Amity History Tour and City Council Reception

Richard aboard the Amity

Off we went to the heart of Albany for a morning tea and History Tour given by Malcolm, the friendly town historian.  We visited the  brig ship, Amity, the first replica ship that dropped off the original settlers from eastern Australia in 1826.  Some of the settlers were convicts and we learned from our host Australians that having convict heritage in your family tree is now something to brag about!  These so called convicts were often young boys who were arrested for stealing a coat or food in England during dire circumstances.  After 3 times caught "breaking the law", they were shipped all way to Australia.  Many were as young as 15 or 16 years of age.

Good eats at the Squid Shop



Joanne visiting the brig Amity

Our hosts took us to the funky Squid Shack were we had traditional Australian fish & chips and fried squid - all very good!  The Mayor of the town invited us to City Centre for an afternoon reception.  There were short speeches of welcome,  Our Fort Worth Exchange Director, Randy, presented them with a letter from the Mayor of Fort Worth and other gifts.  It was very nice!  The day ended with us treating Maggie to a dinner at Rustlers, a delicious steak restaurant.  Tomorrow is our last day of activities and we will be sorry to leave but Perth awaits!

Whales and Picnic at Frenchman Bay

Whaling Ship Cheynes IV

Albany is on a whale route of western Australia; therefore, whaling became one of its first industries and that continued until 1978.  Whale oil was used in many products and this business helped establish the colony.  We visited Whale World where we learned about the practices of flensing (harvesting the whale oil).  There was an interesting old whale ship the Cheynes IV, to tour and good 3D movies on whales and sharks. There are not many old whaling stations left in the world and this one is preserved to teach about past practices, and the men who worked on whale chasers who endured the harsh life.  After whaling stopped, Albany became an important port for exportation of wood chips and grains.  There are 3 magnificent harbors with blue water and picturesque white sand beaches.



Frenchman's Bay Southern Ocean






 

After our exploration of Whale World, we picnicked on Frenchman's Bay.  The club brought "heaps" of sandwiches, fresh fruit and desserts.  We stuck our feet into the Great Southern Ocean which goes into the Indian Ocean.  We then "popped over" to Gap and Natural Bridge, gorgeous rock formations that we climbed and walked along ocean pathways through a wind farm.   The president of the club, Steve Metcalf, took us around (it's called "dayhosting" in Friendship Force terms).  Steve is the club's first president since the club is only 3 years old.  He's done a great job establishing it here - and their club works with the Perth Club so that people who come here (such a long way) have 2 different locations to visit. 


Photos
Whale World
Torndirrup  National Park
Frenchman Bay
Stony Hill






Two Friendship Presidents -Joanne with Steve Metcalf, Albany Australia

Natural Cap along Great Southern Ocean

Bush Tucker Down Under

Friendship Force Group at Boston Brewery



Bush Tucker Platter with Tasty Morsels
 

Smoked Kangaroo filet, Roo Burger, Crocodile Bites, Lemon Myrtle with Anise Scones - these were some of the Bush Tucker (Food) Taste a Platter items we tried at the Bush Food Factory.  We liked most everything, but the enthusiastic nod went to the Smoked Kangaroo - a bit like good ole Texas BBQ!

After the tastings we toured the farm and greenhouses looking at the unusual plants.  Claudia is a Swiss national who came to the area for a better future.  She and her husband are researching the best Bush plants for commercial use.  Afterwards, we went to the Boston Brewery for beer and an adjacent wine tasting room.  We toured the little village of Denmark, where our host, Maggie, was born.  That evening we attended a birthday celebration for one of the Albany Friendship Force members, Keith.  His wife made us a wonderful dinner and a great time was had by all!


Richard and Joanne with Kelpie Sheep Dog
 






Aussie frog

Walpole Wilderness Tour and Treetop Walk thru Valley of the Giants

The amazing Gary "Gazza" Muir

 "For those who wear shoes, the world is made of socks!"   What ??  This is one of the little gems uttered by Australian Horseman, Coffin Bob, the grandfather of our intrepid Wilderness Tour Guide, Gazza (Gary) Muir.  Our group dutifully scrapped and washed our shoes with disinfectant rinses as we boarded our vessel for a fun-filled cruise in the Walpole Wilderness Area.  The shoe washing helps contain a disease that is rampant in the area called "Die Back" which can destroy the unusual plants and fauna of the area. 

First order of business was a memorable vessel safety talk with demonstrations of how to use the life preserver.  Our group immediately knew this was no ordinary boat captain -  Gazza Muir was a master of entertainment, comedian, history buff and anatomy authority all rolled into one!  His swift delivery of information kept us all in stitches as he piloted the boat past islands inhabited black poisonous snakes and rare birds.  His family has lived in Walpole, "the belly button of the world" for generations.

We learned amazing tidbits and stories with twists and turns.  Letters were discovered in a boatshed that described a local's connection to Tolstoy?  Suddenly, we were treated to a lesson in marsupial physiology with a demonstration using buckets and snorkels!  We saw the Moses Line where the ocean meets the river.  We learned about a plant in the area that produced peas that were so poisonous they are used in a chemical called 1080.  

Everyone in Friendship Force agreed - this was one of the most entertaining fun experiences we have had the pleasure to experience! 

