Tag: #A-Z Challenge

E: Elvis House

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For me I think one of the best surprises I have found whilst traveling was the Elvis Presley house, Whyalla. This hidden gem is not known about by many people. The owner, Peter Bleeze is a self confessed Elvis fanatic. His house filled with only Elvis souvenirs is a true monument to rock’n’roll. And he lives it. Yes, he also has neighbours like you and I.

Each room in his house has a theme and each item a story. My husband and I were fascinated. We spent hours there listening and asking questions. Peter had been collecting since he was young and has been to Gracelands on more than one occasion.

“There is no Elvis product that they don’t make.” Peter Bleeze

Peter was very specific as to the time we were to arrive. This was so we could hear his Elvis clocks ‘doing their thing’ on the hour. He states that he has the only Elvis themed shower curtain in the world.

I loved his two door 1961 gold Cadillac the same as Elvis’s which he drives around Whyalla. It felt amazing to sit in.

He has also brought blue suede shoes from the same company as Elvis.

Hearing his stories was extra special to me as Elvis died on my 15th birthday. The fact that he even had his own hound dog really made me smile.

Coffee Catch-Up #25

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If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I miss having real coffee dates. In Australia, we can buy takeaway coffee. But we can’t sit down anywhere to drink it. Mostly I enjoy my takeaway coffee alone. However, occasionally I share the experience with someone. Walking and drinking coffee isn’t the same luxury as sitting down together for a coffee catch-up.

Takeaway coffee doesn’t give you such amazing art.

If we were having coffee I would ask you if you did anything to celebrate Anzac Day last Saturday. Although I have always thought about attending a dawn service or Anzac Day march I never have. Some years I have gone to the pub to watch the Two-Up. This is a traditional Australian gambling game only legal on Anzac Day.

This year however was very different. No dawn services, no marches and no Two-Up. Instead families and individuals gathered on their driveways, social distancing and remembering our diggers at 0600. For me, it was very personal. I stood alone on my driveway. I was filled with emotion as I could hear the bugles playing The Last Post over the sounds of birds. Next year, I be on my driveway again. This time I will light the dawn with my candle.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how frustrated I have been over the past month with my blog not working as easily as it used to. The problem is everything needed updating and I am not computer friendly. Making the necessary changes has given me a lot of new knowledge about my blog and computer so my confidence has grown.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I bought a subscription to Disney+for the family as an Easter present. My husband and I grew up in the 60’s watching the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. Our kids grew up with Disney channel, so there is something on it for everyone. We have all found many hidden gems and been entertained for hours.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I was pleased to complete this years A-Z blogging challenge. I stated a few days late but caught up and finished on time. It was a great way to retrain my brain into writing regularly and simplifying my words. Now the secret is to come up with a plan for Inspiring Max that helps my creativity develop.

If we were having coffee I would ask you how you have been filling in your days during the world’s lock down. Let me know in the comments.

Blogging From A-Z: Z is Museum Zoo

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One day while exploring Brisbane I accidentally happened on the Museum Zoo at the Queensland Museum. This event even though it was 10 years ago, continues to be a favourite of mine. The zoo was made up of 700 prehistoric and modern animals in various displays.

I loved all aspects of the museum zoo, however my favourite was the Parade of Animals. The parade had taxidermy animals and animal skeletons lined up in relative size. It was fascinating to compare so many different species.

I also admired the special attention the museum zoo paid to our extinct animals.

Blogging From A-Z: W is Woodend Bookshop

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W2020

On our trip to Kyneton we decided to follow many of the second hand book trails it the area. We had a great time and came home with many second hand books for our library.

My favourite was the first that we visited – Woodend Bookshop. An old fashioned second hand bookshop that is filled with 20,000 books. As well as modern fiction from popular writers, the bookstore keeps signed first editions, rare and collectible books as well as valuable first editions.

The owner was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about books. He was available to answer all our questions when needed and loved having people browsing in his shop even if they didn’t buy. We were also pleased to hear that if we were looking for a book even if it was difficult he would do what he could to procure it for us.

“You can’t buy happiness but you can buy books and that’s kind of the same thing.”

Anonymous

Blogging From A-Z: T is Tongariro River

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T2020

The Tongariro River is on New Zealand’s North Island at Turangi. Known for it’s fly fishing, it is New Zealand’s most fished river. Tongariro is also classified as one of the best trout fishing rivers in the world. 75% of the catch is rainbow trout and 25% brown trout. While the fishermen in the river made it look easy, we unfortunately didn’t get to try it.

White water rafting is the another outdoor sport the river is known for. This we did get to try and it was amazing. Our raft had people from all around the world, none whom had tried white water rafting before. From memory, we went on a grade 3 rapid trip and some of the rapids were very scary. Even though the guides who steer the rafts are very experienced, the problem is that the river is constantly shifting so they are constantly looking out for new obstacles and dangers.

