Canberra Road Trip!



Road Trip Self Portrait!

Son number one (in birth order, not importance!) has made the State Junior Indoor U23 Volleyball Team and after saving hard is ready to leave for Canberra - Australia's Capital. He leaves on Sunday. We make it until Monday before Hubby announces, "I think we should go to watch him." His reasoning - how many more opportunities will we have to do this. He's 19; on the verge of leaving the nest, and hubby is sport mad and mad about his boys!

 






Driving...



We leave early Tuesday and drive...forever. Until we have travelled from Lewiston in South Australia to Lake Talbot in NSW. Three states; three quarters of a crocheted blanket; bales of cotton on the roadside; Fruit Ban areas; a stunning Old Man Red kangaroo who we missed with both the car and the camera; a late overnight in an onsite van and an early morning to try to reach the Australian Institute of Sport for the 8am game. We were there!





Australian Institute of Sport.



The stadium is warm - bonus! The city is not! Our plans were to camp; to save money. Hubby after much hinting announces that the forecast of minus 5 degrees is not suitable for camping and so we try to find budget accommodation in the nation's capital during school holidays. Ha! Nothing here; yes but too expensive; just right but the cleaners haven't been in and can't make it til tomorrow.... Frustrated Hubby+ silently fuming wife= silent car trip to dodgy and expensive motel fifteen minutes from the AIS. At least the scenery was pretty!




Colour in the middle of winter.



We watch two team wins and bunk down to wake up on the right side of the bed. The current mantra in my head is "in the moment"; don't wish or worry it away and once again I have the opportunity to practice here.





War Memorial buildings, and Hubby.



The last time we passed through this city we had two small children and couldn't find fuel or food. It's all neatly hidden away. we were still hesitant that Canberra would be any more than a series of volleyball matches but were pleasantly surprised.

 

In between matches we took a tour of the AIS and questioned the validity of the exorbitant financial investment that countries make into sport. Decided that if they didn't they would probably just end up spending the money on war and then wondered why we still can't win more medals at the Olympics.






Memorial to Simpson and his Donkey.



We went to visit the Australian War Memorial. Silently wished everyone else would leave so that I wouldn't feel so embarrassed about getting teary at the Pool of Remembrance. Pondered sacrifice, respect and culture as we took the tour and then wondered if there is a memorial for all those who served and returned; forever changed by their experiences?



Maybe our next home?



We walked past Lake Burley Griffin; named after the American who planned out Canberra and wondered at the irony. Couldn't we find an Aussie to do that? Visited Blundell's Cottage and surmised that if it were ever for sale, lakefront Canberra property values might not allow us to purchase it no matter how quaint it was. Saw our old and new Parliament House Buildings. I like the old one better. Went to the top of the Telstra Tower and reminisced over the display of old telephones and mobiles. Long live the brick!



Our Parliament Houses, old and new.

We ate out at an Indian restaurant and made sandwiches for lunch, chatted and relaxed and sightsaw. Laughed a little, relaxed, visited a place that made chocolates (Robyn Rowe Chocolates)  and a place that smoked meats (Poacher's Pantry), ate Macdonald's macrons and drank their coffee.

 In between all that we watched volleyball and saw our son contribute to his team. They made the final and in a hard fought match lost to the Queensland team who I'm sure could have played for their state in the State of Origin Rugby series. So we come home at 4am Sunday morning with a bunch of memories and our number one son brings home a silver medal.

 

Gotta love a road trip!