Back on the road

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Caught train back to Katoomba and had a lazy day reading. We can both recommend Robin Hobb as an author. I've now read 9 of her books this trip and Willy's just started his sixth. She writes novels set in a fantasy world, but as well as good adventure stories with the eternal battle between good and evil, she gets in other themes such as slavery, feminism, society's attitude to the mentally handicapped etc.

We set off early towards Canberra next morning - it was a long, tedious drive. Once we left the eastern seaboared we were struck by the seriousness of the drought. Everywhere was absolutely parched, with sheep, horses and catttle looking in poor condition and scrabbling among parched soil for the odd blade of brown grass. Lake George was very striking. The Lake is marked on maps as being some 15mk by 5km, but doesn't seem to exist any more.

Canberra is a strange city. It was designed according to central place theory, rather than developing naturally, (ie like many of the new towns in the UK), but it's a very green and pleasant city, though there's nothing particularly striking about it.

I'd always wanted to visit Canberra since I went to the Commonwealth Institute in London on a school trip.

We first went to the Art Gallery, which has a few European gems, including some Picassos, a scattering of impressionists, a Modigliani sculpure, some lovely Burmese and other South East Asian stuff (marvellously intrictate carvings even on such ordinary things as a teak lintel) and an excellent exhibition of Gwen somebody's paintings, but is mainly filled with crap posing as art (eg Warhole's Campbell's Soup Cans). The sculpture garden outside was much better, with a huge Henry Moore, some Rodin figures as well as other more modern things like the globe.

The Botanic Gardens is not a patch on either the Edinburgh or Glasgow botanics - it has a Eucalyptus lawn with about 600 different species of eucalyptus, but somehow it has no presence or atmosphere. Maybe it's just the difference in climate and also the impact of the drought. It does have one thing neither Edinburgh nor Glasgow has - signs warning you to stay on the paths as the gardens are a favoured habitat of one of Australia's most poisonous snakes!

We drove up to a viewpoint over Canberra - you could see a long way but it was just depressing. Miles of parched hillside with a scattering of eucalyptus trees.

The parliament building was the best bit of Canberra - unfortunately we got there just after closing time so couldn't get in, but from the outside it's impressive. It's very obviously a modern building with polished steel, granite, a turf roof and interesting angles and windows which look out to give views across the city.

The best bit though was the Indian restaurant in the suburb centre near the hostel we stayed in. (or maybe not - the hostel had baths, so we got our first baths since early December, which was an added bonus). We hadn't seen an Indian restaurant since we left Christchurch - and this was an excellent restaurant. So we pigged out completely - and had eaten it before we thought to take a picture of the feast.

One day was long enough for Canberra, so we were back on the road next morning. We left a carton of orange juice in the fridge in the hostel: that just adds to the trail of forgotten food in the fridges of hostels across Australia - mostly milk, cheese and fruit juice, but also half a hoi sin chicken with noodles left in the fridge at Rainbow Beach (and as the fridges there were rarely checked it could still be there now more than a fortnight later mouldering away disgustingly).

We drove south towards the Snowy Mountains and the couintryside became even drier with dusty sheep scrabbling around trying to find something to eat. Eventually we reached the Snowy Mts (dry as a fossilised bone). We drove in to one of the trendy Alpine villages (created to cater for the Winter Sports set. We took a chairlift part of the way up Mt Kosciusko (Australia's highest mountain then walked along the summit ridge (or to be more accurate plateau as it is a huge mountain with its highest point in the north east corner of a huge plateau). It was freezing mainly due to a very strong wind and we eventually turned back due to the cold! (neither of us had thought about taking fleeces or jackets (which have languished in our rucksacks since we got here)).

We weren't impressed with the faux Swiss resort so decided to drive down towards the south coast. Consulted the map and identified what looked like a good shortcut (famous last words). After about 60 miles the tarmac ran out and we were back on unsealed roads (ie dirt track, not only did this slow us down considerably but it invalidated the insurance on the hire car as it has a clause forbidding driving on unsealed roads. However as the alternative was to backtrack some 50 miles, we continued (slowly). Eventually after some 25k we reached the main road. Then south to Cann River. We stopped overnight in a motel and went to the pub across the road to eat. Food was basic but very good. They had a full size model of a motorbike on display. It was made from various types of wood, the detail was amazing even the fuel pipes and cables etc were made of wood. Then an early night and west tomorrow towards Melbourne.

On way west we passed through a small town (Orbost) which boasted of "Australia's Finest Woodworking Gallery" so naturally we stopped. Some beautifully crafted furniture as well as the usual collection of boxes etc. We then continued our merry way ending up in Lakes Entrance. Lakes Entrance sits behind what is to all intents a huge lagoon some 80 miles long and only 2 or 3 miles across at its widest. Lots of sea birds including numerous pelicans. More later.

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Photos

Lake George
Is marked as a lake on all the maps, about 5 x 10 km, but we saw no lake! The drought here is unbelievable

Sculpture Garden Canberra
This was one of those shiny sculptures that distorts your reflection

Sculpture Garden Canberra 2

Botanic Gardens
A big lizard on the path. We thought it was a snake at first, as they encourage very venomous brown snakes to live here. They also suggest you keep your kids out of the rockery!

Parliament Building Canberra
On the roof.

Mount Koscziosko
That's spellt wrong, but can't remember how it should be. It's Australia's highest mountain. We didn't get to the top which was some 4k along the ridge and some 200m higher. It was bloody freezing (I neever thought to say that in Australia) with a really strong wind

Mount Koscziosko
Wendy on plateau just below summit - about 3km along the ridge

Gum Trees south of the Snowy Mts
This who;e country is crying out for rain