Back To Canada

On the morning of December 15th, we woke up, got dressed, and checked our luggage to see if everything was packed. We had entered the last leg of our trip: the journey home. Sure, it was fun travelling around Australia for the last month but as Dorothy Gale would say, “There’s no place like home.” After carrying our luggage down to the ground floor, we checked out of the Hyde Park Inn and waited for the airport shuttle. When it arrived, my parents & I bid farewell to my brother and wished him luck in his future studies. He would be catching a bus back to Canberra. The airport shuttle stopped by several other hotels to pick up more travelers. It was a little cramped but we made it to the Sydney International Airport with plenty of time to spare. The airport shuttle cost about $12 per person.

The Air Canada check-in line was long, as were the lines for the other airlines, but we finally made it to one, only to be told that our flight from Canada was delayed due to winter weather. Here we go again. To prevent us from causing a scene, the check-in clerk gave us $10 restaurant vouchers. With even more time to spare, we decided to use the vouchers at The Terrace Bar & Brasserie and dine on a formal breakfast, having eggs benedict. Following breakfast, we passed the time sitting outside on a patio reading books, and I walked up to the observation deck to photograph the scenery. When it was time, my parents & I walked through security and made our way to the gate. Unfortunately, that meant walking through the Duty Free section, an area that caters to the travelers’ addiction with ‘cheap’ alcohol and chocolate. What caught my attention was a Swarovski diamond bottle on sale for $4000AUD.

For the trans-Pacific flight to Vancouver, I was assigned a seat a few rows ahead of my parents. As the plane filled with passengers it appeared that I would have an entire row to myself. However, that hope was dashed when I was informed by a stewardess that the other two seats would be occupied by a father & his infant child after takeoff. Not wanting to sit next to a crying baby for 13 hours & 45 minutes, I accepted an offer to switch my seat with the mother who was also looking after a child, thereby letting the family of 4 sit together. The mother’s seat had more leg room and easy access to the washroom so I guess it was a good deal. During the flight I occupied my time listening to music, watching the film Inception again to fully understand the plot, eat the okay food, and lapse in & out of consciousness. Somewhere in the middle of the flight, the plane crossed the International Dateline and leapt into the past.

Upon arrival in Vancouver, we disembarked from the plane and stood in a long line to clear customs. Past that, we picked up our luggage and made our way to the Air Canada domestic transfer desk only to be told that we had missed our flight to Regina. Figures. Along with other annoyed passengers who had missed their transfer flights, we were re-booked to fly first to Edmonton, then to Regina in the evening. Seeing that we had an entire afternoon to kill, we had lunch at Monk’s Grill, dining on good food & wine.

The delays were far from over. Upon reaching the gate for our flight to Edmonton, we were told to wait some 45 minutes more because the crew had yet to arrive from another flight. My parents & I passed the time watching the evening news and having a quick nap. The flight crew finally arrived from a previous flight and got the plane ready to depart. Everyone was boarded and the plane took off towards Edmonton.

At this time, the news in Edmonton was not that great. A huge winter storm was blowing through the area, dropping the temperature to -15 degrees Celsius, and making air travel more difficult. Thankfully, the plane safely touched down and we made it to the gate for the Regina flight with time to spare . . . because it too was delayed. Now up until this point in our return trip, we had not come into contact with the harsh Canadian winter, thanks to air bridges and heated terminals. Our bodies were still used to the warm Australian climate. In Edmonton, however, that all changed because we had to board our flight to Regina via the open tarmac. I was glad that I was wearing winter clothing and had a hat & gloves to put on because I was greeted by strong winds & numbing cold when I stepped onto the snow covered tarmac. Once safely inside the small Air Canada Jazz jet, the plane was de-iced by ground crews, and then took off into the night sky.

Fate decided to throw us one last scare by getting the pilot to announce the possibility of the flight being diverted to Winnipeg due to low fog in Regina. The tension was raised even further when the pilot later announced that he was going to try and land in Regina but if his first landing attempt wasn’t successful, he would have no choice but to divert to Winnipeg. I stared out the window during the final approach, hopelessly trying to see the city lights below the plane. The runway suddenly appeared and the wheels touched the ground with a ‘thud.’ The plane came to a full stop and then the pilot taxied the aircraft to the terminal. There, we were met by my uncle & his oldest daughter who had winter coats for us. We would stay with my grandmother for the next two days, recuperating from jet lag, before flying back to Ottawa.

And that’s how our Australian trip turned out. It was fun & exciting. In a span of 4 weeks, I got to explore many places for the first time and capture it all on camera. In total, I took about 500 digital pictures and a short video of my brother’s graduation. I can now say that I successfully climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and attended a concert at the Sydney Opera House. I’ll definitely be back because there’s still a lot more to explore & experience. Australia has a lot to offer so give it a try some time. You won’t regret it.

Manly

And so the big day had finally arrived. Two episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show were going to be filmed at the renamed Sydney Oprah House, entertaining viewers with many acts and celebrity interviews. Thankfully, we would be nowhere near the harbour front while the whole spectacle was happening. For today, we would be spending time with The Motyka’s, friends of my mother, in the northern suburb of Manly. A university professor and a medical doctor, the Motyka’s were born and raised in Australia and continue to practice their professions in Newcastle.

Manly lies 17 kilometres to the northeast of downtown Sydney and is currently home to around 14,000 people. The area has been a seaside resort for residents and tourists since the late 19th century. Queenscliff Beach, North Steyne Beach, and Manly Beach all make up a 1.5 kilometre stretch of sand on the ocean side of the neighbourhood, lined with restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlours, recreational stores, and palm trees.

