Captain Poprocks goes to Canberra!

It's been quite a while since Captain Poprocks has been on an adventure! 

We were so lucky to have a wonderful family from Switzerland come to visit us in Sydney over the last two weeks. Our new Norwegian exchange student also arrived, and so it was a great opportunity for a road trip - to Australia's national capital, Canberra! 

If you follow us on Instagram, you might have already seen a few of these photos already! 

My mum had the great idea of hiring a 12 seater bus so we didn't have to worry about keeping two cars together. It also meant the 8 of us had plenty of space, with our luggage and the wheelchair as well :) 

I always forget that we are just not set up for winter here in Australia. We paused briefly at a rest area on the way down the Hume Highway, and the Captain was very relieved that he had remembered to pack his Drops Cotton Merino poncho. 

We stopped in Goulburn for a delicious bakery lunch, and visited the Big Merino on the way out of town! Goulburn was Australia's first inland town and became very rich off the farming of Australian merino wool. 

On our way into Canberra we went up to the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain. It was bloody freezing! But, a great view over the city and a good introduction to the capital.

Thursday's first stop was the National Capital Exhibition. This is a small museum, just one room, about the history and founding of the city of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory.

As well as the interactive exhibits, there were also busts of the two designers of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion Lucy Mahony. The Captain, being a hopeless selfie-taker, had to get some photos with these two great architects.

Next was Australian Parliament House. Fortunately the politicians were all away on their winter holidays, so it was nice and quiet, and Kiah didn't have to throw any tomatoes. 

The Tapestry in the Great Hall amazes me every time I see it - it looks like a painting! There is such incredible skill in the fibre arts on display.

The Captain had some fun in the House of Representatives Chamber imagining he was in the visitor's gallery during a boisterous Question Time.

Boy did Canberra put on some great weather for us! Despite the chill, the skies were that incredible Australian blue. The sun's meagre warmth was much appreciated when we went up to the roof of the parliament to look at the view and spot the landmarks and features we learned about at the National Capital Exhibition.

One place was definitely on my list to visit - the cafe at the National Museum of Australia. Such good food, and very reasonable prices! The Captain made a pig of himself as usual.

I was flagging a bit at this point, so Mum and I sent our visitors, Kiah and the Captain off into the museum and we had a peaceful cup of tea in the cafe. When Kiah came back with the Captain after a bit, he made some new friends and I got to give out some business cares. He certainly is a great conversation starter despite being quite... well seasoned (dirty) by now.

Kiah found these terrifying looking sheep shears - apparently Captain Poprocks thought he'd be quite good at that job, if only we could get some shears in his size! Personally, I don't think he has the back strength to manage. Do lambs get shorn as well?

After a busy day, we had a relaxing burger dinner at the Canberra Centre with some of our local friends - it's always nice to catch up with people as well as tourist around :) 

Friday started early: at Questacon! The boys' eyes lit up at the idea of exploring this amazing, hands on science and technology centre. Plus, one of our friends (Victor) works there, and came in on his day off to show us around and introduce us to one of the more interesting residents - an Australian green leaf insect! It looked just exactly like a bunch of leaves... 

We also met another resident of the Spiders exhibition...

And the Captain had his photo taken with one of the Excited Particles who put on a great show about collisions! 

Friday afternoon we had a rest and shopping break, before heading out to Yass in the evening to have dinner with our wonderful friends Samantha and Andrew. After a great Aussie BBQ (the first one for our Swiss visitors, despite having been in the country for 3 weeks!), we played a hilarious game called Camel Cup. If you've never heard of the game, I can thoroughly recommend it - lots of fun!

After packing up on a grey and dismal Saturday morning, we stopped in at the Australian War Memorial. There were some new memorials since we visited last, for Australian soldiers who have served and are serving in Afghanistan.

There is a beautifully made statue of Simpson and his donkey (read more about his story here) in the sculpture garden leading up to the entrance of the memorial, and it was covered in red poppies. The 100th anniversary remembrances of the First World War are going on at the moment.

There were even more poppies wedged into the memorial plaques inside the building, which list all the Australian soldiers lost in wars. It is always a very sobering feeling, seeing so many names out of such a small country. 

If you've been to Canberra, you'll know that the city is designed around a triangle. There is a direct line of sight from Parliament to the War Memorial, so that politicians always remember the cost of entering into wars in the future. 

After a long drive, we finally arrived back home. It was a very interesting and informative trip (although, more places could have had information in German available!), and we were blessed with stunning clear weather! 

I wonder where the Captain will travel to next?

Captain Poprocks' European Jaunt!

