Any other readers - I love comments, so please interact. It’s nice to know what you are up to and I have little time for e-mails when I am blogging.
Also, Patrick informed me that you can make those little pictures I post bigger by clicking on them. Give it a try - especially the soft-porn ones - Patrick’s description.
Thursday, Jan. 13
We leave Sydney for the Blue Mountains - not the wonderful Jamaican ones. Here, as we ascend, the fog continually gets thicker. By the time we reach Blackheath, you can see nothing, and it is the middle of the afternoon. Once we are settled, we do drive to the canyon lookouts, manage a peak at the Govett’s Leap Falls, and see their “grand” canyon. There are lots of hikes in the area, but we choose to return without the pleasure of getting soaked.
Historic rumour is the Blue Mountains got their name because of the vivid blue hue from a distance which is a combination of the moister in the air and the oil the eucalyptus tree emits.
The motel room is dark and dreary, the “free” Internet service is for 15 minutes, and the place is cold and rainy. We are moving on in the morning.
Grovett's Leap Falls
Friday, Jan. 14.
This is a much better day. We share the driving the short distance to Parkes. We stop at the I center and get information about the Parkes Radio Telescope. It is still an intricate part of the astrological work going on in Australia.
The motel is much nicer, but we are the only visitors. We have lunch, then make our way out to the research station. The museum is small, but very well put together. The Dish, as it is called, rotates to the horizontal while we are outside. In the log book it says there will be maintenance done at 3 p.m. Two workers are making their way to the top section, up an outside ladder. Around three-thirty, we hear the motors going and the dish rotates to the vertical, and there is a line and “something” dangling from the top. Over the next few minutes the workers, who are now on the ground, guide the piece down. It is a slow operation as it tends to swing precariously in the wind. We assume all went well, as we returned inside to see the rest of the exhibits before the closing.
This dish/radio-telescope was used in the broadcasts when the first Americans landed on the moon. This is what made the Parkes Telescope world famous. Anyway, they have upgraded it and it is still used in regular scientific study.
I return and take the dirty clothes to the local Laundromat as the motel does not have facilities. Turns out well as the owners gets to talking when he realizes we are Canadian. He spent Christmas in Whitehorse in the Yukon! He had a wonderful time visiting his daughter who is working there. But, the interesting thing is, his daughter spent last winter in Rossland, working at a coffee shop and at Red Mountain! Small world.
This is a much better day. We share the driving the short distance to Parkes. We stop at the I center and get information about the Parkes Radio Telescope. It is still an intricate part of the astrological work going on in Australia.
The motel is much nicer, but we are the only visitors. We have lunch, then make our way out to the research station. The museum is small, but very well put together. The Dish, as it is called, rotates to the horizontal while we are outside. In the log book it says there will be maintenance done at 3 p.m. Two workers are making their way to the top section, up an outside ladder. Around three-thirty, we hear the motors going and the dish rotates to the vertical, and there is a line and “something” dangling from the top. Over the next few minutes the workers, who are now on the ground, guide the piece down. It is a slow operation as it tends to swing precariously in the wind. We assume all went well, as we returned inside to see the rest of the exhibits before the closing.
This dish/radio-telescope was used in the broadcasts when the first Americans landed on the moon. This is what made the Parkes Telescope world famous. Anyway, they have upgraded it and it is still used in regular scientific study.
I return and take the dirty clothes to the local Laundromat as the motel does not have facilities. Turns out well as the owners gets to talking when he realizes we are Canadian. He spent Christmas in Whitehorse in the Yukon! He had a wonderful time visiting his daughter who is working there. But, the interesting thing is, his daughter spent last winter in Rossland, working at a coffee shop and at Red Mountain! Small world.
The Dish st Parkes.
The Hall of Memory and the Pool of Reflection with the Eternal Flame.
Parliament Building.
The flag above from the roof.
The Dancing Walrus, a gift to australia from Canada.
The main entrance hall of the Parliament building.
The Old Parliament building and, in background, the War Museum from the New parliament building.
Saturday, Jan. 15.
We share the short hop into Canberra. I do the city drive-in now, as Peter is a better navigator and I don’t panic if we make a wrong turn. Works for us.
The motel is lovely and we get a great rate, so we decide to stay here the four nights.
