Queen Elizabeth parkrun, Casino and then back to the Sunshine Coast

Saturday 4 January 2020 – 282 342

Queen Elizabeth parkrun in Casino this morning allowed us to collect a “Q” for a alphabet of parkruns.  It is a lovely course and very friendly volunteers.

 https://www.parkrun.com.au/queenelizabethcasino/

After a shower we headed for home.  Now that we are out of all the smoke, everything we look at seems extra clear; like going from 1980’s TV to HD TV.  We are glad to be home.  Everything smells heavily of smoke and there will be a lot of extra cleaning, airing and washing, but we are safe, and grateful for it.

282 694

Premer to Casino (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Friday 3 January 2020 – 281 760

We drove to Tamworth this morning, and had a brief look around the centre of town.  We stopped in Armidale for a picnic lunch.  We have camped for the night at Braemar Park Rest Area, about 25km south of Casino.  The Bruxner Highway to get here was like driving in Tasmania – up or down combined with left or right at all times.  The campground was burnt out about two months ago during forest fires, but the air here is clearer than we have seen in the past four weeks. 

https://directory.fullrangecamping.com.au/item/braemar-park/

Canberra to Premer (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Thursday 2 January 2020 – 281 198

This morning the smoke was no better, so we decided to leave Canberra a day earlier than planned  There were plenty of people evacuating from the South Coast area who needed the caravan site more than we did, so we just forfeited our nights camping fee. After packing down and checking the NSW fire maps, we decided to head north by an inland route and stay away from the fire ravaged coast.

As we were leaving Canberra, just past the Summernats turn off we saw four police vehicles, two facing each direction, with their stinger tracks propped on the bonnet ready to go.  A little further on were two more police vehicles.  Possibly a welcoming committee for someone expected to show up for Summernats??

At the Yass service station, I saw more caravans in one place than I have ever previously seen.  We started to see breaks in the smoke when we were about 50km north of Cowra (at least 200km north of Canberra).  Between Wellington and Gulgong, we saw a large wind farm, the first I have seen in New South Wales.  

Premer Lions Park Campground

When we got to Premer there were puddles beside the road – they must have had rain!  We have camped in the small town of Premer in the Lions Park – hot showers and the option of power for a donation. 

https://directory.fullrangecamping.com.au/item/premer-lions-park-campground-lc/

New Years Day - Australian War Memorial and Old Parliament House (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 281 163

Not surprisingly, all ACT New Years Day parkruns were cancelled due to the smoke – so no New Years Day Double for us.  The sun was bright orange and could be looked at due to the thickness of the smoke.  It was most definitely not suitable conditions to run in.

We visited the Australian War Memorial again today, to see the Aviation Hall, ANZAC Hall, Colonial Conflicts and the special exhibition on peacekeeping.  After approximately eleven hours, across four visits we feel we have seen what we wished to see at the Australian War Memorial.  It is a remarkable museum.  The smoke and dust in the air was incredible.  Staff at the War Memorial were wearing masks.  I could only just see the beginning of ANZAC Parade from the War Memorial entrance. https://www.awm.gov.au/

After lunch we visited Old Parliament House - Museum of Australian Democracy. https://www.moadoph.gov.au/# The “Greatest Hits Tour” was a collection of political cartoons from the year – quite interesting. https://www.moadoph.gov.au/exhibitions/behind-the-lines-2019/ We then toured the building; Prime Ministers suite, House of Representative, Senate, King’s Hall, press offices etcetera, all as they were in the late 1980’s.

We visited the Museum of Australian Democracy, including the Magna Carta Exhibition.  Hayden attempted to use a typewriter in “Discovering the Lost Art of Letter Writing”. https://www.moadoph.gov.au/exhibitions/yoursfaithfully/

For dinner we joined the families of the other children Hayden had been playing with in the caravan park over the last several days.  An unlikely group of kids that just worked really well together (14yo boy, 12yo girl, 11yo girl, 10yo boy and 9yo girl), they were all very fit active kids and they just loved playing in the pool or the playground and got along very well.  I have enjoyed the parents, it has been a great group.