From Newcastle, we travelled on to Canberra when I was starting to feel a bit better. By this point my cold was much better, but had progressed into that dry hacking cough that drives everyone around you into a murderous rage crazy!
While we were there, Canberra experienced it's coldest day in 43 years (or something like that) our friend who lived there told us.
We had a heated motel room & didn't really care. It was just COLD. The motel was OK, most importantly it was heated, but I was a bit dissapointed as we booked it on Wotif. Their Wotif details indicated that each room had a washer & dryer. We therefore took a few things we needed to wash so that we could do our laundry before returning to newcastle. When we rocked up, there was a laundry facility, but not a washer & dryer in each room. Not impressed. Usually I check the actual motel website before I make a booking on Wotif, but this time I must have overlooked that step. Never again. (Please note: Laundry facility was almost vitally important as being North Queenslanders, our supply of warm clothing was minimal to start with. When you are wearing more than one layer of warm clothing because the weather is so cold, that further depleted our stash to 3 days tops. We made do however & know better for next time)
On the first day which was bright & sunny & beautiful (but still cold), we visited Questacon (all indoors for those who don't know). The kids loved this. They had a room just for littlies that Little Bear thought was FANTASTIC. Cheetah enjoyed all the bigger kid exhibits, however 1 level was closed unfortunately so we missed out on that one.
While we were there, Canberra experienced it's coldest day in 43 years (or something like that) our friend who lived there told us.
We had a heated motel room & didn't really care. It was just COLD. The motel was OK, most importantly it was heated, but I was a bit dissapointed as we booked it on Wotif. Their Wotif details indicated that each room had a washer & dryer. We therefore took a few things we needed to wash so that we could do our laundry before returning to newcastle. When we rocked up, there was a laundry facility, but not a washer & dryer in each room. Not impressed. Usually I check the actual motel website before I make a booking on Wotif, but this time I must have overlooked that step. Never again. (Please note: Laundry facility was almost vitally important as being North Queenslanders, our supply of warm clothing was minimal to start with. When you are wearing more than one layer of warm clothing because the weather is so cold, that further depleted our stash to 3 days tops. We made do however & know better for next time)
On the first day which was bright & sunny & beautiful (but still cold), we visited Questacon (all indoors for those who don't know). The kids loved this. They had a room just for littlies that Little Bear thought was FANTASTIC. Cheetah enjoyed all the bigger kid exhibits, however 1 level was closed unfortunately so we missed out on that one.
One of the activities was to press a button & press it again after 15 seconds, trying to get it as close as possible to the 15 second mark (counting in your head). I was chuffed that I took one go & got it within 0.005 of a second (see photo below). This also meant I had the most accurate guess of the day, up until just after lunchtime when we left. Not sure if it was broken after that.
That night we went up the Black Mountain Tower (aka Telstra Tower, aka Telecom Tower). The first time we got up there, we got through the door & found that they only take cash, not credit card, for the admittance fee. We trundled off to grab some dinner & some money & then headed back about an hour later. This time we actually got through the entry gates.
Here is Little Bear with the boys on the viewing platform. As you can see it is cold & windy.
I still remember visiting this tower with my family when I was 3. I remeber seeing big machines through glass windows & having to use some stairs. This time, all you could really do was go to the revolving resteraunt (patrons only) or go to the kiosk & viewing platform (via a lift that didn't give floor's, but rather told you exactly how far above sea level you were as it lifted you up).
The view was OK, but probably would have been better at sunset (when we first attempted to get in) rather than at night, although the lights were pretty.
The next day it was cold & overcast (I think this was the coldest day). This was the day we had set aside to take some photo's in front of Parliament House, go to the National Zoo & Aquarium & also the Cockington Green Gardens & Walk in Aviary.
The first thing we did though, was go to the Royal Australian Mint. We got there, only to find the Mint was closed for renovation & only the souvenire shop in the entry way was open. The attendant cheerfully told us that we could watch the process on some screens set up in the entry foyer. This set up was a series of 7 photo's (not all of which worked), on a screen where you press a button to see the next photo. The photo's weren't that crash hot & as some where 'missing' (should we be concerned about other things going missing at the Mint?) it really left a lot to be desired.
