A Thursday Train

One of the delights of living so close to our grandchildren is the opportunity to spend time with them during the school holidays, particularly for a special outing.

Last Thursday we travelled on a 100-year-old steam train to the small country town of Bungendore. The trip takes about 100 minutes each way and passes through a town, along gorges and through tunnels and open countryside.

The steam train is manned by volunteers who greet the passengers, and provide lots of information about the journey along the way. Their love of these old trains is very evident, and the children found it all really interesting, and provided us with a wonderful day out.

Grandpa Richard with Luca, Shay and Zoe waiting for .....

.... the train to arrive.

Prior to departure....

.... and all aboard (except for Grandma taking the photo)

Grandma 'Alice', Shay and Zoe

Photo taken during one of the pitch black tunnels.

Arrived in Bungendore

Picnic lunch

Play time

Ready for boarding

"Hurry up, you straggling passengers. We're just about to leave!"

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A Touch of Autumn in Canberra

A leisurely stroll along the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in the autumn sunshine.

Kings Avenue Bridge

Towards Regatta Point

Towards Civic (city centre)

Carillion (Belltower)

Manchurian Pears

Across Lake Burley Griffin

Towards Black Mountain and avenue of National Flags

Across the lake to city centre

Black swans on Lake Burley Griffin

Back towards Kings Avenue Bridge

Claret Ashes and Black Mountain Tower

(If any photos drop out, right click on red cross and on Show Picture. May need to be repeated a few times.)

King's Park, Perth, WA

Some more photos of this beautiful park which overlooks the city of Perth.

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Araluen Botanic Park, WA

In 1929 J.J. Simons established a holiday camp for the Young Australia League (YAL), on 60 hectares (150 acres) of deep shaded valley at Roleystone. Creeks running through the long valley created a cool moist climate, thus making it an ideal site for his dream garden. Simons called his valley, “Araluen”, an Eastern States aboriginal word meaning “singing waters”, “running waters” or “place of lilies”.

League members and volunteers created pathways, roads, steps and terraces. Structures were designed by leading Perth architect W.G. Bennett and built from local stone and timber.

In Spring, Araluen featured tulips planted on the terraces and in the Grove of the Unforgotten. It proved popular and the early gardens thrived in Araluen’s climate.

One of the many features still in existence today is “The Grove of the Unforgotten”, built in memory of 88 YAL members killed in the World War 1. A series of terraces descends a steep slope flanked by pencil pines formed in the shape of a lyre, the symbol of music. A waterfall cascades through the terraces and finishes in a reflection pond.

Changed circumstances saw the YAL sell Araluen in 1985. Encouraged by strong community support, the State Government purchased the Park in 1990. The Araluen Botanic Park Foundation (Inc.) became incorporated in July 1990 with the aim of working with the WA Planning Commission to restore the Park. Since 1995, the Foundation has managed the Park under lease from the Commission.

For more information on these lovely bushland gardens see Araluen Botanic Park .

Formerly the swimming pool.

Terraced lawns

Reflections in the pool

Chillies in tubs.

Grasses in a dry creekbed (swale)

Waterfall down the Avenue of Remembrance

(If any photos drop out, right click on red cross and on Show Picture. May need to be repeated a few times.)

Views of Perth from King's Park

King's Park is a 440hectare botanical garden on an escarpment high above Perth and the Swan River.

I will post photos of this park shortly, but I just wanted to show these stunning views Perth and the magnificent Swan River.

Train crossing the Narrows Bridge over the Swan River

View over the Swan Brewery towards South Perth.

Perth to Fremantle

If I visit another city on holiday, an almost imperitive requirement is that the city has a river and a fleet of ferries. Why? Because I feel blissful when sitting or standing outside on a fast ferry, getting blown inside out by the wind!

Thus, Perth and Fremantle, linked by the Swan River, rate pretty high on my holidaying, ferry riding list.

Fremantle, with 26,000 people is 20klm southwest of Perth, and a lovely 50-minute ferry ride away. 'Freo' is the port city for Perth and was the point of disembarkation for many migrants arriving by sea from the northern hemisphere.

Leaving the ferry terminal in Perth

Perth city

The Narrows Bridges over the Swan River

One of the many marinas on the Swan River

Container ship in Fremantle

In Fremantle Harbour

Let's hope these containers ALL arrive at their destination. We heard that about 10% can be lost at sea in a storm.

Fremantle has many beautiful buildings lining its streets.

Restaurants by the water.

VERY expensive craft.

The Rotnest Island ferry.

Terracotta roofed buildings are reputed to be the most expensive house in Australia, valued at $85million.

South Perth

East to West and back again.

We had a wonderful two weeks in beautiful Perth, on the southwest coast of Australia.

The weather was delightfully warm and sunny with only a day and a half of rain.

We basically went over for a hockey tournament - watching, not playing...lol - and the team in which Sara plays finished third, behind Western Australia and Queensland, and ahead of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Northern Territory.

During our match-free days we drove south to Bussellton, visited Araluen Botanic Gardens, saw 'Miss Saigon', took the ferry to Fremantle and back, visited Kings Park - once with friends whom I've been longing to meet for about a year - took lots of photos and generally roamed around and had a good time. We even went into the city to shop one day but I got sick of that even before the shops opened...lol.

I will post a few more photos over the next couple of weeks.

Virgin Blue Airlines at Sydney Airport

Flying into Perth

The reason for our trip - ACT team warming up before the match.

ACT playing NSW. That's Sara running towards No. 13.