Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

  It was a great idea….renting a mini-van equipped with all the camping gear, pots and pans, refrigerator, microwave, sink and range.  We would get off the plane, take a taxi and pick up the van and be on our way to Kakadu National Park.   And that really is what happened.  This is going to be a long post because a lot of other things happened too! We enjoyed the drive stopping at Mary’s River where we saw our first ‘in the wild’ kangaroo and the termite nest. Very Tall Termite Nest That is also where the T-belt warning light came on!  Trust me – that is not a good sign as I quickly found out in the manual.  The T-belt light is the timing belt and if that goes, the engine goes!  As there were no places to stop and call the rental company we drove on in the hopes that we had time to get to someplace that could help.  The further we drove, the more comfortable we became and Peter said, “Let’s go down this road a little way...

Cairns’ tropical climate definitely put me in vacation mode!  We stayed at The Cairns Plaza Hotel just across from the esplanade.  Nice hotel with a friendly helpful staff and a good breakfast.  We took walks along the water watching the many birds in an out of the water.  Masked Lapwing strolls along the beach Superb Fruit Dove and baby A large public swimming pool parallel to the seashore with people practicing snorkeling, swimming and generally enjoying the water was a major draw to the area.  Several large sculptures marked inviting resting spaces all along the esplanade.  We walked around the town, checking out the local grocery store, cafes, and parks.  Wi-fi was free in the town and we caught up on emails, news, etc while sitting on the park bench.  That was a real plus!  Generally internet cost from $10 (a day in Cairns hotel room) to $22(a half hour in Sydney).  So free wi-fi was appreciated!  We...

After picnicking at Mt.Wilson in the Tree Fern Cathedral and watching the Magpie and the Currawong fight over crumbs from our sandwiches, we went to Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens.  There are birds where there are gardens!   These gardens are stunning with mountains as backdrops, interesting art work and sculpture  integrated with plants and paths with water features to follow.  They showcase cool climate plants from around the world and cover about 623 acres. The Waratah /Annual Celebration was in full swing.  The Waratah grow in patches of sandy loam on ridges and plateaus in the Sydney basin, NSW Central and South Coast districts and in the Blue Mountains.  They are shrubs or trees that grow between 9 and 16 ft. tall!  Spectacular!  They are more often seen in parks and reserves than in nature now.  The Waratah is the floral emblem of New South Wales and there is an Aboriginal story.  I love th...

Our friend the Pied Kurrawong Katoomba is the largest and seemingly main town in the Blue Mountains. We checked into the charming 1920’s “Blue Hotel”.  Our room faced a park-like area with big trees where Pied Kurrawongs kept us entertained and woke us in the mornings.  Breakfast in the 1920's dining room Bar/lounge area of Hotel Blue   The Cliff Drive had us stopping several places for birding, walking and exploring.  Along the way we met a couple from North England who were also birding and a typical birding conversation ensued.  “Have you been to….?  Have you seen….?  Where is the best place to ….? “ always about birds and nature.   Such fun to meet fellow travelers! The views in these mountains are spectacular with the vast expanses of forests.  The Blue Mountains   Katoomba (an Aboriginal word meaning “shining falling water” offers a variety of architecture and lots of art deco shops....

Peter and I just returned from a trip to Australia. We visited Sydney, Cairns, Darwin and Melbourne areas. This seemed like a good experience to share with you so here goes the first installment! The week before the trip was spent deciding what to pack and how to pack it.  We decided to take a carry-on and a personal bag and not check any baggage.  Neither of us like waiting in lines or waiting for lost luggage.   We made a list of clothes and personal items, laid them on the guest bed and re-evaluated.  I found Rick Steve’s Packing list for Women extremely helpful.  www.ricksteves.com In those bags in the above photo are clothes, personal items, cameras, lenses, binoculars, iPad, phone, notebook, collapsible cane and my sleep bi-pap machine. I’m planning on doing laundry once and air drying my hair when necessary!  (By the way.. this plan worked!) The news before we left was about the attempted plot by ISIS to behead a bystander in ...