Postcards from Canberra (Zoo)

Welcome to Part 2 of my Canberra Escape!! If you are interested, you can click on Part 1 to see it. So, let's get back to it. We pick up the adventures on Monday Morning.  

It was my Mum's birthday!! I gave her a birthday card when we both got up and we had breakfast at the Crown Plaza (where we were staying) and took it easy for the morning in preparation for our Zoo experience.  We were so excited we arrived at the Zoo almost two hours early!  The Arboretum is close to the Zoo so we decided to stop there for lunch and spent some time in the Bonzai Gallery. Check out these photos.  

Now for the main event... our visit to the National Zoo and Aquarium was the whole reason we travelled to Canberra and is a once in a lifetime experience.  We stayed one night at the Jamala Wildlife Lodge.
Arriving at 1pm, we drove into our reserved parking space (a real luxury after all the trouble we'd had parking) we were welcomed to the Zoo and our luggage was taken and delivered to our treehouse.  No lugging bags for us!  Afternoon tea was delicious and included a selection of savoury and sweet finger food as well as fruit.  Tea, coffee, water and other cold drinks were on offer too.  

After some obligatory paper work and a lovely snack, we enjoyed our first wildlife encounter.  A cheetah cub, called Solo (he's nearly two years old), came to visit with his surrogate litter mate, Zama (she's a dog).  If you want to read more about their story, check this out. We headed out to our first tour which included feeding an emu, watching the meerkats, communicating with the monkeys and learning about the Zoo in general.  This tour finished at our Giraffe Treehouse (which has deer and an alpaca in the front yard.  After about 10 minutes to settle in, we had another encounter, feeding the Giraffe who lives in the "back yard" of the Treehouses.  Hummer, the giraffe, walked right up to the balcony so you can hand feed him a couple of carrots! He also has a feed box attached to each treehouse balcony so when you run out of carrots, he still comes to visit you and eat grass/ hay from his box.  It's amazing!

Hummer really enjoyed eating food from our balcony.  

We really enjoyed spending some quiet time watching him. 

I'm not going to tell you everything we did at the zoo, I'm just going to show you some more photos!

As you can see, we enjoyed several animal encounters, gourmet meals, 5 star luxury, and guided tours (yes, more than one) of the Zoo.  We also had two opportunities to explore the Zoo outside of trading hours, which meant no crowds!!! Everything was included in the price.  An added perk was the 15 % discount at the Zoo gift shop.

The service was excellent and the staff were all so friendly, helpful and professional.  I have to say, I probably won't enjoy visiting any other Zoo as this experience was top notch! It was well worth the luxury price tag.

After leaving the Zoo we went to Parliament House for lunch on "The Queen's Terrace" and a guided tour.  We also got an obligatory selfie on the roof with the big flag in the background! Then, we headed home, tired and happy.

The view from The Queen's Terrace Café at Parliament House.  

You can see Old Parliament House (the white buildings) 

Anzac Drive and The War Memorial in the centre back.

Soup of the Day at the Café, the food was delicious.

The Australian Flag that flies on the roof of Parliament House

could cover the side of a double decker bus! 

It doesn't look that big, but it is very high! 

If you are Australian, you MUST visit Canberra at least once in your life and enjoy all it has to offer.  Visitors to Australia, if you are coming this far you should definitely plan to spend at least a little of your time in Canberra.  Visit the Library, the Art Gallery, Parliament House, the National Zoo, the markets and the glassworks, check out the Arboretum, reflect at the War Memorial, walk along the banks of Lake Burleigh Griffin and enjoy the fine foods at restaurants in Kingston.  I haven't even mentioned Questacon, the other museums and galleries or the special events and festivals on offer.

I wonder where I will go next?

Postcards from... Canberra!

Are you dying to hear about it?  Well, the wait is over. 

My Mum and I travelled to Canberra in early August. It was a four day whirlwind and we packed it full … for me anyway. We flew from Brisbane to Canberra on a Saturday morning, which took about an hour and a half.  We couldn't check into our room at the Crowne Plaza until after 2pm, so we had a few hours to kill.  

