Wild(flower) Wonderful Western Australia!

29 August 2009

It was a chilly morning, but the sun was shining, so it was all good!  Jenny and Bob had been up scurrying around in the kitchen and packing things up and loading the car - we weren't quite sure what to expect today, except we knew we were going to see wildflowers.  We sat down to a nice breakfast and then were off for the day's adventure.  Our first stop was up a muddy hill, where we were treated to a gorgeous vista, and really our first good look, at the Western Australia countryside.  The bright yellow fields are canola.  Isn't it pretty?

From here we went to the Moonyoonooka General Store where we met up with the rest of our traveling companions - Kerry, Janet, Jan, Karen, Cece, and Bob.  We split up, with the guys in one car and Kerry driving Janet, Jenny, and me and Karen with her mom (Cece) and the other Jan.  We had to laugh at all of our alike sounding names - two Bobs, two Jans, a Janet, a Jenny, and Kerry and Karen!  Only Rex and Cece were safe from mixups!  So, off went our caravan, in search of wildflowers.  Soon we were out in the middle of nowhere, driving down red dirt roads.  I'm not sure how Bob knew exactly where to go - there surely were no road signs pointing the way to Wildflowers!  But Bob is a smart man, and soon we were standing with our mouths wide open in the middle of thousands (if not millions) of wildflowers!  In this photo, left to right: Jan Mc, Janet, Jenny, Kerry, Jan, and Karen

And here's a pretty good shot of Rex and me, sitting amongst the Everlastings.  I'm not sure what I thought wildflowers would be - back home, when my mom would make my sister and me come foraging for wildflowers with her, we were usually in the woods, peeking under big plants and looking around tree trunks for tiny little things like Jack-in-the-Pulpit or trillium.  I know I didn't think we'd be looking at wide open fields FULL of blooming flowers!  We spent about half an hour here and then we were off again.  Soon, Bob led us to a little pull off (again, we're in the middle of nowhere) and the caravan pulled in.  Boots were opened, and out came a feast for morning tea!  You won't believe all the food we had!  In addition to thermoses full of hot water (plenty of tea, milk, and

sugar) along with various "slices", including one with licorice topping and some really tasty pumpkin scones, all homemade, of course!  So we had a little picnic at Tenindewa, and then we were off!  We headed into the town of Mullewa, where there was a Wildflower Show going on at the Town Hall.  One of the things we got to see there that was not in bloom in the wild yet was the famous Wreath Flower - this is the only place in the world that it grows!

I hope you'll take the time to explore this website a little bit - http://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Things_to_See_and_Do/Forest_and_Flowers/Pages/Wildflowers.aspx

You simply cannot imagine what all of these beautiful blooms look like in person!  And the whole town of Mullewa was decked out for the festival of flowers!  Even the telephone poles were each painted in honor of a different wildflower - everlastings, banksias, grevillieas, mulla mulla - each one more exquisite than the next!  While we were in Mullewa, Jenny and I wandered over to a gallery full of Aboriginal art, where we promptly got in trouble for taking pictures of it.  So I won't post any of them here, but of course the one I wanted the most was by far the most expensive painting in the store...  Our Geraldton friends kept running into people they knew - it was a beautiful winter Saturday, so people had come out in droves to celebrate the wildflowers!

After about 45 minutes or so, we took off again and soon were out in the bush.  But look what fun things we came across!  I love this photo of the canola fields and the windmill that has to be held in place with guy wires - that should give you some idea how windy it gets here!

Then, out of nowhere (in the middle of nowhere) comes this Road Train!  See what I mean?  And then I spotted this graceful heron stopping to take a drink.  We turned around and went flying past something in the trees - I couldn't tell what it was and I didn't have any way to ask Bob (in the lead car) to turn around, so I thought I'd just missed it.  But then, as if a wish were granted, we turned around again, only to get the biggest belly laughs of the day.  Here's what was in the trees....

I still don't know what or why, but there were two trees full of these funny critters!  Off we went again, still looking for wildflowers.  And we found them!

I have no idea where we were, but there were signs to a waterfall, so we followed them.  It's really a good thing there were signs, because I never would have mistaken this little trickle of water for a waterfall!

