Too Long of a Pause!

It's been too, too long since I last posted and I do apologize for it but sometimes you just gotta get some other things done and stay the course.  Since I last blogged I have been offered a new job and am ecstatic over being employed once again after way too long of a time.  Maybe our economy is starting to pick up a bit.  Anyways...

Along the drive at Rochford Winery

I believe I left off chatting about our trip to Healesville Sanctuary and after lunch we were starting to head back to Melbourne.  On the way back we stopped at one of the showplaces of the Yarra Valley, the Rochford Winery.  What a beautiful setting to see as we drove down the curving road lined with trees and vines to the main building which contained a restaurant, cellar door and a wide open area where there was a huge stage where concerts were put on throughout the year.  In fact the next upcoming concert would be Lionel Richie.  Ok...he's not exactly Bruno Mars but I have seen Lionel in concert and he does put on a good show and his music isn't all that bad either but the concert wasn't until after I headed back to the U.S. so wouldn't be able to try and get tickets for him.

Scrumptious looking grapes!

We went in to the (what I'm assuming) the Cellar Door and Natalie and Helen were checking out some of the wines so I slipped outside and took a stroll around the building and a bit of the grounds.  Of course I had camera in hand.  It was harvest time for the grapes and I would have loved to have snatched a couple of grapes off the vine and taste them but somehow I had visions of the 'wine police' catching me and my getting into God only knows what kind of trouble so I resisted the temptation but the grapes sure looked yummy!!

A road between pastures at
Yarra Valley Dairy.

I guess I took a bit more time than I thought strolling around and when I went to find Natalie and Helen I found them patiently waiting in the car to head out to our last stop...the Yarra Valley Dairy which was a working dairy farm where a variety of cheeses were made from both cow and goat milk.

Before I knew it the day had flown by and we were on our way back to Melbourne.  What a grand day it had been but one that went by way too fast just like every other day for the past three weeks.

Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!

If you would like to see more pictures from the Rochford Winery here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow

Just a Little Pause...

I've not finished blogging about Australia but I am getting awful close and maybe that's why I've not been so religious blogging every day the past week.  Maybe if I don't blog so often I can make it all last just that much longer?!  Seriously I know that isn't logical thinking but...who knows?!

At any rate it will be until mid week before I'll get a chance to blog again as I have to go back to North Dakota to finish up some of mom's estate matters.  My 'sage' advice here is, if at all possible, never get named an executor of some one's estate if you can help it and surely not one of your parents if possible.  It just tears open your wounded heart every time you have to deal with yet another part of the estate and, in my case, selling mom's condo which is the 'last' home I have to remember her at even though she was at the condo for about 2 1/2 years after moving off the farm after 58 years of living there.  I can visit the farm whenever but my childhood home was torn down 3 or so years ago so it's not really home anymore. 

Anyways...please check back in 3-4 days as I will be back blogging about my last few days in Australia and then who knows what after that?!  I do want you all to know that I greatly appreciate your interest in my blog & would love any feedback you might have.

Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!

Off to Healesville Sanctuary

We were off to the Healesville Sanctuary which was about an hour from Melbourne tucked in the foothills of the Yarra Valley.  The Sanctuary has approximately 70 acres (30 hectares) of Australian bushland and is home to about 200 different species of wildlife including koalas, dingos, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and are also successfully breeding both the duck-billed platypus and the helmeted honeyeater and a great variety of other animals and birds.

Koala

We started to wander around the sanctuary and were soon to see probably the number one animal most visitors to Australia are dying to see...a real life koala and this time, unlike Tasmania, the koala was closeup in a tree and wide awake...no sitting on top of a green tarp!  I got some amazingly cute pictures of the koala...it definitely seemed as if he were posing for all of us!!  They are so damned cute you just want to hold them and hug them and squeeze them but that option was not available at the sanctuary though there are other places one could go to have that experience.

Yours truly with a Koala!

