New Zealand, Australia and (newly changed to) England Trip Journal - 2004
Judy Dominic
|
Here are pictures from the trip as promised. Enjoy!
16 Dec. 04:
One last message now that all the pictures are up:
I experienced sooooo much - sights, sounds, tastes, smells, textures. Too hard to condense it all in an electronic format. And tons of little stories to tell about people and places that didn't make it into this journal. Someday, sit down with me and we'll talk!
And, if you find yourself going to New Zealand, Australia or Oxford, let me know and I'd be glad to give some recommendations.
That's it for now!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
28 Nov. 04:
Coming to you from HOME! Landed last night about 7:30pm EST.
T'day dinner was a grand success. The turkey and dressing were perfect, as were the apple/pumpkin/pecan pies that Eli made, the smashed potatos that Tom made, and the brussel sprouts and parsnips that Sam made. At dinner we had 4 Americans, 3 Australians, 2 Brits and 1 Scotlander. Pumpkin pie was new to most of them - and thoroughly enjoyed, as was the whole meal.
On Friday Tom and I did a bit of wandering around Oxford, winding up in a book store for a nice long chat. We then had dinner downtown at a French restaurant and invited our house hosts along. Topped off the evening with a visit to the Eagle and Child pub - the one where Tolkein and other famous writers use to meet for a pint.
Up before dawn on Saturday to head out and catch the bus to Heathrow for the flight home. Uneventful - the best kind of flight - with an hour or so delay in Chicago due to bad weather. At least my flight happened - others got cancelled. I've never seen O'Hare Airport so empty - hardly any line for customs and lots of empty spaces in the terminals. I understand that picture changed drastically today!
It was sooooo good to be in my own bed after almost 3 months! And the house looks so warmly familiar. Came home to some fun little things that Jack did around the house (little green and orange frogs in the bathroom and a toy parrot perching on high for starters!).
Laundry is finished. The piles of mail have been greatly reduced. I'm rediscovering the treasures that I sent home earlier. Will have to spend some time in the next couple days and get some pictures up on this site. Jumping back into life with both feet.
Hope you've enjoyed my travels - I sure did!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
25 Nov. 04:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Kinda strange to be spending it somewhere else besides at home or at a relative's house. The turkey is cooking and the extra dressing is waiting its turn. Tom and I head to some friends' flat for a T'day feast this evening. Will have to put the bird in a cab to get it there - bikes won't work too easily! Tom had ordered a 14 lb turkey from the butcher next door to the bike shop - it came without the little package of neck/gizzard/liver/heart and with lots of little feathers still on, especially around the tail and wings. Think I got the most of them off.
It is wonderfully warm and sunny today although clouds are beginning to form. Very foggy this morning. Some plant next door is blooming like mad - looks a bit like a forsythia.
Had lunch in town with Tom's Case Western friend, Paul, who can't make it to dinner tonight. Finished reknitting a scarf for Tom and replaced some buttons and loops on a winter jacket he had. Just about time to sit down with a book, or maybe some more knitting.... Enjoy your day!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
24 Nov. 04:
Back from London. Took the Oxford Tube (bus) in on Monday, dropped off our backpacks in a small hotel opposite the Kensington Gardens and Palace and immediately went downtown. Saw Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Westminster Abbey, Parliment, walked across the Waterloo Bridge, rode the London Eye (giant sloooooow ferris wheel type thing that gives a great view of the city) and took in a performance at the National Trust something or other on the South Bank. Lots of walking and my knee was getting royally bummed.
Tuesday we hopped the buses again and started out at Green Park in front of Buckingham Palace - in time to watch the whole parade of pomp associated with the Queen opening a session of Parliment - coaches and horses and uniforms and dignitaries and foot soldiers, etc. One coach seemed to have the crown on a platform in the center of the coach guarded by four men. The queen followed in a separate coach about a half hour later. Great spectacle - and lots of security in the form of police and firearms. From there we visited the Tower of London and toured the Crown Jewels Tower and White Tower with all the armory stuff, etc. Didn't get into the Torture Tower - too many school kids milling about. Amazing to see brick work from the Romans still standing! Ended the day at the Tate Modern and an Italian dinner back in Leicester Square
This morning we did a bit of a breakfast picnic in Hyde Park, just down the street from our hotel, and then hopped the Oxford Tube back to Oxford. Picked up the turkey for tomorrow and Tom went shopping for all the other ingredients: we are bringing the turkey and dressing and kolachi (I know that part isn't traditional T'day, but that's what we are doing!) Great to get back to a place with actual water running out of the shower head! The hotel was fine and actually had a toilet, sink and shower in the room - it just didn't have enough water coming out of the shower head, and warm water, to make taking a shower anything pleasant.
Monday started off sunny and cool - Tuesday was cloudy but warmer with just a bit of mist in the air - today is warmer still, but still very grey.
Now off to do some motherly stuff (sewing) for Tom.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
20 Nov. 04:
Hailing from chilly Oxford, England! Still a bit travel weary....
