View from balcony Hotel Urban at St. Leonards Through the trees and roofs one can glimpse the harbor and the bridge. I can feel the city vibrating around me. On this trip the beauty of the city is no longer in the tourist views but the joy of the residents. The runner on the shaded … Continue reading Being in Sydney
Australia
Unnecessary Stress
Everyone knows traveling is stressful, last year I nearly missed the last leg of my flight home from Australia because I scheduled too little time between planes in San Francisco. This year going back I decided to eliminate that source of distress. Arriving at the San Francisco airport in the morning for my evening flight … Continue reading Unnecessary Stress
Tower Hill and the Grampians
My cousins promised me we would see Emus up close and personal at Tower Hill. Indeed they greeted me in the parking lot, eyeing me right in the car. When I got out of the car I was amazed to find a bird almost a large as myself: The amazing creature walked along the path … Continue reading Tower Hill and the Grampians
Great Ocean Road
Down the coast from Melbourne is one of the most beautiful seaside roads in the world. Curves, ocean surf, and rocks greet a driver at every turn. Luckily I had a very experienced local driver. Signs remind tourists to stay to the left. It was wonderful to stop, watch and listen to the surf pounding … Continue reading Great Ocean Road
A Rain Forest Sanctuary
One morning my cousin whisked me out of the city. We drove east for an hour to the Dandenong Range where we came to William Ricketts created a space to honor native Australian flora, fauna and people. His fired clay sculptures mounted in the rain forest are a wonder to behold. Wandering through the sculptures … Continue reading A Rain Forest Sanctuary
Melbourne and suburbs
Melbourne was the first place my grandparents and my aunt stopped at on their journey to Australia in 1912. In my book Visions from Two Continents I published my Aunt Lucille's diary entries about that arrival. While in Melbourne I wanted to find those places. They entered the harbor via the Yarra River and came up … Continue reading Melbourne and suburbs
Bowral, Mittegong and Canberra
My uncle who wrote the letters featured in my book Visions from two Continents had four children and their children had many more who spread throughout Australia. On this trip I have been very fortunate to meet many of his grandchildren and their children. After I left Townsville, I flew back to Sydney and then … Continue reading Bowral, Mittegong and Canberra
Magnetic Island
A 10 minute ferry ride from Townsville takes one to a magical place, where free koalas sit in the trees, lorikeets eat out of your hands, and rock wallabies pose in the rocks. Each character has its own place. There is an air conditioned bus that will take one within reach of everything. The air … Continue reading Magnetic Island
Townsville
The web says: Townsville lies on the Queensland coast and is located about 17.5 hours drive north of Brisbane and almost 5 hours drive south of Cairns. The area is a vibrant mix of sub tropical rainforests, sandy beaches, rugged outback and quaint coastal townships. Visit Townsville for a sleepy, country holiday. It has a … Continue reading Townsville
Home? Peachester, Crohamhurst and the Glasshouse Mountains
The main purpose of this journey was to do the reverse of what mother did when she came to America in 1923 and to share her story with my family and the people who still lived in Peachester. Mother's paintings surrounded my childhood and she told me stories of a dream world before my … Continue reading Home? Peachester, Crohamhurst and the Glasshouse Mountains
Visions from Two Continents. 