Travel

Bendigo’s Sacred Heart Cathedral

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Whenever I am on the road for pleasure, one of my aims is always to go somewhere I haven’t been before. I have found this to be a good principle for travelling, although it doesn’t always mean going very far out of the way.

Last week I went to Bendigo with friends. I have been there many times before, but I still managed to do something I haven’t done there before: I visited the Sacred Heart Cathedral which is a significant landmark in Bendigo, and one of the largest cathedrals in Victoria.

There are some large and beautiful churches in some of the cities and towns across the state, and many smaller ones, but a cathedral is a special thing indeed. 

I have often expressed a desire to visit this beautiful church rather than just admire it as I drove past, so I was very glad to take the opportunity to make that hope a reality. 

It really is beautiful. Rather than attempting to describe it, I will let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy. 

Please note: I am not Roman Catholic. My visit was an aesthetic one, not a religious one.
I understand that some people have been grievously hurt and damaged by the actions of some Catholic priests. I neither condone nor tolerate their actions.
This does not mean that all Catholics, or their places of worship, should be shunned.

Point Danger, Victoria.

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2018-01-12 19.51.36 Danger Point

Point Danger is on a promontory just south of Portland, Victoria.

2018-01-12 19.58.36 Danger Point

Just off the coast is an island that hosts a gannet rookery. It’s not accessible to the public, but you can go down to the coastline and watch them flying just beyond the fence.

2018-01-12 20.02.18 Danger Point

The shore itself is fenced off so that the birds remain undisturbed by visitors. There are better places from which to take photos of the birds and the island, but I wasn’t able to access them on this visit because of mobility issues: I’m on crutches!

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You can also turn off the road to the rookery to visit Crumpets Beach. This is a beautiful spot that lies almost at the end of a fairly rugged track that you would only attempt in a 4-wheel-drive or on foot.

2018-01-12 20.12.50 Crumpets Beach

Once the track has negotiated some tight bends and bumpy stretches, all the while going fairly steeply downhill, it levels out to run along the beach toward the headland.

2018-01-12 20.17.11 Crumpets Beach

This magnificent scenery  all lies within fifteen minutes’ drive of Portland, on the south-west coast of Victoria, Australia, which is actually one of the oldest cities in the state. It has some lovely old buildings, a very active deep-harbour international sea port, and is very popular with fishermen and holidaymakers.

 

 

The Warwick Resort, Viti Levu, Fiji.

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There are many resorts that dot the coast of Viti Levu. We stayed at the fabulous Warwick Resort at Korolevu, on the Coral Coast, where a family wedding was being held.

The amenities are beautiful and nothing is ever too much effort for the staff who work there, comprised mostly of Fijians from local villages. This is a valuable source of employment for them, but their willingness to welcome and host their visitors goes way beyond that. As ambassadors for their country and local communities, these people are among the best.

 

The central building of the resort is the epitome of island luxury. Dark timber contrasts with creamy white walls, accented by comfortable couches and armchairs. The building opens out onto the beach, capturing the refreshing breeze and providing a backdrop that is to die for.

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The beach is dotted with shaded lounges, and the coral reef that runs along the coast ensures that this beach is safe for swimming.

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Further along the beach, just beyond the boundary of the resort, are “shops” run by friendly villagers who sell sarongs and tee shirts, braid hair, do henna tattoos and paint nails, or give massages to folks staying at the resort.

The sunsets are glorious.

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Viti Levu, Fiji.

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Everyone talks about that dream vacation on a tropical island, don’t they? My visit to Fiji was my first, and it was absolutely beautiful.

On entering the airport terminal, you’re greeted with a welcoming song – and oh, wow! Can they ever sing! Everywhere you go, you’re greeted with a friendly “Bula!” and a genuine smile.

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The islanders of Viti Levu call this mountain ‘The Sleeping Giant’.

 

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The mountains become more prominent in the scenery as you travel inland from the coast.

 

The scenery is dramatic. Farms and fields of sugar cane and corn give way to mountains dotted with villages.

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The people are vibrant and friendly, the colours are bright and vivid, and the hospitality is warmer than anywhere else I’ve been. Their houses and shops are not like those in Australia or the US – these people don’t place a high value on being fancy. Their values revolve around faith, family and community.

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Among the colourful buildings and homes, the police stations are all white and blue so that people can identify them easily.

The sand on the beaches is golden and the water is clear and almost magically turquoise.

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Many of the beaches feature palm trees that sway in the light breeze, which is almost constant.

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Golden sand and turquoise water make a very inviting vision!

As we drove into the mountains, the beaches gave way to forests, rivers, and more closely settled villages.

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Kia Ora and going the Extra Mile.

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Tonight I’m on a trans-Pacific flight from LA to Melbourne via Auckland. There are kids on this flight who have been on a trip to Disneyland courtesy of the Koru Care charity which is sponsored by Air New Zealand.  To continue the Disneyland experience, the flight attendants have all dressed up in fancy dress to serve the kids and make their flight more fun.   

