Swan Hill,....it's even too hot for the swans

Well, the weather is on everybody's thoughts today.  Even the locals consider it a hot day.  But they're ''used to it'' they say.  Everybody seems to be dragging and moving slowly.

We headed over to the Pioneer Village this morning and it was very warm then.  It's too bad they didn't open their doors at 6 this morning, we would have been there!

 

 

This village really gives you insight into how the people lived.  The township itself has been well preserved.  Most of the people operating the village can remember some of the machinery that was used.  A mobile library was set up in a building.  The machine turns from the inside of a circular box and the customer sits on a chair and looks through the glasses to see 3 dimensional pictures from the late 1800's to 1920's from all around the world.  Then there's the mobile organ which somebody would use to announce a local fair or circus coming to town.  Not to mention the Model A Ford that drove around the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The candy shop was open for business and of course, I just HAD to buy something!  So I bought some Raspberry drops which are similar to lemon drops, but a raspberry flavour.  The lady behind the counter was very friendly and we got to chatting about the area and the many things in the village.  She even offered us one of her peaches fresh from her tree.  A white peach that was so sweet and juicy that it brought memories again to when I last had fruit straight off the tree.

  The different modes of transportation were shown to us, horse and carriage, cars, trains, paddle steamers.

 

 

 

So!..is this a Model A or a Model T?  I'm not sure which, I forgot to ask!

 

 

We wandered some more around the village before heading off to the supermarket and as we made our way around, there was a couple of ladies and some boys (one actually, the other didn't want to know about it)  who dressed up for the occasion to wander around and really get the feel for the time of the old pioneers.

Well, my clothes are done washing and drying now, I need to wake Chris up from his nanny nap,....or is that a poppa nap? ...We need.to head down to the local swimming hole to cool off.

Echuca,..largest inland port

Once again the heat has chased us back into the cool of the caravan.  We started out this morning at 5:30 just sitting outside to enjoy the cool before the sun came over the trees to start warming the dusty ground.  The Corellas screaming above us as they flew over the river.

Today, we headed off to the Port of Echuca.  It was known as Australia's largest INLAND port where wool and timber had been transported down (or up) the mighty Murray river.  Paddle steamers of all shapes and sizes are still evident today.

We learned about the history of Echuca as we made our way along the Murray River on the paddle steamer, and later walked on the hot, dusty,  dirt road through the original township where the Star Hotel and the Bridge Hotel are still located.

And while the oppressive heat beat down on us, I could understand how the muddy waters of the Murray river would have been a welcome sight in it's day to the pioneers of old. 

Today, the farmers are still using the river for irrigation and stock, but drought has taken it's toll on many farms as the water levels drop.  We can only hope for some rain.

Tomorrow, we head out to Swan Hill  (EARLY) to chase up some more Australian pioneer history.

Hot, hot, hot,..and the temperature is the topic for the day...

We landed at Echuca at lunchtime today.  And as we drove from Wodonga to Echuca, I could feel the heat coming through the window.  The heat is almost overwhelming....well it IS overwhelming!  At 43C/108F, it's the kind of heat that when you get out of the car, it slaps you in the face and stings your skin.  You can actually feel the dehydration taking place.

So we quickly settled the van into place, cooled the van down with some air conditioning and had some lunch before hopping back in the car and checking the town out.  We're booked in for a paddlewheel down the Murray river tomorrow morning and then a tour through town.

In the meantime, we're staying inside where it's a cool 29C/86F.  The next couple of days are going to be worse too.  Estimated to 45C/112F.  aargh!

Well, one good thing came out of the heat today.  We had a  drive around this afternoon with our icy drinks in hand, reminiscing about all the things we remember about hot days, like when Papa took me to lunch and it was super dark inside the restaurant,..very cool, but dark.  And as my eyes were still adjusting to the dark, I accidentally put horseradish on my bread instead of the butter. yuck!  Papa thought it was very funny.  Or the time for Chris, about changing the water pipes and enjoying the spray of cool water...or when he was helping one of the neighbours baling hay in the blistering heat and dropped 15 bales off the truck because they weren't stacked right in the first place...oops.  But mostly, on these kinds of hot, hot days, I remember walking into town, in Dinuba, and going swimming...and then begging Papa for an ice cream before walking home again.  My favourite was Banana Nut!! yum!