On Tuesday, 16 November we visited the Native Gardens in Margate west of Hobart. Quite lovely with lots of the wildflowers in bloom. Very interesting place on the cliff overlooking a river (forget which one at the present!) - there was a bit of river bottoms that was also being developed by the native garden people and the water birds (coots, oyster catchers, egrets, etc.) were taking full advantage of the place. From there we headed towards Huonville to experience the Tahune Air Walk - a tall metal walkway high above the forest floor that gave a wonderful view of the area, especially of the confluence of the Picton and Huon Rivers. A bit scary as it did wobble and swing a bit, but apparently strong enough to hold 25 elephants. The forest tracks were lovely, too, with huge tree ferns (man ferns) and other wonderful rainforest-type foilage. Coming home late, we stopped for a lovely dinner at a Chinese restaurant and then had the good fortune to see a baby Tasmanian devil on the side of the road. Had the not-so-good fortune to take pictures of it with the lens cap still on the camera!
The next day was a bit warmer and mostly sunny so we took full advantage and drove east to Eaglehawk Neck which links the Tasman Penninsula to the main island. Picked up Lynn, a friend of Di and Chris's, for a picnic lunch (which we had in her kitchen!) and a liesurely walk on the track from Waterfall Bay to Pirates Bay seeing the Devil's Kitchen, Tasman Arch and Blow Hole and other great geographical features of the coastline. An eye-catching Blue Fairy Wren kept flitting into view; also was pleased to see two rare Black Cockatoos. Ice cream with fresh berries was our reward after the hike. Before leaving the area we checked out the Tessalated Pavement at the beach - a geological wonder: silt that had hardened and cracked over the centuries to produce a marvelous gridwork/patterns that looked drawn with a ruler. And the water life around these structures was amazing, too! One area looked like a nursery for starfish; the anemones looked like big blobs of grape jelly when they were all closed up. Finished the day with fresh scallops for dinner - and packing.
Up way too early on Friday to catch the 6:30am flight out of Hobart for Brisbane with a fond farewell to Di and Chris. Hung around the Brisbane International Airport for about 8 hours before flying to Bangkok for a plane change and then on to London. Stayed awake on the first leg of the trip, had two dinners during the flight, and then promptly fell asleep (skipping another dinner) on the London flight - think I got in about 9 hours of sleep so I felt sort of human by the time I arrived at Heathrow at 6:20am (Friday).
Tom was waiting for me and we hurried off on the bus to Oxford. Brisbane had been hot and humid - Oxford was chilly and mostly sunny (they had just had rain all day Thursday and were quite glad that I brought the sun!). Grabbed bits of breakfast and lunch at a couple different cafes while walking around town. Enjoyed the 360 degree view from the top of the St. Mary's tower. Had a quick tour of one of the museums that Tom's friend, Sam, works at. Scheduled an impromptu dinner party with several friends (Sam and her roommate Lucy plus Eli and house-host Dom). A hot shower felt wonderful, but by evening I was nodding. The house was chilly (very poor insulation in houses here) so the doona (comforter) felt good.
Slept about 14 hours! Up in time for Tom to come home from a bike ride in the snow and sleet. Had a bit of breakfast at the house and then we headed back to town (Tom is living in a house with owners Dom and Nicki on the southeast side of Oxford) by midafternoon for a bit more walking around, some reading time and hot chocolate/tea at the bookstore and a tad of grocery shopping at the local coop. Nothing much on television and my reserve of sleep seems to be disappearing. Booked a room in London - Tom and I will head there on Monday and do some sightseeing for a couple days. Got plans for turkey and dressing with friends on Thursday!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
15 Nov. 04:
Hey, there - I’m back online! Soooooo much to tell… will try to condense…
Started off with Jack on 26 Oct and flew to Cairns where we had a rental car waiting. I got behind the wheel first as we figured I had more road experience than Jack at that point. Didn’t do too badly – only got confused once as to which side to be on. Found the signs for the Riverhome Cottages as dusk was setting in and finished the journey on a dirt road very similar to what I grew up on! We were given the Lover’s Nest cottage and had the place to ourselves as the other two cottages were empty. Overlooking a rolling pastureland bordered by the Daintree River with the coastal mountains (Mt. Alexander the highest) right behind that. The rainforest crept n behind the cottage – really a GREAT place to relax. Our hosts, Barney and Kathy, were very typically Australian in their hospitality – opened their verandah to us with homebrewed beer and wine and the company of their various dogs and cats.
We stayed at Riverhome Cottages for 5 nights venturing out on several days to see the sights: Mossman Gorge, Cape Tribulation and surrounds, Port Douglas – and all the beaches and parks around! Spent one day on the ocean waters at the far edge of the Great Barrier Reef – used a diving helmet to see the fish and the submersible boats to see the coral – quite breathtaking! The weather was perfect – warm to hot with very little humidity and no mosquitoes. Had a private guided tour of the waterfall behind the cottages, the platypus spot in the creek, the personal creek log of a particularly large Eastern Water Dragon and endless “conversations” with the cattle and birds all around. Laughing kookaburras visited outside our private verandah most every morning and the sand brush curlews did their startling screaming bit during the night. Not enough to keep us awake, though.
Jack took over most of the driving when we headed towards the tablelands – an area west of the coast and within the Great Dividing Range of mountains – sort of a high plateau area that has very fertile land for farming and remains of volcanic activity. Had lodging reserved for four nights at Fur ‘n Feathers, a rainforest preserve area just outside the little burg of Tarzoli (which is between Malanda and Mareeba for those following on a map). While there we toured Lake Barrine and Lake Eacham (both volcanic and sporting all sorts of wildlife – we missed seeing the python), saw the windmill farm with 20 huge monsters on the ridge of the hills, did the waterfall circuit (Milaa Falls, Zillie Falls, Ellinjaa Falls and Millstream Falls (widest falls in Australia), drove through the Misty Mountains to Ravenshoe (the highest city in Queensland) and had a great dinner at Tony’s Swiss-Italian restaurant seemingly in the middle of nowhere (actually in the little town of Yungaburra).
Most of what we did in Tarzoli was enjoy the rainforest – it actually felt like what we thought a rainforest might be like – a bit damp and humid. Actually, it was quite pleasant and still no mosquitoes. We were in a large A-frame 2-story cabin up on stilts so we were really in the trees. From that vantage point we were part of the birds’ flights paths and could easily see: the brush turkeys fighting over turf on the ground, the bandicoot scurrying around at night, the juvenile cassowary that walked through our area, the tree kangaroo as it made its way from a nearby brown beech tree on a search for another suitable tree. We were also very much a part of the daily feeding of the bird population: king parrots eating out of my hand, McKaey’s honeyeaters slurping up the overripe bananas, green catbirds sounding ugly, emerald doves posturing on the bird feeder and others I couldn’t recognize. Nightly visits by the local possum population were fun – a mama possum waddled in one night with just the tail of her baby sticking out of the pouch. The river flowing past our verandah was crowded with turtles all looking for a handout – and supposedly platypuses but we didn’t catch sight of them there. Saw some platypus swimming in a local small lake, but no close-up views.
We thought we’d head to the Gulf of Carpenteria for Jack to see a bit of different countryside in the gulf savannah area, but as the main road went from a two lane highway with wide shoulders to a narrow two lanes, to one strip of bitumen down the middle with wide shoulders of gravel road and no promise of it getting better – with trucks barrelling through regardless of the road surface – Jack decided that the scenery that he had already seen was just fine, thank you very much, and we headed back towards the coast. Barney and Kathy had a space available for us for the next 5 nights so we were set!
Back at our personal Lover’s Nest cabin we spent the time reading (both of us got hooked on the Dan Brown novels), walking the hills, watching the wildlife, driving to Mossman for groceries, visiting Cape Tribulation (crossing the ferry and driving on the coastal mountain roads is an adventure in itself!), visiting with Barney and Kathy and learning about the local culture (did you know that Australian pubs with a liquor license HAVE to stay open till midnight!), riding with Barney in his 4-W drive truck on the local “roads” – in general just having a great time of doing nothing much in particular but relaxing. The little green frogs that seemed to love the bathroom became customary and the cattle’s anxious mooing for their daily feed of molasses was anticipated. The stars at night were brilliant (the moon had been full on our first stay and THAT was brilliant!) and filled the sky.
Left the idyllic life on the 11th and flew to Brisbane. Had a flight delay in Cairns due to storms in Brisbane and sat on the tarmac in Brisbane waiting for the lightening and rain to decrease enough to get the baggage – and people – off the plane. Found a nearby place to stay, hopped a cab (actually a long line of folks waiting in the taxi line so there was no “hopping” to be done) and enjoyed dinner in the motel’s tiny restaurant. Wednesday we took the train into the city centre and explored Brisbane – churches, parks, museums, streetwide walking mall. Walked across the bridge to check out the South Side (I had visited earlier and wanted Jack to see it). Headed back to the motel via the CityCat – catamaran “ferry” on the river – and had a pleasant walk from the riverbank to the horse tracks close to the motel. Then, I repacked to send a bag home with Jack.
Sent Jack on his way home – actually he sent me off to Tasmania as he left after I did – and flew back to Tas. Staying again with Di and Chris in Connelly’s Marsh outside Dunalley. Had a chance to do some cooking while Di and Chris went to their Spanish class. Taught a Soft Sculpture class on Friday, the 12th – good bunch of ladies who did some fun work. Saturday evening was dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Sandy Cove, a suburb of Hobart, and then the 3rd annual Fibre Fantasia fashion show.
Sunday, 14th saw a bunch of local artists showing up at the house for the start of a photographic project for next year’s centennial of the Dunalley canal. Fun bunch as everyone brought dishes to share and bar-b-q. To top off the day, a family of three tawney frogmouths (owl-like birds but with HUGE mouths and short beaks) sat right outside the verandah pretending we couldn’t see them and an echidna snuffled through looking for ants. Di and I walked the beach and fossicked sea urchin shells – some with spines still attached. A lovely sunset over the water, too.
Today is a mostly at-home day while Di gets an exhibit piece ready for shipping and I’m catching up on my log. There is a northerly wind blustering through, too, that rapidly changes the weather – so far we’ve had sun, dark storm clouds, hail, and back again. Off to have a bit of lunch, now that we’ve had breakkie and morning tea!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
25 Oct. 04:
Obviiously no pictures got posted yet! Rather frustrating - still can't get my files to talk with anyone elses to be able to resize them for the web. So..... pics when I get home!
ITMT, I've rested, read, emailed, ate and got ready for Jack! He arrived in Brisbane early this morning - met him at the airport looking a little bleary-eyed (both of us!). A quiet day here as I try to let him adjust to the time. Will probably fall into bed shortly after dinner tonight - and then off again tomorrow for the big adventure together.
