Getting going on the Ghan

Wednesday 4 July

Well here we are, finally_ on the Ghan. We took a taxi right to the station as we had been advised to by the nice man at Central Station. What a good move that turned out to
were dropped off rght at the door of the terminal.  Although it seemed like we were getting there early, it wasn't really and we avoided the rush at the end.
After coffee at the station, Mary and Alan took us to our sleeper.  Campervan expeditions have us well prepared for this. It is a very tiny space, but every bit of space is reallynwell used.  The passage is wiggly liked a snake so that a hand basin is included in each cabin.
Oprah is very excited anda wants the top bunk.  I am going to have the bottom bunk cause it is near the window and I will be able to see out the window when the sun comes up.

The train is really long 27 carriages, 3 car trailers and 2 engines.  Most of the carriages  are gold class.  This surprised Mary, but on checking it out, pensioners (aussies only) get a really good discount in gold.  Ther are a few platinum cabins as well, but you need a bank loan to go in one of those. We are in red class, with a YHA discount whichis quite worth having as well.
The lounge car is really nice and has lots of comfortable chairsnand tables.  The people in cattle class are only allowed in here if they pay extra, and a couple have. Apart from that it is for  the use of the red sleeper passengers. You can order meals in the Matilda dining car and take them back to the longe to eat.

Sometimes the train goes really slowly and even stops for long periods of time to let goods trains past as it is pretty much a single track right up the middle of Oz.  The pace is slow, smooth and restful.

The big people have drunk quite a lot of wine as there is not a lot else to do.

Museums and Cathedrals

Tuesday 3 July
Well there is great frustration here as the tablet seems to have taken over the internet connection and refused to give it up.  So Mary, after must frustration has started to write this blog on the tablet.

Tomorrow  we all leave to go on the Ghan anyway so there will be no blog for at least four days.
Today we decided to use the tram all day as it was free in the area we wanted to travel in.  The first part of the day was spent at the museum looking at the aboriginal section.

From there we wlked to the Anglican  cathedral which was well worth the visit.
A stroll back tot he tram and then onto the end of the line. Alan took our photo in the tram but Mary isn 't sure how she is going to get those photos on here.  It was all nice and easy when she was using the netbook to write it.

Blue Cows and Weird Trees

Monday July 2nd

Well just as well we don't have to walk as we would be worn out.First stop this morning was the railway station so the big people could find out where this fancy train called The Ghan left from.  Well just as well, as it wasn't that station!  The friendly man asked them how much luggage they had as it was quite tricky catching a bus or train to the station they needed to go to.  He suggested a taxi as it drops  you right near the platform you need to be on. So come Wednesday morning, that is what they will do.  Phew just as well they checked.

Being over that side of town Alan consulted the map and decided they would walk to the Old Jail.  After a  very long walk they found it, but there was a fence and at least 12 train tracks separating them from it.  They could see it in the distance but there was no way through.  Mary had a bit to say about that.  So they walked back to the street where the tram runs to Glenelg which is the seaside spot on the coast.  After negotiating how to buy a ticket, (part of the journey was free) they sat back for a 30 minute ride through suburbia.

The tram arriving in Jetty Street, Glenelg.

A View of Glenelg from the Jetty.

Although it didn't rain it was overcast and quite cold on the jetty.
A walk through the main shopping street required a compulsory stop for the two of us to have our photo taken on this  weird and wonderful cow.

We are not really sure what this is all about. Guess we are on the horns of a dilemma.

The Old Gum Tree where in 1838 they proclaimed the State of South Australia.

 It was quite a walk to see this ancient twisted gum tree that appeared in paintings and drawings at the museum.  It has been shored up with concrete because of it's age.

And some interesting graffiti...street art?

Goodbye Sydney Hello Adelaide

Saturday June 30th

Good Bye Sunny Sydney

Today we had to get up and organized and off to the airport.  This was a big  day for Oprah as she had never been out Sydney.  For me, BerLin it was nothing, just a short flight. 

The station was just across the road, so it was an easy walk with bags to get the train to the airport.  It is as quick trip,but they charge you dearly for it.  You actually need your ticket from the train to be able to get into the airport if you choose to go by train.

