Hi from Peter

I was sat working at home one day in my office in sleepy Sandringham village, when I heard a noise to my left on the balcony... it wasn't a bird, or a plane?  It was a tourist from Berlin pushing his Canon DSLR Camera in my face, to which I smiled and said hello!

Hi to everyone reading this, its been wonderful having John staying with me this week and agree with everything he has posted about Sandringham and the beach, but unfortunately my apartment is not the size of a palace but certainly feels like home!

Peter's Palace

I'm staying in Sandringham with Peter who is Daniel's brother. You remember that I met him in Sydney and posted a story on my blog. They have a younger brother called Paul who lives with his family in New Zealand. You Silsdeners will know that their parents are Alan and Lynne in Casland!

I invited myself to his Palace and he readily agreed. As you should know from my last blog it is a beach suburb south of Melbourne and the last station on the Metro line. Peter works from an office in the centre and moves around the city but always looks forward to returning to Sandringham each evening. I can understand why.

The beaches are clean and with not many people which is in stark contrast to Bondi and other Sydney beaches. There are lots of paths and official walking routes clearly signposted. Ideal for the elderly to get around or for those with young children who can make lots of sandcastles.

The flat is relatively new and modern as you can see from one photograph. It is designed with lots of glass/windows for views onto the beach and to let summer breezes into the rooms. It has two large bedrooms and I am in the the guest room.

It also houses his work area/computers and I work from there to update this blog when not walking on the beach! The living room is open plan and fuses into the kitchen/dining room. My favourite is the bathroom. Look at this! Wow......it is a shower room. I could get half a football team in there to shower!

And what do we see in this photograph? This question is directed at my Silsdeners but the rest of you can answer if you wish. What is it? Is it a new kind of frying pan? Is it a pan for making a Silsden type omelette? Is it something you hang behind the door to hit anyone who breaks into your home?

The answer is:---------------- It is a Sandringham chicy shower head. I joke not. When I first saw it I thought it was a microphone and started to sing into it :-)  Did you guess right?

Melbourne

Yesterday I went to Melbourne. I got on the Metro train at Sandringham. This is where I am staying and is the southern most station on the south coast track into/out of the centre. I have a special ticket for a week and I can use it on any form of public transport.

They still have trams here. I was told the system and number of trams/journeys is even greater than in Berlin. Not bad! It takes 32 minutes to make the journey by Metro to Flinders Station. This is on the south side of The Loop which means a circle that takes you around the centre of the city. I took the free No. 35 tram around the centre.

I took these photos from the river/bridge at Flinders Station. It was at the end of a later 3 hour tour with a group. These are held each day at 10.30am and 2.30pm and there is no charge but each person is left to 'donate' what they like to the tour guide at the end.

We walked to all the major sites in the centre and even took in small alleys and areas full of 'alternative' art = spray painting on the wall. This time they had been done by professionals and some had even been commissioned by the city council.

We also had a break in Chinatown, went to the Parliament building and visited old malls and covered alleys which now house 'trendy' shops and restaurants. There is even an area where officially allowed buskers can sing on the street and people give them money if they like the music/songs.

I met Peter in the evening and we had a tasty meal in one of the trendy alley restaurants before taking the Metro back to Sandringham.

I have added two photos of the north and south beaches at Sandringham. They are two minutes walk from Peter's flat. I added them as a contrast to the high rise bustling city centre. I walk along these beaches every day just for some fresh air.

National Museum

On my last day in Canberra I went to the National Museum. Again a modern building with lots of levels for the different themes and displays. Very helpful people at the information desk as you enter and I got talking to a guide who had been to Berlin and planned to return in summer.

I was very interested in the sections showing the history of the Aboriginal peoples. There were many more clans/tribes/groups than I knew about before. I think we tend to use Aboriginal as a generic term indicating no differences. Their experiences at the hands of convict settlers and administrators were not always good, and that must be an understatement!

I spent hours in the building for there is so much to see. You are allowed to take photographs but not of  an original Magna Carta with a flash for this would set off the security alarms. I decided to let it sleep on. The Magna Carta in London was destroyed by a bomb in WWII. A copy of the one in Australia is there now! I bet most of the English don't know that.

I found early machines indicated the sense of exploration, innovation and repair that is also part of the history of settlers in Australia. You could not always buy something new so you had to improvise.

Here you can see how one man created a business pulled by a tractor and made a living for himself and family. I also liked the steam engine and imagined it pulling things across vast areas of Australia.

