TOURIST TUESDAY: ROAD TRIP TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA DAY FOUR

This is the one day of the trip, I seriously have trouble remembering.

I did the "check-in" on Facebook for the whole journey to help remember where we stopped, and what we did. According to Facebook we drove through Robinvale, Swan Hill, Berrigan, and stopped for the night in Albury. Only memory is that the caravan park in Albury, was pretty crap.

Justin had planned we would go the back...back way that day. To avoid the boring roads we had already done, and to go around the flooded roads.

But, wow, this was an isolated back road journey. Yup, nothing of interest on those roads.

We stopped to take a photo of a tree, because it was the most stimulating thing we passed in hours.

Not sure if the tree was worth stopping for? Think I prefer the next photo, of Justin and the caravan, when I turned around to walk back to the car.

Now, I think of the craziness of newbie caravan towers going over these rough, and sometimes unsealed, partially flooded roads. With flooding in some parts right up to the road.

I just asked Justin if he remembered this day, he answered "you were sleeping most of the day". Must admit, I am not a very great passenger, I do love a good car nap.

 If Jarvis and I were not napping, this cutie kept me company with his endless enthusiasm for car games...

TOURIST TUESDAY: ROAD TRIP TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA DAY THREE

I woke super early, as this, was the day that I would get to see my caravan for the first time!

After fuelling up, we drove back into Hay. For every stop along our journey I wanted to buy a fridge magnet, and we had gotten into Hay too late the night before. Pretty much every stop Justin bought a coffee and I bought a fridge magnet.

Balranald was our first stop of the day. For Jarvis and I, to use the toilets, and Justin for more coffee. Can't say I was enticed to stay any longer than a loo break. So we headed off to Mildura, where we stopped at a cute cafe for lunch. Or in a crazy parenting move, allowing Jarvis to eat his body weight in meringue!

The idea was to go across the South Australian boarder to Lyrup, pick up the van, then drive back, and stay in a caravan park in Mildura. Justin estimated two hours for this....

What we didn't count on was the previous owner! Des... how funny was he, when he figured out that neither of us had owned, or towed a caravan. That Justin, had never even towed a trailer. So he took a huge amount of time, and effort, to teach Justin how to hook up the van, and all of the little nuances of the van.

I admit, it was too hot to stand in the sun, and get a lesson on the van. So Jarvis and I hung out in the van.

Very interesting couple, Justin stayed even later to do a portrait shoot of them. Anyhow, much to Des's concern I drove off the property towing our new van! Only under the strictest of promises, that if anything went wrong to phone him.

The car towed the little van pretty well. I took it easy, and sat on around 90 KLM instead of the 110. Thing I did note, was how towing the van sucked up the fuel. In my mind I could hear my credit card screaming in pain.

Pulled into the All Seasons Caravan park and the fun began. I made Justin park the van. I know when to admit that someone does things better than me. The set up was all pretty easy. Bar for the fact we could not get the power to work. Thankfully our neighbours came over and sorted it out.

We were all so tired we didn't really get to enjoy our night at the All Seasons. Also, their name is misleading, we only got sweat box hot in the afternoon, and so effing freezing overnight we all slept cuddled together like popsicles. Even after I added every towel and every item of clothing on top of the bed to add any warmth possible. Lucky for us it was cold, cause three in a double bed is cosy. 

TOURIST TUESDAY: WE ARE ON A PLANE

Tourist Tuesday is taken a short break and will resume next week. We have gone off to be tourist in another city for a few days. Justin has photos of his on exhibition in Sydney so we thought we would go down and have a look at them on display and to enjoy some much needed time off together.

This is not the actual plane we flew on. 

Back next week. Hopefully with heaps of photos from Sydney. 

TOURIST IN MY OWN CITY: QUEENSLAND MUSEUM SOUTHBANK

The Queensland Museum Southbank, is as the name states at Southbank on the river, it is situated next the Queensland Gallery of Art and near GOMA. On the bottom level of the museum is the Sciencecentre. The museum is free to enter and open most days from 9:30am to 5:00pm.

According to their website “This fascinating museum of natural history, cultural heritage, science and human achievement tells the changing story of Queensland.” In 1986 the Queensland Museum South Bank opened in the heart of Brisbane’s cultural precinct. From the museum it is a short walk to Southbank and all of the attractions the area has to offer. 

Jarvis and I each have our favourite sections of the museum, there are five levels to the museum so plenty of things and places to explore. 

Level four is the Discovery Centre, Jarvis will spend hours here, looking at all of the displays. Stuffed animals galore; and dozens and dozens of draws to open and close, filled with all interesting manor of things. 

The top level is an ever changing exhibition space; however the current exhibition is Collectomania. The online website states: “Take a peek inside the private collections of Queenslanders and see how our State’s collectors gain meaning and identity from their collections. Collectomania highlights a very human passion – collecting the things we love, fuelled by a sometimes unexplainable drive or desire to find the next perfect addition, preserve a moment in time or celebrate beauty, function and achievement.”

It is a great place to take Jarvis, on the weekend it is packed full of visitors, however on a week day there is heaps of space for Jarvis to explore. 

TOURIST IN MY OWN CITY: NEW FARM PARK

This week the Tourist in my Own City destination was New Farm Park. According to Wikipedia:  “New Farm Park is a public park located in the suburb of New Farm in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The park covers 15 hectares (37 acres) and is situated at the south-eastern end of the New Farm peninsula on a bend in the Brisbane River.  The Powerhouse Arts Centre is located at the eastern end of the park."

New Farm Park is a great meeting place for locals and tourists, but according to Jarvis, it is a place filled with wonderful adventures.

 Jarvis will wander for ages over the grass and running up and down between the garden beds.

Testing the boundaries of me telling him to stay out of the garden beds. 

 Brisbane Powerhouse Arts Centre

 After playing in the garden beds we will walk along the boardwalk

 I love that you can get the City Cat here. Here is my previous post on the City Cat.

 Such stunning old trees

 BBQs are available

And of course there is the kids play area

  

History of the park

The land that the park now stands on was originally a farm, built to supply food for the recently founded convict settlement on the Brisbane River. A racecourse was built on the site in 1846, which operated until 1913, when the land for the park was acquired by the Brisbane City Council. During the late 1990s the kiosk was based in New Farm Park. The kiosk was a popular meeting point for weekend breakfasts and won many awards. However during 2000 the kiosk was destroyed by fire and has yet to be rebuilt.