All coming to an end

Well the parentals have been and gone, all in all the time passed rather too quickly but we had a good time and I think they have gained a flavour of Australia. We visited the Blue mountains where it snowed! drove through pouring rain and flooding in Canberra and sat in the sun on the final few days! The weather was very fickle!

We are in our final days of packing up the house and organising our holidays to be taken on the way back to Blighty.

What we definately wont miss about Australia is the ineptitude of some of the companies out here as an example we were calling all the utilities to ensure that they cut off the services on a fixed date, however when we phoned Bigpond to cancel our broadband connection instead of the chap on the other end of the line asking us when from, he just left the line and cut our connection there and then! and apparently there is no possible way on the earth that the connection can be re-connected! The best they have been able to offer us is a dial-up connection so I am afraid that there will be no photos for the next few weeks.

BBQs Aussie style

The Aussies are well known for their love of Barbies and they are usually a number of electric or wood Barbies in and around picnic spots. They are well maintained and great fun to use.

The firepit with swing over Hot plate in Mnt Kosiosko

Home BBQing

Wood burning BBQ with chimney stack as seen in Brissie

South Bank Brisbane communal electric Barbequing, Mens work :-)

Cycling the Lake

One of the favourite weekly activites to pass the time is to cycle around lake Burley Griffith, there are a number of routes that can be done depending on the enthusiasm of the group. We used to start at in the west the carpark by Scrivener Dam (Zoo side) and then cycle either to the first bridge Commonwealth bridge or to the second Kings bridge or if we were feeling really energetic the whole lake passing through Canberra nature park/ Jerrabomberra wetlands on the east of the map (not shown). However as the weeks went on we liked to stop for coffee, which turned into lunch so altered our start locations to, the National Library and/or Yarramula Nursery, all so we wouldnt need to get back on the bikes after lunch!

Shannon and myself near Aspen Island where the National Carillion stands in white quartz and marble walls it houses an enormous clavier, or series of bells which usually chime at around 1030 it was given to the city of Canberra in 1963 and opened in 1970 as a gift from Britain to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Capital - Canberra.

Shannon, myself and Petrina, cycling buddies, this was our last cycle before we all leave Canberra :-(

Melbourne Cup

Tuesday 4th November was Melbourne Cup day, even though we are not in Melbourne we had an event planned around the horse race. There was a very complicated betting system in place in the college. The food was buffet style and the fizz was cheap!
The sun was out and it was a lovely day, except that the horse I had bet on was first until the photo finish and he came third, which would have been good had I bet each way!



Much silliness!

Bush Camping

At the beginning of November We decided to go camping in the Bush! Ben and Erica accompanied us, we took a 4 wheel drive route from the '4WD Touring - SE NSW and E Gippsland' book called the Blue Waterholes, the trek was 140km from start to finish (but not including the return road route) It was quite dusty!

Part of the trek passes the Coolamine Homestead complex which was to house the Graziers who were the first westeners to open up the NSW Alps. The homestead was used from 1880 until 1940, with its tin roof and wooden walls it must have been a challenge to keep warm in the winter months.

We arrived at the Blue water holes and set up camp then went for a walk along the Clarke Gorge, the features in this area are formed by the Limestone (karst) rocks.

Jus and I had briefly visited part of this walk before (the water was a lot lower!). Using the wobbly stepping stones was a challenge

The views were great!

The next job was to collect firewood and start the fire in the designated BBQ pit

We had some electric candles which we used with the slow shutter speed (well there was no TV!)

At 0530 the Kukkaburras landed on what was Im sure the nearest branch to our tents and proceeded to chatter and laugh! Ha ha ha. The Roos bounded their way up the path sounding to the urbanites amoung us like a VERY heavy jogger!

All Good fun!

The visitors day 2

Manly was our destination for the next day, so again we took the ferry from Darling harbour to Circular quay where we had a spot of breakfast to take away. The ferry was very busy with day trippers, everyone wanted to be outside.
The ferry takes about 30 minutes and a great way to see the Sydney suburbs with their pools and private beaches!
Looking up Victoria Parade

We walked round to Shelly Beach which was much calmer and almost no waves. The parentals weren't tempted to go for a dip.Good views of the Opera house from the ferry.

We then decided to head out to visit Bondi in the car as we had to check out anyway, as it was getting later the beach had obviously cleared quite significantly, the wind had picked up and the spray was misting the southern edge. I think Bondi is rather hyped, it is a good beach in terms of the sand area and the waves but it is so popular you lose the picturesque nature of what I have come to think of as a typical Aussie beach.

We drove southwards along the beach road passing many really lovely beaches Tamarama and Bronte are really pretty. We decided to have dinner in Bronte in a great restaurant called Swell, lovely friendly atmosphere and white linen table cloths, I really enjoyed the 'amuse bouches' that are always unexpected yet a really nice touch for a resataurant. the food was great!