Old Parliament

The history of the Old Parliament building represents something of the history of Canberra itself.

A record of starts and stops, delays, uncertainty and starting again. An American architect got the contract to design Canberra as the new Federal Capital of Australia. He was helped by his wife and the lake is named after them. It was a 'man-made' lake created from the river which flows through Canberra.


WWI stopped construction, there were discussions about changes and so it went on. The Old Parliament was designed and built as a temporary measure. Temporary turned out to mean 61 years! It was even extended as uncertainty continued about building a new and larger parliament.

I liked the Old Parliament building. Again security checks as you enter  and you notice it is on a much smaller scale compared to the new building. I particularly liked the MPs Room with leather seats and lots of dark wood furniture resembling a traditional gentlemen's club on The Mall in London. I could imagine MPs sitting around sipping whiskey in the evening and putting the world to right.




As women gained rights and were elected MPs, there was a problem. There were no toilets for women MPs!  Conversions took place which were later extended as more women were elected. And rightly so. In the centre of the building you will find a quad with grass and trees so you can sit out and enjoy some fresh air. There is also a cafe there.

There is a large green open park area in front of the Old Parliament. I think that in 1971, representatives of the Aboriginal people erected an embassy with signs protesting that they were not asked to give their country to white convict settlers. Their tent embassy is still there with protest slogans.  A must see when you are next in Canberra.

New Parliament

The new Federal Parliament building is behind the old one as you walk up a hill. It has a modern design with rooftop garden access offering a good view of the old parliament, lake and lookout point. There is always an armed policeman on duty there!

Each day in Canberra started with a big traditional breakfast at a cafe somewhere in the centre. From there we started our daily tourist routine. My priority was to see both parliament buildings which I did but it took all day and was rather tiring.

Again armed guards are at the main entrance but you enter via a room where you are checked as if you were going into an airport. I got an information sheet from friendly guides and set off to explore the building.

The whole complex is built around the functioning of The Senate (red furniture) and The House of Representatives (green furniture).


Senators represent the federal states and directly elected Members of Parliament sit in the other House. The Prime Ministers office is there as is the Cabinet Room. I didn't see the Prime Minister when I was there!

I did, however, get to see all the Prime Ministers via portraits hanging in The Great Hall. I had my photo taken with two. Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke. I am shaking the hand of the former and looking as stern as the latter. Both were members of the Labor Party and led Labour governments. Ahh.....the good old days:-)

Canberra revisited

I know I told you I had returned from Canberra in an earlier post but now lets revisit to see something of what it has to offer. I heard comments from a number of people in Sydney dismissing the federal capital as provincial and just full of bureaucrats only concerned with pushing papers around. I don't know about the latter comment but I can't agree with the former.

Canberra is smaller with only about 380,000 population compared to about 4m in Sydney and 4.2m in Melbourne but I found its size, design, layout, parks and open plan very agreeable and immediately felt at ease there.

 After driving through the Blue Mountains and stopping at places of historical interest, we found our new 'home'.



It was a chalet/motel building in a motel complex north west of the city area. Here is a photo of the place with the car in front. It offered more space and facilities than appear from the photo. There were two bedrooms fitted to accommodate a couple with three kids, full kitchen facilities, large shower/toilet area and an L shaped dining/sitting room. Even a fridge to keep the G&T cool!

Next day we set off to explore the place. Colin knew it like his backyard so was able to explain what was where and why.

 We started at a high lookout point with a view into the wide central Mall Road, leading to a bridge over the lake in front of the Old Parliament building.  This is turn is in front of the New Parliament building with its interesting four pillars to support a flag said to be bigger than a double decker bus! Here is another of the same view but taken at night.

Barracks & Museum

Before my journey to Canberra I set off on a barracks and museum tour. The first was a barracks two streets away from where I stay in Sydney. The public is allowed entrance each Thursday at 10.00 am. There is strict security at the entrance but once through you are met by guides.

They are all gentlemen of 'advanced age', ex-military and proud to wear a beret, medals and green blazer to show their status. All are volunteers and members of an association formed in 1982. My guide was John Smith. When he told me this I asked him if it was true. With a wide smile he assured me it was true, then added that all the visitors ask him the same!

He was very relaxed and informal as he took me slowly around the barracks. We passed many soldiers for it is still an active barracks. He explained the history of the place and when and why it was built here. It was all about water. The original supply for convicts and soldiers became tainted so they had to look for another supply inland.

