SAILING SYDNEY, FORMULA 1 STYLE

The America’s Cup Experience – now for everyone. Photo courtesy Sailing Sydney.

There are many ways to get out on Sydney Harbour, all of them good. You can take a ferry ride to Manly or (my preferred option) Watson’s Bay. You can scream in a jet-boat, paddle a kayak or cruise on a party boat with DJ and bar.

Or you can do as I just did, and take to the water on a thoroughbred racing yacht designed to win the America’s Cup. Thanks, Sailing Sydney, for having this landlubber aboard.

FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA – macchiato, gelato and gaol

Tourists troop cheerfully through the grim gates of Fremantle Prison.

Mevrouw T and I once spent a pleasant week in prison as guests of the WA government. We hadn’t done anything wicked, nor were we victims of any miscarriage of justice.

The Fremantle Prison was decommissioned in 1991, after nearly 150 years of operation. It is Western Australia’s only World Heritage-listed building and plans are afoot to convert one wing into a backpacker hostel.

The former women’s hospital is now an excellent Centre for Children’s Literature with gallery, meeting rooms and a comfortable apartment for the use of visiting authors and their families. I was delighted to accept the invitation to stay there.

Some have found it disturbing to be the only residents in a corner of the large sandstone complex, at night being free to wander onto the balcony, glass of wine in hand, to look out over the cells and exercise yards once occupied by hundreds of convicts. It certainly felt strange, but we rather enjoyed it.