I did, however, get to go in the enclosure for a closeup encounter with this guy a while later and he was about as disinterested in our small group that had paid extra to do this as he pretty much slept through our experience.  But I think most of us were thrilled to be able to get up so close whether he was sleeping or not. 

I hadn't been paying too close attention to the brochure we each received when we went in to the sanctuary but after my koala experience Natalie guided us quickly to what was the Birds of Prey arena to see the Birds of Prey presentation put on by staff at the sanctuary.

I believe a wedge tailed eagle.

Not exactly sure what I was in for as we milled around waiting for the doors to open to the entrance I was soon going to be surprised by what I was soon to experience.  We would soon be thrilled to see such Australian raptors as the Black Breasted Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon and the Wedge tailed Eagle to name a few as they flew in and around all of us gathered in the arena. 

It was an outdoor classroom of sorts and there is nothing quite like feeling the wind from flapping wings as a raptor soars past you to a spot in the arena.  Of course Natalie and Helen both would have to explain what it was like to be slapped by the wings of an eagle...I was watching the eagle as they were watching the handler and tried to get Natalie's attention but it probably was a good thing that I didn't as the eagle swooped right over them slapping them with its wings.  If only I had had the video camera going...it was just an awesome sight and a show that was well worth it!!

As we were filing out after the Birds of Prey show there was one of those moments that probably only I could appreciate but it touched me deeply.  Natalie was once again leading the way through the mass of people with her mum Helen following and of course me bringing up the rear.  It was like a mass of salmon trying to swim upstream and squeeze through the double door entrance/exit.  Helen was just about to the middle of that squeeze area when she stopped, turned around, saw me and said "just looking for my family."  Can't begin to tell you how those few words touched my heart and I hope that memory remains with me always!! 

Vet working on a snake.

We continued wandering around the sanctuary going in and out and here and there looking at all we could see.  There is even a hospital there where you can go in and watch surgeries, etc. as they are being done as they treat sanctuary animals or working on one of the many orphaned, sick or injured animals that are brought there every year.  We got to watch a vet and his assistant take some type of snake out of a pillow case...who knows what was wrong but I'm guessing it was poisonous since Australia just so happens to have 10 of the most venomous snakes in the world  and 8 out of 10 of the top venomous snakes are found in Australia but it's just a guess!!

It was a great day at the sanctuary but we hadn't finished our sight seeing yet.  After a lunch and wandering around more in the sanctuary we would be off to several vineyards on the way back to Melbourne but I'll leave that for another blog.

Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!

If you would like to see more pictures from the Healesville Sanctuary here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow
 

Driving Around Port Philip Bay

When I returned to Natalie's from the Fitzroy Gardens she informed me that her mum Helen had called and she and Bob would be picking me up at 10 a.m. the next morning.  What Natalie didn't tell me was what exactly we were going to be doing...I was in for a nice treat come the next morning!

Helen arrived right on time the next morning and there was little time for chit chat and we were off on what would turn out to be an all day driving trip.  When Helen asked me if I was ready for the day I said I thought so which brought a quick question from her...'did Natalie tell you what we were doing today?'  My response was all Natalie had said was that I was being picked up at 10 a.m. but nothing about what we were going to do.  Helen just chuckled and shook her head hearing my response.

What I soon found out was that we were going to drive completely around Port Philip Bay which is the largest bay in Victoria and one of the largest inland bays in all of Australia.  Well...almost completely around as you had to take the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry and cross the bay.

Arthurs Seat

It was a lovely day, bright and sunny and not overly hot as we started out.  Our first stop was at Arthurs Seat which overlooked Port Philip.  Silly me...while we were there I did not think to take a picture of the oversized chair that represented Arthurs Seat...what was I thinking?!  Obviously I wasn't...

Waiting while his master fishes
from the pier.