Shafts were dug and they found a supply. This was then linked to the waterfront settlement and the source became home to the new barracks. It is on raised ground so the soldiers could see any approaching ships and point cannon in that direction.

We arrived at the Officers' Mess at the end of the tour. It has two cannons at the entrance to greet you! I smiled and thought of how many such buildings I had been to in India and Pakistan many years ago and wondered if this one still offered stiff G&Ts as the other ones did :-))

After thanking Mr Smith, I took a bus and got out at Hyde Park. This is in the centre near to the waterfront and large green area called Botanical Gardens. There you will find a building called Hyde Park Barracks. It is now a museum about early convict life in Sydney.

The story is well set out with clear information, paintings, illustrations and even photographs. I was surprised to see the large rooms at the top of the building where the men slept in hammocks.

There seemed to be little space between them and I wondered what would have happened if two very fat convicts had tried to sleep next to each other!

Blue Mountains

Yesterday evening I returned home from a tour in the Blue Mountains which took in Canberra. That is the Federal Capital of Australia. Many thanks to Colin who was my driver, guide and source of much information about the area and its history. I would have wandered around without him and not known much about what I was looking at.

I am much wiser now and can contrast and compare Canberra to Sydney. The former was designed as a capital city as were other cities in the world. Some find it provincial but I did not. I really liked the layout, lots of green spaces/gardens, wide avenues and federal government buildings.

My priority was to see the old and new Parliament buildings. I spent a full day wandering around and looking at all the rooms and reading all the information guides. The staff/guides were friendly and very helpful. On Sunday we went to the National Museum and again I spent hours there.

I liked the modern building near the lake in the centre of the city and how the history of Australia was presented. I was particularly interested in the section about Aboriginal life and one about taking Aboriginal children away from their parents to put them into homes - usually run by churches! The new Parliament building has a document asking for forgiveness for this policy.

On the return drive to Sydney we travelled on the coast road and I took this photo. The other is of me at the Three Sisters which heralds the entrance into the Blue Mountains. A must see for anyone!

Not Worried Now

UPDATE: Now I am not worried about Heike:-))  I have just returned from Canberra and picked up a message from Heike.

She said she was okay in the comment box of this blog. Jan also told me the ship would go around the cyclone for he had experienced the same thing in a ship. Colin told me the same about avoiding a cyclone experience and that I should not worry.

All of you were right so I decided to offer a thank you care of Aldi, which I was pleased to discover had discovered Australia before me!! Which one would you like?

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ORIGINAL:  I am worried about Heike. She is heading north on her cruise ship and they are sailing into one of two major cyclones. I am listening to BBC World Service at the moment and just heard a report about 200 klm winds and 5 metre high waves plus storm warnings!

I'm going into the Blue Mountains tomorrow and then to Canberra. I don't know if I shall have access to the internet. If so I shall continue to update. If not then I shall update as soon as I return.

Home from Home

Some of you asked me where I am staying. Thanks for that. As you certainly know I am staying with Ian and Birgit at their house in Paddington. This is a district/suburb to the east of the centre. I am told it is a 'desirable' part of town. The area is linked to the centre via Oxford Street which takes you all the way to Bondi Beach to the east.

It is made up of 'two-up-two-down' terrace houses 'a la Brit style' of the late 19th century to which were added patios, garden extensions and balconies.

Here is a photo of the house from the garden. The other is from the living room into the guest bathroom on the left,  laundry room on the right, kitchen in the middle leading into the dining room and beyond it is the garden. Hope you can see all okay. The house has an upper floor with the main bedroom and bathroom. Above that is the guest bedroom with a small balcony. That is my room! There is also a study not in the photo but on the left when you enter the house.

Paddington has lots of little shops, cafes, restaurants and many book shops for it has a campus of NSW university. It is very hilly, has an army barracks two minutes away and a large public garden all of five minutes away by bus.

Oxford Street is the link to all other parts of town and provides the main form of public transport, which is the single decker bus. There are no trams, but there are lots of taxis and a comprehensive local train service, but not like the Underground in London or U-Bahn in Berlin. It is more like the Regional and S-Bahn in Berlin.

Tomorrow morning I am going on a tour of the barracks which are two streets from where I live. I then plan to go to the centre and see some old buildings including Sydney/NSW Parliament which is near to the Botanical Gardens and Hyde Park. Yes, there is another one here!

