Notes from 1991: Newmarket Hotel

Notes from 1991 trip – Newmarket Hotel

Mom and I went to Australia in 1991 to see my brother, Lael, who was early into what turned into about 10 years of working there. He was located in Melbourne, so that’s where we started. While Lael worked, Mom, Lael’s late wife, Sheila, and I flew to Alice Springs, with a side trip to Ayers Rock. After Alice, Sheila flew back to Melbourne and Mom and I flew to Adelaide – a city Mom had read about and wanted to see.

Way back in 1991 I blogged in a scrapbook, cutely titled “Bob and Bonnie’s Excellent Journey to Australia.” The following account is taken from that record:

In a guidebook, under the heading, Budget-Priced Accommodations, I learned about the Newmarket Hotel. It was called “absolutely charming, … one of our favorite low-price bargains in the entire country,” and described as a “hotel with genuine creaky character ... – it dates back about 130 years (at the time). The centerpiece is its wonderful, freestanding cedar spiral staircase swirling from the lobby to the upper floor.” All that and budget-priced, too! Couldn’t resist booking us there.

Well, we landed in late afternoon and boarded an airport bus taking passengers to various hotels. I got a little nervous when the driver didn’t know where the Newmarket was – I gave him the address. After dropping passengers off at various well-lit hotels, we proceeded down darkening streets and through shabbier surroundings. As we pulled up to our historic, budget-priced hotel, Mom said, “I think one night will be enough.”

We entered a dark, empty lobby. I roamed around, heard noise from the kitchen and then a cook came out to greet us. He led us up one flight of the circular staircase to the manager’s apartment. Happily, the mgr. was a young pleasant type, not Boris Karloff or Anthony Perkins, or we would have been out of there. He assured us that this was an operating hotel, checked us in, and invited us to dinner in the restaurant.

We climbed the circular staircase to our room, which was a little spooky – high ceiling; peeling, water-stained green velvet wallpaper, tacky furnishings. But, hey, the price was right. And, just look at that spiral staircase!

The restaurant was another eerie experience. Nobody was there, and this was the dinner hour, and nobody came in while we were there. Nevertheless, they had an elaborate salad bar laid out for dozens of people. We had a great meal and a nice visit with the manager and the only waitress. Manager said the plan was soon to convert the rooms to offices – we conjectured that Mom and I might be the last people to stay there, if you know what I mean.

I went along with Mom and decided that we would leave the next morning for Melbourne – without seeing any (more) of the city she wanted to see. I’m sure we slept fitfully. (In hindsight, the next morning we should have hied ourselves to the nearest Holiday Inn.) We were taking a bus/train combo trip to Melbourne – see some of the country that way -- and were able to move our departure up one day.

The manager had never heard of the bus/train thing, but arranged to have a cab pick us up at 630 am and take us to the bus station by 700 am. When I talked to the manager I didn't have the bus station address -- figuring that there must be only one station and that would be where we go. Overnight, though, I got an address for the station. The cab picks us up – it’s still dark – and I give the driver the address of our bus departure point. He does a doubletake, turns down an alley, and there we are at our bus pick up point – a sidewalk one short block from the hotel! By now you can see that my haphazard, ill-informed trip planning has been a long-time in developing. A few more passengers gathered, I walked back to get a picture of the Newmarket, the bus came, and we journeyed back to Melbourne.

I've thought occasionally of writing this story up for a travel magazine, but never did. Too late now, but thanks to the internet, it can now be told.

Hope to check out the Newmarket when the Indian Pacific stops in Adelaide. Will let you know what I find.

Cheers,

Rob

2. Plans - Lodging and Tours

Sydney.

Many of you know I’m something of a sucker for historic hotels, sometimes disguised as run-down. Elsewhere I’ll recap the 1991 visit Mom and I made to the historic and spooky Newmarket Hotel in Adelaide, Australia. I hope to check it out when the Indian Pacific makes its Adelaide stop. In New Zealand in 2003 Susie and I stayed in the historic Brian Boru Hotel in Thames. Susie still tells people about that experience in colorful terms. (You have to know that “hotel” in the southern hemisphere British colonies often means “pub,” at least for the main order of business.)

