By the time we left Canberra at 9am., it was sunny & the temperature was 12C. We re-fuelled at Yass, then set off for Cowra, which was 121kms away. It was a pretty drive, spoiled only by a lot of blood on the road from a large number of recently killed kangaroos.
On arrival in Cowra, we settled in at the Cowra Van Park, which was a lovely leafy site on the Lachlan River. We had a quick lunch, then set off to find the Japanese Garden, which was the main reason for our visit - it had been recommended & sounded well worth looking at.
Cowra had been thrust into the headlines for what became known as "The Cowra Breakout", when 235 soldiers lost their lives. On Aug 5, 1944, 1104 Japanese prisoners launched a mass escape from the P.O.W. Camp just outside the town. Many of them, as well as four Australian soldiers, were killed in the attempted escape & the town's RSL members have maintained the graves ever since. This care & respect has resulted in a special relationship between Cowra & Japan and the Garden is just one of the ways in which the town has contributed toward world peace.
What a beautiful place! It is tranquil, peaceful & exquisitely maintained. There are lush gardens, cascading streams & fish-filled lakes, all of which have been designed to represent the landscapes of Japan. Exploring this delighful place is a memorable experience & one which we were glad we'd taken the time to enjoy.
From the Garden, we continued on to the P.O.W. Camp & Guard Tower, the Cowra & Japanese War Cemeteries, Australia's World Peace Bell & the beautiful Rose Garden. All in all, it was a perfect day. We loved the town & would like to have stayed longer but this is a big country & we still have a lot of kilometres to cover!
Saturday 26 October 2013
Friday 25 October 2013
Fri 25 Oct - a second day in Canberra
Canberra is COLD, even by my standards - it was really hard getting up! However, we had bright sunshine & a blue sky.
It was a great day. First, we drove to the Telstra Tower, on Black Mountain from where we had panoramic views all over Canberra & the surrounding countryside. We felt that specific landmarks could have been more clearly indicated & were disappointed that they had run out of postcards & stamps. However, the coffee was to die for!
Our next port of call was the National Portrait Gallery, which had a magnificent collection of pictures showing those who have been instrumental in forming the Australian nation from earliest times to modern day. People from all walks of life were included - industrialists, explorers, artists, business people, sports people, entertainers, etc., etc. The collection was all-encompassing & stressed the variety & value of people's contributions.
Finally, we chose to visit the National Museum of Australia, which has a stunning location with magnificent views over Lake Burley Griffin. The Museum is referred to as "where our stories live" & brings together the history of the First Australians, the European settlers & those who have resided here in more modern times since the formation of Federation.
A rotating theatre presents images, sound & music which combine to tell Australia's story. This is further expanded by galleries & a wealth of fascinating exhibits.
We found Canberra to be a very interesting city & felt that we could have spent much more time there. You should always leave something to come back for ... and, we did!
It was a great day. First, we drove to the Telstra Tower, on Black Mountain from where we had panoramic views all over Canberra & the surrounding countryside. We felt that specific landmarks could have been more clearly indicated & were disappointed that they had run out of postcards & stamps. However, the coffee was to die for!
Our next port of call was the National Portrait Gallery, which had a magnificent collection of pictures showing those who have been instrumental in forming the Australian nation from earliest times to modern day. People from all walks of life were included - industrialists, explorers, artists, business people, sports people, entertainers, etc., etc. The collection was all-encompassing & stressed the variety & value of people's contributions.
Finally, we chose to visit the National Museum of Australia, which has a stunning location with magnificent views over Lake Burley Griffin. The Museum is referred to as "where our stories live" & brings together the history of the First Australians, the European settlers & those who have resided here in more modern times since the formation of Federation.
A rotating theatre presents images, sound & music which combine to tell Australia's story. This is further expanded by galleries & a wealth of fascinating exhibits.
We found Canberra to be a very interesting city & felt that we could have spent much more time there. You should always leave something to come back for ... and, we did!
Thursday 24 October 2013
Thurs 24 Oct - A day in Canberra
We didn't have a good start to the day - the Tia Maria bottle had leaked in the under-sink cupboard (a real "ant attraction") & so we started the day sweeping out the van & washing the floor - well, Bob did; I was busy with other chores. He is considering drinking more in future, in order to avoid the alcohol going to waste - that's the newest excuse I've heard!
As we were leaving the caravan park, Bob backed into a lamp post that he hadn't noticed in his mirror (every vehicle has a blind spot). Oh dear, a broken indicator light & some minor damage to the rear light casing! We drove to the Visitor & Information Centre, quite near to where we were staying, & found out about attractions to visit &, most importantly, where to get a replacement indicator bulb which, fortunately, Bob was able to fix himself. We parked in a beautiful tree-lined street whilst he carried out repairs. We noticed that Canberra is a city of trees - every road is lined with different types of trees, which is lovely.