In the early morning, we met the Motyka’s in front of our hotel and briefly spoke about our Australian adventures up until that point. We waited at a nearby bus stop and hopped on the free CBD Shuttle (Route 555) that chauffeurs passengers around the heart of the downtown core. When the bus was near Circular Quay, we jumped off and walked to the area to catch the ferry to Manly. Oprahmania had swept across Circular Quay with Oprah flags flying from light posts, tourists wearing Oprah shirts & hats, buskers playing music for anxious fans, and hired security guards directing ticket holders to the audience entrances.

It took several minutes to wade through the crowd and purchase our return ferry tickets at the ferry terminal. After waiting some more, we got on the ferry (as did many others) and sailed towards Manly. A line of orange water buoys had been placed around the Sydney Opera House to prevent private boats from getting close to the stage. But that didn’t stop an armada of sailing boats and private vessels from streaming towards the opera house to see the show. The armada crossed paths with the ferry we were on and was being watched/recorded by two helicopters in the sky.

We arrived at the Manly ferry 30 minutes after departure and disembarked onto unexplored territory. If I didn’t value my teeth, I would have bought a ton of lollies from the candy stall inside the ferry terminal. The best way to get to the beaches is to walk through the The Corso, a pedestrian street mall where one can find hotels, restaurants, artistic sculptures, clothing boutiques, and a church. On Google Earth, the walkway appears to have been made out of zebra skin. Since it was a sunny summer day, The Corso was crawling with families & loud talking teenagers.

The mood was the same when we emerged onto North Steyne Road, the main road that runs along the sandy beaches. Since we didn’t come to swim, we just walked around and gazed at the Miami-like scene. Our ‘beach-gazing’ was interrupted by the rumblings of our stomachs, so it was decided that they needed to be silenced by food & drinks. We ate outside under the sun at the Whitewater Restaurant on South Steyne Road, enjoying a variety of dishes and white wine. Many topics and future plans were discussed during the delicious meals.

After lunch, we headed back to the ferry terminal since none of us had a craving to shop. I should have stopped into the church to see if the priest was also a surfer. Overall, Manly is a nice getaway place to take a break with friends. Maybe next time, we’ll explore the North Head Army Barracks at the nearby Sydney Harbour National Park. The 30 minute ferry ride back to Circular Quay was windy & uneventful. I passed the time photographing the surrounding area. After disembarking from the ferry we caught the train back to our hotel. There, we parted with our friends and hoped to see them again the next time we visited Australia.

Since this was our last night in Australia we decided to have dinner somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be a Kebab Pizza Pide shop on a street I can’t remember. We ordered one large pizza, half BBQ meatlovers and half margarita, and 2 soda cans, all for $20AUD. The food quality was good. When we were finished, we walked back to our hotel, packed up, and went to sleep.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

The 13th of December wasn’t over for my brother & me, for we had a historic bridge to climb. Nicknamed ‘The Coat Hanger,’ the Harbour Bridge is the world’s widest long-span bridge, and tallest steel arch bridge (134m). Construction began in 1923 and was completed in 1932 during the Great Depression, linking the central business district to the North Shore. The structure is held together by 6 million rivets and carries 8 vehicle lanes, two train lines, and a foot & cycle path.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb opened its doors on October 1st, 1998, providing thrill seekers the opportunity to climb to the top of the bridge via service catwalks & ladders. So far, over 2 million people (local, tourists, & famous celebrities) have climbed to the 134 metre summit and my brother & I were going to be the latest. There are 3 climbing options to choose from. The Bridge Climb is a 3 & a half hour walk along the catwalks & ladders. The Discovery Climb is also 3 & a half hours but you reach the summit via the bridge’s inner arch. The Express Climb is a ‘quick’ 2 hour & 15 minute trek to the summit. Prices vary according to day & time: between $198 to $298 for adults, and $128 - $198 for children.

We decided to do the Discovery Climb during the Twilight hours, meaning by the time we reached the summit, the cityscape would be brightly lit at night. Before you step out onto the catwalks, there are several procedures that you have to complete. First is a waver/consent form followed by a breathalyzer test. No drunks allowed. Next you suit up and go to the washroom for ‘the last time.’ Yes, there have been accidents at the summit. As an added precaution, I swallowed some Gravol to prevent nausea & vomiting. You’re assigned a locker where you place all your valuables & loose articles (ie wallet, watch, necklace, & camera) so that they are not lost during the excursion. And finally, you’re briefly instructed on what to expect and how to operate your harness & equipment.

Our enthusiastic & energetic Climb Leader led our group of 10 thrill seekers onto the metallic catwalks as night settled across Sydney. After making sure all of our safety lines were attached to the railing, we slowly walked beneath the bridge as our Climb Leader talked about the history & construction of the bridge. The first notable landmark we passed was the luxurious Park Hyatt Sydney Hotel, which sits beside the bridge. Our Climb Leader explained that many famous celebrities stayed & continue to stay at this hotel when they visit Sydney, occupying the top penthouse suite (private pool included) that costs $6000 a night. He even mentioned seeing Will Ferrell & Catherine Zeta Jones on two separate occasions. He also added that he wouldn’t be surprised if Oprah was staying there.

With every step we took, the catwalks became narrow & low forcing us to crouch and avoid hitting pipes. While we inched our way closer to the summit, the constant rumbling of passing vehicles & trains filled our ears. Having skydived twice in New Zealand, climbing a bridge wasn’t that scary for me. In fact, if you keep looking out towards the skyline & harbour, you don’t get the feeling that you’re high up and exposed. The feeling only surfaces when you look straight down. My brother was a little anxious & hesitant during the steeper portions of the climb but he toughed it out till the very end. Like I’ve said before, skydiving will cure anyone’s acrophobia.

