Since our last dispatch there has been little doing for our tribe down under. We took a trip into the city on Tuesday so that I could visit the state library of New South Wales and Jayne, Ben, and Jake could do some more sightseeing in the city. We took the ferry again, of course, and by now the glorious half hour journey has become old hat to all of us. The only stop the family made together was at a “disposal store,” the term the Aussies use to describe war surplus outlets, where I wanted to see if I could get an Australian army hat. Unfortunately, they were too pricey, but Jayne took a second look at some hat netting that she is sure we will need when we go into the outback to Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) next week. Unfortunately, those were too pricey as well, so we will probably pick up these handy bug screens at a discount store here in Manly later.
I left the family then to walk down to the library, a magnificent structure that contains everything ever published in this state as well as a fine collection of manuscripts and personal papers. My success was mixed due to my unfamiliarity with their procedures and a marked reluctance on the part of the staff to promptly retrieve requested items. Meanwhile the rest of the clan explored more of the city, and Jayne went to St. Mary’s Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the world.
The next day was a recovery day, with all of us trying to rest up from our urban hiking expeditions. Ronald joined us for a walk up to the north end of Manly Beach to investigate some caves we had learned about from some YouTube postings and were rewarded with success. The cave cuts right through the bottom of a cliff just beyond the enclosed salt water swimming pool and was a pretty neat find. We walked back into the town where we enjoyed a nice bargain steak lunch at the Ivanhoe Hotel before Ronald returned home. Afterwards, Jayne and I went to the beach where I tried “boogie boarding” on a small foam surfboard that Ronald loaned us. I finally caught a wave! It was quite an exhilarating experience, and I must have gone about fifty yards as the wave rushed me towards shore. While I tempted the sharks, Jayne worked on her tan, a much less strenuous way to enjoy a day where the wind blasted in from the ocean and kept the temperatures somewhat cool.
Today Benjamin and I returned to the New South Wales archives where we got a behind the scenes tour from one of the archivists, and I enjoyed swapping stories about practicing our profession in such different places. Ben and I got back on the train to reach Circular Quay just about lunchtime, and after sharing a sandwich he returned on the ferry and I went back to the NSW Library to delve into more musty records. This time I had a bit more success in finding what I needed, and I found the staff in the microfilm section particularly helpful. Back home, Jayne answered a call of distress from Ronald who needed some help on a carpentry project, her
specialty. She and Ronald worked on a table and got it into shape after a trip to the lumber yard and the assembly of a new electrical jigsaw. This weekend on Sunday we are planning an expedition to the Royal National Park itself, the object of my research, and I am looking forward to finally seeing the place that I have read so much about.
Ronald is keeping a blog in addition to ours, and if you wish to see more pictures of our adventures go to http://www.bluesbirds.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment