THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 13 "A LITTLE PIECE OF PARADISE"

As we drove from Canberra into the outskirts of Sydney, we thought back to our arrival in Australia several weeks earlier and the few days we had spent in Sydney before heading to Western Australia and later joining Roger and Julie in Melbourne for the trip over to Tasmania.

View over Circular Quay from
our hotel room

Sunset over the 
Sydney Harbour Bridge

We had stayed near the Circular Quay in a hotel overlooking the Opera House, Darling Harbour and the Coathanger, better known as Sydney Harbour Bridge.  

On our first jet lagged day we explored Macquarie Street and its stylish sandstone buildings.

Double take on Macquarie Street:  
The bronze boar has an identical twin 
in Victoria's Butchart Gardens

View from Mrs. Macquarie's Chair
in the Botanical Gardens

However, our sights were firmly set on Watsons Bay, just a 20 minute ferry ride from the Circular Quay but it could have been a million miles away from Sydney’s busy CBD.   

Stepping ashore in Watsons Bay, the atmosphere was relaxed.  

We strolled past quaint wood framed houses dodging a neat row of upturned rowboats lining the shore. 

Upturned rowboats in Watsons Bay

Fish and Chips on the Waterfront

South Head walk - Camp Cove
in the background

Casual restaurants clustered around the dock were doing a brisk trade.

Watsons Bay lies on the edge of the South Head peninsula where the Tasman Sea meets Sydney harbour. A former fishing village, Watsons Bay has a park like setting, its community composed of eclectic heritage homes and upscale beachfront residences. 

Views from the South Head

Waterfront is always nearby, and a walk along nearby Camp Cove - a particularly beautiful spot - leads to the South Head trail, past Lady Bay (a legal nudist beach), HMAS Watson, a maritime training station and Hornby lighthouse.  

Views in all directions are terrific, whether it’s the cluster of CBD skyscrapers, the Harbour Bridge, Manly over on the North Head or the open ocean.
  

Fabulous outlook from "Icebergs" on Bondi Beach

On our return to Watsons Bay from Canberra we were greeted by the enthusiastic welcoming committee - Maurice and Mary.

Unpacking the carefully packed car it was fortunate that some of the supplies we had purchased along the way were still intact. 

Our gracious hosts

WARNING
If Australia happens to be 
your next holiday 
destination remember to 
"Look up and Live!"

The next few days were glorious - walks with the dogs around the South Head, an afternoon at Icebergs in Bondi Beach, a tour of the Northern Beaches that included another fun visit with friends and messing up Julie‘s kitchen with impromptu cookups. Doug is still in shock that he actually barbecued for Australians!  

But our holiday had come to an end and it was time to return home. Sincere thanks to Roger and Julie, their pups, family and friends for making our stay in Australia so thoroughly enjoyable. And an honourable mention to Karen for a job well done.

As for those Drop Bears, well we consider ourselves fortunate that Eucalyptus trees are in short supply in Canada.

THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 12 "YES, MINISTER - CANBERRA, A CAPITAL IDEA"

“Yes Minister” was a satirical British comedy featuring the hapless Right Honourable Jim Hacker and his permanent secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby.  Much of the show’s humour resulted from the antagonism between the cabinet minister (who believed he was in charge) and the civil servant (who actually ran the country).

The view over Canberra from Mount Ainslie

Rumour has it that Canberrans believe “Yes Minister” is a documentary.  A little unkind.  

Whilst Canberra’s streets were awash with lanyard-sporting bureaucrats, we found the Nation’s capital to be attractive and intriguing with its geometric wheel & spoke road system designed by Walter Burley Griffin. 

Parliament House from the
War Memorial

Probably best viewed from Mount Ainslie, Lake Burley Griffin dissects the road system and complements Canberra’s inner city planning. Canberra is green, leafy with a comfortable feel whether it’s a stroll down suburban streets or a drive along Embassy row.

Touring the War Memorial

The iconic Australian War Memorial lies at the foot of Mount Ainslie and is so well done - not only serving as a memorial to Australia's fallen but as a Museum and place of learning, the throngs of school children testament to that. 

Old Parliament House

The view from the Memorial to the far end of Commonwealth Avenue is striking, with both the old and new Parliament Houses standing in complete contrast to the another, it appears as though the two buildings are one. 

And behind it, Parliament House

Old Parliament House, now a museum, an attractive classical white building opened in 1927 and now provides a fantastic representation of Australia’s political history.  

A visit to the (new) Parliament House, a modern, stylish (and mostly underground) building with its oversized spire of stylized boomerangs and flagpole, provides a hands on opportunity to see how Australia's Government does its business. 
  

View towards Mount Ainslie from
Parliament House

Doug entrusted with the drive
from Canberra to Sydney

There’s lots to do in Canberra - the National Gallery of Australia another enjoyable stop - and the next time an Australian tells us there’s nothing much to do in Canberra, we’ll be happy to put them right.  

Obviously they’ve never been there or truly believe the “Yes Minister” representation.

All this and fun visits with Roger and Julie’s family - Canberra had been a terrific stop.

