June 13, 14, Sydney

June 13, Sydney

Today we turn in the motorhome. But first we have to clear it out. We filled a cardboard box, a plastic bin and a sack with things from the refrigerator, pantry and cabinets. We had paper towels, toilet paper, canned beets and pineapple, laundry detergent, clothes pins and clothes line, limes, tomato sauce (ketchup), coffee, flour, etc. There was a couple from Tasmania near us who had 13 weeks to go on their trip. So they took everything and they'll keep what they can use and pass the rest on to someone else.

Then it was time to take our luggage to the hotel. Rather than try to deal with all our bags on the train, we drove it to our hotel. We booked a place near the airport, on the south side of town and the campground was on the north. So we drove south. Then we had to take the rv back to the depot. That was north of the campground, so we drove all the way north.

It took a while to turn the motorhome in. They checked it all out to see if there was any damage and if all the linens, dishes and pots and pans were there. When we were finished we were given a ride to the train station. We had to change trains at Central Station, so we got off there to have lunch. Then we went back to the train station and found the platform for our train. There was trouble on the line, so we had to wait over an hour and a half for it to come. By the time we got to the hotel, we were exhausted. We rested for a bit, then repacked our bags.

There was a restaurant in the hotel and we had vegetarian lasagna. It was quite nice, lots of vegetables and a light sauce.

June 14, Sydney

We had a bit more shopping to do, we started off early. Had breakfast near the train station.

We took a tram to a big market not too far from Central Station, Paddys Markets. On the ground floor were hundreds of stalls selling just about everything. Above that were shops and above that was a food court. We walked all over it.

Then we decided to take the tram to Darling Harbor, but we wanted to sit down for a while, so we rode it to the end of the line and back to the Harbor. We walked around there and had lunch. I had McDonald's fish sandwich and fries and they were just like the ones in the US.

Pictures- Jeanne outside of Central Station, Central Station Interior

June 11, 12, Sydney

June 11, Sydney

More packing and figuring out what goes and what stays.

After lunch we took a break and went downtown to catch a ferry. This one took us out of Sydney Harbor and up the Parramatta River. The boat was a catamaran, so it moved pretty quickly and was fairly quiet. It was named Betty Cuthbert and I just found out that she was an Australian Olympic champion in track and field. We rode past big houses facing the river and lots of apartments and developments. Then the river became one lane going through an industrial area. The catamaran filled the lane and slowly down significantly until we reached Parramatta. We stopped for coffee and a muffin, then walked to the Greek Orthodox Church. By then it was time to find the train back to Circular Quay and on to the campground.

We're trying to use up most of what we have in the refrigerator and pantry. Tonight we had fish, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato and salad. We're going to have a lot to give away when we check out of the campground.

Tonight the Australian soccer team, the Sockeroos played Jordan to try to go to the World Cup. We watched the game, they won 4 to 0.

June 12, Sydney

More packed and sorting this morning. It was raining hard, so that was a good way to spend the time. Also did one last load of laundry.

After lunch the rain had cleared so we took the train to Chatswood. We had discovered there was an Armenian church there. We asked a worker at the train station where the street was and he looked it up on his phone for us. That was especially nice since he was asked several questions during the time.

It was a nice walk to the church. The office was in the rear and a woman let us into the church. I think it's the major Armenian church in Sydney and I was surprised that it was quite small. Then we walked back toward the train station, but stopped to do some shopping. After that we were worn out and ready to go back to the motorhome. We bought a piece of carrot cake and a sour cherry turnover for later.

Tonight we had fish, mashed potato mixed with mashed cauliflower, spinach and green beans. That cleared a lot out of the refrigerator, but we couldn't eat it all.

Pictures - The Betty Cuthbert, Greek Orthodox Church in Parramatta, St Johns Cathedral in Parramatta, Parramatta Town Hall, Armenian Apostolic Church of the Holy Resurrection in Chatswood, Interior, Khachkar out the Armenian Church,

June 8, 9, 10 Sydney

June 8,
Our first down day in a long time. Did laundry, dealt with the brochures and maps we've accumulated over the months. Watched a footy game on tv. Sydney Swans beat the Adelaide Crows.