Eventually, we arrived at the Australian War Memorial, which was high on our list of places to visit. It is a wonderful memorial with landscaped gardens, stunning sound & light shows, galleries, a Pool of Reflection with an Eternal Flame, a Hall of Memory, Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, Roll of Honour & a daily closing ceremony which commemorates someone who has died serving his or her country.
It would take many hours to see all that the Memorial has to offer - we were there for four hours & found it fascinating, informative & extremely well presented. It showed conflict with startling clarity &, at the same time, brought home to us the tragedy & futility of war. Many school children were also spending time at the Memorial & we could only hope that it would show something of the debt we all owe to those who died for our freedom.
Bob was particularly impressed by the way in which "War in the Air" was presented - the sound & light shows were most dramatic. I admired many of the paintings by war-time artists, as well as the wonderful Changi Quilt made by women who were interned by the Japanese (we heard the women's camp choir singing whilst the quilt was being displayed, which was very moving).
The closing ceremony was very poignant as Private John Saunders, who fought in the Korean War & whose body was never recovered, was remembered & honoured. A lone piper played a lament, followed by a bugler who played the Last Post. Members of Private Saunders' family were present & several people, including children from the various schools that were visiting, laid wreaths.
As we were leaving the caravan park, Bob backed into a lamp post that he hadn't noticed in his mirror (every vehicle has a blind spot). Oh dear, a broken indicator light & some minor damage to the rear light casing! We drove to the Visitor & Information Centre, quite near to where we were staying, & found out about attractions to visit &, most importantly, where to get a replacement indicator bulb which, fortunately, Bob was able to fix himself. We parked in a beautiful tree-lined street whilst he carried out repairs. We noticed that Canberra is a city of trees - every road is lined with different types of trees, which is lovely.
Eventually, we arrived at the Australian War Memorial, which was high on our list of places to visit. It is a wonderful memorial with landscaped gardens, stunning sound & light shows, galleries, a Pool of Reflection with an Eternal Flame, a Hall of Memory, Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, Roll of Honour & a daily closing ceremony which commemorates someone who has died serving his or her country.
It would take many hours to see all that the Memorial has to offer - we were there for four hours & found it fascinating, informative & extremely well presented. It showed conflict with startling clarity &, at the same time, brought home to us the tragedy & futility of war. Many school children were also spending time at the Memorial & we could only hope that it would show something of the debt we all owe to those who died for our freedom.
Bob was particularly impressed by the way in which "War in the Air" was presented - the sound & light shows were most dramatic. I admired many of the paintings by war-time artists, as well as the wonderful Changi Quilt made by women who were interned by the Japanese (we heard the women's camp choir singing whilst the quilt was being displayed, which was very moving).
The closing ceremony was very poignant as Private John Saunders, who fought in the Korean War & whose body was never recovered, was remembered & honoured. A lone piper played a lament, followed by a bugler who played the Last Post. Members of Private Saunders' family were present & several people, including children from the various schools that were visiting, laid wreaths.
Wednesday 23 October 2013
23 Oct - Merimbula to Canberra
We left the Sapphire Valley Tourist Park at 11.10am with several people waving us goodbye. I had already swum with Yvonne at 8.30am & we'd both enjoyed pancakes in the camp kitchen again, at 10am. It was a lovely park - one we'd recommend & stay at again.
We hadn't seen much of the town but, as we drove out, it seemed to have all that anyone would need & the harbour looked lovely. We departed along a tree-lined road, passing the small airport on our right. This was an attractive area with hills, forest & ocean. We were 35km from Bega, home of a well-known cheese we'd seen frequently in the supermarkets.
The view of Merimbula Lake, down a steep hill overlooking the water, was particularly picturesque. The occasional lorry, loaded with tree trunks, passed us & we concluded that logging was one of the local industries.
What a beautiful day & how fantastic was the panorama that opened out before us as we drove towards Bega! Large herds of dairy cattle grazed upon the green hills, which became ever more steep as we entered the Snowy Mountain Highway towards Cooma & Canberra, the latter being 216km away. Apparently, we had about 60km of steep hills & winding road ahead of us as we crossed the Brown Mountains & travelled over the Great Dividing Range, which results in the marked contrast between the fertile east & the dry interior.
At times, a strong head wind blew, seriously hampering our progress. In Bemboka, we stopped to photograph the views & saw a shop advertising "Teddy Bears & Wool/Crystals & Lace" - I would have loved to take a look inside but realised that we should press on towards Canberra.
We entered the South East Forests National Park & began a seriously steep & winding climb, which slowed us down to a crawl. The forest was full of tree ferns & the gums grew straight & tall. We were very high up & stopped to take a picture at the "Fred Piper Memorial Lookout", where a really strong wind was blowing. On the western side of the Divide, tougher tussocky grasses grew & the area became less green. Animals still grazed but not on such lush pasture as that east of the mountains. As we descended, the trees became less tall & the terrain was more frequently strewn with rocks & boulders. Where water is less abundant, a marked contrast in the landscape soon becomes apparent. Gone were the dairy cattle, their places taken by hardier sheep.
