Rab & Lesley's Big Trip

Days 63 to 70 Brisbane to Canberra

Day 63 - 1st February 2016
Brisbane


Day 63 could have gone very badly....

Road side assistance turned up within half an hour but the tyre depot had to send to another branch to get us a new tyre so we were three hours later than planned getting into Brisbane and arrived in the rush hour

Sightseeing will have to wait till tomorrow. We are off down the pub...

Day 64 - 2nd February 2016
Brisbane


After yesterdays trauma we had a leisurely day in Brisbane wandering through the city and then through their Botanic Gardens down to the river where we boated up and down on their river bus service
This picture sums Brisnbane up for me  - a mix of old and new

The bridge looks to be of cast iron riveted together with massive plates

Business District from the river bus



Houston we have lift off!

This last was taken in the Botanic Gardens

Day 65 - 3rd February 2016
Emerald Beach NSW


Mrs D having a paddle

Other end of Emerald Beach

where the more adventurous were

I've driven over 1500 miles in Australia past numerous signs warning about Kangaroos etc and seen not a one
Tonight as I sat by the van having a pre dinner beer, these two hopped by



- but didn't stay long


Day 66 - 4th February 2016
The Highlands


We were fed up with the Coastal Highway that bypasses everything so we cut inland and drove up into the highlands (in more ways than one).

We climbed right through the clouds and found ourselves on High Chapparal country with lots of horse ranches

Stopped of at Ebor on the Waterfall Highway (no waterfalls to be seen)


I said the Highlands. We passed through Scone and Aberdeen on the way to the camp ground at Muswellbrook

Day 67 - 5th February 2016
The Blue Mountains


The drive into the Blue Mountain area was a bit steep and twisty in areas and the sat nav took us a slightly different route to the one I expected so we were pleasantly surprised to discover the Blue Mountain Botanic Gardens en route to our intended campsite in Blackheath Glen
View of the Mountain area from the gardens

A couple of flowers



Some wildlife too

A Superb Fairy Wren

And the object of his desires

Another glimpse of the Blue Mountains National Park

Day 68 - 6th February 2016
Katoomba, Leura and ....


Miserable morning so ruled out trying to get to any lookouts and settled for the Town of Leura and it's Toy Museum
Played with any of these?

I certainly played a lot with this

A walk through the Museum garden was wet

Thought we'd try for a glimpse of the Three Sisters in the Jameson Valley - No luck

Called it a day and were driving back to the camp site and chanced upon another lookout - with more success

So we thought we'd chance another....


We might try again in the morning

Day 69 - 7th February 2016
The Jenolan Caves


Left the Blue Mountains heading for Goulburn near Canberra
Stopped for a last look at Govett's Leap

To get to the caves there was an 8.5km stretch of very steep descents and then
you drive through part of the cave complex to get to the car park

The cave tours were unfortunately fully booked out for the morning and we couldn't wait till the first available afternoon slot so we just went for a walk around the river and the free entry caves

This lizard was shedding his skin

Nice little dragonfly type insect


Caves




If we thought the drive to the caves was bad we had not seen what was in store for us on the drive out - a 5km stretch that is one way for a few hours each way in turn. One way because it is single lane with no passing places and is all very steep ascents round 15kmh hairpins - there were a couple of very hairy moments

I don't know if it will work but this is a link to Google Earth LINK

Stopped for a coffee at Taralga where I saw this old church

And at our site for tonight new birdies
A Roseate Cockatoo

A Crimson Rosella

Day 70 - 8th February 2016
Canberra


We passed by the stockyards as we left Goulburn

On the way to Canberra we drove past this vast grassland
Turns out it used to be Lake George - it evaporated just as I am doing in this heat

As I was taking the pictures at Lake George I spotted these two in the shrubbery just to the left of the previous picture

By now we had left NSW and entered the Australian Capital Territory and stopped at Gold Creek that has a walk through aviary with lots of birds, mainly parrots that fed from hand

Even parrots can get photo bombed - This blue is a Monks Parrot, the only one to build a nest. All others use holes and hollows


Finally arrive in Canberra
Icononic shot of the Parliament building taken from the steps of the Australian War Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the war Memorial

Inside of the dome

Detail of one the the stained glass windows

Final stop was in the Botanic gardens


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