June 9,
Thursday we turn the motorhome in. We plan to take our luggage to the hotel, then take the motorhome to the depot and take the train back to the hotel. So today we drove out to find the hotel and check put the parking. It took a while, the hotel is on the south side of town near the airport, but we did find it and the parking is practically nonexistent. We might be able to pull up on the sidewalk, unload the luggage and move on. The clerk helped us figure out public transportation back to the hotel.

Then we were off to the Assyrian Sporting and Culture Club to meet with Johnson's relatives. We found the club and then found the relatives. We met his brother, brother-in- law, sister-in-law, 3 nieces and one nephew. We got there about 12:30, had wine and appetizers; tabbouleh, hummus, yogurt and cucumbers, and crispy bread - all really good. For dinner we had grilled fish with tomato sauce and oregano and salad or fries. And there was cake for dessert. All the while there was lots of talking and getting to know each other. It was an extremely enjoyable afternoon. We left the club around 5!

June 10,
We started out the day doing some packing. We seem to have accumulated quite a bit.
After lunch we went into town. We decided to get off the train early and walk across the Sydney Bridge. It was a busy path. We had good views of the harbor from there.
We went to the State Library to see what exhibits were on and there were several. One was photos of Afghanistan made with a camera phone, giving them a spontaneous quality. Another was treasures of the collection; an early edition of Chaucer's tales, a book of hours, Flinders map of Australia. In another, Aborigines were given a large sheet of paper and wrote down their feelings about being an Aborigine in Australia, then their pictures were taken with the paper. It was a powerful exhibit, most people asked for understanding and respect for their culture, some were angry, some were funny.
Then we went back to Circular Quay and found a restaurant that served pizza. At last, pizza with no hint of pineapple. Really good crust, lots of mushrooms and pecorino.
We had come to town to see the Vivid Festival, with light and sound displays all around the waterfront. One of the venues was the front of the building we were eating in, so when we walked out, there was a massive design on the front of the building. And someone from the crowd was on a platform dancing and making the design move. It was impossible to describe, but so clever. There were designs on the Sydney Opera House, the Museum of Contemporary Art and other buildings. We took a ferry to Darling Harbor where there was a light and water show, Aquatique. It was a great festival, people moving around the waterfront, eating at the cafes, enjoying everything. There are pictures of it online - Google vividsydney images and look for movies on YouTube. It was amazing.
On the walk from the train to the campground, we saw a possum walking on a fence. At first we thought it was a cat.

Pictures - Samson on the bridge, Opera House from the bridge, New South Wales State Library, Library Reading Room, Library Stained Glass Window, Vivid Festival Customs House, Customs House, Sydney Bridge with Opera House in distance, Luna Park, Passenger Terminal, Possum

June 7, Morpeth, Newcastle, Sydney

Our parking place last night was by the railroad and a lot of trains went by last night. We think they were primarily coal trains headed for Newcastle.

For breakfast we tried the custard apple. It had big seeds, but the fruit was really sweet.

We were out early to walk around the village of Morpeth. It was next to the Hunter River and at one time was a river port. It had several nice old buildings. Arnott is a brand of cookies and crackers in Australia, there was an early Arnott bake house in Morpeth. It's also a restaurant now and is run by an descendant of the family. St James Anglican Church was a lovely church built in 1840.

Newcastle was a port city that ships coal from the mines and grains from the countryside. We walked along the waterfront to Nobby Point and the lighthouse. Then we walked to Christ Church Cathedral. Newcastle was very hilly and the cathedral was on top of a high one. It was a massive building and we were greeted by one of the priests. He gave us a guide and pointed out some highlights. He also pointed out the Canterbury cross on one column. He said that every cathedral has a stone from Canterbury Cathedral with a Canterbury cross on it.

Our last stop of the day was Bulgandry Aboriginal Engraving Site. Off a busy highway a dirt road led to the car park. A walk went to a boardwalk around a large piece of exposed stone. According to the brochure 3 figures were carved on it. It had rained, so the stone was wet and it was cloudy, so the figures were very difficult to see.

Then it was time for the trip into Sydney. We picked a bad time, Friday afternoon on a holiday weekend (Monday is the Queen's birthday). Traffic was heavy, but we made it in relatively easily and now we're back where we started.

