Knitting String

Remember this?  I don’t think it’s really string, but that’s what it feels like – knitting cotton I think.

With a bit of perseverance, I’m not a speedy knitter by any means, this is what I ended up with.  Two veggie/fruit bags to take shopping.  Now that single use plastic bags are a thing of the past, we have to think what to do with the loose produce we want to buy, although I notice that larger quantities are still bagged.

Two produce bags

Just had to change the pattern.  The overall lacy design on the bottom of the larger bag was not difficult, but so slow to knit with those big needles.  So after several rows I changed to garter stitch, and it went much quicker.  The smaller bag was knitted in alternate rows of garter stitch and holes.

As we had recently returned from our recent Aussie Adventure holiday there was another job to get on with.  I had made this quilt as a memory quilt to record the adventures on our first Australian rail trip.  With plenty of spare room on the sashings it now records the adventures we have enjoyed over four Aussie Adventures.  Places we stayed, scenery, attractions visited, rides, exotic (to us) food eaten, any thing of interest got written down.  It is a visual diary of our holidays.  Of course, the quilt was constructed with Australian, mostly Aboriginal inspired designs.

Aussie Adventure quilt

So that’s been my week – what have you been getting up to?

Sydney to Auckland

It was time to leave Australia, so off we went, pulling our wheelie cases behind us.  Robin has a new case with four wheels, and it certainly is much easier to manage than mine with two wheels.  My “I Love Quilting” tag was a gift several years ago from pen friend Elaine from Oregon.

Yes, I do love quilting!

Our trip through Security at Sydney Airport was a little stressful.  Both of us were directed to the body scanner, stand there and hold our arms up we were told.  Nope, that wasn’t right, and a female officer was called in to pat me down – oh dear.  The trouble seemed to be the passport and money I had in a holder around my neck, that had to be removed, put on a tray and through the bag scan, and I went through the body scanner one more time.  Robin was getting patted down too, and all the while people are looking on, wondering what these people had been getting up to!  When we were finally sent on our way, we waited, and waited some more at the correct terminal gate, and finally were called to board.   Oh look, Air NZ knows our names!

This flight was a much shorter trip this time, just under 3 hours.  Hopping aboard the Sky Bus at Auckland Airport we drove through the rain as it got progressively darker, luckily the driver told us when to get off.  Booked in at reception, and then we were informed that we had been upgraded to  King Room, so that was a nice surprise.  It was a bit of a wrestling match to peel those extra tight airline socks off, and then we could relax.

Our room for the next 3 nights

I was a bit foxed by these sockets by the desk, and plaintively told Robin there was nowhere to plug my lap top into.  But I was wrong, seems that these strange things were universal power connectors, my 3 pin plug had to be turned upside down, and then it would fit.  How was I meant to know that – it was all a bit too technical for me.

New fangled power sockets

Up to the 13th floor we went the next morning for breakfast, and there was a lovely view over the harbour.  The rain had eased and the weather was clearing.  The breakfast buffet was amazing, much more choice and so much nicer than our previous hotel.  Robin was in Honey Heaven when he found this delightful honey comb – liquid honey was ready and waiting to be poured into a dinky little dish and spread on his breakfast toast!  And I found some smoked salmon and fancy cheese, so I was extra happy too.

Some of the delightful breakfast choices

We were told that just  across the road from our hotel was The London Lolly Shop.  So while Robin was resting his sore knee after our day sightseeing I popped across to find out.  Sure enough, there it was.  Have to admit some Fry’s Bars and Acid Drops were very keen to come back with me.

The London Lolly Shop

And lo and behold, quite by accident,  I discovered a quilt shop, called New Zealand Fabrics and Yarn tucked down an arcade.   As I entered, the girl behind the counter called out, “I do like your bag”.  I was carrying my  blue denim raggy bag, with my little blue koala purchased last year in Sydney hanging from the handle.  I like to take this with me on holiday, as I have attached “dog clips” inside to keep my wallet and camera safe.  (My bag will need a good wash when I get home).

My ever so handy raggy denim bag

This young lady is a Bag Lady, she told me, and likes to make all sorts of bags.  She showed me two which she had recently completed.  And by the look in her eye, I think she will be making herself a shaggy denim bag before too long.

Self confessed Bag Lady

New Zealand Fabrics and Yarns

It was so nice to talk to somebody so crafty, pet some fabrics and yes, a couple of fat quarters did come away with me.  Some nice batiks with NZ designs, a dark purple paua shell design and the other printed with pale green kowhai.  I’ll need the purple one when I get back to work on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks.  That’s my excuse anyway.

