8 - Bowral - Home of Donald Bradman and the International Cricket Museum

Sir Donald Bradman
The King of Cricket

 

Bradman's boyhood home 
2 blocks from the Cricket Museum

The International Cricket Museum
is huge and well done

Donald Bradman was about 5-7. He lived in Bowral (pronounced Barrel) about 80 miles south of Sidney. He is without question the greatest cricketer of all time. He played for 20 years - then was a game administrator for another 40 years. Although the birthplace and hot bed of cricket is England - Bradman's records are head over heels above any other player. 

His most famous run was made in 1948. He led the Australian Invincibles on a tour through 45 British cities against the best of the best. During the 5 month tour the Australians were undefeated. He became Sir Donald Bradman. The whole country turned out to see him play. 

Within walking distance of his boyhood home is the International Cricket Museum and the Bradman Oval - where he played cricket while in school. His boyhood home is restored to the time of his childhood. 

Bowral sits on the old train line from Sydney to Melbourne. It passes right through town and also Canberra - our destination. The train only has 3 cars - but you can also hear freight train whistles pass by at night from our hotel. We are about 200 yards from the station. The town reminds one very much of the British countryside. Mount Gibraltar at 2800 feet is just out our hotel window. 

Today - it is overcast and 54. As soon as Lulu's class is over at 10 AM our time - we will pack up - and head to Canberra - population 400,000 - the capital of Australia. 

The Bradman Oval - still used today

The Wizard of the Willow
was 5-7.

Please come out just for 
one more parade

Bradman's wife lived with the his family 
as a boarder before they married

The team that went to England
in 1948 - and never lost

They have batting averages - 
and other stats. 
Similar to baseball.
Note - the 12th man.

One interesting rule - 
the pitch must bounce
before you hit it

Australia team colors - 
green and gold

Donald Bradman met Babe Ruth

They talk about wearing 
the baggy green hat

The homes in Bowral 
are well manicured

Bradman's address

This Holden is a typical 
4wd truck

It is hard to believe we left Tallahassee last Thursday. This is Day 8 - and we will finally get to Canberra. We spent 3 nights in Sydney - 2 nights in Bowral - 1 night on the plane - and lost 1 night crossing The International Date Line. 

I am looking forward to the Canberra apartment and doing the laundry. It is day 8 - and I only brought 6 changes of clothes. 

7 - The ANZAC Memorial

The ANZAC Memorial
Sydney

The statue - Sacrifice - to honor 
soldiers at war and people at home

In Hyde Park in downtown Sydney is the Anzac Memorial. It is to honor the first engagement in a world conflict by the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC was short for Australia New Zealand Army Corp. 

They fought at Gallipoli which today is part of modern Turkey in World War I. They fought on the side of Britain - France - Italy - Russia - and the USA. They fought against - Germany - The Ottoman Empire - Austria-Hungary. It was their first exposure on a world level as a world power. World War I was from 1914 to 1918. 

In 1934 funds were raised by donation to erect this memorial. Australia also participated  in several others wars on the side of the USA and Britain. 

Hyde Park is right between our Hilton Hotel and the Central Railroad Station in Sydney. We went there before catching our train to Bowral on Tuesday. After visiting the museum - we took our train to Bowral for 2 nights. Thursday we will continue our train ride to Canberra. One can take a straight train from Brisbane to Sydney to Bowral to Canberra and finally to Melbourne. 

We are currently in Bowral for one more night before we go to our apartment in Canberra. 

Eternal Flame 
Burns 9 to 5 everyday

Plaques to honor those that died

Memorials from other wars

More statues to 
remember heroes

Plaque from dedication

Waterfalls and pools surround
memorial

6 - Monday Morning at the Sydney Zoo

We took the ferry from the city 
in the background 

Lots of poison animals

Ferry from downtown to zoo

No matter where I am - I love Monday mornings. After a busy weekend - everyone goes back to work - leaving the tourist attractions to us. The working people are busy making the doughnuts for the rest of us. I am so old now - that no one remembers that I was a public school teacher for 33 years. Now we depend on the younger generations to carry the torch - and they are doing a fine job. In February - I will celebrate living on the dole for 20 years. :-)

The world has lots of different animals and it seems that most of the poisonous ones are all here. Lulu wanted to visit the zoo to see what to watch out for. We were able to take the ferry to the zoo. This ferry had just two stops - the opera house where we got on - and the Tarongo Zoo. While on the ferry - we bought our zoo tickets using the iPhone. Then at the ferry dock - you hop on a cable car and it takes you to the top of the hill passing over the entire zoo. From there you zig-zag down the hill seeing all the animals in their habitats. Habitats is a fancy word for pens. 

The weather was perfect - sunny - 65 to 70. Lulu wore a jacket - I was in short sleeves. We were both perfectly comfortable. Everyone is asking if we held koala bears. No - we will do that at smaller animal farms. Here we saw sleeping koalas. 

The animals were very active. Most of them eating. At one time this was more of an amusement park - with elephants rides and animals interactions. Now they are selling it under the banner of eco-tourism. The admission was about $35 local - $25 USA dollars. We also had a nice lunch there in the food pavilion. 

We took the local bus back to our hotel. It passed thru some fancy neighborhoods and also over the Harbor Bridge. You can walk across the bridge - high up on the top arches. We did not do that yet - maybe when we are better adjusted. 

There is Woolworth's - like the old one in Tamaqua - in the building next to our hotel. We went shopping there looking for some personal items - nail clippers - shaving cream - things you cannot take in your carry-on luggage. We were back for supper in the hotel. 

Out Hilton Hotel is very nice. It is right in the middle of all the action in the city. The light rail stops at our front door. We are here for 3 nights at $250 USA per night. It is near our upper limit - but since this is such a short stay - were splurged. We are happy we did - they have a VIP suite that is open all day - serving really nice food and endless drinks. I refrain from alcohol - I am working on adjusting belly and sleep  to the jet lag. Lulu is enjoying the wine service. I know some folks who would not leave the hotel - to get their money's worth - we have not even tried the pool yet - it looks fantastic. 

Today - we check out at noon - we take the train to Bowral. We will stay there 2 nights - it is their literary city. Nancy wants to teach her two FSU Library Classes from there. Then on to our permanent apartment in Canberra. While here - Lulu has 2 duties. She will be doing research in the Australian National Library - bit also teaching her two regular grad classes back at FSU. She amazes me. 

It is 5 AM on Tuesday - as I finish this story. 

Cruise ship downtown 

On New Years - they light up 
the bridge - New Year starts here

Opera house from ferry.
Empty in morning. 

The zoo is up on the cliff

Cable car to top of zoo

Koalas were still napping.

Zoo was not real busy.
Monday morning in winter. 

This red-eye tree frog 
for Dorothy Davis

Iguanas

Turtles

30 foot python

Most venomous snake

A real cobra

Star turtle

More Lizards

Red belly black snake

Croccodile

Africa section

Lots of active giraffes

Eating

I am guessing 15 feet tall

Lion cubs playing

Meerkats

Beautiful stainless steel urinal

Strange flower.
Lulu says it is a Bird off Paradise.
I think it is a plant. 

Cables cars up from the harbor

African elephant

Kangaroo man spreading 

Three in a row