See?..there ARE SOME good things that come out of HOT days!  But ,...sadly, now, as this little flower has gotten older, she does wilt A LOT easier.  Come on rain!!

Australia Day in an old fashioned Australian town..

It seems fitting that we arrived in Wodonga close to Australia day.  We headed out to a little place called Beechworth yesterday.  It was steeped in history. As you drove in to town there was the old sandstone prison, the lock-up, the court house, the warden's office, and even the telegraph office which is still in use today. ( for fun). This court house was visited by the infamous Ned Kelly and family several times before his final hanging in Melbourne.

And on the right, the town park complete with gazebo and tall trees.  The difference in this park is that the trees were actually Redwoods and Bunyas.  You don't normally find Redwoods here in Australia.  The smell and texture of the redwood trees reminded me of Redwood City.  As you walk further in to town, the buildings have been kept up by the townsfolk.  It's so nice to see the care they've lavished on these old buildings. 

The old fashioned bakery and the old fashioned candy shop were very popular with the tourists.

Chris and I stepped back in time, walking together eating our double decker ice creams and wandering the streets, checking out the buildings and signs.

 

 

After that we headed into Chiltern.  It too was a small historical town.  And as we headed in, the parked cars lined the streets as some sort of a celebration was happening.  We watched the local Celtic dancers tapping on a wooden stage and headed back down to the Grapevine Theatre, where they have the largest grapevine in the world  (for 1935 Guinness Records) sitting in the portico at the center of the building.  

 

 

 

 

In the theatre itself, the original seats were there from the last 1800's with a stage front and center.  At the back of the theatre was the concession stand reminisce of the early 1900's.

 

Today, we're off to the mountains.

Autumn?...no, just a dry summer.

It's been so dry here in Canberra, that the leaves are already turning and dropping from the trees.  It's almost like autumn.  I haven't seen these kinds of trees since I was a kid in Oregon.  So many maples, oaks, and ash trees!  And as we entered into the art gallery, we kicked up a few leaves here and there and crunched them beneath our feet.

Part of the ''Artsy'' set?...hmm..I don't think so.

This was our last touring day in Canberra.  We had a leisurely morning before TRYING to find a car park to visit the Sound and Film Archives.  It's located at the ANU (Australia National Uni) and you either had to have a permit or you walked a few blocks.  So we walked a few blocks.  It was an interesting place.  Not so much for the film and sound part of it, but for the historical value.  We got to see what  Canberra was like from the 1930's onwards.  We saw silent films and the machines which were used during those times to create movies.  The building itself was a remnant from the 1930's as well.  Marble in the bathrooms, thick wooden door jambs and doors.  This only took about an hour to go through, so we headed over to see Blundell's cottage after.  Mr. Blundell was a tenant farmer for Duntroon.  The house itself was made out of sandstone blocks.  Unfortunately it wasn't open, so we missed out on seeing the inside.

After that we headed over to the National Art Gallery which was featuring Edgar Degas.  That's pronounced " Day Gah", not ' Dee Gas" as Chris is wanting to pronounce. Frequently.  But aside from the 'gas' jokes, Chris quickly went IN one door and straight back OUT the other door.  I'm guessing it's not his cup of tea.  So we ended up getting split up and I lost him for about 30 minutes.  Which is about how long it took for him to get through the REST of the building!!  And while I was waiting for him to come back, I made my way around some of the other art exhibitions.  While I didn't mind some of Degas's work, I'm not really that fussed on impressionism.  I much prefer the detailed work of other painters, like Tom Roberts.  Scenes that are so detailed, you can see the dandelions in the grass...but also where you can get a ''feel'' for what was happening during those times, like how busy a street was in Melbourne.  I'm not much in to modern art.  Come on let's face it, some of it my 3 year old grand daughter could accomplish.  We saw two huge canvasses with NOTHING on it, EXCEPT for a navy blue and red border!! what the?! okaay...I get it,...I think.  The one thing I DID notice was that the detailed work that painters used to exhibit, are no longer done.  Artwork seems very slap happy now a days and yet for some reason, the critics go wild over it.  Go figure!  Well, I'm not an art connoisseur and I don't know composition from techniques,  so what do I know?

