Author: inspiringmax

Blogging From A-Z: K is Kyneton

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Last year for my birthday holiday we spent a week in Kyneton, 1 hour north-west of Melbourne. It is a country town in the Macedon ranges region of Victoria, Australia.

We stayed at the Kyneton Bush Resort, which is set on 50 acres of natural Australian bushland. To make it educational and fun, the resort has created bush walks with information maps the describes the sites, flora and fauna in the area.

The resort also has fun ways to play games outdoors. Here we have wildflower chess, snakes and ladders and hop scotch.

Today there are two sections of the Kyneton township – the commercial and the historic. One of my favourite places was the Kyneton museum. It is housed in the original the Bank of New South Wales building built in 1856. The downstairs old bank area holds changing special exhibitions. When we were there this was a creative display of young peoples fashion design. Upstairs, which was the bank managers residence is a permanent display of what daily life was like for him and his family. Outside there are also displays in each room and the stables. The displays were fun and full of information and I enjoyed seeing the past come alive and going down memory lane.

Blogging From A-Z: J is Japan Rail Pass

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We loved our Japan Rail Pass (JR pass). For anyone who isn’t aware, a JR pass is a rail pass that gives you unlimited travel around Japan. It is valid for a specific number of days ( 7, 14, 21). You must purchase your JR pass in your own country before travelling to Japan.

To chose the number of days you need your JR pass for, think about your itinerary. We were travelling around Osaka for the first few days so we didn’t validate our JR pass until we wanted to take our first long trip on the shinkansen. For us, this was to Hiroshima. To get value from your JR pass you need to be taking a few big trips to offset the initial cost. After that, the sky is the limit. Once validated our JR pass also covered most of our local travel around Osaka.

When my husband and I had traveled to Tokyo for the last week of our holiday, we both became sick with flu like symptoms. I was okay for my long awaited day at Disneyland. However, I was sick the next day at Disney Sea. I could hardly stand up. Ironically I liked the long queues to some of the rides as I got to rest. By the next day, neither of us had any energy for sightseeing, so we decided to change our plans. Instead of exploring Tokyo, we decided to use our JR pass and travel to country Japan. It was perfect.

The trip on the shinkansen each day took about 2 1/2 hours each way and we then spent approximately 4-5 hours slowly exploring the city. As we had two days left in Japan we visited Matsumoto and Nagoya. We chose these cities because of their castles. Without our JR pass this would have been a very expensive. Instead our JR pass was a lifesaver. We loved exploring regional Japan from the comfort of our train seats.

Blogging From A-Z: I is Itsukushima

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A 10 minute ferry ride from Hiroshima, in Hiroshima Bay is the special island of Itsukushima. It is seen as a scared island. Itsukushima means island of worship and from ancient times the whole island was worshiped as a god. For this reason we were told no-one is allowed to give birth or die on the island.

Visitors are welcomed to the island by the Floating Torii Gate. An ancient Shinto shrine that marks the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine. Both were deliberately built on piers to give the appearance and feel of walking on water. The true success of this look is because the Itsukushimi Shrine and Floating Torii Gate were built where the tides rise and fall. This is said to have been done to make it easier for the god. In 1996 this area was also added as a World Heritige Site. It is also listed as a Japanese National Treasure.

When we visited The Floating Torii Gate it was very low tide which meant that we could walk all the way out and fully investigate the Torii Gate. As I had never seen a Torii Gate before I found this fascinating. It was truly sensational standing beneath it and looking up at this enormous ancient structure. I noticed thousands of coins that had been in cracks in the pier for good luck over the years.

Unfortunately, our visit to Itsukushima was time limited so we were not able to explore inside the Itsukushima Shrine or climb the beautiful Mt Misen.

For me another fun thing about the island was the deer roaming freely about because they are deemed sacred. I had never seen so many deer up close in their natural surroundings. They were very curious and calming.

Blogging From A-Z: H is Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Dome

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Taking a day trip to Hiroshima’s atomic bomb site was on my bucket list when we visited Japan. I wasn’t sure what to expect or how I would feel but I thought it was important to connect with this turning point in history.

When we got to the bomb site, I was surprised at how peaceful it was.

Hiroshima was bombed on the 6th August, 1945 during World War 2. This building is all that remains of that tragic day. Known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, it was originally a grand promotions hall until the atomic bomb exploded 600 metres above it and 160 metres away.

In 1996, the Atomic Bomb Dome was added to the UNESCO world heritage listing as a remember to the world of the dangers of atomic bombs and the importance of peace. The Atomic Bomb Dome is surrounded by an amazing peace park as a reminder to everyone to never let this happen again.

Blogging from A-Z: G is Gingerbread Village 2019

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Last Christmas while holidaying in Melbourne, my husband and I got a very pleasant surprise. We were asked by the lady at the tourist information centre, if we had seen the gingerbread village yet?

“No,” I replied.

“Oh you must, it’s just around the corner” she said.

So off we went in search of the gingerbread village, not having any idea what to expect, but we had no real plans so we were happy to take a risk.

Wow! The Gingerbread Village by EPICURE, is an amazing fundraiser for Royal Melbourne’s Children’s Hospital. It is a village made of gingerbread, marzipan and royal icing designed to replicate the famous landmarks Melbourne has to offer. It was spectacular. We spent the next 1 1/2 hours absorbing the creativity and the intricate detail of the displays.

The Gingerbread Village 2019 was the biggest one yet and used 600 kilos of gingerbread, 460 kilos of royal icing and 200 kilos of marzipan.