Onward to the Treetop Walk in the Valley of the Giants!  We climbed up high in the treetops of the giant tingle trees suspended by steel cables.  Awesome views.  Fun experience!


In the giant Tingle Tree



Maggie Scott, our host, with Joanne on Tree Top Walk
 

Gong and Sandalwood

Gong. gong -  I lay on a mat  warm under a thick red blanket,  I heard nothing but the sound of the gong through the still and chilly air - not even my own snoring.  Joan and, our Host Maggie and I were under the cone at the Mount Romance Sandalwood Factory.  The dome isn't heated so the inside temperature was the same as the drizzle soaked day outside at 50 + degrees or so.  That I could hear the gong but not my snoring seems strange; perhaps our recent transit time of 48 hours from Punta Gorda to Albany Australia played some part in the experience. 

From the Mount Romance website - The Cone, The Gong and the Bowl is the original experience of combining Gongs and Sandalwood in a sixteen sided cone featuring celestial skies. The orchestral harmonies of the Gongs wash over and through you producing a positive effect on many different levels. The mind relaxes into deep peace. The cells of the body are gently massaged by the resonance, helping to release old tensions.


At the Sandalwood Factory sandalwood oil is extracted from both native sandalwood and Indian sandalwood by steam distillation. The factory store sells all sorts of sandalwood oil containing products. Of course Joanne bought some.

http://www.mtromance.com.au/

Traveling to Western Australia with Friendship Force

Off into the friendly skies we went on Wednesday, October 15th, from Tampa, FL airport!  It was a short 2-hour flight to Dallas-Fort Worth airport.  What to do when we got there?  We had a LONG layover so we headed for a Tex Mex restaurant, Cantina Laredo, where we had a great lunch and then over to kill time in the United Airlines lounge.  Finally, it was boarding time for the BIG hop, a 16-1/2 hour affair to Sydney.  This route is a new one, just started by Qantas Airlines.  Because it was the first month of service, we had free wine, lots of snacks and 2 wonderful meals.  We were also in Economy Plus with lots of leg room, which helped immensely!  We learned that this is the LONGEST route in the WORLD. 



At Perth Airport

Richard looking good after marathon flight
 

We managed to sleep a little, walk around a lot and somehow the time passed and as we landed, we caught glimpses of Sidney Harbor in the early morning sunshine.  We cleared Customs easily and since we had a short layover, we hurried over to another terminal and caught the next leg to Perth.  This was a 4-1/2 hr jaunt, where we ate our second airline breakfast meal of the day, snoozed and somehow made it to Perth.  Again, as we landed it was bright sunshine in the 70's with low humidity - very nice!   We had another LONG LAYOVER and took a free shower in the International Terminal.  Boy, that felt great.  We met more of the very friendly, Friendship Force Group from Fort Worth.  Randy, the ED (Exchange Director) and his wife gave us a warm welcome and we enjoyed chatting with some of the other members.  It's a diverse group and we also made friends with Dottie, from Vancouver, Washington who also joined the group.  We hopped the Virgin Australia plane for a short 1-1/2 hr trip south to Albany. Everyone was met by our hosts - and Maggie May Scott is ours.  She is a warm witty person who whisked us away to her home.  After a quick hot tea, we collapsed into her comfy bed and slept 11 hours - very good!

Today, we woke to a nice breakfast but the weather was overcast, cool and with intermittent rain.  We headed off to a wonderful local place - the Sandalwood.  We saw a movie about the sandalwood trees and their uses as healing creams, perfumes, etc.  Then, Maggie took us to a GONG experience there, where we laid down on yoga type mats with blankets and pillows.  Then, a lady comes in and plays gongs of different tones.  Both of us fell asleep because it was so restful - a really unique experience!   We went to a wonderful welcome lunch with lots of great food.  As I write this, we just finished a light dinner and are settling in.  Tomorrow we are scheduled for a Wilderness Cruise and a Picnic Lunch!  We hope it warms up a bit for these activities.  More later!  

Family Time at the Isle of Palms, SC Beach

Niece, Holly, Andrew, Baby with Paul, Mom and Diane

Me with Sisters, Mary & Clarie and Brother, Kevin

A year passed since all 5 of us siblings got together.  My sister, Mary, arranged a Beach Get Together at Isle of Palms, South Carolina near the Charleston area.

Niece, Holly, and her husband Andrew and little baby Francesca (age 6 months) were the STAR attractions!  We were thrilled to meet the little girl and she won our hearts with her coos and smiles and great disposition.



We had a wonderful time in the warm Atlantic waters jumping the waves.  My almost 94-year old Mom even got in the surf. 

Mary and Al traveled from Indiana, Claire from the Portland, Oregon area, Kevin from Los Angeles, us and Mom from southwest Florida and Paul and Diane from Charleston.  It's quite a feat to get all of us in one place -but we DID it!

Grandpa, Al with Baby Francesca, age 6 months

Family Specialty - Lemon Meringue Pies - YUM

Claire and I made the Family Specialty - Lemon Meringue Pies to celebrate.  We learned that Mom made them originally to honor her Dad, Joe Walter's memory.  Her Mother, Grandma Teaneck, made them because it was Joe's favorite dessert.  He had good taste.  We hope one of our kids or grandkids will keep the tradition going!