines you will taste. The difference now, sadly, is that due to the changing climate, the vines are at risk, and I’m saddened to hear from locals that the animals are just giving up. Just laying down to die. Through lack of water, and lack of green grass to graze on. The heart breaks.

The effects of the changing climate is evident everywhere. Each time we have visited Mudgee in the past, as we broach the hill and descend in to the valley near Windamere dam, we are usually greeted by a lush carpet of green. As far as the eye can see. Green fields stretching out and away as far as the mountains that surround this beautiful little town. This year we audibly gasped as we were met by a landscape that could have been from Australia’s desert. Colours that would not have looked out of place on a long drive through the Nullarbor. Every shade of brown, only punctuated by black. The tell tale signs of the fires. Apart from the trees that have managed to keep the majority of their green leaves, the ground was dry as a bone. Mudgee was in the middle of a very long drought.

My love affair of Mudgee continues, even through the latest drought and bush fires. — The dry landscape of Mudgee

In the middle of this drought, and as the fires raged, tourists stayed away. A town like Mudgee relies heavily on the influx of visitors that spend money in local shops and at the cellar doors. If businesses are to survive, tourists need to keep coming. And so, having made sure we were not in danger, we drove to Mudgee to “reset our senses”, to borrow the tagline of the local tourist board.

My little love affair with Mudgee continues with the discovery of Tom's Cottage in Wilgowrah. — Tom’s Cottage – Wilgowrah

Our senses were going to be reset at “Tom’s Cottage” in Wilgowrah (www.wilgowrah.com.au), a short 5 minute drive from the centre of Mudgee. A self contained cottage, with sweeping views of the Mudgee hills, we were in the right place to quietly celebrate the end of the year together, and to chat through our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. The cottage is nestled in the gardens of the heritage listed Wilgowrah homestead, and is their first offering. Plans are underway to convert a small nearby church in to accommodation which will make for a very unique stay. One evening, take the 4 wheel drive buggy up the hill, with a bottle of wine, and have a picnic, watching the sunset.

Each stay in Mudgee is unique, even just for the pace of life there. No traffic lights. You heard that right. Can you imagine it? And after being there a while, especially coming from the city, you start noticing the absence of something. It takes you a while to realise you have not heard a car horn in the time you have been here. It has sadly become part of everyday life in Sydney, even if a driver has the temerity to take more than 2 seconds to move once the lights have turned green. City people must be in such a rush.

Slowing down in Mudgee, we took the push bikes out. Very little traffic. No car horns. And a very flat landscape. Cycling down country lanes was such a pleasant experience, stopping to chat to the local goats and horses. Every kilometre we cycled we promised ourselves another glass of wine.

Cycling through the country lanes of Mudgee

That was a lot of wine, starting at a cellar door we hadn’t previously visited. Elephant Mountain wines (www.elephantmountain.com.au) have not had a cellar door in Mudgee for very long, with the vines being in the neighbouring town of Lue. The cellar door has been in Mudgee for just over a couple of years. In my opinion, it is a very welcome addition. Having discovered the wonders of Pinot Gris in New Zealand, I was very pleasantly surprised to taste one of such quality here in Mudgee. Needless to say, some made their way home with us.

Elephant Mountain cellar door, now in the heart of Mudgee. — Elephant Mountain cellar door

Talking of quality wines, next up was one of our favourite vineyards in Mudgee. Lowe wines (www.lowewine.com.au) have made us feel very welcome each time we visit the cellar door. The very first time we visited we were supplied with a seemingly endless amount of wine. On a tasting. Which effectively means it is free. However, this is hospitality at its best as what often happens, and it did on that first visit, is that we get to taste how great the wine is, we end up slightly tipsy, and then buy almost every bottle available when we leave. Everybody is happy. It is just this kind of hospitality that keeps us returning time and again to Lowe. Oh, and did I mention that they do an awesome grazing board?