New Zealand designed batiks

Several Days in Sydney

Hello Sydney, its great to be back.  Here we are back again,  fresh from our glorious time aboard the Indian Pacific train ride.  We arrived at big and bustling Central Station, and more importantly, our hotel is just across the road.  Oh look, they’re expecting us.  We were looking forward to a good nights sleep, the bed on the train shook and jiggled about as we bounced along the rail track.  Robin was pleased that he was not expected to climb the ladder any more.

Looking forward to a restful night’s sleep

So what have we been doing?  Sightseeing, of course, and making the most of the wonderful Sydney public transport system using our pre-loaded Opal Card exploring the city, traveling  on buses, trains and ferries using our card. Here are some sights from Circular Quay, a cruise ship in port, some of the cute little yellow ferries, with Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.  And I’m sure everyone will recognise the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

We took a trip across the harbour to Manly Beach on one of those ferries.  Sat on the beach and watched the young people sunbathing, swimming, and surfing, while thinking, "I used to have legs like that once!"  Never mind, at least mine still get me around, no trouble.

Selfie on the Manly Ferry

The following day we decided to go to another famous Sydney beach, Bondi Beach, traveling on the Bondi Bendy Bus which took us through suburbs chock full of heavy traffic.   And there’s the famous beach.  There were lots of surfers waiting for that perfect wave, and plenty of bikini clad beauties sun bathing on the beach.  It’s Spring in this part of the world, but come summer, the whole beach is covered with people.  Wet suited surfers carrying boards under their arms ran into the surf, paddling out to join the others.    Did you know that Robin did surf lifesaving in his younger days?

Bondi Beach

We had decided to go back to Sydney a different way, so that we could get a good overview of this large city.  Catching another local bus, we got off at Watsons Bay, and walked down to the ferry pier.  Great timing, one had just arrived and was almost ready to depart.  We love the ferry rides, so convenient, and a great way to get about.

 

Just in time to catch the ferry

Before too long we were almost at Circular Quay, home to all the ferries.  And here’s the famous Harbour Bridge.

Not quite the Titanic pose, but you get the idea

Madame Tussauds has newly arrived in the city, so we went to check it out.  As expected, most of the people showcased were Australians, sportspeople, politicians, and entertainers, some were familiar to us, while others were not.  I’m sure you will have heard of Steve Irwin from Australia Zoo, and he had a TV series.  This larger than life good keen Aussie bloke wrestled crocs and poisonous snakes and sadly was killed by a stingray while filming around the Great Barrier Reef.

Steve Irwin

Royalty were in town and wanted to meet me so I donned my best hat (borrowed from a selection hanging on hooks)  and went to say hello.

So pleased to meet you

We met some locals too on the wharf, there was quite a crowd gathered around as two Aboriginal men sang, danced and played the didgeridoo.

Entertainment at Circular Quay.

There was one more mode of Sydney transport to take, a ride on the light rail.   It was crammed full of people, with most disembarking just a few stops up the road, going to Paddy’s Market.  We stayed on for the full trip,  and did the return trip back to Central Station.

Sydney Light Rail

And just in case you think I’m getting lazy with all this holiday lark, I found the hotel guest laundries while we have been traveling and spent a little time there too.  Being a keen washerwoman, I made sure I packed some laundry detergent in my bag!

The laundry must get done, holiday or not!

Our time in Sydney is almost at an end, we’ll be finishing with a nice farewell meal out tonight - I’ve got a hankering for some juicy Aussie prawns.  This is our second trip to Sydney, and would you believe that I have yet to find the fancy Sydney shops and department stores - just as well I’m not a shopaholic. Tomorrow we will be flying home  to New Zealand, spending a few days in Auckland first then traveling down the Island on the Northern Explorer train.

All Aboard the Indian Pacific

At last, the day had arrived, it was finally time to board the Indian Pacific train for our trip from Perth to Sydney.  Our 4352km journey would take 4 days and 3 nights, and would be pulled by a diesel loco, immediately behind was a carriage carrying several vehicles.  The train consisted of guest carriages, Platinum Club Car for the well-to-do, restaurant and lounge cars, crew quarters and power vans.

The adventure begins

Would you like a peep in our dinky little cabin?  It looks like this.  Comfy lounge seating during the day, which is turned into two bunks at night.  And each cabin has it’s own little bathroom.