As we wound our way back down from Arthurs Seat Bob found a spot along the bay where there was a picnic table and we stopped for lunch.  Helen had packed a picnic lunch for us and it was delightful sitting along the bay.  Before I knew it it was time to continue on our journey and we found ourselves at one of the marinas along the way.  It was nice to walk out onto the pier and people watch and enjoy the sights and sounds of the marina and I had to chuckle at the golden lab patiently waiting for his master to catch a fish...looked like it had been a ritual that had been done more than once.

Heading across the bay on the ferry.

We headed off to the marina where you can catch the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry to cross Port Philip Bay.  Bob thought that we were too late for the 2 o'clock ferry but he had us right on time and before we knew it we had driven aboard the ferry and headed to the top to enjoy the 35-40 minute trip across the bay.  After my rough sea adventure in Tasmania I was glad to see that it would be smooth sailing across the bay and it seemed like no time had passed and the trip was over and off we were to see what else the day had in store.

Bob knew so much about this area that I was quite amazed... until I asked and he told me that this had been his backyard as a kid.  It warmed my heart that he would take me to places he ran around as a kid.  I gotta tell you...no tour could ever hold a candle to the personal touches I had been experiencing on my dream trip to Australia...it would be hard to put in words just how amazing it all had been thus far and the days now were waning to a handful.

We ended a wonderful day with fish and chips from a local takeout which we took to Natalie's and had a bit of wine and beer too...I was sure liking this one kind of Tasmanian beer...yum!!  A perfect ending to a damn good day!!

Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!

If you would like to see more pictures from the trip around Port Philip Bay here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow

Singing in the Rain...

As Natalie put it I was now off 'my leash' and would be able to venture out around Melbourne seeing what I wanted to see.  So I decided to head out to the Fitzroy Gardens near downtown Melbourne and with my cameras and backpack in hand off I headed to the train station.

Near as I could tell I would head to Flinders Square on the train and then walk over to the Fitzroy Gardens.  As I was soon to find out I would have probably have been better off if I had gotten off at Parliament Station but figuring it shouldn't be such a long walk I stuck to getting off at Flinders...silly girl I am!

Cook's Cottage

It was a bit more of a walk than I expected and the muggy day was now becoming overcast and it looked like possible showers but I continued on.  Finally I arrived at Fitzroy Gardens and took one of the pathways into the gardens and found myself by Cook's Cottage (also known as Captain Cook's Cottage).  This cottage was constructed in 1755 in the English village of Great Ayton in North Yorkshire by Captain James Cook's parents and in 1933 was sold to the highest bidder which was Russell Grimwade of Australia who, in turn, donated the cottage to the people of Victoria.  The cottage was taken apart brick by brick and shipped to Melbourne where it was reconstructed at what is now Fitzroy Gardens and has been a popular tourist attraction since then.

From Cook's Cottage I headed to the heart of the gardens as I saw that there was a cafe located there and it was past time that I had a bite to eat.  I ordered a sandwich and as it was still nice enough though overcast and threatening I went out onto the patio area and upon looking around saw a corner of a table that might be available and asked the gal sitting on the other end if she minded my sitting there.  Much to my surprise (and delight) she invited me to join her while she had her lunch. I noticed she had a Nikon digital camera on the table as I set my Canon Rebel near hers and in no time at all we were talking photography and places we had been, where we were from and everything in between. 

Rohani was from Malaysia and was just finishing up a working holiday and had, like me, decided to go to the gardens for the day.  We talked for quite a while and had just finished our lunch and the heavens decided to open up and we found ourselves in a downpour.  Fortunately we were able to position ourselves under several umbrellas and stayed put while most everyone else around us scrambled for indoors.

It turned out to be quite a pleasant afternoon despite the rains sitting out under the umbrellas chatting with a complete stranger about each of our travels in Australia and photography.  Rohani had been having problems getting clear pictures with her camera and it really was a simple fix as she wasn't allowing the camera to finish focusing before she took the picture. 