For Jan

This blog post is for Jan. I know everyone can read it but I have Jan's face and a glass of beer in front of my eyes as I write the words. Two streets away from where I live is a street with a 'German' Bakery. Ian and Birgit go there for they also sell a lot of organic kinds of bread/food.

Just across the road is a pub called "The Local". Not very original but it clearly tells the 'natives' what its business is. On the side of the pub is a quote and when I saw it a few days ago with Daniel, he said to me, "Perfect for Jan". That gave me the idea to share it and so present another aspect of life and culture in Sydney.

If you cannot clearly read the text here it is. " There is more to life than beer alone, but beer makes those other things even better." - Stephen Morris. I am told he is a footballer in the AFL and
son of a famous player and trainer. He clearly also has a way with words!  Now you can pour a beer Jan and enjoy it!

Three Beaches

I started the day with a light breakfast of savoury muffin with green herbal tea at the cafe in the local bookshop. I really like the place. It is the atmosphere. Bookish, friendly, casual and relaxing. After that I caught a bus to Bondi Beach - yes again, but the sun was shining as well as 29°C.

I walked to the south part of the beach and picked up a track. It is now a famous tourist attraction for it takes us to two other beaches. Here is a photo of Bondi with lots of people basking in the sunlight and/or enjoying the surf.

As I walked along the track I was surprised to see the change of view as I turned the headland. Here is a shot. You can see it is much greener. I walked onto Tamarama Beach. Much smaller than Bondi and with less people. I had a coffee break and watched how people relaxed and enjoyed themselves.

Then back on my feet and off again until I reached Bronte Beach. I liked the name and didn't need to ask anyone where it came from :-)  Again a break to soak in the atmosphere and reflect on how different life is in this part of Australia. Patrick really should have fought harder to make sure we moved there in 1951-2, but that is another story!

I walked back to Bondi for I had enjoyed it so much and it only takes about an hour. I then did some shopping and had early dinner in an Italian restaurant recommended to me. I drank a whole bottle of iced water. The food was delicious and after a day of walking I was ready for it. I hope you also had a happy day!

Heike's day

Heike is on a cruise ship called Albatross. She flew from Berlin to New Zealand to pick up the ship. It is mainly occupied by elderly German ladies and gentlemen. The four week cruise will take them along the Australian coast in a northerly direction with about six stops.

The cruise will take them into Indonesia, South Korea and end in Shanghai in China. It was Heike's second cruise taking in Sydney. The first was seven years ago so she knew something of the layout and the main tourist attractions.

I told Colin about her visit so we arranged to meet her. We had to send passport details etc so she could inform the security people. We got there at the agreed time this morning and had to wait. The security services between the ship and the state had not got their act together. After I told a security officer it was bad management and organisation we were soon allowed on board!

I have never been on a cruise ship before. Sister P and husband L now go on such cruises at least once a year, as does cousin B and wife P, but I have never been on one or put it on my 'Must Do' list. Even so I can understand why people regularly go on such cruises. It is a way of seeing the world but with security and a sense of familiarity around them in terms of language and services offered.

We had coffee and a chat. Then I found a piano in a lounge so I entertained the guests who had remained on board. Perhaps I should get a job playing the piano on a ship and sailing the world until I can play no more! I'll think about that one. 

We disembarked (what a nice word!), jumped onto a relay bus and ended in the centre at George Street.  Heike wanted to buy a hat to protect her from the sun so we set off and found one. Next she bought postcards/stamps she needed then changed money in a bank and all while we wandered towards the old part of town.

Colin knows the history of this place like an expert and it was interesting listening to his tales of people and places in days goneth-byeth! I learnt a lot. We ended up in Sydney's Oldest Pub. They have a restaurant upstairs so we had a meal there. Believe it or not but we were served by a young waitress who had moved to Sydney from Dundee in Scotland! I can understand why :-)

A nice relaxing lunch with another variety of beer recommended by Colin and then another walk around the original settlement/convict/prison area. It was humid and I noticed Heike was starting to feel the heat and strain of walking so we agreed to return to her relay bus. Tomorrow she has a full session in a guided tour including visiting the inside of the opera house.

Have a great time Heike and thanks to you and Colin for such a memorable day. Here are a few photos to remind you/us of a special day.

Daniel's den

The big thing yesterday was meeting Daniel. He flew in from Melbourne and called me from the airport. We agreed to meet and he later drove over and picked me up. He had the chance to see the house and garden where I am staying. He looked very well and healthy, in fact a good advert for life in Sydney based on jogging, surfing and keep fit. He does all of them!