 
Dinner and drinks were served by Minnie Mouse and Tinkerbell, while coffee was served by a CHiPS police officer.  

 
I have to say that he did take it very well when I asked when the rest of the Village People were coming out.

I’m so impressed by the continual efforts of the staff to do everything to make the flight memorable and fun. It’s a great war to promote the charity, too. 

They’ve also been wonderful to me after a very long and emotionally exhausting day. After a painful and tearful farewell followed by extended flight delays and an international connection time that was whittled down from 6.5 hours to 47 minutes, in which I managed baggage claim, terminal transfer with all my luggage, check in and baggage drop, security checks and getting to the right gate before they closed the flight. When I realised I had made my flight, I burst into tears of relief. The attendants were just lovely and so supportive, and did everything they could to reassure and comfort me. 

I love flying with Air New Zealand and I love the way they treat their clients. They’ve won me. 

The saga of Flight 781

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Although I’ve done a lot of flying,
I’ve never had such trouble trying
Just to reach my destination
Due to airline procrastination.
We boarded the aircraft right on time
And taxied to the runway line,
But there we stopped for almost an hour:
The plane’s hydraulics had no power
And you can’t fly when that’s not working,
So after a lot of excuses and jerking
Around we had to leave that plane
And go through boarding once again…
The company found a new aircraft
For us, but the people in the last
Six rows got bumped to another flight
Leaving a little later that night.
Once we boarded, we sat and waited
And got even more frustrated:
There was a problem with this plane, too.
What a joke! What could we do?
We took off almost four hours late;
By that time things weren’t looking great –
Some had connections they wouldn’t make,
Others had kids who didn’t take
Too well to such extended delay.
Would we ever get to LA?
Down the back, a poor child screaming
Echoed what we all were feeling:
After all this helter-skelter,
Perhaps next time, I’ll fly Delta. 

The Philipsburg Pier. 

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The Philipsburg Pier originated as a wooden jetty in the 1780s which enabled trade with the USA via Lake Champlain ports. 

The most common good exported via the Philipsburg pier were racehorses, marble, carriages, logs and milled timber. 

When the Champlain Canal opened in 1823, linking Lake Champlain to the Hudson River, trade with New York and the greater New England area of the US opened up. The jetty was upgraded and enlarged by 1836 so that supply, particularly of milled timber, could meet the demand. 

Despite competition from rail transport later in the 1800s, Lake Champlain trade continued unabated. By 1872, Philipsburg had a population of 271 and a very lucrative trade turnover of $20000 per annum. 

The pier was upgraded again in 1895, and was only downgraded due to lack of commercial demand in 1937. 

  
Today, the pier is used for recreation, largely fishing and pleasure boating. It’s also a really lovely place to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery. 

  
   

Fall.

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Today the leaves are positively dive-bombing off the trees. 

  
The sun is shining again and the sky is azure blue, but yesterday’s snow has caused the autumn leaves to give up hope and cast themselves to the ground. 

  
Roads, garden beds and grass are carpeted with those who have already fallen, while other more hopeful souls still cling desperately to their tree. 

  
It’s easy now to understand why North Americans call this season Fall as well as Autumn. 

Even on a still, sunny morning, leaves dive and drift, collecting in rather tragic piles beneath the increasingly bare trees that only a week ago were vibrant with colour. 

In Australia, I never really had the perception of so many leaves falling and fluttering, or languishing in the breeze. Most of our trees stay green, and the occasional ornamental maple or elm shedding its leaves in a garden or the main street of a country town doesn’t really have the same impact, as beautiful as it may be. 

This sad abandonment of Autumn splendour has a beauty all its own. I’m very privileged to be able to sit here in the sunshine and witness it. 

The Islands of Lake Champlain, Vermont. 

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Lake Champlain is North Anerica’s sixth-biggest lake. Within  the lake, on the Vermont/New York side of the Canadian border, lie a number of islands that were first seen by European eyes in 1609 when Samuel de Champlain led an exploratory expedition through the area. 

   
   
The islands are joined by bridges and a causeway which make touring the islands very easy.  The scenery is gorgeous, and there are lots of interesting places to explore. Tourists can explore military history, gourmet food and wine, walking or cycling paths, and number of towns seeking to attract tourists with different places to stay and things to do. 

On the Causeway to Grand Isle is an American flag and a monument to the victims of 9/11 and to the American veterans of foreign wars. 

   
   
From this point, you can look west and see the shoreline of New York State and the Adirondack Mountains, and you can look east and see the Vermont shoreline and mountains in the distance. Further north, the lake crosses the Canadian border into Quebec. 

 

It’s no surprise, then, that Isle La Motte, South Hero, Grand Isle, North Hero, Valcour and the remaining islands all served as important vantage points in battles between American and Canadian/British forces during the War of 1812. 

If for no other reason, the Islands are well worth a visit just because it’s a really pretty drive along the lake shore.