We got so tickled - it was maybe a foot high!  But keep in mind that we are in the outback of Western Australia, which has just survived one of the worst droughts in history, so at least there is some water!  
After our hike to see the waterfall, we piled back in the cars and drove up to the Mullewa lookout.  Here's the whole gang!

From left - Rex, me, Janet, Jan, Bob MacKay, Jenny, other Bob, Karen, Cece, and Kerry.  From here, we had a great view of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which was designed and built by Monsignor John Hawes, who was the local Catholic priest from 1916 to 1939.  I believe this church was built in 1927, and it was so sweet.  We went inside to see the stunning stained glass windows, and we admired the flowers in the churchyard.  Against the bright blue sky, it was so pretty!

We spent about a half an hour exploring the church, and then we were headed south to the Coal Seam for a bit of lunch.  Rex and I had no idea of the treats that were in store for us there!  There was a nice little picnic area, and lots of people were taking advantage of the nice weather.  Again, all of our cars pulled in and boots were unloaded.  What a spread!!!!  We even had hot food!  Just look at all of this!

Cece had made meat pies, wrapped them in foil, and they were still hot!  Janet had made some yummy quiches - so tasty!  We had a vegetable and dip plate, and Kerry had made about five kinds of sandwiches - egg curry and chicken I remember as being especially yummy.  Chips, tea, fruit, slices, and even wine - of course, we had to sample everything!  And we even had tablecloths and comfy chairs to sit in - where was all of this stuff hiding???  After we ate (and could move again) we crossed the almost dry riverbed and explored the old coal mining site, which was covered in wildflowers.

I loved all of the colors of the prolific Everlastings - pink, yellow, white, and purple - it was like a multi-colored carpet, and I spent the day feeling like I was in a Monet painting.  The settings were so beautiful they made us look good!

The day was drawing to a close, but we had more to see.  And look what we saw bounding through the fields of flowers - Skippy!

Bob led us to a little park near the Ellendale Pool.  It was so serene - we saw some ducks and lots of ghost gum trees.  The sun was about to set, so the light on the water was perfect!

As we were leaving the park, the eagle-eyed Karen screeched to a stop, because she had spotted an echidna (a spiny anteater) on the side of the road.  I just barely caught him as he skuttled into a culvert.

It was now officially sunset, and wasn't it spectacular?  With the numerous windmills (no better place to have them, except maybe Kansas!) as a backdrop, it was glorious!

What a wonderful day!  It was such a treat to meet some of the girls on Jenny's and Kerry's teams, and to really experience the Australian bush with the people who live here!  And the flowers - if they had been ordered just for us, they couldn't have been any prettier!   Once we were back in Geraldton and at Jenny and Bob's, we had a bite of lasagna (I know, you can't believe we could eat another bite!) and then Bob took me next door to meet Cocky.  Isn't he cute?

But he LOVED Bob, way better than me - and would hardly leave his shoulder (or his head).  Back at the house, I took some time to download photos but it was not long before I fell into bed, dreaming of colorful wildflowers!  I don't know how everyone keeps topping themselves - each day is even better than the one before!

Wildly happy,

Jan

Crossing the Continent

28 August 2009

We left the Drysdale's house EARLY this morning, since it was a long way to the airport and we had to fight work-week rush hour traffic.  Chris was a dear again, as he and Elinor delivered us right to our terminal.  It turned out to be a good thing we had loaded the car the night before, as we barely got there in time.  As it was, the line was LONG, but in true Qantas style (US airlines could take a page or two from the Qantas book!) they called us up to get our boarding passes and check our bags just before boarding time - we got to bypass the line!