Today we have a very special guest post for you - from our excellent friend Pat who recently travelled with Captain Poprocks to Paris and the UK! 

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Greetings! You haven't met me before, but recently I and my partner Deniz were granted the privilege of escorting Captain Poprocks on his European tour. The Captain couldn't wait to get going, and insisted on helping me pack.

First stop was Paris. We stayed at a little hotel on the Rue de Saint-Andre-des-Arts, a 13th century street in the 6th Arrondissement. We stayed on the top floor, and the Captain wasted no time in planning a parkour escape route, should the need arise.

While we were in Paris, we made sure to see all the sights. First stop: La Musee du Louvre (The Louvre museum). It was high season in Paris, and crowds were huge. Luckily Deniz had heard of a little-known side entrance, the Porte des Lions (Lions' Gate). No crowds here, so we just walked right in!

Another bonus of the side entrance was that you enter very close to the Italian Renaissance painters, and that means you're very close to La Joconde aka The Mona Lisa.

After a few hours exploring the enormous museum, it was time for lunch. As we were in Paris, we naturally got baguettes and pastries and ate them in the park.

Another place we went to was the Conciergie, originally a palace and then a notorious prison during the French revolution. The fireplaces in La Salle des Gens d'Armes (Soldiers' Hall) were huge - more than enough to roast an entire hippo!

The Captain, with his natural good looks and charisma, obviously stood out wherever we went. The fact that he is a hippo meant he was forever being followed by a crowd of enthusiastic fans. Blending in proved extremely difficult. But every now again he was able to camouflage perfectly, like this time at the Jardins de Luxembourg:

We had purchased Paris Museum Passes, which includes entry to many Paris attractions. It really is worth its weight in gold, however, because it allowed us to bypass the queues. Well, most of the time. At Sainte-Chappelle, we had to wait in line. The Captain was not impressed - he's used to the VIP treatment!

Luckily, the wait was definitely worth it!

After a few days in Paris, we headed north, where we met up with friends Sam and Emma in Edinburgh.

A highlight of the Edinburgh trip was a ghost tour, which included exploring the underground vaults of the old city, and Greyfriars Kirkyard. Deniz was a little scared, but the Captain's bravery helped a lot.

After a few days in Edinburgh, it was time to head further north, to the wild Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland. The Captain did his best to navigate, but ultimately it was Deniz who led us to our destination.

The Orkneys lie off the north-east coast of Scotland. Although they are incredibly remote and incredibly cold, they have been inhabited for thousands of years. They are home to a number of stone circles and ancient sites from 5000 BC. As the people who built these ancient structures were illiterate, we don't know much about them. But didn't stop the Captain from trying to uncover some of their secrets.

Even though it was the middle of a Scottish summer, the weather here in the Orkneys was more like Kangaloon in winter. We visited the village of Skara Brae, the best preserved neolithic village in the world. It was rediscovered in 1850 when an enormous storm stripped away the earth that was covering it. It was a fascinating place, and it's hard to imagine that these old stone huts are older than the pyramids in Egypt!

We also visited Skaill House, an old manor very close to Skara Brae. Both Deniz and the Captain were intrigued by the secret compartments hidden in the library.

After finishing up in the Orkneys, it was time to head south, back to Edinburgh and then all the way down to London. Travelling first class of course. 

Everyone enjoyed the British Museum, which includes such treasures as the Elgin Marbles, Lewis Chessmen, and of course, the Rosetta Stone. Without this artefact, archaeologists may never have translated hieroglyphics, the script of the ancient Egyptians.

London also meant an opportunity to catch up with our old friends, Joyce and Matt, and also an opportunity for the Captain to make some new friends. Joyce took us to The Smokehouse, which would not have looked out of place in Surry Hills or Newtown. The food was delicious!

Despite a Tube strike, we managed to escape London for the Cotswolds, a beautiful area between London and Wales. While we there we took a day trip to Bath, which gets its name from the ancient Roman Baths at the heart of the city.

The spring that feeds the baths produces more than a million litres of water a day, and it shows no signs of stopping. Ancient peoples believed the spring to be sacred, and the waters to have healing properties. I decided it was best to try some, just in case:

After a few days in the country, it was time to head back to London, so that we could go back to Paris. We had a lovely dinner with Catriona, who then took us out for a very Parisian dessert: crepes with nutella.

After a whirlwind two and a half week tour of Paris, Scotland and England, it was time to bring the Captain home. It's hard to pick highlights, as there were so many fun experiences and amazing things to see. Wherever we went, he had people coming up to us and asking about the Captain - without a doubt, he's a great conversation starter!

