Tag Archives: Australia

Two Days in Melbourne: Summer Storms and Australian Art

We arrived back in Melbourne after our 10 day drive around Tasmania and, while the Grandparents took Thomas and Samuel back home to Yarrawonga, Kei and I were offered the opportunity to spend a couple of days in the big city. We caught up with friends (sadly not as many as we would have liked), did a little shopping, enjoyed some amazing food and got caught in an Aussie Summer thunderstorm.

There’s nothing quite like a Summer thunderstorm in Melbourne and I’d been hoping we’d experience one since we’d arrived. After checking into our hotel, Kei and I walked to buy some supplies (ahem, wine). The intense humidity and the heat reflecting off the footpath ensure we were drenched in perspiration before we reached the store. Then, just after we’d made our purchases, we walked outside to a few large raindrops which soon turned into a torrential downpour. By the time we made it the short distance back to the hotel, we were drenched. Thankfully, the view from our hotel room provided the opportunity to watch the full force of the storm over Albert Park lake.

For comparison, here is the same view the following morning.

Summer storms are one of things I miss most about living in Melbourne. It’s like the big payoff after days and days of heat and humidity.

Luckily, we were blessed with good weather for the remainder of our trip. Here are just a few photographic highlights.

I love this colorful Australia Post building. So pretty.

While we didn’t have a lot of time in the city, I was able to take a quick walk through the National Gallery of Victoria’s Australian Gallery. I can’t believe this was my first time to browse this part of the gallery (it was built after we moved to Portland), but I definitely plan to make time for a longer visit when we’re next in Melbourne.

This photograph was one of my favorites. The beauty of it for me is that it could not have been taken in any other country. It just epitomizes the Australian landscape. Stunning.

This installation with thoughts about racism was particularly moving.

The building was a work of art in its own right.

I wanted to bring this bookshelf home (and buy a house that would be big enough to house it).

Finally, after just a couple of days, we said goodbye to Melbourne and caught the train back to my parents house in northern Victoria. And, after a couple more days of country living, we packed everything in the car and drove the 3 hours back to Melbourne with kids in tow so we could begin the long journey home.

I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to enjoy an Australian Summer after so many years. As always, the visit felt way too short but I feel comforted by the fact that we’ll be back soon (soon being relative, of course) and that Melbourne will always be my other home.

Until next time…

Wordless Wednesday: One Final Postcard from Tasmania

It’s been 6 months since our trip to Tasmania and, while sharing these photos have been a great way for me to relive the vacation all over again, I think it’s time to wrap it up. On this Wordless Wednesday I’m sharing photos taken on our drive from Hobart back to the ship in Devonport as well as a few favorite photos I missed along the way.

Farewell Tasmania. It was a fun adventure.

Postcard from Tasmania: Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Tasmania

The Museum of Old and New Art is one the largest privately-owned gallery in Australia. While I really didn’t know what to expect before our visit, I had heard that it was an amazing building but that some of the exhibits were a little controversial. I think it lived up to that description quite well.

We decided to forgo the boat ride from Hobart to the museum in the interest of saving a little money both for the boat and for downtown parking. I’ve heard the boat ride is beautiful but I think it’s most convenient for people who are staying in the downtown area. It just wasn’t practical for us.

It’s hard to tell from this picture, but the museum building is carved into the side of the limestone cliff which makes it look a lot smaller from the outside that it actually is. It also means that the inside layout is a little quirky to say the least, but more on that shortly.

The museum is more than just a building and that becomes obvious as you walk to the entrance past a garden with a stage, a beer garden, multiple bean bags and some interesting pyramid structures.

The courtyard just before the entrance holds some pretty amazing sculptures and is host to a great view. This trick made from rusting, yet intricate, metal, was just beautiful.

Parts of the outside of the building are covered in a reflective surface…

… which provided the perfect opportunity for a family portrait.

After a short wait, we headed inside and were handed iPhones containing a guided tour app. I think this was a great idea and the kids were definitely more interested (duh! electronics!). At the end of the tour, you have the option to send yourself the recording so you can relive the experience all over again. Not that I did look at it again, but it was nice to have the option.

