Archive through April 08, 2001

The ClubHouse: General Discussions - Jan -Apr. 2001: April: Juju bon voyage dog: Archive through April 08, 2001

Twiggyish

Tuesday, April 03, 2001 - 10:05 am Click here to edit this post
Yeah they are!!

Juju2bigdog

Tuesday, April 03, 2001 - 11:37 pm Click here to edit this post
Hi all,

We are back in Sydney today, flew in from Melbourne. Cirque du Soleil was good, as they all are. However, there is only so much they can do in a tent. We have seen Mystere and O at fixed sites in Las Vegas and found them more spectacular. Monday we did childhood nostalgia things for me in and around St. Kilda, a section of Melbourne where my mother was raised and where we lived when we emigrated to Australia in 1955 (stayed six months, came back). Yesterday we went to Healesville wildlife sanctuary and then for Devonshire tea at the Hunter's Tryst historic tavern in Beveridge, near Wandong.

Today we flew to Sydney and have another week here. We are back at the Corss Court Hotel, this time in the basement rather than the attic. I just hope no skid row types decide to make a deposit in our street level window tonight. We go back to the attic tomorrow night hopefully.

While enroute to get bus passes today we stumbled across the State Theater, built in 1929 and fully restored/preserved. We took a self guided audio tour. What an extravagant gothic baroque place that is. I am sure Soeur will find y'all some interesting pictures. Had lunch in Hyde Park, which is quite enchanting once you enter the park, with huge trees that meet overhead (Soeur will, I am sure, find out if these are plane trees, as I seem to think they are for no good reason.)

With regard to the Walls of China, they have now discovered Mungo Man #3 in the past few years, with a skeleton dated 62,000 years old, which sort of destroys the land bridge to China theory of man migrating to Australia.

Don't have the rest of the week planned, but I am sure we will find some fun things to to do.

Carry on.

Juju

Juju2bigdog

Tuesday, April 03, 2001 - 11:46 pm Click here to edit this post
Oh, one more thing - I read a blurb in the paper about an Australian Big Brother that is going to start airing the end of April. Anybody know anything about it? I apologize if there is already a thread. It said they will start with 12 people.

Noslonna

Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 01:02 am Click here to edit this post
It is lovely to see you posting from down under but I am really missing you on top.

Juju2bigdog

Wednesday, April 04, 2001 - 11:59 pm Click here to edit this post
We have had a big day. Took the bus to Circular Quay, then a ferry to Manly, which is a pretty beach area, and a ferry back. Then we took a bus to Watsons Bay, a quite wealthy area, and had an extravagant lunch at Doyles. When we took the harbor tour during our first visit here, the guide told us some people come to Sydney just to eat at Doyles. I had Moreton Bay bugs, which are like lobster, and Bigdog had blue swimmer crab salad, which turned out to be about six huge crabs in the shell, which he had to clean to eat. $78 and no wine, just one beer for Bigdog. Good thing we were paying in worthless Aussie scrip and not greenbacks. Them are San Francisco prices. Then we took a ferry back to Circular Quay, standing on the bow in the wind to cool off and then a train back to Kings Cross. We bought weekly passes that are good for all trains, ferries and buses within a certain area, so we are making the most of them. I am thinking we will tour Darling Harbour tomorrow.

The U.S. Constellation aircraft carrier is in town, so the face of Kings Cross is different today, with young men all over the streets. I first noticed the difference when I saw a young black man with a peculiar way of walking that I recognized to be American, and then I noticed there were all sorts of young men who looked American all over the place. Things should be hopping in Kings Cross tonight. It is probably a good night not to be in the basement room with windows at street level.

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 12:31 am Click here to edit this post
Big days yesterday and today. Yesterday morning we booked a one day tour for Monday to the Blue Mountains. It is with Oz Experience, so we may be with mostly backpackers. Oh well, the young fellow said it is a regular bus, and the walk downhill through the rainforest is not too strenuous. Then we took a train to Olympic Park to the Royal Easter Show, which they are billing as the Great Australian Muster, hoping to make it as popular as the Calgary Stampede. Less exciting that an state fair, but we enjoyed the arts and crafts. It was a bit too hot for us at around 26-27 Celsius, which is probably mid to low '80's. So we took a train back into town, and then a ferry to Darling Harbour to cool off. Then we did a bunch of walking through the Imax and past the trendy eating area and ended up at Market City where we had noodle soup as a late afternoon snack/early supper and then took trains and buses back to the hotel. I figured out we took four trains, a bus and a ferry.

