2022 - Year in Review

Each Year I attempt to condense the past 12 Months into a Single Post.

My Posts each month are but a snapshot of "Who I am and What I do"

Some Months, It is hard to find something - Anything to leave a marker for that Month. And others, are so full I have to work out what is relevant to write about.

This Year had been yet another Rollercoaster of a Year

With it's High and Low points.

January

Working Bees at Our 3 Children's homes kept Us busy during January.

We also had to check Our Bees for Varroa Mite 

(Something Quarantine are trying desperately to keep out of Australia.)

February

Finding a Bright Smile behind a Grubby (Well Loved) Face 

was the Highlight for February

Sadly it also came with the News of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

March

This was NOT a Good Month.  

It started with the Senseless Death of a Teen near our home, 

and ended with me Seriously loosing my Everything Mojo.

April

The Beginning of what will define Our Year. 

Replacing the Air-Conditioning.

 One small-ish Job lead to another and another...

May

We Stayed in Melbourne for Our Wedding Anniversary 

and Discovered we had to get a New Garage Door.

June

Saw me catching my Blog Readers up 

with what had been happening in the Back Garden 

as we prepared for a Special Event.

July

After years of Border Closures, 

Our DDIL's Mum arrived from the US and we could finally 

get those Much wanted Mother of the Bride Photos

August

Little Miss A (Grand-daughter #1) Turned 2

And She had to have an awesome Cake!

September

A blocked Flu and a Sewing Room full of Smoke - 

The Chimney HAD to Go and Go It did.

We also said "Goodbye" to Our Bees

And saw the Passing of Queen Elizabeth 2nd.

October

Was a Very Busy Month but at the end of it 

we were delighted to welcome Grand-daughter #3 

Penelope Esme into Our Hearts.

November

We were SO Busy with the 'Renovation that Grew' Just to keep up,  

I resorted to a Photo Dump for the Month.  

We also Celebrated Little Miss H's 2nd Birthday

December

Bags in hand, we walked out on it all. 

Jumped on a Bus and headed off on Our Great Southern Adventure.

Melbourne to Adelaide

Adelaide to Brisbane

Finishing the Year Cancelling Christmas and Isolating with Covid-19 

The only Thing I can say is

After Christmas we have to pick up from where we Left it.

* * *

2022 - Christmas

Christmas has been Cancelled.

When my allergy symptoms didn't clear up once we got home.....

  

THIS was NOT what I wanted to see 2 days before Christmas. 

(DH had a matching one a few days later.)

We signed up for Home delivery 

Put a Note in the Window letting everyone know why we couldn't answer the door 

and Quarantined until New Year. 

Day 10 - And Home

 As they say - 'All Good Things must come to an End' 

and so it is with our Adventure.

Unfortunately, my Perfume Allergy kicked in again once we returned to the Hotel. 

And after a very uncomfortable breakfast which consisted mainly of my Meds

We packed our Bags 

and headed off to the Airport Train Terminal.

Which was, If you left by the Back Door, only a short walk from our Hotel. 

 We got the early Train.

Preferring to wait in the Airport than any longer at the Hotel.

I Love "People Watching" and you never know Who you will see.  

This time they were Both in RED.

The Perth Wildcats Basketball Team and...

SANTA. 

Who stopped for a Selfie with Stowaway Frog.  

So now it is time to go Home.

And as Santa reminded me Christmas is just a few days away.

This trip completes ALL the Journey Beyond Trans Continental Trains but not all their Adventures.

Perhaps we will do them all again - In Reverse!

Along The Way ...

There are certain "Must See" Things and Places along the route of any Journey - 

So before we leave our Great Southern Adventure it is worth noting (even only for My records) that we saw, but didn't stop at ...

1. A Big Flagpole 

The Flagpole on Parliament House Canberra is certainly Big but not the Biggest in Australia.  

That honour is given to the 200 Foot High Bicentennial Flag in Darling Harbour Sydney.

2. The Big Banana.

No Visitor to Coffs Harbour could miss this Icon of Big Things.  

After all - It IS on the main road.

3. The Big Merino

Telling everyone that Goulburn is Wool Country.  

It houses a permanent display of 200 years of  Innovation in the Australian Wool Industry and a Gift Shop.

Day 9 - More of Brisbane

The Hilton Hotel in Brisbane was a Very Lovely venue, (It would make a Good Sci-Fi set)  However...

They were a bit heavy handed with pumping Fragrance into their community spaces. 

Lobby, Lifts, Restaurant all left me battling my Perfume Allergy symptoms. 

Even extra Heavy Duty antihistamines were ineffective.

I needed Fresh Air -  

We had no plans to fill in another day.  

So the Adventure?  

Wing It!

First stop was the Town Hall.  

We had heard there was a Clock Tour that was interesting BUT - School Holidays had it booked out.  

We admired the Beautiful Entrance Lobby instead.

We wandered through the City and Across a bridge to a Nice Park with a Big Sign that told us we were in B R I S B A N E

Judging from all the Selfies being taken - It would seem this is where you go to remember where you've been.

By the Time we discovered the Nepalese Peace Pagoda and the surrounding Tranquil Rainforest Walk I had all but forgotten about my Allergies.  

I could have stayed here all day!

