Ireland Road Trip (Week 1)

Hey all,

After looking into another blog site, we decided to stick to this one as it has better photo features etc. So it looks like we staying here.

It has been a few months since the last post. We have been working a fair bit with Cam doing some shift work and stuff, so not much has happened. We did get away a couple of days, but this has been our goal and we made it! Enjoy...

Well time is moving on and things are all happening at home with our family and friends. Let's hope they remember who we are when we get home?

So here we go, 2 weeks around Ireland in our trusty Peugeot 406 sedan, taking in as much as we can.

Day 1

We left SW4, London about 07:45 thinking we had allowed heaps of time. How we would be sadly mistaken! It took 1 ½ hours out of London. We had a reasonable until Birmingham and then heaps of rain and lots of traffic. The M6 is to be avoided, go the M6 bypass toll, (although didn’t know until after) worth it! We got to Ferry about 10 minutes before departure but too late. Gates closed 30 minutes prior to departure, little did we know! The next ferry wasn’t due to leave for another three hours. Due to the bad weather, it was delayed! So about 4 hours in Holyhead. Don’t spend any time here. Nothing too see!

Boarded our trusty Pug onto the boat and next stop Ireland. Onto the ferry at 18:00, 2 hour journey. Smooth ride over courtesy of Austal ships (West Australian ship builder), you beauty! The ferry pulled into Dublin about 20:00, on the road up to Belfast. Think we might have stayed here next time. The distances are not as far as Australia but they are more challenging and more tiring.

Soldiering on it was 2 hours smooth drive into Belfast, a couple of toll roads but worth it.
We had arrived in the outskirts of Belfast without a map and flat laptop. Off to Chinese delivery place for directions!

We eventually we arrived at out hostel around midnight. Stayed at HI Belfast. It was a really nice setup, everything was quite new and very secure. Free parking also! It was a shame the beds were crap otherwise we might have recommended it.

Day 2
A great breakfast in the morning. (besides having to pay for it)
It was raining Cats and Dogs, driving around the city we couldn’t find the tourist bureau, so we drove around a bit then went to the movies. We saw Oceans 13. Good movie and the price even better, only 3.50 pounds each!

It was then off to pick up Nat’s parents from the airport. They were delayed also because of the bad weather that has come through the UK and into Europe. Some floods and stuff, which they are still recovering from.

Fully loaded with stuff, we had 4 people and 6 peoples’ clothes. Talk about full! But the Pug pulled it all in its stride. What a beast. This thing really does well under load and in general. Very impressed with it so far…

After collecting our passengers time to head over meet Nat’s Irish relations in Lisburn near Belfast. Very nice people! Welcomed us with open arms. We enjoyed a huge BBQ dinner (not even the rain could stop us) and got to meet the other Irish cousins. After a huge meal it was time to head off to bed.

Day 3
We had the best nights sleep! Very peaceful out here. it is in the county overlooking rolling Irish hills.

Another great breakfast. The views from our window are soooo nice! (Little did we know what we would be seeing over the next couple of weeks)
The Irish certainly know how to feast for breakfast! Mary-Rose had the table set up for a lovely continental breakfast. She really should open her own B&B.

They are so amazingly hospitable! Plenty more to chat about Ireland. Into town for a bus tour around the city of Belfast.

We learnt heaps about Belfast and the massive highs and lows this city has been through, in its long and interesting history. It has a really lovely parliament building set amongst rolling gardens on the hill. Really is worth the effort to come up to see it (Don't forget your picnic lunch).

We scored a good spot up the top of the bus with a bit of roof. It is well worth the money, especially if you get a live tour guide as they explain about the troubled times and go through the areas. Also it's very long interesting maritime history, including the place that built the Titanic.

We returned to city lost each other for a while. Checked out around the city. A beautiful city hall, in the middle of the city and some great shopping (if you earn pounds of course). There is a lot more to see in this city and we only got to really skim the surface.

We all met up at the City Hall about 17:00 for our ride home courtesy of Alec who was a great taxi driver, as well as a great bbq chef!

We had a great afternoon tea and relaxed for a while. Cam went off to take some photos of the hills. It was time to farewell Alec & Mary-Rose before load the troops into Pug and heading off to Bushmills, our second stop of the journey. Irish coast here we come!

