Weekend 8 Canberra’s Birthday

The war memorial
see all photos »

Weekend 9 Canberra’s Birthday

an F18 warplane on its tail heading for the sun—what a buzz.

The capital city now seems to be dressed in its best foliage and sunny skies. Breakfast outside in Manuka, eggs benedict and pancakes and bananas followed by a drive through the consular zone. The US embassy, the only one with protest signs along the sidewalk, Finland, Spain, France, all quiet and refined with the lurking security cars in the driveways.

The capital mall
see all photos »

After a trip to Brands Central we headed to the War Memorial Open Day. Quite an experience, a true description of Australia’s sobering sacrifices. We saw artillery firing, soldiers marching, and aerial displays of vintage and advanced warplanes.

Inside is a complete story of Australias military history complete with intact Japanese Zeros, German Messerschmits, German Jets and rockets from WWII a midget submarine sunk in Sydney Harbour and then raised. It was quite a display of happy families, children, food and flags seemingly oblivious as to how much effort has been spent on destruction, sad but necessary. But, this stuff sure is cool. We saw machines we had only read about and an F18 warplane on its tail heading for the sun—what a buzz.

Wall of Honor
see all photos »

If you really want to get to know Australia, its all here in Canberra, its monuments, its peoples and the weekly activities that showcase the communal psyche of a great land and people through a unique environment and view of the world ,but one of participation and national achievement. People who are happy and free .(ok bla bla -- ask if you are inerested in more thoughts on this)

We missed the fireworks tangling with American and Quantas Airlines over whether our plans for New Zealand will materialize – but that’s another blog

Old Parliament House
see all photos »

Sunday the festivities continued with concerts and car shows, a tour through the old parliament house, the senate gardens and the national rose gardens.