Blogs from Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania
January 14th 2012
Happy Birthday Elvis! I had always wanted to go to one of those zany festivals - so when I heard Parkes, NSW had the Elvis Festival, I had to check it out. I arrived in time for the parade on the second Saturday of January - and was treated to some wonderful sights and sounds. Elvises and Priscillas in all shapes and sizes, singing contests, an antique car show - and a buck's party full of Elvis impersonators. And a ride in the 1943 Jeep with Army Elvis and several of the Elvises from the buck's party. It made for a very fun Saturday! Enjoy the photos! And Follow that dream!... read more
October 9th 2011
Blog Day 1068 Citizenship Countdown 32 Days We were ready to go, today was Friday 7th October the long weekend was here and we both had a week off ahead of us. The truck was packed, and the TVAN we had hired was down in the garage waiting to be hitched up and towed with us. We were heading up to Parkes for the 50th Anniversary of the Parkes Radio Telescope, (The Dish), regular readers will know that we have been to the dish before and it had become a bit of an icon for us, we have been looking forward to this particular weekend for ages and with Les and Sue Briggs’s, enthusiasm had put together an ACT 4 wheel drive club trip, to attend this special weekend. Our arrangement was to meet at the ... read more
October 8th 2011
A Night at the Opera We had our showers and made up the picnic bag of goodies to take for the evening’s entertainment (The Opera at The Dish). What we found most strange, and I suppose it comes from this ambulance chasing society is that, absolutely no alcohol was to be taken in, along with no umbrellas, no metal knives and forks, etc. Back home, when we used to go to Highclere Castle for the Battle Proms or Middle Wallop for Music in the Air, we always used to take a good bottle of bubbles and all the cutlery to eat our dinner, anyway, those were the rules and we had to abide by them. We all set off from Camp and travelled in together, we had been concerned about the weather for this evening after ... read more
January 23rd 2009
DAY 77 (Week 11) We left Dubbo this morning, and had the option to go to Dubbo jail and have a look around, then on to have our challenge match of mini golf. We decided to skip the jail as we do need to ensure that we work within the budget we have set ourselves, it is easy to get carried away, so instead headed straight out of town to the mini golf course that is sited on the same piece of land as Dubbo Observatory, the tourist brochure said both were open, Friday Saturday and Sunday every week. We were both psyched resorting to our usual tactics of abuse and intimidation, neither was going to show any weakness, neither was prepared to loose. We arrived at the mini golf course and it was closed! I ... read more
And on the Third Day................
Published: January 10th 2009Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Parkes
January 10th 2009
I apologise for not updating this. Well, sort of. I have just been having too much fun and also dealing with the flu on Thursday. Thank goodness, for those pills that you have to show your license for at the chemist. It is just as well we did not get tickets to the crowning of Miss Priscilla as I spent 18 hours in bed on Thursday. This left poor Chad to wander around Peak Hill. Excitingly, the other club was open and offered, yet again, the stunning combination of Chinese/Australian cuisine. We are blessednwith an incredible culinary heritage in our country. Which reminds me, on Thursday I had a lamb roast at the Broadway Hotel (this is my favourite Parkes Pub). The simple addition of two pieces of butter white bread transported me back to my ... read more
A day early or a day too late? Overexcitement is dangerous
Published: January 7th 2009Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Parkes
January 7th 2009
As a relatively small person, I am quite enjoying sleeping in my little bunk bed that makes me feel like Gulliver. The mattress is less than posturepedic and leaving the AC on at night led to the cabin becoming as cold as your bottleo. Unfortunately, I did not have one of those green quilted jump suits worn by the Jewells Employees. Anyway, today we strayed into Parkes. It is quite a small town. 10,000.00 people which will basically double over the weekend. We stopped at the Dish. I am sure I have been to it as a small boy but it has faded in my recollection. It is actually quite impressive to realise that the moon landing was broadcast through and even more amazing to realise that bloke from the M & M's commercial appeared in ... read more
Newcastle to Peak Hill - 42 degrees is quite hot!
Published: January 6th 2009Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Parkes
January 6th 2009
There is no way that I would be in Parkes in a polyester Elvis suit in the next week. I applaud all of those who do it. It is just amazing. It is so hot. We had a good run from Newcastle today. The dogs looked at me with brown eyed eyes that were strangely dog like as they were left at Veronica's Concentration Camp. I think I heard the life is beautiful score as they were taken away. We left from Thornton and stopped for a meal at Dunedoo Pub. It was quite extraordinary and I have never attended an establishment where Passion Pop was listed as a Fine Sparkling Wine. However, at $7.00 a bottle it was appropriately priced. In true Newcastle style, we had, wait for it, a schnitty. But because we are ... read more
Polyester, big hair, rock and roll and 40 degrees
Published: January 4th 2009Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Parkes
January 4th 2009
I have to confess that I have been a little bit excited about my odyssey to Parkes. It has always been a mythological place so distant and shrouded in mystery that I have been afraid to pierce the veil in January to find it is just a small country town that eavesdropped on Apollo 11 and gets rather hot in January and is possibly full of well, bogans. For me, it is a pilgrimage, not unlike the muslim's going to mecca, the jews to the wailing wall and for people too tight to go to Graceland due to the GFC and the damn dollar, the Parkes Elvis Festival. I like the idea of the festival as it has its roots in Australian ingenuity. January is hot in Parkes. Nothing happens. If you have money, you go ... read more
September 25th 2007
Took a quick trip to Parkes to see Dave. Only an hours flight from Sydney and $200 return. Can't believe I drove for 5 - 6 hours last time to visit.... read more