Picking up a rental car took mere minutes and we headed straight to the National Library for lunch at the Bookplate restaurant.  This was followed by selfie opportunities with the gorgeous stained glass windows and a leisurely walk around the Treasures Gallery. They had several amazing artifacts, artworks and (of course) books from their core collection.  There was also a special exhibition of the history of Australian political cartoons.  The video of interviews with political cartoonists was informative and insightful.   

A few hours went by quickly.  We went for a quick drive around Canberra, this didn't take long, to find some landmarks and places we were planning to visit on Sunday and Monday, so we knew how to get there.  We settled into our hotel, picked up some food (finding a park was so painful!) and Mum headed out with some old friends.  I had a good rest! 

Sunday was so much fun and exhausting!  We had a full buffet breakfast at the hotel (included in the price of our stay) and headed out to the Old Bus Depot Markets right next door to the Canberra Glassworks.  There were some beautiful artwork, handmade crafts and jewellery stalls as well as clothes, hats and food.  Oh the food! Mum and I had some fun browsing and purchased a few small items to take home.  The cold weather got the better of me and I bought a pair of gloves without fingertips.  My gloves were annoying me and I had to keep removing them to use my phone.  I enjoyed talking to the stall holders about their particular crafts and expertise.  These markets are a great opportunity to meet some locals and pick up some unique souvenirs.  

Mum had a coffee and I had a hot chocolate from the hot drink stall at the front of the market building and can give it 5 stars!  It was by far the busiest of the stalls.  We ate some fruit that we snagged from the breakfast buffet and walked off to the Canberra Glassworks. 

The Canberra Glassworks is located inside the historic Kingston Powerhouse and much of the building is still in tact.  When you are sitting in a workshop you can look up to see huge pipes, steel beams and big switches.  Thankfully, there are also plaques explaining what things are and which part of the power station you are actually standing in.  There are always artists working with glass in the 'hotshop', you can book in for classes where you get to learn from experienced artists and there are some artist talks on during the week.  If you sign up to create something you get one on one attention and get to keep what you make.  We didn't book in for any tours or classes, but there are viewing galleries in most of the workshop spaces and artists are happy to interact with visitors.  They will explain what they are doing and are happy to answer questions.  We wandered through the gallery to take a look at the special exhibition and marvelled at the price of all the handmade products in the shop.  An absolute must at the Glassworks is a good go at the marble run, shown here to the left.  You can purchase a bag of handmade marbles for $5.  Place the marbles on the platform and crank the handle to raise them to the top of the run (a full flight of stairs above your head) and when they get there they go through different pipes and start falling to the ground.  Suspend the fact that you are an adult and shouldn't care about playing with marbles and crawl on the floor to find all the marbles so you can have another go.  

The core of the Australian War Memorial, 

reflecting pool and original dome. 

We went to the Australian War Memorial and enjoyed lunch at Poppy's café.  Which was lovely.  There were television screens playing audio visual displays in a few locations, comfortable seating, tables and cushions with pictures of old war propaganda.  Then we hurried to the reception area for the 90 minute highlights tour.  There are about 4 of these each day, run by volunteers and is well worth it. This tour didn't cover every exhibition and moved quite quickly through the space, but stories told by the volunteer guide were fascinating and he helped us make connections between exhibits that we never would have done alone.

Memorial Plaques with Poppies left by family and friends 

beside names of Australians who died in armed conflicts.  

There were several areas that we would have liked to explore more, but ran out of time.  The visit was somewhat emotional and I wouldn't be able to spend the whole day there.  However, I would go and visit again.  There is also an audio tour, for the cost of $10 which has additional information about selected exhibits and it very engaging.  There are also 30 minute highlights and 60 minute highlights tours which are free and are repeated throughout the day. There are other tours which are more specific to certain exhibitions once a day. Check out the War Memorial Website for tour times and special exhibitions.

Feeling very sore and tired, we decided to go back to the hotel for a rest. Mum went out with family friends for dinner and I went to bed early.  

I think that's plenty of news about Canberra, for now.  Next week, I will tell you all about our visit to the Canberra Zoo.  

See you Next Week... Hopefully on time?! 

