My 2nd Trip to Australia from Atlanta - Dallas - Los Angeles - Sydney - Melbourne

We had been home from The Netherlands for 12 days... September 12, for my youngest brother Jan's wedding with Wilma...
So here we go again!

Yep, getting there is always the hard part! Pieter's 5th and my 2nd trip to Down Under!

We got up on Thursday morning  of September 24, 1992 and were in our clothes by 7:30 AM, Georgia/US time.

Leaving for the airport by 9:00 AM and we finally arrived in Melbourne Australia by 9:00 AM on Saturday morning and at the Eltham Gateway Conference Centre around 11:00 AM.

There is a time difference of 14 hours with Georgia/US. 

Still a looooooooooooong trip!

On Thursday morning September 24 we left on Delta from Atlanta, GA for Los Angeles, CA via Dallas, TX where we made a stop...

We had a chair with limitations because it could not go backwards...

NORHTWEST AIRLINES served good meals however...

DINNER & BRUNCH

Now only from Sydney to Melbourne...
We arrived there by 9:00 AM and got picked up by one of the Mernda mushroom plant's staff members, who also left us a car to use for the weekend.

So here we are around 11:00 AM!

Needless to say that first thing we did is getting out of our clothes after 37.5 hours and taking a bath! 

Eating a pizza and going for a walk... not warm at 14-15ºC in the beginning of spring.

We went to a beautiful garden centre and admired the many shrubs and trees they have and even Dutch bulb fields! 

There is a reason they call Victoria the Garden State!

After a soup at the restaurant, we went to bed rather early, after some 45 hours without mattress!
 Of course we woke up around 1:30 AM due to the time change but we did sleep in till 8:00 AM on Sunday.

Thanks for traveling these 37 hours with us - BORING and LONG trip!

Next post is more fun 😉! Stay tuned...

Related links:

Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Australia | previous post by me

With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS Australia | previous post by me

Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post

Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia  | previous post by me

Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me

My 1st Trip to Work in Australia and also Meeting my First Cousin Liz | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me

Trips to Australia | previous post by me

{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me

{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me

{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me

Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Australia

The Blue Mountains do have so much to offer...

Temperate Rainforests and spectacular waterfalls.

And in Katoomba you also ride the steepest railway in the world!

What a thrill it was to ride this all six of us together on July 3, 1988!
Click here for more info: Scenic World Blue Mountains that's where I got this photo too.
Length of incline is 415 m or 1360 ft at 52º
In the center you see Scenic Railway and this funicular railway line goes straight down beside Orphan Rock!
Through sandstone cliffs and a rock tunnel.
You emerge into a spectacular fern filled rain forest!

Also lots of mosses you will find. One of my favorites... hence we took this photo!
Wish we would have had many days for exploring it all in more detail!
Since we were there in 1988, so much has been added and greatly improved that you have a far better up close view of it all. Click here: Scenic World Explore our World Take a Look Videos.
Also this Blue Mountains N.S.W. video shows you beautifully what to expect.

Scenic World on the left, Katoomba Falls, Cliff View Lookout and Three Sisters to the right...
It gives you a pretty good impression about Australia's Grand Canyon!

Looking farther away now...
To the right you see Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains where we did start out with our lunch...

After a good hour drive through the mountains, from Katoomba, there is another spectacular thing to visit: Jenolan Caves.

This is JENOLAN CAVES Orient Cave Persian Chamber
Jenolan Caves Blue Mountains Australia belong to the finest and oldest cave systems in the world!

Jenolan Caves Imperial Cave Nellie's Grotto

Jenolan Caves Bishop and Three Sisters

Jenolan Caves Lucas Cave Bone Cavern

As it reads here on a perfect card that I received from cousin Liz: "THIS IS A BIG COUNTRY" AUSTRALIA...

So  grateful for having seen what we did in the time being there!

Australian Wildlife is so fascinating!

Koala Australia

Waratah Australian wild flowers

Bottle Brush Australia

We ended our Blue Mountains adventure with a lovely dinner at the home of mushroom friends John & Beryl Miller, in Windsor, N.S.W. together with Rob & Norah Tolson.
They were such generous tour guides and hosts!
Even did sell lots of my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decoration 'Mushrooms'.

