After collecting my tickets for The Ghan to Darwin on Sunday, I finally made all the reservations for the trips to Melbourne and Uluru. To celebrate I drove to Port Adelaide, known as Yerti Bulti to the Kaurna Aboriginal people, and visited the Maritime Museum. The display of ships figureheads was fascinating (now I understand that bit in Titanic) ,
including a suitably agressive one from the French.
Of course the sad thing is that all these beautiful boats have now disappeared, some broken up for firewood. There was a lifesize model of a boat which it is possible to explore,
and, going down into the captain's cabin, there is a sound display with the creaking timbers, lashing waves and all the various shouts from above. In a building on dry land it was scary - I don't think I'd have been much good as a cabin boy!
the captain's cabin
Throughout the museum there were many fascinating artefacts and memorabilia , and I am newly enough retired to think what a fantastic place for a school trip! As in the other museums I have visited in Adelaide, there were lots of interactive displays for children and it really did bring to life both the life of the early sailors in the ketches and also the incredibly difficult and fraught journey from England to Adelaide. Two things I hadn't realised; the Australian navy was only three years old at the time of World War 1, and the Australian navy supported the American troops in Vietnam and faced derision and contempt on returning to Australia causing bitterness still felt today.
From the museum I wandered round the town; it is obviously being "done up" in the fashion of docklands all over but there were a few old examples of maritime buildings left.
Afternoon tea seems to be quite popular here, a very civilised tradition I am only too happy to embrace. One of the very best things about it is having the time to sit and enjoy it without thinking of a million things I should be doing. (Sorry!) So, after that it was time to drive home along the lovely coastal road, stopping at Semaphore for a bracing walk along the pier.
(If you look at the clouds it may make you feel better about the last remark...)
including a suitably agressive one from the French.
Of course the sad thing is that all these beautiful boats have now disappeared, some broken up for firewood. There was a lifesize model of a boat which it is possible to explore,
and, going down into the captain's cabin, there is a sound display with the creaking timbers, lashing waves and all the various shouts from above. In a building on dry land it was scary - I don't think I'd have been much good as a cabin boy!
Throughout the museum there were many fascinating artefacts and memorabilia , and I am newly enough retired to think what a fantastic place for a school trip! As in the other museums I have visited in Adelaide, there were lots of interactive displays for children and it really did bring to life both the life of the early sailors in the ketches and also the incredibly difficult and fraught journey from England to Adelaide. Two things I hadn't realised; the Australian navy was only three years old at the time of World War 1, and the Australian navy supported the American troops in Vietnam and faced derision and contempt on returning to Australia causing bitterness still felt today.
From the museum I wandered round the town; it is obviously being "done up" in the fashion of docklands all over but there were a few old examples of maritime buildings left.
Afternoon tea seems to be quite popular here, a very civilised tradition I am only too happy to embrace. One of the very best things about it is having the time to sit and enjoy it without thinking of a million things I should be doing. (Sorry!) So, after that it was time to drive home along the lovely coastal road, stopping at Semaphore for a bracing walk along the pier.
(If you look at the clouds it may make you feel better about the last remark...)
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