Stanley, Tasmania Australia

Stanley is on the North-West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.  It's a sweet little town with farming and fishing. It's population is less than 500 people, so we could say that most people know about other peoples business :)
The Port was opened in 1827.
Australia's 10th Prime Minister was born at Stanley.  Joseph Lyons.

The Nut as it's called was discovered by Bass & Flinders in 1798. The rock is a volcanic plug which forms when the magma hardens, there are several or these volcanic plugs around the world.
The Nut is 152m above sea level and flat on top.  When we used to visit Stanley we would climb up the hill and walked on the top have magnificent views of land sea and sand.  Today there is a chair lift for those who do not wish to walk. 

The Nut with the pathway to the top.

Closer view.

Where Joseph Lyons was born, Australia's 10th Prime Minister.

A quaint coffee shop and tea rooms.  There are several places to eat as it's a tourist town.

Church of Apostles in HDR

I really like the effect of the Church of Apostles in HDR.  This is the same church that I was married in, the same church I played the pipe organ sometimes during lunchtime when I attended the Private School behind the church.
The first Church was built in 1842 but had to be replaced 20 years later.  The foundation stone was laid in 1864, it was called the Queen of the Apostles Church was open 1866 eventually called the Church of Apostles.
In 1889 the foundation stone was laid for the tower & spire but wasn't completed for another 100 years.

 The HDR looks a little bright, but I like the effect.

 Facing towards the Altar.

The back of the Church and the Pipe Organ.

The Chook!

When living at New Norkfolk I had a swing which consisted of two ropes hanging from a tree and a wooden seat, in the backyard.  One day my father had to chop one our chooks heads off so mum could cook one for a meal, not the head but the fowl.  The axe was sharpened the chopping block was checked and I was swinging on my swing being a small child.  A few neighbours came to visit and watch the big event.
The head of the chook was axed and that was that, until this dead chook started to fly, I took off and it followed me with my father telling me not to be frightened as it was normal for this type of thing to happen.  Eventually after a few minutes all was calm thank goodness.

The above photo was taken by someone else - I have borrowed it, and of course it's a rooster.

When I was 3

When I was about 3 years of age I lived in a Police house with my parents in New Norfolk, Tasmania for approximately 4 years before my dad was transferred to another town.
I remember many things that happened in New Norfolk when I lived there.

My dad used to polish the long wooden polished boards in the hall by having me on a soft rug and pulling me slowly down the hall, it was a big giggle.

My first dog was given to me at New Norfolk, I was terrified of dogs as a child so the dog was to help me overcome that hate of dogs, which it did.

I remember going down the street, my shoes getting dirty, and crying about it, they had to be wiped and then polished with my dads or mums hanky.

New Norfolk was where I first went to school  at the age of 3, came home at lunch time stood on a stool and turned the stove on for a meal to be cooked, both my parents came home for lunch.  After school I would go to the home of the nuns till one of my parents came to get me, sometimes I would be picked up by a young women who looked after me whilst my parents worked.

I recall one night when my dad was on night duty hearing footsteps at the front door, my mother and I hid behind the lounge, then my mother remembered that my bedroom window was open plus the back door - so she headed off to lock both as the person knocked loudly on the front door, then I could hear him walking down the side of the house in the dark of the night to the back door, both my mother and I scared as we were told to never open doors to strangers....it turned out this 'man' came looking for my father to do him some harm - this type of thing often happened, then I was a target for many years to come, one of the joys (I think not) back then of being a Policeman's daughter!  It was a great life.

The house I lived in once.

What's in Bloom in the Garden!

Always good to arrive home and find spring flowers blooming in the garden.  Always pick bunches of Daffodils and bring inside and keep them in a vase.

My dad was so pleased to see us, and I guess it's rather daunting for a elderly legally blind man to be left by his only child (me) to go away thousands of klms for over a month.  One good thing is that a Government Institution send a person whom my dads trusts a little, once a week to take him shopping.  So now I am back into my normal mode of traveling to my dads, staying then back home - hence I still have two homes to take care of.  I enjoy all of this immensely having friends in 2 cities, you could say I have 2 of everything just about, expect husbands :)

Anyway my spring blooms that are our in the garden at this time.

 Magnolia bloom, this tree is kept trimmed for they can grow rather large.

Japonica Margaret Davis Camellia.

The beginning of the blooming Irises.

A Trumpet Daffodil.

White Daffodil.

What is commonly known as Eggs & Bacon.

Freesias.

Heading towards home with HDR

Heading towards home & experimenting with HDR

The ship leaves port about 6pm and arrived in Devonport, Tasmania about 6am, disembarking at 6.30am.  Then go through Quarantine again which consists of Sniffer Dogs and people.  Tasmania has strict quarantine laws.