We stopped at Lake Williams, in Nimmitabel, for lunch & were soon surrounded by ducks & moorhens, which Bob fed with his crusts (he hadn't been trained to eat them up!) The wind almost wrenched the car & caravan doors off, when we opened them!
The scenery was still magnificent &, when we passed a sign saying "Great Dividing Range", we realised that we were travelling right on top of it.
Soon, the terrain opened out into wide plains, bordered by far-distant mountains - completely different scenery from that through which we'd travelled during the morning. A few cattle re-appeared but of the beef, rather than the dairy, variety.
Cooma nestled in the surrounding hills & was set on either side of a wide main street. We climbed out of it passing the "Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre" on our right. Canberra was still 115km away.
Eventually, we passed a sign saying "Australian Capital Territory", which indicated that we were nearing the city. Negotiating it & finding a caravan park was quite another matter! There was only one such park in the vicinity with no directions to it & so we had to rely completely upon maps & our SatNav - goodness only knows what we would have done without them. We finally located the Exhibition Centre Park (nothing like as appealing as the one in Merimbula) & settled down for the night.
We hadn't seen much of the town but, as we drove out, it seemed to have all that anyone would need & the harbour looked lovely. We departed along a tree-lined road, passing the small airport on our right. This was an attractive area with hills, forest & ocean. We were 35km from Bega, home of a well-known cheese we'd seen frequently in the supermarkets.
The view of Merimbula Lake, down a steep hill overlooking the water, was particularly picturesque. The occasional lorry, loaded with tree trunks, passed us & we concluded that logging was one of the local industries.
What a beautiful day & how fantastic was the panorama that opened out before us as we drove towards Bega! Large herds of dairy cattle grazed upon the green hills, which became ever more steep as we entered the Snowy Mountain Highway towards Cooma & Canberra, the latter being 216km away. Apparently, we had about 60km of steep hills & winding road ahead of us as we crossed the Brown Mountains & travelled over the Great Dividing Range, which results in the marked contrast between the fertile east & the dry interior.
At times, a strong head wind blew, seriously hampering our progress. In Bemboka, we stopped to photograph the views & saw a shop advertising "Teddy Bears & Wool/Crystals & Lace" - I would have loved to take a look inside but realised that we should press on towards Canberra.
We entered the South East Forests National Park & began a seriously steep & winding climb, which slowed us down to a crawl. The forest was full of tree ferns & the gums grew straight & tall. We were very high up & stopped to take a picture at the "Fred Piper Memorial Lookout", where a really strong wind was blowing. On the western side of the Divide, tougher tussocky grasses grew & the area became less green. Animals still grazed but not on such lush pasture as that east of the mountains. As we descended, the trees became less tall & the terrain was more frequently strewn with rocks & boulders. Where water is less abundant, a marked contrast in the landscape soon becomes apparent. Gone were the dairy cattle, their places taken by hardier sheep.
We stopped at Lake Williams, in Nimmitabel, for lunch & were soon surrounded by ducks & moorhens, which Bob fed with his crusts (he hadn't been trained to eat them up!) The wind almost wrenched the car & caravan doors off, when we opened them!
The scenery was still magnificent &, when we passed a sign saying "Great Dividing Range", we realised that we were travelling right on top of it.
Soon, the terrain opened out into wide plains, bordered by far-distant mountains - completely different scenery from that through which we'd travelled during the morning. A few cattle re-appeared but of the beef, rather than the dairy, variety.
Cooma nestled in the surrounding hills & was set on either side of a wide main street. We climbed out of it passing the "Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre" on our right. Canberra was still 115km away.
Eventually, we passed a sign saying "Australian Capital Territory", which indicated that we were nearing the city. Negotiating it & finding a caravan park was quite another matter! There was only one such park in the vicinity with no directions to it & so we had to rely completely upon maps & our SatNav - goodness only knows what we would have done without them. We finally located the Exhibition Centre Park (nothing like as appealing as the one in Merimbula) & settled down for the night.
22 Oct - A relaxing day spent at the Sapphire Valley Tourist Park in Merimbula
What a night - it absolutely poured! We hoped that the bush fire areas had received some of it.
We had some lovely neighbours called Yvonne & Geoff - they were very sociable & we spent quite some time chatting with them. Yvonne loves birds & was able to tell us a lot about Australian ones. She also likes painting & has done some stumpwork, too, so we had a few things in common.
We had free pancakes & cups of tea in the camp kitchen - apparently, they also do a sausage sizzle on Friday evenings (a good way of bringing people together).
I had planned to swim with Yvonne after lunch as there was a lovely pool & hot tub. However, it became wet & cold, so I stayed in the caravan & brought this blog almost up to date (no mean task, as I had fallen very far behind with it).
