The Big Trip part 2

Well today is an exciting day for us all, today is about Dubbo!

Of course when I say Dubbo,  I mean Dubbo Zoo!

We spent two nights in Dubbo, travelling to the zoo for the last two days, the Zoo is only just outside the town.  The Dubbo Zoo ( Taronga Western Plains Zoo)   is a part of Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney.  It houses African animals in a natural like setting, and is a breeder of endangered wild species along with Taronga.

Some quick pics from the zoo ( no more than 10 a post,  promise!)

So here we are, at the entrance to the Zoo.

administration and shops and souvenir places (of course!).  

         You can drive your own car around the Zoo, or you can hire bicycles or little cars like golf carts to drive around.  We drove ourselves.

There are lots of walking tracks, and the displays of animals look like they are free on the landscape, it's not until you look closely that you see the wide water traps and wires around all the pens - they have utilized  changes in the level of the ground to contain animals also - it is all very well thought out.

On with the animals!

Some mountain goat things on rocks!

Some mountain goats on the ground

Gorgeous giraffes - they have the most beautiful eyes! Isn't the baby adorable - they are two metres tall at birth!!

Some lovely horned creatures lying around - sorry, but I didn't get everyone's names

If you look really closely at the above picture, you can just see the Hippopotamus swimming in their pool!

One gorgeous rhinoceros bottom!

I reckon the first rhinoceros was practicing for this picture!

Some noisy noisy geese.

That's it, 10 pictures.  Click on them to get a closer look, won't you!

Tomorrow night we travel on for part 3 

The Big Trip Part1

Well, we are finally back home and not yet all unpacked, but that's not about to go anywhere!

I've been sorting through the cameras, and unfortunately I haven't done a real good job of naming places, so I'll do my best with what I've got! i don't want to bore you to tears, so I'll split the trip into bite sized sections, aren't I thoughtful?

Day 1 was Sunday 26th May, when we packed up the vehicle and headed onto the road - well it sounds dramatic!! The scenery getting to Cunninghams Gap from our home is pretty nondescript - I only took this one photo!

We have to travel almost out to Ipswich, then turn left to follow the Cunningham Highway up to the Gap.

*Cunninghams Gap is Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and the Fassifern Valley in Queensland, Australia. The Gap is the major route over the Scenic Rim. The Cunningham Highway was built to provide road transport between the two regions.

It is situated in Main Range National Park, between the peaks of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell. On a clear day the pass forms a distinct break in Main Range's profile as seen from Brisbane.

The highway itself is a scenic drive although steep with an 8 degree grade on the descent.

In 1827, Allan Cunningham set out from the upper Hunter River, to explore west of the Dividing Range, discovering the Darling Downs; returning in 1828 from Brisbane to discover Cunninghams Gap.^[1] He was aware of the economic benefits that a link between the coast and pastoral lands to the west would provide.^[2] Cunningham travelled on the right hand side of the Gap whereas the highway today runs on the lefthand side from Aratula.

I'm always a little bit scared going over the Gap, it is well known for bad accidents where it can be closed for days, but unfortunately, it is the fastest way to get where we want from where we are!

This old truck stop marks the top and has been there for years.

Traveled through Warwick, and on to Goondiwindi, where we joined the Newell Highway

We stopped at Goondiwindi for the night, birthplace of a once very famous racehorse - the Goondiwindi Grey, Gunsynd.

We were up and travelling early the following morning

Day 2 - The sign post says it all!!

Lots of long dead straight driving - not really much to look at and really quite boring...

 We were heading for Dubbo, and in a hurry! More tomorrow!

* Information from Wikipedia.

A Quick Hello from us

We are at South West Rocks this evening, still on our way home.

Have had some really great times and we are so pleased that we were able to do this trip.

So many pictures to show you, here's just one (A VERY IMPORTANT ONE)

It's me feeding a Sumatran Tiger!!!

Excited? I certainly was!! We have lots more photographs to show I have been having endless problems with the internet access, it's not working well at all. 

So all our great pictures will have to wait until next week.  I will have many tall tales but true for you!

So be back next week! 

Saturday Snapshots

isn't happening today!

We are packing  our suitcases, and filling the car with all that stuff that we all need to travel with, and setting off in the morning for a trip down to country New South Wales.

Our dear friend is going to live in our home and take care of the dogs and the fish for us - we are lucky to have friends like that, makes it a lot easier to plan things!