We have lunch (this is always picnic style), and head to the black Mountain Tower. It is a nice sunny day, so we get a good view of this pristine, tree-filled, fully-planned capital city. The circle lay-out with main streets and arteries emanating out likes spokes on a wheel is actually very efficient once you get used to it. I noticed the twice we got directions, the locals give you the route that takes to the left-hand turns so you don’t have to cross traffic. It probably becomes second nature to them.
I get a map with directions for my Weight Watcher’s meeting on Tuesday from the gal on the reception. Turns out, she is a WW as well!
Each area of the town is clumped into small neighbourhoods with a central commercial area within walking distance. We walk to the Forrest area one. We choose an Italian restaurant that has homemade pasta. It is excellent, if the service leaves a little to be desired - maybe because there is not tipping in Australia! My spinach & ricotta cheese filled ravioli does me tonight and tomorrow! I don’t even have room for there homemade gelato ice cream.
We are now in touch with Margaret Moir in Perth and she has kindly offered us her home for our stay there, as she will be away on a cruise to South Africa. This will be so nice because, if we want to take an overnight trip up or down the coast, we will not have to drag all our “stuff.” We are traveling light in comparison with most, but I wish we could get even thriftier in our needs.
Sunday, Jan. 16.
We start the day with a walk to the artisans market at the Old Bus Depot building. It is not until we enter that we realise that this is the place to be on Sunday! It is hopping with visitors. The stalls are laden with woodworking, beadwork, designer (not name) clothes, hand-knitted and crocheted woollen articles, paintings, glasswork, fudge, chilli sauces, olives, oils, cheeses, soaps, hats, metalwork, and more I can’t remember. The food stalls are mostly made-from-scratch stuff, and as I plan to have breakfast, I bee-line to the Mexican huevos rancheros. Even on a paper plate without hot chilli, I is excellent. Unfortunately, Peter cannot find anything to his liking, so his settles for a crusty oversized bun! He doesn’t even have butter! We also buy a crusty loaf of French bread that does the next three days.
By the time we walk back to the motel it is almost 2 p.m. We drive to the War Museum and will return Tuesday if we need to.
The size of the museum is not appreciated from the view across the river. We drive around the circle and onto Anzac boulevard which is bordered by monuments of varying sizes and styles. As we arrive, and drive another half-mile to the parking lot on the left, we begin to realise that this will be a multi-day adventure.
We get a brochure as we enter and decide to meet at 4:30 and see what we will do next. I manage the Hall of Honour and some of the First World War exhibits and its time to meet Peter. We stay for the closing and the playing of The Last Post at 5 p.m. Emotional.
Monday, Jan. 17.
Yes, we will leave the War Museum until tomorrow. Today we head out to visit the new Parliament Building. We walk over and go the wrong way around the circle so we arrive at the back of the building. We must walk the kilometre around to the front - yes, it is two kilometre (over a mile for our American friends and oldest Canadian friends) around the grounds.
It is a building meant to last forever. It is huge, open, and bright, and constructed mainly of marble.
We take the one-hour tour which has been recommended by a visitor who said she had taken it the day before and it was both entertaining and informative. The guide is about our age and reminds us decidedly of Lach Farrell. He was educated “by the Christian Brothers”, he tells us. How about you, Lach? He is so enthusiastic and slyly gives the answers to the questions which appear on the children’s “fun work sheet.” I wish they had given us the option to have a sheet as there are lots of facts I know we will forget.
They have approximately half the number of senators to the number of members of the commons. Their MPs represent approximately the same number of people. The number of senators is divided by the number of states - each having 12 senators at the moment. But, like in the USA, the senators are elected. I decided I wanted to be a Tasmanian senator.
After lunch we head to the National Museum. It is on a peninsula of the snaking of Lake Burley Griffin which is the dammed part of the Molonglo River. It is very modern and, again, huge, but has little in it!
We return and I do some Skyping, then we drive to the actual working downtown - called The City - and stroll the mall. We find a historic (and popular) pub for dinner. My baked perch is delicious.
The Entrance of the War Museum
We share the short hop into Canberra. I do the city drive-in now, as Peter is a better navigator and I don’t panic if we make a wrong turn. Works for us.
The motel is lovely and we get a great rate, so we decide to stay here the four nights.
We have lunch (this is always picnic style), and head to the black Mountain Tower. It is a nice sunny day, so we get a good view of this pristine, tree-filled, fully-planned capital city. The circle lay-out with main streets and arteries emanating out likes spokes on a wheel is actually very efficient once you get used to it. I noticed the twice we got directions, the locals give you the route that takes to the left-hand turns so you don’t have to cross traffic. It probably becomes second nature to them.