Will be heading back to Cairns, staying at the Riverhome Cottages in Daintree. Will fill you in later as it sounds exquisite. Can't wait to do nothing but relax! May not get anything posted for awhile, but don't give up on us. Will have plenty to tell....
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
22 Oct. 04:
The frangi panni flowers are lovely! The evergreen variety has a 5-petal white blossom with a deep yellow center. It also comes in pinks and purples - maybe more, but that is what I've seen so far - all with yellow centers. The non-white ones are not evergreen.
Did another radio interview early Wednesday morning, then was able to observe the town from the second floor balcony of the Gulf of Carpentaria Shire building. I think a shire is like one of our counties. The Norman River flows into the Gulf and the surrounding area is considered a savannah. The day started off cool. Found myself itching my feet, thinking I had mosquito bites. Turns out it was sand flies and they don't actually bite - they pee on your skin which causes irritation which leads you to itch, breaking the skin and thus effectively getting the irritant to the inside of your body.
One of the moms from the play group (which was meeting at the center today) and two aborigine women (one an elder) showed up to have a go at mudcloth. The monthly bingo was schedule for this evening, so we did a bit of a display for folks to see. Aussie bingo is a bit different from the game I'm accustomed to - still fun. And I won one round!
Thursday was another relatively cool morning. Was available for mud work, just in case anyone came... Packed up and went to lunch with Aaron/Jenny/George in Karumba which is right on the Gulf. Tide was out and there seemed to be miles of sand. The pelicans were there and I was assured the crocs and sharks were also there. Great "burger" of fresh prawns! Got to see a large gathering of brolgas and the major cattle station in the area. Also, termite hills that are everywhere and huge!
Got a late afternoon flight from Normanton to Cairns where I was booked into the Acacia Court hotel on the promenade. Boy, their seafood bar is delish with prawns, muscles, lobster, calamari, etc.!!! Found myself watching the camp horror film "The Return of the Killer Tomatoes" - funny! Oh, got a bit of a fright when I flushed the toilet at the Normnaton airport - a big green frog was hiding up in the pipes and came down with the flush. Good sign of a healthy system, they say!
This morning I did a bit of sightseeing in Cairns including seeing the stained glass windows at St. Monica Church. Supposedly the largest themed stained glass window in the world, it fills both sides of the church with the story of creation. Then an afternoon flight back to Brisbane where I beat the rush-hour traffic and arrived at the doorstep of Janet and Peter to housesit before they left for the weekend.
Okay, gotta get ready for Jack's arrival on Monday morning early. Also hoping to catch up on some sleep, mabye soak in the tub, do a bit of laundry, read through Janet's library, go into town, maybe get some pictures posted....
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
19 Oct. 04:
It's HOT and HUMID in Normanton. They are just on the fringe of starting their rainy season and the humidity is building up. Had a bit of rain last night with two small showers that refreshed the area - much more is needed and expected. Let me back up a bit and tell you about Brisbane and Aramac first.
After flying back to Brisbane after the day off in Gladstone, I spent a good portion of the day exploring the city. Found the United Airways office to finalize my travel change from Nepal to London. Also found the Flying Arts offices and met the lovely folks behind the scenes. Hopped aboard the City Cat (catamaran "bus") and saw a bit of the riverfront - there is a big bend in the river as it goes around Brisbane's downtown - and wound up on the south shore milling around with other tourists as the weekend marketplace folks started to set up. The south shore once housed the World Expo (in the 80s I think) and now is a most glorious haven for kids of all ages - cafes, swimming areas, rainforest walk, peace building from Nepal, artwork, and the neatest steel archway over the boardwalk that is covered with flowers - can't think of the name right now. A short walk through a hopping street mall area (complete with musicians) and a bus trip back to the hotel to get ready for the next morning's early flight.
Up at 4:30am to get the taxi to the airport in time for a 6:10 flight to Barcaldine (pronounced bar CALL din). Noticed a number of bush fires on the flight up. The flight landed at a lonely little building out in what looked to be the middle of nowhere. Lesley picked me up in her flatbed truck and we surveyed the falt countryside as we drove to Aramac. One roo hopped by in the heat; lots of roos and wallabies were laying very still and flat on the side of the road. We headed straight for the community center for the workshop. A low shed sort of building, it had tons of roo droppings all around - the animals are coming into town more looking for water.
The Aramac motel was booked solid - all 3 rooms. Aramac has a population of 250, and Lesley gave me a quick tour on the way to her house for dinner. In case I haven't mentioned this, most homes are built on stilts (referred to as stubs) to keep the house cool. Very few have air conditioning; all have fans and lots of windows to catch whatever breezes may blow. Having trees close to the house is a good idea, too.
The second day of workshop went off smoothly with everyone pleased with the colors they had. Some great browns and reds, in particular. Tracy has a series of "dirt shirts" in the works that are looking quite nice. Then off down the road with Chris and her husband Marshall to catch the plane in Longreach. Marshall expertly dodged the ruts and holes in the dirt and bitumen roads. Passed many an entrance to a cattle or sheep station - never saw the homes on their multi-thousand acrea plots. Then had a quick tour of Longreach, including a drive over the Thomas River - which insures that the visitor will return!