As we neared the summit, our Climb Leader enlightened us with several interesting stories that happened on the Harbour Bridge, mentioning BASE jumpers, eloped weddings, and people climbing up to the top to drink beer with friends or to place large objects at the top. This was well before security cameras and chain link fences were installed around the bridge. I was surprised to hear that several locals had managed to place a shopping cart at the top.

We were greeted by a large Australian flag on a flagpole as we reached the summit, overjoyed to have achieved what some thought was impossible. Oprah & several of her diehard fans made the same ascent just the day before. We posed for pictures and walked around, gazing at the beautiful 360 degree scenery. This was the best place to view the Sydney Opera House and downtown Sydney. The only other place with a great view of the city is the Sydney Tower.

‘What goes up must come down.’ The descent was just as interesting because we were walking down the other side of the bridge, and we had to look down meaning more feelings of anxiety. But by this time, I wasn’t having any of it. I was having fun.

Once we were inside the main building, we were all congratulated on a job well done and instructed to remove our climbing gear and fill out a survey. We were then presented with a certificate of completion & a complimentary photo. You also have the option of purchasing the other pictures that were taken during the climb but my main complaint is that the price is too expensive. Since I looked stoned in the complimentary photo, I bought two better looking photos on CD. It cost $35AUD; $25 for the first and $10 for the second. Way too much! Of course, if you want to spend more money, there is a wide variety of t-shirts, baseball caps, mugs, cards, models, and DVDs to buy at the gift shop.

It was around 11pm when my brother & I walked out of the Bridge Climb building. I congratulated him for confronting his fears & said that he was ready for skydiving. He said he’d think about it. To celebrate, we had a drink at the nearby Harbour View Hotel. From there we returned to the hotel and got some much needed sleep.

If you have the time, energy, and cash, give this climb a try. It is truly a worthy experience to have, especially for acrophobics looking to cure their illness.

The Blue Mountains

The 13th of December was a very busy day for the family & me. Thankfully, I wasn’t feeling sick so I was ready to seize the day (Carpe Diem). The day began in the early hours of the morning, with everyone slowly crawling out of their beds, getting dressed, and eating a like breakfast. Then we walked several blocks to Central Station to catch a train to the town of Katoomba, located next to the Blue Mountains. My parents had been there before but the visit was spoiled by fog. Return tickets cost around $16AUD each. There was a slight hiccup at the train station when it was announced that we had to switch trains because of a technical fault. Along with a wave of passengers, we exited the train and quickly walked over to another platform and got on the replacement train just in time.

The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region located 50 kilometres to the west of Sydney, consisting of sandstone plateaus and gorges up to 760 metres deep. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area had been inhabited by the Gundungurra people for millennia. Europeans began exploring & mapping the area in 1799. Katoomba (est. 1879) is the area’s main town, with a population of around 7,600 and sitting 1,017 metres above sea level. The economy is heavily based on tourism, showcasing the spectacular mountain views and extensive bush & nature walks in the surrounding area to visitors from around the world.

The train slowly pulled out of Central and we settled in for a quiet two hour ride. Unfortunately, the quiet atmosphere was disrupted by a group of loud talking Asian tourists. All. The. Way. There. I guess there was something very important to discuss. Anyway, despite that, the scenery around the train gradually changed from urban to suburban to rural to green wilderness. The wilderness was vast, majestic, and appeared undamaged by mankind.

We were greeted by warm and sunny weather as we stepped off the train in Katoomba in the middle of the morning. We slapped on sunscreen and took a bathroom break before exiting the near deserted train station. My brother was lucky enough to get two small bags of chips for the price of one from a vending machine. In the town centre one can find cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and the Carrington Hotel (est. 1880), the town’s main hotel. The main street that runs through the city centre is called . . . Katoomba Street. We stopped into a café for a light snack and a used bookstore that also had Internet access. After checking my email, I scanned through the vast collection of titles, eventually purchasing Worst Journeys: The Picador Book of Travel, edited by Keath Fraser, and originally published in 1994. The book is a collection of travel stories (the bad kind) written by many experienced trekkers, surprisingly, many of which are Canadian.

My father, brother, & I walked all the way to Echo Point, leaving my mother to explore the town. The ascending & descending roads made it a challenge for my dad but we succeeded in reaching the place to photograph the breath-taking scenery. Echo Point was crawling with tourists and a face painted Aboriginal busker playing a didgeridoo. The tourist site is basically a large concrete balcony built on top of a steep cliff and I do mean steep. When you look over the metal railing on the lowest balcony it’s a straight drop to the green trees below. I thought to myself that this would be a perfect place to establish a bungee jump platform but I guess that would prevent people from photographing the majestic landscape around them. Just to the right of Echo Point is the famous Three Sisters rock formation. The formations were created from erosion over time and are called Meehni (922m), Wimlah (918m), and Gunnedoo (906m).

Once we had photographed everything from every possible angle, we walked back to the town centre under the hot sun. It’s a good thing we drank some fluids before leaving otherwise we may have passed out from the heat. We met up with my mother and had a deli-like lunch at the Mountain Ridges Restaurant. By then it was the afternoon and time for us to head back to Sydney. While waiting for the hourly train at the train station, I passed the time reading my newly purchased book and wondered ‘How would I rate this recent half-day excursion?’ Despite the minor annoyances at Central Train Station & on the train, our Blue Mountain trip turned out quite well. It was nothing compared to the stories in Worst Journeys.

