Although we only spent a few days away, we fit a lot into that short trip. We started out with a stop in the Blue Mountains, then on to our cabin by the Jenolan caves, hit up some cave tours and went fossicking. During that little trip, I amassed over 100 pics of trees (I love the gum trees and can't stop snapping pictures of them), the mountains, kangaroos (there were kangaroos living outside our cabins) and caves. Here's a sampling of just some of those pictures.
Gus, sporting his spy glasses he got for Christmas:
Christmas supper in Chinatown.
The sign on the scary railcar that took us down into the valley in the Blue Mountains.
View from the valley:
A paper gum:
The kangaroos hopping and grazing outside our cabin.
The road to the Jenolan Caves.
Gus, trying his hand at fossicking. Fossicking involves panning for gold and/or digging for sapphires, opals or other gems, usually done on a recreational basis. In our state (NSW), you don't need a license to fossick, and there are nine areas where you can fossick without having to get prior permission by the landholder. Yesterday we were describing our first fossicking trip to an Australian friend and he told us about people that he went to school with that would spend their summers fossicking and apparently they were able to make a living at it. Based on our first go at it, it wouldn't be something I could (or would want to) make a living at (it was pretty mucky and sweaty), but Vic and Gus say they're keen to try it again. Keep your fingers crossed for gold.
Happy New Year all!
3 comments:
Here's a title for your autobiography: From PHACer to fossicker; tales of a gold-digging PhD. That's what they call 'setting the hook'!
hahaha! I love it! Neil - your talents are seriously wasted in your current job. Have you ever thought of writing headlines for The Onion?
Good idea; I could keep my job and do it during breaks!
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