Road trip to the coast ...

Fitzroy Falls

After leaving Canberra, C and I took two days to drive back to Sydney, travelling through the Sutton Forest, Kangaroo Valley and up along the Illawarra coast line.  The first day of driving through the forest was spectacular and we stopped at many lookouts along the way.  The area was unexpectedly beautiful, but then again, I'm a sucker for large country homes, surrounded by green paddocks filled with horses.   

View from top of Fitzroy Falls

Near Fitzroy Falls

The second day, driving up the coast, was a little disappointing.  Some parts of it were pretty but I was expecting a much more dramatic coastal drive, rather than the very suburban drive it actually was.  

View from Manning Lookout

Kangaroo Valley bridge

River at Kangaroo Valley

Beautiful farmland

Goodbye Charlie ...

It's been a sad few days for the Davidson family, with the news that our family dog, Charlie, was unwell and needed to be put down.  Early yesterday morning, Dad, Carla, Dad's partner, and my brother, Tom, took him to the vet and said their final goodbyes.  I feel very lucky to have been able to spend some time with Charlie last weekend during my visit to Canberra.  He was such a special member of our family for nearly 16 years and we'll all miss him dearly. Goodbye Charlie.

Waiting for a tidbit of food

Dozing on the couch

Pottering on the beach

Hanging out in Canberra last weekend

Saying goodbye to Charlie in Canberra

Anxious Anna ...

I came across this image on Sarah's Wilson's blog this morning and thought it would provide a giggle for those of you who know me well ... it sums me up nicely - always finding something to worry about.

Poachers Pantry ...

Poachers Pantry

Not only does Canberra have great museums, it also has terrific places to eat.  On Sunday afternoon, we headed to a small eatery attached to a winery 25 minutes outside of Canberra (actually in NSW), Poachers Pantry.  Here, we enjoyed several platters of smoked meats and seafood, including kangaroo prosciutto, all washed down with a glass of Wily Trout wine.

The hungry troupe

Smoked seafood platter

Smoked meat platter

Chocolate tart

Playing the tourist in Canberra ...

View from Mt Ainslie towards the two Parliament Houses and the War Memorial

When visiting Canberra, it is impossible not to put on your nerdy, information seeking hat (also known as a lifelong learner hat in teacher talk) and soak up all the historical and cultural things on offer.  With limited time and a priority of spending time with family, we only visited the War Memorial and Old Parliament House.

Simpson and his Donkey outside the War Memorial

War Memorial

The War Memorial was a surprising treasure trove of information about Australia's involvement in various wars.  Although I do believe that it glorified war to a certain extent, the exhibits were fantastic, with a huge range of diverse media through which to engage with the information.  Since 10 year old B has been learning about the two World Wars, I am now planning a 'school camp' to Canberra to visit the Memorial.

Remembrance Wall

Government House

Next tourist stop was Old Parliament House where the museum goes by the name of 'Museum of Australian Democracy'.  I'd visited here several years ago but it was fun to wander through the rabbit warren of rooms again.  I was particularly impressed with some of the interactive displays that we stumbled across at the end of our visit (and therefore were feeling 'museumed out') ... I'll just have to come back again.

Old Parliament House

'Aboriginal Embassy'

Canberra often doesn't get a very good reputation, and while I certainly wouldn't want to live there (sorry Dad!), it's a great place to visit and there are still plenty more museums and things that I'd like to explore in Australia's capital.

View from in front of old Parliament House, looking past the 'Aboriginal Embassy' to the War Memorial and Mt Ainslie

A walk in the bush ...

Kangaroos

One of my favourite things to do when I visit Dad is to go for a walk in the bushy area behind their house.  A stroll through the bush in Canberra almost guarantees the spotting of lots of kangaroos.  Our walk on Saturday morning was no exception ... we saw loads of kangaroos, including a very cute (and skittish) joey and a huge (and scary) mob leader.  Seeing such a huge number of typical Aussie wildlife was a great start to C's adventure into a new part of Australia.

Joey

Head of a mob

Other 'wild' life in the bush

Dad and daughter in the bush

Road trip ...

In a few hours, C. and I head off on a five day road trip to Canberra and along the NSW coast.  We arrive in Canberra this afternoon for a weekend with Dad, Carla and the dogs ... the first meeting of the father and the boyfriend!  On Monday, we head back through the Southern Highlands and up to Sydney along the Illawarra Coast.  So, no blogging for a few days but hopefully plenty of great photos when we return (and for C's sake, hopefully some pictures of Australian wildlife!)