Australia G'Day

Today was Australia Day celebrating the arrival of the first fleet in Australia.

Canberra celebrates with a concert and a free barbecue in the park. Last year we had a guest performance by the Wiggles, this year it was the considerably lower-budget (yet less controversial) Fireman Sam.

In their bookings the organisers had chosen a slightly odd way to celebrate Australia Day - the host of the event was a Kiwi and Fireman Sam (and Prime Minister Julia Gillard come to that) is Welsh.

Still it was a lovely setting and we enjoyed the Citizenship ceremony that followed. I always think Australia does things like this really well. I'm not really sure they could achieve days like this in the UK without them either becoming full of Daily Mail jingoism or watered down and rendered pointless through extreme amounts of political correctness.

Flag waving can become a tricky thing politically but on the whole it was really well handled during Australia Day and during the celebration things were excellently organised and presented.

That said the day was also the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra and following rash comments by leader of the opposition Tony Abbot the day culminated in a bit of a punch up. Fortunately we'd long since left for home.

A meeting with Fireman Sam

free craft for the kids

Julia Gillard welcomes new Australian Citizens (wonder what happened to the hat in the melee?)

Australian Wildlife Encounters No.8

Ok, so perhaps I shouldn't put a post every time we see a creepy crawly, but this preying mantis hung around on our outside wall for some time. It was really bright green and Eli even got brave enough to touch it!

Cockington Green

Together with Catherine we paid a trip to Cockington Green, Canberra's model village.

It always amazes me that the town can support a model village, especially one that is so incredibly well tended and maintained as Cockington Green is, but as an attraction it seems to do ok.

I suppose it's a constant flow of tourists who support it. A Tripadvisor review I read recently said that it was Australia's best model village. As I've not been to another one in Australia I can't really comment on whether that's true but I guess it's interesting that while the rest of Australia is concentrating on 'Big Things' we've got the best 'Small Thing'.

We hadn't been for a couple of years and I don't think Audrey remembered anything about her last time there when we pushed her round in her pushchair. Unsurprisingly both Audrey and Eli loved it. What they most enjoyed were the multitudes of buttons which brought some of the models to life (windmills turning, trains starting etc). At one point after starting a model Intercity 125 Eli jumped up and down several times with excitement.

Buttons to press, miniature houses, a sunny day and a bbq for lunch what could be better?

on the mini-train that circumnavigates Cockington Green

Eli chose a sheep to sit on

Audrey sat on a pig

Eli by the wishing well

Lanyon Homstead Picnic

Here's a couple of pics of us enjoying a picnic at Lanyon Homstead in the outskirts of Canberra. I really like visiting there as every time we go we seem to see and learn something new about the place. As well as the lovely house and gardens they've also got an incredibly well maintained vegetable and herb garden as well which keeps the cafe/restaurant supplied.

Catheringe, Amy, Eli and Audrey

Eli found a tractor

Summer Sounds Concerts at the Botanical Gardens

Amy's sister Catherine is staying with us at the moment and so the five of us went along to watch local band the Cashews play as part of the Summer Sounds concert at the Botanical Gardens.

The concerts take place on the Eucalypt lawn at the Gardens. It's a lovely shady spot in the pretty gardens but the patchy weather we've had this year meant that we weren't bathed in the warmth of a summer evening which we have been in previous years. Nevertheless there were hoards of people and we were lucky to find a spot to lay our picnic rug fairly near the front.

The Cashews were preceded by Koko-loco who got everyone dancing frantically to zumba. I like the Cashews - a duet - with really nice Canberra based lyrics, and we enjoyed our lovely picnic too with one of Amy's home made quiches.

The BIGGEST caterpillar I've ever seen (a 15cm white-stemmed gum moth)

Scrummy picnic

Separated at Birth? (Don't tell Audrey)

(once again with thanks to Private Eye)

Considering the striking similarity between Boy George and the Duchess of Cambridge, could it be that Boy George has been has been misunderstood for many years?

A trip to the Australian War Memorial

I took the kids to the Australian War Memorial this afternoon allowing Amy a chance to recuperate a bit at home.

Audrey and Eli were happy to tag along (they had been promised milkshakes when we got there). In truth it was a bit of a selfish trip as I've wanted for some time to visit the new Hall of Valour, celebrating the 98 Australians who have been awarded the Victoria Cross. The hall features the soldiers' stories of bravery along with many of their medals. I must have been slightly deluded to think the children were going to give me the opportunity and time to look at the displays, but it was a nice trip nonetheless.

The memorial has a whole host of things laid on for children from craft sessions to story time, but I thought it was still a slightly awkward trip for two pre-schoolers to make. "Daddy what's that big gun for?", "...Erm to maim and kill people...." not the greatest of conversations really.

Nevertheless they loved the planes on display (of which there are many). We weren't there for long but I discovered a couple of huge galleries which I didn't even know existed in previous trips there. I'm definitely planning on a return trip (minus children) before too long.

Audrey on our front lawn

Those last bits on an icey pole/ice lolly are always the hardest to getEli outside of the War Memorial