Posted in Holidays

Just when we thought our holiday was just about finished we were invited out to a farm to watch the sheep being crotched (have their bottoms sheared to keep the flies away) and to hold some lambs.    Of course we jumped at the opportunity and tweaked our travel plans to accommodate this opportunity.   I think that's the key to a good holiday...keeping your plans flexible so you can enjoy the surprising things on offer. 

Posted in Holidays

At the last minute we decided to include the Western Plains Zoo in our holiday itinerary.  It seemed like a crime to drive right passed it and not stop and spend the day. 

If you are planning a visit make sure you plan on spending the whole day, or better still the two whole days that your ticket entitles you too.   The zoo is so large that it's just not possible to see it all comfortably in a short time frame.  In fact it's so large you have to drive or ride around it.  Of course you could endeavour to walk but boy will your feet be tired.  We used a combination of driving and walking.  I acquired a map the night before we visited and planned out the best car parking places so that we could get out and walk around the largest number of animals before having to move the car again.  We also cheated a little and skipped all the Australian animals as we get to see these all the time at most animal touristy places.  The safari type animals were the animals that we rarely get to see so that was our focus for the day. 

We also planned out which zookeeper talks we'd like to see and which session would be best to attend according to where we would be in the park at the time it was on. (Bear in mind that the road is one way so you'd have to drive around the whole circuit to get back to animals at the start of the circuit).   I highly recommend planning out your visit beforehand to avoid the stress of thinking and pondering when you arrive.  You also need to remember that you can't do and see everything so consider your priorties.  For us we weren't interested in the elephant or otter talks as we have done both of these at Australia Zoo.  We hadn't however been to a rhino, hippo or Siamang Ape presentation so these were our priorities for the day.

Oh and you'll be surprised how close the animals are.  I expected the animals to be quite far off but pleasantly they were easily seen and often very close.  There are very few visually obstructing fences but instead they use a ditch and electric fence type system.  Most of the animals are on the same level as you so you feel like you are roaming around with the animals.   Of course this is not the case...thankfully.

Here's a few photos of our favourite animals:

Posted in Holidays

We accidentally discovered the Solar System Drive on the way down to Canberra.  In Dubbo we stopped and asked for more information at the Visitor's Centre and decided to track down all the planets on our return trip.

It's intriguing to see these planet billboards stuck out in the middle of nowhere as you drive along the highway.  It can be a challenge photographing them too.  As you pull off to the side of the road and hubby watches all the road trains and caravan that's he's just spent the last half an hour overtaking, speed passed...probably with a grin of satisfaction on their faces...and we had to do this nine times.

The planets on the signs are scaled 34 million times smaller than the real things they are also scaled according to distance.  The signs lead all the way up to Siding Springs Observatory in Coonabarabran where you'll find the Sun sign. 

At many of the observatories you could also purchase an activity book to use in conjunction with the signs.  We purchased the book and plan to use it for school.

So if you happen to be traveling through New South Wales, Australia, out on the Newell Highway you'll need to keep an eye out for kangaroos, emus, and now the solar system too.

Posted in Holidays

Yes we saw almost every radio and optical telescope from Queensland to ACT, Canberra and back again.  We enjoy learning about space and the boys are presently studying space also.  So it made sense to stop and visit these places, besides, you'd have to be mad to drive passed a place like Parkes and not stop and see the Dish.  How cool!!

But let's start with the sad - the historic Stromlo Observatories outside Canberra.  It was mostly destroyed in Canberra's firestorm of 2003.  Why did we visit?  A place as inspiring as Stromlo can be appreciated through a sense of loss as much as to see it in its glory days.  I had visited these observatories as a little girl so I definitely felt a twinge of regret that I could not show it to my boys in the same way I had seen it.  It's hard to fathom how much was lost without wandering around the gutted and charred remains of the observatories.  I also think that it's the enthusiasm and passion that a community has for a place that will help nudge it forward in the restoration process.  

Posted in Holidays

On the way home we stopped at an open cut gold mine.  Initially we had just hoped to get close enough to have a look but as it turns out you could take a free self-guided walk around the mine.  So we got out of the car and stretched our legs for a while.