I get a map with directions for my Weight Watcher’s meeting on Tuesday from the gal on the reception. Turns out, she is a WW as well!
Each area of the town is clumped into small neighbourhoods with a central commercial area within walking distance. We walk to the Forrest area one. We choose an Italian restaurant that has homemade pasta. It is excellent, if the service leaves a little to be desired - maybe because there is not tipping in Australia! My spinach & ricotta cheese filled ravioli does me tonight and tomorrow! I don’t even have room for there homemade gelato ice cream.
We are now in touch with Margaret Moir in Perth and she has kindly offered us her home for our stay there, as she will be away on a cruise to South Africa. This will be so nice because, if we want to take an overnight trip up or down the coast, we will not have to drag all our “stuff.” We are traveling light in comparison with most, but I wish we could get even thriftier in our needs.
Sunday, Jan. 16.
We start the day with a walk to the artisans market at the Old Bus Depot building. It is not until we enter that we realise that this is the place to be on Sunday! It is hopping with visitors. The stalls are laden with woodworking, beadwork, designer (not name) clothes, hand-knitted and crocheted woollen articles, paintings, glasswork, fudge, chilli sauces, olives, oils, cheeses, soaps, hats, metalwork, and more I can’t remember. The food stalls are mostly made-from-scratch stuff, and as I plan to have breakfast, I bee-line to the Mexican huevos rancheros. Even on a paper plate without hot chilli, I is excellent. Unfortunately, Peter cannot find anything to his liking, so his settles for a crusty oversized bun! He doesn’t even have butter! We also buy a crusty loaf of French bread that does the next three days.
By the time we walk back to the motel it is almost 2 p.m. We drive to the War Museum and will return Tuesday if we need to.
The size of the museum is not appreciated from the view across the river. We drive around the circle and onto Anzac boulevard which is bordered by monuments of varying sizes and styles. As we arrive, and drive another half-mile to the parking lot on the left, we begin to realise that this will be a multi-day adventure.
We get a brochure as we enter and decide to meet at 4:30 and see what we will do next. I manage the Hall of Honour and some of the First World War exhibits and its time to meet Peter. We stay for the closing and the playing of The Last Post at 5 p.m. Emotional.
Monday, Jan. 17.
Yes, we will leave the War Museum until tomorrow. Today we head out to visit the new Parliament Building. We walk over and go the wrong way around the circle so we arrive at the back of the building. We must walk the kilometre around to the front - yes, it is two kilometre (over a mile for our American friends and oldest Canadian friends) around the grounds.
It is a building meant to last forever. It is huge, open, and bright, and constructed mainly of marble.
We take the one-hour tour which has been recommended by a visitor who said she had taken it the day before and it was both entertaining and informative. The guide is about our age and reminds us decidedly of Lach Farrell. He was educated “by the Christian Brothers”, he tells us. How about you, Lach? He is so enthusiastic and slyly gives the answers to the questions which appear on the children’s “fun work sheet.” I wish they had given us the option to have a sheet as there are lots of facts I know we will forget.
They have approximately half the number of senators to the number of members of the commons. Their MPs represent approximately the same number of people. The number of senators is divided by the number of states - each having 12 senators at the moment. But, like in the USA, the senators are elected. I decided I wanted to be a Tasmanian senator.
After lunch we head to the National Museum. It is on a peninsula of the snaking of Lake Burley Griffin which is the dammed part of the Molonglo River. It is very modern and, again, huge, but has little in it!
We return and I do some Skyping, then we drive to the actual working downtown - called The City - and stroll the mall. We find a historic (and popular) pub for dinner. My baked perch is delicious.
The Entrance of the War Museum
The Hall of Memory and the Pool of Reflection with the Eternal Flame.
Parliament Building.The flag above from the roof.
The Dancing Walrus, a gift to australia from Canada.The main entrance hall of the Parliament building.
The Old Parliament building and, in background, the War Museum from the New parliament building.
Tuesday, Jan. 18.
We arrive at the War museum at 10:30. We decide to meet at 1 p.m. for a picnic lunch. I go to the Hall of Memory first. There is the Pool of Reflection in front which contains the Eternal Flame. It is stunningly beautiful. One of the soldiers in the stained-glass windows has a resemblance to King George Vl. I wonder if this was intentional by the artist as his caption is loyalty!