We enjoy sailing at night time, we eat dinner on the ship, then go to the shop on board to have a look, then off to the cabin shower and into bed, fall asleep and wake up in not enough time to get ready to disembark.  You have to remember what level you have parked your vehicle, the levels go in colours and letters, so it's the matter of going down the right stairs of the ship or lifts.

Waiting in line to go through Quarantine in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  Then wait in line again till we can drive on board.

Driving up the ramp

Inside of one of the decks where the vehicles are parked.

Narrandera, NSW

Narrandera is a place that appeals to me.  The people are friendly but so are they in other towns.
The streets are wide with some lovely buildings and trees to keep some streets cooler in the summer.
Lost count of how many times we have passed through and sometimes stayed at Narrandera.
This was out last port of call as in stopping before heading to Melbourne to catch the ship home....from one shore to another.

I have been fiddling with HDR High Dynamic Range with my photos.  It seems I do what I think looks nice and sometimes it's very different. I saw where Diane has tried it out. 
After reading many tutorials I decided to do what I like, as I don't always like what the 'so called' experts have done - each to his own.

These photos are all of Narrandera done in HDR.

St. Mel's Catholic Church.

Inside St. Mel's Catholic Church.

The Ceramic Royal Daulton Fountain, the second one of it's kind in the world.  The other one is to be found in Karachi, in Pakistan.

A house in Narrandera

Main Street of Narrandera

Parkes, New South Wales

Parks has about 14,600 people in it's area.  Parkes has a 'Dish'  which is a Radio Telescope that assisted NASA in the past.
When the late Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon in 1969 it was this telescope that broadcast the happening around the world.
We didn't stop at Parkes we stayed further down the road at Narrandera. 

 Parkes Court House

The Art on a pillar of the Court House.

'The Dish' at Parkes.

Gilgandra, New South Wales

On our way home we stopped at a lovely Motel in Gilgandra up on a hill.  It's owned by an Indian couple, rooms are lovely and clean and the wife cooks a mean meal which was delivered to our motel room. 
Gilgandra is about 460km west of Sydney and has a population of well over 2,600 people.
There is a new IGA Supermarket which we visited and it would put many a large supermarket in the city to shame.

Part of the Main Street in Gilgandra

Part of the shopping area

The IGA Supermarket has moved from here...and due to sun being in the wrong position no photo of the new IGA

A field day for some who like looking in Antique Shops.

A Mural of the men who went to war.

Part of a the town Hotel and it's just as large on all sides

Goondiwindi, Q'land

Always we stay at the same Motel in Goondiwindi, clean rooms, good bed and great bathroom with a good stream of clean lovely water :)  We usually eat in our room, a nice big porterhouse steak or T-bone with either salad + chips or vegies.  Goondiwindi is our first stop and nights sleep we have after leaving the Sunshine Coast.  It's about 350kms south west of Brisbane and the MacIntyre River is the border I presume, because over the river you are in the State of New South Wales.  

The Victoria Hotel in the middle of the main street.

The main street - note how clean it looks, all towns we travel through are usually like this.

Of course the Town Clock.

Ettamogah Pub, Queensland.

There are a few Ettamogah Pubs in Australia in different States, many a joke has been made of them or about them. The photos below is of the one on the Sunshine Coast on the highway to Brisbane.
It's been years since I took a photo of it, have been in it but never dined there, yet...will one day.
Behind the Pub, is Aussie World where by you can go for rides on wheels and all manner of things.

Typical Aussie language on the sides of the Pub.

Sunshine Plaza!

Found the Sunshine Plaza a pleasant place to shop.  Not too large just comfortable to walk to two story shopping.  Myer, Kmart, Target, food = Coles & Woolworths plus lots of clothing shops, shoes, handbags, men shops, children's shops, lolly shops, jewelery shops & so on.  So lucky there are few seats located along the way for my husband can't walk too far before he needs to sit down, some days he is better than other days.
Always I buy 'things' when I travel to the Sunshine Coast, this year I bought 3 leather handbags along with earrings, shoes & a few clothes.
The great thing about shopping at the Plaza, the parking is free!

I zoomed in with the camera from the bridge

Mainly went shopping inside and didn't realize all this was outside :) until the day before we left.

Zoomed in again from the bridge to see the Big Top which is going to be redone or replaced at some stage, & that is another small shopping area.  The circus like tops x 4 is the shopping area.

Of course the clock at the Sunshine Plaza

Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all dads.

Queensland family!

Youngest son his wife and their 3 children.  These are who we visit when we go north.
The young baby is the boy I delivered late January in the car on the side of the road on the way to the hospital.

The plaque on the wall isn't good and I should have removed it.