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?! 

Travelling with Chronic Pain: Tips for Road Trips

Last week, I took a road trip with my mother.  Driving 6 hours to visit family was quite a challenge, but it wasn't impossible.  Over the past decade or so, I haven't travelled more than an hour or so in a car or bus.  I did hop a train to Sydney and I did fly a few times.  However, road trips were something I just wasn't prepared to do. There was a time, when more than an hour in the car was simply impossible.  Don't get me wrong, a 6 hour drive was not exactly easy, but I managed.  In fact, I managed quite well.

Here is how I did it.

1. Be Prepared:

I would give everyone this advice regardless of their health status because it's good advice.  As a person who lives with chronic pain, I am always prepared for the worst.  I carry pain medication with me all the time (most of the time) and I don't go anywhere overnight without an icepack.  If you are going to survive a long drive; you need to be prepared and plan ahead.

2. Plan Rest Stops

Know that you will need to rest regularly.  If you can only cope with an hour in the car, then you need to plan rest stops hourly.  I could manage an hour and a half to two hours. So, we planned accordingly. We also identified extra places we could stop, just in case.

3. Stretch

Make sure that "rest" includes stretching as well as a toilet break and a cup of tea.  Focus on your problem areas and repeat those stretches as often as you can.  It is so worth it.

4. Pillows are your Friend

Make sure you maintain good posture.  Use pillows and lumbar supports if you need to and use them well.  This is probably the most important thing you can do.  All the stops and stretches in the world won't do you any good if your posture is poor.  We all know poor posture is a contributing factor to neck and back pain.  While we have pain for other reasons, we don't need to make things worse with poor posture.  The best advice my physio gave me was so simple - use the head rest.  Make sure your head is in contact with it and tuck your chin in.  It kept me in check.  I also used pillows to support my elbows and a lumbar support behind my back.  This made such a difference!

5. Communicate!

We all know that the best thing about road trips is sharing the experience with someone.  My mum had to do all the driving and she was anxious to get to where we were going.  It was important for me to let her know when I needed a break.  It was also important for me to tell her if I wasn't ready to get back into the car. There were a few times when a short stretch and a sandwich wasn't enough of a break.  I needed to go for a walk up the street and back.

It was a great trip and I got through it. There was some pain the day after we arrived and I needed to organise some time for resting (more resting), but it was manageable because I was smart.  I didn't push through and ignore my body.

So, listen to your body.  Take the time to take care of yourself.  PAUSE (see what I did there?) it's not a race. Relax.  Enjoy the ride.

Until Next 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! 

7 things you need to know about travelling with Chronic Pain

I planned on writing a list of travel tips for Chronic Pain sufferers.  As a woman with Chronic Pain, I think I have a unique perspective of this issue.  These days, before writing a blog post, I tend to do some research (And by "research", I mean a "Pinterest Search") after which, I found lots of pins that linked to lots of articles about the mighty people who have chronic illness and travel the world.  Some of them are linked below.  If you think some of the items on this list seem a bit obvious to you, that's okay.  It might be worth sharing this with someone who plans to travel with someone who has a chronic illness so they know what you do. 

1. It's worth the extra money!

Chronic Illness comes with Chronic Complications and they don't take a vacation just because you do. Yes, a 4 star hotel is a bit more costly, but it's worth it to sleep in a comfortable bed and have a bathroom that is steps from said bed. Yes, taxi's might cost more than the bus or a leisurely walk to explore the town.  However, if that walk exhausts the chronically ill to the point that they can't enjoy the restaurant, museum or tourist attraction, pay the extra cash for the taxi.  There are a lot of things that you could save money on, but don't scrimp on the first day if it means the next three days will be spent in bed. 

2. Plan for your Illness

You will get tired.  You will need to take your medication.  You will need to stay hydrated and eat nutritious food.  It's worth carrying the extra bag with water bottles and a bag of nuts or fruit.  It's important to have all your medications with you (even the 'just in case' ones) and prescriptions for them.  Plan for time to rest.  Plan for the pain or other problems that might arise from a long plane or car trip.  Do your research before you go and use this to help you plan a great experience. Check in with your Medical Team during the planning stages and take their advice on board.  Check out these tips from Probe Around the Globe. 

3. It's okay to be sick/ sore/ ask for help

This is true and important all the time but especially when you are travelling.  Accept the special assistance offered at the airport, let your friends carry your extra bag, get the lift instead of the stairs, sit or lay on the ground if you can't wait until you get to a bed. Accept that this is what you NEED and remember that this is supposed to be a great experience for you too.  Don't be afraid to take care of yourself and let someone know if you need help. Check out these tips from Pins and Procrastination. 

4. Choose your Travel Buddy Wisely

We often don't tell people what we are really feeling. I get it.  Choose travel companions who understand your illness (or make sure they understand it before you leave). Make plans together and schedule time for you to rest.  Make sure your companion has important information about your medications, sleep aids and the best ways they can help you if you fall to pieces (AKA need help). Frugal First Class Travel has some very helpful information (from a medical practitioner) about medications and medical info you should have with you when you travel. 

5. Start Small

When planning to travel, make sure you know what you can handle.  Everyone's body has limits.  Know your limits.  Try a day trip and see what happens to your body.  Try an overnight trip that's closer to home.  Take a 3 hour flight and stay for a few days before you plan a long haul flight.  Learn from the experience.  Caravan Sonnet has some great tips about Cruising with a chronic condition. 

6. Stay Flexible

Things may not go according to plan.  Things will probably not go according to plan. Be prepared for it and let it go. Check out Travel to Recovery for advice from a woman who has travelled internationally with Fibromyalgia.  

7. Have Fun

Travel should be fun and educational! Relax and remember that the goal is for you to have a great time.  If that means being in bed at 8:30pm, so be it.  Enjoy what you can, but don't push yourself.  


Happy Travels

I Love Ice Cream....

I love Ice Cream so much that I need to limit my consumption of it.  You see, given the opportunity, I would eat Ice Cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  These days, having made that decision, I only have Ice Cream when it really worth the effort.  No cheap 'ice confection' for me.  No sir!  If I'm going to have Ice Cream it had better be special edition!

When I stumbled upon Nitrogenie recently, I was happier than a kid in a candy store! You see, this is something I had only heard of and seeing it in real life, right before my eyes was very exciting. I had to try it.

Nitrogenie is an ice cream parlour with a twist.  They use real ingredients mixed with liquid nitrogen to make thick and creamy Ice Cream.  It's divine! This method of ice cream creation has existed for a little while, but now any kid with a tenner can have this glorious gourmet treat.  Check out the video to see how it's done.

Photo is of the delicious mint choc chip delight that I devoured last week.  Mmmmmm

Yummy, Yum, Yum.
Nitrogenie has stores all over the world.  Check it out!

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!