A big thanks to Alec & Mary-Rose for hosting us for the few days whilst in Belfast and very generously lending us their holiday house for the few days. It was really appreciated and really put us into step with the awesome hospitality that we recieved whilst in Ireland. Thanks again.


We arrived at a lovely home set next to a creek in the top of Ireland, right near the Giant’s Causeway. What a great holiday house!

We were located right next to the locally famous Bushmills Inn. this place has heaps of history and used to be a coach house. Now generally a base for golfing holidays as there is many fine golf courses in the area (although we missed out)

We finished the afternoon with a cold drink with Nat’s parents. It has a really cosy atmosphere, they way an Irish pub is meant to be.

We were starving by this stage, so off the local chippy. Only the best fish and chips out of Australia! And such good value only costing about 7 pounds for a feast for 2 including the biggest fillets of whiting I have ever seen. We were suitably impressed ate after 21.30 but it was well worth the wait!

Day 4
It was another great night’s sleep. It is so quiet out here! Mary-Rose said that it would have this affect on you. It is a sleep loving town.

We left fairly about 10:00 to do a tour of the Northern tip of Ireland. It was a lovely drive along the Causeway coast. Very scenic, pretty good roads. The old ruined castle on the way was nice.
We saw plenty of nice towns along the way. Took the pug on the beach. Just to turn around, but you are allowed to take your car on there (nice and hard sand) at a price of course. Maybe come back again one day...

We had just been through the town famous for “Danny Boy”. Got to the coast and found a place for lunch. Offering good home cooking, and being Sunday, it was roast day! We all tried something different. My roast beef was choice.

All aboard the ferry/barge to go across to Main Head. On our way to the top of the most northern point of Ireland. There were some very pretty scenes as we got further north. And near the tip it was so peaceful (until the tourist buses arrived)… Check out these photos:



We drove a bit more and took a few more snaps before we realized that it was getting on and we running late to pick up our fellow travelers Brooke, Agg & Em!

Drove down to Londonderry in pretty good time although an hour late to pick up the guys. Lucky there was Guinness at the airport to keep them company. On the way back as Mal & Deb (Nat’s parents) collected a hire car. Brooke, Nat, Mal & Deb were coming home to Bushmills. We lost car 2 and we didn’t have a map, but Cambo managed to work out how to get onto the Causeway route. Stopped off for some happy snaps then on our way home.

Decided that we needed to take advantage of the afternoon weather and some spare time. So off to picked up some Fish & Chips for Agg & Em, wrap for me and some Frisbee to keep us entertained.

It was then home for a few ales and the best sunset I have ever seen from “my backyard”, the lovely place that we were staying at. It is so nice here! The every changing colours of the sky being reflected on the creek making some amazing colours. (Don't forget if you like the photo, you can click on it to enlarge it)

It was then off to bed. (It doesn't get dark here until about 11pm in summer!) It was to be a big day tomorrow, we are doing the Donegal Loop.

Day 5
Early start to the day. Nat was up 08:00! Another nice nights sleep. This place has that power. That’s what Mary-Rose said to us before we came up here.

The first stop, Derry (Londonderry). This place has a great history with awesome city wall setup they had here in the 1600’s. There has also been problems in the past during the troubled times of Ireland. Apparently this is the place that started it all.

But all is well now and this county is booming! Walked around the walls for a while, while Aaron was showing us his stuff.

Next stop, Fanad Head, near the top of Ireland. And what a stunning drive up there. Went through some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. Rolling hills a million shades of green. Lakes and stuff. So many quaint villages and stuff. One nice place after the other.

Got to the top eventually after some road works slowed our progress.

Aaron, Em & Cam spent ages here taking pictures of and generally enjoying the scene at the Lighthouse. Of course we went exploring through the rocks and stuff after looking at this great spot on the cliffs. We spent way too long here throwing our schedule into chaos, but it was really a great moment and some memorable times.

As we were leaving the lighthouse area, we ran into some cows being herded up our road. We had to wait for them! It was quite amusing watching them being herded up the road! We stopped off to chat to this farmer and he seemed like such a nice guy.

It was a great way to spend an hour or so. The roads were very windy.

As this took a lot longer than expected we didn’t get to go as far south as we wanted today, but will defo be going through there on the way to Southern Ireland. We leave the day after tomorrow. (Every day is a holiday!)