I did ask if Aramac was the outback (as everyone in town had suggested it was) and was told that no, not really as there are other folks who live farther out. Seems that outback is a state of mind rather than an actual place.
Back to Brisbane for a quick sleep and then off to Normanton via Cairns. A rain storm delayed the first flight but didn't cause any problems with my connection in Cairns. Flying over the Great Barrier Reef area just south of Cairns was lovely - aquamarine is truly descriptive of the sight from above.
The plane to Normanton was full - all 16 places taken - and the co-pilot did an excellent job of stewarding. Landed in a very flat area - the buildings of the town are the highest points around. Aaron showed me around a bit - the main drag of town, the Norman River which flows into the bay/ocean by the city of Karumba (and which has crocs and sharks and jellyfish in it), the vast flatlands that get flooded for 6 months of the year when it rains, The statue of "Krys" the longest croc on record, and the Purple Pub (behind which was my motel). Aaron's description of the pub was that it was "a bit dodgy - like something from the wild west". Turns out it has great food and is purple by the sheer chance that purple was the only color of paint available at the time it needed re-painting many years ago.
We had a family hunt for dirt last night - Aaron/Jenny and sons Harry and George plus Jerry/Liz and daughter Tamika (not sure of that name) and I walked out behind Jerry/Liz's home in search of ochers and blacks, etc. - got some good clumps of color for the class while avoiding the spinifax plants (sort of like grass clumps with sharp thorny spikes on them). Had a short walk this morning to take some pics of the birds in the area which include brolgas (huge grey birds sort of like herons) - caught sight of a couple of wallabies hopping in the distance. Doing some serious sweating by 8am. Clouds came through again this afternoon but no rain dropped. Jerry says that happens a lot, but the floods can still come if it rains elsewhere.
Dinner with Aaron/Jenny at the Purple Pub tonight and maybe a trip to Karumba tomorrow after the workshop. Staying inside this air-conditioned library as long as I can!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
14 Oct. 04:
Reporting in from Gladstone, Queensland, on the eastern coast of Australia. Lovely here! Temps are warm to hot but there is a constant breeze coming off the bay. The African tulip trees are in full bloom - and the birds are loving it! They've waken me every morning at 4:30 as they start their feasting on nectar - and it lasts all day until dusk when they quiet down. A noisy lot!
The flight up was uneventful but lovely as I was able to watch the coastline the whole way. Gladstone is a large aluminium processing area with a couple large plants and large ships coming in and out - a bustling place but still has a hometown feel to it. I'm staying in the center of town so everything is within walking distance - well, almost everything. The Botanical Gardens is out a ways as is the airport. The local Catholic elementary school is close-by and the kids wear their uniform sunhats when they come out to play.
The mudcloth workshop went well with everyone enjoying the mud play. Did another radio interview this morning for Aramac (next stop). Today is a free day, so I'll be exploring the town and spending some afternoon time with two indigenous women who are interested in soft twined basketry.
MBF folks, the watch is coming is VERY handy. I'm able to keep the hands on Cincinnati time so I know when I can call home, while the background time shows the local time - and I can change that to whatever time zone I'm in. Very cool. I've been able to chat with family while they are fixing dinner and I'm eating breakfast.
Off to explore Gladstone - I've already found the op shops here! Planning on dinner out with a fellow tutor (instructor) and need to scooe out the restaurants. Also need to find the grass tree in the center of town - supposed to be very old with a topknot of grass-like leaves, a trunk that doesn't look like regular bark and a long thin spike out the top that flowers.
Not sure of my next internet access - Aramac and Normanton are definitely in outback areas and not very populated. Will be in touch when I can.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
10 Oct. 04:
Two days of soft sculpture fun with the basketmakers of Victoria at their cottage in Wasttle Park. It always amazes me how different each person's work turns out - wild and crazy creations along with lovely controlled work! Thank you, gals, for being so open to possibilities! Your guild home is a perfect little spot, too, tucked into the greenery and flowers of the park.
The weather was a bit on the cool side yesterday, but bright and sunny all day today - and quite warm. Enjoyed a lazy evening last night watching the election returns with Pam.
Will be pushing off early tomorrow for Gladstone. Getting my warm weather togs ready!
>
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
7 Oct. 04: Just had two wonderful days exploring this little bit of Tasmania! Yesterday was bright and sunny. We headed first to Richmond to check out that quiet historical village, now filled with galleries and restaurants. After learning about the nature of banberries (currant type of berry nicely mixed with jam between two layers of philo dough and sugared on the top - yum!) we turned toward the Bonorong Wildlife Preserve. It was chock-full of kangaroos, wallabys, emus, bettongs, pandemelons, koalas, wedge-tailed eagles, Tasmanian devils, wombats, blue-tongued lizards and other wonderous critters. The roos and joeys (babies) were so cute- I had them eaitng out of my hand. It was amazing how the joeys fit into their mamas' pouches!
We took the coastal route on the way home and came across a bunch of surfers in one area of the bay - surf wasn't too big, but enough to get wet in. And cold! The sun was setting just then and it was all very beautiful.