Nevertheless, I searched Sydney lodging websites and Frommer’s for something Sydney-unique, rather than a standard chain. Found the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel. It is Sydney’s “oldest continually licensed hotel.” Dates back to 1831 and has now “been restored to its former grandeur,” the website says. It’s in the historic Rocks district, not far from the Circular Quay which is the hub for harbor ferries. Just hope it has a couple of beds for us, as we’ve been assured.

I think we’ll do conventional harbor and city tours in Sydney. Maybe the harbor bridge climb. There’s a tour bus through the city that you can board and exit as you desire all day. We’ll just let the agenda develop on the fly for a couple of days.

We have signed up for a Blue Mountain OzTrek that explores the mountains to the west of Sydney. Includes some bushwalking opportunities. Nice pictures on the website.

Indian Pacific Train

Some have asked if we’ll be on the train continuously for three days. Answer: No. There are whistle stop tours in Broken Hill (former silver mining center), Adelaide, Kilgoorlie (gold mining), and Perth.

Uluru

As mentioned in previous post, we’ll do a sunset tour soon after we get there. There are various possibilities for the next morning. In 1991 I did the Ayers Rock climb – got the pictures and poster. I’ve read recently, though, that the Aboriginal people to whom the area belongs prefer that people not climb on their holy site. Alternatives are hikes or drives around the rock and the nearby Olga Mountains – more large red outcroppings, taller but not as massive as Uluru. In 1991 I took an airplane flight over the area that was dramatic. Now, our other option is a helicopter flight over both Uluru and the Olgas. Dick’s a former pilot so that appealed to him. I debated a little, thinking I might prefer climbing or hiking, but then decided to take the chopper flight, too.

Non-holy Uluru memory: In 1991 our guide told us that the record for the fastest climb of Ayers Rock was held by a New Zealander who was told there was a sheep at the summit. Having spent four months in New Zealand, 4 million people, 50 million sheep, I have greater appreciation for that comment.

The tourist village a few miles from the Rock, has accommodations ranging from backpacker to luxury resort. Mom, Sheila, and I stayed in a campground cabin in ‘91, which was fine, so that’s what Dick and I are doing.

Cairns

Something I read made Cairns, the departure point for Great Barrier Reef tours, sound sort of tacky (there are a variety of travel websites that feature traveler reviews of wherever people go). Frommer’s identified some beach accommodations further up the coast, so we opted for the Ellis Beach Bungalows, about a half-hour away. Will mean we need to rent a car to get back and forth and spend more time driving, but it looks pretty attractive. Don’t know how much beach time we will have, but will try to make the most of it. We're staying there two nights; then a night in Cairns in order to be near train depot for early departure the following morning.

There are lots of Barrier Reef tours to choose from. Friends at church, Gib and Kay Richards, advised us to take the Great Barrier Reef Adventure and Green Island tour, so we are. Options include snorkeling and scuba diving on the reef plus some beach time on Green Island, near Cairns.

Now, here’s the biggest surprise, so far. In 1991, I knew that a HS classmate was living somewhere in Australia, but I thought (statistically), It’s a big country, not much chance ole Dan will be where I’m going, so I didn’t pursue it. After I got home, I found out he was in Melbourne, just where we’d been to see my brother. Drats!

This time I checked the faculty website at Monash University, where Dan had been. Not there now. So, I Googled Dan Irby and up popped Dan Irby’s Mangrove Adventures – on the Daintree River, about an hour and a half north of Cairns. He started this venture in 1993. A little e-mail back and forth and Dan’s going to devote a full day to showing just Dick and me his river and his house. Something makes me think his house may be an adventure, too -- the following picture may provide a hint.

Just now I noticed Dan’s website has a Frommer’s icon, so I looked in my Frommer’s and found a big, enthusiastic write-up for his river tour. It even mentions his Oklahoma origins! Thank you, Google.

Now, what about this Tilt Train? you may ask. Is tilting good? Well, that enables it to go fast. According to Wikipedia the Tilt Train operates at about 100 mph. But, after a derailment in 2004 it was restricted to 60 mph. That was the status last I checked a couple of months ago. Now I see that it was restored to full speed on June 18, 2007. All right! Thank you, Wikipedia.

Them’s the plans, basically. Thought that getting this sort of background info on record now would save some time in writing up our daily adventures on location.

G’day Mates,

Rob