Pt 2 - Day 25 - Shannae's birthday - Questacon

With this morning started in a flurry of wrapping paper and card opening.  Shannae was very excited as today she is finally in her double digits.  Glen and  can't believe it has been 10 years since she came into the world.

We had a fairly slow start, however, Shannae was up a bit earlier than usual and moving faster than usual this morning so that sped our departure up a little.  Today we were headed to Questacon which is just like Scitech in Perth.  The kids were very excited.  There were 8 galleries that came off a spiralling ascending ramp.  The kids went from one display to another pressing buttons and turning handles.  The place was also filled with volunteer retirees that were available to answer questions and give more information on any display.

At about 12:45 we managed to drag them away for a little while to have lunch at the cafe.  Not very often do we go for this long without someone asking for food.   We had to promise we would return where we left off!!!  We could have left them their all afternoon and gone and done something else, I don't think they would have even noticed we were gone!!!  Glen and I spent a fair bit of time in the shop.  All sorts of cool stuff in there.
Anyway, by about 2:30 we managed to drag them away and head to Queanbyan where we were collecting our mail.  This is always interesting getting bills and finally a farm weekly for Glen.  After this,  Shannae had requested some relaxing time at the caravan park for the afternoon.  We had a family game of mini golf which is always entertaining, Then Glen and Shannae had a game of tennis.

This evening we had a double choc birthday cake which was a hit with the whole family, then we watched Ghost Busters which was on tv, the whole family on our bed once again, we need a bigger bed!!!!!

Pt 2 - Day 24 - Royal Australian Mint - War Memorial

This morning the first thing we had to do was make Shannae's birthday cake for tomorrow.  This was today's major priority and given there was a nice big oven in the camp kitchen, it worked out well.  Our little oven only has numbers 1-6 for temperature, so it is a bit hard to know exactly what temp you are on.

After this, we went to the Royal Austalian Mint.  This was very interesting.  Cody was just in awe of all the money he laid his eyes on.  We did an informative tour and saw a lot of coins we haven't seen before.  We couldn't believe that after only 30 months in circulation the plastic notes are then shredded, what a waste!!!  We were able to look down into the room where all the coins were made and the kids all got a special 2012 coin each with a wheat sheaf on it, to commemorate the year of the farmer, so that was great.  And one of the best things about the mint........it was free!!!!!

After this we headed to the War Memorial.  We wanted to be there for the 5pm playing of the last post, so thinking we didn't want to get there too early and wait around we arrived at 4:15.  This was a big mistake as there was so much to see.  On either side of the road, leading up to it, there were large statues or monuments commerating every war.  It would have been nice to walk along here and have a look at these a bit closer.  At the memorial itself there was a room dedicated to every war Australians were ever involved in.  There were paintings, dioramas, original letters and diary records, original uniforms and models of where the battles took place.  We could have spent 3 hours there.  We were very disappointed that we didn't arrive earlier, but we didn't realise how much there was to see.  We found a "Millsteed" on the honour board, but know "Bywater's.   Listening to the bagpipes at 5pm and just being there was a very emotional experience.  We are so glad we went.

Pt 2 - Day 23 - Canberra

What glorious weather, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and we can finally get some washing dry.  We get away pretty early this morning, before 8:30am, which is pretty good when we are on daylight savings.  Getting out of the city was a bit hairy with the caravan, Glen does an awesome job of driving on the very narrow three lane roads, that were once only two lanes wide.  I manage to navigate our way out without going on one toll road.  Don't have a problem paying the toll, just not too sure how to go about it so it was easier not to go on them.  Besdies, heaps of other roads in Sydney to choose from!!!!

The further inland we get the dryer it becomes.  So good to be away from sodden ground.  However, we still watch the news and feel so badly for the people further north.  We arrive in Canberra at lunchtime.  The afternoon is pretty low key.  I wash clothes and find a woolies, what a nightmare, every man and his dog does his shopping on a Sunday here apparently, so nearly two hours later I arrive home.  It is always a juggling act getting all the groceries to fit in the fridge and cupboards.  I swear the fridge gets smaller all the time!!!