This morning started out sunny so we headed quickly for the top of Mount Wellington. Good thing the sun was out 'cause it was WINDY and COLD at 1270 meters! (I think that this about 4,000 feet.) Almost got blown off the mountain! What a view, though, as the mountain rises above the city of Hobart - you can see all sorts of islands, peninsulas, necks, bays, harbors, bridges, a light house or two and a wonderful expanse of water. Hobart is on the south eastern side of the Tasmanian island with a myriad of land formations along the coast.
Back down in Hobart we did some exploring of galleries and picturesque/historic areas (Battery Park is the only name I remember at the moment!). Also checked out the Schoolhosue Gallery where I've set up to teach a soft twined sculpture class there on Nov. 12 - I'll be coming back to Tas before leaving Australia. They had an interesting exhibit of paper and book arts.
Accomplished some knitting, along with a bit of a nap, while Di and Chris went to their Spanish class - they are getting ready for their grandchild soon to be born in Spain. Finished the day at their home with pizza and a bit of pavlova - a light and airy dessert named after a ballerina (merangue, whipped cream, fresh fruit). Now to get packed up again - heading back to Melbourned in the morning.
Oh, finally got to see some of my digital pics - they are turning out pretty good so far. Just ran out of time to try to get them up on this site. I'll probably just do a big web album when I get home - hope you all don't mind waiting for the visuals!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
5 Oct. 04: Down in Tasmania at the moment. Flew down yesterday afternoon after a quiet (?) morning of repacking as I wanted to leave as much stuff with my Melbourne hostess as possible since I'll be coming back by the end of the week. As they say here: next stop, Antarctica!
Quite lovely - different scenery from NZ and the bit of mainland AU that I've seen so far (Victgoria). Tas has a wilder look to it. Tons of eucaliptus trees - very tall and very straight with large slabs of bark that gets shed regularly. Green rolling hillsides with lots of sheep just about ready for shearing - bunches of cute new lambs, too.
Di and Chris, my hosts, invited a few friends over to meet me last night (an excuse to hold a party!) and we had a great time - lots of artistic folks and environmentally conscious folks. In fact, probably everyone in Tas is environmentally conscious. Being such an isolated island, they have to be. They are also very politically aware of their country as well as the US.
Had a lazy morning, walking the beach - they live on the hillside by Connelly Bay (I think that is the correct name) - and visiting with a glass maker friend. Then off on a drive to the Wielangta Forest Drive close by for a walk in a relict rain forest. Along the way I saw my first wombat! A furry, short-tailed critter that thought he was hiding from us as he stuck his head in the bushes. Chris and Di were just as excited as they don't often see wombats. Wombats remind me of ground hogs in Ohio, only with a blacker fur and not so wily. The day was off and on rain and the dirt roads were showing great red and yellow colors of the hillside muds!
On the way home we stopped for some wine/cheese/crackers/carrot cake with found wood/shell artist Gaye. Great workshop space right on the water of the bay where she collects her materials. After a good time with her we found ourselves in a local hotel pub for a dinner of fresh flounder - yum! And then, coming home in the dark - the STARS!!! What a display between the clouds! Saw the Southern Cross. We heard there should be a meteor shower in the next couple days - can't wait!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
4 Oct. 04: Melbourned had a bit of rain during the night - which is a good thing. The temps have been pleasant - chilly to warm - regular spring temps. The foilage continues to astound me.
We toured the Botanical Gardens in Melbourned yesterday - lovely, lovely, lovely! All manner of flowering trees, bushes, and plants. I recognized a couple things, but not much. The black swans were swimming in the lake with a variety of ducks and koots, and the eels were gliding along underwater, too. Heard the fantastic sound of the bell bird - just like one clear peel of a bell. Pam and I were joined by Wendy, Doris, Jackie and MaryAnn for lunch in the Gardens - quite pleasant. Pam and I also managed to see Federation Square - a very modern melange of steel and glass and angles and lovely bricks and poetry. Caught a picture of ourselves on the outdoor live camera and was delighted with the great collection and display of aboriginal art in the museum. Finished the day with a delicious dinner at Wendy's - lots of laughter and wine during which we Americans had lessons in how to properly hold our forks and knives, and how to pronounce various words - and what some of the Aussie slang meant. A brilliant education!
We also did a bit of joint work on a basket for Wendy to use in a TV spot that is scheduled for this morning - waiting with bated breath to catch her two minutes (seconds?) of fame. I head for Tasmania this afternoon for four days with Di (co-exhibitor at Denver this past summer). Thought I had a chance to show you all some pictures, but alas, the current machine doesn't have the right program to upload from my camera. Poo. By the time I actually put up pics, I'll have a whole gallery for you to see!
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
2 Oct. 04: A gorgeous day in Geelong as we get ready to leave the Textile Forum. The week has flown by! TONS of creative activity happening all around at all hours of the day and night by all sorts of people.
First let me describe the place - Geelong Grammar School: a private boarding school, it used to be boys only but is now co-ed and houses what I consider junior high through high school. The buildings and grounds have a distinctly British flavor about them - red brick, high windows, formal gardens, big halls, lots of courtyards. In fact, the dining hall looks a lot like a "Harry Potter" one - high vaulted ceiling, leaded windows, polished wood tables and benches, pictures of past school presidents lining the walls. The flora is just grand with all sorts of flowering plants and trees just coming to life again.