Well, we've walked over quite a bit of Canberra and seen many things.  There's a lot more to see here, but we've covered all of the things we wanted to see.  Both Chris and I are ready now, to head  back in to Victoria now. 

Our Nation's capital....

It should be fitting that we're here in the nation's capital of Australia as the Americans celebrate their new president elect.

And as we toured through the New Parliament House learning about our nation's political history, America was swearing in their new president on the TV's that were scattered throughout Parliament House.

Chris and I both, wish President Obama the best of luck.

 

 

But in the meantime, we have been visiting Cottington Green Park,

This park is one that has a miniature snippets of English towns, and now,..other buildings throughout the world.  Even Chris enjoyed this garden with it's eye for details.

 

 

We also had a boat ride around Lake Burley Griffin which is in the center between Canberra and Parliament House.  It was quite an enjoyable ride as the tour guide pointed out various points in the city.  We ended the ride at the National Museum which depicted the nation's history very well, showing the indigenous culture and English heritage as well.

The capital, I must say has a military and academic governmental ''feel'' about the place.  But there is also hope, inspiration, and a national pride here that you don't find anywhere else.

 

If you're into museums and galleries, this is the place to come.  There are so many to choose from and so much to see.  I hope we get a chance to see the embassies as well, as they usually show their own unique architectural designs.

And in the meantime, another summer storm comes in on the night time skies, cooling us down for another good night sleep.

Landed in Victoria

We've landed in Victoria. I never thought I would make it, but we did.  We crossed the border yesterday.  The first thing I noticed was the trees got taller and the grass was greener.  Or so it seemed ; and I fell in love.  It's just beautiful here and I've only crossed the border!

Our first day in, we spotted a dingo in the middle of the highway until it ran off into the forest.  And there was a mob of kangaroos in a nearby paddock.

We arrived on a cloudy day and little did we know just how COLD the breeze was.  We landed at a spot called Lakes Entrance.  We jumped out of the car to use a public lavatory and I quickly jumped back in to put a jacket on and Chris came back with blue knees!

Once we set the van up,.... heater and all, we stepped out to have a look around town.  It's a nice little fishing spot here.  We headed up to Bairnsdale yesterday and further inland today, to Omeo.  It's very nice, but Omeo has been severely effected by the drought.  Like Queensland, the grassland turned brown and the dams are empty.  We headed out to Lake Omeo, only to find it a barren landscape like the rest of the paddocks around it.  As a matter of fact because we were looking for a body of water, we drove by it 3 times!

Both Chris and myself are starting to feel the strain of travelling and once we get to Canberra, get things fixed up,  we might lay low for a couple of days.  We might even head back to Tumut as we make our way into Wagga Wagga and Albury/Wodonga.

And as I write this, I can feel the temperature drop.  It's supposed to be 8 deg C tonight.  That's 48 deg F.  Get the bed socks out and the tracky dacks Chris!  I've got the doona!

A big day driving through the Snowy Mtns...

We had a BIG day driving around the Snowy Mountains.  We dropped the van back at a little place called Tumut.  It's right on the Tumut River which comes out of Blowering Reservoir Dam.  Because we're in the high country, the river was running fast and clear and you could see the trout lazily swimming in the shallow waters.

Once we unloaded the van, we hopped back into the car and took off.  We stopped into a place called Yongobilly Caves.  They have several caves in that area, but we took fastest one due to time restraints.  It was HUGE inside. 

Similar to Carlsbad Caverns in Texas. ( that I could remember)  The first thing we noticed was the drop in temperature.  It was around 34C/93F in the valley, but once inside the cave, the temperature dropped to 15C/55F.  Water was dripping everywhere.  Stalagtites met with stalagmites.  It was awesome inside.  Even Chris enjoyed it and his claustrophobia didn't play up on him.

 

Once outside, we headed down to Jindabyne.  About half way down we got to a little place called Anglers Reach where we stopped in to have lunch.  We were met by the new owners of the shop and they told us all about the area while we ate our lunch.

We made it into Jindabyne around 2:30pm and we we're only half way through the circuit that we were travelling.  We continued on and made it to Thredbo and up to Mount Kosioscko.  The view was great and we noticed that there were quite a few trees dying.  We weren't sure from what.  But the amount of dead trees cast a grey shadow across those trees that were left behind.

