The Nation's Capital

We had a big day in the nation's capital today.  Our first stop was Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre.  Located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin, it has more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology, and is almost entirely devoted to inspiring Aussie kids to love science.

A Tough Day At Questacon

I, too, almost cried when I saw the queue to get in!  It had slipped my mind that it is currently ACT school holidays.  However, thanks to Bruce's resourcefulness, our time in the queue was minimised and before we knew it we were exploring this fascinating, interactive science centre.

One of the kids favourites was definitely the Free Fall - a 6 metre high slide which allows you to experience a very brief moment of weightlessness.  Of course I had to do the right thing and test it out first, just to make sure it was safe!

Jack and Jarrah loved the Cross Hockey and the Robot Hockey - where you compete against a robotic arm in a game of air hockey.  Fletcher enjoyed the Jellyfish Vortex and the Rototron - a tunnel where LEDs turn on and off to generate the visual illusion of movement and completely freak out your sense of balance. 

 

After watching The Little Flower Seed Puppet Show and playing in the rather bizarre Rip Slash Go Predator vs Prey Game Show the Johnston tummies were rumbling so we headed over to the shores of Lake Burley Griffin for a picnic lunch.

Next it was off to the Australian War Memorial.  Here I am standing out the front, with Parliament House in the background.

The Australian War Memorial combines a shrine, a world-class museum, and an extensive archive. The Memorial's purpose is to commemorate the sacrifice of those Australians who have died in war. Its mission is to assist Australians to remember, interpret and understand the Australian experience of war and its enduring impact on Australian society.

Here is their spirit, in the heart of the land they loved;
and here we guard the record which they themselves made.

Charles Bean, 1948

 

While Bruce could have spent the whole day here, unfortunately we struggled to keep the young Johnston boys quiet and reverent for more than about 10 minutes.  After about 90 minutes they were completely feral, so we retreated while we still maintained some dignity.

 

We spent a lovely evening with Nat and Tony.  We shared a beautiful Thai meal together, then Nat and I relaxed while the boys did the dishes.

Happy 4th Birthday Fletcher!

There was much excitement in our small home this morning when Fletcher awoke to find the table laden with cards and gifts to kick off  his 4th birthday celebration.

Of course we couldn't start the gift opening ceremony until Mr Sleepy (Jarrah) woke up, so in the mean time the rest of us wandered into the house to wash up.  We found Tony in the kitchen busily whipping up a bunch of scrumptious birthday pancakes so there was a hurried re-jigging of the present ceremony from the van to the house.

Fletch was pleased with his haul of presents, which consisted almost entirely of lollies and guns.  EXACTLY what he had asked for!   There was the odd practical present thrown in too, but it was definitely the guns and lollies that won his heart.

I tried unsuccessfully to secure some last minute AFL Grand Final tickets but alas, it seems the road trip is off.  Maybe next time.

After some telephone birthday wishes from home we headed out to Black Mountain, to Canberra's iconic telecommunications tower.  Rising 195.2 meters above the summit of Black Mountain, it offers 360 degree panoramic views of Canberra and its surrounding countryside.  The indoor observation deck was cool, but the outdoor viewing platform was positively arctic.  We lasted about two minutes out there!

Back at ground level, the weather was actually quite nice, so Bruce decided to take us all out for lunch at a great pub he'd been to in Canberra years ago.  Well either his memory isn't as good as it once was, or the place has since been demolished because we drove a long way with no such pub appearing.

 We did find a playground, however.
 

Eventually Fletcher declared that as it was his birthday he should decide on the lunch venue and he picked Maccas.  Now you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to find a Maccas pretty much anywhere on the planet, but let me tell you it was no easy feat in Canberra.  Eventually, Fletch got so hungry that he decided Hungry Jacks would have to do.

No it wasn't a happy meal but it sure did seem to make him happy!

Our final stop of the day, at Fletcher's request, was the National Arboretum.  What is a arboretum?  I'm glad you asked.  An arboretum is a botanical garden devoted to growing trees for conservation, scientific research and educational purposes.

It also happens to have the best playground in Canberra.  It's called a Pod Playground and it's a unique adventure playground featuring giant acorn cubbies on stilts, nest swings and banksia pods, with a great spiral slippery slide, all surrounded by spectacular views.

Fletch stuck halfway between two acorns

With much energy spent, we settled on a drive past the Houses of Parliament before heading home for more celebrations.  It was all too much for the birthday boy, who almost missed his own party!

