Category: Animals

Wreck-It Robert

January 2, 2013

Let me get this out of the way, this is me right now:

Yessir, I’m still sick. Putting aside the fact I may have tried to look as miserable as possible in the above shot, the truth is I’m still fighting off an evil Australian bug. And you know what they say about Aussie bugs!!!

I had a dilemma yesterday. I discovered that both pairs of shorts I brought with me to Australia were splitting! Since (I assume) it’s illegal in Australia to stroll around with one’s wedding tackle visible, I needed to buy some short pants!

OMG clothes are expensive here! As in $100+ for a pair of name brand cargo shorts, and ~$75 for something normal. I settled for ugly Chinos that were on sale at $30 🙂

Here’s the smallest cinema in the universe:

Only 61 seats! This is in the local independent Randwick cinema, and it was in this tiny room we saw Wreck-It Ralph yesterday. What a delightful film! If you have even a passing interest in video gaming of any kind you’ll love this movie, so go see it!

Dinner was an Australian rip-off of Chipotle Grill:

And then during the evening I consumed criminal amounts of cheese & onion chips and mini cherry ripes. This was because I felt better at the time, but I’m paying for it now (the next morning).

Adam says “Starve a cold; feed a fever.” I should listen to him 🙁

Sailor Chicken

January 1, 2013

Yesterday was our last day in Canberra, and I woke feeling pretty crook. We didn’t have enough time to visit any other attractions, so strolled the CBD until we left for the train.

I actually used one of those massaging chairs you see in malls worldwide! This was the second time, since I’d stealthily used the same one the day before. They are actually good, and recommended for only $2.

That’s a shot for Bernard. These mini cinnamon sugar donuts look delicious don’t they?

This sign was posted at the station:

What the hell? Canberra has evil mushrooms? I wish I’d known that before we left, I would have watched for them.

I was feeling quite sick on the train, with classic cold symptoms. This delicious lunch made me feel momentarily better:

Yep it’s a long sausage roll. A steal for $3.40!

Here’s what Australia looked like out the train window:

By the time we got back in late afternoon, I was feeling terrible, and made the (brave for me!) decision to get some medicine. A few pills, a nights sleep and an absence of junk food later and I feel much better (although not yet completely well).

And here’s a friend I met at the UFO catchers the other day 🙂

Operation: Capital Gains

December 30, 2012

Very early (I woke at 3:45!) this morning, we boarded this train, bound for the Australian capital city of Canberra.

The train was clean and comfy, which was good because the trip was 4.5 hours in length. Adam read 4 newspapers, while I watched Australia go by out the window:

The first half of the trip was all cows, and the second half sheep (as the above show). The landscape – aside from the Great Dividing Range – was exactly as you see above. I only saw one Kangaroo, not too far from Canberra.

Our first stop was the Royal Australian Mint, where all Aussie coins are made. A charming lass led a 45 minute tour, and we spent some time perusing the displays and shop. It was fascinating stuff, with such things as ‘Kookaburra pennies’ and $300k + rare coins from the 1930s. Worth a visit if you’re ever here.

Afterwards we headed to the seat of Australian government, known as Parliament House:

Opened in 1988, this is a massive and impressive building that I was surprised to discover is almost completely open to the public. Here’s where the politicians do their jobs, for instance:

Here’s one example of the many striking artworks in the building:

And here’s a majestic portrait of the great Paul Keating, my favorite Australian prime minister:

We took the chance to stroll from Parliament House to our hotel, a walk that took us over Lake Burley Griffon on a bridge. It was mid afternoon and the heat had picked up quite a bit.

By the time we got to the hotel (which is swanky), we were both ruined and retired early. Being old has its disadvantages 🙁

Robot Claw