We must have looked quite silly each with our cameras in hand focusing on plant leaves and rain droplets and even her latte' that had a wonderful design on it and comparing our pictures.  I am not a guru with cameras by any means and if you start talking technical with me my eyes will glaze over...I just am not technical...I just take what I see and how I see it and let the camera do the work for me but Rohani made me laugh with her excitement at finally getting clearly focused pictures with her camera with just a simple adjustment.

We sat there probably a good three hours as the rains continued until they had dwindled to a drizzle.  In one of my smart moments I had put one of those flimsy rain ponchos in my backpack so I wasn't going to get too wet and also had a plastic bag I gave to Rohani to cover her camera and we bid farewell.

I was soon going to be very glad that I had a rain poncho on as the rains started to increase from the drizzle to a gentle, soft rain as I struggled to find my way back to Flinders Square.  It probably took me a good hour to finally find my way back to Flinders Street in what should have been a 15 or 20 minute walk but I had a guardian angel of sorts watching over me as I kept running into the same gal I had asked directions from initially...I actually think she was just keeping an eye on me to see that I found my way and finally I was to the station.

To say my internal compass was all messed up in Australia would be an understatement and my inability at reading any type of map while there it was really quite amazing that I never found myself wandering into the outback.  If I had been there longer that just might have happened but this day was probably the most mixed up I had gotten.  Even so I was still able to find my way back to Natalie's after a fashion.  Of course...days earlier I had managed to get turned around heading back to her place but come to think of it I never did tell her about that time..shhhhh!!  Anyways...

Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!

If you would like to see what few pictures of Fitzroy Garden I took here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow

Miss Flora MacDonald & Elvis

Our stay in Ballarat seemed to pass in a blink of an eye as most days had since my arrival in Australia and we found ourselves heading back to Melbourne via a few side stops...that being Lavandula, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs.

Back in the 1850s both Italy and Switzerland were having tough times with bad weather causing crop failures and food shortages and also political and social unrest...then came the news of gold being found in California and Victoria...and the rest is history as we would say in the U.S. 

Lavandula barn

Lavandula is a Swiss Italian farm located just north of Daylesford first settled in the 1860s by Aquilino Tinetti.  He and his wife Maria Capriroli raised 13 children on this farm and for four generations the Tinetti family ran a dairy farm here.  Twenty or so years ago Carol White bought the property, restored the buildings in the Swiss Italian integrity and Lavandula was 'born'.

Walking up from the parking lot to the barn you can look out over part of the manicured grounds that resemble a European garden in all it's beauty.  As we came out from the barn we were gleefully greeted by none other than Flora MacDonald who was ready to accompany us as we strolled down to the gardens.

Some of the manicured gardens
at Lavandula

I imagine Flora greeted all of her visitors with the same gusto but I personally would like to think that we were being honored by her presence as we walked down the gently sloping hill to the gardens.  You see...Flora was the resident Cairn Terrier and I got a kick out of her having to 'show us around.'  She strolled throughout the gardens going in and out of the shrubbery until she found something that was far more interesting than us and headed off on her own leaving us to wander down by the pond where the resident geese were.

There wasn't much lavender left standing as it was already the start of autumn and you could see some red beginning to show in the leaves here and there on the trees and vines.  Even so it was peaceful to wander throughout the farm listening to the calm.  I could have spent the day there just because of the peace and quietness and would love to see Lavandula in the midst of summer or the high point of autumn and maybe some day I will but for now we had to continue on.

Stopping at Hepburn Springs is where I met Elvis.  No...not the 'King' but rather Elvis the schnoodle.  He was accompanying his mistress down to the springs where she said they came frequently so that he could get his fill of the favored mineral waters.  Quite like Flora MacDonald, Elvis had a great personality and I found myself starting to really miss Gertie my Jack Russell. 