At 6pm., we joined Yvonne & Geoff at the local Bowling Club for dinner. We ladies had Seafood Baskets, which were very tasty & the men had excellent steaks. After coffee & a chat, we spent a short time playing the Pokies - we didn't win anything & left our friends there still trying to "get lucky".
We had some lovely neighbours called Yvonne & Geoff - they were very sociable & we spent quite some time chatting with them. Yvonne loves birds & was able to tell us a lot about Australian ones. She also likes painting & has done some stumpwork, too, so we had a few things in common.
We had free pancakes & cups of tea in the camp kitchen - apparently, they also do a sausage sizzle on Friday evenings (a good way of bringing people together).
I had planned to swim with Yvonne after lunch as there was a lovely pool & hot tub. However, it became wet & cold, so I stayed in the caravan & brought this blog almost up to date (no mean task, as I had fallen very far behind with it).
At 6pm., we joined Yvonne & Geoff at the local Bowling Club for dinner. We ladies had Seafood Baskets, which were very tasty & the men had excellent steaks. After coffee & a chat, we spent a short time playing the Pokies - we didn't win anything & left our friends there still trying to "get lucky".
Mon 21 Oct - Sale to Merimbula
We had spent the previous night at a caravan park just outside Sale - it wasn't very special & seemed rather tired & run-down. However, we had left our arrangements a bit late & decided that it would have to do. It was cheap ($25) & we slept very well, so didn't feel that we had suffered unduly.
Sale seemed more like mid-west America than Australia. There were a lot of motor bikers about & we noticed a shop, next to the Baptist Church, advertising "Fire Arms"!
The sky was overcast as we drove towards "Stratford on the River Avon", sounding very English but looking very Australian with its wide main street & trees down the centre. It had some lovely homes, one in particular with a picturesque rose-filled garden.
The bikers sped past us as we travelled towards Bairnsdale, where we stopped to re-fuel, & a number of white cockatoos flew overhead (we had already been serenaded by a kookaburra before leaving the caravan park).
At Lakes Entrance, we stopped for a couple of hours & had a walk round, looking at the shops, boats, pelicans, etc. This was our second visit & we vaguely remembered some of it, particularly the steep drive down into the town.
We moved on into fairly densely wooded country, which was still hilly & provided grazing land wherever it had been cleared. We stopped at a Rest Area to have our lunch & listened to the loud noise of cicadas as we ate.
Eventually, we passed a sign welcoming us to "Snowy River Country" & crossed the wide Snowy itself (something else that I remembered marking on a map in my far off school days). It was an area of fertile plains & green fields, where lucky cattle grazed on the lush grass. The route continued up & down, becoming steep & very winding.
The forest of tall gums became thicker &, occasionally, tree ferns appeared at the lower level. A sign warned that kangaroos could appear over the next 20km & I sincerely hoped that none would jump out in front of us. However, we did see a very large dead wombat - such a shame!
We finally stopped in Merimbula, where the hills were ultra-steep, but the caravan park looked very inviting.
Sale seemed more like mid-west America than Australia. There were a lot of motor bikers about & we noticed a shop, next to the Baptist Church, advertising "Fire Arms"!
The sky was overcast as we drove towards "Stratford on the River Avon", sounding very English but looking very Australian with its wide main street & trees down the centre. It had some lovely homes, one in particular with a picturesque rose-filled garden.
The bikers sped past us as we travelled towards Bairnsdale, where we stopped to re-fuel, & a number of white cockatoos flew overhead (we had already been serenaded by a kookaburra before leaving the caravan park).
At Lakes Entrance, we stopped for a couple of hours & had a walk round, looking at the shops, boats, pelicans, etc. This was our second visit & we vaguely remembered some of it, particularly the steep drive down into the town.
We moved on into fairly densely wooded country, which was still hilly & provided grazing land wherever it had been cleared. We stopped at a Rest Area to have our lunch & listened to the loud noise of cicadas as we ate.
Eventually, we passed a sign welcoming us to "Snowy River Country" & crossed the wide Snowy itself (something else that I remembered marking on a map in my far off school days). It was an area of fertile plains & green fields, where lucky cattle grazed on the lush grass. The route continued up & down, becoming steep & very winding.
The forest of tall gums became thicker &, occasionally, tree ferns appeared at the lower level. A sign warned that kangaroos could appear over the next 20km & I sincerely hoped that none would jump out in front of us. However, we did see a very large dead wombat - such a shame!
We finally stopped in Merimbula, where the hills were ultra-steep, but the caravan park looked very inviting.
Sun 20 Oct - Portarlington to Sale
We were up at 6am & ready to leave by 6.30am.! Never let it be said that I can't rise to the occasion.
It was "Round the Bay in a Day" for pedal cyclists & a big meeting on Phillip Island for motor bikers, so we were surrounded by 2-wheeled vehicles.