The two hour train ride back to Sydney was much more relaxing and the scenery around the train slowly morphed into an urban metropolis. We disembarked at Central Station and walked back to our hotel, reminiscing about what we just saw. If we had more time, we would have done a scenic trail walk and ride the Katoomba Scenic Railway.

Evening Performance

I’m not sure what it was but the following morning my head was spinning. Maybe it was leftover jetlag or too much wine from the previous night but it was constant and left me unbalanced. Taking pain killers wasn’t an immediate help so I chose to stay in the hotel room all morning and sleep while my parents & brother went out to explore more of Sydney. The added hours of sleep helped a lot and slowly the headache or hangover slowly dissipated until it was no more.

With time leftover before the family would arrive, I passed the time watching some television. The biggest news happening at the time was the impending arrival of American talk show goddess Oprah Winfrey & 300 of her loyal fans to record two shows at the Sydney Opera House. Oprah had announced the Ultimate Australian Adventure trip on September 13, at the end of the final season premiere show. Of course, her audience went ballistic like children who get everything they ever dreamed of having at once. And I thought evangelical Christian congregations were bad. Anyway, Oprah and her handpicked audience arrived in Australia the day before and were busy enjoying all that Australia had to offer. According to several Americans being interviewed, this was the first time they had ever left the United States and they were loving every minute of it. (Only 22% of Americans own a passport). Oprah’s entire operation was pumping $47 million USD into the Australian economy.

With the arrival of the late afternoon, the family & I changed into more formal clothing and walked from our hotel down to the Sydney Opera House. The building is probably the most recognizable Australian landmark followed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and completed in 1973, 14 years after construction began. Yes, that’s a long time but it was worth it. Despite the name, the Opera House is not one building but several containing: a concert hall, opera theatre, drama theatre, playhouse, studio, The Utzon Room, and a large open air venue called the Forecourt.

When my mother was planning the Australian excursion, she was able to secure 4 tickets to a performance of Handel’s Messiah, probably his most popular oratorio. An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. The lyrics are often derived from religious texts. G.F. Handel composed the oratorio in 1741, organizing it into 3 parts: Annunciation, The Passion, and The Aftermath. The lyrics are taken from the King James Christian Bible.

The sun was just descending behind the clouds as we entered the area around the opera house. Like always, the area was filled Sydney residents and tourists. I don’t think this area ever gets quiet. The bars & cafés that line the waterfront were just filled with people. Also, the plaza in front of the opera house was fenced off because workers were putting together the grand stage for the Oprah Winfrey Show. We made our way inside the opera house and up the escalators to the concert hall area. I should mention that this was the first time we would see a performance at the iconic opera house. As we were waiting to be let into the concert hall, I was surprised to see staff selling programs for $9 AUD. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I think selling programs is wrong & they should be free. Maybe the global recession was taking its toll on the place?

Our seats gave us a good view of the main stage and after several minutes every seat in the concert hall was occupied. It was also surprising to see how big the production was; the choir alone had 250 people! The orchestra was about 60 people and there were 4 soloists. It would take too many pages to describe each part so I’ll just say that the performance was very good. Following the two century old tradition, everyone stood up during the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus. There was one funny moment when there came a loud ‘thud!’ from above. I thought someone had just suffered a heart attack but my dad argued that someone must have fallen asleep and then fallen out of their chair. Either way, I congratulate the conductor for not stopping the performance.

After the performance, we walked along the waterfront pondering where to go to next. Night had settled but the waterfront was still alive and jumping. Seeing hundreds of people sitting at the bars & drinking made us want to do the same. We settled on a place called the ICE Bar and ate very good food & drank good fine under the brightly lit Sydney skyline. What a night to remember.

Entering Sydney

My brother had come to stay the night with us at the University House because we would be leaving for Sydney the following day. Thankfully, I had my earplugs with me. On the morning of the 11th of December, everyone got dressed & packed up their suitcases. Before we carried them down 4 flights of stairs, we had our last buffet breakfast at The Fellows Bar & Café. As always, the food & drinks were delicious. After all of our suitcases were on the ground floor, we checked our email in the computer room while waiting for the taxi to take us to the bus terminal. The ride to the bus terminal was uneventful except for when the taxi driver jokingly suggested that we were moving to Australia because of the amount of suitcases we were carrying.

While my parents & older brother waited for their bus to Sydney, I took a bus to the airport to catch my flight to Sydney. During the planning stages of the vacation, my parents had bought me a Virgin Blue Air Pass that offers 3 cheap flights anywhere in Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and Southern Asia. At this point in the trip, I was the only one in the family who hadn’t used up their Air Pass meaning I had the luxury of taking a one hour flight to Sydney while the rest of the family labored on a 3 hour bus ride. Lucky me.

Since I arrived early at the airport terminal I had to wait some time before I could check in and drop off my suitcase. Getting through security wasn’t a problem considering that this was the umpteenth time I was doing the same screening procedure. After another 90 minutes of waiting, I boarded the plane and it took off into the clear blue sky, heading towards the largest city in Australia.

