Povey Prattle

When I was in Australia (2011) I took a Boat trip down the Yarra River from Melbourne to Williamstown.    I had to see the only other Williamstown in the world - alongside Williamstown MA. I decided to return to Melbourne by taking a train from Williamstown, rather than traveling  back on the boat. I had to change trains at Newport (VIC) Australia. Just outside the Station I was amused to see this business I had visions of an early Ford Motor Company assembly line in which a dirty dog was cleaned up as she/he went down the line. --------------------------------------------------------- It's not that automatic.   I found that out today as I used the DIY Dog Wash at the intersection of Beneva and Webber here in Sarasota, a couple of miles from my home Zion was a trooper as I bathed him and dried him Good DIY Dog Wash.  Good Dog as he enjoyed his wash. Sad that I will no longer be tak...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Australia_Fair So, this is a National Anthem which never caught on. Ne’er mind about the Anthem, it’s incidental. But do mind about Australia. It’s a fabulous Country/Nation/Continent. I was there a year ago. On Dec 10th 2011 I was visiting my friends Andrew and Felicity McGowan in Melbourne. On that day I took a Ferry from Melbourne down to Williamstown. I could not resist that trip since I know of only two places called “Williamstown”:   - this  one in the Australian State of Victoria, the other one in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. More important than the two places called Williamstown is that I utterly enjoyed being in Australia. I visited the (under-rated) and gorgeous City of Adelaide. My days in Melbourne were delightful (it’s a fabulous City). And (of course) I spent some time in the “tourist trap” City of Sydney. A year later I am drenched in Australian memories. I would love to return there. Should yo...

I had such a good visit.  I am even dreaming some nights that I am back in Australia. Adelaide was my favourite City.   I enjoyed being in Melbourne as I have friends there, (and the City has great trams!) And everyone, but everyone has to visit Sydney . I've applied most of my photo's to my flickr page.  They are in three sets, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Each set can be easily watched as a slide show. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hugapoveytoday/sets/ Love and blessings, Michael

Enough already?   Here is the last posting of photo’s from my Australian trip earlier this month.   They are of the lovely Blue Mountains area near Sydney.  I took one of those dreadful day-trips to this area on my last full day (20 minutes here, 10 minutes there etc -  just enough time to take photo’s, but not enough time to savour the scenery) .  But it was better than nothing. In some ways my mind is still in Australia (I know this cos I dreamed about it last night).  It was a wonderful trip for which I will have grateful memories for a long time. Blue Mountain view from Cable Car View from Incline Railway 1 Incline Railway View 2 Hazy Blue Mountains.. The blueish colour is emitted from the many eucalyptus tress. "Three Sisters" (1) "Three Sisters" (2) View from the Incline Railway In the Rain Forest Blue Mountains general view 1 Blue Mountains general view 2 Blue Mountains general view 3

Much of the good stuff in my visit to Australia was when I got out into the “bush” (or “countryside”) – I am still not certain if the words are synonymous. I know that the “bush” and the “outback” are not the same. Australia is indeed a very flat Continent.  You will see this in the photo’s I took from a plane, en route from Adelaide to Melbourne.  There are also quite delightful “countryside” areas near Adelaide (the Adelaide Hills); and near Melbourne in the Ballaratt/Creswick/Doylesford areas. These places are neither Cities, nor Outback. Here are my pics.  I’ll end the Australia series tomorrow with some photo’s from the gorgeous Blue Mountains near Sydney. Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills "Flatland" -  from the plane between Adelaide and Melbourne (1) "Flatland" -  from the plane between Adelaide and Melbourne (2) The Bush near Melbourne (1) The Bush near Melbourne (2) Mineral Spring in Ballaratt area (1) Mineral Sprin...

Here are some pictures from Sydney.  I am sure that many of them show familiar places, but it’s different when you are “there”.  (Incidentally, I think that the Opera House “shows” better in photo’s than up close. It seems to need a coat or two of paint). Tomorrow, some pictures of lovely Australian countryside. Oldest House in Sydney "The Rocks" area one of my favourite parts of Sydney The Rocks (2) "Relief" of immigrants at the Rocks area Opera House from the Harbour Bridge Walking over the Harbour Bridge Strange to my eyes - the Chinese Nationalist Party of Australasia?  Maybe an older  political party from  the time when there was Legislative discrimination against Chinese-Australians. Harbour Bridge close up.  Not a view we often see Hotel in Sydney. "You can take the boy out of Bristol, but you cannot take Bristol out of Australia!" Everyone, but everyone photographs the bri...

I hoved over to Largo, FL today  (a 75 minute drive) to hook up with Steven S. and his family.  I met Steven when he was an undergraduate at Harvard College, at which time he attended S. James’s Church in Porter Square, Cambridge where I was the Rector. Both Steven and I moved on.  He wound up for a while in Sydney, AU, and my plan had been to visit him there.  But he returned to his present home in Los Angeles before my trip, so we did not connect in Australia. Steven hails from Titusville, FL  (on the Atlantic Coast).  He’s been at home with his parents and one of his brothers for the Christmas holiday. The four of them came over to Largo today to look at the 40’ yacht which is being built for them at See  http://www.ipy.com/   for examples of Island Yachts. It’s a gorgeous boat.  Soon it will be taken by road from Largo to Fort Pierce FL where it will be launched.  Then Steven’s parents will sail her down to the American Virgi...

Hindley St Adelaide. My hotel was here.  It's a very lively street at night, but it felt safe Pleasant Victorian era arcade in Adelaide St Peters's (Anglican Cathedral) Adelaide Cathedral from outside Government House Adelaide Schoolboy cricketers, Glen Elg (near Adelaide) St. Paul's (Anglican) Cathedral, Melbourne St Paul's Cathedral from Melbourne Visitor's Centre Very handsome Flinders St Railway Station, Melbourne Modern architecture Melbourbe Victorian Row Cottages Melbourne Victorian Row Houses, Melbourne Queen Victoria Statue Ballaratt (a Gold Rush Town) Ballaratt Melbourne Skyline from River Yarra