We followed out the back of the mountain and that was nice too.  It seemed to be a bit greener on this side of the mountain.  We travelled through farming country and made it into Batlow where they grow apples.  We saw many hills covered in white protective shadecloth for the apple orchards.  And we finally made it back to the caravan at 8pm.  11 hours of travelling today and we're exhausted.  So an extra day is good or we can have a late start.

Through the land of green and gold.....

The only sound high on this hill is the wind and the bugs.  Cicadas started their nightly calls in the early summer evening.  Scenic Road turned into the scenic route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're headed to Canberra, but then  we took a right turn and  decided to take a scenic route through the area.  The hot water system broke down a couple of days ago and we've got to find someone who can fix it.  We waited in Dubbo until this morning, but the guys didn't have our part and would have had to order it in.  So instead of waiting in Dubbo for our spare part, we opted for the next large town to get it fixed.  And as we make our way south to Canberra, we took a  side road to a little town called Young.

We're standing on this knoll, reflecting once again on what it would be like to live here, on this spot, overlooking this massive valley where the sun and drought  have burnt the grass lands down amidst the paddocks of the abundantly green Lucerne crops. And once the sun settles over the west, the heat makes it's way up the sides to dance with the cooler air above us.

 

We watched the rich golden sun set behind us, casting a faint purple light on the adjoining hills and a golden light on the valley below.  The night winds have drowned out the sounds of sheep in the adjoining paddocks and a  lone cross sits on the hill over looking the valley below.  That young man never made it to his prime.

Okay the reality is,  Chris is laughing at me as I stomp on the little insects crawling around my feet.  The flies and ants tickling my skin as they land on me.  I spray my chair with bug spray and even the ground around my feet.  My city instincts have kicked in and I'm exposed as a wuss.  And somewhere around here is a wasp or a bee's nest.  I also noticed that there's either a GIANT horse fly or a GIANT wasp flying around here and I quickly retreated to the inside of the caravan.  So while INSIDE the caravan, I look longingly out of the windows feeling like a sensitive coward.  Aah, tomorrow's another day and my bravery will return as the sun rises up on the morrow.....and all that stuff.

Old Dubbo Gaol.....yep, another gaol.

Okay Chris, this is the last gaol for a while.  We've seen 3 gaols, possibly more this year.  And while we enjoyed this visit of a gaol, Chris has begged me not to take him to any more.

 

The Old Dubbo Gaol, is relatively small when compared with the likes of Maitland Gaol.  This gaol, however, caught my attention with the cobblestones leading into it. They're made of hardwood'   The cat o'nine tails that were used as punishment were held in a glass case.  This gaol AND courthouse were built in 1887.  The courthouse is still in use today.

This is the kitchen, the storehouse, and the infirmary.  All of these buildings are built with sandstone blocks which provided excellent insulation from the weather.

 

• The funny thing about this gaol, is that it's set back behind the new buildings in the middle of town.  It's one of the oldest building here in Dubbo.  They still use the original CBC bank which was built in 1865, although they have glass security doors now instead of hinged timber doors, but the facade is still there.  At least this one didn't leave us with feelings of depression.  It was definitely geared up for families to come and see.

The highlights of Dubbo

While Chris and I have enjoyed the sights of the township, the main attraction seems to be the zoo.  The zoo is owned by Taronga Zoo, which is located in the heart of Sydney.  We did our early morning tour at 6:45am.  It was the best time to go and after the storm last night, we had a beautiful day with clear skies. The zoo covers a lot of ground  and you can get around by car, bikes, carts, or on foot.  We had a tour guide with us this morning and we covered roughly a third of the place, which is about 2 klms.  After that, we stopped for breakky and headed out by car for the rest of the place. 

The Rhinos seemed to be the featured species today.  These are white rhinos, who are noted for being the more "social" of the rhino group.

 

This is a gibbon, who's strength and agility astound me.

 

 

 

 

There were many animals that we enjoyed seeing, here at the zoo.  And because both Chris and I were tired after our walk and drive around for 5 hours, we decided to opt out of the native Australian wildlife.  It was a good journey this morning. Fresh air, sunshine, and wild animals, what more can one ask for the day?