Sydney was Australia’s first European settlement, established as a penal colony in 1788 by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First British Fleet. Before the arrival of the Europeans in 1770, indigenous Australians had lived in the area for 30,000 years. The indigenous tribes resisted early European settlement due to the highly contagious diseases (ie. smallpox) that Europeans brought with them, which led to the deaths of thousands of Aborigines. Nevertheless, the settlement grew during the 1800s, officially becoming a city in 1842, and seeing a spike in population during the 1850s Gold Rushes. By the early 20th century, the population was well over 1 million people and today, is around 4.5 million, spread across 12,144 square kilometers of land. The city has also been the host of the 1938 British Empire Games, the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

The plane safely touched down at the Sydney Airport and parked at the domestic terminal. The international terminal is located on the other side of the airfield. After picking up my suitcase, I hopped on the subway to the city centre. Tickets cost about $14 AUD. While travelling theCityRail train to the Museum station, memories of my previous visit came flooding back in my mind. After stepping off the train, I walked only a short distance to the hotel where my family would be staying. The Hyde Park Inn is a 4 star hotel located on Elizabeth Street, just steps away from the ANZAC War Memorial. I waited in the hotel’s lobby for about 15 minutes before my family showed up. Our room was on the 12th floor, with 3 beds, small kitchen, tv, closet, washroom, and balcony. We had a clear view of the war memorial and the sunbathers lying around it.

For dinner we dined at the Mazzaro Restaurant that just happened to be right next to the hotel. Mazzaro is a formal restaurant that specializes in contemporary Mediterranean cuisine so wear something nice. We were welcomed by a greeter who was also the owner. Judging from his character, I imagine that he watches the doors like a hawk and swoops in the second people walk in. Upon being seated, we were greeted by a waiter who handed out the menus & the wine list. You know when a restaurant is formal when most of the wines on the wine list can only be ordered by the bottle. Customers can choose between two courses, three courses, or an a la carte meal.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember that far back so I can’t specifically say what we ate and drank. What I do remember is that the food & wine were of good quality but the prices are expensive. I also remember a large group of people (possibly a business party) entering during the course of our meal and taking up a section of the restaurant across from us. They could have been quieter but I guess they were celebrating something big.

War & Play

The following day, my father & I travelled by bus to the Australian War Memorial. I didn’t have enough time to visit the place during my first visit to Canberra so it was a good suggestion on my dad’s part. The complex is the country’s national memorial to the members of all Australia’s armed forces who have participated and/or died in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia. The memorial opened in 1941 during the Second World War and is divided into 3 parts: the Commemorative Area (shrine) that includes the Hall of Memory & Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier; the Memorial's galleries (museum); and Research Centre (records).

The sun was shining brightly as my father & I walked across several lawns to get to the memorial. Before entering, we walked around the complex looking at several military armaments on display such as: artillery cannons, ship guns, and even a Centurion tank. The tank on display made me think that I should have gone tank driving in New Zealand first instead of tandem skydiving.

The military museum is divided into 10 large exhibitions: Colonial Conflicts, WWI, WWII, Conflicts 1945 to Today, The Dioramas, Hall of Valour, Aircraft Hall, ANZAC Hall, Discovery Zone (for children), and Over The Front. (I should really say 11 because the Gift Shop is sort of like an exhibition). You should set aside at least 3 hours to visit them all. You have to turn over any large backpacks as well as cameras before entering the museum so my father & I were unable to take any photographs of the exhibitions.

The Colonial Conflicts exhibition focuses on Australia’s early military history, from European settlement to the African Boer War. This leads into the WWI exhibition, focusing on Australia’s contributions in Gallipoli, Sinai-Palestine, and the Western Front. Here visitors can read original letters and view photographs and works of art by soldiers and war journalists. There is also a large 3D map of the Gallipoli Peninsula that shows where major battles between Allied & Turkish soldiers. But my favourites were the model dioramas that depicted WWI battles.

Following the museum map we walked to ANZAC Hall which contains the museum’s largest collection pieces such as a Lancaster Bomber & a Japanese midget submarine. These two collection pieces are used as backdrops in two separate sound & light shows. The Over The Front exhibition is also located here and tells the story of aerial combat during WWI. Before leaving ANZAC Hall, we grabbed a quick bite to each at The Landing Place Café.

The Aircraft Hall is exactly what it sounds like: various aircraft on display. But these are classic life size aircraft such as: Mosquito, Kittyhawk, P51 Mustang, Japanese Zero, MiG-15, and an Avro Anson. These aircraft appear a lot bigger in person than on TV.

From here, my father & I ventured into the WWII exhibition in the reverse order but that didn’t phase us. We already knew that the Allies had won the conflict. The gallery is divided into six areas: 1939, 1940-41, 1942, 1942-1944, 1943-44, & 1944-45. Here you’ll find many maps, photos, videos, letters, clothes, and captured Axis equipment (vehicles, weapons, and flags with swastikas).

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to walk through the Conflicts 1945 to Today exhibition but we’ll do that the next time the family visits Canberra. The exhibition looks at the Korean War, Vietnam War, peacekeeping operations, the Persian Gulf Wars, and War in Afghanistan. You can also walk onto the bridge of the decommissioned HMAS Brisbane.

The upper level of the memorial contains the Hall of Memory, Roll of Honour, and a Reflection Pool. Taking a photograph of the entire upper level is a challenge because there are always people walking around. In fact, taking pictures of grand views from & around the War Memorial is a challenge if you don’t want tourists walking into the photo. You pretty much have to time it right. Overall, the Australian War Memorial is a first class place to visit & revisit.

In the evening, my brother was off with his friends celebrating the completion of their studies. As for my parents & I, we had bought the last tickets to the last performance of the famous Agatha Christie play, ‘And Then There Were None’ being put on by the Canberra Repertory Society. But before enjoying the theatre, we stopped into the Fellows Bar & Café for a drink. The place was surprisingly full of people but we were able to find a seat and order a pitcher of beer for about $10AUD and two fish & chips plates for several dollars more. After the delicious meal & drinks, we made our way to the theatre, watching rabbits run across campus lawns.

