The Kit Kat Club

Long ago in London, perched above a confectioner's shop, met a “cabal” of influential Whigs who named their group after their favourute sweet confection from Mr Kat's shop below. I have forgotten what they acheved but they were liberal thinkers for their time and their portraits hang in Benborough House in Yorkshire. They are part of the National Portrait Gallery that hangs in stately homes around the country. And what a home this lad from Yorkshire built! The drive takes some time even in a motor, past green fields with fat black cows. The outside does little to impress and the cavernous main hall now suggests “try hard” but it is a fascinating time capsule of 17th century mores and life for the well heeled. The back yard was even more impressive remaining in its park like state withour cars or cows. I could get usd to the life there.

The day had started in rain as we followed the A something from Leeds to York, hoping for an improvement in the weather. My phone does not have the map for York so we stumbled around a little and ended up in a short stay park near the Castlle which proved convenient for our walk beside the river Ouse, up the Shambles (butcher's lane) and soon to York Minster - my sort of pedestrian friendly city.
I could see no signs of damage from the 2004 fire in the huge cathedral. We coughed up our 12 quid and were met with some old military types leaving a service to commemorate a British victory against the Japanese in 1944. Tess took the best photos so check her Facebook albums once we leave this benighted novotel and access the Net again!
We headed north along the A 19 before venturing onto B roads to Ripon (proper visit saved for another day) and then out to Benborough Hall. I have described our enjoyable tour of its gardens and rooms.
Next stop was Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal. Our National Trust membership meant it was worthwhile visiting even at 4.30 pm in the rain. Well I thought so. The ruins were impressive as was the park and its water features. Tess has created an album just for gardeners so check it out. The cherry blossom and tulips have been particularly memorable this trip.
The rain had increased as we wandered lost in the garden loop and rather than retrace our steps - closing time was approaching - Tess decided we should seek a shortcut via the deer park exit. After one wrong path leading to the Gents, we managed to find a pathe past St Mary's Church and on eventually to the Visitor Centre. Quite a walk. We were too tired to catch up with Em that night as planned when we arrived home after 7 pm, just missing out on the cocktail evening. Typical!

Around Ripon

Entering the third week of our holiday and the sky is cold and grey - how I imagined Leeds from Em's descriptions over the past months of Winter she has enjoyed. After an exceptional week of sunshine for our Bath and environs tour, the weather has become increasingly English, first in Oxford and now in Yorkshire.
It has not stopped us exploring this area. Yesterday Tess devised a route through towns of the north east Dales including Ripon, Masham, Bedale and Leyburn and all the tiny places like Studley Roger and Lower Ellington (but not Cold Kirby) in between. They just sound funny names until you drive through and see the inhabitants walking the street or drinking in the pub and then they become very quirky and endearingly English.
Take Pateley Bridge for example, a buzzing metropolis compared with Farnley and Dacre Banks before it. They still pump fuel for you here - 98p pl - and the old Workhouse has been converted into a workshop for two local glass blowers who demonstrated how to make a paper weight for us. I bought a second. The Workhouse had also been a hospital in WW1 and other things before and still looked in good nick. Good Yorkshire craftsmanship that:)
We lunched in the pub at Ripon yesterday next to a table of Yorkshiremen and the Monty Python sketch came to life. One old gent in particular, who looked like he had retired to a permanent seat in the corner, was loudly holding forth about this and that to his friends/antagonists, mostly critical comments, including pronouncements on the worst football team of them all - Chelsea. No attack apparently.
I know this is not news to anyone who has travelled here but it still needs to be said - the pubs throughout the British Isles are so civilised compared with ours with lots of small cosy rooms with lounges you would have in your own home and an endless variety of regional ales and ciders on tap to distinguish each village from the next. Perhaps we should just focus on a pub tour next trip.
I should tell you about Ripon Cathedral, the smallest in England although one in Wales is even smaller. Small is a relative term, however. It's still a cathedral. We liked its compact footprint and asymmetry - its 15th century renovation was never finished so it has odd touches like its pillars of varying widths and styles and its mix of gothic vaulted roof and flat painted tower ceiling. I don't have any photos of the interior as we discovered they charged for a photo licence after we had made a donation! So check out the web if you want inside shots and more history.
After Ripon Tess promised a visit to Middleham and Richmond castles using our National Trust membership cards. Imagine my disgust to discover English Heritage ran the castles and they wanted 4 pounds for a visit! Given the late hour, we settled for a walk around the outside. We could see there was nothing inside so it was money well saved.
Today is damp so we have started slowly. I need time to record some of the tour details not that this wretched novotel has decent internet. I miss it more than TV and would certainly use free wifi as an important consideration in any long stay booking in future. Apart from robbing us of 1.5 of our 2 hrs when I did cough up the 10 euro access fee (apparently closing a browser is not logging out!), the signal is so weak in our room that anything other than email is a chore. No more big attachments while I'm away Ian!
So after planning our Scottish adventure it is off to find Tess's hairdresser for tomorrow and perhaps some free wifi for me. Next trip Tess will have an iphone:)