This is an emotionally difficult visit, so I decide to take a walk. I go down the boulevard, walking swiftly between each monument, but stopping to read about each. I then turn into the tree-lined street of the oldish, but upscale, neighbourhood and take-in the sounds of birds and the scents of flowers. I am photographing a crimson “something” when a lady is taking a picture of her garden. We chat a few minutes about Canada and Australian. I then continue back to the museum and pick-up my trail in the First World War area.
After we have our picnic lunch, we decide to meet at 4:30 once again. I make my way around, reading all the facts, taking in the displays, and admiring the multitude of paintings by war artists. I watch the kids in the helicopter pretending to fly as the view changes in front of them. I look through the periscope of a submarine and see the ocean waves above. I stand by a helicopter from the Vietnam War which has life-like model soldiers in the act of exiting as the noise and wind of the propellers vibrate the room and the sounds of the radio operators and a scene from Vietnam unfolds on the screens around the wall of the room. I am in the action.
After we bump into each other, I go with Peter and we stand on the bridge (the real stuff!) of the Canberra and see it from a night-time simulation. We are both a little weary, so although we would love to see more, we decide to call it a day. And a wonderful day it has been.
Peter drives me to the WW meeting, but it doesn’t begin until 7, so he awaits me until 7:45. I have to stay and learn about the new ProPoints program! I am still within my goal, but hitting the top so I must get into weight-loss mode for the next few weeks. The new program seems good, but sure puts the brakes on my red wine drinking habits!
I’m sure you are getting some of the news of the flooding around Australia. We have been staying ahead of the areas. Unfortunately, as we go into the Murray River catchments area, we may need to do some detouring. We have changed our course and, unfortunately, will miss the Great Ocean Road on the coast west of Melbourne. It would have meant crossing the area that is now receiving the flood waters. Instead, we are heading northwest through Wagga Wagga to Narrandera. Then we go through Hay and Bairanald to Mildura. The next hop is to the Barossa Valley wine country.
Wednesday & Thursday, Jan. 19 & 20.
This is the edge of the outback. We spend two days (about 9 hours total) driving at 100 to 110 km/hr (the legal speed limits) along four-lane then two-lane roads seeing rolling countryside, flat bare-ass prairie, swampy-bush, clear blue skies, a thousand transport trucks, a few cars, and lots of road kill. Mostly kangaroos in varying stages of decay. But, guess what - it is the Australia I was expecting! Last week the kangaroos were in heavily forested areas, which was new to me, as I have always seen the pictures of them in arid areas. Well, now I know they live in both environments.
While driving today, Peter reacts well and misses a family of ducks which are crossing the road. Cheers for him!
Yesterday, we walked an area that had been flooded a month ago (and which will probably flood again in the next two or three weeks) in Narrandera, but we did not see any of the promised koalas that live there. They are more elusive than the bats on the east coast.
Today, after doing my wifely chores and washing and hanging the clothes (right - I have so much to do!), I take a dip in the naturally warm, salt-water pool. It is wonderfully refreshing.
The motel owner recommends the pub across the street for dinner, so I will blame him the stuffed-feeling I’m suffering. There is lamb’s fry with mashed potatoes on the menu. This is the first time in Australia I have seen my second favourite meal from “Down-Under” offered. My favourite, you wonder: lamb shank cooked in a red wine or stout gravy.
We have not seen a cloud for two days which is good for the water-logged land. I think we may see water tomorrow, but on the ground not falling from the clouds.
More pictures from the War Museum:
WW2 airplane
Helicopter from Vietnam War.
War War 1 model of trench warfare.
These beautiful blue flowers are in bloom all over Australia.
Crimson "something" in Canberra.
A "wild" cockatoo in Canberra. there are millions!
We arrive at the War museum at 10:30. We decide to meet at 1 p.m. for a picnic lunch. I go to the Hall of Memory first. There is the Pool of Reflection in front which contains the Eternal Flame. It is stunningly beautiful. One of the soldiers in the stained-glass windows has a resemblance to King George Vl. I wonder if this was intentional by the artist as his caption is loyalty!
This is an emotionally difficult visit, so I decide to take a walk. I go down the boulevard, walking swiftly between each monument, but stopping to read about each. I then turn into the tree-lined street of the oldish, but upscale, neighbourhood and take-in the sounds of birds and the scents of flowers. I am photographing a crimson “something” when a lady is taking a picture of her garden. We chat a few minutes about Canada and Australian. I then continue back to the museum and pick-up my trail in the First World War area.