And Then There Were None is a detective novel by Agatha Christie where ten people, who have previously been complicit in the deaths of others but have escaped notice or punishment, are tricked into coming onto an island, where they’re mysteriously murdered one by one according to the old nursery rhyme ‘Ten Little Soldiers’. On stage, there were 10 small statues sitting on a shelf and when a character is killed, a statue disappears. Since you’re focused on the death scene, you don’t see the statue disappearing.

I had a clear view of the stage from where I was sitting and I noticed that every seat in the theatre was occupied. I found it ‘interesting’ that the audience laughed at each death scene rather than gasp in horror. Maybe they were so shocked that all they could do was laugh? Overall, the acting was well done and the deaths looked realistic but not gory. I was right about how the play would end but I won’t spoil it in this post. However, what I didn’t like was the fact that you had to buy the program. No theatre/musical production should make its customers buy the program booklet separately.

Graduation

And so the big day had finally arrived. One of the main reasons behind the entire Australian adventure was to witness my older brother graduating from law school with a Juris Doctor from the Australian National University. ANU was established in Canberra back in 1946 by the federal government for the purpose of conducting and promoting research in Australia. The university is divided into seven academic colleges and educates around 16,000 students every year (undergrad & postgrad).

For several days before December 9th, my brother was pretty jittery because he was anxiously awaiting the results of his final exams. When his results were released, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was a bright sunny day as we all made our way to the School of Music where the graduation ceremony would take place. Of course, my brother led the way, wearing his black & purple academic dress, the purple meaning that he was a law student. The area around the music building was packed with graduates & their visiting families taking photographs. There were several reception tents that were set up in the parking lot to serve champagne and small sandwiches after the ceremony. After taking plenty of photographs, my parents & I went to find our seats while my brother joined the other graduates from the College of Law, and the College of Medicine, Biology, & Environment.

The ceremony follows very precise proceedings and formal presentation. Even all the faculty processors and guest speakers wear traditional academic dress, conjuring up images of the 19th century in my mind. The ceremony mostly consisted of speeches and presentation of degrees to the graduates. It was only two hours long but it felt a little longer due to an annoying child behind us that wouldn’t keep quiet. Nevertheless I was able to film my brother receiving his degree in hand and noting that the speaker didn’t mispronounce his last name.

Making our way to the reception tents after the ceremony proved to be a slow task because of human congestion. Maybe the planners should have placed the tents a little further away from the main building? Anyway, everyone slowly shuffled in one direction, hoping to get a glass of champagne and several tasty treats. My parents & I were successful and we met up with my brother and congratulated him on a job well done. A live band played jazz music as we took several more pictures with our digital cameras and talked about the road ahead for my brother.

We continued our celebration at the fancy Charcoal Restaurant (est. 1962) on London Circuit Road, a short walk from the ANU campus. My brother kept his graduation attire on and I could sense that everyone in the restaurant had taken notice. At one point I thought the entire restaurant would erupt into applause but that did not happen. As we sat down at our reserved table, it became apparent that space was limited; all the tables are closely packed together. I was also surprised that the menu stated that each customer had to spend a minimum of $35AUD. However, upon further inspection of the menu, much of the meals were $30 & above.

Since this was a special occasion, we each ordered full course meals (dessert as well), and a bottle of wine to share. My brother stuck to Coke because he doesn’t drink alcohol. I have to say that Charcoal serves really good steaks and desserts so you should give this place a try if you’re visiting Canberra. It is a formal restaurant so you’ll have to wear business attire to enjoy its offerings. I only hope that in the near future, the owners will expand the floor space to accommodate more customers and rid the feeling of being cramped.

Celebrating Early

With my brother preoccupied with graduation preparations, my parents & I decided to explore some of Canberra’s many public venues. As previously mentioned in my New Zealand Blog, Canberra is a planned city of 345,000 people that was extensively built in the late 1800s to settle a long running dispute over whether Sydney or Melbourne should be the Australian capital. I prefer to call it a bureaucratic city because this is the centre of Australian politics & government administration. I should also note that Canberra was established as a European settlement back in the 1820s and continued to grow steadily over time.

Canada had a similar dispute between English Toronto & French Montreal over which one should be the permanent capital of Canada. In 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to settle the matter and she picked Ottawa, an unruly logging town in between Toronto & Montreal.

Much of Australia’s government institutions such as parliament, national archives, supreme courts, and bureaucratic departments are located in Canberra. Since it’s a planned city, the place is filled with grand boulevards, wide promenades, tall monuments, historic museums, galleries, and planted gardens. It reminds me of other planned cities such as Washington DC, Moscow, Pyongyang, & Brasilia.

Before venturing out to explore Canberra, my parents & I had morning breakfast at The Fellows Bar & Café, located next to the University House. The Fellows offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet that serves fruit, croissants, eggs, bacon, muffins, hash browns, coffee, tea, and many fruit juices. The quality of food is quite good so take advantage of it when you’re staying at UniHouse.

We began our day trip at the nearby National Film & Sound Archive. The NFSA was established in 1984 for the purpose of developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a large collection of Australian audiovisual materials that span from the late 19th century to the present. One of the main attractions is the '100 years of Australian Film' gallery where visitors can interact with various displays that showcase excerpts from famous Australian films, television shows, and radio programs. Visitors can also enjoy the "best of Australian & world cinema in the Arc theatre," a state-of-the-art screening venue that can seat 250 people. Unfortunately, there weren't any movies being shown during our visit, so that will be for next time. It's quite an impressive collection to see so I would devote at least an hour when visiting: two hours if you've bought tickets to an Arc screening.