Captain Poprocks' Adventures - Apollo Bay to Adelaide - May 2015

Hello everyone! 

Thank you so much for reading our crazy little blog - we love your comments and shares on Facebook :) If you're not following our page on Facebook already, you should!

This week is a pretty epic post from me, so I hope you're prepared for lots of photos. If you follow me/us on Instagram, you may have seen a few of these photos already!

A few weeks ago, Captain Poprocks travelled with my family and friends down to Apollo Bay again for the Great Ocean Road Running Festival. We had a great house right in town, with an excellent view of the Great Ocean Road itself.

My dad ran in the 6km race...

My brother James in the 14km race...

And Pat and my sister Kathryn in the 45km ultramarathon! 

They all finished their races in close to the expected time - a great success! And there were lots of little stalls around for the festival, including some amazingly delicious cupcakes :) 

After some recovery time, and farewelling those who had to go home to Sydney for work or uni, Mum, Dad, Kathryn, the Captain and I set off for Adelaide. The plan was to spend 3-4 days travelling along the coast, then a few days in Adelaide before heading back to the real world. 

We had a glorious day - cold but sunny! The car was exactly the right size for all our stuff!

And off we went!

We paused for morning tea at Lavers Hill, slightly inland with loads of rolling farmland.

Princetown was the next stop, where they had a proper old-school general store! I was particularly tickled by the "Do Duck In Cafe"! 

At Gibson's steps, there was almost a catastrophe. The Captain, a little too eager to enjoy the view, fell off the fence and almost over the cliff! Fortunately Kathryn's arms were long enough to rescue him.

After that incident, he had to wear a leash to prevent any further, worser accidents. As you might imagine, this was only grudgingly accepted.

The views were pretty spectacular though :) 

Our next stop was the 12 Apostles Lookout. 

What an absolutely spectacular part of the world!! There are not quite 12 Apostles left any more (I think we're down to 8?), as they keep falling into the water. The power of the ocean to carve out these little outcrops was very visible, and just incredible.

A bit further down the road is the Loch Ard Gorge. It is named after a ship which was wrecked off the coast in 1878. Only two people survived, washed into the gorge. One of them climbed out of the gorge to get help to rescue the other person. It's a very dramatic place, and I can hardly imagine climbing out those sheer walls!

Our day's adventure came to an end in Warrnambool, in a very strange, old motel. I was super excited about visiting Warrnambool - it was the site of the well known Warrnambool Knitting Mills! I had dreams of yarn shopping, delicious hand spun, hand dyed yarns, filling my suitcase... everyone I had mentioned Warrnambool to was also excited about the Knitting Mills.

Turns out, I should have actually looked it up before we left Sydney. The Knitting Mills closed down in 2001, and the site is now a housing estate. Devastating!! 

The next morning the weather had changed a bit, so we had a brief drive around Warrnambool. The most interesting part was definitely the Whale Nursery. Sadly, despite calling, we didn't see any whales. Maybe we can't speak Whale after all?

Our next stop was Cape Bridgewater, just in time for lunch. There were lots of wind farms around the area - very appropriate, given the level of wind! 

The road to Mt Gambier headed inland, and we drove through hectares and hectares of pine forest plantations. Dad nodded off for a snooze in the back seat while we discussed the economics and practicalities of pine farming, when all of a sudden...

EMU!! 

Dad rudely awoken, we reversed back down the highway to take photos of these magnificent wild birds, just jogging along between the road and the plantation. I've never seen emus in the wild before! 

Next came another milestone of the trip for me - we crossed the border into South Australia! I had never been to this state before. 

The rest of the trip to Mt Gambier was quite uneventful. After arriving at our motel, we decided to have a quick drive to the tourist information centre, and then up to the Blue Lake to see whether it was worth coming back the next morning. Although it was almost dusk, and the clouds had started coming over again, the view was amazing. The Blue Lake really is blue, even though it wasn't the right time of year for the real turquoise colour!

We even saw a wallaby of some kind, looking for its evening meal!

Thoroughly satisfied by the Blue Lake, the next morning we visited Mt Gambier's other main attraction, which we had never heard of! The town is apparently riddled with sinkholes (which in retrospect should be obvious, given the rock composition and the volcanic lakes), so we set off to visit the Umpherston Sinkhole. Named after the man who turned it into a delightful backyard garden, the sinkhole was enormous. I was much too tired to go all the way down, but Kathryn took the Captain down to investigate the ground floor.

In the late morning, we drove a little further along the South Australian coast to the town of Robe. It is obviously a summer resort town - at the end of May, it was very quiet and VERY cold. We had a brief look at the view, which was cold and threatening, and then retreated into town for lunch.

