It's Parliment

SUNDAY

Andrew & Jane had our family and another family to feed Sunday AM, so Andrew broke out the BBQ and cooked up sausages, egg & Bacon,  Jane produced toast, grape juice and evrything else required to ensure a great breakfast experience.

Met up with Henry at Old Parliment house.  Observed the reminants of the tent embassy and wondered if even they know why they are still there.

I wonder if any of the kids will end up in politics.

This would have been Henry's office had he been in his job in the old parliament house.

Frank sitting in the old house of reps visitors gallery.

Henry showed us his office in the bowels of parliament house.

 Sitting in the Senate visitors gallery.  Nothing happening on the floor.  I wanted to retract some legislation but Henry told us that most people who jump down from the visitors gallery end up being carted off with a broken leg.

You know how hard it is being a tourist.  Luckilly parliment house has plenty of places to sleep.  And in the background, you can see plenty of tourists.  The place was packed.








Then it was down down into the parliamentary catacombs.  We only saw one level but there are rumors.... no one says anything direct..... just oblique references....
The nuclear shelter.....
The cathedral - a huge cavern hundreds of feet high with stone walls and mood lighting of course.....
The billion litres of oil .....
hundreds of levels of secret rooms....
a small room with a desk, chair and a red phone with no dial.....

But we did see kilometers of tunnels and artwork.  It's not like there was a shortage of art on the surface but I guess that if the pollies have to bid a hasty retreat  in the case of national emergency.
... well they need their art.

Embassy stakeout

We decided to take Sarah to see the German embassy.  Turned into quite a fascinating trip as we drove past a variety pf embassies.
We agreed tgat the Greek embassy looked the best.  Marcus suggested that the Greeks could sell it to pay off their national debt.

The US embassy is huge.  We figured a photo of a dark van with tinted windows parked outside was in keeping with American cinema portrail of things.

Floriade

Arrived at Henry's around 2:30.
Took Sarah up Mt Ainslie.  

Top of Mt Ainslie.  The top of the tower is a lighthouse

Cripes it was freezing. The wind was just too much.

Maccas - eat your heart out.

On to Floriade

Wow!  I have found the next big act for Easterfest.  No longer do we need stages or bands or even PA systems.  This self contained, mechanical apparatus plays music from prerecorded punched card strips.  It has things that rotate and valves and a bellows.

Dinner at Henries

Henry hosted dinner for 13.  The Thomsons & TheMurrys.

              Megan
              Melissa
Henry    Charlie
Kay       Marcus
Chris     Sarah
Daniel  Jemma
Jake     Lucy

We had roast beef and raost pork cooked in Henry's amazing BBQ with roast potatoes, corn on the cob, honey carrot.  Washed down with a nice glass of wine and then Apple crumble, custard and ice cream.

The Red Onion

We stayed at the Red Onion.  Not a green grocers but a chalet at Falls Creek.

Will add some words later and move this post to its right time chronologically.

On the first night Dan and Frank cooked the sausages that had been purchased during the radiator saga.

Paul the game guru bombing Chris in Battle ship while Dan learns by example.  The Red Onion had two living areas so two different relaxing activities could take place simultaneously.

Or a game of something

Bacon and Eggs anyone

One night we had chocolate fondu for dessert. 

We hired our gear from Koki.  The real great thing, apart from them just being a few doors down the street, was that they come and get the gear.  This was the pile we left for them.

Holbrook Submarine and the dog on the tuckerbox

Today we left Wodonga and drove to Canberra.  It was a bit of a historical drive.  As we approached the town of Holbrook, two imperatives moved to the fore - Coffee and a visit to the submarine parked at the Holbrook Submarine Base.  We surmise that the location of the Holbrook Submarine base was selected more to satisfy political requirements rather than Nautical and national defence needs.

In the 1850's some old dog sat on a lunch box while some old guy fixed his wagon. 

This event launched some mythical story line.  I thought it had to do with a loyal dog waiting for his master.

And now days we take a detour off the highway in order to feed the local economy, go to the toilet and take a photo

Albury Wodonga

We are staying at an .....
interesting motel in Albury Wodonga.
We have "The Cabin".  It has "A Spa"

In the lounge.

Glory Lasts Forever

Outside our accomodation at Falls Creek, stuck to the bin, is a sticker that reads:
Broken bones heal,
Pain is temporaray,
Glory lasts forever.

 


hello

Ellie, Paul, Cybele, Sam.

Skiiers say things about boarders and Cyble may look cool in this picture but Wednesday she was bowled over by one and that just confirms what they say. 

Paul