Day 11 - Yorkshire Moors - Or The British Road System Part 2

I have been meaning to record how skillful Tess has become in navigating the roads here and never more so than yesterday as we travelled with Emma through some James Herriot country north of Leeds. It recalls those British comedies of the 1970s where two bores would get together and compare the merits of the B6255 and the A684. And here we were in an ancient old pub (see fireplace below) doing precisely that with a stranger who looked like he knew the roads. He gave us plenty of useful advice not just about which roads to take but also about some worthwhile walks. He loved his Dales!

Earlier in the day (although not early by any means), we had met Emma for a quick tour of some of Leeds shopping malls. After picking up a 10 pound phone for Tess (ask why later) I then had the opportunity to pay the deposit on her Greek holiday in July. Eight young things on a yacht in the Aegean. Wot, me worry?

Finally setting out on our excursion, the phone was our guide out of the city while Tess studied the enormous map on her lap. I worry that both of us miss much of the scenery - me driving and she navigating.Tess is a little jealous of the Navigator phone but has taken a leaf out of its book by being firm with her directions rather than offering choices. I am too busy saving the Benz's wing mirrors when passing Sunday traffic on these narrow winding roads to make such decisions. I wrote before of the half a dozen roads leading to even the smallest English village so the choice is neither here nor there for me.

As to the route Tess chose, it took us first to Skipton (A65) and on to the Bolton Abbey and Embsay Steam Railway (B6160), thence to Bolton Abbey itself which is a popular destination (read busy) but its ruined Priory - not Abbey - was worth the 6 pound parking fee. We did not try to stride across the treacherous Strid instead following the B6160 through Kettlewell and Newbiggin until we reached the A684 to Hawes. After our pub consultation we then chose the B6255 to Ingleton passing a long Viaduct which attracted a crowd but not our weary selves alas.

Back to Leeds, depositing our daughter at Leeds uni (rendezvous arranged via SMS in the car) and back to our room in the Novotel. We had planned to sample a pizza from its bar later that night after a quick rest but found our appetites satisfied by what was left in a couple of bottles of plonk and some rather salty blue cheese.

And so to bed.

I Hate Rugby

No, I have not gone off the game, only the tangled urban jungle ... $#@% ...words failed me beyond those frowned upon in public yesterday but I mean the town of Rugby that boasts to be the game's home. It had one of those brown tourist signs advertising the school and other historic sights but after driving through its suburbs and then around its busy centre yesterday we left disappointed. No convenient place to park and enjoy some of the old buildings I glimpsed from behind the wheel and lots of Saturday morning shoppers impatient with lost tourists like myself. So we left unsatisfied and unconvinced of its right to claim to be Rugby's birthplace.
Fortunately, the nearby city of Coventry proved to be easily accessible by car with parking quite close to its well sign posted and famously demolished cathedral. I felt we had made good a promise to visit back in 1980 when radiator trouble prevented our visit with my parents' friends the Whitfords.
Ironically, while we walked in silence inside the shell that was left after the 1940 raid by the Luftwaffe we heard the distinctive tones of some old German tourists enjoying a visit. The site is cleaned up now and Tess almost prefers its light and open look to some of the old gothic cathedrals we have encountered elsewhere in our travels. The new cathedral they built next door has beautiful modern stained glass and the cathedral itself is a worthy replacement for the old.
Back on the M1 to Leeds and I passed the wheel to Tess for a brief nap. My phone tells me she hit 130 kmh at one stage - when a rude Jag would not let her over to pass - not quite matching her 136 on the return trip to Bath earlier on. Safely arrived at the Novotel for the next 9 nights we explored the Off Licences in the immediate vicinity, stocked the fridge and awaited Emma to join us at 7 pm for dinner. She had been visiting Chatsworth House near Sheffield with friends. It was used as the site for Pemberley in the Keira Knightly film version of Pride and Prejudice. We enjoyed a good Italian red with our Italian meals and then waited with Em among a rowdy crowd of Saturday night revelers and saw her safely aboard her bus back to college.
Today we head off for a Sunday drive in the Dales.

