Judy & Brian Tour Oz

Listed attractions for Cowra: Peace Bell, Japanese Gardens, Garrison Gates, War Cemetery and  Railway Museum. So of we went and followed the tourist trail: Peace Bell. This is a replica of the one made from donated military medals and which is hanging in front of the UN headquarters. The plaque says that normally they hang in the Nations Capital, which most Australians and some foreigners might be able to identify as Canberra, but it failed to give any reason why it was here in Cowra. No mind, it's a great bell and a better cause: world peace. Then on to the Japanese Gardens via the Bellevue Lookout. Sadly, the 'vue' from the lookout was probably the least inspiring we have seen and so we'll skip to the Japanese Gardens, which even now in Winter are truly beautiful and serene. You can wander around for hours and joust feel so relaxed looking at the wonderful plantings and water features. Hard to choose just one snap, but I managed somehow and here it is: ...

Sunday 1st June Up early, but not too early. Moving about putting the last things together, wondering about what clothes to take, what to leave behind. Those last things packed away in the van, a last coffee with Lauren and Daniel. Top-up the tank and the jerry-can and back home to hook-up and then we're off! We left in rain and it kept up out to the other side of Yass, where we had stopped for a feed at the BigM. By the time we got to Boorowa it had started again and kept up all the way into Cowra. The countryside is a picture, lush green grass studded with wooly white sheep, freshly ploughed fields ready for the Canola seeds that turn the hills into a bright yellow carpet by spring, and herds of cows munching their heads off. We are experts now, there are brown ones, black ones, red ones and black ones with a broad white belt. At least the black and white ones have a name: Belted Galloways. Having settled into our allocated spot in the Cowra Van Park, we took a stroll up ...