Today we were traveling from Brisbane, in the center of the east coast of Australia, to Perth, on the southwest coast, and then driving to Geraldton, about five hours north.  Some of you may not realize that Australia is roughly the size of the US, so it was like flying from RDU to San Diego.  And then driving to San Francisco.  On the wrong side of the road!  Here's a map to help you get a little perspective:

As usual, I had no problems sleeping on the flight, and I even read a little bit, too.  We arrived in Perth to a cloudy, dreary day, but were met at the airport by a sunny, smiling, Anne Cook!  Anne met us at the car rental place just so she could lead us out of town and get us safely on the road to Geraldton.  Now is that hospitality, or what??  The best news was that the car we had rented was a Prius, so at least we were familiar with that!  After a few initial bumps on the 'other' side of the road (no real bumps, just a little getting used to things) Rex got the hang of everything except the turn signal.  He turned on the wipers 95% of the time!  At least it was sort of rainy, so it didn't look as funny as it could have!  Anne capably led us out of the airport and through the suburbs of Perth and onto the highway we would then take straight up the coast.  We stopped at a little convenience store and had a bite to eat - fried pies, fries, and some other fried foods - typical gas station food - but it hit the spot!  We bid Anne farewell and took off on our own.

We had been warned about the 'road trains' and it wasn't long before we figured out why.  You know those big tandem (piggy-back) semi-trailers that we have on the interstates here?  Well road trains are TRIPLE and QUADRUPLE trailers, usually looking more like open boxcars that travel on this two-lane highway!!  Thank goodness for 'overtaking lanes'!

Our journey north was mercifully uneventful, and the biggest drama was that we almost forgot to call Jenny and Bob to let them know we were almost there.  Actually, we did forget (and we didn't have cell service) but Jenny called us just in the nick of time.  She made it to the petrol station where we met just before we got there, and she led us safely to her house.  And what a treat was waiting for us there - lamb roast!!

We met Jenny's husband, Bob, and visited for a while, then sat down to a most delicious Australian favorite meal of lamb roast and vegetables.  Nicole Kidman even picked her mum's lamb roast over Tom Cruise many years ago (she maybe should have stuck with that decision!) and we could see why!  We had a nice custard for dessert and it was so much fun to get to know the MacKays!

Jenny and I headed for the computer room after dinner and shared some Storybook tips and visited facebook, and then it was time for bed.  As you can imagine, we had another big day ahead of us!

Loving Western Australia (and its people) so far!

Jan

Koalas and Kangas and Cassowarys, Oh My!

Thursday, 27 August 2009

We awoke to another amazingly beautiful day, and it was great to see the Drysdale's lovely home in the light of day.  We are so grateful to have had such a warm and welcoming place to stay - Elinor and Chris had done their homework and knew all about Durham, and Chris had plenty of beer in the firg and made me iced tea every day!  Thanks, y'all!  Chris had gallantly taken off work for the day so that he could drive us around on our adventures, and soon we were off to meet Brissie Jan at College's Crossing for breakfast.  There was just a bit of chill in the air, but as long as we were in the sunshine, it was very pleasant.  The little restaurant, Colleges by the River, had only outdoor seating, complete with plenty of big sun umbrellas, but we managed to find a nice unshaded table and sat down to wait for Jan.  Chris and Elinor told us a bit about the restaurant (great reviews and magazine articles!) and we ordered some warm beverages.  Rex got "Taboo Hot Chocolate", Chris got coffee, and Elinor and I had some beautiful and delicous Chai Lattes.

Jan arrived shortly, and we all ordered the breakfast special of Canadian French Toast, which was egg in toast, bacon, and REAL maple syrup.  Don't you love the cute little heart cutout?  It was yummy - and I may not be able to eat (well, I'll eat it, but I won't appreciate it the same way!) American bacon again.  As we savored our meals, we were joined by this pretty kookaburra - isn't he cute?

On the agenda today - wandering around downtown Brisbane, checking out the Maritime Museum, going to the old Government House, seeing the Parliament building, and then petting the animals at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary!  We had a lot of ground to cover, so we didn't linger.  We parked downtown and walked through the wonderful pedestrian water park at South Bank.  The main feature of downtown Brisbane is the river that meanders through it, and this waterpark is right along the river in the heart of the Central Business District.  Built for the 1987 Expo, the predominant feature of the park is the Arbour.  Here's what I learned from the website www.visitsouthbank.com.au: "The award-winning Arbour was conceived as a horticultural wonder and has become a defining symbol of South Bank.  It is made up of 443 curling, tendril-like columns of steel, each covered with a train of vibrant magenta bougainvillea plants.  The stunning architectural masterpiece weaves through the centre of the parklands for one kilometre, leading the way to the parklands’ many attractions."  See for yourself - it was really gorgeous!