As I mentioned, the building is built into the side of the cliff so this amazing limestone wall is one of the first things you see when you walk down three flights of stairs to the belly of the building.

Then it was on to the exhibits. The first one was a temporary exhibit by Matthew Barney that really didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Some of it was very interesting but I didn’t understand why they mixed in Ancient Egyptian artifacts. Here’s the description from the website:

Matthew Barney’s River of Fundament is a sprawling, ambitious interpretation of Norman Mailer’s chequered masterpiece, Ancient Evenings. It comprises a symphonic film by Barney and Jonathan Bepler, an exhibition, and a selection of Egyptian antiquities from Mona’s own collection.

As I mentioned before, building a museum into the side of a cliff means that it doesn’t conform to the classic layout of a museum. I think it was largely intentional in an effort to make this a museum a little more out of the box but the problem is that museums are laid out the way they are for a reason. The large rooms and white walls make it easier to enjoy the art, especially amidst crowds of people. While the unusual hallways and weirdly shaped rooms were interesting, they didn’t allow for a good flow of traffic and could sometimes feel claustrophobic.

Although this tunnel was very cool. It played sounds as you moved through it.

I really liked this sculpture as well but it was at the end of a long dead-end pyramid-shaped hallway.

See what I mean?

This puffed-up Ferrari was an interesting look at consumerism. It was also very cool to look at.

But this was my favorite – a giant mural by Australian artist Sydney Nolan. It was an enormous rainbow serpent made up of hundreds of smaller images. Just beautiful.

This one was fun – a spooky dark maze that led to a room with a mirror on the ceiling when you least expect it. It was creepy in a really fun, weird way.

And this one had about 50 old TVs showing people all singing Madonna’s “Cherish”. The videos were recorded separately but play in synch. It spoke to my inner karaoke diva.

Finally, we made our way to the infamous “Digestion” exhibit. It’s set up to mimic actual human digestion so you feed it in one end and it “poops” out the other. It also smells like digestion. I’ll let that sink in.

After a good four or five hours, we decided we’d experienced enough of the museum. We made one last stop at the (poorly laid out) gift shop before heading back outside to make the most of those mirrored walls.

We also took one last look at the view.

And then walked through the beer/sculpture garden which had become a lot more lively since our arrival.

While Nan and Grandpa waited…

Thomas and I explored the pyramids.

Finally, we said goodbye to MONA with mixed feelings. While I enjoyed it, Kei wasn’t as thrilled. Sure, there was an air of pretentiousness about the whole experience, but it was something different and some of the artwork was beautiful and thought provoking. I’m not sure I ever need to go back, but I’m glad I experienced it just once in my lifetime.

Postcard from Tasmania: Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Our travels around Tasmania helped both Thomas and Samuel develop a deep fascination with Tasmanian Devils. I’d always thought of them as vicious, disgusting animals but, the more we learned about them, the more interesting they became. By the time we reached Hobart I was on a mission to find somewhere for us to see the little creatures up close and in person. Thankfully, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary offered exactly the sort of experience we were looking for.

Much like the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, Bonorong provides a home for animals who might not survive in the wild due to injury or abandonment. They also house Tasmanian Devils in a quarantine-like environment to help with repopulation. Devils have been afflicted by a mysterious facial cancer that has threatened their population and the Sanctuary is on a mission to maintain a disease-free group of animals to ensure the species’ survival.

On the 30 minute drive to the Sanctuary, Samuel gave me instructions to “take way too many photos of Tasmanian Devils” and, while I won’t share them all here, I didn’t disappoint.

We listened to a Ranger talk about the Tasmanian Devils and I can’t help feeling that they’re a little misunderstood. Sure, they’re smelly and sound like angry little monsters, but they act as nature’s cleaners. I assumed they were vicious predators but, in fact, they only feed on animals that are already dead. So I guess they’re doing us all a favor. Unfortunately this does make them extremely vulnerable as a lot of their food can be found on roads and they are often hit by cars.

