Terracotta Warriors

Our Son and DDIL are at the moment in China en-route to Xi'An to see the Terracotta Army.

Something that has been on my "Bucket List" for quite some time.

However -
while they are being distracted by Great Walls and Forbidden Cities and places best admitted to after the fact...

DH and I took ourselves off to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne

Where the Terracotta Warriors had come to Us!



Melbourne: 24th May - 13th October 2019

150 other Ancient Chinese Treasures dating back more that 3000 years, sourced from Museums and Shaaxni Archaeology Sites are also on display

Eight Warrior Figures, along with Two full size Horses stand silent sentinel, their timber Weapons long gone.

Clever use of mirrored backs in the display cases give an impression of a much bigger army.

Two Half-scale Bronze Chariots, depicting those used to Inspect the troupes on the Battlefield were found.

Faithful replicas have been made as these are so precious, they do not leave China.

Other Funerary items are on display -

Colourful miniatures of the everyday life to assist in the afterlife

And then there are The Birds ....

Follow the flight of these Porcelain Starlings through the exhibition

Wheeling and Dancing - suspended from the ceiling - Until they fill the vault above

Entitled "Murmation"  the phenomenon where thousands of Starlings fly in intricately coordinated patterns across the sky

There are 10,000 Birds in this Artwork

The next room contained a mountain of Porcelain Peony Flowers -

I know how much work goes into making these blooms in Sugarpaste so I was fascinated to look closer.
I was intrigued by how these were coloured...

Like the Silk mural that encircled the room, and the Starlings that flew overhead, they were all placed carefully on the floor, sprinkled with different coloured Gunpowder (like fireworks)

and in a controlled environment in a warehouse here in Docklands (Melbourne)

With many cameras to capture the event -

Set it alight!

The Exhibitions last instalment was a panoramic video showing the process...

You could say it went off with a Bang!



The Terracotta Warriors - Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang exhibition runs until October 13th 2019 and is well worth the Visit.

Checking the Temperature (Quilt)

"Life gets in the Way" - or so the saying goes.

Well, it has sort of got in the way of my Quilting at the moment -
Time and energy are being expended on other projects but the Temperature Quilt is not forgotten. 

Many blocks have been constructed and trimmed.

And some have even managed to be sewn together!

Summer has progressed into Autumn....

and did they say Spring is already here? 
What happened to Winter?

Time to get back to the Sewing....  or Gardening.... or .......

Day 9 - Adelaide

With just 2 half days in Adelaide, we spent our time there exploring the CBD

I found what was the Biggest Souvenir Patch Collection I have ever seen -
I was even able to pick up a couple from places I missed on our trip to Europe.

But these were dwarfed by not one but TWO great walls of Buttons!
The Saleslady was happy to advise "We don't have a website but you can email us"

It was a fleeting visit as our Bags were waiting for us back at the Hotel, and it was time to head to the Airport

So after 9 Days of adventures -

I had walked (at least) 85,291 Steps
Climbed 153 Flight of Stairs
Travelled 9,000 km on Plains,Trains, Automobiles, Boats AND a Camel.

It was now time to Board the Flying Kangaroo and head (reluctantly) home to plot our Next Adventure!

Day 8 - Onward to Adelaide

Our wonderful trip aboard this Classic Train is almost over.

After having spent some 'Quality Time' over Coffee and Nightcaps with our fellow travellers - some of whom have been with us since that first excursion in Darwin

We woke to yet another beautiful Australian Sunrise - this time over the Flinders Ranges just out of Port Augusta

Breakfast, again was wonderful in the Queen Adelaide Restaurant Car- I could get VERY used to this Luxury

Outside the Ochre dust of the Outback has changed to Mist rolling across Green Hills almost obscuring the Wind Turbines

we caught a fleeting glimpse of what could quite possibly be our next adventure...

The Indian-Pacific which travels East/West Sydney to Perth.

Before rolling in to Adelaide and final good-byes to our Cabin Crew.

These beautiful people woke us with Tea and a smile at 6:30 am - accompanied us to all excursions, served our meals and bade us Goodnight at 10:00 pm

Thank you doesn't seem enough!

Day 7 - I Love Her Far Horizons

As a homesick 19 year old, Dorothea Mackeller wrote a Poem.  Originally titled "Core of My Heart" and later renamed to "My Country". 

This Poem is very close to my heart, and as I travel I collect Photographs that one day will accompany the entire Poem instead of just a few random quotes.

I Love a Sunburnt Country,

A Land of Sweeping Plains

Core of my Heart - My Country

Her Pitiless Blue Sky...

The Last excursion on our wonderful trip is 32 km from Coober Pedy at a place called "The Breakaways".  

On the way we stopped at The Dingo Proof Fence, at 5,531 km it is claimed to be the longest Fence in the World 

Originally built to keep the Rabbits Out (Yes Folks that IS a thing - not just a saying), it was later adapted to keep Dingoes from attacking livestock.