Day and night

Of course, we diddn’t have to stay in the cabin all day, there is a nice roomy lounge car to use, with tea and coffee available, as well as juice and quite a range of alcoholic drinks, all there, just for the asking.  Plus plenty of fellow passengers to chat to.  Mostly Aussies, several Kiwi couples, we also met a very pleasant couple from Scotland and a gent from Las Vegas.  I also met a lady one afternoon who does quilting, so we had plenty to chat about!

Outback Explorer Lounge

Our meals were taken in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant Car.  Seated at tables of four, our dining companions usually changed each meal.  As for the onboard meals, just delicious.  Every meal, even breakfast, came with several choices on the menu.  And we got to try foods we had not previously encountered, Jew fish, beef cheeks, camel curry and kangaroo!

Queen Adelaide Restaurant

I know that some people think spending four days travelling in a train would be boring, but we didn’t find it so.  The sights out the window were constantly changing and there was always something to see.  There were paddocks of bright lime green canola, and wheat, we saw stock, both cattle and sheep.  As the land got drier once more, we finally spotted some kangaroos and emus – that sent up an excited roar throughout the lounge car.  Then we saw some feral goats, several nannies with twin kids trailing along behind.  What often happens is that the train whizzes by, and the photo opportunities are lost if your camera is not primed and ready to go.  The landscape was mostly flat and barren, especially while traveling though the Nullarbor Plains.  Not at all like the green paddocks,  tree covered hills and snow capped mountains  of New Zealand.

The everchanging landscape

Many off train experiences and excursions were included in the trip, often involving an early morning wake up call.  At Kalgoorlie, a city founded on gold, we had an evening trip to view the Super Pit, mining gold 24 hours a day.  At 3.5km long, 1.5km wide, and 600m deep, the Super Pit is large enough to be seen from space.   An awful lot of rock has to be extracted to find a small  amount of gold.  Then we went to see an outdoor play “Paddy Hannan’s Ounce of Luck”.  Local actors tell the story of Paddy practically tripping over gold nuggets, which he quickly collected and then rushed off to stake his claim in 1893. The 100 ounces of gold Paddy found in the area  sparked the greatest gold rush in Australian history.

Paddy Hannan and his gold discovery story

After a late night, it was an early morning wake-up call the next day, ready to depart the train at 6.15am.  The train stopped in Rawlinna in the Nullarbor Plains for breakfast.  Singer Matt entertained us, the camp fires were burning, and we had a lovely time eating breakfast outdoors.

Bacon and egg sliders, and vegemite scrolls

The train crossed the State Line from Western Australia to South Australia, and our next stop was at the ghost town of Cook, home to just a few inhabitants.  Established in 1917, Cook was originally built as a support town for the railway, with more than 50 people helping to maintain the tracks.  We stopped here to take on diesel and water.  Literally in the middle of nowhere – that’s what the sign declared!  You can see how dry and barren the ground is.

At Cook, the Middle of Nowhere

Then we had an early morning city bus tour around the very pretty city of Adelaide, concluding with a rather fancy breakfast at the Adelaide Oval, home of cricket.  Then it was back on the train again to continue our journey.  The Indian Pacific pulled into Broken Hill (also known as Silver City) at about 5.00pm and it was time for another off train excursion.  We didn’t realise that all the mining was so close to the town.  In fact we were told that the mine tunnels run under the town.  There was a choice of things to see, and we decided on the Big Picture, the world’s largest acrylic painting by a single artist.  This giant 12m by 100m work of art was created by local self taught artist Ando over two years, and is housed in the Silver City Mint and Art Centre, run by Ando’s brother, silversmith Peter.  As Ando worked on the painting, Peter constructed the accompanying foreground, using soil, and models of animals and reptiles, bushes and bones.  With a welcoming glass of wine, and canapes to nibble, we gazed at this huge work of art showcasing the local area.

The Big Picture

Our final excursion was to the magnificent Blue Mountains, now declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Our bus load of passengers were visiting Scenic World and the guides were ready and waiting for us.  Scenic World run their operation in the National Park and offer three exciting rides for visitors.  We stepped onto the glass bottomed Scenic Skyway which glided 270m above the Jamison Valley – you don’t look down through the glass floor if you have a nervous disposition!