After the tragedy of losing the Tasmanian Tiger to extinction, I appreciate everything that the Tasmanian Government and places like the Bonorong Sanctuary are doing to help ensure the Tassie Devil survives for generations to come.

But, as “cute” as these little guys were, this fat little guy was more my style.

Wombats are adorable little battering rams. I have memories of coming across them when we used to camp at Wilson’s Promontory. We’d never get too close because we were warned that they’re not a fan of strangers and, while they look harmless, wombats are incredibly strong. After giving us a lesson in all thing’s wombat, the Ranger passed him around so we could knock on his thick rump bone(he couldn’t feel it). Fun fact: wombat pouches face backwards so they don’t fill with dirt when a mother wombat is digging a burrow. This means that a baby in the pouch will look backwards and you may sometimes experience what looks like a two-headed wombat.

We also had the opportunity to pet this guy…

… and catch up with some native birds, like the kookaburra…

…and the Tawny Frogmouth – one of the most interesting creatures I’ve ever seen.

Finally, a trip to a Wildlife Sanctuary is not complete without the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most famous residents. We set out with a supply of kangaroo food and strict instructions to only pet them on the chest to avoid an unwanted encounter with some powerful legs.

As a special treat, we were able to see some joeys still in the pouch. Can you spot this one? I think I’d be telling him he’s big enough to leave home if I was that mama.

The Sanctuary provides a safe area for Kangaroos and Wallabies who have had enough of human interaction and just want a quiet space to hang out.

I took this next photo just to show how big this kangaroo was next to the toddler. In fact he was bigger than Samuel. He was also pretty pushy about getting to the food so we chose to walk away and find some calmer friends to hang out with.

 

I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit the Bonorong Sanctuary. If you look back through my posts recapping our trips to Australia then you’ll see that I try to ensure at least one interaction with Australian wildlife on every trip. I’m hoping that by feeling close to these animals, it will help my children connect more closely with their Aussie side and understand just how special this place is.

Like no other place on earth.

Postcard from Tasmania: Salamanca Market, Hobart

After an epic road trip, we finally made it to Hobart where we gratefully settled into our rental home for a few nights and prepared to explore a little bit of the city. First stop – The Salamanca Market.

I’d heard that the Salamanca Market was a must-see if we ever made our way to Hobart and I’m glad we were there on a weekend so we could see what all the fuss was about.

As with most popular markets, I’m sure Salamanca has been corrupted by its popularity, but it was still fun to wander through the stalls and admire everything from beautiful hand-made jewelry to tacky Aussie souvenirs. I managed to spend just a few dollars on a tea towel (I know – exciting stuff), while the boys picked up a stuffed Tasmanian Tiger to add to their massive collection of stuffies back home.

We made the most of some kids activities on offer, including a tent where the boys could make their own fruit kebabs. Brilliant idea.

Such a fun place to visit, despite the crowds. We stopped by the Salamanca area one last time just before we left Hobart and I was able to grab a quick shot without the tents and the shoppers. There was so much that was hidden by the market that I’m glad we were afforded one last glimpse.

Postcard from Tasmania: Exploring Port Arthur

I have vague recollections of visiting Port Arthur when I was a child of about 8 or 9 years old and I’ve always wanted to go back. It’s such a unique remnant of Australian history that I was excited to bring the boys along and teach them all about their convict ancestors – even if we failed to find any direct relatives in our search of the electronic records. I remain convinced, however, that we must have at least one or two criminals in our family history. It makes for a good Aussie origin story.

We were lucky that our visit was timed just days after they pulled scaffolding down from the ruins of the main prison. Apparently the facade was in danger of toppling over so they spent the past couple of years reinforcing the walls and they were kind enough to finish the work just before we arrived.

The first thing we did on arrival was to take a tour of the site with a Port Arthur guide. He gave us the lay of the land and talked about some of the history. It was nice beginning to the day and set us up well for many, many hours of walking around…

…But not before we took a short boat tour which gave us a chance to look back at the site…

…and circle the Isle of the Dead where they buried many of the colony’s inhabitants.