Postcards from... Biloela

Good Morning Friends, 

You are probably wondering, 'Where on Earth is Biloela?"  You're not alone.  In fact, I didn't know (nor did I care that much), where it was.  I had no desire whatsoever to visit this little Mining Town, south west of Rockhampton.  That was, until my sister and her husband packed up their bus, kids and two dogs to move here.  Now, I'm happy to take a 6 hour drive through country Queensland, just to see them for a few days.  My sister is a lucky lady.  I wouldn't drive that far for just anyone's 40th birthday.  Her present is My PRESENCE! 

Let's check it out on the map.... 

It's a beautiful place and the people I have met so far are kind and have a great sense of humour.  You have to have a good sense of humour to have a conversation with me.  He he he.  Check out this website for more info about this country town.  

Here I sit, at the small table in the ensuite 'villa' (read: converted container where sitting at the kitchen table is also sitting on the bed), tapping away on the keyboard and listening to a gameshow re-run on the TV (which is perched atop the fridge).  We went for a walk this morning and had breakfast at one of the two bakeries in town.  Now, I'm ready for a nap.  

Callide Dam

We have a big weekend planned.  Today, we are babysitting.  We're hoping to check out the famous dam and take the kids to the art gallery.  At some point, my brother-in-law will take me out for 'coffee', I hope.  Tomorrow we have a birthday party for my niece who is turning 5 in May.  Yes, I know we are very early, but the birthday girl wants me at her party so she has to have it when I'm in town.  I will tell you all about the party over the coming weeks.  Stay Tuned for that. 

On Sunday we are having lunch with my sister for her 40th Birthday.  :) On Monday, we are heading home!  Then we will need a real holiday!

Next week, I will have some "Road Trip" tips for people with Chronic Pain and their carers.

Do you want to know what craft supplies I packed for this epic 5 day hiatus from my craft room? If you were going away for a few days or a week, what would you take with you? Would you take anything? More on that later.  

Happy Weekend! 

Postcard from Brisbane, QLD Australia

This week, I spent a few days in Brisbane.  I stayed in a 4 star hotel in a deluxe suite and I ate at a couple of fancy restaurants.  While I don't live far from the capital city of Queensland, my visits there are rare, So I put on my tourist hat and had a much needed 'holiday'.
Check out my recommendations of things to do.  I did some of these things during my stay.

My hotel was right across the road from Roma Street Parklands.  It is a beautiful place and you can easily spend a few hours wandering the pathways. In December, the Parklands come alive with a light display and nightly events.  There are often FREE events on during the day.  Click here for a map and information on the Family Friendly Activities/ Areas you can visit.

Just one corner of the Roma Street Parklands

Source: Thing Doer Blog

The Museum of Brisbane: Level 3 of the Brisbane City Hall- not to be confused with the Queensland Museum on the other side of the Brisbane River- has some interesting exhibitions about the history of Brisbane as a city and admission is FREE! Exhibitions change regularly.

The Cultural Centre includes the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), The Queensland State Library, The Queensland Museum and Science Centre.  
There are shows on at QPAC most days and nights, with some FREE events on the weekend or during the school holidays.  Be sure to check out the website for show times.  I took a chance and the day I visited was the only day that week that there was nothing on! All the new shows started the next day!

I took a turn around the art gallery - there were several FREE exhibitions and tours as well as two paid exhibitions.  There are some lovely volunteers at the gallery who are always happy to answer your questions about any of the art. I had a good chat with one of the volunteers who noticed how a particular piece had caught my eye and she gave me quite the history lesson.  While it's a great place to visit on any day of the week, check the website to find out about special events and activities or projects for some extra fun and learning.  The Art Gallery has a cinema and installations of art in all types of media.

It's FREE to enter the Museum and Science Centre with an additional charge to enter some of the special exhibitions. The Science Centre is especially worth a visit as many of the displays are interactive!

Even the State Library has exhibitions and Events that are worth a look.  Especially for the book lovers out there.  Author Talks, Tours, Displays, Workshops and Events for kids are all there.  Just check the website to see what's on.