In the heart of Mudgee, the Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant — Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant

Suitably stuffed from an afternoon at Lowe, we save our next food experience for the following day. Our first visit to the Pipeclay Pumphouse restaurant (www.pipeclaypumphouse.com.au), out at the Robert Stein winery. From the outside it looks like a tin shed. One that graces many a paddock across Australia. Inside is where the magic happens. You can look forward to a spectacular menu and first class service. We opted for the tasting menu but you would be just as happy choosing from the excellent a la carte options. As you would expect, the wine list is made up of a selection that are made right there on site. We chose the 2019 Riesling and it was superb. Hints of mineral, lemon and lime, and a very smooth finish. Luckily for me, it wasn’t my day to be the designated driver.

Food at the Pipeclay Pumphouse in Mudgee — The food was delicious

Food. Wine. Rest. Relaxation. You truly do get the opportunity to reset your senses when you spend time in Mudgee. Life slows down to a very enjoyable pace. Nothing is urgent. Nothing is rushed. Is it any wonder that I have a little love affair with Mudgee? Each time I leave, I feel like I leave a piece of myself behind. I am always driving away wondering when I can be driving back. Next time I visit, I hope to bring a little rain with me.

Looking back on 2019, and ahead to 2020

January 6, 2020 by Fran Leave a Comment

In January last year I posted my “having a retrospective on 2018” post. So, it is about time that I did the same, looking back on 2019, and ahead to 2020. Time to brew up a strong coffee, sit back, and reflect on the year that just passed.

A lot has happened in the last year. It has been a year I have been happy with, for a number of reasons. As always, like every good retrospective, there are a few areas that could improve. But isn’t that the same with everyone?

The first item on last year’s list is one such area of improvement. Seeing a recent Facebook post by a good friend reminded that yet again, I have failed to get on a surfboard. The surf lesson I keep promising myself has again failed to materialise. Maybe this is one that I will just dream of, and never get around to, much like the cabbage soup diet.

Looking back on 2019, and the surf boards of the Sea Garden cafe in Margaret River

Other areas of improvement from last year’s retro have fared much better. Every year I have a perennial “must do”, which is to do a yoga class. And thanks to my better half, I have finally ticked this off. In fact, you could say I have smashed it, with many classes now done in a couple of different styles of yoga. For the more active of you, I would recommend Vinyasa Flow. Sure to get the heart pumping and you contorting yourself into all manner of positions, you leave one of these classes knowing you have had a workout. For those of us getting to the stage where it is hard just getting out of bed, I would recommend finishing your work week with Yin Nidra yoga. A relaxing blend of easy movement and falling asleep. Literally. The last 10 minutes of every class ends with the instructor handing out blankets, turning down the lights, and zoning out.

I started the year wanting to do more writing, and again this has been a success. I have completed a couple of creative writing courses, and a travel writing course, allowing me to practice my craft a lot more. I have now set myself the target of getting a travel article published so I can officially call myself a “freelance travel writer”. I almost got one of my blogs published in the Halifax Evening Courier, but that has yet to come to fruition. I also kept up my daily journal, both digitally in the DayOne app, and also a brief summary of each day in a hand written journal. A great way to end the day, scribbling what I have learnt, and what I am grateful for.

Looking back on the year, reflecting in a daily journal — Making a habit of gratitude

As the tagline of my blog says, “go someplace new every year”, and this year the big destination was South Africa. You may have seen the blogs I wrote from safari and the rest of that amazing trip. A trip that has left me with a lifetime of memories. If a safari is on your “to do” list, I would heartily encourage you move it up the priority list. It is life changing.

Looking back on 2019, celebrating on South Africa — Celebrating on safari in South Africa

I visited the Philippines for the first time, with a very productive work trip to Manila, where I created, and delivered a 2 day training program to a client. A very rewarding experience.

A great visit to the UK to meet up with family also provided the opportunity to get to Nice, in the south of France, a city I had not previously visited. Much of that trip is a wine fuelled haze, but I think we had a good time. I had 8 nights in the Greek Islands to recover.

When does a “boy’s trip” become an “bloke’s trip?”

The good time may have contributed to another, less than successful item on last year’s list, which was to drop 4kgs in weight. I will carry this target into 2020 but I won’t hit it if I continue to munch on mince pies and Quality Street long after Christmas has finished. I did suffer with a suspected parasite in my stomach before Christmas that resulted in me losing 3kgs, but alas, the sneaky buggers have returned. The weight, not the parasite.

