He waxed lyrical about how beautiful this lake is and how it is a conservation refuge area for water birds and other wildlife such as kangaroos.  It is one of the few remaining areas where you can see the vegetation that was common to the Darling Downs before the area was settled.

It is apparently a lovely place for a picnic outing as the park is provided with tables,  barbecues and toilets on hand.  A perfect place to eat by the lake under the shade of the large blue and red gums.

And after you have eaten you can get a boating permit from the caretaker so that you can go out on the lake if you so desire.  The park is great for bird watching (of the feathered kind) especially from a hide at the neck of the lake.

You can even stay overnight at one of two camping areas - Lake Broadwater or Wilga Bush. Both areas have toilets and Lake Broadwater also has cold showers and picnic facilities along with caravan and motorhome parking.  Wilga Bush has fireplaces and a shelter shed.  You will need to get a camping permit before you arrive or if you forget, you can get one from the self registration station in the picnic grounds.

So by the time we driven along the 20 klms along Moonie Highway heading from Dalby to Tara, I am warming up to this visit to see the glistening waters and relax watching the birds wading etc.

Okay, we turn down the Lake Broadwater road and drive for another 10 klms and miss the turnoff to the lake.  So once we reach a closed gate over a stock bridge we realise we have come too far so we back track and see the sign to the boat ramp that we had missed on the way in.

We take particular not of the ‘Rules for Boating’

Here is a photo of the lake from the boat ramp.

Something of an understatement on this sign. Okay not likely to get my feet wet here. And althought there weren’t any water birds, there were plenty of kangaroos grazing.

In case you didn’t know we are currently in a drought situation, in fact nobody knows it better than me. I now live in rural Qld on a property in Tara and as we rely on tank water, I get up every day hoping it is going to rain.

Val assures me that when he last went to see Lake Broadwater it was full of water so I will go back after it rains and I am sure it will be beautiful.

Paula and I both celebrate our birthday’s next week and as I will be in Brisbane we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the Hyatt hotel in Canberra a week ahead of time.

Demelza was home from school with a sore foot? so we took her with us for the experience.  I had only given her 5 minutes notice to get ready and I think it shows.

The cost of the buffet is $35.00 per person and drinks and tea are not included. Something I had forgotten as in the US, soft drinks, tea and coffee are included in price.

As always the food was excellent. I have been to the Hyatt a number of times and the quality of the food is always of a high standard and the service is alway impeccable.

The hot course consisted of Roast Lamb in a jus sauce, steamed fish, pasta, potates, beans, and the most delicious spicy chicken. The cold course  consisted of ham, salami, smoked salmon and a variety of salads.  This is the first time I have been when the weren’t any prawns, mussels or oysters on the menu.  The choice of dishes appeared smaller than usual but I think I am still in the mindset of the buffets in Las Vegas where the service areas are huge.

Our waitress was very attentive and ensured that we had everything we needed.

Demelza and Paula quickly downed the main course so that they could proceed to the desserts, the creme brulee being a favourite.

As this is a milestone year for me, it had been our plan to celebrate this year’s birthday at the Eiffel Tower in Paris but it wasn’t to be. We did have a mini celebration (we have lots of these) at the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas.

Our birthdays are two days (and many years) apart and we like to celebrate with a couple of nice meals and often a facial, massage and maybe a trip to Sydney to Star City.

I actually ended up having a spoil me day all round as I went for dinner with Phillip and Alan, two very special friends of mine, at their new house. Of course I bored them silly about my trip but they were very polite and listened intently.

Canberra is beautiful at this time of the year, with the leaves on the trees turning to varying shades of gold and brown and I thought this beautiful old tree typified the scenery around town at the moment. Mind you it is just as beautiful in the Spring.

 The capital is the only Australian city that the torch will be going to.  So we set off nice and early because the roads into the city center are all being closed off to through traffic.

So Val (husband) and I are in my car and are following Varinia (daugher) my three grandaughers - Ayla, Demelza and Ce’Nedra, in her car. Well what a wild drive this turns out to be. I don’t think Varinia is aware that there are speed limits or that crossing lanes at a manic pace is probably not really acceptable.  However, we finally arrive at her work to park and set off down towards King Edward Ave. Our Grandson Sebastian was a no show having missed his flight from Brisbane to Canberra due to a heavy night on the town last night.

We are among the first to arrive at this particular spot and it’s not long before we are joined by a Chinese contingent in full national costume waving large flags and beating a large drum.

