Monday

Grey skies thus morning but looking forward to 17 and no rain. We head off to Floriade for the morning. I've never been to it before and won't be rushing back any time soon. Unfortunately I think I spoiled it fir everyone by going to the Tulip Top gardens already as they were much more 'wow' than Floriade. However it still made for a very pleasant morning wandering around the park. Then we went to Cockington Green and that was delightful. I hadn't been there for more than 35 years so was very pleasantly surprised to see how much it has been developed. The gardens were just beautiful and the lawn areas were so well manicured that we could hardly believe that it was real lawn. Have included a couple of portraits from yesterday's national Portrait Gallery for you to see if you can work out who they are...

Sunday

Grey skies and mist fir the start of the day and it didn't improve much. First stop was the National Portrait gallery which was amazing. Just loved it and could have spent much more than the hour allocated. Excellent stories about each person in their portrait. I'm not much of a painting connoisseur by any stretch but if did enjoy my wander around the gallery. Next stop was at the Canberra yacht squadron to board our Southern Cross boat for a luncheon Lake Burley Griffin river cruise. I knew that it was a three course meal but had no idea how darn good the food was going to be. It really was five star cuisine. We all struggled to eat everything and I could have hit Frugal with a shovel when she asked for a doggy bag for her dessert. Clearly they weren't geared up for that but were too polite to tell her. Out of the kitchen came a plastic piping bag that she put her pear tart and the big dollop of creak into, to then have to carry with on the coach for the afternoon. She took great delight in telling me later that it got to her room in one piece and she had enjoyed eating it, cream included. I wanted to scream out 'pig!' But thankfully even feeling poorly with this rotten bug, I managed to grit my teeth and say nothing, which many of you would know is no mean feat foe me even when I'm well... After our excellent 2 1/2 hour cruise we were back on dry land, although not really dry at all as the rain has set in. We then had a free afternoon and earlier on, a number had complained that there was no free time for shopping so I thought they would all be keen to go to Civic, but no, 2 were dropped at the National Gallery, 2 I took to the Tradies club so they could get their pokies fix and the rest all wanted to go back to the hotel for a rest. Wimps!!! I took the opportunity of a free afternoon to catch up with Jo and we had a good time catching up on what's what and righting wrongs of the country. All too soon time to be back at the hotel for dinner, but I really have worn out my kittens as there were 4 no shows. At least I know there won't be any complaints about the food on our holiday...

Saturday

Weather is generally fine and no rain forecast so that's great news for this afternoon's memorial service. We head up to Tulip Top gardens which well and truly exceeded my expectations. Something like 80,000 bulbs on the grounds and nearly all in flower. Just magnificent. My group loved it. Then we headed to Forrest to the hotel most of our SA riders were staying at where we were the special guests at a bbq they put on for all the riders. We had about an hour to kill so our group then had a wander around Manuka shops until we were back on the coach to head to the national Police Memorial site fir the Wall to Wall service. Once again we were treated like royalty as seating was provided for us right at the front of the memorial. No one else had seats so we soon found ourselves in prime position with more that 2000 people standing around us! The service was very moving and two of our group were invited to lay the memorial wreath during the service. What an honour and the two ladies were both thrilled and humbled to be asked to do this. Once that main service was over, any others who had tributes were asked to come forward. I had arranged another wreath specifically for SA Police Legacy so at that stage I got all our group to come forward and lay our wreath. Caught up with lots of people and many wanted to find out exactly who we were and what we do, so a great opportunity to brag about our role. Then back on the coach and back to our hotel prior to dinner. A lovely day that I'm sure we will all remember for a long time. Only black spot on our holiday though is that a number of us have caught Frugal's cold and I'm feeling quite poorly but haven't got time to be sick! Little M who did the runner at the War Memorial, clearly has the direction skills of a plank of wood because she keeps trying to come into my room as we are near each other. Four times Over three days now I've had to go to my door after hearing someone repeatedly trying to open my door and every time I catch her looking like a deer caught in the headlights. this is absolute the last trip I do with her as she really needs a full time career with her, and make no mistake about it, that won't be me!!!