Today we took two trains to the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked back across the bridge. By then we were pretty hot once again, so we took another long ferry ride to cool off. The ferry went through Sydney Harbour and up the river for about an hour. We got off at a town with a rail station, ate lunch in a park, walked to the train station, and took a couple trains to Bondi Junction to catch the bus to Bondi Beach, Australia's most famous beach. It was a wonderful beach day for all concerned, especially Bigdog who was happy to see it was a tops optional beach. Beautiful beach, beautiful sand, tons of people. We beach watched for a while and then went to the second floor of the Swiss Hotel to their Garden Terrace and had drinks and seafood platters while the crowd went by below. Then caught a bus and train back to the hotel.

Life is good. We are worn out.

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 05:32 am Click here to edit this post
Monday, April 3/01"Monday we did childhood nostalgia things for me in and around St. Kilda, a section of Melbourne where my mother was raised and where we lived when we emigrated to Australia in 1955 (stayed six months, came back)."

St. Kilda's

the Bears of St. Kilda's -- visit this link!!

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 05:45 am Click here to edit this post
Mon. Apr. 3/01...cont..."Yesterday we went to Healesville wildlife sanctuary and then for Devonshire tea at the Hunter's Tryst historic tavern in Beveridge, near Wandong."

Healesville Sanctuary

Beveridge

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:04 am Click here to edit this post
Mon.3/3/01...cont..."We are back at the Cross Court Hotel, this time in the basement rather than the attic. I just hope no skid row types decide to make a deposit in our street level window tonight. We go back to the attic tomorrow night hopefully.

While enroute to get bus passes today we stumbled across the State Theater, built in 1929 and fully restored/preserved. We took a self guided audio tour. What an extravagant gothic baroque place that is."

Cross Court basement window

Sydney

Australia's trees...

State Theatre

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:09 am Click here to edit this post
(still)Tues.Apr.3.01..."Had lunch in Hyde Park, which is quite enchanting once you enter the park, with huge trees that meet overhead"

Hyde Park - I think they are fig trees...

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:20 am Click here to edit this post
Wed.Apr.04.01..."We have had a big day. Took the bus to Circular Quay, then a ferry to Manly, which is a pretty beach area, and a ferry back."

Circular Quay

Circulary Quay circa 1910

Sydney Harbour images...

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:31 am Click here to edit this post
Wed.Apr.04.01"...Manly, which is a pretty beach area, and a ferry back. Then we took a bus to Watsons Bay, a quite wealthy area, and had an extravagant lunch at Doyles.When we took the harbor tour during our first visit here, the guide told us some people come to Sydney just to eat at Doyles. I had Moreton Bay bugs, which are like lobster, and Bigdog had blue swimmer crab salad, which turned out to be about six huge crabs in the shell, which he had to clean to eat. $78 and no wine, just one beer for Bigdog. Good thing we were paying in worthless Aussie scrip and not greenbacks. Them are San Francisco prices. "

Manly

whales in Manly

Doyles Restaurant

Doyles - slow loading pics...sheesh!

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:50 am Click here to edit this post
still wed.apr.04.01..."The U.S. Constellation aircraft carrier is in town, so the face of Kings Cross is different today, with young men all over the streets. I first noticed the difference when I saw a young black man with a peculiar way of walking that I recognized to be American, and then I noticed there were all sorts of young men who looked American all over the place. Things should be hopping in Kings Cross tonight. It is probably a good night not to be in the basement room with windows at street level"

USS Constellation

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 06:54 am Click here to edit this post
sat.Apr.07.01"Yesterday morning we booked a one day tour for Monday to the Blue Mountains."

Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains webcam

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 07:03 am Click here to edit this post
Fri.Apr.06.01"Then we took a train to Olympic Park to the Royal Easter Show, which they are billing as the Great Australian Muster, hoping to make it as popular as the Calgary Stampede. Less exciting that an state fair, but we enjoyed the arts and crafts. It was a bit too hot for us at around 26-27 Celsius"

Royal Easter Show

metric converter

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 07:11 am Click here to edit this post
Sat.Apr.07"So we took a train back into town, and then a ferry to Darling Harbour to cool off. Then we did a bunch of walking through the Imax and past the trendy eating area and ended up at Market City where we had noodle soup as a late afternoon snack/early supper and then took trains and buses back to the hotel. I figured out we took four trains, a bus and a ferry.

Today we took two trains to the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked back across the bridge. By then we were pretty hot once again, so we took another long ferry ride to cool off."

Darling Harbour

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

live webcam of Sydney Harbour & Bridge (Juju & Bigdog should go there at an appointed time!!)

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 07:18 am Click here to edit this post
Still Sat!!..."...took a couple trains to Bondi Junction to catch the bus to Bondi Beach, Australia's most famous beach. It was a wonderful beach day for all concerned, especially Bigdog who was happy to see it was a tops optional beach. Beautiful beach, beautiful sand, tons of people. We beach watched for a while and then went to the second floor of the Swiss Hotel to their Garden Terrace and had drinks and seafood platters while the crowd went by below. Then caught a bus and train back to the hotel.

Life is good. We are worn out."

Bondi Beach home page

Swiss Hotel Bondi Beach

topless at Bondi

neat pic of the beach

Bijoux

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 02:40 pm Click here to edit this post
Soeur - Great job with the pictures. Wish you could post smells too. The Blue mountains are blue because the large number of eucalyptus trees release oils that create a "blue" haze from afar. The air is scented with eucalyptus and smells great! Only been to the eastern part of Australia, but the whole eastern coast smells faintly of the eucalyptus.

Soeur

Saturday, April 07, 2001 - 05:30 pm Click here to edit this post
Hey Bijoux! The whole coast? That is awesome. You must be enjoying reading about Juju's travels. I've had a lot of fun learning more about Australia thanks to Juju!

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 12:12 am Click here to edit this post
Soeur, you are truly a wonder. I am not able to look at all the links while I am still over here, but when I get back I can relive the whole trip thanks to you. I was just beginning to get worried about where you had gone.

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 12:22 am Click here to edit this post
This morning we went to Circular Quay to take another ferry ride (Sydney Harbour is so beautiful, and we have unlimited ferry passes, so we keep taking ferries; we don't feel bad, we talked to a British couple, and they did the same thing, said they rode every ferry). We went to Watsons Bay and back again. By now the USS Constellation being in town is BIG news, and all the Sydneysiders were out viewing it today. Our ferry boat detoured from his route and took us right up close to it. Very choppy on the water today and tons of boats out in the harbour, so the ride was kind of thrilling to see if any of us were going to collide. None did.

Then we walked to the AMP Tower Centrepoint and had lunch in the revolving restaurant. Lunch wasn't so great, but the views were absolutely killer, especially that little toy boat the USS Constellation down below.

After lunch we walked and took a bus to Paddy's Market, which is a bustling place, bought sheepskin rugs for everybody at tvclubhouse (JUST kidding to see if anybody is paying attention), then took bus and trains home.

Tomorrow is Blue Mountains, although last weather forecast I saw was for rain.

I got through on chat tonight and talked for a couple minutes to Maire.

Saw several signs around town for Australian Big Brother. Gonna go check it out at www.bigbrother.com.au.

Ta ta.
Juju

Maire

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 12:51 am Click here to edit this post
Juju, it was great to catch you in chat, even for just a few minutes! (chat was interesting tonight.) Thanks again for this unique experience of sharing your "travel journal" with us.

Soeur

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 05:11 am Click here to edit this post
AMP Tower Centrepoint

This is the most amazing webcam I have ever seen. Click on the 'start control' button and you will be able to control the camera functions for 2 minutes. You can move it in a radius of over 180 degrees, zoom...it is really fantastic. Juju should go to the harbour at an appointed time and eat lunch on a bench with Bigdog and we could see them!!....

Live webcam of Sydney Harbour & Bridge

Moondance

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 09:01 am Click here to edit this post
What a great idea Sis... how fun would that be!

Twiggyish

Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 04:22 pm Click here to edit this post
Juju, I will be emailing you my snail mail addy for my rug..LOL

This has been a great trip for all of us!