We have a photo taken with them and they are very obliging to everyone who requests photos.

An elderly Italian gent arrive and tells us that he ran a leg of the relay for the last Olympic Games when the torch passed through Bundaberg in Queensland.  We are then joined by a Chinese gent who keeps us entertained with tales of his life in China, Thailand and Malaysia along with his view on the Tibet situation. 

There aren’t any protesters along our stretch of the route, simply lots of supportive fans and lots and lots of police. 

There is an extremely large police contingent, in fact when the runner finally arrives with the torch it’s almost impossible to see her because of the large number of police surrounding her.  Fortunately, Demelza manages to get a clear photo of Fiona Stanley, former Australian of the Year and leading epidemiologist from Subiaco WA.

The route for the Olympic Torch Relay, known as the Journey of Harmony, is the longest route measuring an impressive 137,000 kilometres. That is enough klms to cross the globe three and a half times. Other host cities for the torch relay includes san Francisco, Paris, London and Buenos Aires.

The ancient Chinese trade route -The Silk Road- inspired the global route. It was the Silk Road that opened up cultural and trade transactions between China and the West in 114BC. Canberra was never part of The Silk Road, but is included in the torch relay route as recognition of it’s sister city relationship with Beijing, and it’s status as the Australian national capital.

Not only is the route the longest torch relay in history, but the torch had been especially created to burn at high altitude as it ascends Mount Qomolangma, (Mount Everest).

There were pockets of protesters along the way and a number of scuffles broke out in other sectors of the relay route which resulted in 7 arrests in Canberra. However, we did not see any of this from where we were standing. We enjoyed standing on the sideline watching the torch go on its way. When the relay had passed us and we started to make our way back to the car the Chinese around us began chanting ‘One China’ as some of the ‘Free Tibet’ protesters came past.

There were a number of activities such as hot air ballooning and the relay was followed by a concert at Stage 88.

 Here is a list of the Beijing Olympic Torchbearers for 2008 in Canberra, in the order in which they carried the torch.

1. Tania Major
2. Elizabeth Patrick
3. Megan Marcks
4. Jonathon Welch
5. Qiaobo Ye
6. Jacquelin Magnay
7. Neale Lavis
8. Rachel Imison
9. John Mackay
10. Changbin Yu
11. Carol Keil
12. David Bussau
13. Heath Francis
14. Robert Innes
15. Christian Williams
16. Gerrard Gosens
17. Libby Trickett (Lenton)
18. Phillip Cameron
19. Paul Narracott
20. Robert De Castella
21. Matt Welsh
22. Adam Pine
23. Jodie Henry
24. Nova Peris
25. Lee Kernaghan
26. Alice Mills
27. Fiona Stanley
28. Ian Frazer
29. Mark Beretta
30. Peter Sharp
31. Michael York
32. Louise Sauvage
33. Karyn Reis
34. Katrina Fong Lim
35. Louise Padgett
36. Sophie Bowen
37. Janelle White
38. Andrew Heslop
39. Aaron Fleming
40. Andrew Behrndt
41. Jai Taurima
42. David Dickson
43. Petria Thomas
44. Fiona Wood
45. Matthew Vincent
46. Julius (Judy) Patching
47. Jake Warcaba
48. Marjorie Jackson-Nelson
49. Heather McKay
50. Judith Clarendon Cox
51. Matilda House
52. Craig Wallace
53. Ian Ruff
54. Raymond Smee
55. Emma Beadsworth
56. Michael Hellessey
57. G.Q. Max Lu
58. Alby Woolmer
59. Don Whitbread
60. Hanna Lord
61. Margaret Scott
62. Susan Zhuang
63. Tim Cuddihy
64. Donald Stanley
65. Kerry Saxby-Junna
66. Edmund Thomas
67. Gilian Hicks
68. Amanda Fraser
69. Jo Brown
70. Ngaree Ah Kit
71. Michael Milton
72. Stasia Dabrowski
73. Michael Gallagher
74. Daria Joura
75. Howard Gilmour
76. Clementine Pickwick
77. Doug Hall
78. Wolford Parsons
79. Ron Clarke
80. Ian Thorpe

We are in the process of moving from the beach in Brisbane to a rural area in Queensland which is a good 5 hour drive, although everyone tells me it is only 3-4 hours.

