Although I’ve certainly been thinking about making the trip for a few years now, and no thanks to COVID I haven’t, the buying of the ticket was still a rather spontaneous action … I bought the ticket and was on my way about three weeks later, so I think the news was a little surprising to friends in both Australia and Canada.
My journey started on a very big plane, and ended on one much smaller!! No photos from the trip from Canada to Australia - knowing that my seat on that airplane was going to be my ‘home’ for approximately 25 hours (longer actually), it was an aisle seat for me for that leg of the trip. The last part of the trip however was from Sydney to Albury on a 33 seater plane - and there were only 7 of us on the flight.
Getting the plane ready to leave from Toronto
And this was the plane for the last segment.
Flying over some of the southern suburbs of Sydney - the water is a part of Botany Bay.
In between the clouds - some above and some below.
Blowering Reservoir - one of the biggest dams in New South Wales. At 1,628,000 mega litres or three times the size of Sydney Harbour, Blowering Dam stores water released upstream for electricity generation in the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. Blowering Reservoir is also the site of the world water speed record when in 1978 a jet powered wooden boat built in a suburban backyard went faster than anyone ever has before or since - 511.1 km/h (317.6 m/h)!!
About 20 kms east of Albury is Lake Hume formed by a major dam across the Murray River, downstream of its junction with the Mitta River.
The foothills of the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range is an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs roughly parallel to the east coast of Australia and forms the fifth-longest land-based mountain chain in the world, and the longest entirely within a single country.
Coming into the Albury airport, which is a completely new building from when I lived here.
Out for a drive in the countryside around Albury/Wodonga and around Lake Hume.
Bethanga Bridge was built between 1927 and 1930 as a joint venture between New South Wales and Victoria states as part of the Hume Dam project.
Hume Dam
An eastern rosella came for a drink while I was having breakfast.
I have to get used to this again - walking on the left, not right, along sidewalks!
Looking down on east Wodonga
Wrong time of day to see kangaroos out and about, but lots of kangaroo poo to be found in the country!
An old shearing shed
A stick insect… which I saw only because it was on a brick and not on a stick!
The school that I used to work at has been completely rebuilt since I worked here. This is the new administration building.
But the amazing school yard hasn’t changed at all!
Wodonga has a really lovely, and extensive, system of parklands throughout the whole city. Here are a few photos taken over several days.
I will never tire of seeing, and taking photos of, eucalyptus (gum) trees!! What I can’t make you aware of in photos though unfortunately is how wonderful they smell, as well as look!
House Creek which runs through one of Wodonga’s park systems.
Sumsion Gardens is a beautiful lake surrounded by park land in the heart of Wodonga.
Celebration Garden - a special place to celebrate the lives of those touched by cancer. The statue Isis was created by a local artist. According to Egyptian mythology, Isis was a powerful and magical healer, gifted with the ability to cure mind, body and spirit, and was also worshiped as a goddess who ensured everlasting life.
The Rotary Peace Bell - the bell is a symbol of peace in our world. The bell was first struck at 11am on 21 September 2022, the international day of peace.
The Wodonga Public Library and Gallery, known as Hyphen.
Wodonga’s water tower has been the focal point of the town since it was built in 1924.
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