Saturday (spot the original titles, LOL)

Saturday dawned damp and cold - it had snowed somewhere near (100ks, LOL) and there was a freezing wind blowing as we arrived at the National Museum 3/4 hour early!!! Once the doors opened,it was bliss to get out of the wind. The National Museum if very architectural and modernly so. There was a woman who spoke to us about the sybolism of the building, why etc but couldn't hear a word she said. I think I got the bit that the Museum was a millenium gift from the commonwealth - maybe.

As museum's go, I thought it was a bit sparse. Parts of some of the displays were very interesting but it didn't feel as though there much flow and was more like an edited highlights version than a meaty, lots of relics type museum. Anyway, I have now seen Phar Lap's heart which was huge, a couple of hills hoists (rotary clothes lines for the uninitiated) and some victor lawnmowers along with an FJ Holden that were all in the social history part of the museum, along with a few more sporting trophies, a 1950's kitchen and caravan. There was quite a bit about the stolen generation with photos of indigenous people who had been taken from their own families with bits of their history since. I found that hard to read but very interesting.

Once our visit was completed there it was back on the bus, farewell Canberra and northwards to Sydney again. We stopped at this huge McDonalds about halfway there that was like a huge roadside eatery, with a petrol station next door and a small IGA a bit further on. It very much reminded me of the roadside eateries in Europe (still milking that trip, LOL)that we stopped at frequently for snacks and the loo. This place was large enough to serve 50 people on our bus in about 15 mins plus other patrons without the workers breaking into a sweat - it was that big.

It was about 3pm when we reached the ubiquitous Sydney Backpackers again. There was a quick unpacking and a bolt out of the door so the girls could get some shopping in before everything closed. The area of George Street we wandered about in was heavily Asian with either dress/trinket shops, food shops or a couple of shoe shops. As we walked round the block, I came across a mall type building that had all sorts and let the girls loose there. One of the things that took my fancy in the 'what next' category, was a stall/shop that was selling coloured shoelaces to go with some of the sneaker type footwear they sold and shoelace jewellry that you can slide onto the lace and keep held to the shoe as you then lace it up!!!!!!