So we are off with the car trailer loaded up with stuff in the first of our moves. We are going to do this progressively a bit at a time.  Right! apart from the rain everything is going smoothly until we are on a down hill run, just around a blind bend, in between the towns of McClagen and Kaimkillenbun. In fact we are 24 klms from the latter, when there is a loud bang and the car swerves over into the wrong side of the road.  I heroically fight the  2 ton beast with its 3ton load back to the right side of the road and carefully bring it to a stop without flipping it.

Okay, let’s sit for a minute and let the adrenalin rush calm down. Now picture this - we are as I said just around a blind bend on a very narrow piece of tarseal that passes for a two way road in rural Qld, pulled off onto a very narrow dirt edge.

Yep, a blown tyre on the trailer.  While we are contemplating our predicament, a car pulls up and the occupants offer assistance.  Just as well really because it turns out that we don’t have the necessary equipment to remove the tyre.

The lovely couple to whom I am eternally gratefull, firstly for stopping and secondly for having all the right equipment, are Steve and Shirley from the far side of Tara. We live on the near side. Dalby being the measuring point.

Once the tyre is removed, it is determined that the wheel bearing has also done itself in. So there is no way we can hobble to the nearest one horse town in the hope of finding a mechanic. So I gingerly drive the car and trailer to the nearest safest spot where we are least likely to cause an accident.

By the way, mobile phones don’t work in this part of town.

Okay, we head off to the local pub in Kaimkillenbun to see if we can track down some help, but no, the mechanic is away camping, how selfish is he enjoying himself at holiday time while we are in this mess.

So there is nothing else for it but to head to Dalby, another 24 klms on. Off course by now it is getting on towards 5pm when the shops all shut and sure enough they have all closed early at 4:30pm because it is still holiday time. None of the three garages have what we need.  Val wants to just leave the trailer and carry on the further 88klms to home but I am a bit dubious about leaving our stuff on the side of the road where it will more than likely get knocked off.

Once we reach Dalby, where mobile phones do work, we make a quick call to our son who contacts some of our daughter in laws rellies and they get us a number of a fantastic chap who comes down and opens his store to provide us with the necessary items to fix the car.

Back to the car, in the middle of nowhere, and by now it is quite dark, so there we are, in the rain and poor Val is fixing the wheel bearing by torchlight.

Thank goodness Steve has left us a rag as the bearing has to be encased in gooey gunk. I of course have my trusty bottle of aquium hand cleaner which I never travel anywhere without. so clean up isn’t too bad.

We have a few hairy moments when Val is putting the brake pad back on but eventually everything is back to normal and we head off to Tara, finally arriving at 12:05am. So we have been on the road for 12 hours. A quick shower, cup of tea and everyone wearily hits the sack. 

Unfortunately, my camera was packed in the back of the car. However, this is not the first time this has happened to me.

We were travelling back from Tara to Brisbane and once again I had the car trailer with 3 motorbikes on board when a tyre blew out on the Land Cruiser. So much for retreads.  This was my first blowout and the family all said I handled it very well, I’m an old hand at it now. 

Unfortunately, the roads are quite a lot rougher and in places there is only a dirt road and no tarseal.

Still it means we get to drive through places such as Kaimkillenbun or ‘The Bun’ as it is known locally. Kaimkillenbun has the longest name for a town in Queensland.

Accomodation and great meals are available at the local pub.

The town is a regular finalist for the Tidy Town award and has also won this distinction. There is a population of approximately 129 within a 7 klm radius of the town centre and  it is 24 klms from the nearest small city of Dalby.

Nicole Kidman made a movie at Kaimkillenbun, named ‘Chase through the Night’ and it is also the birthplace of John Dorge the Olympic basketballer. 

Kaimkellenbun is part of the Queensland Motocross Series run by Motorcycling Queensland and the Darling Downs Trail Ride will be held on 17/18 May 2008.

The sign is showing the 2007 dates at the time the photo was taken.

The township of Cooma is situated in the southern highlands of New South Wales on the Snowy Mountains highway. approximatel 120 km south of Canberra.The population numbers around 8000.

Cooma is 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level.

There is a lot to see in and around Cooma and one of the local attractions is the Cooma Monaro tourist Railway.  The CMR uses CPH Railmotors and provides rides  to Chakola - 19 kms form Cooma plus there are other services that go to the Snowy Junction and Bunyan. 

Also take time to visit the Snowy River Hydro Information Centre to find out all about the Snowy River Scheme.

Then it’s onto Canberra via the Monaro Highway. The trip seems much shorter than the way we went down to Eden and before long we are back home. 