Following Grandfathers footsteps - Part 2

This is the entrance to Worcester College, Oxford, chosen by my grandfather for his legal studies from 1905-08. He scored 2nd class honours like his grandson - and great grandson but the porter/steward remarked that his was a difficult course. We had been warned that the outside of Worcester was rather forbidding but that it was worth a visit. Originally built on the edge of town it is now an easy walk from Christchurch and the other old colleges. Its location meant that it had huge grounds protected by a high wall and must be worth a fortune these days.
Through the gate house we were greeted by a sunken garden and through archway 12 the grounds spread out before us. The scene was typical in some ways of unis everywhere - a lot of young people sitting on the grass chatting and obviously enjoying themselves. However, the trees were huge ancient things and after walking 100 yards we arrived at the lake. Beyond the lake were the playing fields with cricketers in the nets setting the scene. All inside its own walls in the heart of Oxford. Impressive. Good choice Grandad. According to his entry in the Dictionary of Biography the son of a methodist minister enjoyed his time immensely but not necessarily studying or playing sport as Cecil Rhodes might have wished. Pity we can't ask him.

Following Grandfather's footsteps - Part 1

This photograph appears in the 1905 Yearbook of Rhodes scholars held at Rhodes House in Oxford. After a few false starts stumbling over my accent, the porters at the door became a little curious when I mentioned that I was after records of my grandfather. They eventully found the entry with his details - under Rogers not Halse - and photocopied it. Of course, Rhodes House was only built in the 20s, well after his visit but the gardens were gorgeous and the building impressive - now also housing the Mandela Trust.
One porter led me to an office near the garden where a helpful Kiwi dragged out the relevant volume. Percy should have provided a current photo for inclusion but had obviously settled on this "after" one. Many of his classmates had provided youthful "before" portraits as well as their middle aged ones so we must see if we can dig up one as well.
Records are few of these early scholars- he was only the second from NSW - and we were told they did not even know the first names of some of them. They might be interested in the diary he kept of his 3 year stay at Oxford. I will have to see if his other grandson can help out.

Woodstock Moment

After our exhausting tour of Blenheim Palace yesterday, we turned back to the village of Woodstock which it dominates for a recovery ale and bight to eat. Woodstock is a pretty village and worth a stop in its own right. The phone navigated us to The Woodstock Arms where I was amazed to park right out the front! Trust me, these villages have few on street spaces so this was a promising sign.
On top of that, the menu looked promising, until we were warned that the oven was down for two hours so no hot food. We settled for 2 halves of cider and some crisps and collapsed in some lounge chairs and chatted to the barmaid. The pub was quiet at 4pm - in the old days most of them closed between 3 and 6 pm and perhaps the poms stick to those hours still even though many pubs remain open for passing trade. Afternoon closing used to catch us out all the time in 1980, leaving me hungry, thirsty and cursing out-dated English trading hours.
Anyway, our friendly barmaid was from Portugal and hoped to study communications at Oxford next year. I had asked about one of the ales on tap, Ruddles, and she gave me a taste. It poured slowly and had a full head like Guinness but was lighter in colour and less bitter to taste. I could have drunk a pint but was the responsible driver. A typical enjoyable moment on our tour. The photo is of Woodstock but not of the Arms - we occasionally forget to snap a photo!

Day 10 - Oxford to Leeds

We enjoyed a last dinner at a Chinese restaurant opposite Christchurch tonight. In Oxford that is. Tomorrow is Leeds day. Where will it lead? Find out tomorrow afternoon.

