Anzac Day Parade

A few shots from the Parade:

Starting with the Police bikie gang , ( and if you look closely, a sousaphone)

Next came the regular taxis each carrying a digger - the crowd loves them and they love the crowd - they're mostly sozzled by now (9.00am) - sitting in the front seats of their cabs with their stubbies - I know -I chatted to some of them while they were waiting for the parade to start.

And it wouldn't be a parade without the pipes and drums..ooooh yes, I'm loving this!!:-)

Then a bit of Navy bandness:

Then some jeeps carrying the brave:

Some cadets carrying the banners of the First World War - obviously no WW1 diggers are left, and soon there will be no ww2 vets left either:

Next some Navy brass file past the cenotaph:

Then ...drumroll drumroll drumroll... The Millenium Marching Band.. Here we are falling about laughing. WTF are they wearing? Who do they think they are? HP?... Megs is dead glad she's not with them now!!

Lots more bands come and go, lots more sailors come ..and go

At this stage ( about 11.00 and still not sign of the army or airforce, we decided to call it a day -rather tired having not been to bed, so started making our way up George St to Town hall station. .. - a few random things seen along the way:

Cute kids with their rosemary and medals, more interested in play than parades.

A Fuzzy Wuzzy Angel: ( big big cheers for him)

lots more bands, but
I'll leave with these guys.- Anzac Day is all about them, and I salute them with kisses and thanks

Anzac Day

We decided to go to the Dawn Service in Martin Place. The Dawn Service has nothing to do with dawn - that doesn't happen til about 6.30 on April 25th. The service is apparently held then, because that was the time the boats first landed on the shores of Gallipoli on April 25th, 1915. So we set off in the cold at 2.30 am to drive to St Leonards to catch the train into town. (hardly as epic as landing on the war torn shores of Gallipoli in small boats in the freezing cold waters, I know). Here's the documentary evidence - Martin Place @3.50am:-)

There was a crowd of 20,000 standing there in the darkness listening to to the lone Bugler playing "The Last Post" -tears were shed. This pic was snapped on my phone while we waited for the service to start. The sailor is from HMAS Kuttabull - my father was serving on the HMAS Kuttabull when it was sunk in Sydney Harbour on 1/6/1942 by a Japanese submarine. He was on shore at the time, but spent the next day diving , looking for his mates who never returned. So the Kuttabul has a sentimental place in our family history and hearts:-). The man is reading The Order of Service for Anzac Day 2012 and the lady is holding flowers she will lay at the cenotaph.

Later, we just happened to see the bugler repeat The Last Post  for the television cameras.  Here it is..never fails to stir the emotions.

After the service, we had brekkie - the BEST bacon and egg rolls - and hung around the cenotaph looking at the wreaths and absorbing the atmosphere while we waited for the Parade to start. One side of the Cenotaph reads "Lest We Forget" , the other "To Our Glorious Dead".

A couple of diggers with an impressive array of medals, happy to pose for me:-)

Taxis waiting in Pitt Street to take the elderly and infirm diggers.

Sousaphone on it's way to join it's band....Gotta feel sorry for sousaphone players... Ridiculous looking instrument!! Must be heavy! Sounds weird!

Journo filing a report on the steps of the Westin, Martin Place

Wreath on the Cenotaph:

Friendly cadet giving out sprigs of rosemary with little Aussie flags

Me and my new friend:-) - a selfie..

Anzac Day will continue next post with the Parade!:-)

The Eagle

Dad is addicted to this Danish crim series featuring the epic Icelandic detective Hallgrim Hallgrimsson. He is so obsessed he spent an entire day of the Easter break recording the intro theme song and making it into a ring tone... The music is weird. It sends Megan and I into paroxysms of laughter every time we hear it! Certainly no-0one else in the world will have that as a ringtone.. Am working out a way to publish it on here for your enjoyment.. will update when I've figured it out!

Cascades-

Making the most of the last of the daylight saving days, I took a couple of evening walks down to the Cascades.

There's been heaps of rain, so there was lots of water over the track and in the little creek. Anyway, here's a little Aussie bush for you:-)

Canberra - Day 3

Once again I was up before dawn, this time with the intent purpose of going back down to the lake to photograph the balloons. Dad looked out the window for a weather check and reported cloud cover and drizzle. We debated whether balloons would fly in that, decided probably not and snuggled back into bed. About half an hour later I looked out the window again in tme to see half a dozen of them hovering over the city. I sprang out of bed and belted down the median strip heading towards Parliament House like a demented lunatic. (I know you'd be very surprised at that Chris).

So I think we may have missed the best of them as the possse of photographers were packing up and leaving as we arrived, but I nonetheless got some shots, so that made me happy.


I took a few of the birdlife and we walked a little round the lake , then headed back for breakfast ( at the apartments this time - it was included in the tariff, so thought we should avail. - decent , nothing out of the ordinary, but free:-)





Canberra carillon



After brekkie we headed back to the Gallery precinct to check out the National Portrait Gallery . We were quite pleased we had already done the Renaissance, as the queue for it was quite long! --( only limited numbers admitted each hour). I really enjoyed the contemporary section of the Portrait gallery; Dad was more keen on the historical section. I did learn one fascinating fact there though. Mr David Jones is hung there and apparently, DJ's is the oldest Department Store in the world still trading under it's original name- He would be very proud! I fear his scrupulous standards and ideals of providing the very best the world has to offer, along with a comprehensive stock of everyday items, may not have lived on however.

So, having done the Gallery, it was time to head on back to Sydney.. Megan had told us there was stuff to see in Bundgendore,
so we headed home that way ( the other side of lake George.
She was right!! The biggest attraction was Pansy, who was last seen flaunting her stuff at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics.
We had lunch here at a very very good cafe. It was packed to the rafters - i think a lot of Sydney/Canberra daytrippers must come here on a Sunday as the tiny little town is packed with antique stores. While we were waiting for our lunch to be served ( excellent soup), I was admiring some nature landscape photographs on the wall ( quite large, vertical format..very attractive. ) I went closer for a better look and discovered the photographer was Richard Moorecroft ( remember him-- used to read our news?).

So after Bungendore, we continued on to Goulburn vis Tarago. Tarago is really just a pub and a couple of houses and a bikie gang. Lots to photograph though:-)



We stopped off in Berrima on the way home for a cofffee.

When we got home Megs ad made us a delicious meal. Thanks Megs. and there you have it - our little mini Aussie roadtrip:-)