“Operation ABC”

As often happens on these trips, I went to bed early last night then woke this morning around 2 am. Good thing they were showing Star Trek episodes on TV at that time because I didn’t head out for a walk until sunup a few hours later.

I walked to ‘the docklands’ via the main train station. It was quite early and the streets were empty but it was a good walk. A few hours later, after B woke, we headed out to be tourists…

The first place we visited was ACMI, a museum/gallery dedicated to the ‘moving image’, which means film, TV and video games. This was on a tip from AW and his description – “a treasure trove” – sums the place up well. It’s a fountain of nostalgia for those of us that grew up in front of Oz TV and the video came additions only sweetened the appeal.

But best of all was a display of ‘trick’ cinema techniques which included a dark smoky room with a projected laser tunnel. It was in there I got the lovely silhouette of Bernard shown above.

The ‘B’ in ABC was for Botanical Gardens. It was (only) ok but far more impressive were the views from the 88th floor of a nearby building called Eureka.

And right next door was an art gallery which we also stopped in to and were quite wowed by a few exhibits.

The ‘C’ of course was for casino, where we met PB and where Bernard won cash money and where I also managed to again win the ball-drop ticket jackpot from a redemption machine. 

I’m insanely tired right now; absolutely struggling to stay awake. It’s been a long and active day (~32k steps) but it’s only 6 pm. For some reason the jetlag seems worse this year….

I Made It

This was the longest trip I’ve ever done. Four flights and over 35 hours in total it’s not something I’m keen on ever repeating! But I made it safe and sound and am now in Melbourne. 

First impressions are that it’s much like Sydney only even more multicultural? But to be honest yesterday (it’s 3 am) was a fugue due to jet lag and loss of sleep, so it could be anyway outside this hotel room.

I met this character. You’ll see more of him in the days ahead….

The Year In Photos

It was a busy year for us, and we saw and did many things. Here’s a summary, in which I only selected photos with us in them. If you want to read more about any of what is mentioned in this post, go back and check the original entries which are all here on the blog.

The year started – as it has for over a decade – down in Oz, where Bernard and I were on the Gold Coast about to drive down to Newcastle. We went to the usual places and did the usual stuff and had the usual fun we always have, but all this was heightened due to the fact we’d never been to many of the places we visited on our road trip. It was a memorable vacation!

In March, back in the USA, we had a record-breaking snowstorm. On one day we got just shy of two feet of snow, and I almost wore the snowblower out trying to clear it. That was a busy day!

In May we went to Japan for the sixth time. We stayed in three cities and had a jam-packed vacation that was so incredible I already want to go back (and may already be planning the next one…)

August saw us jet over to Ireland for a holiday full of scenery and the usual laughs. Once again this trip brought many highlights, not the least of which was visiting Skellig which the Star Wars films have now made famous. KLS enjoyed Ireland so much she’s went again in December!

And then in September we went to New Hampshire for a few days, visiting some caves, a giant arcade and taking lovely train and boat trips. As usual we packed a lot into a few days and it was great.

And in less than two days I’m heading off again to Australia, to once again meet Bernard in a city we’ve never been (Melbourne this time) and then to once again take a road trip back to Newcastle. This time however we’ve leveled up our itinerary, and our drive will take us a lazy ten days through the interior of VIC and NSW and then along the coastal road heading north. It promises to be great, and you can (and should!) read all about it right here starting in a few days…

Until then, Happy Christmas 🙂