They're here pt 1

The folks are here! they arrived and then spent a leisurely day around Darling harbour, we met up with them at 1830 on Friday ready to go out to dinner, my word it was busy! It may be that living in Canberra has lulled me into a false sense of what a night out in a city is!

We managed to find a malasian restaurant that had seats but was VERY NOISY, the food was good and although on first inpection of the number of dishes we had ordered we thought that we would never get through it all, however we were all quite hungry!

We left the restaurant to seek a quieter place to have a coffee and dessert, the evening was rather chilly (not what is expected of Sydney in Summer!)

We started the great tour of Sydney the next morning with a rather nice breakfast in Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point and then walked around Finger Wharf where all the battleships seem to be propping up the wharf (jolly nice place to dock!)

We of course saw Russell Crowes penthouse at the end of Finger Wharf, he gave us a wave! (Mmm may have made that part up!).

We walked around the bay, around to Mrs Macquaries chair, but it had been taken over by a group of japanese who were all having their photos taken on the chair one at a time! so we dont have a photo!

The gardens were lovely and a wedding was going on in the grounds, it was a shame it was a bit drizzly at times. The rain however did disturb the 'flying foxes' BATS!who were so immobile during the rain that you hardly noticed them, it was when the rain had stopped that the commotion ensued! much flapping and wringing out of soggy bat parts occurred! They are however very bird like when they fly and I think rather cute.

We had a walk around the opera house but didnt bother to get a guided tour of the interior.

We stopped for lunch in Circular Quay and had a rather tasty bottle of NZ sauvignon blanc! We walked to the Rocks and the market was still quite busy but good crafty things on sale and no 'tat'!

The shopping was the final straw that made us all weary so it we hopped onto the ferry and sailed to Darling harbour for a quick nap then out to dinner again, somewhere quieter!

Halloween Party

Halloween Party, a few photos, there was a mixture of costumes from the usual vampires and ghosts to Koalas and Punks!

Canberra views

Thought I'd put some more views of Canberra, here is the lake taken from Lennox gardens, it was a lovely day, we had a BBQ watching the Toppers that were out from the sailing club and although it got a bit chilly as the sun went down it was a great clear night.
A view from the Black Mountain, the Captain cook memorial jet (just off centre) has now had its hours cut to just 2 a day (2-4pm) cutting tourist attractions is not one thing that Canberra can really afford to do!

Mount Stromlo during the Scott 24 hour race

Crimson Rosella with the Telstra tower in the back ground.

Spiders spiders spiders!

I thought I would post pictures of all the spiders we have so far encountered in Canberra and in our travels around Australia. But as I searched 'my pictures' I realise that we haven't taken photos of all the ones we have seen! Mmm maybe it is because when we see a redback we spray it, their black shiny bodies, spindly legs and red hour glass marking make them look menacing and using the macro on the camera means that you have to actually get quite close to get a good photo, which often as not takes more than one go!

So no photos of the 5 redbacks we have had in and living outside the house nor of the lone whitetail that was wandering aroung the study.

But photos of the rather scary looking but harmless Huntsman who was positioned on the wall in the ensuite shower, we had a bit of a job fitting all his long legs into the glass so we could let him outside!

Golden Orb weaver seen in Cape Tribulation and Daintree National park, this colourful spider was just hanging out in the toilets! again not harmful.

This is the Wolf spider, we have a similar spider in UK and currently there are about 4 of these quite timid but will bite you spiders living on the edge of the patio in burrows they have dug themselves, this quite large one has even got down to the red soil beneath the concrete rubble.

Yes that is our rather fetching plastic lawn framing the spider, no need to water or mow!

Dralion Cirque de Soleil

On Sat 25th October we saw the Cirque de Soleil perform Dralion, it was a nice evening but a little chilly, it was good to be in a big tent and we had really good seats thanks to Erica booking them as soon as they came on sale!

There was a comedy routing that kept us entertained beyween the amazing acrobatic routines.

The characters in Dralion

Many balancing and amazing bendiness feats!

We particularly liked the trampoline routines where some of the characters would throw themselves off backwards from the top of the curved wall onto the trampoline below then bounce and walk them selves back up the wall again! Very amazing to watch!

The view of the grand Chapiteau from across Lake Burley Griffith with Parlaiment lit up.