Soon it was time to return to dry land and explore all that Port Arthur has to offer – and that’s a LOT. We walked around for about 6 hours and I still feel as though we may have missed a building or two.

It was so interesting to walk into these old houses and try to imagine what life was like 150 years ago. They apparently canned a lot of jam.

After lunch we were treated to a little pantomime about a boy who was transported to Australia and sent to Port Arthur for stealing.

Very entertaining.

The most interesting building, in my opinion, was the separate prison. This is where they sent prisoners to solitary confinement. The entry had speakers playing sound effects of keys in locks and men walking around. It really set the mood.

The cells were cozy (although not in a good way). I found it interesting that they slept on hammock-like structures instead of regular beds.

By the time we reached the separate prison, Port Arthur had started to get a little more crowded. Good thing Thomas was wearing an orange and yellow version of his Were’s Waldo outfit. It made him easy to find in the crowd.

The separate prison also offered the opportunity to step inside the solitary cell. After the door is closed there is nothing but black silence. Needless to say, no one wanted to stay in there long.

We did spend a lot of time in the chapel, however.

Samuel gave me a demonstration of exactly how he was able to see over the pulpit. I love it when they work as a team.

Each prisoner was locked inside a box that was blocked on each side. It was designed for them to be able to see the priest but not each other. Needless to say, plenty of photo opportunities.

Just a few of the prisoners who spent time within these walls.

We escaped the separate prison (see what I did there?) and continued to walk around the grounds. I continued to take pictures so I apologize for this very photo-heavy post.

Love this photo of my Mum.

Some of the gardens were gorgeous and the perfect weather just made the experience all that much more enjoyable. I can’t imagine coming here in the winter.

I dream about a garden like this – and the 50 gardeners it would take to keep it weed-free.

What a wonderful experience and a must-see if you ever find yourself in the southern part of Tasmania. We managed to squeeze everything into a one-day visit but only because we arrived a couple of hours before they closed the day before. I think Port Arthur is a two-day attraction at the very least.

I also highly recommend the Port Arthur Holiday Park for accommodation. We stayed in a Waterview Cabin which slept 6 people and was, I think, about $120 a night. It was clean and modern and came with water views.

Finally, photographic proof that I was there before we hit the road to Hobart.

Postcard from Tasmania: Ghost Stories of Port Arthur

We arrived at Port Arthur late in the afternoon and took just enough time to check into our cute (and very clean) cabin at the Port Arthur Holiday Park before heading to the historic site. We had just enough time to tour the visitor center and learn a little about the prison’s former inhabitants before we ate dinner at Felon’s Bistro. Kei and I opted for the dinner and ghost tour deal, wisely choosing to have the boys accompany my parents back to the cabin after dinner.

I am fascinated by ghost stories – the spookier the better – so the opportunity to tour the grounds of Port Arthur after dark was just too great to pass up. The only drawback was that our early tour started a little before it was completely dark so the spooks may have had less of an impact than they would have by lantern light, at least at the beginning of the tour. I think Kei was secretly relieved (don’t tell him I told you that).

Our ghost tour guide came dressed in a Dryzabone coat and Akubra hat and I immediately had flashbacks to the first time I watched The Man from Snowy River. It seriously doesn’t get much more Aussie than that.

We headed out on our tour as the sun began to slip below the horizon. Our first stop was in front of the ruins of the Government Cottage that you can see in the photo above. Our tour guide walked us through a brief history of the penal colony, explaining that Port Arthur was the place where only the worst criminals were sent, often those with second or third convictions who had run out of second chances. That sort of history makes for some great ghost story fodder.

The chapel provided the setting for our first real ghost story. It was a tale about a group on a tour (just like us) who walked up the steps of one of the turrets and heard footsteps behind them but, of course, no one was there.

But the really spooky stuff began at the Parsonage, reportedly one of the most haunted buildings in the world.