Some of the landmarks in last years display were:

  • Grand Prix at Albert Park
  • Flemington Racecourse
  • Melbourne Zoo
  • Luna park
  • MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground which we had toured that morning
  • Royal Children’s Hospital – completed with a meerkat enclosure and a giant aquarium both of which I am told in in the hospital for sick children to enjoy.
  • Osaka Castle – this one had special significance to us as we had visited it the evening Alex and Mizuki got married in Japan. Apparently Osaka and Melbourne as sister cities.

Here’s hoping that there is a Gingerbread Village 2020. If there is and you get the opportunity I agree with the lady at the tourist information centre.

“You must go!”

MCG under lights
Lunar Park
Grand Prix at Albert Park
Osaka Castle
Fun things Japan is known for
Meerkats at Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital
Giant Aquarium at RMCH

Blogging From A-Z: F is Forest

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F2020

I love standing in the middle of a forest. I don’t know why, but I find it so relaxing. This pine forest is in the Barrington Tops State Forest. It was down the rode from my friend Eric the echidna.

On my bucket list is camping in a forest for a few days. This area would be perfect as it is surrounded by many walking trails. As there is only one road in or out, the number of people around to spoil the solitude is also limited.

For me, forests are the perfect place to connect with nature and hug a tree.

Blogging From A-Z: E is Echidna

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#AtoZChallenge 2020 Blogging from A to Z Challenge letter E

Echidnas, also known as spiny ant eaters, live alone in the Australian bush. The only time they are with other echidnas is during mating seasons. Echidnas are egg laying mammals like a platypus and have a pouch like a kangaroo. Their bodies are covered in spines like porcupines, which are actually hairs. They also have no teeth but have a long sticky tongue. A puggle is a baby echidna.

We found this little cutie in his natural habitat at Barrington Tops Nation Park. He walked across the road in front of us so we decided to stop and chat to him. He didn’t seem to be phased by us at all and just waddled past. Slowly but very confidently.

Echidnas are always exciting to watch. This one I named Eric.

Blogging from A-Z: D is Dr Seuss

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I love Dr Seuss. My first Dr Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham was first published two years before I was born. So, you could say that I grew up with him.

Last year, I visited both the Sydney and Melbourne galleries of The Art of Dr Seuss. The Melbourne shop, welcomed us warmly and we spent 1 1/2 hours absorbing the world and admiring the drawing and sketches from our favourite books.

As an adult my favourite book is Oh, The Places You’ll Go! The Melbourne gallery had several pieces that I would purchase if I ever won the lottery. In the meantime, I will dream.

“Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So ……..get on your way!”

What is your favourite Dr Seuss book or quote?

Blogging From A-Z: C is Cabargo’s Train Cafe

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Have you ever been going for a day trip and accidentally found somewhere you’ll never forget? For me, this was Cabargo on the South Coast of New South Wales.

This historic village began in the late 1860’s. It’s unique main street is lined with turn of the century buildings. The shop owners today make and sell crafts and artworks that in many cases are similar to what they would have sold over 150 years ago.

We were first drawn to Cabargo when we saw the train cafe. It was lunch time when we drove through and this unique eatery didn’t disappoint. You could choose to eat inside or out. For us the choice was obvious. The train carriage was similar to the ones I had grown up with. So after lunch I enjoyed walking down memory lane remembering my childhood.

Unfortunately, Cabargo’s train cafe and the its unique main street are no longer. They were all destroyed in the bush fire that ravaged the village last New Year’s Eve. Cabargo became a community devastated by loss, not only of its buildings but also a father and his son who died protecting their property.

Blogging From A-Z: B is BHP – 20 years on

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Growing up in Newcastle in the 1970’s, BHP was the biggest employer in the area. BHP opened in Newcastle in 1915 and closed it’s doors forever on the 30th September, 1999. At one stage, BHP employed 1 in 10 people in Newcastle. Everyone knew someone who worked there. No-one could imagine life in Newcastle without the BHP. However, 84 years later, the blast furnaces stopped. And Newcastle lost the smog and pollution almost immediately.

Last September, Newcastle celebrated the 20th anniversary of the closure of BHP with a special weekend. To celebrate we were able to visit The Muster Point. A memorial sculpture made of steel and bronze, 8 metres wide and 12 metres high completed just before the BHP closed it’s doors. On top of the sculpture is a cross to honour the lives lost over the years, in what was a very dangerous workplace.

Also at The Muster Point was one of BHP’s old managers. He was there to meet and greet old employees and others coming together to remember and celebrate all things Newcastle steelworks. His stories told of life working at BHP during those times. And he explained that for many of the employees, BHP was part of their family and sometimes their only family. For this reason, it was important to look out for the welfare of his staff. An example he used was arranging reading and writing lessons for some of the workers when he realised that they couldn’t do either. These were the little things that those of us who hadn’t worked at Big Harry’s Place ( the local nickname), had never considered.

We also visited Delprat’s cottage, which was built on site so Guillaume Deprat could supervise the steelworks construction even when he was home. The heritage society has done a great job creating a museum during the renovations. They are attempting to recreate the cottage as close as possible to the original building.

Delprat was a big fan of body strength. On of his favourite ways to exercise and improve his strength was with gymnastic rings. To ensure he could always exercise, he had a set of gymnastics ring hung in his bedroom. This allowed him to do two jobs at once – practise his moves and supervise his steelworks.

Another community sculpture onsite