We drove onto Letterkenny. We had gone further north than we expected. So Donegal was out today. Stopped off in Letterkenny for dinner and a drink. Sort of brewery theme pub/restaurant. Not too bad meals and service. This is our very confused crowd after the meal not sure where to go next!

It was time to head home. It was about 21:00 and still a reasonable amount of daylight. I love it up here. The sun is up for quite a while longer than we are used to and you can still be out at 22:00 and there is still light!

On the way home we stopped off on the way at the awesome forest. Went for a good walk through the forest, pretty spekky! We found the forest monster who was lurking (kinda like a spooky Shrek).

Also on the way home we saw an old shack in a field for a few photos, so off to do that but not before getting some great cow photos. There is lots of photos that I would love to add in here but can't fit them all in! You will have to look at our photobucket for the full photo gallery, but not all the photos as there are over 1850 photos! But the best ones are at: http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n1/cambodian073/Ireland/

The light was fading fast but still managed to get home before dark. But not before tucking into a Bushmills Irish whiskey over the rocks and check out the days’ photos out on the back patio. We had some great fun with Agg and Em today enjoying our drive and taking plenty of time out.

Day 6
A bit of a later start today. We had not yet explored the local famous tourist landmarks, but today is the day. Nat, Brooke, Cam, Agg & Em drove over to Carrick-a-Rede bridge (around 10 miles away) in the North of Ireland. It was raining when we left, but God was smiling. When we came through the gates the sun decided to come out for us!

Unfortunately Nat wouldn’t be in going over the actual bridge but we made it over anyway and really enjoyed the views! Spent a while on the tip and there is no barriers out! But it was very exhilarating sitting right near the edge.

We then walked back the scenic route (make the effort, it's worth it!) and it was awesome. Off we go the other main attraction in Northern Ireland, The Giant’s Causeway. (4 miles closer to home) This place is cool! It is a volcanic rock formation in shape of 4, 5 & 6 sided rock formations all stacked together. You gotta check out this place. It was an amazing sight, seeing tourists from all over the world clambering over the rocks of so many different heights and levels. The options are endless how you can get over the obstacles.

Then we walked up the hill to see the pipe organ rock formation. It has similar formation to the causeway but a whole heap higher!

Up for lunch at the Causeway hotel on the top of the hill. And we got free parking! Although it took a while for the meals, they were all pretty good. It’s a shame because the service let down the food.

Becauase it took longer than expected for lunch, we had to rush the ending and head off to our final destination for the day,Bushmills Distillery just up the road (only 2 miles from home now!)

Arrived just in the nick of time for the last tour of the factory and bottling room. Some interesting stuff! I loved the room with all the barrels. It smelled sooo nice! It was a very informative tour, well setup. We did find our however that other whiskeys, including Jameson whiskey are bottled up here (they were pretty emphatic that Bushmills is only produced and bottled here.)

Enjoyed our complimentary drink, which included the options: regular, a bit stronger, a bit stronger still, and really strong! The 12y.o. we had was very nice. It was a real shame that Aaron was driving so he gave me his. Check this picture out, Cam had one too many Guinness’ and Bushmills whiskey. It had been a big day and Cam had 1 too many, passed out and Brooke was stealing my wallet!

It was a nice way to end the day.

Agg, Em & Cam decided we still had some day to use so off we go to the park. Brooke came at the last minute. Throw of the Frisbee and kick of the Footy! A great way to kill a couple of hours next to a fast flowing river over it’s rocks, sun kind of shining and peace and quiet. It was great. Even funnier seeing Agg having to go in the water to retrieve the Frisbee. It sinks dammit! Even funnier because there are actually fishermen fully kitted out in there gear to catch the trout and stuff. Agg with an audience. Sorry no photos to prove it!

After a bit more fun for the kiddies, then home for an early night after a light dinner. Brooke couldn’t resist the lure of fresh fish, even though she is allergic to some sorts of fish. Look at this satisfaction! Her tongue was tingling but still enjoyed it immensly.

Day 7
It was our last peaceful night in Bushmills. We are really going to miss this place. We all had our gear packed and had decided after we had cleaned the house that we would go the local café for a morning fry up. (The Copper Kettle). Good feed! Coffee not so great.

We hit the road by about 10:30 which isn’t too bad considering we had people and all of their gear to move.

