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    • TravelerAustralia
      Day 78

      Canberra Tag 58

      February 7, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Freitag ist frei! 🎉
      Ich bin früh aufgestanden, damit mich die Mama mit in die Stadt nehmen konnte. Ich bin zusammen mit unseren neuen/ alten Aupair zusammen in die Stadt. Wir sind erstmal entspannt frühstücken gewesen, weil wir schon gegen 8 Uhr in der Stadt waren. Es gab Pancakes mit whipped cream und a gebratenen Äpfeln, es war super lecker :)
      Danach hatten die Geschäfte auch schon geöffnet und wir waren ein wenig shoppen. Ich könnte mich immernoch tot shoppen hier. Die Klamotten sind eifnach mega! Habe mir aber nur nen Rock gekauft, der sieht auch echt süß aus 😁 gegen 12:30 haben wir und dann noch mit nem Anderen Aupair getroffen. Wir sind dann im Dumpling house was essen gewesen und haben uns unterhalten :). Gegen 14:30 sind wir zurück nach Hause, weil der Klempner zu uns kommen sollte, weil unser Klo kaputt war 😅. Dann haben wir gemeinsam auf den Klempner gewartet und Dan habe ich mich auch fertig gemacht. Abends habe ich mich mit nem Kumpel getroffen. Wir haben zusammen was gekocht und gechillt.
      Im Großen und Ganzen hatte ich einen super schönen freien Tag :)

      Friday is my day off! 🎉
      I got up early so mom could take me into town. I went to the city together with our new/old aupair. We had a relaxed breakfast, because we were already in town at 8 o'clock. We had pancakes with whipped cream and roasted apples, it was really delicious :)
      Afterwards the shops were open and we went shopping. I could still shop myself to death here. The clothes are amazing! But I only bought a skirt, it looks really cute too 😁 at 12:30 we met with another aupair. Then we went to the Dumpling house to eat something and talked :). Around 14:30 we went back home because the plumber should come to us because our toilet was broken 😅. Then we waited together for the plumber and after that I got ready too. In the evening I met with a buddy. Together we cooked something and chilled.
      All in all I had a really nice day off :)      Read more

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    • TravelerAustralia
      Day 123

      Trip with parents Tag 7

      March 23, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Heute haben wir uns nach dem Frühstück fertig gemacht und sind in die Stadt. Wir haben noch ein paar Sachen eingekauft und ich habe meinen Eltern noch ein bisschen Canberras Innenstadt gezeigt. Am Abend hatten wir uns mit meinem Kumpel verabredet. Da Australien jetzt auch immer mehr Regeln wegen des Virusses aufstellt. Sind hier nun auch alles Cafés, Bars, Restaurants und sowas geschlossen. Daher konnten wir heute abend nicht mit ihm zusammen essen gehen. Es gibt nur noch Take away. Daher haben wir uns Pide als Take away geholt und sind mit ihm zu seinem Kumpel in das Appartment gefahren und haben dort gegessen und gechillt. Es war ein super witziger Abend. :)Read more

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    • TravelerAustralia
      1
      Day 23–25

      Sydney to Canberra 280km

      November 25, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

      M4rk

      We hit the road early and head off to Canberra, about 1/4 the way to Melbourne from Sydney. Strictly speaking it’s not a direct route to Canberra, we have to divert there rather than just happen to pass through. There are two attractions for us there; the Australian War Museum and the Questicon - a sort of interactive science museum for kids.

      On the way west out of Sydney we stop at the Australian Botanic Garden which is home to a seed vault, protecting and storing a vast range of seed stocks to ensure continuing biodiversity in the face of climate change, and unexpected cataclysms. We walk around saying “Lou1s would love this” as we poke around the building which is an architectural marvel.

      The beware of snakes signs in the kids playground are slightly off-putting but a chat to a nearby ranger tells us that the snakes are more inclined to keep to the bush than the swings and slides. Lorikeets who are clearly accustomed to hand-outs come close allowing for some great photos of their beautiful plumage.

      We stay in a cabin at a campground about 15km outside Canberra (actually back in New South Wales) with a very “local” pub close by for meals. The kids check out the pool which is apparently freezing. We’ve noticed that the further south we go, the campgrounds seem to be home to more permanent residents which gives them a different vibe compared to those in the outback.

