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Published: October 30th 2011
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Pootling Possums meet Kangeroojack
and enjoy a drink and chat at the Eastlakes Club Wednesday 26th October started very cloudy but at least it wasn’t raining. We had an evening engagement with Caroline and Andy of Kangaroojack fame to look forward to but the rest of the day was so far un-scheduled. We strolled into Yass dressed in our anoraks – not because it looked like rain but because it was so cold! Yass is a nice town so it was a pleasant stroll and it gave me the chance to buy a few bits and pieces. We bought a national newspaper with a splendid picture on the front of the Queen receiving flowers and gifts at The War Memorial yesterday. Frustratingly, as with the many TV news reports we’ve watched, we must have been “in shot” but we couldn’t make ourselves out. It would have been great to be able to include a picture of us and the Queen in our blog.
Back at the caravan we had nice, warming soup for lunch. In the meantime, Caroline had texted me to confirm the time of our meeting at the Eastlakes Football Club and I panicked about what we should wear. Some clubs we’ve been to have dress codes so we erred on the
safe side and smartened ourselves up a bit, or at least as best we could. We had the afternoon free to spend more time in Canberra and drove off to the city heading for Parliament House. Proving that yesterday had been no fluke, we drove easily and in very little time to the free underground car park at Parliament House with just a two minute walk to the main entrance. Hundreds of uniformed school-children were careering around – clearly on official school trips – as we made our way through the airport-style security system to find ourselves in this truly grand, modern parliament building. We were free to wander virtually anywhere in the building including the main debating chamber from where Prime Minister’s Question Time is broadcast every week (probably different if parliament was actually “sitting” although there is a visitor’s viewing gallery). The building is absolutely vast and adorned with many paintings, portraits of past Prime Ministers, beautiful monuments and sculptures including an impressive bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth II. We were able to go out onto the roof which gave a magnificent 360˚ view of the city and from where, directly in line, we could clearly see our
next point of interest – The War Memorial.
We had visited The War Memorial many, many years ago but had only managed a fleeting visit. We were also there yesterday, of course, but because of the Queen’s visit it was not open to the public for much of the morning. Today, and with another remarkably easy journey along Anzac Parade, (a road which has numerous magnificent monuments on both sides which would no doubt be worth a visit in their own right) we drove directly to the Memorial and parked in car park number one – another free underground park immediately adjacent to the main entrance. Again there were groups of uniformed school-children busily completing school projects as they moved around from section to section. The memorial displays are breath-taking and, of course, because they all recall such sombre war-time events, they are all the more poignant. We have never ever seen a more splendid presentation – it was brilliant. Even though we had much more time than on our last visit many years ago, there was no way we were going to be able to see everything on offer. In addition to as many displays as we could
manage, I also particularly wanted to see The Wall of Poppies, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the wreath that the Queen had laid yesterday. Also there was a “closing ceremony” which takes place at 5:00pm each day and, along with hundreds of others, we just had to watch the lone piper playing Flowers of the Forest as, towards the end of his performance, the main doors closed slowly behind him. Consequently, there were many sections that we were only able to pay scant regard towards. It would be so easy to spend a whole day and more in this magnificent memorial.
The timing of the closing ceremony fitted in nicely with our evening engagement. We had about 30 minutes to find our way to Eastlakes Football Club to meet up with Kangaroojack at 5:45pm. As with all of our other Canberra journeys, even though it was “rush-hour”, it was covered easily in the time and we had a bit to spare. We found a handy parking space and were just about to wander to the main entrance when we spotted a beautiful, brand new camping “ute” drive into the official car-park. Mutual recognition was instant as Andy
Portraits of 4 of the 27 Prime Ministers
Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard haven't made it to the gallery yet and Caroline emerged from their camping wagon – they have been reading some of our blogs, as we did theirs, so we had no difficulty in identifying each other. It’s a bit of a cliché but, it was as though we had known them for years. Conversation flowed easily as we told them of our latest exploits and they filled us in about their jobs, their accommodation and their up-coming Australian Residency ceremony, as well as their recent camping jaunts testing out their new vehicle. Sarah and Darryl, of course, featured often in the many explanations and particularly on the occasion when, after many, many messages had passed between them, the Wallaby Wanderers met up with Kangaroojack at Lake Tinaroo – a place we were able to explore ourselves when we were staying at Atherton. We were fascinated by their many travelling experiences but also often overcome with laughter by the tales of their times spent helping out on a farm near Wagga Wagga. Andy, a Brummie, has a particularly humorous way of recalling things, but especially their days on the farm which seemed to be riddled with near disasters and catastrophes but which all, somehow, had a successful outcome.
With Caroline’s astute and detailed observations complimenting Andy’s stories it was a really entertaining and enjoyable time.
Our conversations continued so intensely that we almost forgot to order dinner but, after putting that right, the stories, explanations, and humorous recollections continued un-abated. There has been an on-going theme between Kangaroojack and The Wallaby Wanderers concerning a certain cassowary under the name of Sydney with a Y from Cairns. To add to the “mix”, we presented them with a little Bilby – Bill the Bilby from Charleville. Our dinners were delicious – I had salmon and Graham had Chicken Parmigiana and we must thank Caroline and Andy for their kind hospitality.
Andy arranged for a friend, who they had met whilst travelling and also happened to be in the club that night, to take a couple of photos. It turned out that ‘Ted’ was a NSW State table tennis coach so there followed an intense conversation between him and Graham about the current poor state of the game. What Caroline and Andy made of talk of rubbers, pimples, using glue etc etc I can’t imagine but it was very funny to listen to them. We both miss playing table
tennis but Graham especially does so may be it’s something we’ll pick up on again when we return home.
All too soon our evening was at an end and it was well after 10:00pm when we left the club. Of course, we couldn’t leave without having a closer look at their splendid camping vehicle which was absolutely brand new and which was constructed entirely to Andy’s design. It contained everything you might think of for satisfactory bush camping, all neatly housed in the specially constructed cabinets fitted on the back – it was brilliant. By the time we got back to Yass it was well after 11:00pm so we had to be extremely quiet parking up and settling back into Sweetie although we were on a bit of a ‘high’ after our exciting day and evening. A few caravan lights were still on but most were in darkness, no doubt ready for an early start in the morning, but fortunately we would be able to have a lie-in.
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Caroline's Dad and Mum
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A very important meeting in Canberra
Hi Jan and Graham. We have been enjoying reading your blog from day one and it is just as exciting for us that you were able to meet up with Caroline and Andy and write about your experience in your blog. They are certainly enjoying life "down under" and now they have their magnificent machine to travel to places we will only every dream of. We wish you happy days on your onward journey with many more adventures and many many more blogs. lol. Kind Regards John and Shirley