Pictures - Custard apple, Inside, St James, Altar, Nobby Point, Buildings in Newcastle, Christ Church, Stained glass, St Nicholas Chapel, Altar, Canterbury cross, Bulgandry figure, Drawing of Bulgandry figure

June 6, Murrunrundi, Muswellbrook, Maitland

We drove to Murrunrundi to see a park called the Eye of the Needle. An ambulance driver was nice enough to lead us in the direction of the road. But when we got to the last turn, we found road construction that prevented us from continuing. So we looked at the local Catholic Church and RR Station instead.

Down the road was a coal vein that has been burning for over 5000 years. We found the turnoff, but it would have taken over 2 hours to hike to it. We opted not to take the hike.

At Muswellbrook we went to St Alban's Church of England. It was closed but the secretary in the church office let us in. Another beautiful church. This one had painted wood ceilings and lovely stained glass windows. The town was also the home of the Blue Heeler, a cattle dog, a cross of dingoes with Northumberland Blue Merle's.

We spent the majority of the day driving. Outside of Tamworth we went through vast grasslands and cattle country. Then we drove through Scone, the premiere horse country in Australia, and past miles of horse farms. As we got closer to the coast, we went up and down long mountain roads and into an area of coal mining around Muswellbrook. Closer to Maitland, it was more built up and industrial.

At Maitland we took a tour of Maitland Gaol. It was a prison for over 154 years. It was an audio tour that took us all around the prison, through old cell blocks and newer ones. In addition to the narrator telling about the different sections, former prisoners talked about life there. Today was chilly and overcast and that added to the truly depressing atmosphere. I was happy to leave. However, it was late when we left, so we parked in a lot not too far away.

Jeanne with big Golden Guitar, Cattle country, Murrunrundi RR Station, St Alban's, Interior, Interior, Blue Heeler figurine, Maitland Gaol, Cellblock (note the locks on the doors, this was in use until the 1970s), Samson in gaol yard

June 5, Coffs Harbor, Waterfall Way, Tamworth

Just one brief stop in Coffs Harbor this morning to see the Big Banana. It was in front of an amusement park that had everything from a toboggan to a waterside and candy shop.

We decided to go inland to Tamworth and it just happened that the road was Waterfall Way. It went back across the Great Dividing Range and on the way went through national parks and lots of waterfalls. We chose to visit those that were close to the road. Newell and Sherrard Falls were right on the highway. The highway was 2 lanes and the width of the lanes changed constantly. Just past Newell, it went down to one lane. We had pulled into a turnout to look at the falls and had just gotten back on the road when a semi came downhill on the one lane road. We had to go backwards back into the turnout.

Danger Falls was beautiful, several cascades down to a big drop. Ebor Falls had 2 tiers of falls. Wollomombi Falls was Australia's highest falls until someone measured it. Now it's number 2, but it was magnificent. At the end of a deep gorge Wollomombi Falls plunged straight down and to the side Chandler Falls fell in cascades down to the bottom.

We got into Tamworth, the country music capital of Australia in early afternoon. The visitors center was shaped like a guitar. Part of the building housed "Walk A Country Mile", an interpretive museum. It told the story of country music in Australia, the people who shaped it and the role Tamworth plays. It was very interesting, even though we didn't know many of the stars. I had only heard of Keith Urban and Slim Dusty. I don't remember where I got it, but I have a cd of Slim Dusty's Australian drinking songs.

We walked around Bicentenial Park to see some bronze head so country music stars. At the other end of the park there were "Hands of Fame". A place where stars put a hand in concrete. We drove out to see the Golden Guitar. It's a giant replica of the Australian country music award in front of a gift shop and wax museum. Our next stop was Joe Maguires Pub to see the "Noses of Fame", where some stars had put their noses in concrete.

We drove up a long hill to a lookout that was so high we could see the whole city and far into the mountains. After grocery shopping we found a parking place near a sports field and settled in for the night.

Pictures - Big Banana, Dangar Falls, Beautiful countryside, Upper Ebro Falls, Lower Ebro Falls, Wollomombi Falls, Samson and Hands of Fame, Noses of Fame