Last year I wrote of wanting to have my first cold Christmas in over 6 years, but this didn’t happen. We had the day itself, celebrating my birthday, on the beach at Balmoral. Cold beer and a paddle in the sea becoming something off a tradition. Having received the trip as a surprise birthday present, on Boxing Day we then jetted off to Hamilton Island, in Queensland, for 3 nights pure relaxation at The Beach Club. Will 2020 be the year that I finally get another cold Christmas?

I continue to read as many books as possible, having reached a grand total of 122 in 2019. My reading interests vary a lot and I tend to have 3 or 4 books on the go at once. On the bedside table is often a heavy (sometimes literally) historical, or biographical book. Something to help me unwind and sleep. I can recommend the most recent one I finished which was “George Orwell – A Life”, by Bernard Crick. I tend to read a lot of business books, and in the gym I run to a light, easy audiobook. Maybe this will be the year I restart, and finish, Middlemarch.

This year also brought perhaps the biggest change in my life. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Victoria. Over dinner at the rather excellent Bennelong, in the Sydney Opera House, I finally put a ring on it. Victoria agreed to become my wife. I wonder if she knows what she is letting herself in for? I have definitely got the better end of the deal. We have no immediate plans for a wedding so please don’t be asking me if you should start shopping for hats.

Looking back on 2019, and a great dinner at Bennelong in Sydney — Bennelong, Sydney

In summary, I had an excellent and productive 2019. I faced in to new career challenges, switching back to a permanent role at a small consultancy at the start of the year. The role I have is also very different to the last 15 years of my life during which time I was a project manager. I am now working with organisations, and teams, in how they can work more effectively. The coaching side of the role is something that I am really enjoying. Au revoir to status reports and steering committees.

Whilst fully enjoying life, I also managed to maintain my health and fitness. All this despite doing my best to sample every bottle of wine produced in Australia (and South Africa).

And I convinced someone to make an honest man of me.

This year, my 49th year on the planet, is shaping up to be another good one. Back to work to keep growing myself, and even more importantly to bank some dollars for future trips. I will continue writing blogs, and now also travel articles, and I will let you know how I get on with publishing that first article. I would like to do some form of retreat this year and am always open to your suggestions and recommendations. I am thinking about meditation and yoga. Meditation is something I continue to do, although I don’t do enough of it.

Looking back on 2019, and ahead to 2020, the thought of the year ahead fills me with happiness, and curiosity to where it will take me.

Watch this space.

Cape Town for first time visitors

December 21, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

The sun sets on another great day in Cape Town — Another great Cape Town sunset

First impressions

Our first venture through the city streets was a little tentative. A few extra checks over the shoulder. Maybe a little jumpy when someone jumped out asking for money. In and around the city bowl, where we were staying, we had already seen a lot of poverty. The taxi from the airport took a rather circuitous route to our Airbnb. Isn’t this taxi drivers the world over? And we had been taken down Longmarket Street, seeing the extent of the homeless refugees, camped out on the streets, in and around the church. I had just spent a glorious, luxurious, 6 days chasing animals, and chasing wines. If ever it was time to reflect on how privileged we are, that time would be now. We were about to experience Cape Town as first time visitors.

Cape Town has quite a reputation, on a number of fronts. Depending on who you talk to, you could either be in for a definite mugging, knife attack, or carjacking, or you could be in for the holiday of a lifetime, with amazing scenery, world class wines, and fine dining to rival anything you have previously had. A South African colleague of mine had primed me with every scare story he could think of it was surprising I wasn’t a nervous wreck from the moment I touched down.

Picture postcard perfect, Table Mountain in Cape Town, perfect for first time visitors — Picture postcard perfect

The V&A waterfront

With bags dropped at our city centre apartment, we walked down to the V&A Waterfront, which took me a few days to work out mean’t the Victoria and Alfred waterfront. Attracting over 20 million visitors a year, the oldest working harbour in the southern hemisphere has been converted into a multi use leisure precinct, teeming with bars and restaurants. Only a 30 minute walk from the city bowl, where we were staying, it could have been a million miles away, and is a great example of the inequality in South Africa. Something we saw all through our 10 day trip.