Day 9 - Blenheim Palace

Off this morning ten miles north of Oxford to this historic gift to the Duke of Marlborough and one of Winston's favourite spots. Actually called by yesterday afternoon but decided we needed more time to see the house and gardens and get our 34 pounds worth! Should be fun. Tess has started uploading her photos so for those after better looking shots, I'll place a link to our MobileMe gallery.
http://www.me.com/gallery/#100142
We spent yesterday "doing" the Cotswolds - Upper and Lower Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-Water (Tourist trap) Burford (nice), Stow, Broadway and a few others before exhaustion set in. Had to let Tess drive!
Back after an 8 hour day seeing the sights of this Palace. Lovely grounds and gardens but the Italianate architecture is not my choice. Apparently the Duke himself walked past but I didn't recognize him as we hadn't yet done the tour. Complicated Family Tree the Marlboroughs. Lots of portraits and excellent guide helped enlighten me. Did the Maze in 5 minutes! Alright, half of it. Some pics on Facebook in the Oxford album. Probably should create more albums but have dozens of places to keep track of them and consequently I never remmber what photos are where. And I haven't included any from Tess. She's on Facebook now and needs friends!
Cheers,
Rob
PS Long drive to Leeds tomorrow. Probably less internet too for the next 9 days.

And from Tess

Hi Emma
How are you settling back into Leeds? We have kept very busy since leaving you – walking the streets of Bath and Oxford and wending our way through the Cotswolds which lived up to all my expectations. The weather has been glorious. I think we may have even been a little sun burnt yesterday. The skies are blue, the blossom is out, and the crispness in the air is to be found in the shade. The nights are so warm we are only sleeping under a bed cover Dad having thrown the quilt to the top of the wardrobe. Yesterday was spent exploring Oxford. We must have walked for at least six hours, I only allowed Dad a brief stop for a coffee and then later for cider. He complains that this another no lunch holiday but the breakfasts have been so filling we really need nothing during the day. I'm afraid my cholesterol free diet has gone out the window. Christ Church and College were most impressive. We actually returned in the evening for evening song and prayer which seemed most appropriate. It was lovely to hear the space filled with the choir. Everyone has been surprising friendly and chatty with us - I think it's Dad's braces, they instantly recognise him as a fellow eccentric. Dad has been dipping into the family history, trying to find information on his grandfather at Rhodes House and Worcester College. As a consequence we were given considerable freedom to wander through both. Worster has expansive grounds with its own gardens and lakes. The foliage of the trees formed shaded paths and reached down to the water in an array of colours. Of course swans and ducks abound. Secure in their sense of safety they rarely move to allow you to pass. We are very close to the head of the river and yesterday managed to get out on the Thames for a short jaunt. Ratty was right there is nothing better than messing about in boats. The pubs have been great to stop at for meals and I am enjoying the cider. Today we are going to daytrip again into the Cotswold. I have yet to plan the route so that will delay our departure somewhat. We will be leaving for Leeds in a few days and should see a considerable amount of Emma then. She sounded interested in day tripping with us, in the Lakes District week and may even come to Scotland with us which would be lovely. She seemed well, a little travel jaded but fine.
Bye for now
Lots of love
Mum

Oxford

Newton Hotel, Oxford
Actually, this is a a photo of the Head of the River pub near Folly Bridge, Oxford, just down Adingdon Road from our B&B.
Lovely weather continues making t hard to justify time indoors blogging! Pity as the wifi here is good. Drinks at The Head of the River pub and dinner at Aziz Bangladesh restaurant on the other side of the Folly Bridge over the Thames. Crews out practising for boat races in the afternoon light. Tomorrow we plan to walk beside the river before a cruise.
Today was busy. Left Bath for Castle Coombe then on to Tetbury, Malmsbury, Cirencester then Oxford. Navigator took us in via a tloo bridge. 5p! Great sightseeing.

Big Tipper

In one of those small moments that happen on any trip we ended up tipping our waitress 12 pounds for a 70 pound meal!
We were eating at Loch Fyne in George Street Bath, just up from Gay Street. Our waitress spoke with a strong accent but she was helpful and friendly, a little like Aurelia from "Love Actually" but not as pretty. Tess wanted me to add a reasonable tip which I did on the visa docket. However, as I explained to the waitress, I don't have the maths to calculate the additional bit to round up the bill so instead I simply write a new total. Tess thought I couldn't work out how to add the tip so used some of our precious cash instead to quietly say thankyou. Then outside we discovered we had both ....
Shame we didn't go back for another meal - the service would have been spectacular. BTW, the halibut was very tasty.

