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Singapore

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A last day in Singapore - no blue skies this time but still very hot and humid. My flight yesterday was stuck in a traffic jam in the sky due to thunderstorms and I got to the hotel fairly late. Today I visited some places I missed last time including the National Museam of Singapore, where I learnt some history, Raffles Hotel (though not the famous Long Bar as there was a 30min wait to get in the door!) and the Merlion statue. The merlion is a mythical beast invented by the Singapore tourist board in the 1960s!  I also went to the Flower Dome, supposedly the world's largest greenhouse. There are several permanent gardens but the best bit by far was the temporary display of sunflowers set in Jaipur. I've always associated sunflowers with France rather than India but there you are! There were plenty of marigolds thrown in for good measure and it reminded me of my trips to Nepal. The Gardens by the Bay are under construction for an upcoming Winter Wonderland (Christmas decoration...
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Melbourne

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I dropped the hire car off at Melbourne Airport, always a bit of a stress but I managed to get into the right lanes in the right time. I stashed my bag at the airport (for a fraction of the price UK places charge!) and took the bus into Melbourne to enjoy my last day in Australia. I visited Queen Victoria Market and some shops and areas I didn't see before. I even rode the trams but unfortunately could catch a heritage one. Then I found myself back at the river where I enjoyed watching the rowers, reading and soaking up the sun before I return to a Yorkshire autumn. I counted nine rowing clubs next to each other, all looking very nice and meaning lots of activity was going on.  Before heading back to the airport I popped back into the art gallery as I enjoyed it last time and there was far too much to see in one visit.  I'm staying at Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn which is much nicer, and cleaner, than last night's accommodation and you can actually walk to the terminals. I...
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Coolaroo

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I was sad to leave the little house on the hill and its beautiful views, parrots and kookaburras. I was less sad to put some space between myself and the tiger snake who lived under the chicken coop. I did see him and he was quite pretty colours but being very venomous I was wary of our close quarters! The owner had put a call in to "the snake guy" to see if he could be relocated as he is eating the eggs!  I drove to a hotel fairly near Melbourne Airport as I need to return the car tomorrow morning. On the way I stopped at Alowyn Gardens which is 7 acres of different gardens and was really nice to look around. I missed the wisteria but lots of roses and irises were out. Weather forecast: warm and cloudy with occasional drizzle.  The drizzle turned into rain so I popped into a popular chocolate factory for a bit of a look round and lunch. My final stop was the town of Kangaroo Ground as it sounded nice and had an observation tower to view the hills. However, the tower was unde...
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Warby Rail Trail

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I collected a hire bike yesterday evening and cycled today to Seville and back (total 50km) on the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, aka the Warby Rail Trail. It was a gorgeous spring day and the cool morning soon heated up. The trail went through the farms, hills and vineyards of the Yarra Valley. I was glad I had a helmet on as I was swooped on by a magpie, another Australian rite of passage. Many aussies had cable ties or foam sticking out of their helmets to deter the magpies! It was a popular trail and there were many other cyclists, walkers and runners. A flat tyre shortly before Seville necessitated 1km of pushing and a bike swap. The new bike had fewer gears but a more comfortable saddle so I did alright out of it!  Cafe in an old railway carriage  Steps at Warburton and below a mural of a very evil looking platypus! 
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Warburton

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I stayed close to home today. Visited the 'Rainforest Gallery' which has a short elevated platform at canopy height and then a circular walkway through the forest visiting a creek. Its hard to take good photos of the rainforest as the trees keep getting in the way. I then visited a planted Californian Redwood forest. The trees were planted in avenues which looked very effective. Beyond the redwoods was natural rainforest and another beautiful stream.  Back to Warburton for lunch and a potter around the shops and the river walk. Now enjoying the wamth, sunshine and views from my accommodation. 
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