Friday

Okay, it's official. I'm not well... Sore throat, runny nose and constant dry cough. One of the kittens very poorly and at breakfast u suggested she stay in her room and rest for the day but she says she is unlikely to ever be in Canberra again so wants to do all the sightseeing. Hindsight is a bitch as I should have insisted she stay behind as she was a misery all day, however I am getting ahead of myself. Blue skies and not going to rain so that's great, albeit still very cold outdoors. After breakfast, first stop is new Parliament House where we have a private 'Behind the scenes' tour. Our guide, Sascha was a mine of information . Then early lunch at the cafe. Time to round up my kittens and the two M's are missing. I eventually locate them 10 minutes later as they had decided that they would find their own way downstairs and as little M refuses to use stairs, they went in search of a lift. Not a bad idea except they didn't think to tell me and walked straight past the lift they needed so got themselves lost. However all back on the coach eventually and off for a drive around the various Embassies and then on to the Mint for a guided tour which was really interesting. No rest for the wicked as we were then straight on to the War Memorial with only minutes to spare before our 3 pm tour. Our volunteer guide David was just a gem with all the background info and stories that he had. We didn't see half the exhibits as there was so much to see but having our guide was worth missing some of the displays as he put everything we stopped at into perspective and had us all wanting to know more. It was only at the very end he mentioned to a couple of us as we were looking at all the names on the Remembrance wall that he lost a son in Iraq. Brings the futility of war home to you with a thud. I deliberately booked the later tour so that we would be at the War Memorial at closing time when they do a lovely little Last Post ceremony. The only thing that frustrated me was that so many of the adults didn't know the words to our national anthem. Shame on them! Just before that service I had a fellow in a motor bike jacket come up to me and say 'I'd know that beautiful shining hair anywhere!' It was one of my Sergeants from when I was a instructor at the Police Academy. He and his wife are part of the Wall to Wall ride. Never did remember his name but that didn't seem to matter!!! So after the moving Last Post we all start making our way out of the memorial to go to where the coach had dropped us off. As we had not stayed as one group during the tour as some were simply sitting in halls rather than walk around, I did my head count at the bus pick up point and I am missing little M. No one knows where she is or where they last saw her. Back to the memorial I go only to find them locking it up. A security guard tells me they have done a final sweep and there is no one there so I go back to our coach, no little M so I then check out a big bus parked in front of ours, doing a seat check to make sure she hasn't gotten onto the wrong coach and then ask all on board if they have seen my missing kitten. No, so back to the memorial where the gates are now locked but the same security guard tells me that someone has had a fall and medics are on their way to assist. He lets me into the closed site and thankfully it is an elderly gent who has had a fall. Not so good for him, but at least she hasn't had an injury that I know of. At this stage some big wig official comes to where I am wanting to know what I'm still doing inside the memorial. I tell him about my run away kitten and he checks the cctv to confirm she isn't left in any building. By thus time I've called her mobile but it goes straight through to voicemail. As I am now being locked out of the museum for a second time a lady comes up to the entrance asking if I am looking for and elderly little lady on a walking stick!!! Little M has somehow managed to come out of the memorial and turned right instead if left, taking her to a public car park almost 500 metres away. She has come down stairs, across a park, along a walkway and ended up in the public at park where a delightful couple have stumbled upon her. I did tell the woman that it was a case of Finders Keepers' but she wasn't having any if it. So more than half an hour later in the bloody cold I get Little M and put her on the coach. Not a sorry or anything resembling an apology from her, just a thanks for waiting..... grrrrr. This is the last trip with her if I have any say in it. So finally back to the hotel for a quick cuppa to warm up, pen these lines to you and then off downstairs for a much needed whiskey before dinner (PS after I've dosed up on cold tablets and cough medicine...) By the way, Cinstable Teddy had a fabulous day...

Thursday

Our first stop was in Wagga where the kittens were able to savour the fine foods And coffee offered in McDonalds. Then on to Gundagai where everyone sorted their own lunch. A group of riders from apt Lincoln were there too so it was great to catch up with some 'old' faces. As I was walking towards a few of my kittens I heard this voice boom out across the car park, 'Karen, Karen' and there was one the S/Sgts I knew from my Multiculural Services days. Not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing that I am so easily recognisable from a distance after 25 plus years.... Back on the coach and arrive into Canberra to our hotel for the next few nights. Unfortunately I am starting to feel a bit poorly and have developed a sore throat that lots of vitamin C tablets are having no effect on. I'm not the only one either as two more have started a coughing symphony over dinner in the hotel restaurant. Frugal has a lot to answer for.....

Photos ... at last

I just want to state for the record that this has literally taken hours for me to put these photos onto my travel blog. I am sure that Google have shares in Telstra as they clearly operate under the same methods of telling customers nothing, and providing bloody terrible customer service! I've now trawled all the help pages to finally discover that the previous programme of Picasa which was where all the photos could be stored on the iPad ceased to exist last month, and the only way you find out about it is to try and try again to upload photos the way you always have in the past, only to keep failing to locate the icon to access Picasa. But because I know that many of you have such dull and boring lives, hanging out all the time to vicariously find fulfilment enjoying a vicarious travel adventure through my scribbles, that I have persevered beyond any limits of all other mere white women and now downloaded a new Google photo app that has finally let me save a few camera photos to it for uploading to the blog. Phew.... And don't even think about starting me on the lack of mobile phone coverage between Balranald and Hay, plus no internet availability for much of the last two days. As much as I'm not happy about it, I can no longer be a technological troglodyte now that I'm required to be the face of the work Facebook page..... Bah humbug... Be that as it may, in no particular order there are some photos of the ride's send off from the police academy, the original Hay fire station, vintage cars on display at Ruston Roses and something else???. I'm officially over it now and am ready for scotch a clock.......