Upstairs, in the refreshments area of the ferry, the noise was horrendous, as hundreds of cyclists all talked at once in anything but dulcet tones - definitely on a par with white cockatoos! We decided to postpone breakfast until we had disembarked & hoped that we would be able to find somewhere quieter to eat. In fact, we had to drive quite a long way before we left the cyclists behind & finally stopped at a place called Baxter, where we enjoyed good cooked breakfasts. We shared a table with a lovely couple who also loved travelling & had an interesting chat with them.
Once on the road again, I promptly fell asleep until we reached Inverloch, where we stopped for a cup of tea. Was it the early start that had made me so lethargic, or the lack of fresh air (the sky had clouded over & the atmosphere felt 'heavy')?
We moved into beautiful hilly country, with steep slopes & deep valleys - the scenery was very picturesque, even though the road was narrow & winding. At one point, it looked like Switzerland, apart from the fact that we could see the ocean in the distance. There were obviously a lot of animals in the area, as we saw numerous signs indicating the presence of koalas, kangaroos & wombats. We were now in Gippsland.
It was "Round the Bay in a Day" for pedal cyclists & a big meeting on Phillip Island for motor bikers, so we were surrounded by 2-wheeled vehicles.
Upstairs, in the refreshments area of the ferry, the noise was horrendous, as hundreds of cyclists all talked at once in anything but dulcet tones - definitely on a par with white cockatoos! We decided to postpone breakfast until we had disembarked & hoped that we would be able to find somewhere quieter to eat. In fact, we had to drive quite a long way before we left the cyclists behind & finally stopped at a place called Baxter, where we enjoyed good cooked breakfasts. We shared a table with a lovely couple who also loved travelling & had an interesting chat with them.
Once on the road again, I promptly fell asleep until we reached Inverloch, where we stopped for a cup of tea. Was it the early start that had made me so lethargic, or the lack of fresh air (the sky had clouded over & the atmosphere felt 'heavy')?
We moved into beautiful hilly country, with steep slopes & deep valleys - the scenery was very picturesque, even though the road was narrow & winding. At one point, it looked like Switzerland, apart from the fact that we could see the ocean in the distance. There were obviously a lot of animals in the area, as we saw numerous signs indicating the presence of koalas, kangaroos & wombats. We were now in Gippsland.
Monday 21 October 2013
Oct 13-19 A week in Portarlington, visiting friends
Sun 13th
What a grey day! After yesterday's glorious sunshine, it was a shock to awaken to cloud, mist & rain. But, we're tough; we're British & so, unlike many who deserted the caravan park, we soldiered on.
Bob went to a service at his favourite church in Drysdale while I washed my hair & generally pottered - it was good to have the van to myself for once.
After lunch, we visited Lyn & Don for a couple of hours. Later, they were going to a neighbour's cocktail party, no less!
Mon 14th
We didn't get up until 10.30am - very decadent! Maybe the wintry weather was encouraging us to stay in bed. Eventually, we drove to Drysdale, where we met our friend Judy & arranged to get together with her & Charlie before our departure.
We stocked up with food, then had a lovely walk along the beach & the pier, where we met a pleasant Maltese couple who were trying to catch fish. We just made it back to the van before a heavy shower of rain occurred.
Tues 15th
A much better day - sun shining; sea sparkling! We drove to Clifton Springs, where Tyler cut my hair while Bob visited Phil. We then continued on to Queenscliff & booked ourselves on to next Sunday's ferry to Sorrento.
After lunch, we drove into Geelong, did a little shopping, then went to the cinema at Waurn Ponds. We saw the film, "Blue Jasmine", starring Cate Blanchet. The characters were good but the plot was awful & ended so abruptly that several people looked at one another as if to say, "Has it finished?" Most unsatisfactory.
Wed 16th
Didn't get up until 9am.! It was very windy outside & HUGE waves were rolling in as I looked out of the caravan window. We decided to concentrate upon indoor activities & so, very nervously, I began to iron the pellon on to the back of my painted fabric, ready for embroidering (not exactly easy or stress-free on a tiny caravan table!) However, I managed & it seems to have worked.
In the evening, we drove to St Leonard's, where we had a lovely meal & a very enjoyable few hours with Lyn & Kevin Hughes.
Thurs 17th
It was a WILD day, with a strong wind blowing until quite late in the evening, when it finally abated. A nearby tree had obviously been damaged & a noisy machine "grated" for most of the day whilst the tree was made safe.
At 5.15pm., we drove to Kadumba Ave., where Wes was busy cutting the lawns ready for Grace's birthday party on Saturday. Jodie was working in the kitchen & Phil arrived in time for dinner. The eight of us enjoyed lasagne, salad & a couple of fruit pies & custard together, which was lovely. The girls are gorgeous - we shall miss them. Jenna asked when she could visit our house again & Jodie had to explain that it wasn't our house any more.