Anyway, the kids enjoy swimming in the pool and in the evening we just love eating our barbi outside, next to our van, discussing the best and worst parts of our day, with the wildlife.

Pt 2 - Day 22 - Blue Mountains

A slow start this morning and we contemplate having a day at home as we are a bit tired, but what to do at the park when everything is wet?  It only rained once in the night and the weather is supposed to be nicer today.  So we get ready at a leisurely pace and decide we might as well do the Blue Mountains today and leave Sydney tomorrow as previously planned.

The kids are happy for a drive, they like sitting in the car with their books, ds, movies and the esky full of food, it is a time for them to relax and re energise.  As we drive out the sun shines through and we see blue sky for the first time in 2 weeks.  What a glorious sight!!!  And just to make my day, we pull up next to this cool stretch pink hummer, which was just "pumping"......whahoo!!!



We drive 110k west of Sydney to a quaint little town called Katoomba.  It is over 1000m above sea level and very hilly.  You would get a work out walking up and down the main street doing your shopping.  We stop here for coffee, toilet and to watch the buskers for a bit, then head out to see the mountains.

                             


We have a look at the Three Sisters pictured here and catch this huge skyrail down the side of the mountain.  Not for the faint hearted, we then take the board walk around the bottom.  Very interesting as they used to mine coal down here.  Then we take the rail carts back up which made the skyrail look like a walk in the park.  The railway track boasts a 51 degree incline, so at one stage you actually feel like you are going to fall out of it and crash down to the rocks on the bottom....wonderful!!!!  Mum., you would have loved it!!!!

Glen and Tori then go on the cable car which goes straight across the top of the Katoomba water fall, and the floor in it is transparent, so you are basically standing on glass.  So you get a 360 degree view of the mountains.  Again, Cody, Shannae and I decided to do some retail therapy in the gift shop.

What a beautiful place the Blue Mountains are.  We are so glad we did the drive out today, particularly with the beautiful weather.

This evening we dined with our resident Kookaburra and planned for a relatively early departure in the morning.

Pt 2 - Day 21 - Taronga Zoo - Bridge Climb

It continues to rain but, it is not supposed to be too bad today.....yeah right!!!  Anyway, we push on and go ahead with the Taronga Zoo as plannned.  Train once again into Circular Quay, then the ferry over to the zoo.  We have a bad run with public transport today, firstly missing the ferry by seconds and having to wait half an hour for the next one.

This is the bird show on a hill looking back towards the city, a beautiful view.

The zoo is just beautful.  It is on a hill over looking the city.  We took someone,s advice and took the cable car up to the top of the hill first and worked our way down.  This was awesome.  Just like the skyrail at Kuranda but it doens't go for as long.  Not only do you get an amazing view of Sydney, but you get a complete overview of the zoo and get a very different look at their enclosures.

We first head to the "bird show" which was very entertaining and very clever featuring mostly Australian birds.  A Canadian girls gives us the spiel about our native birds, which I thought was a bit strange!!!  The rain continues to drizzle on and off!!!  We then explore all the enclosures looking for monkeys for Cody to see.  The enclosures are great as you can see the animals really well.  There was a family of Gorillas we watched for ages, the infants playing rough and tumble with Dad, looked all too familiar to some scenes from the caravan!!!!


By 2 o'clock it was time for Tori and Glen to head off.  They were booked for the  Sydney Harbour Bridge climb at 3:15.  Cody and Shannae were too young to do this, much to Shannae's disgust, so someone had to stay on the ground and look after them!!!  So Glen and Tori headed off, very excited and a bit nervous, in the rain!!!

Cody, Shannae and I continued at the Zoo for a little longer.  We took in the seal show, the gift shop and were treated to a display by the Bengal tiger and her cub playing together.  It was also time the lion came out to strut his stuff.  After doing the reptile enclosure, where we saw some enormous snakes, we decided to head back to the city.