At the airport you have to do a self check in.  Only your bags get checked by a real person.  This is so they can weigh them and charge you heaps if you go over the 15kg allowance.  But these people are wise to this game and have a set of hand scales.  Everything can be moved around to keep the weights right.

Caught a local bus to town and somehow managed to work out where to get off.
After getting settled walked to the Central market where they were selling all the fruit off at bargain prices.

Hello  Rainy Adelaide

A Wet Day in Adelaide

Sunday July 1

Who let the pigs out?

Wow the weather can't make up its mind today.  One minute it will be  sunny and the next it is raining.  Mary and Alan said they were taking us to the beach today, but as we were waiting for the tram it starting spitting then pouring.  Not really beach weather.  So we snuggled up in the back pack while they looked around some shops. We had fun playing where's Wally?  There was a man in raincoat and he had a Tigers scarf and hat on.  He kept appearing in different parts of the town.  He was always standing still with his hands in his pockets.  We never saw him move but we kept spotting him in different places.

This was spotted in the mall "The Slide"

They finally found the way to Ayre House. Seems the NZ Historic Places Trust card lets you get in to this one for free.  a really kind lady gave them a guided tour of the house.  It was grand.  Only part of it is run by the Historic Places,the rest has been turned into a function Centre.  The woman suggested a visit to the Art Gallery that was further along the road so this filled the rest of a wet afternoon.

Ayre House

Going to the Zoo Zoo Zoo

Friday 29th June

The temperature was expected to get up to 21 today and it looked nice outside so the big people decided to take us to the zoo for the day. 

A friendly bus driver asked us where we wanted to go and they said circular Quay. He said he actually went close to there so to get on. When we got down near that end of town he turned around and asked if anyone else  wanted to go where he was meant to be going and they all said no, they wanted to go to Circular quay. He said well that makes it easy and promptly took us all to Circular Quay. Only Down under!  Mary says that would never happen in London. BerLin says it would never happen in Germany, but Oprah says...You're in Sydney now mate.

The harbour looked beautiful and it was a lovely trip across to Taronga Park Zoo. After a quick ride up in the cable car we were at the top gate of the zoo and we spent the day walking back down the hill.

Well this as close as we got to a koala.

The animals are all really easy to see and have as natural habitats as possible.

Alan took some wonderful photos.Don't mess with any of these guys!  Notice we are not in any of these pics.

Out and About in Sydney

Thursday June 28th

Just for fun, Mary decided to give us a ride on the monorail today. It is going to be ripped out of Sydney this time next year, so they decided to have a ride around the city on it. It looks really ugly in the street with it's rail in front of lovely heritage buildings but it is a really fast way to get around the city and the view is amazing.

Here we are having a ride on the monorail.

The day pass included the light rail as well so after one circuit on the monorail so we got off and transferred to the tram. It was jam packed and it looked unlikely they would get a seat. But when it got the Star City stop everyone suddenly left and went into the Casino.

Star City Casino.  We were not  allowed toraid our piggy banks to go in here!

 Nothing much at the end of the line, so we stayed on and went back to Glebe and had a walk around.

Prymount

On the way back they got out at the Casino and went to  the theatre and booked tickets to An Officer and a Gentleman, (the musical) for Friday night.

The evening was spent catching up with Mary's cousin Liz. After drinks on level 47 of the round building in Australia Square we went to Liz's apartment for dinner. Magnificent view over the harbour but it was dark so it was just lights.

Liz, Mary, Oprah and Ber Lin

Angel Place

Today the High School choir were performing their adjudicated performance at the Angel Place Concert Hall.  We spent the morning slowly strolling in the general direction. 

First stop was at Paddy's Market which is just a stone's throw away from where we are staying.  There were a ll the usual t-shorts and tacky souvenirs for sale.  However Mary noted that unlike China and hong Kong, there were no pushy sales people.

Further on up the street we got caught up in the teacher's strike.  Mary spoke to a few of the teachers and then a bought a badge that said "No League Tables."

Apparently they have the same grievance as the teachers in NZ.

In a small alley way near the concert hall was a street full of bird cages.  There were no birds in the cages, but there was bird song playing.

We got into the hall in time for the performance.   Alan took one photo of Tane warming up before a grumpy man told everyone to put their phones and cameras away.  Really it was pointless as it was just parents and supporters who were there watching their own kids.  Mary found a spot where she could plant her video camera and managed to video it.

