If all had gone to plan I shouldn’t even be sitting here writing this now. I should be strolling along a beach on the NSW-VIC border, contemplating a meal of fish and chips before returning to my tent. However, despite all the talk of shorts recently the weather took a lousy turn for the worse and I cancelled the trip – I didn’t come all this way to get soaked and cold in a tent beside the seaside! It comes as bit more of a shock to have to change plans based on the weather here, but I still had a decent time based around Canberra and was heartened to hear of the 50mm of rain overnight in Merimbula. Canberra itself had spits and spots of rain, mostly overnight, which meant I was still able to get out and expose my unkempt face to the elements…in fact it turned into a pretty average weekend really – shopping, washing, walking, cooking and taking in a national attraction.
I consoled myself with the cancelled plans by eating the very last of the treasured fudge from Cornwall – my last ties to the summer holiday – before hitting the shops to buy many birthday and Christmas cards. I often go the same place in the food court when in the Canberra Centre and get a small dish of butter chicken with a veggie samosa. To be radical this time I had an onion bhaji instead of a samosa. It was that wild a weekend!
In the late afternoon the weather was generally OK, bright but humid, so the car and I got together again and ventured to Googong Dam, which is about 20 minutes away. It’s fairly extensive and quite pretty in places…almost a bit Lake Districty in parts.
I consoled myself with the cancelled plans by eating the very last of the treasured fudge from Cornwall – my last ties to the summer holiday – before hitting the shops to buy many birthday and Christmas cards. I often go the same place in the food court when in the Canberra Centre and get a small dish of butter chicken with a veggie samosa. To be radical this time I had an onion bhaji instead of a samosa. It was that wild a weekend!In the late afternoon the weather was generally OK, bright but humid, so the car and I got together again and ventured to Googong Dam, which is about 20 minutes away. It’s fairly extensive and quite pretty in places…almost a bit Lake Districty in parts.
One of the rivers flowing from the dam forms a number of rock pools and cascades, which would’ve been really calm and peaceful bar the odd bogan or two from nearby Queanbeyan diving into the pools. Plus all the flies, which are getting increasingly annoying as the seasons progress.If I really wanted peace and quiet and seclusion, then it was easy to find, driving a few more kilometres down the road to a deserted car park which was the starting point of a number of trails. I walked amongst the scrubby meadows, gum trees and rather large mobs of kangaroos towards a viewpoint (gotta love the viewpoints!) which is at the head of Googong Dam.
As you can see I also didn’t use a razor over the weekend (more of that in a minute).
The walk was fairly pleasant and I managed to stay dry, returning to Canberra just before the storm clouds rolled in and gave the garden a bit of a soaking. The tomatoes have really benefited from recent rains and have shot up. In fact, all the plants (and weeds) are rapidly growing, flowering, attracting spiders and huge ants…it’s becoming a bit of a jungle out there.
There’s even some nice TNS pink flowering bog brushes in the front. One of the plants I bought should look like this someday…but whether I’ll be around to see it come to fruition is another matter. Oh well, my legacy to Narrabundah.
Whilst Saturday was the shopping and outdoorsy part of the typical weekend, Sunday was the cultural and cooking part. I visited, for the first time, Old Parliament House, which was incredibly interesting. Not only does it house the National Portrait Gallery but you can wander round the corridors, cubicles and couches of power, almost as they were the day they were left back in the 80s.
It’s all wood panelling, typewriters and endless volumes detailing parliamentary sittings, scattered around a maze of offices and meeting rooms. I’m sure Bob Hawke’s empty glass was left on his desk. I think the (relative) recency of this place truly positioned it as a piece of living history, and all for two dollars.
Whilst wandering Old Parly House I was on the look out for any old pictures or sculptures of moustachioed bureaucrats. I need to get some hints on styling as my facial hair increases…you can see what it’s all about and what’s happening on my sister blogsite! Check out http://canberramos.blogspot.com. Hopefully you will be entertained and encouraged to dig into your pocket for a worthy cause. In the meantime, the Monday morning dilemma awaits…which parts of my face shall I shave? Looking back, maybe I should’ve gone to the Australian Institute of Sport instead of OPH… Boonie, Hughes, Lilley. Inspiration indeed.
The walk was fairly pleasant and I managed to stay dry, returning to Canberra just before the storm clouds rolled in and gave the garden a bit of a soaking. The tomatoes have really benefited from recent rains and have shot up. In fact, all the plants (and weeds) are rapidly growing, flowering, attracting spiders and huge ants…it’s becoming a bit of a jungle out there.
There’s even some nice TNS pink flowering bog brushes in the front. One of the plants I bought should look like this someday…but whether I’ll be around to see it come to fruition is another matter. Oh well, my legacy to Narrabundah.Whilst Saturday was the shopping and outdoorsy part of the typical weekend, Sunday was the cultural and cooking part. I visited, for the first time, Old Parliament House, which was incredibly interesting. Not only does it house the National Portrait Gallery but you can wander round the corridors, cubicles and couches of power, almost as they were the day they were left back in the 80s.
It’s all wood panelling, typewriters and endless volumes detailing parliamentary sittings, scattered around a maze of offices and meeting rooms. I’m sure Bob Hawke’s empty glass was left on his desk. I think the (relative) recency of this place truly positioned it as a piece of living history, and all for two dollars.Whilst wandering Old Parly House I was on the look out for any old pictures or sculptures of moustachioed bureaucrats. I need to get some hints on styling as my facial hair increases…you can see what it’s all about and what’s happening on my sister blogsite! Check out http://canberramos.blogspot.com. Hopefully you will be entertained and encouraged to dig into your pocket for a worthy cause. In the meantime, the Monday morning dilemma awaits…which parts of my face shall I shave? Looking back, maybe I should’ve gone to the Australian Institute of Sport instead of OPH… Boonie, Hughes, Lilley. Inspiration indeed.
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