The mudcloth workshop was exciting. Eleven women with a wide variety of fiber interests and expertise all playing with mud and being ever so enthusiastic about it! We learned lots from everyone in the class. Such talent they all have! And so productive, too. We were all well dressed when we performed the mud dance for the party last night. We also managed to sneak in a bit of basketry after they saw my slides (grin).
Slide shows every day, outdoor sculpture "happenings" that appeared each day and changed as the week wore on. You never were sure what was going to show up next. And the constant fashion show that was happening each day was fabulous! All the participants, led by the Forum organizer, really got into the spirit of things with their wild and outrageous dress and costumes. Party nights (Tuesday and Friday) were especially wondrous - the more bizarre and/or tacky, the better. Layering was the thing to do, not only for the need against the chilly breezes and cold rooms, but for the special effects that could be created in a wardrobe.
The Forum week is winding down with a Heathen Bazaar this morning - any participant may pay for a selling space in the dining hall and sell their wares - and a final slide show after lunch. Then I'll be off to Melbourne for just about two days, staying with a delightful woman from my class, before heading to Tasmania.
Will need to make changes to the final parts of my itinerary as son Tom's girlfriend, Lydia, was pulled out of Nepal by the Peace Corps early due to a bombing in front of a US building (no injuries that I know about). So, I think I'll through in a trip back to Tas the middle of November and then head to Oxford, England where both Tom and Lydia will be by that time. Sure sorry to not see Nepal, but safety is a bit more important.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
26 Sept. 04: Reporting in from Geelong, Victoria, Australia! A lot has happened since I last wrote, so I guess I better do a bit of updating.br>
When we left Picton, we were bussed over the mountain ridge along the northern edge of the south island to Nelson, passing through beautiful wine country and the town that boasted making the world's largest loaf of bread (to feed a visiting French rugby team). The scenery was grand - the only thing marring it was the cutting of timber from the mountains. Apparently there is very little natural forest left - it is all cut and reforested for paper pulp so there are always sections being cut and replanted every 20 or so years.
Nelson is on a Bay (I forget which one now) with a snow-capped mountain range across the bay - lovely sight. We were lodged in a girls boarding school on just about the highest spot in the city, so lots of ups and downs to accommodate the sides of the hill. Great fun with the class - they really got excited about playing with mud! And they produced some wonderful work. I think we had everyone else jealous. The tour folks were joined by about 90 more fiber people - a wild mix of crazy fiber people.
Speaking of wild and crazy - we went to a perfomance of WOW (World of WearableArt) - and it defintely was a wow! The fashions were extreme art - definitely not the fashions to wear on the streets. And the performance was like a circus - something going on everywhere at all times - actually a bizarre event.
The last evening of the workshop ended with a "party" folks were dressed up in high and low fashion - quite unique. Some of the older folks were some of the wilder dancers - FUN!
On Friday, 6 of us headed to Melbourne via Christchurch - overnighted there after seeing a bit of the city, then flew out to Melbourne and headed west to Geelong along the banks of Corio Bay. Was able to relax today - had a long walk along the bay and into a wetlands area, felt the sunshine warm up the air, wondered at the wide range of flower and plant life all around. The peace lillies here are growing like bushes outside and the fuschia is a huge bush! Lush - and spring is just starting. More later - time to hit the sack to be ready to teach in the morning. And still no way to upload pioctures.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
17 Sept. 04: Here in Picton - the northern port of the southern island of New Zealand. Came in by ferry last night through the lovely fjord area - lush looking islands dotting the sea. Gonna have to backtrack a bit to bring you all up to date as internet access has been hard to find the last couple days.
The day spent in Rotorua was tops - so very special to be welcomed into a Maori family. The whole day kept getting rainier all the time but wasn't really a problem as we were inside various houses and shops all day. Had dinner at a great little place called the Fat Dog - delicious seafood chowder among other things.
Tuesday was spent traveling to Napier along the eastern coast area. Had a couple stops to see the thermal action - hot mud springs and a geyser that we missed seeing due to timing. Love the plopping, spitting and steaming mud pots! Saw some great earth colors, too! Also stopped to see Waipunga Falls on the Waipunga River - lovely! And a lunch stop at the Fat Fish in Taupo (the lake was formed by a volcano) in the misty rain was decent - didn't get to the beach but did check out all the op shops in the town!
We ended up in Napier on Hawkes Bay after driving through vineyards and coming through some "mountains/hills". Turns out that Napier was demolished in an earthquake in 1931 - the rebuilding of the city included thousands of hectares of land that were thrust up from the water and a determination by the city fathers that the building coade would be all art deco - the place is an art deco heaven! Really quite amazing in look and color. The beach there was grand with smooth black pebbles and fun driftwood and rolling, pounding surf. Stayed in Napier two nights and enjoyed a great hot tub in the motel room. I think I convinced Doris and Mary (my roomies) that a HOT soak is a wonderful thing. Oh, and to continue our eating streak, we lunched at the Fat Cat and were entertained by some vibrabnt young Maoris doing a song and dance on the street.