In the meantime, Glen and Tori had missed the ferry they had intended to get on.  When they did actually catch the right one, they had great difficulty finding the bridge climb through "the rocks" as the map fails to show the different levels of the city, however, they got there on time and proceeded to undergo an extensive safety regime and had to be fitted out with the appropriate attire.

You can just see the people climbing up the side here.

On our way back to the city on the ferry, we could see people climbing up the bridge and based on the time, we think it might have been Glen and Tori, but you can't really tell.  It was raining still, but the climb still continues.  It would have been nice to have some fine weather just for the bit at the top at least, but it just wasn't going to happen today.

So, the rest of us decided to do the Sydney Eye tower, which is the tallest building in Sydney.  At the bottom we first do a 4D movie.  These things are great.  The floor moves, you get wind and water in your face and heat when there is a fire, very clever.  After this the lift goes up at a rate of  7m per second and the tower itself is about 305m tall in total counting the point at the top.  A spectacular view from up there.  We are able to  see people at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, through the binoculars.

By about 5pm we decide we had had enough of the rain and I get the brilliant idea that we might as well go back to the van, as Tori and Glen aren't scheduled to finish until 6:45.  So off we go catching one train then the next, then as we get off the last train and are walking back to the van in the rain it occurs to me I don't have key, it is with Glen!!!  Brilliant!!!  Luckily there is a tv room so I buy the kids a packet of chips and we go there out of the rain.  A while later we get a call from Tori and Glen who are on a high after their massive climb, they are coming home straight away and Glen texts me to say we are on the train and won't be long.  However, just before our stop, the train vias off in another direction and they end up somewhere else.  Fantastic!!!  We decide to order pizza for tea as it is getting so late.  So finally, at about 8pm we all trudge back to the van, pizza in hand, feet dragging in the dirt, but happy to be home and share stories of our afternoon.  A long day!!!

Pt 2 - Day 20 - Manly in the rain!!!

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY LISA

What beautiful Sydney weather!!!!  It rained on and off most of the night, so this morning we put on the wet weather jackets and backpacks and headed for the train.  Unfortunately we don't have the time to let the weather slow us down so we are just soldering on.  Most of the photos look very dull, that is because it has been so overcast.

So a ten minute walk gets us to the train station.  What a spin out this was.  The tallest escalators we have ever seen!!!  We take two of these to head down to the station then another smaller one to finally reach the platform and when the train arrives, it is a double decker one!!!!  Everyone thinks this is really cool.  Boy do we stand out, all the passengers in their work attire on laptops and making business calls and here we are in our tracksuits, backpacks and cameras!!!  Spot the tourists!!!

We catch a ferry over to Manly which was great and we meet an old local who gives us a bit of a tour guide on the way over.  Manly is a nice spot, beautiful beach, lots of eateries and lots of shops.  There looked to be some great walks you could do too, but because of the rain we didn't bother with these.  So we had some lunch and caught the ferry back.

We go for a walk around the Sydney Opera House which is awesome to have a look at up close.  We have a wander inside and marvel at the unique architecture of it.  It is a bazaar feeling to be getting up close to these Australian icons that we have grown up, the whole world knows Australia for these things, but we have never actually seen them

By about 3pm we have had enough of fighting the rain so we head back to the van for some games and tv watching.

Pt 2 - Day 19 - Sydney

Well, the rain is back and it seemed to be with us most of the night.  Not a lot of fun packing up in the rain this morning but we all don our winter attire and get things done as quickly as possible.  I think the maximum temperature is forecast for 21C today.  We only have about 150km to do to get to Sydney but with the rain it is pretty slow going.  The scenery is amazing, what we can see of it, and we are amazed at how moutainous it is so close to the city.  Driving in Sydney is a bit of a nightmare we "big Bertha" on, but we are headed to a caravan park about 10km north staying on the edge of a national park.  The park is pretty flooded but it feels like we are in a nature reserve and the kids love all the wildlife.  We have kookaburras, rosella, bush turkeys and possums.  We go for a little drive and just enjoy the park for the evening and get ready for a big day tomorrow.  It is hard to believe we are only 10km north of the CBD.