As far as our research reveals, no Drop Bears have ever aspired to a career in public office, however many Embassies have had to install comprehensive netting around their premises to prevent Drop Bear attacks on foreign dignitaries.  

THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 11 "POETIC HEROES AND WILD BRUMBIES"

"Man from Snowy River" country

The storm had finally moved on with sunshine colouring the beautiful landscape as we drove the road to Corryong. 

Corryong’s claim to fame is as the final resting place of Jack Riley, “The Man from Snowy River”. 

The poem of the same name was penned in 1890 by Banjo Paterson. 

It immortalizes the horseback pursuit to capture the colt of a prizewinning racehorse that had escaped from its paddock, drawn to the mountain’s wild horses, better known as Brumbies.  During the chase the Brumbies charge down an impossibly steep slope and the pursuing riders give up the chase except for our hero Jack Riley who continues the pursuit, successfully turning the horses.

Our scenic drive through the Snowys

This well-known poem is commemorated on the Australian $10 bill and also became a Hollywood rendition.

Wild Brumbies were to feature later in the day after the scenic, winding drive through the Snowy Mountains and a stop at Murray One, one of seven powerhouses and sixteen dams that make up the Snowy Mountain Scheme, an incredible complex that took 25 years to build. 

Set in dramatic scenery, the project was designed to provide farm irrigation, household water and hydroelectric power.  Amazingly only 2% of the entire construction is visible above ground.

Murray One Powerhouse

The Australian Alps and Murray River

Sadly, the Snowy Mountains’ highest peak - Mount Kosciuszko - was shrouded in cloud.  We were in no position to argue Roger’s claim that “Kossy” rivals anything in the Canadian Rockies, although facts are facts Roger.  We’ll gladly trade a peak or two for a couple of glorious Aussie beaches though.

The mountain highway took us through the Snowy Mountains ski resorts, notably Thredbo. Before long we found ourselves in a beautiful valley and the most unlikely stop - The Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery and its magnificent lunch time offerings of German sausage and sauerkraut.  

Lunch at Wild Brumby

After a hearty lunch, it was time for Schnapps tasting.  

From Devil’s Tongue (chillies, herbs and apples) to Sour Apple (Granny Smith apples and pickled lemons) to Butterscotch (caramelized apples) the experience was a positive blast of flavour. 

The tasting table

The selection on offer

We really enjoyed the warm and welcoming atmosphere of Wild Brumby, but that could have had something to do with the Schnapps.

While Banjo Paterson is famous in Australia for his poem "The Man from Snowy River",  it isn't widely known that he also wrote "The Drover and the Drop Bear".

THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 10 "STORM CLOUDS OVER WALWA"

Stately driveway to the Tahbilk winery

The Spirit of Tasmania pulled into Melbourne at daybreak after another uneventful overnight crossing of the Bass Strait from Devonport.  

Today would be an ambitious driving day that would ultimately take us to Walwa in the Upper Murray region, gateway to the Snowy Mountains in the Australian Alps. 

Roger and Julie had arranged some interesting side trips along the way with friends and in between we managed a few stops at Victoria's excellent wineries. 

Marsanne - Fit for a Queen!

This one's a little young

Tahbilk, for one, lies in the most beautiful of settings with historic old buildings, avenues of mature trees and row upon row of ancient vines.  

We sampled various offerings, including the Marsanne which was served at the Queen’s coronation and apparently has been supplied to the Palace regularly ever since.

Visiting over, we focussed our attention on the drive to Walwa.  The weather had turned for the worse and heavy rain thundered down from darkened skies.  

We pressed on, keeping an eye out for a quick dinner stop which eventually manifested itself in the township of Holbrook. It turned out to be an eclectic fast food joint specializing in Indian and Italian takeaway, hamburgers, fish & chips - there were no menu limitations here.

Dinner could be whatever you felt
like - such an accommodating chef!

It was almost dark and the heavy cloud cover continued to threaten. We were cautioned to watch out for kangaroos crossing the road on what was left of the drive to Walwa.  A collision with a kangaroo is something to be avoided, not only for the poor kangaroo but for the sake of the car’s bodywork.  Many cars we noticed were fitted with “roo” bars for such an eventuality and sadly there had been lots of evidence of roadkill along the way.

Karen did a stellar job guiding us to our accommodations - a “resort” in the middle of nowhere where we received a pleasant welcome and directions in the pitch dark to our chalet for the overnight stay.

This is where the lightning bolt hit.  
What he really said:
"I hid the other empties out back" 

The rain was now unrelenting and we appreciated the fire burning in the pot bellied stove, supplemented by a final glass of wine before bedtime.  

And then the thunder and lightning took over with loud cracks and bangs overhead, lightning momentarily illuminating the blackness.  This went on for a long while before it eventually abated.

Next morning Roger recounted his near death experience during the night when a massive fork of lightning touched down a little too close to the chalet, specifically the bathroom, where he happened to be at the time.

Daybreak revealed pastoral surroundings

The morning presented something else. It turned out we were in the most glorious setting - rolling hills and verdant valleys as far as the eye could see. The accommodation was a resort after all and a shame we would not be able to enjoy the views from our veranda a little longer.  