We are becoming really brave as we have not booked a hotel for the night, deciding instead to see what we can find when we arrive.We drive to the end of town, down the one main street, and finally decide to check into the Twofold Bay Motor Inn.

It appears to be relatively new and everything is in the room is very clean and tidy and at $110 for the night, it is very reasonably priced. So we unpack the car and head off for a look around the town.

We have dinner at the local club which is situated across the road from the motel. The table is situated in pleasant surroundings overlooking the water and we dined on the local delicacy of fish and chips.

Eden was once a whaling town and legend has it that a group of killer whales named old Tom, Hooky, Humpy and Stranger would herd the baleen whales into Twofold Bay. This group would return each year during the whaling season and they were identified by individual special markings. The killer whales would alert the whalers that there was a whale in the vicinity by thrashing the water with their tails - “flop-tailing” as it is known. Once a whale was harpooned some of the killer whales would roll over its blowhole to stop it breathing while others would swim beneath it to prevent it sounding.

In reward for this service the killer whales would take the tongue and lips as a reward and leave the carcass for the whalers to bring ashore. Whaling from Twofold Bay continued until the last whale was taken in 1928. Old Tom’s body was found in Twofold Bay on 17th September, 1930 and his ORCA skeleton is now on exhibition in the ‘Davidson Gallery’ at the Eden Killer Whale Museum.

Eden no longer participates in whaling however the whaling museum gives a detailed account of the towns previous activities and is well worth a visit.

Whale watching is a fascinating pastime and the whales can be seen off the shore during their twice yearly migration. There are local cruises available for those who wish to venture out and see these magnificent creatures close at hand.

Eden has a thriving fishing industry and the fleet operates out of Snug Cove. There is also a timber industry in Eden and there is a display of logging and milling operations at the visitors centre on the southern side of Twofold bay.

There are plenty of activities in and around Eden, such as bushwalking, swimming, surfing, sailing, squash, tennis, golf and bowls.Mound Imlay gives a fantastic view of the Sapphire Coast to the north, the Victorian border to the south and the plains of the Snowy Monaro region to the west.

Plus there is a great range of accommodation and plenty of shops and eateries.

So after a fairly long drive I have had enough of being behind the wheel so we decide to stop and take a pit stop at the Cheese Factory in Bega.  Val is a connoisseur of cheese was quite happy at the prospect of cheese tasting and he is also happy that we are supporting local products as Bega cheese is 100% Australian owned.

The loos are named ‘cows’ and ‘bulls’ which tickled the fancy of a group of seniors on a bus tour through the area.

It was fascinating seeing the old implements that were used to make cheese when the factory was started in 1900.  They have certainly come a long way as the factory is now almost fully automated.

After we had finished strolling through the museum and looking at the old milking and cheese making artifacts we headed down to the cafeteria to try the different varieties of cheese. I settled on a very smooth local cheese  named ‘Kameruka’. Bega began manufacturing this particular cheese in 1971 and I found it to have a nice texture and flavor.

Val liked the ‘Old and Bitey’ (and smelly like old worn socks). This cheese is too tart for my taste. 

If you are passing through Bega then take some time out to have a coffee  and check out the museum, the really informative video and the cheese tasting area.  It is well worth a visit.

I was taken with some pictures that are completely made from varying types of seeds. Some people are just so talented.

Batemans Bay is the largest town on the coast south of Nowra, it has a small town atmosphere with attractions and facilities for tourists of all ages. It is a popular getaway destination for residents of Canberra who head of in droves during the holiday season, to experience the coastal lifestyle.
While you are visiting make sure you try the local seafood. As an oyster lover I can thoroughly recommend the delicious Clyde River oysters.
Take the kids and check out the gentle shallow waters or for head off to the great surf beaches if you so desire.
Not far from Batemans bay is the historic township of Mogo. It is only a 5 minute drive south of the bay. You will find a wide variety of craft and antique items in the village, or visit the dinosaur museum, the zoo or even pan for gold in the traditional pioneer way.

Although Lieutenant James Cook discovered the expansive waterway at the mouth of the Clyde River on his voyage of discovery along this coast in 1770, the township of Batemans Bay wasn’t established until well into the 19th century.

We stopped at the Braidwood Deli for a sandwich and cup of tea.

Braidwood is approx 300 klms from Sydney and is a lovely old style, heritage listed town has many examples of 19th century architecture.

There are a number of beautiful churches, old time pubs, restaurants, galleries, craft and antique shops, all operating in restored old buildings which been in existence since the days of the Gold Rush