Took off Thursday morning for Wellington with stops in Norsewood, Woodville and some other spot (can't recall the name) to see a woolen mill, a wool carding operation and a fiber artist's studio and work. Passed MANY sheep and cows, through rolling hills/mountains on our way from the east side to the west side. Wellington is at the bottom of the north island on a bay surrounded by hills that reminded me of Cincinnati. Rush hour traffic was horrible - as experienced by going to the urgent care facility downtown to take care of the sore throat/larygitis that is still continuing. Got drugs - good stuff. Finished the day with a bowl of potato soup and hit the bed early.
Friday morning we checked out the Fiber Lynx studio - a group of fiber artists displaying their wonderful work. Then wandered through the Maori exhibits in the TePapa Museum on the waterfront before heading to the ferry. Pretty smooth ride for aobut 2.5 hours across lovely green/blue waters with the aforementioned islands sticking up. Docked by lamp light and strolled to the Yacht Club for our lodging. Dinner was a wonderful bowl of seafood chowder and potato wedgies at the Barn - delightful chaps serving there.
Blue sky and pleasant this morning. We'll be heading to Nelson by noon and then the Aotearoa Textile Forum will start tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find a spot I can upload pictures soon so you can see some of this lovely land.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
13 Sept. 04: Rain, mist, rain - typical winter day in NZ. Traveled down to Rotorua yesterday and spent most of today immersing ourselves in Maori culture. Experienced a formal welcome to a marea (family meeting place) complete with nose pressing (mingles the breath, making all people one). Wonderful flax weaving, wonderful folks.
Not much time to tell more - and no way to upload pictures yet! Got a bunch of cool ones ready to show you. Heading out for traditional NZ dinner tonight.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
11 Sept. 04: In New Zealand! The flights were uneventful, which is ideal for flights, with the exception of a minor ignition switch problem that gave a slight delay to the flight from Chicago to LA. Very fortunately we arrived in LA with enough time to find my way to the necessary terminal and go through security again, reaching the gate just before they started boarding. Mary looked relieved! Didn't see Doris, though - different terminal.
Before taking off, we taxied for so long it seemed we were going to taxi the whole way. Had a a genial bloke from Wellington via Denver sit next to Mary and me and gave us some good tips about NZ. Four movies and two meals later we were landing, in the predawn darkness, at Auckland after what we heard was one of the fastest flights across - 11.5 hours - good tail wind, apparently. Met up with Doris outside customs, and after a half hour wait we were wisked away (on the wrong side of the road, don't you know!) by pert and perky Rosemary B., a weaver friend and self-appointed tour guide.
Rosemary and Bill are the perfect hosts and their home is a modern marvel wonderfully situated on a hillside overlooking the mouth of the Makatana River as it flows into the Pacific Ocean an hour's drive north of Auckland. We landed in paradise! The panarama view is breathtaking, watching the weather change coming over the rolling hills and across the islands dotting the coast. We are being fed sumptously and taken around to see all the spectacular sights of the area.
Went "into the bush" on a walk to Snell's Beach at the bottom of their hill - the foliage is so lush. A lot of it seems familiar, but then surprises you when you get up close to it. HUGE ferns! Palm trees. Grapefruits and lemons hanging heavy on trees. Odd and wondrous flowers and leaves and vines and grasses. A real Jurassic Park look. And the "fossicking" on the beach was grand, too - found some real treasures.
Being treated to a New Zealand lamb dinner tonight with native sweet potatos - can't wait! Although, lunch was pretty fabulous, too, at one of the local wineries. No shortage of food, that's for sure.
We start a fiber tour of the north island tomorrow, meeting the group back at the airport in Auckland and then heading south to Rotorua and some time with the Mauris. Doris is busy trying to repack, Mary is doing some netting and I'm ready to kick back. Our bodies are just about on schedule here - should be in good shape after one more night's sleep.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
8 Sept. 04: Okay, I'm packed and ready to go! Did my best job of rolling things tightly to cram it all in. Also kept saying to myself: "they have stores in New Zealand, they have stores in Australia" as I would take things back out of the pile of stuff to pack.
(Mary H. and Eileen L. - notice anything special going with me?!?!?!)
The flight heads northward first to Chicago, then on to Los Angeles where I'll hook up with Mary C. and Doris M. Doris will beat us to Auckland by 10 minutes - Mary and I will hit those shores at the gosh-awful hour of 5:30 AM! Kiwi hospitality will be waiting for us in the form of a weaver friend - Rosemary B. - what a friend! She has promised to keep us up so we can adjust to the time change. Heck, we'll have to adjust to the date change, too, as we lose a whole day getting in on Friday the 10th.
Taking a book to read, socks to finish knitting and a twine basket to keep me busy on the flights and layovers. Mary is bringing games and music. Oh, yeah - have to sleep sometime in there, too!
The car is waiting - I'm off! |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This page will contain photos and descriptions of my traveling / teaching in New Zealand and Australia and Nepal. Hoping to put up info and pics at least a couple times a week.
The trip starts September 8, 2004. My teaching will finish October 24 in Queensland, Australia. Hubby Jack will join me then for three weeks of having fun down under!
When Jack heads for home, I'll head for Nepal to visit with son Tom and his girlfriend, Lydia, finally hitting home the weekend after Thanksgiving.
To everyone who was a part of the 10th anniversary celebration of MBF - and you know who you are! - a big THANK YOU, again, for your great gifts to make the trip special! I'll be thinking of all of you!
Check back often once the trip starts!
|