Brisbane's Cultural Centre at Night

Source: remotetraveller.com

Next to QPAC you will find The Wheel of Brisbane!  For the low price of $20 you can ride this giant Ferris Wheel in a fully enclosed and air conditioned gondola. Open from 10am to 10pm, you can see the 360 degree views of the city by day or night with an audio guide of the main sights.  There are packages and picnics available as well as options for special events and groups.  I went all by myself and it was a great view.  You go around the wheel 3-4 times and it takes 10-15 minutes. Of course, there is the waiting in line and the photo opportunities so allow more time for this activity.

Wheel of Brisbane

Source: Queensland Blog

Keep walking along the River and explore the South Bank Parklands.  There are lots of places to grab a meal including the high end restaurants and more casual family dining offering a range of cuisines.  You can also enjoy a cruise on the Brisbane River which is a nice and relaxing way to see the historic buildings and other locations on the banks of the river.

I have barely scratched the surface of this buzzing city.  There are special events for children (school holidays) and for the adults; markets, comedy clubs, festivals, theatre and more.

Travel and Getting Around the City: The Spring Hill Loop (FREE), check out the BUZ buses that link the city and suburbs, run at 15- 30 minute intervals and stop at major locations in the city using the Busway. While it's easy enough to walk through the south bank parklands and around the Cultural Centre precinct, the CBD is basically on a big hill.  Many of the streets are one way and while some locations seem close by they are up some quite impossible hills.  If you aren't up for a hike, it might be easier to hop on a bus.  The City Hopper is FREE ferry service that moves up and down the Brisbane River.  Loop Buses are FREE and worth the trouble.  If in doubt, get an Uber.

The Brisbane City Hopper 

Source: Briz Commuter Blog

I know I might sound like I'm getting some kind of kickback or compensation from the Brisbane City Council for my comments here, but I'm not. My opinions are my own.  It surprises me that I live so close to some really wonderful things and I spend so much time on the couch.  There are plenty of reasons for that, but we won't go there today.  I'm just saying, I don't need to hop on a plane to have a good weekend!

My Last Day in Adelaide (Postcards from Adelaide Airport...)

Day 6, my last day in Adelaide, started early.  I got up and ate what was left of my fresh food from the central markets and packed my suitcase. Checking out of my hotel early meant that I could tick off some of the items on my Adelaide bucket list.

By the way...  My serviced apartment had a luggage storage service, that means you can check out, but leave your luggage with them while you take a last look around (or whatever) and come back to get your luggage when you're done.  When booking your accommodation, this service is usually listed along with the other facilities/ services that they offer. If it's not listed, most would probably be happy to do this for you if you ask.  I was so glad this was available. 

I hopped a bus back to the Central Market and cut through the market to get to Gouger Street and find The Mars Bar.  It's the only LGBT bar in Adelaide.  Due to the early hour, it was closed.  But that was fine, because I just love the name of the place and I wanted a photo outside.  From the outside, it was a bit of a let down.  Something tells me, it is a whole lot different at night. 

Lacey got legless at the Mars Bar!! LOL

As you can see, I snapped a few photos then meandered back towards the Market.  I took a photo of the Chinese restaurant that my Uncle had recommended... it was closed too. I grabbed a hot pastry from one of the lovely bakeries at The Central Markets. 

The Fortune Duck on Gouger St, apparently does huge serves. 

I was a bit reluctant to eat there as I knew I would end up wasting food.

I hopped on a bus back to my hotel, retrieved my luggage and had a good old chat to the concierge (before you get excited, SHE was more of a 20-something kindred spirit, as we bonded over favourite Disney movies and books).  I hopped back on the bus to the airport.  That was sad.

Adelaide Airport does its job well and is a lovely small space, in comparison to Sydney or even Brisbane.  They have a few specialty shops and restaurants.  I stopped by Smiggle to buy some pens on sale.  They have a South Australia Icons store that sells everything from Barossa Valley wine, Beerenberg Jams, Haigh's Chocolates and more.  The selection is small compared to going to the real thing, but would be a perfect place to pick up some last minute souvenirs.  I visited a specialty chocolate shop (I can't remember the name), that is quite popular in Adelaide (not Haigh's), and finally located a chocolate peanut butter truffle.  I have a friend who loves this combination, so I bought one for him.  I also had one last gelato before I boarded the plane.  It was delicious!

