Dad down under: a weekend of culture

Safely back from our trip to Tropical Northern Queensland, Dad had a flurry of activities to keep him busy.
We spent a Saturday afternoon at Circular Quay before heading to the Opera House to hear the Sydney Symphony Orchestra perform Ravel's Romances.
It was fantastic - Dad loved it and he was pretty chuffed to be able to see a performance in such an iconic building.
From there we headed up to the Sydney Football Stadium to watch the NSW Waratahs take on the NZ Hurricanes in the season opener of the Super 14s season in Sydney.
This was a birthday gift to Dad from my brother, and we had a fantastic time.
Sunday saw us partaking in a game of barefoot bowls at Camperdown Bowling Club.
I'd been wanting to try this for ages and it was brilliant!
I was pretty dreadful, but we had a great couple of hours on the rink before retiring to our local Vietnamese restaurant.

Dad down under: The Great Barrier Reef

My sister and I decided to treat Dad to a trip to the Great Barrier Reef to celebrate his 60th birthday.
We based ourselves in Cairns and spent our first full day on a day-cruise/snorkel trip to Michaelmas Cay with Ocean Spirit.
Dad and I had a great time on the boat, and of course trying our hand at snorkeling on the reef.
The boat was awesome, the weather amazing and we had a real day to remember.
While up in Cairns I had organised a helicopter ride over the reef for Dad and I, to get another perspective of this remarkable area.
It was an amazing experience. I let Dad take the front seat with the pilot, but we got some amazing views of Green Island, Arlington Reef and Ribbon Reef.

Dad down under: The Hunter Valley

Dad's first non-Sydney trip was a couple of days winetasting in the Hunter, follwed by a couple of days with cousins in Warners Bay.
I'm a huge fan of the Hunter so was thrilled to be able to take Dad to my favourite wineries - the Iron Gate Estate and Peterson's Champagne House.
He was pretty impressed with the quality of wine in the region, although despite his best efforts was unable to successfully get a case of the Hunter's finest sent to his Spanish home.

Without doubt, the highlight of the Hunter trip was the accommodation.
I'd booked the Mount View Lodge perched high on the Brokenback Range. It was the last word in luxury with a stunning outlook.

Dad down under: turning 60

February has been dominated by my dad's first ever trip to Australia.
He arrived the day before his 60th birthday, so I've been keen to show him the best points of my chosen country.
We kicked off the birthday celebrations with a trip to see the outstanding Billy Elliot musical, followed by a swanky dinner at Wildfire restaurant at Circular Quay.
Both were fantastic choices and we had an absolute ball. Shame it's rained most the month ...