He lives in Coogee, which I always pronounced incorrectly. It is south-east of where I live and has its own beach. Very nice but he surfs at Maroubra, where I went for Sunday breakfast, because it has larger and stronger waves for surfing. Now you know where to surf when you are next in Sydney.

He had booked a table at one of his favourite restaurants. Nice service and food. I had fish and a glass of local white wine. Tasty! He posed with this beer for Jan to enjoy. It tasted nice Jan so try it when you are here :-)

We caught up on news then went for a walk along the side of a cliff. I took a taxi home and reflected on the evening. We are going to meet in my final week and then go for a longer walk along the cliffs. Can't wait!

Maroubra Beach

I woke at 9.00am this morning and dozed. At about 10.00 am I heard Birgit's voice, "Get moving John, we are going for breakfast." I jumped into my trousers, said something about shaving and was told I didn't need too and I didn't need to wash!!

I galloped behind them and got into the car. About twenty minutes later we arrived at Maroubra Beach. We finally found a parking place but sill had over 5 minutes to walk to our destination. This was a restaurant on the beach. The order of the day was Sunday Breakfast.

I looked at the menu. Lots of light dishes to take you into the day but I settled on 'The Ultimate'. This was the traditional cooked breakfast. Bacon and Eggs with everything in it!!  A real killer and not one to show to your doctor :-)) It actually tasted rather bland even with the coffee I ordered instead of black tea!

Ian decided to take a photo for historical reasons = to show that I had actually eaten 'The Ultimate'. I obliged as I 'stuffed my gob'. Try to translate that!! I survived it all and emerged from the restaurant to walk slowly back to the car.

At home, I wrote the first of my cards while sitting in the garden with the sun on my back. A pleasant experience as I switched between languages and hoped all family and friends would understand. Daniel arrived later and I set off on another adventure.

Manly Beach

I went to Manly this afternoon. Yes, you are asking where it is. Take bus 333 or 380 until it stops at Circular Quay. Cross the road and enter the ferry terminals. Go to No. 3 on your right. You will see a big ferry and it leaves every 30 minutes for Manly. The ride takes 40 minutes.

Manly is a suburb with a popular surfing beach at the north end of Sydney harbour. The ferry and town were packed today mainly because it was Valentine's Day and a Saturday. Lots of teenagers, couples, families with babies and even those with Grandpa and Grandma! All enjoying different attractions available on the beach.

There were, of course, many mainly young men showing off their skills on surfboards and making sure young women were looking at them :-) Babies crawled on/in the sand, seagulls ran around looking for anything to eat and lovers dozed or stroked each other gently. I picked my way through them as I moved up the beach.

On my return, Ian and Birgit were relaxing. Ian was looking at the skies to see if the weather would let him 'Barbie'. It later rained then cleared up so we are now set for my first Australian 'Barbie'. After that experience I can really say that I have not only arrived in Australia but have sampled an important part of its popular culture!

Bondi Beach

I felt very disorganised and 'groggy' this morning. I didn't know why. Ian said it was just a matter of adjustment and that could take 5 days or even more! After a light breakfast I dozed off then showered, changed and set off for a day of exploration.

I went to the customs building, then to the ferry area before the large park. I wanted to take photos of the greenery and variety of trees, bushes and flowers. Unfortunately the weather did not play along with my plans. It was overcast. I took my new(ish) extra lens with me but couldn't use it because of the cloudy weather.

I decided to change plans and jumped onto a 333 Bus. The end station was Bondi Junction. I had no idea where that was so settled down to enjoy the journey. We finally arrived at the last station and I climbed out. I found myself at the northern end of the famous Bondi Beach. There were lots of people on the beach. Some just sunbathing although there was no sun! Some just slept on the beach and some families just played with their babies.

Others were active in swimming out into the water and being carried back to the beach by the waves. Many of them tried to get onto boards. I enjoyed watching how many ways different people reacted to and responded to the surf waves that continually pounded the beach. I was surprised at how small this world famous beach was, but then surprised at the continual pounding of those 'surfing' waves.

I had a tasty late lunch of Bondi Beach ' Fish'n Chips'. They were tasty Geoff, but not a match on Silsden Fish 'n Chips!! Now take Fran and Warren out for a tasty lunch of ......! It is interesting that I have not found any other country/culture which can make Fish'n Chips better than the Silsdeners!!