 

Luckily, he woke up just in time to devour the feast laid out before him.  Lucky also that he has two big brothers to help devour the insane amount of junk food that comes with turning four!

With not a vegetable to be seen Fletcher declared it the best birthday ever!

Medieval Memories

Hear Ye   Hear Ye   Hear Ye!

 

Let it be known that on this very day in the year of the Lord two thousand and fourteen occurred the joining of Bruce of the Buckworth and the fine Lady Andrea.  As we journey through this most splendid of unions may the feasting and merriment of marital bliss continue always!

  

It's so hard to believe that a year has gone by so quickly.  It was such a wonderful day and we had so much fun!  The memories of having all our friends and families together in medieval theme to celebrate our marriage will be with us forever.

 

Today we also celebrate our 150th day on the road!  We farewelled Andy, his mother Judy and Harry last night with a musical ensemble consisting of Jack on the piano, Fletcher on the harmonica, Jarrah on the guitar, Andrea on the African djembe drums and myself on the didgeridoo. 

 

 Judy did not know what had hit her! 

 

Andy had a crack. 

At the didgeridoo, that is.

 

It was quite late in the night and the noise was incredible but we (the grown-ups) had all consumed a little too much wine, beer, bourbon and good food to care a whole lot. 

 

Exhibit A.

 

It was great fun.  But, when the morning sun bore holes through our bloodshot eyes it was time to pack the van and head on down the highway to Canberra.  But not before Andrea dragged herself around a ten kilometre run, which proved to be a little more than she could handle given the rave party the night before....

 

Constable Care was on hand to breath-test her.

 

I, however, took the much more self-paced approach to the morning and slept in.  

 

Soon enough though we were on our way and cruising down the Hume Highway to Canberra, home to the centre of political power in Australia and the ever-revolving door of Prime Ministers.
 

 

 Australia's next Prime Minister (potentially)

  

Just to prove that last night was no fluke, we pulled in to Natalie and Tony's lovely home in suburban Evatt so that we could start drinking again.  Well not specifically for that purpose but it did result in a few more going down range at the rapid-fire rate.

 

Natalie is a school friend of Andrea's who moved to the ACT to join the Australian Federal Police and in the process found her one and only true love, Tony.  Together they make a great team and in addition to them both holding down jobs involving high stress and long hours, they've managed to complete a stunning home renovation while not freezing to death during those long cold Canberra winters!

 

We enjoyed a lovely meal together, and for once an early night.

Goulburn and the Death of the Dockers

Well it was raining when we arrived in Sydney and it was raining when we left!  Looking at the bright side, we considered ourselves lucky that the rain had mostly stayed away during our stay.

So it was that we packed up our little home once again, and headed nervously south towards Goulburn.  I say nervously, because I've been watching the temperature there, and most days and nights it's colder than Canberra.   Brrrrrrr.

We arrived about lunchtime, to a very warm welcome by Kiwi Andy.  I was pleased because were no steep hills, sheer drops or side fences for the caravan to negotiate, and the kids were pleased because the place is a kids' paradise, inside and out!

We unpacked and got settled in, while the boys familiarised themselves with the trampoline, the sandpit, the swings, the slide and the fort.

 

Later in the day we met Andy's lovely wife Carolyn and their son Harry.  We all enjoyed a relaxed afternoon of chatting, cooking and sharing a meal.  The boys enjoyed sharing Harry's movies, rescue helicopter and giant fish eating (and pooing) dinosaur!  Oh, and the "spicky spicky" pudding.

 

We all sat down with great anticipation to watch the big game.  We even convinced Kiwi Andy and (NSW) Carolyn to watch our code of football.  We all got pretty excited in the first quarter, but I spent the next two quarters very nervous, and the final quarter, well a quote from a great friend (thanks Karen) summed it up perfectly -

 

 "Its #&%@ dead men walking.  Agony to watch."

 

I am not the best Dockers fan around by any means, but I was flattened after the game.  My heart goes out to the tried and true supporters (Nikki, Zoe, Ian, Josh) and of course to Pav and McPharlin and all the boys.

 

My eloquent friend summed it up this way, and I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

"Hawks just kept makin' it look easy.  We would get the ball and scramble around with it and struggle to keep possession.  They get it and dominate it!"

 

Our family had been planning on a 'once in a lifetime' road trip to Melbourne next weekend for a chance to watch the Dockers play in the Grand Final.  Alas it wasn't to be. 

 

This morning we enjoyed a sleep in and a great pancake brekky.  Thanks Bruce!