Glass bottomed Scenic Skyway

Next we waited our turn to climb aboard the Scenic Railway, (actually a cable car).  At a 52 degree incline, the Scenic Railway is the steepest passenger train in the world.  Each seat had it’s own entrance, so we filed down the steps and settled down for the ride.  It was up and over the edge, and whoosh - straight down, hanging on for dear life!  It may not look so scary, but tipped forward at such an angle while going down so quickly rather took my breath away.

Steepest in the world when it goes over the edge!

Down on the forest floor we walked along the boardwalk, hoping to get a glimpse of the elusive Lyre bird, but no luck with that.  What we did discover was that coal mining was done in this beautiful area in earlier years, thank goodness that is now stopped.  Our last ride of the morning was the Scenic Cableway, Australia’s biggest cable car which can carry up to 84 people (standing, no seats).  This took us 545m from the valley floor to the top of the escarpment.

The Scenic Cableway

We got a great view of the iconic Three Sisters from here.  According to the Aboriginal legend the three beautiful sisters lived in the Jamison Valley as members of the Katoomba tribe, and had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, yet tribal law forbade them to marry.  The brothers were not happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a major tribal battle.  As the lives of the three sisters were seriously in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe took it upon himself to turn the three sisters into stone to protect them from any harm. While he had intended to reverse the spell when the battle was over, the witchdoctor himself was killed. As only he could reverse the spell to return the ladies to their former beauty, leaving the sisters in stone forever. 

The Three Sisters

With our Scenic World adventures over, it was off to Echo Point for a tasty lunch.  The bus then dropped us off at Katoomba Station where we sat in the sunshine as we waited for the arrival of our charter train to take us into Sydney.  Two hours later we arrived in the Big Smoke to find our bags on the platform, well guarded and arranged in carriage numbers, ready to uplift for the Sydney part of our adventure.  Whew – what a busy four days.  Perhaps we need a holiday to get over our train trip!

Kangaroos, Koalas and a Wombat

You know you are in Australia when you can get up close and personal to these iconic animals.  We’ve spent a busy day on board a big blue Adams Coach, doing a full day trip.  First stop was to the Caversham Wildlife Park where the tour guide took us around to check out the animals.  The morning was a bit drizzly so we were pleased we had taken our rain jackets.  Some of the kangaroos had Joey's in the pouches so we could see legs or heads sticking out as Mum hopped around. 

 

Kangaroos galore

Next stop was the wombat enclosure where one of the keepers was sitting with a male wombat on his lap, and we were invited up to have our photo taken.  The wombat was perfectly content and didn’t move at all, as one after another, the bus passengers filed up for their photo opportunity.

Time with the wombat

Then it was on to the koala enclosure, where, sure enough, a young koala was waiting with the keeper. As we were allowed to gently touch these animals, we  had to use hand sanitiser as we entered each enclosure, to protect the animals.  

With a young koala

Our whizz bang tour concluded, we boarded the bus again and went on our way.  Our lunch stop was at the Lobster Shack, on the coast at Cervantes,  where we had a tour through the processing factory, then on to the dining area for lunch.  The price for our coach tour included fish and chips for lunch, with the option to upgrade to a lobster meal for an extra cost.  And why not, I thought, it isn’t often that I get an opportunity like this! Robin was happy with his fish and chips, as long as I gave him a little taste of my lobster.   The rock lobsters are fished off the coast, and we would call them crayfish back home in NZ.

Yummy lunch

Next was a visit to the amazing Pinnacles at Nambung National Park.  It seems that the experts cannot agree how these formations came to be, and there are several theories trotted out.  Whatever the real answer is, the Pinnacles were certainly amazing to see, stretching out into the desert as far as the eye could see.  We read: “Rising mysteriously from the sand dunes are thousands of limestone pillars up to 4m tall, a landscape in eerie contrast to the surrounding heath.  Some are jagged, sharp edged columns rising to a point, others resemble tombstones”. 

Just some of the Pinnacles

Our last stop was to the gorgeous snow white sand dunes at Lancelin.  We changed vehicles to a 4WD bus and were invited to have a go at sand boarding down the dunes.  Not for me, at my age, with middle aged bones I’d be worried about falling off and breaking a hip!  But some of the younger people had a go, and seemed to enjoy themselves.  It was fun enough just to stand by and watch then as they trudged up to the top of the dunes, and whizzed down on there dune boards. 

Sand duning

It was a long day, with the trip covering 500kms, but fun, and I’m sure that most of us nodded off in the coach on the return journey.  Certainly the easiest way to see these amazing sights, it was a most enjoyable day.