      Day 1 in Canberra starts with the requisite search for coffee and we find a strange Japanese style breakfast cafe with outdoor tables.
      M0ses and I are dropped off at the Australian War Museum. While entry is free, the numbers admitted are controlled so we had to book a time slot for entry a week or so in advance. It’s an amazing museum with the World War One exhibits in particular capturing my interest. There is a lot of original contemporary artwork alongside the displays, which are just a small fraction of the museum’s collection.
      We also tour the outdoor sculptures up and down Anzac Parade which commemorate various conflicts in the last 150 years.
      M0ses says he’s not that keen on war museums, he’s less interested in what happened in the wars, and more interested in how things were made back in those days.

      Lunch is on the lakeside in a hot wind, and we head to Questicon in the afternoon which turns out to be a huge hit with the kids. It’s a lego meets science meets playground kind of place with several levels of differently themed hands-on play based learning. Franc1e dons an overlarge jumpsuit in one exhibit and dangles by her hands then lets go in a free-fall simulator. It shoots her down a curved slide - to paraphrase Owen Meany, it gives me the shivers just watching it.
      We stay until the place closes. The kids don’t want to leave and are upset that the place has to shut for the day.      Read more

    • Adventuring Down Under
      Day 88

      Canberra: AWM … Lone Pine Tree

      March 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

      Lone Pine — on Turkey’s Gelibolu Peninsula … site of the Gallipoli Campaign of WWI — is where the ANZAC and Turkish soldiers fought one of the battles of the campaign. It was so named due to the single pine tree that stood at the site.

      The story goes that an Australian soldier, whose brother had died in the Lone Pine Battle, found a pine cone in the tree branches the Turkish soldiers had used to cover their trenches. He sent the cone to his mother, who planted the seeds from it in the ground at their home. Two saplings grew from the planting … one was sent to New South Wales and the other was planted by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

      The tree remains where it was planted, though it did suffer some damage during a strong storm in 2008. The tree is apparently coming near the end of its natural life span. So, on ANZAC Day 2014, Prince William and Kate — then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — planted another sapling propagated from seeds gathered after the Battle of Lone Pine. Thus, the tradition continues.

      Both of the trees are in what is called the Sculpture Precinct … adjacent to the AWM. So, after our visit to the Hall of Memory, we headed over there to take a look at them.

      By the way, there are a number of these trees around Australia … propagated in the same manner.

      (If interested, this link will take you to the photo gallery from my 2008 visit to the sites of the Gallipoli Campaign. You’ll recognize the ones from Lone Pine from the single tree in the cemetery that now sits on those hallowed grounds … https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Europe/Turkey-2008/G….)      Read more

    • Adventuring Down Under
      Day 88

      Canberra: ANZAC Pde & Atatürk Memorial

      March 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

      The ANZAC Parade is set along Canberra’s Land Axis … part of the original 1912 plan for the city. At one end stands the Australian War Memorial. At the other end is Parliament House.

      Any other time, we would have walked down one side of the 1.5 mile-long boulevard and up the other side to check out all the memorials that line it. But time wasn’t our friend today. We had doctor’s appointments for the crud we picked up on the train.

      But before we hopped in an Uber to return to Kingston, we made time to visit the one memorial that held the most significance to us … the Kemal Atatürk Memorial. It sits at the top of the ANZAC Parade closest to the Australian War Memorial. The brochure explains that “… it is part of an agreement between Australian and Turkish governments on commemorative gestures to acknowledge the 70th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.”

      The memorial is the only one on the ANZAC Parade dedicated to an individual … showing the respect in which Atatürk, commander of the Turkish Forces during the campaign and later the first president of the fledgling country, is held. At the center, is soil from Gallipoli; around the memorial are pines grown from seeds collected at Lone Pine. The crescent shape of the memorial and the five columns represent the crescent and five-pointed star on the Turkish flag.

      Of course, Atatürk’s “Letters to the Mothers” holds pride of place here … as it does in every such memorial we’ve seen in Australia. And in New Zealand, for that matter.

      An appropriate end to our day at the Australian War Memorial.      Read more

    • Adventuring Down Under
      Day 90

      Canberra: Last Post

      March 10, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

      Last Post … in the military tradition.

      The Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day's activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest.

      When we learned that the daily closing of the Australian War Memorial is preceded by a Last Post, we decided to return this afternoon to participate.

      The ceremony is held in the enclosed courtyard overlooked by the Hall of Memory and the Roll of Honor loggias. This area is known as the Commemorative Area. Each ceremony honors the life and service of a member of the military who has died in service of Country. Family members are invited to attend and lay wreaths. The public is also welcome to attend … spots reserved through the War Memorial ticket office.

      The ceremony includes the playing of the Australian National Anthem; the reading of the life of the honoree; and the sounding of the Last Post. Today’s honoree was a World War I soldier who served in the European Theater of War.