 

 

Later we wandered into the thriving metropolis of Goulburn to check out the Spy Fest.  Apparently George Lazenby (the only Aussie to play cinema's most famose spy, James Bond) was born and bred in Goulburn and he returned today, age 76, because he heard we were here.  Spyfest included a parade of Aston Martin cars, including the actual car Lazenby drove in the movie. 

 

But I liked this one.

 

The festival also embraced other spy movies and TV shows, from the shagadelic Austin Powers to the bumbling Maxwell Smart and Spy Kids, with characters, cars and activities.  You could even get your finger sprayed gold to become Goldfinger.

After getting our fill of the Goulburn playground, we headed over to give our best wishes to Rambo, who was celebrating his 30th birthday today.

 

The Big Merino, built in 1985, is a monument to Goulburn and the surrounding district’s fine wool industry.  Standing 15.2 meters high, 18 meters long and weighing 97 tones he is the grand-daddy of our little 7 metre model in Wagin (who's name is Bart and who incidentally celebrates his 30th birthday on 10 October).

 

We spent a lazy afternoon relaxing, enjoying the sweet aroma of Andy's Indian Roast Pork Belly baking in the oven and watching the storm clouds roll in over Goulburn.

 

The Blue Mountains

After spending two consecutive 12 hour days playing at being tourists in Sydney, the family went a little crazy!

 

We all needed a day off!  So we spent a lazy day at the caravan park yesterday.  The boys enjoyed playing with the rest of the kids in the park while Bruce and I enjoyed the peace and quiet of Lane Cove.  Late in the afternoon Jack, Fletcher and I took a lovely bushwalk along the Lane Cove River to the Weir, while Bruce and Jarrah went for a mountain bike ride.

  

 

I loved the spring flowers and Fletch was entranced by the mother ducks out for a paddle on the river with a long procession of baby ducks in tow.

 

But today we were ready and raring to go again!  We headed west into the Blue Mountains.  Our first stop was Echo Point at Katoomba and the view was amazing! 

 

The Three Sisters

According to Gundungurra Dreaming, three beautiful sisters named Angela, Andrea and Jacqui (oh, ok I made that bit up) once lived in the Jamieson Valley.  The maidens were in love with three brothers from a neighbouring nation, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law.  The brothers were warriors and decided to take the maidens by force.  Tribal war forced the Kuradjuri (clever man) of the tribe to turn the sisters into stone.  He intended to restore them after the danger had passed and the war had ended. Unfortunately, he was killed in battle and to this day nobody has been able to break the spell and turn the three sisters back to their natural form.

Soon after we got out of the car we realised that we were severely  underdressed.  It was freezing!  Jack shouted us a donut each and that helped warm the cockles of our hearts!

 

Having refuelled it was time to face the cold and so we took a stroll down the Giant Stairway.  The Giant Stairway provides a spectacular entry to the Jamison Valley, descending approximately 300m (1000ft) via more than 800 steps and runways.

 

Here we are having descended the steps and crossed Honeymoon Bridge for a close up view of the stone sisters.

 

Next stop was Scenic World, but it wasn't any warmer there!  The boys assumed the foetal position in an effort to combat the cold!

 

 

Nevertheless, we soldiered on.  Tough as nails, we Johnstons!  We powered through the four 'ways' of Scenic World - Cableway, Walkway, Railway and Skyway.

 

Cableway

 

The view from the Cableway was impressive.  The 545 metre journey gently but steeply delivered us into the Jamison Valley.  Capable of carrying 84 people, the Cableway is the largest cable car in Australia.  And it was warm in there!

 

Walkway

 

We disembarked in the valley and took a stroll on the Scenic Walkway - the longest boardwalk in the southern hemisphere.  Here we learnt all about the early coal mining experiences.  Coal mining began in the area in 1878.  The railway was originally used by some 40 coal mines to haul coal up the cliff to Katoomba.  The last mine closed down in 1930 and soon after some bright spark came up with the idea of turning the place into a tourist attraction.

Railway

With an incline of 52 degrees, this is the steepest passenger railway in the world.  The train has had a significant makeover since I was last here (1990) and today we enjoyed the luxury of glass roofed carriages with expansive views of the rainforest setting.  We even got to adjust our seat position by up to 20 degrees - of course we went for the Cliffhanger option, riding at a steep 64 degree incline!

 

The Railway experience descends 310 metres through a cliff-side tunnel, emerging into ancient rainforest at the Jamison Valley floor.  It was steep and scary and super-fun, but not for Fletch!  He had dissolved into a flood of tears before we even got on the train!