We saw pictures of Shane's wedding, which had been held on a houseboat, in Echuca.
We were very sad to leave our lovely family, who have been such wonderful friends & neighbours. We will definitely keep in touch with them.
Fri 18th
A much more pleasant day, weather-wise. There was still a fair breeze but we had sunshine & ablue sky.
We went to Madge & Ian's at 12 midday & joined the gang. There were 14 of us altogether - Madge, Ian, Lyn, Kevin, Lyn, Don, Kath, Terry, Yvonne, Reg, Joan, Ray & our two selves. Quite a gathering. Joan was very brave to join us so soon after her recent surgery. Neither Yvonne nor Reg had changed at all & both looked really well. It was a lovely afternoon, as we ate, drank & all caught up with one another.
After a rest at the caravan, we drove to Drysdale to visit Judy & Charlie. We had drinks, cake & a good catch-up with them, so we had managed to see all of our lovely Victorian friends before we start our journey back to Queensland on Sunday.
By the time we arrived back at the caravan park, the wind had dropped & all was calm.
Sat 19th
A WARM day - in the high 20's & forecast to reach 30C tomorrow! I did our washing, as it was such good weather for drying.
After lunch, we went to see Joan & Ray, as we didn't feel that we'd been able to have much of a chat with them on Friday, in a large crowd. They were pleased to see us & we felt that Joan looked much better & more rested. We spent a pleasant couple of hours with them & felt glad that we'd caught up properly.
We did some shopping, then returned to Portarlington to have dinner & get the caravan ready for an early start the next morning. We packed everything away securely & Bob hooked the caravan & car together before going to bed.
What a grey day! After yesterday's glorious sunshine, it was a shock to awaken to cloud, mist & rain. But, we're tough; we're British & so, unlike many who deserted the caravan park, we soldiered on.
Bob went to a service at his favourite church in Drysdale while I washed my hair & generally pottered - it was good to have the van to myself for once.
After lunch, we visited Lyn & Don for a couple of hours. Later, they were going to a neighbour's cocktail party, no less!
Mon 14th
We didn't get up until 10.30am - very decadent! Maybe the wintry weather was encouraging us to stay in bed. Eventually, we drove to Drysdale, where we met our friend Judy & arranged to get together with her & Charlie before our departure.
We stocked up with food, then had a lovely walk along the beach & the pier, where we met a pleasant Maltese couple who were trying to catch fish. We just made it back to the van before a heavy shower of rain occurred.
Tues 15th
A much better day - sun shining; sea sparkling! We drove to Clifton Springs, where Tyler cut my hair while Bob visited Phil. We then continued on to Queenscliff & booked ourselves on to next Sunday's ferry to Sorrento.
After lunch, we drove into Geelong, did a little shopping, then went to the cinema at Waurn Ponds. We saw the film, "Blue Jasmine", starring Cate Blanchet. The characters were good but the plot was awful & ended so abruptly that several people looked at one another as if to say, "Has it finished?" Most unsatisfactory.
Wed 16th
Didn't get up until 9am.! It was very windy outside & HUGE waves were rolling in as I looked out of the caravan window. We decided to concentrate upon indoor activities & so, very nervously, I began to iron the pellon on to the back of my painted fabric, ready for embroidering (not exactly easy or stress-free on a tiny caravan table!) However, I managed & it seems to have worked.
In the evening, we drove to St Leonard's, where we had a lovely meal & a very enjoyable few hours with Lyn & Kevin Hughes.
Thurs 17th
It was a WILD day, with a strong wind blowing until quite late in the evening, when it finally abated. A nearby tree had obviously been damaged & a noisy machine "grated" for most of the day whilst the tree was made safe.
At 5.15pm., we drove to Kadumba Ave., where Wes was busy cutting the lawns ready for Grace's birthday party on Saturday. Jodie was working in the kitchen & Phil arrived in time for dinner. The eight of us enjoyed lasagne, salad & a couple of fruit pies & custard together, which was lovely. The girls are gorgeous - we shall miss them. Jenna asked when she could visit our house again & Jodie had to explain that it wasn't our house any more.
We saw pictures of Shane's wedding, which had been held on a houseboat, in Echuca.
We were very sad to leave our lovely family, who have been such wonderful friends & neighbours. We will definitely keep in touch with them.
Fri 18th
A much more pleasant day, weather-wise. There was still a fair breeze but we had sunshine & ablue sky.
We went to Madge & Ian's at 12 midday & joined the gang. There were 14 of us altogether - Madge, Ian, Lyn, Kevin, Lyn, Don, Kath, Terry, Yvonne, Reg, Joan, Ray & our two selves. Quite a gathering. Joan was very brave to join us so soon after her recent surgery. Neither Yvonne nor Reg had changed at all & both looked really well. It was a lovely afternoon, as we ate, drank & all caught up with one another.