After we have our picnic lunch, we decide to meet at 4:30 once again. I make my way around, reading all the facts, taking in the displays, and admiring the multitude of paintings by war artists. I watch the kids in the helicopter pretending to fly as the view changes in front of them. I look through the periscope of a submarine and see the ocean waves above. I stand by a helicopter from the Vietnam War which has life-like model soldiers in the act of exiting as the noise and wind of the propellers vibrate the room and the sounds of the radio operators and a scene from Vietnam unfolds on the screens around the wall of the room. I am in the action.
After we bump into each other, I go with Peter and we stand on the bridge (the real stuff!) of the Canberra and see it from a night-time simulation. We are both a little weary, so although we would love to see more, we decide to call it a day. And a wonderful day it has been.
Peter drives me to the WW meeting, but it doesn’t begin until 7, so he awaits me until 7:45. I have to stay and learn about the new ProPoints program! I am still within my goal, but hitting the top so I must get into weight-loss mode for the next few weeks. The new program seems good, but sure puts the brakes on my red wine drinking habits!
I’m sure you are getting some of the news of the flooding around Australia. We have been staying ahead of the areas. Unfortunately, as we go into the Murray River catchments area, we may need to do some detouring. We have changed our course and, unfortunately, will miss the Great Ocean Road on the coast west of Melbourne. It would have meant crossing the area that is now receiving the flood waters. Instead, we are heading northwest through Wagga Wagga to Narrandera. Then we go through Hay and Bairanald to Mildura. The next hop is to the Barossa Valley wine country.
Wednesday & Thursday, Jan. 19 & 20.
This is the edge of the outback. We spend two days (about 9 hours total) driving at 100 to 110 km/hr (the legal speed limits) along four-lane then two-lane roads seeing rolling countryside, flat bare-ass prairie, swampy-bush, clear blue skies, a thousand transport trucks, a few cars, and lots of road kill. Mostly kangaroos in varying stages of decay. But, guess what - it is the Australia I was expecting! Last week the kangaroos were in heavily forested areas, which was new to me, as I have always seen the pictures of them in arid areas. Well, now I know they live in both environments.
While driving today, Peter reacts well and misses a family of ducks which are crossing the road. Cheers for him!
Yesterday, we walked an area that had been flooded a month ago (and which will probably flood again in the next two or three weeks) in Narrandera, but we did not see any of the promised koalas that live there. They are more elusive than the bats on the east coast.
Today, after doing my wifely chores and washing and hanging the clothes (right - I have so much to do!), I take a dip in the naturally warm, salt-water pool. It is wonderfully refreshing.
The motel owner recommends the pub across the street for dinner, so I will blame him the stuffed-feeling I’m suffering. There is lamb’s fry with mashed potatoes on the menu. This is the first time in Australia I have seen my second favourite meal from “Down-Under” offered. My favourite, you wonder: lamb shank cooked in a red wine or stout gravy.
We have not seen a cloud for two days which is good for the water-logged land. I think we may see water tomorrow, but on the ground not falling from the clouds.
More pictures from the War Museum:
WW2 airplane
Helicopter from Vietnam War.War War 1 model of trench warfare.
These beautiful blue flowers are in bloom all over Australia.
Crimson "something" in Canberra.
A "wild" cockatoo in Canberra. there are millions!
Who can conceive of 650 Million Years? Geologists. It is a job requirement.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that Radio Telescope is generally used for Astronomy, not Astrology, unless one were to use it to soak tea leaves. The “Dish” was a main character in a really good movie from a few years ago about the Australian contribution to the Apollo Missions, called, funny enough, “The Dish”. Light-hearted family fare, but well made.
Good to hear you guys are well, and still enjoying the road. Dad will be happy that the Canucks are slumping a bit, they have slipped to 2nd place in the league. And his Habs seem to be shaking off their mid-season doldrums, and look like they may make the playoffs
I love the dish perched on the building. It looks a bit precarious (and a bit like a funny hat).
ReplyDeleteMark and I drive the same way in the city. From experience, we have learned that Mark get annoyed when I miss a sign or see a path on the map that doesn't actually occur in real life. When he navigates and we make a wrong turn, I don't worry about it as I know we'll get to our destination eventually.
It works really well for us as well.