My favourite historical plaque so far was outside the bakery where we had lunch! 

In the afternoon we had a super relaxing time - crocheting and cross-stitching while watching TV series together :) After all that travel we needed a bit of a holiday! In the evening we went to Sails Restaurant, and had the most incredible food. Delicious!

On our way out of Robe, we visited a local icon - Mahalia Coffee, tucked away in the industrial area of town. Such amazing coffee, and a shop crammed full of tea and coffee paraphenalia, including my first sight of my new favourite mugs! (that blue one in the background ;) )

We also visited Maud's on the Hill, an Aladdin's Cave of patchwork and fabric! 

The drive across to Adelaide was fairly uneventful, except, of course, for the Big Lobster! It was certainly big and a lobster.

Adelaide! We had arrived! Our hotel was right in the middle of the city, in Hindmarsh Square. 

Of course, the main attraction of Adelaide for me was the wonderful friends living there :) On Thursday evening when we arrived, we went out for dinner with our friends Matt and Alicia. There was great Italian food, lots of chatting, and then we went back to their house for tea and to finally meet their puppy Astra. 

The next morning started with a bit of excitement - the fire alarm went off just as we were finishing our breakfast! We were all evacuated from the hotel and a large collection of fire trucks arrived very quickly. Sudden terrible thought: We had left Captain Poprocks in our room - what if he had decided to make toast or light a cigar?? Hopefully it wasn't our room that was on fire! 

Fortunately, it turned out there was an electrical fault in an unoccupied room which had set off the alarm and sprinkler system. The poor hotel staff - it was raining through the light fittings in reception when we were finally allowed back in! At least the system works, right?

After all that excitement, we set off for a small circuit of the Adelaide Hills. This region is famous for its wineries and artisan food producers. The area was originally settled by German families, and this German tradition is still strong in the region.

Our first stop was at Chain of Ponds Winery. We tasted some very nice wines, and had a lovely chat with the ladies at the cellar door. If this was how the day was going to go, I was very happy indeed!

There were even some grape vines that still had grapes on them!

On the way to the next stop was the World Largest Rockinghorse! Of course, we had to stop and get a picture!!

Our next stop was Woodside Cheesewrights. This dairy produces mostly goat, cow and buffalo cheeses, as well as a range of fruit, jams and chutneys. We sampled the offerings... extensively. So tasty!

Next door was Melba's Chocolate Factory - we figured that was a sign. The warehouse shop was loaded with old school chocolates and lollies: raspberries, licorice, chocolate fruit and nuts, frogs... we were in heaven. The Captain may have over-indulged a little :P 

Our final tasting stop was at Hahndorf Hill Winery, just outside the town of Hahndorf. While Dad, Kathryn and I were wine tasting (mmmm), Mum took the Captain on a little explore of the vineyard. The autumn colours were just extraordinary! Pity it was such a grey day. 

They also had local arts and crafts for sale at the cellar door, which I think was a nice touch.

The Captain did come back to join us for the end of the wine-tasting, and our hostess was very happy to get a wine glass for him to stand on for this photo!

Friday evening was planned to be another meeting with a new friend this time - Jodie from Lupey Loops. It's so nice to meet internet friends for the first time, and it's like catching up with an old friend after a long absence. We had lots of fun showing off crochet projects, chattering about different kinds of yarn and techniques, and all in all staying out a bit later than our illnesses would prefer. She is writing a much more detailed report on our crochet time together :) A particular thank you to Adrienne who drove and was excellent company! Please excuse the terrible photos - I'm hoping Jodie got some better ones!

On our last afternoon, we thought we had better see a little bit more of Adelaide city before heading off to another friends' house for dinner. Rundle Mall is the main shopping street in the city, and has some pretty cool street art!

In the evening we finally got to meet the children of some very dear friends, Chaka and Lori. It was just wonderful to sit around chatting, playing with tea sets and generally catching up. We have hardly seen them since they moved to Adelaide a few years ago - but that's the thing with good friends. Catching up after a long absence just gives you more to talk about :) I completely failed to get any photos of that visit at all, because we were having too much fun!!

Phew! What a trip! And what an epic blog post! Applause and cookies to those of you who made it this far :) Here's a little reward for you - my favourite sign from the whole trip!

At the World's Largest Rocking Horse there was a very entertaining sign under the tail :P In case you're not up with Australian sayings, if something is very unlikely or unusual, we say it's rare as rockinghorse poop! Fortunately it didn't happen to Captain Poprocks, even though he disobeyed the sign and looked up.

Have you ever travelled to any of these places? We'd love to hear your travel stories!