Our cheeky Bus driver advised us he has, at great expense to himself, 'organised some drinks' for us at our next stop.

We thought he was joking - Yet here, on a Plateau overlooking yet another breathtaking and Remote part of the Outback  -
Starched White tablecloths flapped in the breeze and cold Beer, Wine or Soft Drinks were waiting for us.

Photographs just cannot capture the vastness of this Place.

Or its Stark Beauty




It was hard to pull ourselves away - especially with stories of being here at night - with nothing but the Stars to light your way

But, Our Train awaits. . .

Day 7 - An Opal Hearted Country

COOBER PEDY -

If Alice Springs is the Middle of Australia then Coober Pedy must be in the Middle of nowhere!

The Train Stop is 40 km away at Manguri.  So another bus awaits to whisk us away down the dusty road.

Past an Alien Landscape littered with the piles of dirt from exploratory Mines.

This is where Mad Max 3
- Beyond Thunderdome was filmed.

We were treated to a Tour of the Underground Museum while our Guide explained that Opal cannot be found by any other means than Hope and Hard Work.
Oil, Copper, Gold even Diamonds can be found with modern scanning devices - but Opals (being only Silica and Water) remain elusive.

So they dig.

And tunnel into the Earth.

Today the Miners have boring machines that get the job done more quickly than in the old days of Pick and Shovel.

They still use Explosives - lets just say our Guide was 'a Mine of Information' on that matter.

We toured tunnels that led to one of the 'Underground' houses which are actually built into the sides of the hills, and are not "down a Mine-shaft" dwellings as some thought.

Before having a beautiful Greek Themed Lunch in the dug out Dining Room.

We enjoyed the Cool Quiet Contemplation that was the Serbian Orthodox Church.

And listened to the stories of how it was built, finding enough Opal in the process to finance some of the project.


Then it was back onto the bus for a tour of the Above Ground Town.

Our driver happily explaining about their 'World Famous' Golf course.

It has it's own Special hazards but then it is the only Golf course in the world where members have reciprocal rights to St. Andrews in Scotland.


It is here we turn away from the Township of Coober Pedy and on to another adventure.

Was this 'Opal Hearted' Girl spoilt?
You Bet-ya she was!

(Even more so once DH learned the difference between Solid, Doublet and Triplet Opals.....)



I have come away from this visit with STRICT instructions to get my Opals valued, not to let them out of my sight, make sure my DD knows their value (which she does) and to WEAR them!



Day 7 is not quite over but the rest is a post in itself! .....

Day 6 - WHAT a DAY

"Happy Father's Day to all the Dads on board. You will notice the landscape outside has changed dramatically- we will be arriving at our next stop in Three hours."

DH just grinned and went back to his Gourmet Breakfast and Coffee.

(I must admit, Perfectly brewed coffee - with coffee Art on a moving train takes talent.)

What Adventures await us today?

Alice Springs. 

The sign says it all - 

The Heart. The Soul, The Centre.

 Geographically - 

it's in the Middle of Australia.  

Although it was always planned to have the train line run from Adelaide to Darwin, it terminated at Alice Springs until the line was finally completed in 2004

And it is here the Train, and our fellow travellers stop to explore for the day.

We however, have Different Plans!
We have opted for the Optional Extra excursion -

And it is here I climbed aboard the smallest Aircraft I have ever been in.

And on a Perfect, Clear, beautiful day (with our Pilot taking Selfies) we flew over the Red Centre of Our Country to see .....

A Rock.

There are many rocks in the Outback but this is - THE Rock, (formerly known as Ayers Rock).

We came to see Uluru.

Should I mention at this point - Our Kids knew NOTHING about this?

One Hour by Air - Five by Road and a LOT more should you decide to walk back....

Uluru is not as close to Alice as people think it is.

It is also Big- Very Very Big.

The only photo I have to give some sense of scale is one I took of the tourists ignoring the request to not climb the rock.

Tiny specks, hundreds of feet scarring this massive monolith

You will not be allowed to climb Uluru after 26th October 2019 

It is an Ancient Sacred Place

Dreamtime stories for every crack and crevice

(Can you see the Giant Serpent in the Rocks?) 

30,000 year old rock paintings

We turned our backs on Uluru, and I think I would like to return (although, maybe not in a Cessna next time).

One day I would like to see the Sunrise over this majestic place

But - our Day is not over just yet!

We were to rejoin our fellow travellers at "The Old Telegraph Station" for Dinner under the Stars

Send an Instagram photo to the Kids of their Dad riding a Camel....

and wait for their reaction

We enjoyed an astronomy lesson under a Perfect night sky

And I tried my hand at some Astrophotography
(I need a lot more practice)

And danced the rest of the night away to Bush Band tunes that left us all singing along

It truly was an awesome day.