After a rest at the caravan, we drove to Drysdale to visit Judy & Charlie. We had drinks, cake & a good catch-up with them, so we had managed to see all of our lovely Victorian friends before we start our journey back to Queensland on Sunday.
By the time we arrived back at the caravan park, the wind had dropped & all was calm.
Sat 19th
A WARM day - in the high 20's & forecast to reach 30C tomorrow! I did our washing, as it was such good weather for drying.
After lunch, we went to see Joan & Ray, as we didn't feel that we'd been able to have much of a chat with them on Friday, in a large crowd. They were pleased to see us & we felt that Joan looked much better & more rested. We spent a pleasant couple of hours with them & felt glad that we'd caught up properly.
We did some shopping, then returned to Portarlington to have dinner & get the caravan ready for an early start the next morning. We packed everything away securely & Bob hooked the caravan & car together before going to bed.
Sat 12 Oct - Ballarat to Port Arlington
We left Shady Acres caravan park at 10.30am. in bright sunshine & with a blue sky. However, a keen wind was blowing & the temperature was only 13C. The countryside was beautiful & we saw many familiar spring flowers - laburnum, broom, lilac & even bluebells! We were quite high up in hilly country & the views were magnificent - at times we could see for miles. This was sheep & cattle country & several of the animals had lambs or calves.
As we lost height, the temperature rose fairly rapidly & soon reached 18C. A sign at the roadside advertised lamb sausages, which seemed unusual to us - we were sure we'd never eaten any of those before.
We stopped in Meredith to photograph the unusual church & saw a sign pointing to Steiglitz (10km away). Apparently, they were going to have an "Airing of the Quilts" tomorrow, the 13th - what a shame that we were a day too early. We wondered if they would be showing new quilts, or if they would be airing those they'd been using all winter.
As we drove through Geelong, the Bay looked stunning - bright turquoise water glistening in the sun, which was now hot on my side of the car. It was now 23C & a glorious day. En-route to Portarlington, we saw that the bright red bottlebrushes were in flower & the yellow oxalis was still covering the verges.
We reached the caravan park at 12.20pm where Bob booked us in for a week.
As we lost height, the temperature rose fairly rapidly & soon reached 18C. A sign at the roadside advertised lamb sausages, which seemed unusual to us - we were sure we'd never eaten any of those before.
We stopped in Meredith to photograph the unusual church & saw a sign pointing to Steiglitz (10km away). Apparently, they were going to have an "Airing of the Quilts" tomorrow, the 13th - what a shame that we were a day too early. We wondered if they would be showing new quilts, or if they would be airing those they'd been using all winter.
As we drove through Geelong, the Bay looked stunning - bright turquoise water glistening in the sun, which was now hot on my side of the car. It was now 23C & a glorious day. En-route to Portarlington, we saw that the bright red bottlebrushes were in flower & the yellow oxalis was still covering the verges.
We reached the caravan park at 12.20pm where Bob booked us in for a week.
Sunday 20 October 2013
7-11 Oct - 5 days, with friends, in Ballarat
Mon 7th Oct
We ladies "did the shops", as well as enjoying morning coffee, a light lunch & afternoon tea. The men played golf & were lucky to have good weather - cold-ish, but bright & sunny.
With the help of Lyn H's light box, I managed to trace most of the design, needed for Wednesday's course, on to my fabric, ready for painting. It will be a fairly large picture when completed.
In the evening, we all went to a club close by for dinner - the food was reasonably priced & good.
Tues. 8th
This was a day spent "being tourists". The 8 of us went for a drive, in 2 cars, stopping first at a
nearby woollen mill where the goods were of very high quality - those made of cashmere & alpaca wools were particularly soft (what a shame that my bags have to stay within a limited weight allowance when I fly back to the UK!)
From the mill we continued on to Creswick, where there were two patchwork shops, the second being particularly quaint & interesting due to the lady in charge being very creative & artistic. She had
some great ideas & I bought a pattern from her which was very appealing.
After lunch, we drove to Clunes, where the first gold was found & we were able to see evidence of
earlier mining. The miners' cottages fascinated me.
On our return to Ballarat, we drove around Lake Wendouree - it has some magnificent houses all
around it, indicating that it was the chosen spot of those who benefited from the gold.
I finished tracing my Civil War Poppies design before we all went out for our evening meal, this time at a steak house.
Wed 9th Oct
What a great day we ladies had! Lyn H drove us to Ballan, where we arrived at 10am. Coffee was provided, which started the day off well, then Kerry Gillespie (the teacher) gave a little talk on how to use the materials before we started to paint our prepared pictures. Kath & I worked together, as we were working on the same design & were able to share paint. It was a most enjoyable exercise, even though it required a lot of careful concentration - I think we were all pleased with our results. It was lovely to see Lyn C, who joined us for the day, with another lady.