Salisbury and Stonehenge Cathedrals

Well I guess the Druids or whoever used it thought Stonehenge was a cathedral and it remains impressive in its own way. Got in for free using our National Trust cards - doubt I would have stumped up the 6.50 pounds fee otherwise which is a shame as it reeks of history even if we know little of it. Nice patch of countryside too. I liked sharing it with the sheep.
Salisbury Cathedral was massively impressive. I remember reading The Spire by William Golding and wanting to see it. No fornication in my visit, however!
Due to a parking blunder on my part we did not have time to linger inside - next time I will drive up to its doors and stay for half a day. The rest of the town is lovely as well with its narrow, traffic choking gates.
Stay tuned for more photos.

Off to Oxford

Tess has planned a complex route to Oxford today via the lower western Cotswolds. I expect it will involve a great deal of driving on narrow winding roads through picturesque villages. More of the same:) Bradford on Avon was a real old gem only marred by the constant stream of traffic choking its medieval roads. We added to it of course.
Don't know when next I will get net access so am hurriedly posting without any pictures from yesterday on our visit to Salisbury but will add them later. Trip going well. Enjoyable dinner of Tapas and skewers - and English beer!- at All Bar One down near Bath Cathedral after another lunchless day. We did stop at a lovely pub in Winterton but we were five minutes late for food. Menu looked good.
I've posted some photos on my Facebook pages for those who want to look.
Cheers till Oxford.

River River

Leisurely start today. We have finally spent some time taking in the many sights of this Georgian wonderland. We walked uphill from our digs and hopped on a topless tour bus. The is nothing like a city tour to open your eyes to what you are looking at and I enjoy the things I learn when I travel almost as much as the sights. I didn't realise that the Celtic word for river was Avon so when the Romans tried to name rivers in England ..... Hence the Avon river passing though Bath is no the same as that at Stratford. You live and learn. Hence the title for this entry. Panorama above taken with my Nokia Navigator.
Here endeth the lesson.

The things we do ....

Yesterday we took Emma back to her college - in Leeds!
It looked doable on the map - sort of - so Tess added in a stopover at Stratford-on-Avon.
The British Road System - Part 1
Tess is navigator and has discovered how vast is the network of roads criss-crossing this little isle. Australia has about three roads by comparison. I drive to work each day on the M4 with is motorway sign but the drive to Leeds made me realise how many little roads go over a British motorway! Great roads and even with roadworks you only slow to 50 - mph! RTA please take note with your absurd 40kmh rules that no one observes. They don't even here yet carnage is somehow averted. Leadfoot was rarely under 70mph on the drive back and we still took 12 hours door to door. The Merc's trip computer tells me that we have driven 800 miles in 22 hours 37mpg) in just three days in England!
Today will be spent on foot.

West Country

The Anchor Arms
A welcome stop on our long drive from Bath to Minehead, Lynton, and through the Exeter countryside - our Exmoor Loop. The first of two long drives to start our holiday. The villages were just as depicted in postcards and on British detective shows and the roads were narrow. After a hectic final week of school I think the driving so early in our trip was a mistake but could not be avoided.
Tess enjoyed revisiting Lynton after 29 years absene and it was fun to have Emma along forth drive. I have put some photos on Facebook and Tes has just started editing her first 1000 photos which will be put on our Apple site evenually.

Exmoor Loop

Early start today after a very long day yesterday doing the Exmoor Loop Tess discovered. It took us from Bath to Minehead, Lynton and many other places I'll detail when we have the maps available. The merc went well and I was grateful it wasn't any wider given the many delightful narrow roads winding through the villages. We stopped now and then but I am remembering the man missed meal breaks in NZ last summer as we survived on a cornish pastie yesterday about 3 pm - at my insistence. I was too tired when we got back to Bath near 9 pm to even eat dinner so all in all, Em had a pretty lean time of it.
Today we take her back to college in Leeds. I plan to stick to the motorways today as our low average speed yesterday caused it to become a long day.

