This is how we roll!
The large country town of Ballarat has been a booming gold-town since the 1850s, but unlike many others of the period, is still profitable today, with an estimated 60% of the gold still to mine. It is also home to the fantastic Sovereign Hill, a replica 1880s gold- mining town, where we spent a full day learning about life in the settlement.
We had a brilliant underground mine tour, complete with underground trolley ride, the boys made their own candles and we watched them melt and pour a $160,000 gold bar (one lucky child even got to hold it – unfortunately not ours!).
We did our own bit of gold-panning here and managed to find a few flakes to bring home! In the evening they have a light and sound spectacular, reliving the Eureka Stockade events called ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’. It was brilliant being able to talk about miners rights, licence fees and injustice with the boys which ended up covering aspects of political representation, suffrage and protest too. Another curriculum box ticked!
By special request of the boys our next stop was Glenrowan, scene of the capture of the infamous Bushanger Ned Kelly (we blogged about his incarceration in Melbourne Gaol). The Glenrowan Inn, where Ned and his gang 
were holding hostages, was stormed by government soldiers and after a lengthy shoot-out many of the gang were killed and Ned was finally taken into custody. We visited a small but thorough museum here and took our picture with the giant Ned Kelly statue.
Then it was a long drive up to Wagga Wagga, across miles and miles of farmland, where the landscape does not change for hours, and the roads are tediously straight! This is where you really get a feel for the size of Australia, as it was merely half a page on our road map book. We stayed in the large country town of Wagga with my gorgeous friends, Jen & Darren and their two hairy, lovable Golden Retrievers, Bailey & Ruby. As you can imagine Ollie was in dog-lover heaven. We had beautiful weather (this IS winter), got the BBQ on and had a nice glass of wine sitting outside over-looking their lovely garden. Thank you for making us feel so welcome!!
Aussie School!
Cameron: When we got back to Sydney Mum & Dad had arranged for Ollie and I to go to a primary school for the day. I was in Mrs Bennett’s class, where I made some really nice friends. The school was similar to mine in England, but there were a few differences, as they do more outside such as eat lunch, have assembly and Ollie’s class was doing some gardening. I learned a couple of new ball games and we did science and maths lessons too. They also got me to read out parts in a story so they could listen to my English accent. Ollie spent the day with Mrs Cafeiro and her class and he said it was awesome! Thank you to everyone at Kurrajong Primary School, and especially Mr Montgomery, for giving us such a great experience. Aussie schools are brilliant!
We also fit in
few more family & friends visits, sharing great food and wine with the Steinhof’s, Pollpeters, Dyers, Monty’s and the Stevenson families. It has been a real bonus to have enough time this trip to see everyone. Unfortunately we also had a funeral to attend, as my lovely Auntie Sylvia passed away, a very sad event, but it was good to be able to attend and pay our respects in person.
Before leaving Sydney we saw Vivid, a light show held in Sydney where all the iconic buildings such as the Sydney Opera House are illuminated in a variety of coloured and patterned lights. We also took a drive up to Palm Beach, where they film Home and Away, unfortunately there were no soap stars filming that day, but we watched a pod of dolphins playing in the waves, so it was quite a beautiful and a fitting way to say goodbye to Sydney for this trip!
Beautiful Palm Beach – but too cool for bikini’s today.
On our way back to Brissy, we had a few days in Tuncurry, the Great Lakes region of the NSW coastline. The weather wasn’t great but that didn’t stop up hiring a cabin right on the water that we could tie our boat up to. Fishing is fast becoming a favourite family past-time, even if we still haven’t got the ‘big one’ yet! And finally a long beach walk and dinner stop with the Mason family near Byron Bay, once famous as the place Crocodile Dundee called home. Again watching dolphins off the beach, surfing the waves. This really is a beautiful coastline.
Oyster Farming at Tuncurry
PS Thank you once again to the fabulous Brown’s for their house- don’t worry guys we haven’t moved in permanently (yet!!).
This was an unusual sight. We saw it from the car near Castlemaine, obviously foxes are a problem here (or at least they were?).
Adele – looks like you and the family are having such a brill time – we have taken inspiration and this together with other significant factors have pushed us out the door – please could you drop me an email as would love to ask some questions to help us go through the pack up/ sell everything and head for the unknown questions!!
Thanks Shayna
Light show looked even better the Las Vegas – Freemont street!
Hi Shayna, yes would love to help in any way we can! Have sent you an email. Ax
Hey Cameron,
Got some good results in exams 94% in Latin 🙂
Looks like your having fun in Australia.
Which school do you prefer the Hawthorns or the primary school in Australia.
Just if you didn’t now my email address is josephewalsh@icloud.com
From Joe W 😛
Walkers,
I know I have been quiet of late, and to be honest it is a mix of being very busy at work and being unable to find anything worthy of ribbing within your blogs. Tasmania looks really nice, maybe the last great undiscovered paradise on earth. And lets face it, it is so far away from Europe it will probably remain so. Who in their right mind is going to travel that far when Marbella is only a few hours away from Heathrow.
Right I have to sort a few things out about this Ned Kelly character. Firstly one word bin head, leg armour. Seems to me that something that 13th century knights had figured out seemed to not occur to this 19th century half wit. Ned Kelly was arrested after being shot in the legs did he not think that they would be a target? Now I can understand where Australia might think of him as their robin hood, but they would obviously be wrong. Ned Kelly was a criminal and a murderous cove at that, Robin Hood was MADE UP by questionable dudes with lutes and tight trousers. Hardly a good role model for your up and coming hoodlum. Keep going to the museums though, I never tire of pictures of people with waste paper baskets on their heads.
It was nice to see Sydney with temporary graffiti on it makes me think of what it would look like if Mad Max ever came true. However it was good to see that you are ticking the ancient history part of the syllabus with a visit to the home and away set. It is one of the significant cultural influences on western culture…… come on Walkers its Ramsey street were after and you know it!
Finally, You now own a boat, a car, you are inflicting your children to Australian education (or google as I like to call it), obviously you will hang about till my parents come out. I am wondering if this is all an elaborate emigration that has been dragged out for some sort of tax evasion purpose. Wouldn’t blame you to be honest we have had a general election whilst you have been away so being shouted at on a tram by a random loon to be honest has been the cornerstone of the UKIP manifesto. (for the benefit of non British readers UKIP are the party that don’t like foreigners much and therefore want to adopt an Australian style of immigration policy) Just saying.
Finally on the fox thing , I do the same thing with ants, its just as effective it just takes a huge amount of dexterity and a lot of cocktail sticks.
Stay safe Walkers
make sure your visa doesn’t run out!
Thanks for your comment- sorry we haven’t had much wifi recently to reply. We are now staying at Andrew’s and using all his – that’s what siblings are for. We’ve also raided his garage for ‘stuff’ we might need on our next camping journey across the really big bit of Aussie – the Outback!. Sure we’ll find plenty to keep you amused along the way, particularly if you like pictures of red dust… and well….red dust. Your parents are good, but they don’t have much in the way of camping equipment on them which is a little disappointing. Love to all, Adele x
P.S I still can’t believe I forgot to visit Ramsay Street – or that Ben didn’t remind me – you know how he loves all things Kylie!
Did you see how I completely passed over any reference to migration or tax? Maybe a job in politics for me when I get back? Ax