Passing a Ferry Jetty we decided to Hop on and 'See Where this Takes Us'.

After all - 

We had Nowhere to Go and All Day to Get There.

We went Down the River as far as we could go, getting off at New Farm Park on the return- 

Having Lunch at the aptly Named "End of the Road" Cafe.

And wandered around the Rose Gardens, 

while we waited for the next Ferry to arrive.

The trip was Interesting.  

I took many Photos and got plenty of Fresh Air.

Stowaway Frog certainly enjoyed himself too.

He must have won some Hearts with his antics because ..

and at the end of our Voyage up The Brisbane River, HE was Invited into the Wheelhouse for a Photo.

(WE were not invited!)

So, A Great way to spend a Day in Brisbane is to 

Go 

'There and Back Again - 

To See How far it Is" 

on one of the very Comfortable River Ferries.

* * *

Footnote for Aussie Seniors:  

Travelling on Public Transport in both Adelaide and Brisbane Off Peak was FREE on our Seniors Card.  So our excursion today has only cost us Lunch!

Day 8 - Brisbane

Somewhere between Coffs Harbour and Brisbane, Our excursion to The Lamington National Park was Cancelled. Leaving us with an extra day to fill in.

So, in the Spirit of our plan to "Do everything by Public Transport" we got ourselves a 'Seniors Go Card' and Got Going to - 

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary / Zoo

It was a long trip on the Local Bus and we arrived just in time for their Bird Show. 

After which you could (for an extra fee) hold one of the Birds for a Photo.

There were Koalas - 

Doing what Koalas usually do - 

Eating, Sleeping or Looking either Bored or Bemused with the passing Public.

There were also a Lot of Local Lizards just roaming around - enjoying the warmth of the Footpaths.  

I wondered just how many of them got trodden on!

The rest of the Visit left us feeling rather Sad and Underwhelmed.

It filled in the day and I was able to pick up my last remaining Christmas Gifts.

Our evening was spent wandering the City Streets enjoying Christmas in a different Town!

Day 7 - Coffs Harbour

 Another Day - Another Adventure or Two!

The problem with travelling on a very long train is that they just don't fit on a normal Train platform so there are a few 'work arounds' that have to be done - Mainly load the front end passengers first then move the train and load/unload the rest of us!

That being done it is back on another Coach for the day's outing to Coffs Harbour Via the Botanic Gardens where Stowaway Frog got to enjoy the Green of the Staghorn Ferns.

The next stop (Up a very narrow winding road) was the Sealy Lookout Forest Sky Pier. 

Opened in 2011 and projecting 22 meters over the rainforest the view is spectacular.

For some of our Journey Beyond Crew this was the first time they had been on this Route and were also excited to Capture some Memories ( all the while keeping a close eye on the Group).

Heads duly counted and stragglers rounded up we were whisked off back to the Train Station but not before Our Coach Driver made an unscheduled diversion to the Harbour 

"So we could see the Water".

The rest of the day was spent in the company of our new Friends and Roving On-board entertainer Courtney.  

While enjoying freshy made Coffee or a Glass of Something else

Watching the Countryside Roll by on the way to Our final stop - 

BRISBANE.

Day 6 - Canberra

The Australian Capitol Territory was created after much debate was had, over Where the Federal Capitol of Australia should be sited.  

Many wanted Melbourne while Others preferred Sydney.

Eventually it was decided that a new Capitol should be built. On the proviso that it be at least 100 Miles from Sydney.  

It also was to have "Clean Air, A good Water Supply and an Invigorating Climate".

With no direct trainline to Canberra we disembarked at Yass Junction and drove the 70 km trip by Coach.

(Returning by Coach, at the end of the day to Goulburn Station)

We could have Toured Parliament House or Paid our respects at the National War Museum but we chose to Visit The National Portrait Gallery.

This is not the place for Past Prime Ministers. (Their Gallery is in Parliament House).  

This is the Gallery for Australians that have made an Impact on or for Our Country.

From all the Faces staring out at me - This one held me the longest.

A Commissioned piece,  Play On - Portrait of Neale Daniher.  

Well known to those of us from Melbourne.

Football player and Coach. 

Diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in 2013 and Co-Founder of the Fight MND Organisation.

We could have spent a lot longer perusing the portraits but Lunch awaited us at Old Parliament House.

(Roasted Murray Cod, Sauce Vierge, Smoked Mussels & Sautéed Kale)

Dessert was a Silky Pana cotta.

And it was AFTER Lunch that my Day got a Little bit more .... Interesting!

I was pulled aside by our Tour Guide and asked if I could 

"Help them Out - Give them a Hand"

Of Course said I, 

and then next thing I knew I was being Kitted out as Queen Elizabeth and handed a Script for a Skit!

No one (Not even DH) knew anything about it until we walked in!  It was so much fun and I was still being ragged about it hours later.

Leaving my 'alter ego' back in the Cloak Room we were given a Guided Tour of Old Parliament House

Our trip back to the Train included an unscheduled stop at Lake George.  

Lake George is an Endorheic Lake and thought to be one of the Worlds Oldest Lakes.

It has been mainly dry for the last 10 years and to see it full was worth the stop.

Once back on the Train - all I could do was "Smile and Wave" as others recounted our Adventures in Canberra.