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Dear Ellen,

I know you have enjoyed Australia in your travels.  I now know why.  My trip down under came up suddenly and I was complaining about how these last minute deals seem to always get dumped on me and then I caught myself…”wait a minute — you’re going to get to go to Australia, for crying out loud!”   I quit my whining and made the trip and have brought back many good memories.

The conference itself was well worth the long travel and my host, Peter, was quite gracious.  He’s become a good friend over the last couple of years as we’ve been working together on some satellite and communications agreements between the U.S. and Australia.  He does, however, seem part of the international plot to cause me to overeat and to drink far too much fine Shiraz.  Peter took us around town and drove us out to where we could see wild red kangaroos and one of the most intense rainbows I’ve ever seen…and took us to dinner almost every night.  He also saw us off with a farewell lunch at the wardroom mess at Her Majesty’s Australian Station (HMAS) Harman, the home of Australian Signaleering — or communicating — you know, the radio operators.  The wardroom is named for Marion Stevens, one of the first 14 women in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service.  She got her training at Harman and worked here…and did needlework.  They’ve preserved some of that heritage by preserving and displaying some of her pieces.  I loved the fact that these were highlighted in wardroom — usually a high testosterone locale. Marion went on to rise to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and then was commissioned.  Eventually she returned to Harman and helped restore it and run it.

I found more needlework at the National War Memorial.  And this time it was knitting!  This sweater was knit by Sister Eileen Callaghan while held prisoner by the Japanese during WWII.  You can see that she made do with what she had available.  I love that she took care to add cabling and do set in sleeves.  I wonder what she used for needles?  It was a great day to visit the memorial…the day before Remembrance Day (we know it as Veteran’s day).  The names of those who died in battle are engraved along the walls.  Poppies are left every year by the people who still keep each name in their memories.  On Remembrance Day we were at the Australian Joint Headquarters in Russell where we were honored to be part of their ceremonies.

I did a good bit of walking about near the hotel — was fortunate that it was close to the Commonwealth Gardens…lots to see and explore while trying to figure out what time zone I was in.  It was really beautiful…saw budgies and swans and beautiful flowers (it’s late spring there, you know!) and got in a stop at the National Museum.  Unfortunately, no picture taking in the museum, but I bought a few postcards of the aboriginal art.  Fascinating stuff.  You could take pictures outside with the sculptures at the National Gallery…don’t we make quite the pear?

One afternoon we made a quick trip to the small, but very nice, Canberra Zoo.

I enjoyed the meerkats (he’s tipping over!!),

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the peacocks (what a GREAT colorway!),

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the dingoes* (I think Max must be part dingo),

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the little penguins (signage noted that they are, indeed, “little penguins”),

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the lounging grey kangaroos (they spell gray wrong),

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the Tasmanian Devil (who was not very devilish),

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the koala (who seemed pretty bored by tourists…can you blame him?),

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and the bears (sniffing each other’s butts, sniffing each other’s scat, sniffing themselves — man they sniff a lot!).  But I have to admit that my biggest kick was getting my picture taken with the wombat.  He was asleep…not dead (we did see him scratch himself).  Given that I’ve got about a dozen pictures of myself** with the wombat that used to be on display in the Natural History Museum, this was a far more lively photo partner than I usually get out of a wombat.

During our travels around the city, we noticed that not only do the Australians drive on the wrong side of the road, but they also boldly rip off U.S. corporate identities don’t get company names and logos quite right.  Actually, they’re as amused by the “similarities” as we are.

We ended the trip with a night in Sydney so we could be near the airport for our early morning flight.  That was great as it gave us a chance to go downtown and dine with a view of the opera house.  My meal included “skippy” — yes, I had kangaroo.  It was tasty.  Peter presented me with a boomerang before we left…to make sure I’ll return.  That won’t be a hard sell!

Love, Jan

*The dingoes took the baby.
**Since our honeymoon, when Dale took the first picture of me with the wombat, we’ve recreated the picture on every return trip possible.  Sadly that wombat became a bit to threadbare (okay, decomposed, if you must!) and is no longer on display.  I sent Dale an e-mail telling him I saw the wombat at the zoo.  His response?  “Did you get your picture taken with him?”  Aren’t traditions fun!