Maryborough's Mary Poppins

[Jocelyn Walker]

Whilst on holiday a few weeks ago in Queensland, the nearest biggest town to where we stayed was Maryborough! We found this statue & plaque, which I found quite interesting!

[Stephen]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Interesting, didn't know the author originated from Oz. TBH I didn't even know the name of the author Looks like a pretty sleepy kinda place

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Its a quaint place! Quite clean & tidy> There was an old Customs & Excise Building which I wanted to photograph, but my battery was near to flat & memory card filled after having taken quite a few shots elsewhere! It used to be quite an important place on a big river...therefore port of sorts. I didn't know the author originated from Oz either until I saw the statue & plaque! Of course Oz doesn't have anywhere near the Historical culture etc, etc that Europe.....Britain has as only been colonized for a couple of hundred years only! Originally a penal colony of Her Majesty's pleasure!

[StuartR]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Of course Oz doesn't have anywhere near the Historical culture etc, etc that Europe.....Britain has as only been colonized for a couple of hundred years only! Originally a penal colony of Her Majesty's pleasure!

Assuming you discount the 40,000 (or 50,000 or 60,000 depending which study you read) years of aboriginal culture of course! ...although they didn't leave much physical evidence to photograph beyond cave paintings I guess.

I've always wanted to visit Australia, I have relatives over there including in Rockhampton which is about 240 miles further north from where you took your pictures. The others are in Perth and Canberra. 'er indoors said we should fly to Perth and then drive - it's only 3,418 miles after all!

I will do it one day (internal flights though!) and get over to New Zealand where we have yet more relatives. Not going to be a cheap trip I guess but I'll be able to wear the camera out

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

I apollogize if I seemed dismissive of Aboriginal culture (which I hadn't mentioned!) which is a very important part of Australia & certainly goes back millennia, as do most indiginous peoples all over the world! Maybe I should qualify my statement as being of 'western origin'....settlers to this land, having been in Australia a couple of hundred years only! I also meant more architectural Historical (and of westernized heritage & culture)..as some indiginous peoples, being hunter/gatherer origin, tended to be more nomadic & therefore did not build cities of note!
Anyhow....Perth is beautiful...all around there...Margaret River...etc! I recommend a visit to Western Australia to anyone! I have not been to Canberra but believe it is nice! New Zealand is great....going by ferry from North to South Island, I went through the Malborough Sounds....oooohhhh....what majestic & exquisite beauty...the colour of the water is just amazing! Tasmania is also another place thats really great to visit as well....the ferry can take you & car from Melbourne, for just over $100 per person! Well worth it!

[StuartR]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

I apollogize if I seemed dismissive of Aboriginal culture (which I hadn't mentioned!) which is a very important part of Australia & certainly goes back millennia, as do most indiginous peoples all over the world! Maybe I should qualify my statement as being of 'western origin'....settlers to this land, having been in Australia a couple of hundred years only! I also meant more architectural Historical (and of westernized heritage & culture)..as some indiginous peoples, being hunter/gatherer origin, tended to be more nomadic & therefore did not build cities of note!
Anyhow....Perth is beautiful...all around there...Margaret River...etc! I recommend a visit to Western Australia to anyone! I have not been to Canberra but believe it is nice! New Zealand is great....going by ferry from North to South Island, I went through the Malborough Sounds....oooohhhh....what majestic & exquisite beauty...the colour of the water is just amazing! Tasmania is also another place thats really great to visit as well....the ferry can take you & car from Melbourne, for just over $100 per person! Well worth it!

No need to apologise Jocelyn - it was more me expressing a thought that occurred while reading your post, hence the wink. I wasn't trying to be "PC" or anything like that, perhaps it came across a bit harsh..

I'm looking for somewhere special to go next November for our 25th anniversary and so far it's been Vegas, Florida (Disney etc), New England, Canada and now Australia & New Zealand....I'll have to make my mind up soon . We've done Disney before but I'd go back tomorrow.

Trouble is I've got a great big yellow streak up my back when it comes to poisonous snakes and spiders so that's a bit of a hurdle for me to overcome in terms of going to Oz

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Quite frankly, I have only seen 1 snake here i Oz in the 7 years I've been here! Spiders....yep! Good thing you aren't thinking of Safari's in Africa....cos theres poisonous snakes...poisonous spiders & heaps of dangerooos....lions, leopards, elies, rhino, buffalo & crocs too! Thats what adds to the excitement of visiting these places. They have poisonous snakes in the States too you know....rattlers etc! What you could do is take in a couple of stops in different countries...Oz....where you travel Tasmania in 3 days....New Zealand, then off to Canada for a few days! Thailand could be a great stop before Oz! Your best bet is to do some Internet research...look up Western Australia...in particular Margaret River area! Tasmania & Cradle mt & Huon Valley....East coast is superb in Tasmania too! Coles Bay & Wine Glass Bay etc...etc. New Zealand is amazing...reminds me a little of parts of UK in places! Happy Aniversary for November mate!

[StuartR]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Happy Aniversary for November mate!

Thanks but it's next year - I'm planning well ahead! I've been informed that it'd better be something special! (special = expensive I think?) so I'm starting to do the research now to make sure I have enough dosh stashed away.

I like the idea of New Zealand because I think I read somewhere that they're a bit like Ireland - nothing posionous at all

[Jocelyn Walker]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Yes...that's right nothing poisonous there in NZ! You wouldn't regret a trip to New Zealand....there are sooooo many gorgeous & varied things to see there. The people are extremely friendly! I met a few ladies in Wellington that were on a shopping expedition! They were staying at the same B&B as me! They invited me to catch the ferry back with them to the South Island & stay the weekend in their home! Truly hospitable, kind & generous! Also took me sightseeing in their area! Rotorua is apparantly great! Auckland & surrounding area is beautiful! I think you should see both North & South Islands...Perhaps your missus would appreciate NZ....but then again its not as glitzy & commercialized as the States!

[StuartR]

Re: Maryborough's Mary Poppins

Yes...that's right nothing poisonous there in NZ! You wouldn't regret a trip to New Zealand....there are sooooo many gorgeous & varied things to see there. The people are extremely friendly! I met a few ladies in Wellington that were on a shopping expedition! They were staying at the same B&B as me! They invited me to catch the ferry back with them to the South Island & stay the weekend in their home! Truly hospitable, kind & generous! Also took me sightseeing in their area! Rotorua is apparantly great! Auckland & surrounding area is beautiful! I think you should see both North & South Islands...Perhaps your missus would appreciate NZ....but then again its not as glitzy & commercialized as the States!

If it comes up as the winning option I'd probably want to do Australia and Oz together over 3 weeks which I know is a tight schedule but the only other option is to wait until I retire which is a way off yet.

My Aunt in New Zealand lives in Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty area on the North Island. She went out in the 50's as a nurse on some sort of exchange deal (I can just remember the nurse from New Zealand who came over to stay with my grandparents). My aunt stayed out there after meeting and marrying a Maori doctor which must have been a fairly brave thing to do in those days. They went on to have 7 kids! I never met my uncle as he didn't visit the UK and died at a relatively young age but I know that he was some sort of tribal chieftan or elder or something from the south island, so it will be interesting to explore his roots & culture.