Our own Australia

It’s been a long long road

Two whole years in all

From the coast to the desert to towns and the bush

We’ve pretty much seen it all.

 

      We love the long long highway

      Shimmering in summer heat

      With truck stops and picnic tables

      Where we could sleep, party and eat.

 

I’ll miss the dark blue sky

Which stretches on forever

I’ll miss the green sea, and the red sand

And the fishing (which was best ever).

 

      People ask “The highlight?”

      And to be honest, I don’t know

      Every day brought adventure

      Somewhere new to go.

 

So if you have the chance

Pack up your car and van

And wander along our highways

As slowly as you can.

 

      You’ll meet the most amazing people

      And learn about our culture

      You’ll see history and nature side-by-side

      In this, our own Australia.
 

 

 

Long lunches & book launches

Yass
Lovely Yass, of the Southern Tablelands in NSW, was settled in 1830 and remains full of verandah-fronted pubs, grand churches, ostenacious bank and institute buildings, and even an old railway line which is no longer in use, but lies right through the middle of a street we found ourselves driving on.

We stopped here for lunch and to have little rest between the day's drive, and quickly realised we couldn't have chosen a better place to wander and unwind.

Jugiong
Next stop... Jugiong, which by chance was celebrating the book launch of one of its locals, and the town was in full party-mode!!



An absolutely beautiful free-camp spot in Jugiong.

 

The George Inn, Australia's oldest family-run pub, according to their signage

The George from the front

 

Celerbating a book launch on the lawn at the George Inn

Speeches

Jugiong at dawn



The delightful Long Track Pantry.  People come from afar to enjoy a long breakfast or lunch and the food is divine, as is the atmosphere.

 

Gotta love the lonnnnng lunch at the Long Track Pantry

 

View of Jugiong from the local look out

These hills have been sprinkled with gold dust!!!  Or maybe the grass has gone to seed......



Geeky Goodness

Aaaah Canberra....

Forget pollies and ostentatious buildings.  This city is for science-lovers.

In the few days we were in our fine nation's capital territory, we did the following:

- We hired bicycles and cycled in very strong winds around Lake Burley Griffith, stopping in at the National Art Gallery and also the Museum.  The art gallery was particularly good - we were treated to up-close-and-personal looks at Picasso, Pollock, Streeton, Gleeson, Roberts, and McCubbin.  Picasso's lithographs and etchings were particularly beautiful, and it was just wonderful to get close to one of Pollock's amazing, confusing and chaotic murals.








- Visited the Mt Stomlo Observatory and later, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, which included an awesome museum showing us real astronaut stuff (like their food, toilet and suits) and space stuff (awesome photos of deep space and a piece of rock from the moon).

Life-sized replica of one of the Mars Rovers

View from the cafe

 

- Took a look around CSIRO's Discovery Centre - highly interactive, geeky and sciency, this centre is designed to stimulate young minds.  Not really suited to subscribers of New Scientist magazine maybe, but fun nonetheless.

Cool stick insect

Another giant stick insect

Turn the wheel rapidly for 30 seconds, put power into the little generator which shines UV rays onto a solar panel, which in turn powers the arm which scoops up a Jaffa choclate and delivers it to you as a little reward for your work.  Cool!!!!

Goulburn

Australia's first inland city, Goulburn today is proud of its heritage, and much of the old buildings remain.  Ignoring a nasty case of hay fever, we enjoyed walking around the town, admiring its gardens, and its lovely old buildings, both pristine and delapidated.

We also had lunch and a couple of beers at the Old Goulburn Brewery, which is brimming with colourful displays of flowers which grow profusely along brick paths and in pots.