Just had a few days in the big smoke. That for me is Sydney and as it takes 9 hours on the train (but only an hour on the plane), it feels like forever away. I don't often get to the place of my birth and youth now-a-days, except when leaving the country or returning.
Anyway the trip down was eventful. The train was ordered to slow down for fear of sparks setting off more fires along the way. At one point, and off to the west just a bit there was a huge fire burning and the smoke from it was darkening the whole sky. I learnt later that 13 homes were lost in that particular blaze.
While I stayed at the Y on the Park (YWCA) the two day workshop was held in the conference rooms of the hotel Novatel at the Olympic Village, Homebush. What a beautiful place now. I hadn't seen the area since the redo for the games excepting on TV. The camera was working overtime but the brain was too.
Livinwell might be interested to hear that a Michael Kendrick from Mas. was a guest speaker ........ talking on innovative lives and creative solutions (for people with disabilities). What an inspiring talker.
I spent two evenings with my daughter and on the last one she experimented with a chook by stuffing it with apricots and almonds and roasting it (to perfection I might add), to impress her Mother. She did.
On my last day and still feeling click happy I decided on a visit to Circular Quay where I was madly taking photos like a regular slow traveller, i.e. The Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, etc., when I got this urge to get on the water. (missing my morning walks on the beach). So I found myself on the ferry to Taronga Park.......why not visit the rels I said to myself........(Taronga Park Zoo). A gorgeous day to ferry across the harbour.....more clicking.....Fort Denison, the Spirit of Tasmania etc. and then The Zoo.
While they have a ski lift that can take you up to the top I opted for a bus to enter at the top.....easier to walk down clicking than up. After a lovely chat with one of the Zoo volunteers (there are many of these very knowledgable people there) who said that I might just get a photo of a platypus if one ducked out. No such luck, however they being nocturnal animals I did see one in the alternate accommodation in a man-made cave and a glass fronted space that showed the various levels of living for these unique creatures. Couldn't get my camera to work in there, so concluded that it was not supposed to happen there.
Had lunch in a tree-top restaurant where a cheeky kookaburra dived out of a tree and nicked a chip off my plate. That was quite an experience too....... he/she just started laughing, at my shocked expression I guess but not until he/she had eaten the spoils.
The Zoo is smaller than what I remembered from childhood, but isn't that the way of things?
Came home yesterday to live through another weird phenomenon. A dust storm is not very pleasant, but this one was on a huge front and did its best to remove all of the topsoil from nearby farms.
I am glad to be back 'home' though.
Carole
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
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