We strolled along a couple of pathways before heading on to Daylesford where we walked up and down the main street wandering in and out of the many quaint little shops there and for a town of a little over 3,000 it was quite busy but it was also Australia's Labour Day weekend.  I don't think either of us was in a real shopping mood and after the quiet of Lavendula I was ready to move on and leave the crowds behind.  Ironically (which did not happen often on this trip) I was not in the mood to take photos so I've none to post of Daylesford.

On our way back to Melbourne we stopped to visit with Natalie's Uncle John and his family.  You knew it was going to be a fun visit when, as you are walking up to their house, we see her Uncle John blowing off the driveway and as he sees us he shuts the blower off and with great gestures yells at us to "piss off!" several times.  It seems we were a few hours earlier than they had expected.  Needless to say the afternoon was quite entertaining filled with much chat and a few drinks to boot!!  Too soon it was again time to say our goodbyes.

It was back to the Natalie's home now as most of our planned travels across Victoria were completed.  I was starting to get this little nagging feeling in the back of my mind now as reality was starting to sink in that I'd only a handful of days left of my great Australian adventure and I was not ready for it to come to an end but I needed to put those thoughts aside and enjoy what time I had left.

Until next time...wherever you are have a great day!!

If you would like to see more pictures of Lavandula here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:
Play slideshow
If you would like to see more pictures of the Lavandula geese here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow

A little note:  As I finish this blog today I realize it has been one month since I left Australia.  It doesn't seem like this could be real but time has a way of rushing by and looking out the window seeing the falling snow outside I am definitely ready for an encore visit...wonder if Natalie is?! 

Out & About in Ballarat

Black swan & her cygnets

What to do after Sovereign Hill?  We found ourselves back to Lake Wendouree as I so wanted to get some pics of the black swans...bless Natalie's heart for putting up with me on this.  I nonchalantly walked up towards a black swan with three cygnets and thought I wasn't being aggressive but when she started to 'flare' her feathers to look bigger and I could hear this soft hissing coming from her I knew I was pressing my luck. 

Growing up one of my uncles had a gander that would chase you and I surely did not want to revisit one of those terrifying scenes cause I knew I could not run like the wind to get away...at least as kids we thought we were running like the wind.  So...I backed off as she herded her three babies to the safety of Lake Wendouree.  Even so I was able to get some pics of her and her babies...have to laugh over the feather stuck on the top of her bill lending her a comical look for an unhappy mother!!

As the Ballarat Botanical Gardens were across from Lake Wendouree we again found ourselves strolling through the gardens and also going through their little gift shop.  Sadly they were still setting up the Pavilion for the weekend show so we again could not go inside.

The Avenue of Honour

One of the things that stuck out to me as I was traveling was the war memorials to those who have served in the military for Australia in the different wars starting with World War I.  Ballarat was no different.  There is a 14 mile long tree lined Avenue of Honour with each tree representing an individual from the Ballarat area who has served and I am forever humbled at any war memorial in Australia or here and probably would be elsewhere too as I well remember the deep turmoil in this country during the Vietnam era.  I was just a kid then but I did not understand then nor can I now when anyone discredits one's service and sacrifices to their country (whatever country that might be) and am deeply moved by memorials...as it should be in my opinion as it is not my intent for this blog to become political by any means. 

Before we knew it the day was coming to an end and there is much more to see in and around Ballarat than what we got to but we weren't going to be able to see everything...that would take far longer than the month's time I had.  

Until next time...wherever you are have a great day!! 

If you would like to see more pictures of the Black Swans here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow
If you would like to see more pictures of the Avenue of Honour here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow
If you would like to see more pictures of Strolling around Ballarat here is a link to that photo album on Picasa:  Play slideshow


A little side note here:  Rob...thanks for a pleasant chat today about your travels in Australia...funny what we find out when we just strike up a conversation with someone standing in line at the post office.  I am envious that you got to spend a year there...a month was way too short!!