It was almost completely dark inside the house while we listened to a story about the Parson, his wife and ten children. After the Parson’s death, his wife and children were left destitute and there are stories that the children still haunt the house. There was a particularly terrifying story about construction workers who stayed in the house overnight when one of them was attacked by an unseen spirit. We heard all of these stories by lantern light and it was hard not to imagine a ghost or two standing in our midst.

The day after our tour, Kei and I decided to share some of these stories with the boys as we walked around the site in the light of day. As we toured the Parsonage, my mum said she felt something touch her when she was alone in a room. We asked the boys if they did and they both swore they were nowhere near their Nan at the time of the incident. It was spooky… until Thomas confessed to the trick about 4 hours later.

We also discovered that sharing ghost stories with the overactive minds of two young boys was probably not a good idea. Of course we didn’t realize how bad it was until we found ourselves trying to calm down a terrified six year old at bedtime. Rookie parent move.

Next stop on the tour was the basement of the Surgeon’s residence where our tour guide managed to give a few people a heart attack by banging very loudly on a piece of wood at a particularly critical moment in a story. I can’t remember why the sheep skull was significant but it certainly added to the atmosphere.

Finally, we headed to the Separate Prison where prisoners were forced to live in solitary confinement. We heard more stories of disembodied footsteps and people who found themselves in situations so terrifying that they vowed never to return.

The best part about the tour, though, was the opportunity to walk the grounds of this incredible place after dark and feel like we were the only people around. Port Arthur at night feels very different to Port Arthur during the day and I’m glad we took the opportunity to have this unique experience.

And besides, who doesn’t enjoy a good ghost story every now and again?

Postcard from Tasmania: The Road to Port Arthur (Aka: Just what is a tesselated pavement?)

After our amazing visit to Freycinet National Park, the Griswolds hit the road again for the next part of our journey to the southern part of the island. Our destination this time was the Port Arthur Historical Site but, as with most journeys, getting there was half the fun.

We left Swansea as the sun glittered on the surface of the Great Oyster Bay and waved goodbye to the Freycinet Peninsula on the other side.

On our way out of town, we stopped at a memorial to the Resolution, a ship that wrecked in 1850, taking the lives of 6 children. It’s a sad story and a reminder of how treacherous life was for those early settlers. A search on Wikipedia brings up a very long list of shipping tragedies in Tasmania’s short history.

A few kilometers further down the road, we stopped again to take a look at Spikey Bridge. It was built by convicts in 1843 and no one knows exactly why they opted for the spikey design. Was it to stop Cattle falling over the edge? Or just some creative license? All I know is that we spent a long time looking at a bridge, so well done to the convicts for building something that can capture the imagine of two young boys more than 150 years after it was built.

As we traveled further south, we passed one historical building after another and, sometimes to the dismay of my children, found ourselves stopping for a quick photograph or the chance to explore a part of history.

This tiny little community church had gravestones that were more 150 years old.

After a quick stop for lunch in Bicheno (meat pies, yum!), we hit the road again, passing through some areas that were devastated by bushfires a few years ago – a very good reminder that, despite it’s beauty, the Aussie landscape can be incredibly harsh.

Dad told us that our next stop would be the Tesselated Pavement at Eaglehawk Neck. Um, what? A pavement? Really? As much as he tried to explain it, we didn’t understand how a pavement could be interesting. But, as we drove up, we discovered that it was interesting enough to be designated as a State Reserve.

And here’s why…

The “paving” carved out in the rock in near-perfectly symmetrical squares was all created by nature. It truly is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen.

We walked down to explore more closely and discovered rock pools filled with ocean creatures of all shapes, sizes and colors.

While I think we could have easily spent many more hours investigating the tide pools, it was important that we made it to our Port Arthur before it got too late. So, we said a fond farewell to this wonder of nature and drove toward our final destination for the day.

On the walk back up to the car, I took a few photographs of the gum trees against the brilliant blue sky because, when I think of Australia, that’s often the image that comes to mind and it was the perfect opportunity to capture it forever.

Next up: looking for the ghosts of Port Arthur.