      Very moving ceremony. Glad we were able to participate as a wrap up to our time in Canberra.      Read more

    • Adventuring Down Under
      Day 88

      Canberra: AWM … Hall of Memory

      March 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

      From the museum, we continued to the heart of the Australian War Memorial … the Hall of Memory.

      To reach the hall, one must walk through the Commemorative Area with its reflection pool and eternal flame, and the roll of honor on either side … decorated with poppies.

      The hall is where one finds the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier. All of the decorative elements are symbolic in one way or another — the 15 stained glass windows depict servicemen and servicewomen from WWI … each representing a quality such as devotion, candor, sacrifice, and more; mosaics of servicemen and servicewomen of WWII … representing a soldier, a nurse, a sailor, and an airman; pillars representing the four elements … air, fire, earth, and water. The dome — Byzantine in style — is the most recognizable aspect of the AWM.

      As we’ve found in other state memorials, it is a place of solitude and reflection.      Read more

    • Adventuring Down Under
      Day 88

      Canberra: Australian War Memorial

      March 8, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

      Each state capital we have visited in Australia has a war memorial. Each town has a “Lest We Forget” monument. Canberra — as the capital of Australia — is home to the Australian War Memorial (AWM).

      After a day of resting to jump start our recuperation from whatever bug we had picked up while on the IP, today we headed off to start our Canberra sightseeing at the AWM. (Feeling much better … thank you very much.)

      Established in 1925, the idea for the AWM germinated soon after WWI … to honor service members who served and died in WWI. It was unveiled to the public in 1941. The scope has since been expanded to include not only WWII, but other conflicts in which Australians have served.

      Admission is free, but requires a timed entry — two hour slots. That was nowhere near enough for us as by the end of two hours we had only covered the WWI exhibits in the museum. No worries, a quick visit to the ticket office extended our time another two hours.

      The stories of the Australian men and women who served in military conflicts is told through exhibits, artifacts, and art. There was so much to see and digest. Not to mention share. Not enough time or space to do so in this footprint. So, this one is focused on the art from the museum galleries of the AWM.      Read more

    • TravelerThis side of things
      Day 227

      War Memorial

      May 9, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      The Canberra War Memorial is a testament to this countries fallen.

      In england we commemorate our fallen soldiers but the focus is on WW1/2. In Australia they focus on all soldiers in all wars.

      I thought at first that 2hrs in the memorial would be an insanely long time. How wrong I was. The main areas are dedicated to the world wars. The centre for all the recipients of the Victoria Cross, then WW1 on the right and WW2 on the left. The Korean, Vietnaman and Malay wars are also highlighted behind these main exhibits.

      Now, I think I know a fair amount about the world wars. I studied WW1 from a literary view point and WW2 from a political and German view point. But I was astonished how little I knew about Australias aid. I knew that the Japanese sided with the Germans, but I knew nothing more. The amount of blood shed around Asia between the Japanese and Australians is astonishing. I was reading about WW2 and the war on this side of the world and I was floored. If I'm being honest, I thought of the wars as a very European central affair. Of course they were, but I had no clue who much I didnt know.

      I could have spent many more hours here just looking through everything. But it was late in the day when I arrived and I the memorial oses at 4pm unless you stay for the old post.

      The old post is a commemoration done every evening. Both civilians and military personal come down and lay a wreath at the base of the reflecting pond to remeber someone. Around the pond is the names of every Australian soldier who died in a war since the start of WW1.

      At the end of the memorial is the tomb of the unknown solider. Outside the tomb is a plaque with their eulogy printed. Members of the public can purchase a poppy by donating to the memorial and can place that poppy anywhere within the memorial. The gaps between the plaques on the walls are full of these poppies, lighting up the black metal and creating a starting contrast.

      Along the parade between the memorial and the lake is a collection of statues for each war or group. I did not get a photo of every one, but they were beautiful.

      I do not think I will return to Canberra as there is little else to do beyond what I have done today but I would return simply to visit the memorial again. I only got to do less than half of it so would happily go back to do more.      Read more

    • TravelerKen And Joy's Big Adventure
      Day 79

      Sat 25 Feb. Canberra

      February 21, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

      We really enjoyed our few days in Canberra. A lovely city with lots of green spaces and no high rise buildings. It has a really nice atmosphere not to mention a great brewpub.

      https://www.bentspokebrewing.com.au

      Thursday was a beautiful morning so we went to the Arboretum. Some super views and a nice spot for lunch by the lake.

      Friday the rain arrived for a while so we went to the Australian War Memorial.

      Today we had a lovely walk round the lake apart from the bloody cyclists trying to take us down 🚴🚴      Read more

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