I actually feel in love with this river as my husband and I were following the Tongariro River trail. This walk took several hours but was well worth it to see so many of its different parts. I wasn’t expecting the river to be as different as it was to our Australian rivers. On our walk my favourite thing was seeing all the fly fishermen working their sport with such grace. It was just like a painting or a scene from a movie.

Blogging From A-Z: R is RedBeard Historic Bakery

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R2020

‘The best bakery in the world.  
This is all about heart, passion and a love for making great bread.’
​George Calombaris, MasterChef

​​​​‘I had RedBeard sourdough for breakfast 
and it was absolutely delicious. RedBeard is doing a wonderful job to promote the resurgence of authentic sourdough and artisan woodfired baking.’

Maggie Beer, legendary cook and restaurateur

Thes two quotes were taken directly from RedBeard Historic Bakery’s website and written by famous Australian chefs. Personally, I agree.

RedBeard Historic Bakery is in Trentham, Victoria. It makes the most amazing sourdough bread, cooked in a rare scotch oven. A scotch oven is a traditional, wood-fired commercial baker’s oven. Originally all bread was made in a scotch oven, however as bread began being made in factories the old ovens were destroyed and replaced by gas or electric ovens to eliminate competition.

RedBeard’s scotch oven is approximately 140 years old. It was used continuously from 1891 to 1987. After this time it lay dormant for nearly 20 years until the property was renovated and the scotch oven repaired.

The scotch oven has a floor area of 16 square metres, weighs 75 tonnes and has a massive domed roof. On one side of the floor area is the firebox which is put out before the bread is cooked. On the opposite side of the floor is a flu. Between all these elements enough heat is created to cook 600 loaves or equivalent.

RedBeard’s sourdough bread is leavened with a natural wild culture of yeast and healthy bacteria. They also use organic flours and their bread is shaped by hand.

The day we visited Trentham, we didn’t realise that RedBeard’s Historic Bakery would be as amazing as it was. The whole cafe was full and that didn’t include the number of people who came in for takeaway. I ordered the vanilla slice as I had been craving a cake for me birthday and not found one. But let me tell you this vanilla slice melted in my mouth. It was different to any I had ever had before. Sorry no photos.

We bought some bread to take home for lunch and again we loved it. In fact, we loved it so much that when we were coming home to Newcastle we drove 20 minutes each way extra on top of a 10+ hour trip just to buy more. The only problem was we were a day early, as the bakery isn’t open every day.

Blogging From A-Z: Q is Quokka

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Q2020

Quokkas are said to be the happiest animals in the world. They are a unique marsupial only found in a few isolated places in Western Australia. Rottnest Island, a short ferry trip from Perth is home to approximately 10,000 of them. Quokkas thrive on Rottnest because there are no foxes to prey on them.

Quokkas seem to know instinctively how cute they are. They love a good selfie. Quokkas are not afraid of humans and move around freely on the island. They are even in the pub.

Quokka’s are everywhere on Rottnest Island, even on the food.

If you get the chance put a trip to Rottnest Island on your bucket list.

Blogging From A-Z: N is Newcastle

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I was born and bred in Newcastle during the 60’s and 70’s. Back then it was an industrial city, BHP was the biggest employer, smog was everywhere and many places were covered in a layer of black grim. Today, Newcastle is a beautiful, clean, modern city with everything you could want and a relaxed way of life. The biggest employers are Hunter New England Area Health Service and the University of Newcastle. Newcastle has a modern working harbour and in summer many cruise ships visit.

Newcastle is located at the mouth of the Hunter River and has always been known for its coal. Today, Newcastle is the largest coal exporting harbour in the world. It was first discovered by John Shortland in 1797 when he traveled north from Sydney looking for some escaped convicts. As a result Newcastle was the second city of the new colony and is steeped in history.

Sport is huge in Newcastle. We have the Newcastle Knights in the NRL (National Rugby league), and the Newcastle Jets in the A-League soccer. Newcastle is also home to Surfest on the world professional surfing tour. Our son recently had his wedding overlooking Merwether Beach and at the time, Surfest heats were going on in the background. At present, Newcastle is also home to the final round of the Supercars championships, Coats Hire Newcastle 500. After this final race the Virgin Australia Supercars Champion is announced.

My favourite thing about growing up in Newcastle is its amazing beaches and the two ocean baths. There is something special about being able to quickly go to the beach for a swim after work on a hot summers day.

The surrounding Newcastle region is home to the Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest wine region, beautiful Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and national park and state forest areas. Lake Macquarie is the largest saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere and is twice the size of Sydney harbour. It is the home to many water sports and outdoor activities.

If your ever in the area come for a visit, whatever your taste we’ll have something to interest you.