High Commission Ball

In aid of Cancer research we attended a High Commission Ball on Friday 17th in the War Memorial, as we arrived the silent auction was on one side of the hall (which is a bad thing when one has had a number of fizzy wines!).
The hall is dominated by 'George' the Avro Lancaster B1 bomber which was built in 1942 and saw service with the No. 460 Squadron R.A.A.F. whist in Britain and flew 90 operational missions until its retirement in 1944. The missions are represented by bombs being painted on the side of the cockpit, certain pilots distinguished their missions by adding symbols such as a 'saint figure' for Flt Sgt Sant-Smith a pair of cherries for Plt Officer 'Cherry' Carter. Our table was beneath one of the wings.
The food was great:
Entree
Prosciutto and grilled asparagus with oven dried tomato, crispy ciabatta, babay leaves and olive tapanade
Main
Garlic and thyme marinated lamb rump, mash potato, roast carrot, watercress and redwine sauce
Dessert
Chocolate velvet pyramid with white chocolate creme anglais and macademia brittle
Coffee
wines -
Seppelt Fleur de Lys (VIC)
Benchmark Grant Burge Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (SA)
Benchmark Grant Burge Shiraz Cabernet (SA)

We had a band to dance to 'the Funky Fedoras' a very good evening indeed!

Governor Generals reception

Last Tuesday we were invited to the new Governor General's abode, Her ExcellencyMs Quentin Bryce AC http://www.governorgeneral.gov.au/governorgeneral/ for a drinks reception, we arrived on three coaches but were a tad early so had to wait a while on the driveway, which wasn't too bad as the view was great! A lovely view of lush green lawns sweeping down to the lake Burley Griffith and the Black Mountain in the background.

Ms Quentin Bryce made a speech then toured the room meeting people for the hour, unfortunately we were not one of them.

We were taken on a short tour of the house, the house has a number of English antiques and the work from famous Australian artists including painters and cabinet makers, for which we were show the secret pair of drawers!

The house has a relaxed feel and the formal dining room has views of the lake.

We then decided to go out to dinner, so off to Manuka to the Iron Bark cafe a restaurant that specialises in traditional Aussie ingredients including Roo, Croc and Emu as well as fish and local veggies, very nice!

Aussie friends

It was great to catch up with two teacher friends who had been on exchange in UK but are now back in Brisbane even though it was only a quick visit.

We had an extremely early flight back to Canberra so that Justin could ready himself for the Scott 24 hour race on the Saturday. He was in a four man team so 6 laps of 16km had to be done!

This is the sight that greeted me at 0830, obviously a 'hard days night'!

The last lap Hooray! So now finishing off 96km! Well done.

Noosa

We stayed in the very nice Bella casa apartments on Hastings Street, which had a very unusual use of space, a small cupboard like area along one of the corridors had a roller shutter covering it which when pulled up had 2 bunkbeds neatly tucked in!

It was nice sitting outside on the balcony for breakfast every morning.

We walked around the National Park and saw a Koala and 2 brown snakes luckily they were quite small and only interested in sliding off the path! However just after seeing the second snake a piece of bush brushed my leg and I jumped out of my skin! (very ferocious eucalyptus they have in Noosa!) The picture is of another of the animals we saaw on our walk a rather large lizard.

Along the walk to Sunshine Beach were a number of idyllic beaches that we stopped and rested on. There was some rather unusual and unexpected wildlife on one of the beaches....the nudists (they always seem to be men, with hands on hips striding around!)

If you are going to ever do this walk I suggest carrying more water (ie more than 2 litres!) and snacks than we had with us, we staggered into Sunshine beach and both drank our bodyweight in water and munched our way through some of the great cafes there!

Sunshine coast pt2 Brisbane

When we arrived in Brisbane (very early) we decided to drive a little of the area before heading into the main sights, we pootled along the coast around Manly and saw these chaps out with their radio controlled yachts having races around the bouys.

The Bougainvillea arches on the Southbank Views of Brisbane the Queens gardens with the Commissarat Stores building 1829, a large statue of Queen Victoria stands in front of the building.

Sunshine Coast pt1

The plan was to go diving again possibly Vanuatu however the wrist situation put a stop to that one so we thought about a lazy beach holiday in Fiji which became too expensive as the Island resort we wanted was full, so we turned to the sunshine coast just north of Brisbane, we landed in Brissie airport at 0900 it was already 19 degrees (nice) and we spent the day sightseeing and then in the pool of the hotel, the follwoing day we walked the southbank with the lagoon and the market so many people using such a brilliant free facility, there were families having parties with the undercover seating and BBQ areas decked out with balloons.
On our way up the coast we visited the Glassmountains an group of pointy hills the remnants of extinct volcanoes, quite amazing really.
That evening we stayed in 'Aussie Bush Cabins' in Longthorne which was an interesting experince the cabins were nice and very isolated, the dust on the road ways showed the prints of a few animals that had crawled their way through the bush.
We got up relatively early to go to Crikey! Australia Zoo, which was fun we managed to stroke a very large Wombat (who was being led round the zoo on a leash) and a Koala who probably didnt even know what was going on as he was fast asleep! the Crocodile and bird shows were good in the Crocoseum the Crocmen's singing and dancing entertained the tiddlers in the audience until they bought out the crocs for the main show.