My parents & I took a bus to the National Portrait Gallery, located near the Old Parliament House. I had been to the Gallery before but only stepped in briefly to buy a snack from the café. As with all public art galleries, you have to turn in your knapsack & cameras first before gaining entry (free in this case). I was actually impressed with the exhibitions and the fact that there was an actually balance between space and product. In the past, I have often criticized many art galleries for having too many empty walls and not enough works. The two main travelling exhibitions were: Martin Schoeller – Close Up, and Jenny Sages – Paths to Portraiture. Martin Schoeller is photographer who’s pictures ‘explore the human identities of individuals accustomed & unaccustomed to the spotlight’. Jenny Sages’s exhibition explores the process of portrait making, displaying many rough sketches and the final portraits. The permanent exhibitions display many portraits of European aristocrats, explorers, and military leaders.

Before leaving we took a short break at the Portrait Gallery café, snacking on small sandwiches and drinks. The prices are a little expensive so be prepared. There’s also a gift shop if you want to buy souvenirs.

We continued exploring Australia’s art scene at the National Gallery of Australia which just happened to be right next to the Portrait Gallery. The NGA was established in 1967 and currently holds more than 120,000 works of art. These works of art are divided into many different categories such as: Asian, Australian, Indigenous, Pacific, European-American, sculptures, and costumes. There are galleries that feature contemporary, minimalist, and impressionist works but I should warn you that several of these ‘works’ are going to make you question why they were even purchased. The most questionable ‘work’ in my mind contained two large plain white coloured portraits, that’s it. That’s worse than The Voice of Fire.

Our stay at the National Gallery was cut short because we were meeting my brother at the Kremlin Bar to celebrate his upcoming graduation from law school at the Australian National University. As Arnold Schwarzenegger would say, “I’ll be back.” The Kremlin Bar is Canberra’s ‘unique Soviet era 5 star lounge-bar’ located on Northbourne Avenue. The bar’s aim is to ‘immerse its customers in the mysterious era of the Iron Curtain, propaganda, and sexy spies.’ The establishment accommodates 98 people and offers live music, DJ, and catering services. However, there wasn’t that much Soviet imagery as I was expecting. The establishment is decorated in red and the staff wear Soviet pins but that’s about it. On the plus side, there is a large abundance of Russian beer & vodka to order. The Avant Garde Bar back in Ottawa is much more realistic because the walls are covered by old Soviet propaganda posters, something the Kremlin Bar should look into getting.

My parents & I met up with my brother just outside the Kremlin Bar in the late afternoon. We went outside and found a place to sit in the lounge area. Since there weren’t that many people, we were able to spread out as we drank and talked about whatever. My brother was happy to have passed all of his final exams and that his application to graduate had been approved. He had spent much of the day making sure he had a graduation gown for tomorrow, his name was on the program, where photos would be taken, and where to assemble with all the other graduates. Overall, the Kremlin Bar is a friendly place to hang out with your comrades but needs more Soviet imagery or should I say ‘socialist realism’?

To Canberra . . . Eventually

As quickly as it started, our three night stay in Adelaide had come to an end. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess. The good news was that our flight to Canberra wasn’t until the afternoon meaning we still had the morning to explore more of the city. We packed everything up into our rental car and checked out of the Comfort Inn in the Glenelg neighbourhood. Overall, I give the place an ‘Okay’ rating. Our room could have been bigger and the price for wireless Internet was a bit expensive.

We decided to spend the morning exploring the Port Adelaide neighbourhood, located 15 kilometres to the north of Glenelg. On the way to the waterfront, we stopped at a shopping mall in Port Adelaide to have breakfast. Our original plan was to buy some snacks at the Woolworth’s grocery store but instead we found the Fast Break Cafe and ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee.

Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the area was covered with swamps and mud flats. Port Adelaide was founded in early 1837 after being explored by Colonel William Light in 1836. In the 1840s, the place earned the name Port Misery because there was no fresh water supply, it was plagued by mosquitoes, was far from Adelaide, had a high risk of inundation, and it was difficult for large ships to dock there. But by the 1880s living & working conditions had improved significantly. When containerization was introduced in the 1960s, much of the local workforce was downsized. The neighbourhood went into steady decline over the next several decades and the effects can still be seen today.

During our walk through the neighbourhood we saw plenty of cars parked on the streets and tourists walking along the waterfront and taking pictures under the tall red lighthouse. However, looking more closely, we noticed that many businesses were closed for the day and several buildings were empty and boarded up. It reminded me of Vancouver’s downtown Eastside just not as severe. Thankfully, redevelopment plans are underway by many different organizations such as the National Trust of Australia and the Port Adelaide-Enfield Council. Plans include renovating the old Victorian buildings, promoting commercial & residential development, and advertising what the neighbourhood has to offer. If we had an extra day we probably would have visited several of the six museums in Port Adelaide (ie. National Railway Museum, Enfield Heritage Museum, & South Australian Heritage Museum).

On the way to the airport, we drove through the upper middle class neighbourhoods of Semaphore Park and Tennyson. Just think of big houses, Miami Beach, and palm trees. From what I’ve explored so far, Adelaide looks like a nice city to visit and to live in. I’ll have to come back some time because I haven’t fully explored the entire city.

Now air travel in 21st century is not like it was in the past. Back then it was a fascination and wonder, being able to fly high above the clouds and watch the earth move beneath you. Today the fascination is still there but only accessible after enduring the horrors of checking in your luggage, going through security, and waiting at the departure gate & on the plane before finally taking off. It’s like at the movie theatre where you’re forced to watch 10 minutes worth of previews before the feature presentation. But at least you don’t have to suffer immense delays like at the airport. My point is that in this age of travel, everyone has a ‘horror’ travel story to tell. And I have one to tell you.