I loved the fact that people were actually swimming in the water features (mind you, it’s mid-morning, mid-week, mid-WINTER), but my favorite was the “beach” area, complete with surf rescue equipment!  As we passed the swimming areas, we wandered through the Aquativity section, which was full of cool fountains and play/educational areas for children.

Feeling the need for a little education ourselves, we stopped in for a visit at the Maritime Museum, which was full of lots of great exhibits.  We were especially enthralled by the many, many models of ships – incredible detail!  My favorite things here were the dry dock, which was OLD, and the ship in it, the HMAS Diamantina.   I love touring ships like this and just imagining what it would be like to be at sea on one without actually having to live that way!

On the way out, we passed a TEENY WEENY (2.7 metre) aluminum boat. Turns out that a young Canadian man built the boat, christened it “Happy”, sailed down to and through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific, and into New Caledonia, where he wrecked.  He rebuilt the boat and named it the Happy II, (this is the one that’s on display) which he sailed to Australia, where he donated it to the Queensland Maritime Museum.  I can’t even IMAGINE that journey!  From here, we walked across the river on the pedestrian bridge, where we got fantastic views of the Brisbane skyline and the Brisbane Wheel.

Our next stop was the Old Government House, which now houses a museum, a café, and a brand new art gallery, which had it’s opening night the night before we were there!  The gallery features the works of Brisbane-born artist William Robinson, who is the only artist to have won the coveted Archibald Prize for Portraiture twice.  The Government House once served as the residence for the governor of the state, so we got a chance to see what some of the living quarters would have been like back in the day.  We were getting a bit hungry, so we had sat down in the scullery to sample some of the treats served in the café.  Many groups were enjoying an elaborate tea, but we opted for light lunches.  Rex just got some banana nut bread, but I chose a goat cheese and vegetable tart – and some iced tea!!  It was some sort of herbal tea – reminded me of Red Zinger – but it had ice in it!  We all shared an order of Lamingtons for dessert – mmmm!  From www.australianfood.about.com: “Lamingtons are a quintessential part of every Australian's childhood. The little sponge cake is dipped in chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut.  These little treats are sold at school fairs and bake sales around the country.”

We walked down the street a ways to the Parliament House, but we didn't take the time to go inside.  We checked our taxi options for getting back to the car, and decided instead to take a ferry back across the river.  It took us a little while to find our way to the ferry stop, and then it took no time to get back to South Bank!  And then we were off to see the animals!

On the way to Lone Pine, Jan pointed out this classic example of Queenslander house.  It reminds me of a Savannah style house in the States, and it's a look I love and could live in!

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary recently was voted  one of the Top 10 Zoos in the World by aol.  Created in 1927, it is the world's first and largest koala sanctuary with over 130 koalas (some to cuddle), kangaroos to pet. lorikeets to feed, lizards to step over, and tons more native animals to look at, all in natural settings.

I LOVE the colorful lorikeets!  Their brilliance is stunning, and they will fly right up to you and eat out of your hands.  Heads are a favorite perch!  We got there just in time for the last feeding. After the birds were fed, we went to pet some roos!  There was a huge enclosure, full of kangas and joeys.  They were SO CUTE!  But I have to say, some of the joeys looked WAY too big to still be in their mama's pouches!

Then for the highlight of my day, and one of the highlights of the whole trip - I got to cuddle a koala!  Meet Miss Crumpet - isn't she sweet?

  From here, we just saw as many Australian animals as we could, and they were very cooperative!  Everybody was out and looking good!  Check out the echidna and the wombat:

Then there was the very colorful and really ODD Cassowary, and the almost smiling River Crocodile:

After we left Lone Pine, we went back into town to meet Jan's kids, Cassie, Liz, and Anthony, for dinner at an Indian Restaurant.  We were a little early, so we stopped in a pub and had a drink and bought a bottle of wine to take to dinner.  Here we are, except for Elinor, who was taking the picture, enjoying our very tasty Indian food - we sampled lots and shared it all!  After dinner, we crossed the street to Cold Rock Creamery for some ice cream.  The perfect end to another perfect day!

Feeling like a Queen in Queensland,

Jan