I am taking the cameras with us as well as the laptop, and will post while we are travelling. I'm sure you would love to see the countryside.

I have 3 gypsy bags made and scarves and all sorts to take along with us for family!

So I will be back when I can. Be good.....

Happy Mothers Day

I do hope that all my friends who are mothers had a wonderful day, as I did.

Family arrived and we had a lovely time:

My gorgeous grandson

and my beautiful granddaughter

Jessica - my beautiful redhead now

Aaron and family

 love this picture of Aaron - he looks totally different when he smiles!

All in all we had a lovely day and too much to eat.  Was sad to see them all depart.

Leibster Blog Award

 

I've been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Sophia at SewingSophia ( check it out!!).

From what I understand it's purpose is to recognize blogs with less than 200 followers that

deserve a closer look! These are the rules

- Post 11 random facts about about yourself

- Answer 11 questions the tagger has set for you ( in my case, Sophia!)

- Nominate 11 bloggers, with less than 200 followers, for the award and let them know about it by

linking them to your post and writing them a message/comment

- Create 11 questions for your nominated bloggers to answer

11 random facts about myself:

1.     I HATE mornings

2.     I drink black tea

3.     I love to crochet as well as quilt

4.     I love poodles

5.     I love to both cook and eat Indian food

6.     I love my garden

7.     I had to retire from work due to ill health

8.     I don't have enough hours in the day now!

9.     My friends are important to me, both online and in person

10.  I simply love Smiths Crisps and will eat a large packet every day if I can!

11.           I love lions (go well with the poodles, don't they)

11 Questions from Sophia for me to answer:

- Favorite Vacation/Holiday Location - Coolum

- Favorite Restaurant/place to eat out - No favourite, they are all great!

- Favorite food - Indian food is my greatest joy!

- Favorite book - The Hitchikers Guide to The Galaxy

- Last book you read - I'm currently reading Whatever It Is, I Don't Like It by Howard Jacobsen

- Favorite blog - definitely Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

- Muffins or brownies - neither

- Favorite tv show - Currently it is The Voice Australia

- Favorite Flower - definitely frangipani, or maybe Hibiscus, or maybe orchids - either or

- Favorite Color - red

- If the sky was the limit what would you do - move to Bali to live.

11 Bloggers I am Nominating

1.     Diane from The Cheshire Quilter

2.     Cathy at Tinniegirl

3.     Bobbie from It's All About Me!

4.     Bron from Taylor Made

5.     Trudi from Maude and Me

6.     Sue from Quilted Hugs

7.     Jeneta from Plum Jam

8.     Stephanie from Simply Sewendipity

9.     Karen at Two Cupboards in a Kitchen

10.  Kristy at 107 Quilts

11.  Dianne at Di's Quilting and Craft

My 11 Questions for my 11 nominated bloggers

1.     What book are you currently reading?

2.     What is your favourite type of music

3.     Who is your favourite actor?

4.     What is your favourite season of the year?

5.     Favourite movie?

6.     The blog you read every single day?

7.     Can you swim?

8.     Do you drive?

9.     Where did you have your last holiday?

10.  Have you ever been overseas, and if so, where to?

11.  If the sky was the limit what would you do?

Gee that was difficult to think of 11 questions! But i think i nailed it in the end!

Tonight I will email all the above bloggers and I'm looking forward to seeing who will continue along.

I have added extra lines here, because Bobbi from It's All About Me let me know that it was not showing up properly on the blog! Must have gremlins, but I'll see if this works now........Definitely had gremlins with big silly grins and hysterical laughter....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week

I've  got my ipod on as I write this post, occasionally I have to stop and play the piano along with Jackson Browne, or sing along with Van Morrison and Rod Stewart and other favourites I also play drums!

So bear with me, we may take a while!!

We have been very busy this past week:

The fish are finally back in their home! They are so so happy again!

Flowers are starting to bud up for the cooler weather

This gorgeous little orchid raised it's head and smiled!

This coleus is so gleaming red! Of course you can't see the weeds can you?

I've been doing some sewing - I am making 5 of my gypsy bags for daughters and grand daughters!

See the bag under the pillow? It's FULL of scraps!! I told you I had a lot! ( and there's still more - but i'm not showing!!) 

I'm making a pillow cover  out of these spare parts

the bags are all assembled for the outside, now i do need to buy some metres for the linings - I was going to scrap it all but I just don't have time, I don't think.