The National Folk Festival, Canberra.

An exciting sign for me to see. All so well organised. So glad we came.

Most people were in their best hippie clothes.

We know a few people who could have used this!

A hippie outfit???

Street acts are always interesting?!

Some good music.

A freezing morning but most festive.

An AMAZING group.. South African/Australian mix. Brilliant.
(Valanga Khoza)

Being mesmorised by Kate Fagan on the Budawang stage.

Had to meet her to let her know I first heard her sing about 15 years ago...was mesmorised by her singing in Fairbridge Chapel...was mesmorised yet again, only this time she played with an amazing band. Went to see her on 2 days.

A broomstick is normally my transport but this made a great bass.

Jordie Lane. Brilliant music.

This was the Recycled String Band who played some great folk blues. Excellent.  All their instruments were made from old pots, pans, hubcaps and other recyclables. It has inspired Chris to construct his own bass uke.

Some more great music.

A community music group...the way to go. Such fun....all ages....all types of instruments. We will have to try and find a community music group when we get back to Perth. I'll have to play the triangle!!

Visiting the National Gallery

We were very lucky to be in Canberra to see the exhibition of Gold and the Incas. It was amazing walking around such precious, ancient artifacts even though it was very busy. The woven materials were magnificent and I loved seeing how similarly the Inca patchwork pieces were to our patchwork pieces that we make today.

I loved the sculptures as you enter the National Gallery which again is a huge modular, concrete structure.

Autumn is beautiful in Canberra too.

We found the Dept of Finance all covered with a black shroud.....must be the reason Joe Hockey wants to get the budget back in surplus and make us all work until we are 70!

I spotted an almost full moon the other night after going for a drive to see Parliament house at night. It was quiet and eerie except for one security officer riding around on his bicycle.

Felicity and Brian arrive tomorrow so we will be festivalling the rest of the weekend!  One of the main reasons we are in Canberra....listening to music we love....hopefully. We have wanted to get to Canberra for the National Folk Festival for a long time. 

Travelling to Canberra via Queenscliff, Sale and Cann River

After leaving Daylesford we travelled along the Great Ocean Rd. The only problem was that it is not possible to pull over and enjoy the view in the direction we were travelling! Also, the roads are extremely windy....however, I tried to take in some of the view whilst poor Chris had to keep his eyes on the road until our destination in Queenscliff. We decided to avoid Melbourne city and caught a ferry across the bay to Sorrento from Queenscliff.  The ferry was so easy. It took 45mins, we drove off, got onto the coastal road, explored the small places along the way and ended up in Sale to spend the night at Nat's father-in-law - Chris Bollen's farm.
After our night in Sale and being replenished with fresh carrots, tomatoes and the BEST apples we have ever tasted from Chris's farm we made our way to Canberra. Along the way we visited the amazing fresco paintings on the walls and roof of St Marys in Bairnsdale. It took us 2 days to get to Canberra as we stopped for a night in a luscious, green field on the Cann River for one night. We passed through Bombala - platypus country - and then Cooma before arriving in Canberra.
We saw a little girl climbing in the old farm machinery in the park at Bombala. I could imagine Nat's kids having a ball.
Victoria is a beautiful state. I could stay for a long time just enjoying all the views.

 It is so green and lush.

 

A place nestled between rolling hills and forests

I have always wanted to visit Daylesford, a small town north east of Ballarat, in Victoria. I had been told that it is one of the best places in Australia. It really is beautiful. 

We arrived in the dark and the rain at a campsite that was muddy and steep. Luckily the owner of the park was waiting for us. He helped Chris navigate his way through the mud so we could set up camp after a long drive on steep, slippery, windy roads. It was worth it to see the beauty of the place the next morning...and the sun shining.
I loved the houses, the galleries, the gardens, the autumn leaves, the hills and fields. The Convent Gallery where we had lunch  (an old convent originally belonging to the Presentation sisters that has been sold to a private person who has turned it into a working gallery) was an amazing building to see.

We also visited the only place in Australia that makes cricket bats grown from the willows that grow around the area. 

It is also a place that has many mineral springs. There are pumps all over the outlying areas where the water can be bottled. I had a taste....but not for me! I must be too used to our "processed" water. Apparently visitors from Europe come here and fill bottles of the mineral springs water. Anyone can take it and bottle as much as they want.

Daylesford was definitely a place worth visiting. We'll have to come back!

Gypsies, yet again! Crossing the Nullabor

I can't believe how time flies and that we are back on the road again, crossing the Nullabor. It is never the same and we are always amazed by the things we see. We had 2 free stops along the way, as well as spending one night each in Southern Cross and the Fraser Range sheep station. The sunsets, the vast, open expanse of the Nullabor and the people we meet along the way never cease to amaze.....as did the price of petrol! Luckily the temperature was mild though we drove most of the way into a headwind. That didn't keep the kms per litre travelled in good shape. Much cheaper to fly!
The huge trucks and road-trains were, at times, pretty hair raising but we completed our crossing in 5 days ending up in the Clare Valley in South Australia.