Our Day at The Australian War Memorial [Museum]...

It opens at 10 AM and we were there early. We spent several hours in the Museum, two of those hours on a small-group tour.
The day was all the more memorable because of Rod and Lyn's parents role in WW II.

Rod's father was in the RAAF flying out of England. He flew 16 missions as the tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber. A restored Lancaster is on display in the museum and a 10 minute film is focused on their raids over Germany. Rod's Dad married an English girl and bought her back to Australia.

Lyn's parents were both in the RAAF and met on a base near the city of Newcastle, Australia. We passed by that area on the way down south. They honeymooned in the Blue Mountains, where we spent three days. Her Mom was a radio operator, her father a radar operator. Dad went overseas but the mother stayed in Australia. They married after the war was over.






The museum is a credit to the country, absolutely marvellous, and with no admission charge. In the complex is also their War Memorial so that may account for the 'no charge'. Canada's Museum of War in Ottawa is also a credit to Canada... they however, charge.





I do not think that most people, [I did not], realize the intense involvement that Australia had with the Japanese, much more so than the European Theatre of War. Sydney was attacked by three submarines, Darwin was bombed to almost ruins, Broome was also attacked and Wyndham in the north was attacked. The Japanese were just across the strait from northern Australia. Maybe three times the distance than the Vancouver Mainland to Vancouver Island distance.

Late in the day we arrived at Waga Waga. Rod is taking a somewhat circuitous route home this time to show us the country. Today we continued through rolling wheat, sheep and cattle country. We love the countryside driving, and these country towns are really interesting to wander through. We stopped in one whose name I will not attempt to remember and had cool drinks in a 'Soda Fountain Cafe' built in 1905.


The flies drove me mad in this place. I see that they are attempting to make the fly-net screens more of a fashion statement now!


I cannot believe the names of some of these cities, towns, creeks and rivers, [mostly dry], and street names. Most of them sound like diseases and others sound like medicines to cure those diseases. Most are aboriginal or somebody's interpretation of an aboriginal spelling. Some examples, Kalbarri, Eucla, Kalgoorlie, Meekatharra, Toowoomba, Warrnambool, Parrramatta, Mittagong, Merimbula. My attempts at prononouncing them usually result in me being made aware that the accent is not in the correct place. For example, we are in Wagga Wagga, pronounced with a soft A. I give up. [Mind you Lyn said that she had difficulty with Squamish and Nanaimo.]

We did not make a lot of mileage today but we are within striking distance to the Lindroth's home tomorrow around five PM. Lord willing.

ERRATA: I mentioned the lovely blue fields of weeds the other day. They are called Peterson's Curse, not MacPherson's. It also appears that cattle will eat them, [I think only if it is the only edible vegetation available.]