We did get to stamp our own $1 coin to comemorate our visit. This cost us $3 for which we got $1 in return. Hmmm - now we know how the Mint makes their money! (Obviously that was a joke because our whole gripe is that we never actually got to see how the Mint makes the money at all).
After the Mint, we got to the Zoo but somehow completely missed the Aquarium section. We saw the White Lions. Little Bear loved seeing Giraffe's up close. Unfortunately, she was not happy to be photographed & every time we pointed the camera at her, she turned her head. Didn't get as many photo's as we wanted, but got a few that show how rugged up we were.
I still remember visiting this tower with my family when I was 3. I remeber seeing big machines through glass windows & having to use some stairs. This time, all you could really do was go to the revolving resteraunt (patrons only) or go to the kiosk & viewing platform (via a lift that didn't give floor's, but rather told you exactly how far above sea level you were as it lifted you up).
The view was OK, but probably would have been better at sunset (when we first attempted to get in) rather than at night, although the lights were pretty.
The next day it was cold & overcast (I think this was the coldest day). This was the day we had set aside to take some photo's in front of Parliament House, go to the National Zoo & Aquarium & also the Cockington Green Gardens & Walk in Aviary.
The first thing we did though, was go to the Royal Australian Mint. We got there, only to find the Mint was closed for renovation & only the souvenire shop in the entry way was open. The attendant cheerfully told us that we could watch the process on some screens set up in the entry foyer. This set up was a series of 7 photo's (not all of which worked), on a screen where you press a button to see the next photo. The photo's weren't that crash hot & as some where 'missing' (should we be concerned about other things going missing at the Mint?) it really left a lot to be desired.
We did get to stamp our own $1 coin to comemorate our visit. This cost us $3 for which we got $1 in return. Hmmm - now we know how the Mint makes their money! (Obviously that was a joke because our whole gripe is that we never actually got to see how the Mint makes the money at all).
After the Mint, we got to the Zoo but somehow completely missed the Aquarium section. We saw the White Lions. Little Bear loved seeing Giraffe's up close. Unfortunately, she was not happy to be photographed & every time we pointed the camera at her, she turned her head. Didn't get as many photo's as we wanted, but got a few that show how rugged up we were.
We went home (well, to a Motel room that was acting as "home" for 2 1/2 days) to have lunch & a sleep. Unfortunately, Little Bear slept for about 10 minutes in the car & as a result, did not sleep when we got back to the room. At about 4 ish, we decided to give up on Cockington Green & the Aviary & just bum around in the motel until dinner time.
For dinner that night, we met up with our friend & his gorgeous wife in Canberra at Zeffirelli's for pizza. I can't believe that Little Bear sat still enough for me to braid her hair (in 2 braids, not 1) to go out looking nice. I took a photo of it, because I doubt I will get another chance like that before she is 5. She is like the energiser bunny - just keeps going!
At dinner our friends wife - M - began asking Cheetah about school & he hit it off with her right away & talked her ear off all night. We then went back to their place, where Cheetah taught M to play "21" (that's Blackjack to all the gamblers out there). DH then had to teach M the correct way to play, as Cheetah had learned the game of his young cousins who had the rules a bit muddled (or had 'changed them' to suit themselves as Cousin C is known to do sometimes).
Little Bear was completely taken with their two puppies - 13 year old Nala (some little furry breed) and 2 year old Toby (a golden retreiver). Little Bear talked & sang to Toby, through a glass door, most of the night until it was time to go.
The next day we headed back to Newcastle for Little Bear's birthday. That will be my next post!
Little Bear was completely taken with their two puppies - 13 year old Nala (some little furry breed) and 2 year old Toby (a golden retreiver). Little Bear talked & sang to Toby, through a glass door, most of the night until it was time to go.
The next day we headed back to Newcastle for Little Bear's birthday. That will be my next post!