Then it was to the lovely Queen Victoria building for a late lunch and home for a rest!

A Day at the Opera (House)

Woke up and it was dull, grey and raining. No problem for me though as I get to travel in the dry in the back pack. I had my first photo taken today outside the Youth Hostel with Tane. He was off for a Harbour Cruise in the rain. Mary said I had to go with somewhere else so I waved Tane off on the coach and told him I would see him later at the Opera House.

 This is me with Tane outside the Youth Hostel. 

Mary and Alan set out walking and stopped to buy some bus tickets in case they needed a ride back to the hostel at any stage.

They were talking about going to Hyde Park Barracks Museum. and so they made their way there on foot along Elizabeth Street. This building was built by convicts in 1819 and is the most important historic landmark in the heart of modern Sydney. More than 50,000 convicts passed through its gates from 1819 to 1848. the building later became an immigrant hostel, an asylum for destitute women and eventually government offices. Of course it was nearly pulled down as they modernized Sydney, but luckily it was saved and it is a now a world heritage site. Mary and Alan had the audio guide, but I got see lots. I really liked getting a little snooze in the hammocks that the convicts used to sleep in. There were lots of kids there with their teachers and they were having a really good time as there was so much interesting to stuff to look at. 

Plenty of room for a little fella like me.

The rows of bunks where the convicts slept.

When it came time to leave it was raining koalas and dingos outside so we had to wait for it to go off enough to get across to the cafe in the crypt in the church across the road. This was a really important stop because it was at this church that Mary's great great grandfather and grandmother were married. St James' church is the oldest church in Sydney . It was opened in 1824. It is in the oldest part of Sydney were a fine complex of Georgian buildings were established. Mary assures me that there were no convicts in her family and she checked the computer at the barracks just to make sure!

Not sure I'd enjoy a convict's meal!

After lunch it was on to the Opera House to buy tickets for a tour. While waiting for the tour,Mary kept her promise and bought a new friend for me. In the shop at the opera house was a Sydney Opera House bear, so Oprah is now my travelling mate. The tour gave fascinating background information into the building and ongoing refurbishment. We got to go into 3 of the theatres and the highlight was hearing the Sydney symphony practicing in the concert hall.

Sydney at night outside the Opera House

Here we are in our seat at the concert hall.

In the evening we made our way back to the Concert Hall for the concert which Wanganui High School was part of. Wow they looked great on stage with their red and black and Tane was easy to see! Their item was really different from all the others and the compare went to great lengths to talk about it being a groundbreaking performance. It certainly kept us little people awake in our seats.

The other items were great as well and we are glad we are not having to judge them.

Tane at the Opera House.

Interior of the Concert Hall.

We made it to Sydney

Monday 25 June

Today I got up bright and early and helped pack up all the stuff and before I knew it we were off in the car to Wellington. Now I have never been to Wellington but seems that was not the destination. After lunch it was off to the airport and onto the plane, and before I knew it we were in Sydney.

Alan did not bet through security without having his hand luggage opened. There was soemthing suspicious in his bag. Turned out to be the hand weighing scales.

Everything was easy and we caught the Airport Express into Central Station. The Sydney Central Youth Hostel is right across the road from the station.

Checking out a couple of mates in departure at Wellington.

Teddy Bear Riot at 62

The toys have been in full scale riot on the couch.  The teddy bear union have rallied the troops and are unanimous that they send a representative  on this trip.  After much fur tugging they have decided that Ber Lin should be allowed to travel to Oz.  This is only on the condition that he brings home a new mate to take up residence with them on the couch.
So Ber Lin who gained a lot of confidence travelling in Hemi the Blue Van is currently packing his bags and taking orders for duty free.
Some of the others have been promised trips in the Waka when we go down south in the summer.

Off to Sydney

Just a little trip but it should be a good one.  We are off to Sydney on Monday to enjoy the fabulous Wanganui High School Choir who are the only New Zealand school to be part of the 2012 International Music Festival.
The highlight will be the concert in the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday evening.

Our grandson Tane who is in Year 12 is part of the group.  He is playing bass guitar and is on the right in this photo.