And as we headed out of the park, we wondered what lays ahead of us on the next stage.

Roses, roses, and the hot dry climate.

It's our last day here and while Chris was doing his last minute details, I cleaned out the caravan by washing the rugs and mopping.

But soon after, we were off to see the valley and play tourist.  First stop was the Polkolbin shops where the smell of cheese meets you at the door.  So we picked up some blue cheese, crackers, and a paste made of grapes and blueberries. (well, it SOUNDED delicious!) and because there was a gelati calling out my name, we HAD to stop for that too.  So Chris got Creme Brulee, and I had Lime. 

We finished off our ice creams and then decided to have a look around.  That's when we found the Hunter Valley Gardens.  It was a huge parcel of ground that's been designed with mini gardens and many paths around to each one.  There were lakes and waterfalls and many spots to just 'sit it out' and admire.

NOTE:

I wasn't able to put all the pictures in due to upload restrictions, but there are more photos on 'My Space' if you want to see them.

 

And while I was savouring the smell of the rose garden, Chris, who's NOT fond of roses, was encouraging me to have a look at some other gardens.

 

 

These pergolas were scattered throughout the gardens each one bearing their own unique look.

 

 

 

The intricate use of flora was excellent.  And with so many gardeners there too, it would have made it easier to maintain.

 

 

 

There was even a garden for the kids to enjoy.  Made up of storybook characters and a Gingerbread house.

 

 

 

By the time we made it around to most of the gardens, we were both very hot and bothered.  We stopped in to the restaurant for lunch which gave us a chance to cool down and relax.

 

Had this been a beautiful spring day, it would have been better.  But even with the hot, dry, and arid conditions, the gardens were still a beautiful sight.  This is a place I would like to see again, but next time,.. in the spring.. or the fall.

A hot day in the Maitland Gaol.

Today we headed up to Old Maitland Gaol to have a look.  It was started up in the 1800's and closed up in 1998.  Of course somewhere along the way, they eventually got indoor plumbing.  All of the old buildings are made out of sandstone.  Each wall is 2 ft thick.  The hinged doors are solid iron.  They eventually had to put chain link fences in and razor wire to stop the inmates from escaping. 

 

Like Alcatraz, we had on our head phones with a DIY tour, and as the inmate spoke into your ears, the desperation and gloom of the place began to bear down on you.  And unlike Alcatraz;  we were left with feelings of depression and desperation, not only of the inmates, but for the officers who looked after them for so many years.

The heat today was almost unbearable.  It got to 35C/97F and that could have added to those feelings.  It certainly makes us both appreciate our freedom.

A missed turn and we're back into the city..

We landed into Mailand which is about 3 hrs north of Sydney.  And the traffic was horrendous.  We missed our turnoff that was supposed to keep us in the rural areas, but somehow, I missed the turnoff and then we ended up on the coast highway heading south.  And what SHOULD have been a 3 hr trip, turned into a 6 hr trip.  The government is expanding the highway and it looks like they're in the middle of it too.  So with the extra traffic over the Christmas period, it was bedlam.

We made it into the Hunter Valley region, Sydney's famous valley of the vineyards.  And as we came into Cessnock, you can see the grapevines as far as the eye can see.  We'll be heading over to do the 'tourist' thing, but first we're off to visit some friends who live in the area.

I'm amazed at all the little workers' cottages here, and that's when I found out, that there's a few mines in the area as well.  I should have realized that because it's next to Newcastle which, I KNEW to be a mining export town.

And now with quite a few people heading back to work today, the traffic should settle down.

Heading south into the big smoke, but FIRST a stopover..deep into the gorge

Well it's the end of the day and we're sitting around the campfire.  We stopped in at Apsley Falls Gorge Campground.  We were the only ones here this afternoon, but we've had two more couples come in this evening while there's still daylight.

The falls and gorge are awesome.  The sheer cliffs and the long drop into the deep gorge (65mtrs and then some) are hard to fathom as we've been driving along the country side and you would never even think there was a hole in the ground this deep or this big.

From the campsite, it was about a 2 klm hike around the escarpment. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed this walk around and finished our day out with reading our books and sitting around the campfire.  Tomorrow we head into Maitland to visit Chris's army buddy and his family.