And from Tess

Hi Tim
Well we arrived safely yesterday. Singapore airlines made it as pleasant as possible. Lots of service and courtesy. Of course we were exhausted, I think I'm getting too old for that long haul and will have to have a stop over next time.. They upgraded our car yesterday - they must have intuitively known we were BMW drivers so we have a Mercedes C Class for a month. Although I must say after the BMW it is awfully plain - tough! Dad is enjoying driving it and despite how tired he was yesterday did not let me behind the wheel. After we left the motorway we really enjoyed the drive down the A4 to Bath lots of historical towns. We fpund a canal and walked along it in Newbury watching the long boats. Now of course Dad is wondering if we could somehow incorporate a few days on a ,long boat. By afternoon we were flagging fast so cut short a trip to Avebury Circle prehistory site and slept. The B&B has a great location 5 mins walk to most important sights and township but is on a busy road. Double glazing is helping. The room reminded me of some of the places we have stayed in the past. Three flights of stairs, very snug, tiny bathroom but I keep thinking of Jane Austen's time and its fine. Before we collected Emma from the airport we stumbled into a small village pub for dinner and enjoyed a long chat with the publican and a local. The pick up was very smooth - 10 minutes free parking was all that we needed. Emma has had to suffer many hugs but is holding up well to her mother. Perhaps greeting her with a eurail ticket, easter egg and amex card helped. Today we are off to explore North Devon down to Lynton / Lynmouth and back across through Stone Henge to Bath. The day has started inclement but a very reasonable temperature. Take care - miss you - lots of love to you and Saskia
Hugs
Mum

Greetings from Bath. It's 10.26pm GMT Thursday 16 April 2009 and I'm buggered. Tess is so tired she has fallen asleep but I feel such a sense of duty towards my loyal reader that I will type up a few notes on a busy 48 hours. SQ 222 - a shiny new A380 - departed Sydney's awful MacAirport on time and I was feeling pretty good when we began our transit in Singapore.
By 1.30 am our time, however, the gloss of international air travel was again beginning to fade. We had been given great emergency exit, no one in front of us seats on the top deck of the plane (mostly First and Business class seats) out of Sydney and while we had similar seats to London, we did have two people in front of us. Individual screens can be good but no 8 inches from your face and NOT when the idiot in front keeps theirs on all night!
Needless to say, after 13 long hours we arrived at Heathrow (5.50am GMT) much the worse for wear.
However, nothing actually went wrong and Hertz upgraded us to a Merc for the month! See below I hope.
The Church here will be named eventually and was our first random venture off the A40 to Bath road.

We stumbled upon narrow boats at Newbury and walked along the towpath to an old lock, wandered around the market town of Marlborough a little further along the road and finally arrived at our Bath House. Finally a shower, shave and nap after almost 48 hours without horizontal sleep. Not for long, however, as daughter had to be collected from her Belfast to Bristol flight.


With some time to waste before Emma's arrival, we enjoyed a sociable meal at a typical local pub nearby (Tess will fill in the gaps in my memory when she wakens) and then took a dark and twist B road back to Bath, passing some very touristy (picturesque) villages which we must visit with more light.
And so to bed.

My Four Families - Part One

Hi folks,
I began this post some time ago and have decided to publish it now while it still has relevance. Who knows when or if the remaining parts will be written. The travel blog begins in the next post.
Cheers,
Rob
Dear Reader,
A week from now I should be in the air on my way to England for a 6.7 week vacation and to catch up with my daughter who is studying at Leeds University. I will be in a Singapore Airlines A380, the big new plane which I hope comes with more legroom in cattle class. As usual, I will keep you posted on my travels and share some of the more interesting photos. It really is for my benefit so I don't forget the details that should make a trip memorable.
However, should disaster strike, I thought I might record some personal entries to assist with funeral arrangements as I expect a well attended and quite lengthy send-off. So here is Part One of my story.
WARNING! The Travel Blog should appear above these posts if that is what you are after.
Family One


Definitely NOT Family First, this is my favourite photo of my family taken in one of my favourite cities, Canberra. Astute readers will pick the spot in the garden of the National Gallery. It was taken by a member of my Friends Family.which is the wonderful thing about Friends - sharing memories of good times and bad.
Canberra is now home to my children and could one day be where I spend my dotage.
Not visible in this photograph are my parents, Laurie and Bob, who many of my friends will also remember with great affection. They are never far from my thoughts. My siblings David, Kathi and Rose are also out of shot but I can easily dig up childhood images of us returning sunburnt from a skiing holiday at Thredbo, seeing much the same sights as I showed my own children.


Canberra was a welcome stop on the long trip to and from the snowfields, especially before the Hume became a highway.