Rob's 50th Dinner Party

The Olympus Palace restaurant in Pissouri was the venue for a dinner to celebrate Rob's 50th birthday.

A big thank you to Mandy for all her hard work and the ladies who helped her decorate the restaurant.

My thanks to all who attended and for all your good wishes, and special thanks to the "Milk tray man" for his gracious speech.

Dave and Lynne were kind enough to invite us to their company's annual dinner at the Aphrodite hills complex. The Food and company were superb and special thanks goes to the Girl who ate all the chocolate cake....You know who you are.

Rob's 50 th

Rob's 50th Birthday. The Old fella celebrated his half century with a few dinks with friends down the 1911 club.

Thanks to al who turned up, athe the gifts and card and all the mickey taking.

Hong Kong

Our second stopover was in Hong Kong.

We took a trip over to Hong Kong Island and wandered around the street markets, which are full of colour, noise and the locals doing their daily shopping.

We spent some time in the South Seas Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Cafe de Fontaine has a good selection of beer and food.

On our final day a thick fog enveloped the city and gave the skyscrapers a ghostly appearence as they tried to break through the haze.

Our final stopover was in Bahrain.

The Bahrain skyline is dominated by a huge number of building projects, especially on the coast of the City of Manama. Away from the coast you can still wander the small streets and alleyways of the old town and see how the locals go about their daily living.

Leaving Brisbane we started the long trek home to Cyprus with a stopover in Sydney.

We took a train down to the harbour, visited the Opera house and then visited several pubs in the 'Rocks' disrtict. The Fortune of war pub is the oldest pub in Sydney, dating back to 1828.

The News here in Australia has been dominated by the tragic bushfires in Victoria. The worst natural disaster in the country's history.

Brisbane

Leaving Surfers Paradise we drove onto our final destination of the road trip...The City of Brisbane.

Brisbane has made the most of it riverside location, with some good waterside walks, parks and even an inner City beach with man made lagoon. A must for any visitor is a boat trip down the Brisbane river, with great views of the City's skyline.

We took the train to the coastal resort of Manly, with its huge marina and spent a couple of hours cooling off in the local swimming pool.

Street entertainers in Brisbane

Sydney to Brisbane Road trip Facts

Days on Road....16

Distance covered... 1,804 km

CD most listened to.."Working on a dream" by Bruce Springsteen.

Surfers Paridise

Our next destination on our road trip was the famous Surfers Paradise,located on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, is one of the most iconic beach destinations in the country, known for its vibrant atmosphere, golden beaches, and towering skyscrapers.

Ourbase in Surfer paradise was an apartment in one of the tower blocks with superb views of the beach.

At the heart of Surfers Paradise is its famous beach, Surfers Paradise Beach, stretching for kilometers along the coastline. This wide expanse of golden sand is a haven for both surfers and beachgoers. The beach’s consistent waves make it one of the best places in Australia for surfing, and it has been a staple in the global surf culture for decades.

We picked up a ready made picnic and headed over to Paradise point for a relaxing afternoon.

The next day we decided to spend a day at the Races (horses) at the Gold Coast Turf Club, so we drove over ot racecourse, its a great place to spend a few hours with plenty of atmosphere and some colourful characters.

The Gold Coast Turf Club, located in Bundall, Queensland, is one of the premier racing venues on the Gold Coast. In 2009, the club was already well-established and had earned a reputation for hosting some of Queensland's biggest and most prestigious horse racing events. Its lush, green racecourse and modern facilities made it a popular destination for both seasoned racegoers and casual visitors looking to experience the excitement of live racing.

We both managed to back a couple of winners and came out even in the betting stakes.

 Memories of Surfer's Paradise