Posted on Wednesday, 4 November 2015

"You'll be able to enjoy the delicious wines of the Yarra Valley soon enough," I told Brian. But he wasn't interested in wine. He was already on his second whiskey despite the fact we had only been in the air for twenty minutes. He wasn't drinking for the taste: the poor love hates flying and it was going to be a long journey. Twenty-two hours according to the little screens in front of us.

Jitters at 36,000 Feet

Normally Brian doesn't get nervous until he actually boards a plane. But this time the jitters started a little earlier – on the Tube to Heathrow as we traversed a dismal, grey west London. He had been as excited as me about visiting our daughter ‘Down Under', but had been a little perturbed by a last-minute change of plan by Laura, who we were planning to meet in Melbourne. She had phoned to ask if we could meet in Sydney instead, just a few of days later than we had agreed; she was going to be delayed, but she didn't say why.

No problem, I told her, but Brian was less enthusiastic; he wanted to see her as much as possible during our three week trip to Australia.

Luckily, the Scotch worked its magic and he fell asleep somewhere over Beirut. He was fortunate. Even though flying doesn't scare me, I find it very hard to sleep 36,000 feet in the air. And so I set about watching all the Hollywood blockbusters I had missed over the last year or so, nudging Brian occasionally when his snores grew too loud.

I managed to get an hour of sleep before we landed in Hong Kong for our connecting flight to Melbourne. On arrival in the Victorian capital I have to say the dazzling sunshine was rather wasted on me. I should have been delighted to be in bright, warm Australian sun after drizzly, cold England, but I felt exhausted and groggy, as if I, not Brian, had been sampling the world's finest Scotch marques.

Beating Jet Lag with Luxury

Melbourne Chinatown, Australia (dbajurin/Bigstock.com)

Thankfully, we had booked into a wonderful hotel called Mantra on Russell, located in Chinatown, right in the heart of Melbourne. Our spacious room included access to a pool, spa and sauna, although it wasn't until our second day that I actually tried the pool; it had been 12 years since my last visit to Australia and I had forgotten just how disagreeable jet lag could be. Brian, on the other hand, seemed to adapt to the time change pretty well.

For once, I was the grumpy one!

Brian took long walks around town while I rested. But soon I was able to enjoy the delights of the city's vibrant Chinatown for myself – along with the Victorian capital's many other attractions.

Hosier Lane in Melbourne, Australia (FiledIMAGE/Bigstock.com)

The Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great

Of these, our trip to the National Gallery of Victoria was of particular note. We had planned to see Masterpieces from the Hermitage: The Legacy of Catherine the Great weeks beforehand. An incredible collection paintings from Titian, Rembrandt and Van Dyke along with other opulent items such as dinner sets and jewellery. Russia's Hermitage was also emulated with painted walls and special floor tiles. Amazing.

Royal Botanic Gardens

But Australia, as I kept telling Brian back in England, is really about the outdoors. With this in mind, we headed for the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is surely one of the finest botanic gardens I have been to. This oasis in the heart of Melbourne boasts rolling grassy areas, mighty trees (with comic-faced fruit bats) and even punt rides on the gardens' tranquil lake. We loved it so much we returned the next day with a picnic, discussing our forthcoming trip to Sydney to meet our daughter – and why she had changed the meeting time and place.

Yarra Valley Wine Tasting

The day before our overnight train journey to Sydney, we booked a trip that would combine the great outdoors with one of our other favourite pursuits: wine tasting. And the Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour did not disappoint. Set in glorious Victorian countryside, our knowledgeable guide Ben answered all our questions and introduced us to some lovely wines. After our successful summer wine tasting trip to the Dordogne, Brian was most appreciative of these tipples. We were also taken to a fantastic cheese farm, which helped to mop up some of that wine!

Melbourne to Sydney by Overnight Train

Given our enthusiastic imbibing in the Yarra Valley, we were rather glad we'd opted for the overnight train to Sydney, rather than the day journey. True, we wouldn't get to see the lovely landscapes that lay between these two great cities – but we reminded ourselves we could take the day train back when it was time to fly home. The overnight train decision seemed even wiser when the Mantra's affable manager said we could check out late at no extra charge.

The plane would have been quicker of course, but we both had our fill of those for the time being.

At Melbourne's curvy-roofed Southern Cross Station we boarded the evening sleeper and found our relatively spacious 'Twinette' with a sofa, above which two bunk beds folded out. The bathroom was tiny, but good enough for us. Soap and towels were provided.

Before turning in for the night, we ordered food in the buffet car at reasonable prices. Apparently they have a convection oven on board, which was presumably why the penne Bolognese pie and beef stew pickle both tasted pretty fresh. After a glass of Australian red (naturally) we were ready to sleep.

Arrival in Sydney

Sydney, Australia (lovleah/Bigstock.com)

12 hours after our departure the train rolled in to a sunny Sydney Central. We had both slept rather well and had an extra spring in our step because we finally were in Sydney – a place I hadn't seen for over decade and a city Brian had never seen at all. But more than anything, we were thrilled at the prospect of meeting Laura a few hours later. After all, we hadn't seen her for nine months!

Luxury at the 1888

However, if we hadn't been careful we might have been late for our harbour-side meeting, so enamoured were we with our King Deluxe room at the 1888 hotel – set beside the delightful Cockle Bay. The friendly staff let us check in early and gave us a welcome pack including free happy hour drinks for later. The room included a free mini bar and snacks – and we would breakfast for free too. The room itself was comfortable and modern and even included access to an iPad – although we only used it once to check for any last minute emails from Laura.

Sydney Opera House

Thankfully, there were no changes of plan, so in the late afternoon we began the 40 minute stroll across to Sydney Cove and the legendary and very beautiful Sydney Opera House. Brian emitted an uncharacteristic 'Wow!" as he caught his first glimpse of the majestic shell-like forms of the opera house to our right and the mighty Sydney Harbour Bridge to our left, made all the more magical for the warm early evening glow that lit the westward edges of these fine structures. It was even lovelier than I remembered it.

Sydney Opera House (victormaschek/Bigstock.com)

Meeting Laura

We had arranged to meet Laura on a promenade eatery called the Opera Kitchen. We were a little early so we sat down to peruse the menu, but were soon interrupted by a familiar voice: beaming down at us was Laura! As we embraced our daughter we tried to take in her altered appearance: she was tanned and her hair had grown out – and her wardrobe was far more 'Bohemian' than before.

But that wasn't all.

"Mummy, Daddy,” she said, “I'd like you to meet Noah." Beside our daughter was a tall, handsome young man who had presumably been the reason for our little angel's delay.

Delighted, I urged them both to sit down so I could begin asking questions about her travels in Australia - and learn more about this new love in her life. As the sun cast its loving glow over us, the harbour bridge and the opera house, the jolly reunion (assisted by some wonderful Australian wine) began in earnest. Laura had been picking peaches, she explained. Looking over at her new love interest, I had to agree!

Brian, however, was less enthusiastic.

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