Today we would be heading for the nation’s capital, Canberra, by way of the Snowy Mountains and the civil engineering wonder, the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

The weather had not been fit for man or beast - even the Drop Bears had kept a low profile taking shelter from the storm. However we had to be on our guard since we were now back on the Australian mainland, the Serengeti of Drop Bear habitat.

THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 9 "THE GREAT OUTDOORS"

Viewpoint over Wineglass Bay

The Wattlebirds were in fine fettle again at the crack of dawn, awakening all and sundry with their noisy wake up call from the bushes near the Beach House.

Today was going to be a big activity day for us. 

A morning hike in the Freycinet National Park, with its knuckles of granite mountains, white sandy beaches and turquoise water.  

Our hike would take us up a rocky, winding trail for a superb view over Wineglass Bay. 

Admiring the knuckles near the end of the trail

Julie had cautioned us to watch out for tiger snakes, nasty critters apparently.  

Inward musings had us wondering why we were here.  

Nothing like a little drama to sharpen the mind and fire up the adrenalin, we made the ascent with watchful eyes.

A second, easier hike took us to the lighthouse

Another barbecue had been planned for that evening, shopped and prepared for at the Beach House before our sunset kayaking excursion that would take us across Coles Bay.

Hearty sailors ready for the off!

We all looked pretty impressive after we had been kitted up in our kayaking gear and possibly gave the impression we knew what we were doing. After some lessons on paddle and rudder operation we took to the water.  

Jolly Roger and crew aboard HMAS Drop Bear

Nathan helped us into the water and made the experience thoroughly enjoyable as we embarked on a scenic paddle across the bay that included a tea break on a secluded beach. 

He was a terrific guide who talked about life in this beautiful part of the Freycinet Peninsula. 

Returning recently to Tasmania for a quieter life, he had spent the last number of years working on private luxury yachts in the Mediterranean.  

No worries these days about lining up the cushions on the aft deck so that all the patterns went the same way.  

Such attention to detail had us smiling and we completely forgot about the threat of killer box jelly fish, although the water may have been a little too cool for them down here in Tassie.

Julie had done a fine job of firing up our imaginations!

God bless all who sail in her!

Returning to the Beach House damp but happy, the pot bellied stove was pressed into service to dry out our respective footwear,  more excellent Tasmanian wine opened and our attentions turned to the barbecue and this evening‘s gourmet indulgences.

Tomorrow we would head for Launceston and on to the Spirit of Tasmania for the overnight return to Melbourne. 

The lovely Karen had been primed to take us on the most scenic route that inevitably could include a stop at a winery or two.

Fortunately for us Drop Bears are bad sailors, preferring to spend their time high in the gum trees while they scan the ground for prey.  They apparently knew how the triffids met their fate. Seawater can be a deadly if you believe in the storyline of  “The Day of the Triffids”.

THE DROP BEAR DIARIES - CHAPTER 8 "DESPERATELY SEEKING RUGBY"

Beach House sunset

We had arrived in Coles Bay, a small community on the Freycinet Peninsula.  Our accommodation for the next two nights a glorious Beach House set in a natural bush garden overlooking the ocean.

That evening the All Blacks were playing the Wallabies in Dunedin at “The House of Pain” - so named for the difficulty visiting teams often face when taking on the All Blacks.  

We were primed to watch the game as we ate supper at the only bar in Coles Bay.

Beach House bush garden

We arrived at the bar to find the clientele watching stock car racing.  We had come face to face with the Coles Bay locals - beanie bearing young men accompanied by a sole lady sporting Rastafarian braids. They were going through the motions of playing pool, supping beer while casting one eye at the TV screen and the other suspiciously at the interlopers.

Our travelling companions are incredibly polite, they could be taken for Canadians.  Displaying incredible diplomacy in their conversations with the bar staff it became apparent the rugby game would be shown over our dead bodies.  

We retreated with as much grace as possible.

We missed the Haka

Plan B would involve a trip to the grocery store and hopefully a barbecue back at the Beach House, if the grocery store had anything suitable for barbecuing.  This was a very small community.  As luck would have it magnificent fillet steak presented itself. The trimmings were collected along with some wine and we returned to the Beach House.

The television was turned on while we prepared dinner and a miracle manifested itself.  We were staring into the belly of the House of Pain.  

In spite of our intelligence to the contrary our Beach House had the requisite TV channel, despite the fact Internet connections required one to stand in the driveway facing the water to get a signal. 

We joined the game in the early stages of the first half and the Wallabies were putting up a good fight against the All Blacks but to no avail.

Which wine shall we open?

Julie concentrating on Cooper's
 attempted conversion

Talk about grasping victory from the jaws of defeat!  

Barbecued steak with all the trimmings, Tassie wine and a famous win by the All Blacks.  

What could be better!  

Men at work

Julie and Roger graciously displayed their excellent Canadian manners at the game's outcome.

Apparently Drop Bears prefer cricket and are quite afraid of athletic men in black.  Because of their familiarity with bush fires they have become accustomed to living with The Ashes, which unfortunately cannot be said for the rest of Australia.  Good luck this year!