First stop the Massuman Temple, Downhill (yep that's the town), IrelandIt was this amazing place they had built 200 years ago, on the side of a hill. It was an amazing place and must have been spectacular in its day. Got some great pics! This temple in the distance was built right on the cliff. The rain was teasing, some of us being prepared and some not so… But we pushed on through this massive area with temple, palace and gardens. Worth all of the 10 euro visit! There is a few waterfalls on the highway when you head south along the cliffs, about 1-2km up the road. You have to have look out for them but worth the effort. Parking is pretty tough, so pull up early.

Next stop, somewhere near Donegal. Decent drive through some amazing countryside. This country continues to impress us with its ever changing views.

Decided to go somewhere out of town for lunch. We had kind of hoped to go right out to We decided to head up to Killybegs. This is one of the biggest fishing ports in Ireland. It was great to see water yet again and the boats had me yearning to get out fishing again.

After some driving around town on the lookout for fresh seafood, we ended up at a big hotel in the centre of town. Had the afternoon pub menu. It was great. Cam was sort of hoping for a little more seafood on the menu but decided to try fresh Oysters for the first time. Damn they were really nice! I am not normally a fan but these were choice! (especially with a Guinness)

Agg & Em after knocking off a quick Guinness headed back in to explore Donegal. Not that much to see. The castle which was shut which sucked even more.

Met up again, decided to press onto the Lakes district near Enniskillen in the middle. Back in UK again! We have been in and out of Euros many times today and over the last few days. It can get a little frustrating. Saw this lovely town on the way and the light was almost perfect, just had to get a photo!

Another season another hour. Today we had perfect Melbourne weather. 4 seasons in one day, pretty much every day so far. We agreed that we would find a B&B near the lake. Which we did! It was between Enniskillen and Belleck. Right on the Lower Loch Erne, with only a cow paddock separating us from the views. Although there was only enough room for 6 of us, we still managed to find a bed for Brooke after some negotiation with another patron staying there. A funny old fella (the farmer) running the place! His wife was away for the night so he had to sort this out. Wasn't too happy! But we got it sorted in the end.

Day 8
The view was worth it! A very peaceful place indeed. A decent nights sleep and another great Irish breakfast, with yoghurt! And this was the view for brekky:


We also had the farmer running the house, walk his cows down the road into the paddock right in front of us for breakfast, as if on cue! Today’s goal was to get near the Cliffs of Moher.

So on the road again to see The Marble Arch Caves. Definitely worth effort to go have a look. They have a bit of a boat tour as part of the caves tour, but on our day the water was too high as there had been a fair bit of rain lately. The caves have a great history of exploration. There is a guided walking tour you do with lots of interesting facts presented. It is very nicely lit up, providing a challenge for our papparazzi crew! But Cam's new camera was up to the task getting some great pictures! Just wish I had brought the tripod. This picture reminded me of a cuttlefish or a creature from the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean movie:

A couple of hours later it was time to head south. We had heard that Sligo was a nice town so we stopped in town for lunch. This is a very nice place! We found a great pub (The Leftbank) overlooking the river that runs along the edge of town. (Nothing like the pub in Freo but). We would definitely come back here to explore some more. It appears as though it has a lot to offer when you start digging through the city. Sun was shining, perfect afternoon for a pint! We had some time to look around town and stumbled into these local buskers rocking up an Irish storm. Look at the passion in the dancers face. She was really "In the Zone" Across the river was our pub.

We had a tough decision to make, whether to head to the coast to see Clifden or not. It is some more lovely drive towards the coast through some very picturesque countryside. We made it as far as Westport and the weather had turned crap. Had some journey issues to sort out, then decided to give that bit a miss and head straight for Galway. Stopped off to get some pictures of there awesome rock walls. They date back many hundreds of years and use no mortar or bonding agents. It is all stacked up (very well!)


We found a B&B just outside Galway that had the biggest bedroom! (well done Agg &Em) It had the smallest sliver of view from the car park of Galway bay, but it didn't really matter as we were not hanging around for long.

Mal, Deb & Brooke had found a spot up the road in a hotel overlooking Galway bay. Very picturesque (if there was sunshine..) We stayed for a couple of drinks and looked at all our travel photos. We said our goodbyes as tonight maybe the last night we get to see them for a while as this is where we split up. Nat has been pretty sad this afternoon.

We were off to bed, but not before channel surfing 30+ channels of Pay TV.

Well that's it for week 1. Week 2 coming up soon!

Cam & Nat