Day 2 and 3

Very limited internet availability so yet another reason to detest Telstra...surprisingly good weather for our second day of travel as no rain at all with even a chance to put on sunglasses for a short while. Spoke to some of the riders after Tuesday's very wet ride and one fellow said the best part of the day was getting to Mildura and being able to take his boots off and pour the water out of them! overnight in Mildura good with excellent dinner. My little kittens are already saying that there is way too much food, but I notice that every plate is empty after each meal. So far, I'm the only one that hasn't dessert with every meal! Wednesday morning and after breakfast most of us headed to the nearby Macca's car park for the riders' briefing. Caught up with even more 'old' faces that I have previously worked with and not seen for years. There was quite a bit of hugging and even some chaste kisses.... And you all know I don't do hugs!!! Thankfully the weather has turned out much better than expected so even have a few patches of blue skies with no rain. Yippee. Morning tea at Balranald and what a lovely place it is was to stop near the Visitor Info Centre. Met up with some Northern Territory riders who clearly didn't enjoy yesterday's ride in the cold and rain. On to Hay for lunch - still no dessert for me and time for a wander down the Main Street which was really pleasant. Then to Shear Outback which is the national Hall of Fame for Shearing - who knew that before today??? It was quite interesting and we saw one of the sheep being shorn with lots of explanation on the history of shearing in Oz along the way. Back on the coach and then on to Griffith for our overnight stay. Frugal had been coughing much of the latter part of the day and at one stage I'm sure she dislodged part of a lung, so it was no surprise to me that when we finally got to our hotel she told me that she needed a chemist. I assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that she wanted Codral or cough medicine or similar, so offered to go to the chemist for her as it was almost 6 o'clock, getting dark and I'd found out that the late night chemist was a good 10 minute walk along the highway. You can imagine the look on my face when she told me that she needed incontinence pants, extra large! Ye gods.... But being the perfect tour escort, off I trudged in my parka and gloves, rugged up against the cold fortifying myself for the inevitable having to ask where to find these items in the store. Thankfully it was a young girl serving behind the counter and no one else nearby when I asked where I might find the objects of my shopping mission. Items duly located and purchased, placed discreetly in a plastic shopping bag and back to the hotel I go. 40 minutes later from when I set off I go to Frugal's room where there is no 'thankyou' offered, just a 'how much were they?'. I then patiently wait for her to count out the money to the last 5 cents. Back in my room I have a much needed cuppa and calm Dow, and then straight to dinner, where everybody else is waiting. Frugal has decided not to have dinner so at least we don't have to deal with her barking cough. why do people insist on going on a holiday in a group when they know they aren't well and likely to infest everyone else? I'm going to be uber cross if I get Frugal's kennel cough before my Europe holiday..... Grrrrrr... However dinner was lovely and a couple of Sav Blancs later I have significantly de-stressed. Sadly, rain again overnight and then grey mist and rain forecast for most of Thursday.

Wall to Wall ride, or Canberra here we come!

An early start to the day and into the city office for the 7 am departure to the Police Academy. Grey skies and not a very promising weather forecast but we are undeterred from our mission to accompany the Wall to Wall motor cycle riders on their ride to Canberra. We pick up our 4 remaining travellers at the Academy, say a quick hi to the riders, are present for the official send off and onto our little coach to head off on our next adventure. There are about 110 riders, with the last bike being a paramedic followed by us and then the support trailer. We have a police escort all the way to the Northern Expressway before we turn off to Menglers Hill. Sadly it has started to rain and the grey skies are not going to clear any time soon. At our first stop there is light rain but I've packed a dozen large umbrellas so at least we are able to keep dry which is more than I can say for the poor riders. Back on the coach and at this point we leave the riders as we head to Zlyndoch bakery for morning tea, which is a much needed cuppa and huge piece of Beesting. Then on the road again where our next stop is a Lavender Farm at Glossop. Another lovely cuppa and I ended up buying some lavender water which will be put to good use in my washing machine. Lunch was at the Barmera hotel and it was very nice and lots of it. Only complaint was that we were squashed in on one side of the long table and as I was sitting next to Little M who eats like a threshing machine, so kept knocking me with every mouthful she took. Some of you would know that it annoys the heck out of me when a person has to touch me while they are talking to me. What is it with that??? If you are saying anything of value, you won't need to hit my leg or tap my arm to keep my attention. So to be knocked on the arm every three seconds is not conducive to me enjoying eating my lunch!!!! Grrrrrr.... Back on the coach and off to Ruston Roses which boasts the biggest rose garden in Australia. Only problem was that none of the roses were blooming and it was very wet so happy to get back on the coach and head to Mildura, our home for the night. Our driver, Greg has done a great job in very wet conditions and thankfully the only motor cycle problem we are aware of was one bike getting a flat tyre on Victoria Parade, less than 2 kilometres from leaving the Academy this morning!