The problem didn’t begin until after my family & I checked in our luggage and gone through security at the Adelaide Airport. While waiting at the departure gate, we spotted a massive storm cloud approaching from the east where the downtown core was located. In a matter of minutes, the cityscape disappeared behind the dark grey clouds and a wall of falling water. Lightning bolts sporadically struck the ground putting on a show for everyone to see. When the storm began passing next to the airport, we were informed that all flights would be delayed until the storm was gone. I passed the time staring out the window gazing at the lightning strikes, calculating how far away they were. The delay lasted over an hour because there were several storm cells passing through, and one decided to pass over the airport.

The next hiccup was the changing of our departure gate; thankfully the new gate wasn’t far away. After waiting some more, we finally boarded the Virgin Blue plane bound for Canberra. There was more waiting at the end of runway because the planes in the air had priority to land. When it was our turn to take off, the pilot aimed the plane down the runway but didn’t accelerate to full power. Instead he taxied the plane a few hundred metres before moving off the runway. Since a passing storm cell had prevented the takeoff, the captain had to move the plane off the runway to let several incoming flights land again. The passengers around me were not in the best of the moods. The captain was successful on the second try and the flight to Canberra passed without any trouble. I guess fate decided to have the last laugh because when the plane landed in Canberra, the captain informed us that he wasn’t allowed to park at the gate because the fire alarm at the new terminal had been activated. Thankfully, we only had to wait 5 minutes. Disembarking onto the tarmac brought some relief because you were greeted by a warm gentle breeze and a blue sky overhead.

For this portion of the trip, we didn’t have a rental car at our disposal, so we took a cab to our accommodation. I should note that there are security cameras & microphones in all Canberra taxis so be nice to the drivers. This was my second time visiting the Australian capital. The first time was back in January 2009. Our accommodation for the next several days would be the University House located on the Australian National University campus. My parents had stayed there before on a previous trip and held it in a high approval. The only downside was that our room was on the top floor and there was no elevator meaning we had to carry our heavy suitcases up four flights of stairs.

While walking around the University House during the evening, my father & I noticed a male possum eating leaves in a tree. I quickly ran to our room, grabbed my camera and came back and snapped several photos.

Hahndorf & The Barossa Valley

Since my family & I had such a good time sampling wines in McLaren Vale, we decided to continue our wine tasting experience in the Barossa Valley, a major wine producing area located 60 kilometres northeast of Adelaide. The name is taken from the Barossa Ranges, named by Colonel William Light in 1837. Today, the Barossa Valley population is around 20,000, mostly located in the three main towns of Tanunda, Angaston, and Nuriootpa. Tanunda is considered a German town because it was settled by German immigrants starting in the 1840s. Angaston on the other hand is an English town, having been settled by Cornish miners. And Nuriootpa is both influenced by German & English heritage.

But before we ventured to Barossa, we decided to stopover at the German town of Hahndorf, located about 20 kilometres southeast of Adelaide. The town was settled by Lutheran immigrants in 1839. The town was renamed Ambleside during the First World War and wasn’t changed back until the 1930s.

With a name like Hahndorf, you’d think that the town of around 2,000 would jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon but thankfully it hasn’t. My brother parked our car on Mount Barker Road, the main street that runs through the town and where all the stores and restaurants are located. I was glad to see that it was sunny and warm outside, a much needed change from the previous days of overcast & rain. Besides the name, German influence is immediately noticeable by the traditional fachwerk architecture of the older buildings. Look a little closer and you find plenty of restaurants specializing in German cuisine and stores selling German memorabilia (clothes, toys, pictures, etc).

We spent most of our time walking up and down Mount Barker Road, window shopping the stores and photographing the buildings. My brother bought himself a tasty bratwurst and I bought myself an Australian sports cap. If I were living in Australia I would have also bought a knife from the Hand Made Knives store because there were some really good looking knives in there. If you’re more interested in cooking, the store also sells kitchenware and cutlery. There was also a Scottish store selling Scottish music, flags, postcards, and even kilts. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell P&D sticks.

The drive to the Barossa Valley took a little over an hour because my brother took a wrong turn. Instead of driving along the B19 highway which would take us through all the small wine towns, he took the A20 highway that goes around the Barossa Valley. Nevertheless, we made it to the town of Nuriootpa and stopped at the Penfolds Barossa Valley Cellar Door to sample several wines. Penfolds was established in 1844 and specializes in: Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Riesling, and many others.

Here, there is a huge selection to sample, from cheap to very expensive (up to $2000AUD per bottle!). There’s also a small museum that explains Penfolds history and a gift shop for fans of the brand. As mentioned in an earlier post, I stuck to the white wines and found most of them very tasty. Only one tasted bland. Like always, I am perplexed that there are people willing to pay up to $2000AUD for a bottle of wine. No alcohol is worth that much.

For lunch we ate at the Kaesler Winery & Vineyards which happened just a few blocks from Pinefolds. Kaesler was established in 1893 with the planting of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, and White Hermitage vines across 81 acres of land. Today, the business has added Riesling, Rizza, Bogan, White Port, and many other types of wines to its catalog. We were able to get a table in the upstairs dining room just before a small tourist group arrived. The menu has various Entrees, Starters, Mains, Desserts, and of course Kaesler wines to choose from, but be prepared to pay at least $40AUD per person if intending to get a full meal. Overall, the food was well prepared & served meaning that I would eat their again . . . when I save up the money required.

The drive back to Adelaide was entertaining because we got lost in the Jacob’s Creek area. Jacob's Creek is also the name of Australia's largest wine brand. Unless you have a map or previous knowledge of the area, driving through here is like being lost in cottage country. After many twists & turns we eventually made it back to our hotel in Adelaide.