Something to contemplate

Don't dream of where you see yourself in 10 or 20 years, start your journey today so you'll have a story to tell when you get there.....

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Katherine and leroy and Angus, Katoomba Blue Mountains and Canberra

Family Portrait apparently I look like Aunty Di but wider according to Leroy! Nothing like saying it how it is.....

Katherine, my niece Leroy and Angus, beautiful boys you are lucky grandma Aunty Sue it was so funny angus was so happy to come and cuddle with me and cried when we left as he was in my arms saying goodbye to his mother! Leroy did not want to come so much but liked the chocolate dolphins I bought for them

Big boy Leroy after school showing me his drawing of Woody from Toy Story.

Playing horsey rides

The lounge room at the YHA in katoomba done in art deco style, recommend anyone to stay there great value and good atmosphere

Took the train to sydney for the day as it was wet and foggy up at katoomba and colm had not seen sydney

The bridge from the view from the manly ferry

Went to this cafe and had a decadent hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows....mmmh more walking needed I think!

We had 2 clear days where we could walk and view around the blue mountains katoomba, majestic area but....

there are hills and stairs...

Cliff edges, great for my fear of heights and wide open spaces....yikes

What a view



Bridal veil falls

High above the clouds on our walk

When did that second belly come on again? maybe it was the hot chocolate!

The answer is no he does not feel the cold




Laura falls

As luck would have it the weekend we stayed they had a steam train ride from katoomba to Mt Victoria that they only run each year so of course we got tickets and went

Steam in action but Gabriel we also had a diesel engine to help us along

At Mt Victoria they had all sorts of old things on display including bikes

And you can't keep the man away from the bike  and it was built in the same year he was born, go on look closely

The band was playing on our arrival to Mt Victoria

The steam engine

The three sisters


Baby its a long way down


Hey Rebecca and Colleen do you remember this place? Cockington Green at Canberra

Minatures from around the world













View from the War Memorial in Canberra

We rode our bikes around and then got to sit in on question time, very interesting and disappointing to see our pollies behave worse than children, interrupting etc no manners at all and what do they achieve except for disrespect!

On the steps of the old parliament which is now a museum on Australian Democracy..

Protesters on the lawn protesting against the intervention in the NT

If you look really hard you can see the war memorial in the background



On the steps of power, although it was more fun on the roof looking down.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Victoria....great state

Original Myer store  and apparently Bendigo is the home of the chiko roll....

Inside the town hall they had a free performance of circ de soleil

Coffee in a laneway after the performance


Sat night at the basketball and the team that Sam plays for Bendigo Braves win

Okay so we are short

Motorcycle statue on the way to Numurkah to see my cousin Bob

At Glenrowan

Everything is Ned Kelly!

Over the Alpine Highway and we cannot believe it snow!

Its not warm but I cannot resist throwing the snowballs at him and visa versa

The scene we were driving through, they had bright orange markers that told us to keep right otherwise we would be off the cliff....

Like a kid at a candy store at the snowfields

Mt Hotham snow machines

Chairlift but its not the season yet 10th of June it starts
The boarder crossing from SA to Vic, Colm thought it was a gateway to a racing track and got rather excited but it was just an advert :(

The YHA at Echuca cabins made from old railway carriages nice but cold... we did not know how to pronounce the town so we found out it is pronounced Achoo - Car!

Nice gardens

The mighty Murray was going to go on a houseboat but the only one we could get for a few days were for 12 people and cost a little over a thousand a day so instead a ride on the paddlesteamer did

Beautiful river

Nice rainbow in the background after shopping at Echuca (achoo -car)

Got the photo of the rainbow

On the paddlesteamer 

He loved the engines

Picture of the other paddlesteamer working that day

This was the paddle steamer used in the äll the rivers run"tv series and the one we went on

The engine again

The docks

Other paddle steamers



Went on the winery cruise and had a great lunch and bottle of wine

At the winery I heard a bang and it was this kingfisher who crashed into the window 

It recuperated enough to fly off eventually but was stunned

Beautiful day for a ride on the river





Inside of the cabin

Captain at the wheel

Talking to a crew on the boat telling me the history of Echuca (achoo -car)


Now we are in bendigo and went for a walk to the Observatory at the Park, here is Dad and daughter Colm and Dee

Beautiful flowers in the Observatory with Beautiful people as well

Went to Daylesford and Hepburn Springs for the day where they have natural spring water and its sparkling too, great to taste

Great to be in a area where they have Autumn season went for a walk down along the track

Photo from the chinese museum at Bendigo




Dee at the chinese Museum

Colm striking a pose at the museum
Gardens at the museum


Family photos at the entrance


Fountain at the middle of Bendigo a lot of the architecture has a European feel about it very nice

Went on a tram tour with a talking history of Bendigo

Sam, Dee and Colm with the chook that was won in the raffle

I had a feeling I would win something down the local pub but did not get to enjoy the spoils as we were off the next day