We had a business Monday on the mushroom farms of Rob Tolson and had lunch at John Baker's with his daughter Patricia and his son.
Pieter also did review the Baker mushroom farm and I gave a harvest demonstration.
We enjoyed a dinner together with 58 mushroom farmers + spouses.
Organized by John Miller, see invitation in previous post...
Pieter gave a lecture and also answered questions.
Patricia Baker gave us a kiss + sweet gifts.
A set of 6 special placemats with Australian scenes, such as sheep shearing.
Each a sweatshirt with Koalo and a silver-plate spoon.
The placemats are worn out and gone...

But I still have my sweatshirt with sweet Koala + silver-plate spoon with Australian flag!

Not JUST a silver-plate spoon but the Bicentennial Australian teaspoon!
Fond memories forever inside our hearts...
On Tuesday, I did do an entire day of harvest training and Pieter in the afternoon had a meeting with 3 compost makers.
Norah Tolson, with a friend, took me to a jewelry store and gifted me with a beautiful freestone blue opal and two white opals for having set as earrings.
We went one last evening home with them and watched Snowy River...
On Wednesday at 6:30 o'clock we got an alarming wakeup 'knock' on our door: HURRY! WE MUST LEAVE NOW!!!
Look out of the window and you know WHY!!!
We heard and saw a roaring river, a MONSTER that was already 3 m above bridgelevel!
A large flood of the Hawkesbury River.
We packed in a hurry and grabbed a bite for breakfast and started the 2 hours to the north, through the mountains to reach the HIGHER bridge there, then back 2 hours to the south to arrive in Sydney.
What an adventure and I was so car-sick from the wild ride through the mountains but we arrived at noon in Sydney for our flight from 14:00.

With tailwind we went from Sydney to San Francisco in 13 hours and 25 minutes.

Not so much for me... my stomach came empty so I did not eat much.

Also Qantas carried the Bicentennial Year Logo for Australia; very special for my first visit to down under!
On July 6, we got to Atlanta by 19:00 and home around 22:00 = 14 hours time difference!
Our luggage arrived next day around 18:00 delivered at our home...

That was quite an adventurous 1st Australia trip!

On July 10, we drove to Atlanta for picking up our Dutch guests who stayed with us 4 nights.
Pieter had to leave for Campbell Soup on the 12th, for the Hillsboro farm in Texas... back by 21:00 on the 14th.

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:

With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS | previous post by me
Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post
Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia  | previous post by me
Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me

My 1st Trip to Work in Australia and also Meeting my First Cousin Liz | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me

Trips to Australia | previous post by me

{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me

{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me

{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me

With Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours to the BLUE MOUNTAINS Australia

On Sunday, July 3 of 1988, we got to ride with our mushroom friends John & Beryl Miller from Hawkesbury Heritage Discovery Tours into the Blue Mountains!

What a breathtaking view of the BLUE MOUNTAINS, Australia!
Breathtaking valleys with ancient rock formations, also described as Australia's Grand Canyon!

HAWKESBURY HERITAGE DISCOVERY TOURS

HAWKESBURY HERITAGE TOURS - John Miller

Was so happy to find the exact same company on line, under a slightly different name: Hawkesbury Valley Heritage Tours and Advancing History

First we had lunch at the Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains - MGallery by Sofitel (in the back window from the car you can still read the sign...).

Walking to the lookout area...

What a VIEW!

Winter weather with lots of clouds...

A photo taken from the two of us...

Great to be here!

It is getting colder though...

Blue Mountains view...

Regardless the dark and cloudy weather we captured some of the breathtaking views!

Next we walked to see the Three Sisters...

There we stand; taking it all in...
Both of us are wearing our Campbell Soup jackets!

We did see The Three Sisters 

It is already getting foggy on the other side...

The Three Sisters Fountain, Katoomba in the snow (from a post card!) but this has been removed in 2004, I read. Click on the pink link for the Legend of the Three Sisters.

John Miller our tour guide...

Norah and John Miller trying to capture the moment as best as they could with this weather...

Not easy with this light...
We all did bundle up some more as it is getting cool!

Next day we would meet with the surrounding mushroom growers over dinner; courtesy of John Miller...

Stay tuned for more about Blue Mountains!

Related links:
Sydney Centre Point Tower, Captain Cook Luncheon Cruise & Opera House | previous post
Surroundings of Melbourne Mushrooms in Mernda, VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Visiting Uncle Louis in the Australian Outback of Broken Hill, NSW | previous post by me

My 1st Trip to Work in Australia and also Meeting my First Cousin Liz | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 2nd and 3rd Trip to Australia | previous post by me

Trips to Australia | previous post by me

{Angels engraved on lucky calendar coin of 1969} | previous post by me

{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me

{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me