Surrounded by the majestic Table Mountain, the 2010 World Cup final football stadium, and the sea, this is an area that you should visit whilst in Cape Town. If you have a spare R20,300 (approx $2,000) you can stay in the area and have one (yes, just 1) night in one of the cheapest rooms at the Silo Hotel. Trust me, this looks better on the inside, as an old silo mill has been faithfully restored to hold a luxury hotel. We had sunset drinks on the rooftop one evening but were caught unawares by the wind, taking the shine off the experience.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to the Silo hotel, if you can afford it — The Silo hotel

Did someone say food?

One of the best experiences that South Africa has to offer, less obvious than the animals on safari, and the wineries of Franschhoek, is the world class food it serves up. Having read up on this, and having a travel partner who is on top of her Instagram game, we, or should I say she, had the foresight to book a table for dinner at the fabulous Pot Luck Club (http://thepotluckclub.co.za/). Situated on the top floor of an old silo, in the Biscuit Mill, Pot Luck Club is the sister restaurant to The Test Kitchen (https://www.thetestkitchen.co.za/home). Knowing that the Test Kitchen has been on such illustrious lists as the Best Restaurants of the year, and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, we knew it had good pedigree. We weren’t disappointed. Oh boy, what a night.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Pot Luck Club

Robben Island

The day after, in a more sombre mood, we made our way back to the waterfront to join the Robben Island tour. Robben Island, located just 7 kilometres off the coast of Cape Town, is where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of the 27 years he spent in prison. Tours depart 4 times a day, offering a 3.5 hour round trip by boat. On the island you are joined by a former inmate who shows you around the prison buildings, including Mandela’s old cell, whilst recounting his experiences as a prisoner on the island. It is moving, frustrating and deeply maddening all at the same time to hear of the injustices of the time.

Robben Island, Cape Town for first time visitors — Long walk to freedom

Getting out of the city

Whilst the previous day on Robben Island left us in a very reflective mood, today was about joining an organised tour and heading out of the city. We spent the day touring along the coast, driving along the breathtaking Chapmans Peak, probably the most scenic drive in the world. Over the course of a fun day, albeit rather over narrated by our enthusiastic driver, we spent time at the Cape of Good Hope (where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet), Hout Bay, and Boulders Beach.

Pick up a penguin

Now let me say right here, Boulders Beach was THE main reason for the day trip. It was the stop I had been told by Vik that was non negotiable. Whilst planning the trip, back in Sydney, Boulders Beach had always featured very high on the list of things to do. And when you get there, and walk amongst the thousands of African penguins, it all made sense. For some reason these African penguins settled on this sheltered beach in 1982 and it has been home to them ever since, drawing in hordes and hordes of tourists.

Cape Town for first time visitors should include a visit to Boulders Beach

Time for tea, high tea

Escaping the crowds, the day after saw us celebrating what had been a great holiday. One that surpassed all my expectations. And we were going out on a high with a sparkling high tea at the venerable Cape Grace hotel. Regular readers of the blog will no doubt know of my quest to find Sydney’s best high tea and that I always like to try out new ones. And receive your recommendations. In the hushed interior of The Library in the hotel we enjoyed a glass of sparkling MCC (South Africa’s excellent champagne style bubbles) and a tower of decadent delights. Did it hit the heights of the Devonshire Arms in Yorkshire? Maybe the lack of proper clotted cream just let it down.

Table Mountain

What visit to Cape Town is complete without a trip up to the top of Table Mountain? Saying goodbye to our friendly, Manchester United supporting Uber driver, we headed over and joined the queue of people that had the foresight to pre-book tickets online. This did in fact save us quite a bit of time as the queuing system for the cable car ride up is slightly chaotic. With a rotating internal cabin that holds up to 60 people at a time, the ride itself is quite daunting. Climbing to heights of and being unable to hold on to the sides, as they keep rotating around, the trip is quite discombobulating.

Until the next time

All good things come to an end, and alas the same was true for this amazing holiday. We had seen the best on offer in Cape Town for first time visitors. We still had one last morning to fill and where better to spend it than at another Instagram favourite of Vik’s. Jason Bakery (@jasonbakerycpt) posts pictures on Instagram that look so good you often find yourself licking your screen. I can confirm that they taste as good as they look, and are well complemented with some of the best coffee I had on the whole trip. We even snuck a couple in the bag to enjoy at the airport ahead of flying home.