The Eight Days of Easter

We've just driven to Canberra and back over the last 8 days. That's not quite right because Dot did all the driving since I'm still banned from doing so by my doctor! So, the driving was done over two part-days there and two part-days back, and we went via Sydney on the way down and took the inland route back. It was very tiring for Dot and I fear that her health may have suffered. So, I suspect that we'll do a lot more flying than driving in the future. For the POMS, Canberra is about 900 km (about 560 miles) from here.

In Sydney, we stayed with Dot's brother, Dick. He's also not well, partly because he's now in his mid-70s, partly on account of a stroke he experienced about 5 years ago, and partly I suspect because he lives alone and needs some TLC. The Sydney leg was prominent for two other reasons. I visited my St Vincent's specialist, Dr Abdullah Omari, for a check up and he was very happy with my progress on the blood clot. In fact, he was so enthusiastic that he took me immediately off two drugs - a weight off my shoulder! It appears that the clot has disappeared, except for a small scar.

We celebrated that 'success' by going shopping at Bondi Junction - an up-market shopping centre in the well-healed eastern suburbs. We got there by train because we'd purchased seniors' excursion tickets at the unbelievable cost of $2.50 each (a bit over one pound) and valid for unlimited travel by bus train and ferry for the entire day. The second trip took us to the suburb of Rhodes close to Olympic Park. The precise destination was Australia's largest IKEA store because I'm about to refit my home office and wanted to observe first-hand the range of furnishings on offer. Dot, Dick and I spent some hours wandering through rows of shelving and cupboards, desks and chairs. We collected a pile of leaflets to digest on the way. We've contracted to have wood flooring installed instead of the current worn-out carpet which needs replacing.

On our return from Canberra, we visited Dot's aged Aunt Hazel and Uncle Max in Cudal near Orange (a city, not a fruit!). Alas, they're leaving their farming property, a mohair goat stud, to go into retirement accommodation at Orange - a great wrench after perhaps 6 decades there. The property will pass to Doug and Rosie, Dot's cousins, but themselves of our generation. How time flies! Max was mayor of Cabonne Shire for many years and I seem to recall he has an AO for his services to government (AO = Order of Australia, our bunyip system of honours). The country in Central West NSW where they live is drought stricken and a sad sight. After a night in Wellington (I wonder how it got its name!), we arrived home mid-day yesterday.

Throughout the trip we hunted down successfully various geocaches as a diversion and providing opportunities to stretch our legs. I'll report on our time in Canberra next.

AS