Skyway

 

Suspended 270 metres above ancient ravines, the Skyway has a really cool electro-glass cabin floor that provides a unique thrill as the views are revealed beneath your feet.  Tell me the canopy doesn't look like a healthy head of broccoli!

 

We were all impressed with Scenic World, a Blue Mountains icon which has just celebrated it's 70th anniversary.

 

During the day I couldn't help but notice how friendly and helpful the staff were.  They were actually having a great time, some of them even singing out loud as they worked!  It gave the place a happy feel.  I read later that it's a family owned business, the current Managing Directors being the grandchildren of the guy who opened Scenic World in 1945.  With its unparalleled access to the majesty of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains region, it's no surprise that it's the country's most visited privately owned tourist attraction.

By 3pm the temperature still hadn't reached double figures, so we headed for the warmth of the car heater.  On the way out I noticed this 'relic' Skyway on display.  The boys laughed when I told them this was the one I rode on back in 1990.

By the time we got back to Lane Cove (after an unscheduled detour through Blacktown) the rain had really set in.  Unfortunately, that meant a cancellation of the ranger led Spotlighting Tour that we had booked for this evening.  Sad faces to finish off a happy day.

Two Days In Sydney - The Expurgated Version

Yesterday, we started here.

 

 

After a short walk to the train station and a 20 minute ride on a double decker train, which amazed the boys, we arrived here.

 

 

According to Fletcher, it is the longest longest longest longest longest (you get the message) longest bridge he has ever had to walk across!  Poor bugger was exhausted by the time we got to the Rocks!

 

We had heard that there was some sort of 'house' in Sydney that was a must see.

 



We thought it must have been the 'Mad House". 

 

Until we saw this house! 

A truly remarkable building on a truly remarkable day.

 

 Jarrah absolutely fell in love with it. 

 

We wandered through the historic 'Rocks' and ate bananas before heading for Circular Quay where we caught the ferry to Manly for lunch on the beach.  Andrea was disappointed when she realised that the Pacific Pearl wasn't actually the Manly Ferry. Nonetheless, a wonderful day to be out on Sydney Harbour!

 

We had fun the whole way, strolling along the beach and looking at all the people and wonderful places.  It was actually like being on holidays! 

 The boys were amazed at the Gelato but settled on a slushie from Hungry Jacks.

 



  The staff at Luna Park were very colourful but kept clowning around.   

 

Having to cover all the bases we could, we ended up at Darling Harbour late in the day.  We had done so much in one day and had had so much fun wherever we went it was time to put the feet up, enjoy a nice drink and take it all in. 

 

 We passed the Aquarium and had to get a shot of all our creatures, great and small.

 

Andrea and I enjoyed a couple of beers at a harbourside bar and we all ate yummy pizza for dinner.  Unbeknown to us when we sat down, the bar had an amazing bowling alley inside!  Despite the fact that we had squeezed so much into one day and that it was getting quite late, it took a lot of convincing for the boys to 'drop the ball' and head on home.

 

 

Fletcher was looking a bit spent.  It had been a long day and after the train ride back to Lane Cove he pretty much crashed.  Jack and Jarrah, on the other hand, defied all logic and stayed up until 2AM playing Monopoly while Andrea, Fletcher and I punched out the zzz's.  A herculean effort from whichever way you look at it!

 

Today was almost a mirror image of yesterday's triumph, in terms of intensity and distances travelled, particularly by foot.  Jack and Jarrah rose particularly brightly, despite their nocturnal activities and it wasn't long before we were back on the train into town.   This time it was destination Bronte Beach for a 3km walk along the headland to Bondi Beach for lunch.

 

 

We weren't disappointed with the scenery.

 

The walk was fun but the wind was absolutely howling and we were quite relieved to be inside the North Bondi RSL to munch on a nice Chicken Parmigiana sooner than later.  The boys shared the Barramundi and chips while Andrea took on the best Sizzling Garlic Prawns she had ever tasted, followed by a LARGE slice of White Chocolate Cheesecake.  YUM! 

 

We took the bus and train back into the city during peak hour, which was a bit of an eye opener for us all.  The boys are experiencing so many things.  From travelling underground in a double-decker train to being inside the Sydney Opera House, they (we) are doing things they will never forget and will benefit greatly from.  It has been a fabulous two days but there are too many stories, laughs and experiences to write about and not enough time or blog-space.    

 

And we have so much more to go!!