At midday, we were ushered into the restaurant next door, where we were able to choose lunch from a comprehensive menu. I had a "Miller's Plate", which consisted of pumpkin soup, a ham & cheese Ploughman's & some salad - it was excellent.
Later in the afternoon, we had tea, coffee or chocolate & a delicious piece of custard slice - such good value.
The patchwork shop, where we did the course, was delightful, with a good range of fabrics & other items. Kerry's designs were on display & all looked very attractive.
The men had had an exhausting day on the golf course, battling against a strong wind. Although Bob was the winner, he said it was actually more a case of the others having lost!
At 7pm., we went out for a Chinese meal, which was a great success & enjoyed by all.
Thurs 10th Oct
Bob & I awoke late but soon found the others at the Lane Cafe, opposite the Art Gallery, where we all had coffee before visiting the Gallery. There were some beautiful exhibits, particularly of the area around Creswick & Clunes. The artist had done intricate pencil sketches prior to doing his paintings, in order to establish where the light & dark areas would be - fantastic!
The weather wasn't very good, so we moved on to Lake Wendouree & had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the water.
Finally, the men went to Master's (the Woolworth's equivalent of Bunning's), while we ladies paid a visit to Lyncraft. Lyn H & I bought some fusible pellon to back our pictures & one or two DMC cottons for the embroidery - however, Lyn insisted on sharing some of her cottons with the rest of us because she claimed to have more than enough.
After drinks & nibbles, we returned to the club that we had visited on Monday & had some excellent evening meals - Bob & I had seafood platters, which were delicious.
We ladies "did the shops", as well as enjoying morning coffee, a light lunch & afternoon tea. The men played golf & were lucky to have good weather - cold-ish, but bright & sunny.
With the help of Lyn H's light box, I managed to trace most of the design, needed for Wednesday's course, on to my fabric, ready for painting. It will be a fairly large picture when completed.
In the evening, we all went to a club close by for dinner - the food was reasonably priced & good.
Tues. 8th
This was a day spent "being tourists". The 8 of us went for a drive, in 2 cars, stopping first at a
nearby woollen mill where the goods were of very high quality - those made of cashmere & alpaca wools were particularly soft (what a shame that my bags have to stay within a limited weight allowance when I fly back to the UK!)
From the mill we continued on to Creswick, where there were two patchwork shops, the second being particularly quaint & interesting due to the lady in charge being very creative & artistic. She had
some great ideas & I bought a pattern from her which was very appealing.
After lunch, we drove to Clunes, where the first gold was found & we were able to see evidence of
earlier mining. The miners' cottages fascinated me.
On our return to Ballarat, we drove around Lake Wendouree - it has some magnificent houses all
around it, indicating that it was the chosen spot of those who benefited from the gold.
I finished tracing my Civil War Poppies design before we all went out for our evening meal, this time at a steak house.
Wed 9th Oct
What a great day we ladies had! Lyn H drove us to Ballan, where we arrived at 10am. Coffee was provided, which started the day off well, then Kerry Gillespie (the teacher) gave a little talk on how to use the materials before we started to paint our prepared pictures. Kath & I worked together, as we were working on the same design & were able to share paint. It was a most enjoyable exercise, even though it required a lot of careful concentration - I think we were all pleased with our results. It was lovely to see Lyn C, who joined us for the day, with another lady.
At midday, we were ushered into the restaurant next door, where we were able to choose lunch from a comprehensive menu. I had a "Miller's Plate", which consisted of pumpkin soup, a ham & cheese Ploughman's & some salad - it was excellent.
Later in the afternoon, we had tea, coffee or chocolate & a delicious piece of custard slice - such good value.
The patchwork shop, where we did the course, was delightful, with a good range of fabrics & other items. Kerry's designs were on display & all looked very attractive.
The men had had an exhausting day on the golf course, battling against a strong wind. Although Bob was the winner, he said it was actually more a case of the others having lost!
At 7pm., we went out for a Chinese meal, which was a great success & enjoyed by all.
Thurs 10th Oct
Bob & I awoke late but soon found the others at the Lane Cafe, opposite the Art Gallery, where we all had coffee before visiting the Gallery. There were some beautiful exhibits, particularly of the area around Creswick & Clunes. The artist had done intricate pencil sketches prior to doing his paintings, in order to establish where the light & dark areas would be - fantastic!
The weather wasn't very good, so we moved on to Lake Wendouree & had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the water.
Finally, the men went to Master's (the Woolworth's equivalent of Bunning's), while we ladies paid a visit to Lyncraft. Lyn H & I bought some fusible pellon to back our pictures & one or two DMC cottons for the embroidery - however, Lyn insisted on sharing some of her cottons with the rest of us because she claimed to have more than enough.
After drinks & nibbles, we returned to the club that we had visited on Monday & had some excellent evening meals - Bob & I had seafood platters, which were delicious.
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