The flight home was uneventful.  The family greeted me at home and we had a rather noisy dinner.  Shelly planted herself squarely on my suitcase in a rather obvious protest against my leaving for so long.

Then, that was that. 

Oh Adelaide, How I miss you!

See you all next week.  When I will update you on all the goings on around here, since I arrived home.  Which was almost six weeks ago.  So sad. 

Postcards from Adelaide: Day 5

Glenelg

Everyone says that if you are in Adelaide you have to catch the tram to Glenelg.  It turns out, you can catch the bus too.  Glenelg is all about the tourists while Henley Beach is perfect for the "local" experience.  I hopped on a tram at King William Street (at the end of Rundle Mall) and rode all the way to Glenlg.  The trip took about 30 minutes.  The Glenelg tram stop is (literally) on the beach and about a two minute walk from The Beach House. This is like an arcade or beach side carnival.  There is a ferris wheel (although it was out of order when I was there), air hockey, video and arcade games, water tube boats, a café and (the main reason I went), Putt Putt a.k.a. mini-golf. 

I had fun moving through the 18-hole course, although there were several young people playing in their swimwear and that was a sight I didn't need.  If you look beyond the course while moving through it, you can see the beautiful blue water and gorgeous white sand of the Glenelg Beach.  I also had fun taking photos of my mini travel buddies.  Ha ha... he he he!!

You can easily spend a full day in Glenelg with the beach, boardwalk shopping and dining, and special events.  On the holidays they have a moonlight cinema open on the beach.  Purchase a ticket and you can watch a new release laying on your beach towel.  I only spent the morning there as I had more things to do in the city.  By the way, there are mini-golf courses at West Beach, Victor Harbour, Semaphore and Hahndorf.  If I had more time in Adelaide I would have played on all of the courses.  At least I can add them to my list of things to do next time. 


After a game of Putt Putt, I checked out a few shops on the boardwalk before hopping on a bus back to the city centre.  After a light breakfast in my apartment, I had quite a day of dining out.  Considering I hadn't eaten out that much, I decided to check out a few places that I'd heard were worth a visit.  The afternoon was spent just exploring and it was great!  

Adelaide Dining

St Louis Desserts- they have restaurants at Glenelg and in the city.  It was definitely worth a visit.  There was a selection of cakes, slices, gelato and made to order delights such as waffles, fondue, crepes and churros.  I had fun just reading the menu.  The range of hot and cold drinks include the humble cuppa as well as some fancy, sweet creations.  They also serve breakfast.  Check out the website (linked above) for more info.  I had the strawberry Nutella crepe, which was divine!

Peter Rabbit- is a restaurant on Hindley Street. You can visit the real live rabbits in their hutch behind the restaurant, while waiting for your order.  I had poached eggs and bacon on sourdough with avocado, which was delicious.  I would liken the experience to having lunch in Mr McGregor's garden.  The décor suited the theme which was lovely and, perhaps the best review, it was busy.  I loved the comfy couch, books and piano in the corner.  It's worth a visit and is a nice place to catch up with friends or sit alone and enjoy.  The menu included vegan options too!

Hindley St - is another dining hub.  I was told by a friend that I "had to" walk up Hindley St.  They failed to mention that the best experience would be had at night when all the clubs are open.  So, my mid-afternoon walk was exceptionally uneventful, as I walked past dozens of closed bars and night clubs.  I did happen upon a little independent book store and enjoyed reading the titles, old and new, on the shelves.  The store itself was just a wonderful place to be.  I could have spent hours there.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the store. 


The Bunker Sports Bar and Grill
After another day of walking far and wide, I was not in the mood for meal preparation, so went to The Bunker, which is the sports bar situated under my apartment building. The restaurant is a big space with lots of booths and dark alcoves.  You can be in the middle of the action or hide in a corner if you like.  Now I can say I have been to a sports bar.  I can't say I will do that again, but the food was yummy!

That was Day 5.  Next week, I will tell you all about my last day in Adelaide. 
Sigh... I miss it.